rushbo

I try and make sure that all the things that I have control over are all present and correct. I know my band is well-rehearsed. I know my bass is working and I have a spare, I know my amp is up to the job, with a DI box handy just in case. I've got a couple of cheat sheets close to me for those songs where I might struggle with a particular passage. Of course, I can't legislate for the 300lb, over-refreshed idiot falling into the PA, or a random brain-fart that causes me to forget the lyrics to the chorus of "We Will Rock You," but if I know I've done all I can in terms of preparation, it makes me feel a lot more confident and comfortable. Also, know your limitations regarding booze (or whatever stimulant takes your fancy.) After a few too many pints of Dutch Courage, one of two things will happen: you might "think" you're playing in the pocket when you're actually playing as if you're recovering from some recent physical trauma. Option two is even worse - you'll be distracted, forget stuff and your muscle memory starts to suffer with Alzheimers, leaving you prodding hopelessly at whatever you're holding in your hand. Having said that, I love playing live. I don't care if it's a big crowd, a small crowd or even no crowd, it's the reason I play bass. Good luck!

Although Tomsk was the first call bassist for The Wombles, Here's Madame Cholet digging in, on a tasty-looking Jazz bass... and jamming with Roy Wood on a sixer;

I would absolutely love it to be a G4M. As Geddy's Nose said earlier in the thread - that would be proper Punk Rock.

I've used vinyl banners in the past which work well and as Nancy said a few posts back, there's always something you can clip it to. The main issue was getting creases out of it. My current band uses a 3m x 3m heavy-duty backdrop that's suspended from reinforced eyelets. More recently, as long as the venue has the facilities, we use an mp4 of band-related images which is shown behind, over or alongside us while we play. I'm in a Roxy Music tribute band, and here's a picture of us singing along with our old mate Brian Eno...

Most of my kit goes in a Music Store Deluxe Gigbag, like this: The front pocket is huge and swallows up all my "crucial" bits and pieces - power cables, leads, tablet holder, wireless kit etc. My RockBoard 3.0 lives in the main section along with a hand towel and a black nylon cloth that I use to cover my amp stand. I've also got a standard holdall with one big pocket where things like extension cables, gaffa tape and my little tool kit live, but for the vast majority of the gigs I do, I'll not need to open it up - apart from maybe getting out the gaffa tape! I'd advise anyone who gets any type of gigbag to get one that opens up as wide as possible so you can throw stuff in at the end of a gig and not have to worry too much about opening up secret pockets and hidden flapdoodles. I used to use a bag with loads of pockets and hidey-holes but I would always forget where I'd stashed everything. I find that just having one big space to put everything in works better for me. I know it's counter-intuitive, but... I've got a Hercules double stand which I keep in a cheapo tripod bag. None of my kit needs much padding as it travels in a car 95% of the time, but there are so many bits on that stand which could get caught on something and get bent, torn off or damaged. The simplest of bags eliminates that problem. I've probably spent more time mulling over storage solutions than I've spent on deciding on bass guitar purchases.

A few years back, I made some pocket money by buying unloved or slightly knackered basses on Shpock and Gumtree, making them playable, cleaning them up and punting them on for a profit that would buy me a nice curry. I came across an Encore very like this. It had been neglected but it didn't take much to get it very playable and it cleaned up beautifully. I was very impressed by the finish. The only minor blemish was on the pickguard which had delaminated slightly by the output. Lovely, old school thump, too. Thats a good score for £50

Just seen a pic of his rig on FB from a recent gig-there's a sort of clip on mic on the top right speaker of the cab

GONE My wife rescued this from one of the schools she teaches at. It was destined for the skip as it has a fault - when you try to use phantom power, it howls like a banshee. Other than that, it seems to be working fine. A mate who is handier with electricals than me has tested it out and other than the phantom power thing, it all seems to work as it should. If you need a small (200w) powered mixer and aren't fussed about using condenser mics or you need something to power monitors, this might be just the thing. Or you can just harvest the knobs, feet and components and turn the rest into a small hutch for a field mouse. I can probably find an IEC lead to sweeten the deal (as our American cousins say.) I've printed off the manual too and added a delightful coffee stain to it. I'm in Halesowen in the Wild West Mids. The kettle is always on. Bring some biscuits.

I can hazard a guess at a rough "translation" of the first bit: "I haven't gigged in quite a few years, but my ideal situation would be to be teamed with a drummer like Tommy Aldridge, playing hard rock and blues with an edge. I would play like a real kick-donkey* bassist in that situation. I have all the equipment necessary to perform on stage and in the studio, however, someone borrowed a bass guitar from me and hasn't yet returned it. Fortunately, I have others." Sadly the rest is in some obscure dialect that I am unfamiliar with. The "see more" clickable link is just a tantalising tease, isn't it? We may all have a chuckle, but didn't James Joyce make a living out of this sort of stuff? (* This is a rare example of BassChat AutoCensor actually enhancing the prose.)

Oh I get it... all Bass are fretless, but not all basses are fretless. But scales are common to both. As someone who is about to start playing fretless bass again, after a layoff of about twenty years, I'd imagine my wife (who has perfect pitch) will be screaming the words "subtle" and "mysterious" as she pummels me with a shoe after another less than accurate rendition of the intro to "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home.)"

That looks really cool - what a great idea!

...and this is why BassChat can be a lovely place to hang out. Thanks Maude, that sounds like the perfect solution and a very generous offer.

I use these on my RockBoard - they're ace. Available in 10cm length for tight spaces:

Would this sort of thing work?

Mainly 'A', sometimes 'C' and (hangs head in shame) very occasionally 'D.' Up until about five years ago, I used the "ever-decreasing halving" method that a few people mentioned earlier in the thread. I never had an issue with any cables, doing that. In fact, the only issues I've ever had were with broken/dodgy connections in the jack. Now, I buy good quality leads and look after them. I haven't had to change a faulty one for years. The key seems to be to avoid tieing the cables too tightly, so whenever I used the "halving" method, I was always careful to make the loosest knot that would keep the cable together. Method 'A' makes the cables very easy to unfurl, but the "round the elbow" method is by far the quickest - well it was for me. Don't tie the cables too tightly and don't pull them out of a bass or amp by the cable - always grip the plug. Aside from that, any method that gets the job done is probably fine.

I'm delighted with my Sennheiser XSW-D Pedalboard wireless set-up. It's not the most high-profile of wireless units, but it's the best one I've ever used. I started off with the Line 6 G30 which gave me six months of good service before it started to drop out pretty frequently. I had a SmoothHound which worked really well and I gigged it regularly for 2-3 years before I swapped it for the Sennheiser rig - mainly because the receiver doubles as a tuner and I wanted to keep my pedalboard as small and simple as possible. It's been rock-solid reliable. It's not the cheapest (Andertons have it for £299) but it's really well made and so far, it's been brilliant.

Yep. I might nail it on as well. And possibly a wooden stake. And welding. And gaffa tape. And some clamps. And pay someone to hold it permanently in place. That's the price you must pay if you are a disciple of The Way of Tort.

Thanks for the tips... I think double sided tape should do the job, but I'm trying to find one which will keep the plate in place, but won't take the finish off the bass when I inevitably change my mind and decide to flog it.

Back support?

If you choose anything other than the multicoloured one, someone should be sent to your house to give you a good, stiff talking to. I'm not a fan of MM basses, but that looks gorgeous (with the psychedelic plate, natch.)

For the vast majority of the gigs I play, I'll always take two basses. The second bass often gets a run out in the second set. I haven't had a bass fail or a string break for years, but if people are coming to see your band, they're there see you play, not to watch you try and whittle a bass from a chair leg as the only instrument you brought to the show is defunct. If, for whatever reason, you can only bring one bass to a show, it's always worth having something in the back pocket that the band can play while you change strings/leads/pedals or pants.

Thats gorgeous, that is. And the chronicling of the process was a proper hoot and very relatable. Good work fella! PS: Dare I mention that it would look even more snazzy with gold hardware..?

Yeah, I think tape will probably be what I go for and it's a typical glossy Squier finish, so it should be resistant to most mild adhesives. The "trial plate" I'm using to gauge how the finished thing might look, is coping pretty well with just being friction attached via the neck pup at the moment Yep, and I would also come to that conclusion, 10 seconds after I drilled loads of holes in the bass... I'm using a white guard I've got in my parts drawer to give me an idea, and currently, I prefer it to the "naked" look.