shizznit

I use both. Pre to the FOH and Post to my monitor mix. Most amps don't have two DI outs, so how do I do it? I use an Orchid DI box which is for my Pre DI. The instrument signal is then fed into my amp and the Post DI goes to the monitor desk for my in ear monitors or foldback. This then gives the FOH engineer the signal he wants and I can hear myself on stage the way that I want it. I will sometimes come across an engineer that will use the Post DI, but very rarely. Main reason being is that the EQ frequencies on the amp don't work that well through the PA and the acoustics of the venue fights against the mix. My amp sounds great and I want to hear it that way through my IEM's when I perform and this is a simple method to make sure that both parties are happy. Effects can be a bit tricky depending if you are using and effects loop or going direct in front of the amp. If you are using a compressor or any other type of effect to enhance your back line tone the FOH engineer will not necessarily want that in the DI signal. They will sort that out themselves on the desk.

Sore skin - Do you have any sharp frets? Sore muscle - Create more of an arc and space between your palm and neck by placing your thumb further behind the neck whilst gripping (not tightly)

I used to setup up my basses with a very low action several years ago to intentionally get fret buzz. It was part of my tone I guess as I was in a rock band and I wanted a very aggressive sound. When I stopped playing rock music and started to focus on more soulful styles of music my setup completely changed along with my playing style. I developed a lighter touch with my fretting hand and my picking hand was a bit softer, but I still raised the action a bit even though I was getting a cleaner tone. My playing technique improved quite a bit when I stopped hitting the bass like a jack hammer. The more studio work I did the more complaints I had from producers that my tone wasn't clean enough and too much buzz was coming from the bass. My recording basses are set with a higher action than my performance basses, but not uncomfortably. I especially notice benefits with a higher action when playing slap. I tend to find that a very low action chokes the note quite a bit and get less of a thump. There is no law about string action. I think its really dependant on your physical technique and personal comfort above all else.

It's massive

The EBS ClassicLine 810 is an awesome cab. For me, I have always considered Ampeg to be the best 810 on the market, but the EBS really holds it's own. Our support band a few months ago used one with an Ashdown head and sounded awesome. I had a quick go after the soundcheck. Really impressed. I am a little bias as I am also an EBS user, but I would toss a coin between that and an Ampeg.

Not usually my bag, but I thought this would interest other Dub Step players out there. I actually really enjoy what this guy does... http://youtu.be/AG-PHA6ltZQ

All good advice already given. Remember, time is money! Be professional, stay sober, don't dick about and make the most of the time that you have.

The only two benefits of having a lacquered fingerboard is to make it easier to clean and bring out the figuring of the wood. If anything, it can work against you. As soon as you apply lacquer to wood it chokes the natural resonance. Quite a bit of your tone comes from the neck timber and frets. Getting the tone of the body and neck working together does make a difference. Most bolt on basses with lacquered or painted necks form a barrier between the neck and the heel pocket. Lacquer is plastic at the end of the day and does not have the same resonate value as wood. Place a layer of plastic between two pieces of wood and you will lose a quite a bit of that transfer. Thru neck basses that are lacquered work differently because the bass will resonate from the bridge end all of the way up to the headstock anyway, but even so, there is an effect. When I spoke to Mike Tobias when I ordered my 535 many moons ago he gave me an education about why he prefers not to use any lacquer on his instruments, for the reasons that I have already mentioned. He used to offer lacquered finishes on the Tobias basses, but made the change when he started producing MTD basses as he identified the benefits of just sealing the wood with satin [font="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][color="#262626"]epoxy base coat and a catalysed urethane topcoat…his own secret recipe. I wanted a lacquered maple neck because I have always struggled to keep them clean, but Mike talked me out of it. Glad he did. As long as you keep on top of the cleaning by wiping down the neck after you play and ensure that you service the bass regularly the neck will look great for years.[/color][/font] [color=#262626][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is a really nerdy reply, I know, but I thought I would share some knowledge that I took from one of the best bass builders in the business. At the end of the day, if it sounds right then it is right. Lacquered necks do look nice at the end of the day.[/font][/color]

A trap that a lot of 5 string players fall into is only using the notes Eb and below. Thats fine by all means if thats what you want, but one of the other reasons why I use a 5 string 90% of the time is so that I can extend my scales from the B string and back higher up the neck without running my fretting hand frantically up and down to play root notes. As soon as you get to a G on the B the tone tends to mud up a bit when you play sustained notes, but you don't really notice it if that much you play staccato style licks and runs. That can sometimes be remedied with a tapered string, but depending on how flat or saturated your overall tone is it might not make much difference. When you play even higher towards a D note and beyond the intonation can drop off a little too. So, there are pro's and con's to playing a 5 string.

I used a HD350 for 7 years then upgraded to a TD650 a couple of years ago. I played the HD350 through a Proline 410 most of the time as it was plenty loud. I did use it through 2 cabs for a couple of years. Never failed or wimped out. Still ran like a freight train. I bought a Mark Bass LMIII and a 210 for a portable practice rig, but I was never 100% happy with it. The LMIII ran out of steam sooner than the HD350. I perservered with the LMIII until EBS launched the Reidmar. Even though it's 250w it can power my Neoline cabs effortlessly. Far more portable than a HD350 and you still get that EBS tone. Only drawbacks are that you can't run it down to 2ohms like other EBS amps and you don't have the 'Drive' control which gives you that warm, balls to the wall tube tone. Even though I am perfectly happy with my TD650, I really loved my HD350. Before I bought the LMIII I did use it for backline, rehearsals, home practice and recording. A very versatile bass amp. You won't be disappointed.

For performances, my #1 is my Shuker. For recording, my Lakland. Two very different sounding basses. The Shuker has a very balanced tone and sits well in the high mids which really projects well on stage on FOH. Plus, it's very light and comfortable to play whilst standing. The Lakland's tone is much more rounded and flexible. The range of tones I can get from that bass really helps when recording and I have used it for all kinds of styles of music. My other basses do get used when I get bored of playing 5 string or I need to play some intensive slap which I really don't like to do on a 5 string.

Another Shuker. I want a J bass and a SC bass. I will order one or the other in the next couple of months, but dunno which one to order first. Wish I could afford both at the same time. Also, I have had a bit of a craving for a Dingwall Combustion for studio use.

That is bloody gorgeous! Always wanted a J bass in that colour

I can think of loads of artists/bands that I would like to play for, but there's a funk band in France called Electro Deluxe that I think I would fit really well into. http://www.electrodeluxe.com I'm trying to start up a band with a similar layout as these guys, but struggling to find a decent horn section.

I sold a £2500 PRS via Gumtree a few months ago

Blimey lads...some great investigation work being carried out here! I'm sure you would be able to find Jimmy Hoffa if given the chance!

Nice one HowieBass

I agree. The price alone raises alarm bells, but Liverpool/Merseyside has a pretty flat landscape. I know this might sound daft, but our grass in the UK is not that thick either. In other countries (like USA) grass is much wider and stiffer. This ad cannot be trusted.

I have owned an Overwater Progress III and have played a few Wal's over the years. When it comes to craftsmanship and quality there is little between them. Tone wise, very different. Every Overwater I have played has had a very neutral tone...uncoloured and open. The electronics package is designed for that purpose. I personally like that approach. When I used to play my Progress III into my old EA iAmp 500 is was bliss. Chris May is a pickup and preamp wizard and I feel that he doesn't get enough recognition for it. That simple, organic tone won't be everyone's cup of tea. Because the tone is so transaparent it can expose even small mistakes in your playing, so I consider Overwater basses to be a top 'players' bass. Not for the novice. Your really have to allow these basses to sing and a lot of that comes down to the player. But, the rewards are great when you nail it. I was not quite ready when I bought mine, but that bass certainly helped me to raise my game. I consider Wal basses to have more of a voice. Their electronics package take a very different approach. The pickups are powerful and colourful. The preamp has a larger EQ sweep and the trim switches give you varying levels of attack and response depending on your playing style. Wal basses are great for fiddling around with because they offer so much tonal diversity. I like both brands very much, but they are very different. I would say that Overwater is a 'does what it says on the tin' type bass. It does the basics, but really, really well. A Wal is a bass for the nerd that needs the full spectrum of the rainbow...and have a spine made of carbon fibre (bloody hell they are heavy!).

Over the years the height of my bass has changed quite a bit. Sadly, so has my weight! These days I am quite inconspicuous on stage amongst lots of other musicians and I rather concentrate on my playing. I don't need to 'strike a pose' like I used to years ago. My playing is so much more accurate and dexterous when the bass is higher up my body.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1387620516' post='2313823'] How about a Beorn section where they all turn into bears at night ... [/quote] LOL! Bloody autocorrect! 'Horn' section

If you have a born section, Pick Up The Pieces is a good one

My singer bought me a Dean Edge 8 string a while back. Great fun to play and sounded pretty good. I don't have it anymore as I really struggled to find much use for it. Befor I had that bass I has played a Hamer and Warwick 8 string and the Dean sounded pretty good next to those brands. For the price, you can't go wrong.

I have been using Elixirs for several years. I love they way the feel and sound. The coating gives a lovely silky feel when running your fingers up and down the neck. The polyweb coating that they used a while ago did tend to feel quite sticky after a while and started to flake off towards the end of their life, which almost put me off them. Then Elixir started to produce the nanoweb coating. They feel even better now...no stickiness and the coating stays intact very well. The tension sits in the middle. Not too slack or too tight...just right. I also like the fact that you can choose the gauge of your low B or high C strings. But, can be a pain in the backside if your store is lousy at keeping their stock levels poorly and run out of your preferred gauge. It's a nice idea, but in practice I have been frustrated on many occasions and now buy my strings on the internet (at a cheaper price too). The tone is superb. Very well balanced. The longevity of the tone is the most impressive feature of Elixirs. They bed down into a more rounder tone just like any other string, but it takes longer than any other brand I have used and stay fresh sounding for longer, which is really handy when you are doing a long recording session and need consistency. When they do eventually bed in the tone is still very perky, the intonation is solid and it stays that way for weeks, even with constant use. When they do come to the end of their life you may find yourself replacing them for hygiene reasons...when they become mucky and don't wipe down easily. Even when they get do get into that state they still sound good. I can't recommend them enough. I use nickel strings on my Fender J and Lakland 55-02 and I use the steels on my Shuker Überhorn and Warwick Thumb BO. The nickels are a little warmer, naturally, but still have enough defined mids to aim for a modern tone. They are very versatile.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1386843350' post='2305161'] Always loved a bit of J5.. plus that picture on the cover of quality control with the tree / turntable thing was cool. [/quote] +1 The bass lines on that album are really cool too.