Doddy

Depending on your budget, I'd look at either a Novation Bass Station 2, or a Moog Subsequent 25/37. They are both excellent synths for playing bass.

I think the EHX Mono Synth is a bit womble, to be honest. I'd be more inclined to look at the Micro Synth instead. It's a much better pedal.

Everyone has their own tone. Even if you're trying to replicate sounds in a cover band, you will still sound like you. I think the 'tone is in the hands' line is heavily misunderstood. It doesn't mean that you will sound exactly the same on every instrument, but that you will sound like you on whatever you play. That's why everyone who plays a Precision doesn't sound like Jamerson, or every Jazz player doesn't sound like Jaco. Look at the long running debates on what bass Geddy plays on what songs. It doesn't matter if he plays his Jazz or his Ric, it still sounds like him.

Interesting article, because that's not been my experience. Sure, there have been a few shows where numbers have been slightly lower than expected, but for the most part the shows have been very well attended and the crowds have been up for a good time. Everyone I know seems to feel that people are happy and excited to be going out again.

The TC Sub n Up doesn't really work as a pitch shifter. It's really just an octaver. You're probably better off looking at the Digitech Drop or the EHX Pitchfork.

Could you not have arranged your own dep for the gig? Someone who you could show the basslines/write charts for/whatever, who you know can cut the gig? Who says they don't recognise and respect what you do? You're in the band and work on the arrangements, so there must be some respect there. Playing complete devil's advocate, it could be viewed as disrespectful to expect the other band members to either sort out the dep or cancel.

Is it really a lack of respect though? In my experience, most band members can be subbed out, and there are plenty of other musicians who can cover at short notice and do a superb job. If you aren't happy with the person they choose, you should sort out your own dep who you know can cut it. Without sounding harsh, what is it that you do in your covers band that means it couldn't be learned in a couple of days?

I've changed quite a lot on my main Jazz Bass over the years- Badass bridge, Hipshot X-tender, Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pickups, series/parallel switch, phenolic nut, Jaco neckplate, and chrome pickup cover. It's a bass I bought new in '95, and it's one that I'll never get rid of, so all the mods are just for my satisfaction. Other than that, I'd rather buy an instrument that doesn't need anything doing to it. The thing with a lot of upgrades is they just don't add a lot of value to an instrument. You could buy a Squier Affinity and spend 3 times the price on hardware and electronics to make it a good bass, but ultimately it's still a Squier Affinity with a resale price to match. If you're doing it all for yourself, cool, but with how quick some people seem to flip basses on here, it's always a consideration.

Good point, but he's also pretty much responsible for the whole Precision Bass with flawounds resurgence, since D'Angelo's Voodoo album. Amongst younger players, Pino is probably more well known for that than his '80s fretless work.

Conversely Melissa Auf Der Maur once said in an interview.... "Bass is a very feminine instrument, it's a natural role for women to take in a band. Its not that women play better. With bass, you have to rely on feel, and women are good at that. Also, the dynamic of bass in a band is to follow and nurture. Women are a lot more capable of that". Personally, I don't give a chuff what anyone thinks about the gender of the bass. I'm more interested in if they can play.

Will Lee, Nathan East, Sean Hurley, Chris Chaney, Jimmie Lee Sloas, Steve Pearce.......to name a few. All of them have played on more big selling albums than John Taylor. Or do they not count because they are first call session players rather than band guys?

Define success? I'm sure there are a load of bassists who have played on more big selling albums over the last year. I would class them as being more successful than John Taylor.

As a massive pedal user, don't look at pedals as a way to fill gaps. A couple of people have already mentioned tone, and this is where you need to start. You want a good sound that is full and clear, and fills out the low end without sounding muddy and undefined. Next, look at how you approach playing under the solo. I find that it can often sound better to play a solid, simpler part that sounds full, than to try and be busy. Of course, you can go full Jack Bruce if you want but you need to be comfortable with the harmony and with reacting to the soloist, otherwise it becomes busy for the sake of bring busy. One thing that is often over looked is what register you are playing in. If the guitar goes up the octave for his solo and you stay down in the lower positions, there can be a gap of 2 or 3 octaves between the two of you and it sounds empty in the midrange. In these cases it can sound better if you play more around the middle of neck, especially when you have a good tone.

I'm down to 17 basses(I think). I've been selling off a few of my midrange instruments to buy some more higher end gear instead. I've reached a point where I'd rather have a few quality basses than loads of alright ones. I could probably cut everything down to just my Fender Jazz and Precision, F Bass BN5, Clifton EUB, and Moog Sub25, and I'd be able to cover anything.

Cables can make a big difference to your sound. Cheap cables can add noise and lose high end, and often have cheap moulded jacks that are more likely to fail and are difficult to replace. I think it's always worth investing in decent cables. I've used nothing but Spectraflex for the last 15 or 16 years and have never had an issue, even when they have been thrown in a rucksack or suitcase.

It's for a touring theatre show that pays £2-250 each a night with 100+ shows booked. So, decent pay and conditions.

I totally agree with playing along to the radio- it's a great practice exercise to get your ear together. If you don't know the chords, I would stay away from the minor 7. It won't work over any chord. There's a couple of ways to approach jammimg. One is to just have an extensive repertoire, and know loads of tunes. Otherwise it comes down to having a good ear and/or knowing common chord progressions. With ear training, learn to recognise at least major, minor and their 7 chords, and know what notes are in them. If you know common progressions like I,IV, V, I,iv,ii,V, I,vi,IV,V etc, it can be a massive help, because you'll know what's coming.

They used to do a passive version of the Precision Deluxe too, which is very nice and also has a Jazz neck.

I'm sure they will be the deciding factor, but why would they waste time auditioning someone who can't even read the advert properly? It shows them that you can't be trusted to read all the supplied information, and could end up missing important details down the line. It doesn’t matter if you can play like Pino if you miss your emails and turn up late for soundcheck.

Let's put the post in context. That advert is not for a pub band that gets together for the odd gig. It's for a touring theatre show with a lot of work which will earn you about £20-25K. If someone can't read and reply to the ad properly, you're not going to expect them to read the gig details and itinerary correctly either are you? The guy running the show seems to have is act together, as far as I'm concerned.

I saw that ad on Facebook too. I didn't think that part of the post was a big deal. You see a lot of posts asking for people to email, and the comments are filled with comments saying they've PM'd or quoting their interest. It's an easy way to weed out people who don't read the info properly. Kind of like the Van Halen M&M thing.

I'm guessing it's either sold on to another manufacturer, or used in either a cheaper line or for solid finishes.

Switch the order around and see how they affect each other. You'll get a reaction different depending on their position in your signal chain, so play around and see which you like best.

Joe Cleveland is all over the place at the minute. He's tearing it up with so many artists. Check out his pkaying on Mac Millers Tiny Desk Concert- everyone talks about Thundercats playing on 'Whats the Use', but Joe nails the rest of the set.

I think having improved parts and materials are completely worth the extra money. I'm not against the idea that cheaper instruments can get the job done. I've got a Sire V7 that I've played on a bunch of shows, and I think it holds up very nicely against most new basses in the sub £800 range, but when compared to my high end instruments the difference is night and day. It just doesn't have the finesse in playability or tone. I could take the Sire and spend more than it cost on new hardware and pickups and stuff, but it wouldn't up the value of the bass. It would still be a £400 Sire that has now cost £7-800. When you start looking around that price, you are getting to a point where you can buy a higher quality used bass that is arguably a better instrument at every point. I really think it's worth spending a bit more and getting a bass that is made of decent wood, has quality hardware and electronics, and better attention to detail.