la bam

Ive got a zoom b3 and in all honesty its absolutely brilliant. For the money i think its crazy value for money. Its very easy to use, and i love how it can be used as 3 effects boxes at once. The amp modelling is superb without sounding different for the sake of it. The effects are very good and have plenty of scope for adjustment. In a loud live environment everything works great and sounds great. Throw in a looper and tuner, and for the money its unbeatable.

The 2 main things for me are... 1. Where are the mainstream guitar bands for the younger generation to aspire to emulate? 2. Without a Top of the Pops style mainstream weekly music show on the bbc no one over 25 has an inkling of what's in the charts or popular, so you've got the biggest divide ever of what is going on musically. Also this means the over 25s are less likely to buy current music and affect what is in the charts. So the chart is very youth orientated, and the people running the venues very older generation orientated.

Not so many for me. Usually average about 2 per band I'm in. In order of owning. 1. 60w gorilla guitar amp. (starting out). 2. Carlsbro Stingray amp head and 15 cab. (for my first band with friends). 3. PA system. Tek cabs and studiomaster powered mixer. I used to stand behind the pa and listen for my bass through the back of the speakers as I couldnt afford an amp and having a pa got me in the band! 4. Trace Elliot commando combo. Great unit for my first good band. Heavy, but reliable and had a decent enough sound no matter what eq you dialled in - great as I didn't know what I was doing back then. 5.Ashdown mag 300 and 4x10 deep cab. I never liked the sound, but the band loved it. 6. Ashdown Superfly and 1x15 mini and 4x8 mini cabs. Really under powered. Not impressed at all. Also you couldnt turn the compression off and it hissed. 7. Line 6 lowdown 300. Decent enough, but in all honesty only small backline sound. 8. Mark bass lm3 and 210 traveller. Lovely little set up. Expensive though. 9. Genz Benz 500 combo - nowhere near the volume of the mark bass and a real synthetic unwarm sound. 10. Ashdown abm 500 evo 2 15 combo and 2x10 ext cab. Love it. Lightweight for what it is and great sound and loads of headroom.

Some great stories there! I love the fact that they still have the passion and drive to gig for the love of playing!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1483965340' post='3211424'] What does talent have to do with being or becoming famous? For me the whole point of being able to make a living out of writing and playing the music I liked, would be so I didn't have to waste my time doing other things in order to put food on the table or keep a roof over my head. I still wouldn't have time for side projects (ignoring the fact that IMO they dilute what you really should be doing) because I'd be too busy creating and preforming the music I want to do with my band. [/quote] I suppose the 'talent' v 'fame' is another topic! What I'm getting at is say being for example Steve vai. Now he's famous is he only ever going to be allowed to gig what he's famous for on big stages a few gigs every other year, or would he love to be playing guitar in a covers band, playing classics and getting that gig buzz. Just because people have made it big, doesn't necessarily mean that they wouldn't want to have a blast playing classics for the love of playing, rather than being sat around not gigging.

Haha, obviously I'm not worried for myself! I'm not even gigging at the moment, and too bald, fat and talentless to ever become famous! Just curious as whether all that drive to gig is kind of taken away when people do make it.

Morning all, A question that I often think is what happens when you become 'famous' (or your band does)? Is that it for live gigs (apart from official big gigs with the band)? Id hate to think thatd be the case. Imagine being so talented then only getting that gig buzz a few times a year - sometimes only every few years! Just wondered if famous bands still gig (on the quiet) or under the radar (as a pub band under a different name etc), or if the musicians have side projects where they can get their gig fix? Seems such a shame to have all that talent and drive, then not gig.

love my bb424x but as previously mentioned a front body jack would be nice - apart from the pulling the cable out, it doesnt sit well on a stand where the jack is when plugged in. love my ashdown cabs but side handles and width mean its always a twist and turn through doorways! wouldnt swap either of them though!

Yes, but current music was being played in the pubs....it isn't now from what I see. The odd track, yes, but two sets of it?

I have used the mark bass traveller 2x10. Excellent cabs and a genuine 1 hand lift due to the weight and dimension. Ie as its rectangular and the handle is on top theres no awkward lift. I now use an Ashdown abm 2x10 ext cab and its surprisingly lightweight, second hand probably half the price of a second hand mark bass, but its more of a cube/box shape (if that makes sense) so regardless of weight its a two handed carry, with a handle at each side, elbows out, which means you get stuck in door ways! The mark bass was a richer, deeper sound, but the Ashdown really cuts through and sits in the mix well.

I remember being 20 in the mid 90s when pub gigs and drinking was at its height. There was always a band on at a certain pub - youd stay and watch, have a drink and enjoy it, but the onus was being out with your mates. Apart from one band who played all the current indie stuff, who were like a breath of fresh air, and people deliberately went to watch them and stayed the night watching. Thats because they were relevant to the age group in the pub, stood out by playing something different, and were lucky enough to have a current genre of music that suited a band/guitar set up and had countless future classics within it. I dont want to sound old, but i dont see x2 sets worth of current music or chart that would inspire a guitar band to play them, entertain the crowd and sound amazing. Id struggle to name 10 current bands!

One of the big problems is that live music in pubs hasn't moved with the times. We've just started doing sets of 90s dance music, and we're considered fresh and modern, but most of what we play is 20-30 years old!! Theres nothing more disheartening than seeing a bunch of upcoming musicians in their early 20s playing the same old cover songs that every band plays (we know the ones) just so they can get gigs. Landlords are very unwilling to try anything new. I don't know though how pubs expect youngsters to go and watch music that was out 20 years before they were born. It doesn't help that the big star names who started in their garages and went on to make it big, seem to be disappearing out of the charts and lime light, and the current focus is just solo artists.

The larger stuff just sounds really nice in the mix, and got to admit, you cant beat playing in front of a 'rig'. The tone just sounds full and never pushed or struggling. With the smaller stuff i was constantly trying to find a good sound and ways of filling out the frequency within the band mix, with the larger stuff i find its kind of done for you! Id compare it in a weird way - imagine stage lighting. Id compare the class d smaller stuff to a well focused spotlight, doing its job brilliantly, but concentrating on one particular area and you can hear it coming from that particular place. Then id compare the larger rigs to full on stage flood, concentrating on filling the whole stage and mix and giving a great full and warm sound, without you being able to pinpoint where its coming from. PS the Ashdown ABM 2x10 ext cab is surprisingly light - worth a look if you get chance to see one. In fact, the whole rig is a lot lighter than the trace stuff. Im not knocking any of the new small stuff - i think its brilliant, but i just love the larger rig.

Yes. I've gone from all in one combos (te commando 12) (Line 6 300) and genz Benz 500 ending up with a mark bass lm3 and 2x10 cab. Now gone back to an Ashdown evoii 15 combo and 2x10 ext cab. With the quality of heavy rigs out there its a no brainer. That rig in mint condition cost me around £300, and makes any of the others I've had sound like toy amps.

The PA at Skegness was changed a few years ago. The sound directly in front of the stage is usually very good. At the same time, the sound at the sides of the stage near the bar is absolutely terrible, whether its bands or pre recorded music. We've been 10 years on the bounce for the weekends to watch and the last few years has been a real change. I'm guessing, but I bet its so the staff can hear the bar orders better at the bar.

First point I would say (if your amp has the ability) is to properly set the input level or preamp before even starting on the output. Once that is set correctly you will get a much better sound, and not need so much output. Once set, I agree that you go as loud as to get a nice sound with the drums in. I use to run a mark bass little mark 3 and 2x10 at about 12 oclock. I note run an abm500 with 2 cabs at around 9-10 oclock. I did have a genz Benz 500, but found I really had to run that on max to get anywhere near the same perceived volume. Get an amp where you have plenty of headroom and you'll never have to worry.

Brilliant company. Always happy to help and give advice.

119 delay (from 60000) is perfect, playing 4 notes per bar.

thanks for the help. The reverb calculator is a revalation - makes sense now! - divide 60000 by bpm - perfect! I had no idea what the 60,000 setting was on the pedal. ive got something pretty close now. Its killing me playing just 4 notes - never mind 8!

Hi all, As part of our new project, im trying to recreate Donna Summer's bassline for I Feel Love. I know its a bit of a mystery of how to get the sound, but at this forst stage im trying to work out the DELAY settings on my Zoom B3. The bass line is pretty much 4 notes doubled up to create 8 notes, but theres no way i can play 8 notes in that pattern with that amount of effect, that accurately, for that long. Does anyone know how to set he delay pedal(s) so that theyre pretty much doubling up the notes? I know this might sound daft, but at the moment, the settings sound like 4 notes with much quieter echos - i need 8 notes (or 16) all the same volume and strength. I dont really understand the delay pedals or their settings, so any help is much appreciated.

Probably an old 70s style lo fi Roxy music sound. Rich and deep with a bit of growl.

Just thought id ask as this issue came around again with me after buying a new bass.... When I got my first few basses they were second hand and well used. They used to sit in the house unprotected not on stands and picked up whenever for a play. They had dints all over them and I didn't care. Then I got an immaculate fender isa p bass. And I couldn't have looked after it more. It lived in its hard case, was only used in clear spaces so it could get bashed. I did 3 years in a band before the drummer pointed out that I needed to get some dings and bashes on the bass for it to be a 'proper' rock n roll bass (all be it tongue in cheek - more a laugh at how protective I was of it). Then I Did get a ding in the headstock, and forever more it bugged me until I sold it 7 years later! I've since had 3 different basses that didnt really bother me, but now I have a metallic red Yamaha I've noticed I would absolitely hate any kind of scratch or ding in out! Does anyone else get this on certain basses?! They prob should get dings in them if they're gigging instruments!

Not used the new ones, but used the original truesonics for djing. Great sound for the price, BUT, the driver in one went after a few months, despite being kept out of the red limiter. They also peaked early (volume on about 11 oclock) especially if you had the bass boost on. There is loads of reports of people having similar problems with the drivers online too. I hope they have shorted the issues for the v2s as they were really good value and sound.

Hi all, Our dance band is coming along nicely now, and for our next song we have decided to have a go at "Indeep - last night a dj saved my life". I have worked out the bass line, but has anyone any ideas how to recreate that bass sound? It sounds so nice and full that it really compliments the bass line itself. Im just not sure what effects are being subtly used (im sure there are some as the line is so defined yet rich). Any help appreciated - Its a cracking bass line, and just want to do it justice!

Hi all, I've a bb424 and love it. I never felt the need to replace the strings from new, like you do on some basses. The strings sound and feel great. Does anyone know what the original strings the basses come strung with are so I can buy a spare set? Thanks.