uk_lefty

Cheat notes help when I'm going from playing along with a recording to playing with a band. I will often write down something like: Intro D G C x4 Verse D A D A x2 Em D A Em Chorus A Bm A Bm C# x4 So it's not tabbing out a riff or whatever but it sets out the structure of the song for me so I don't get lost without the cues the original recording has and if I forget the exact riff at least I can play around the chord. Then after I've played it enough I don't use the notes any more.

I think the Bootleg recordings has him trying to work it out on organ. All makes sense now

No doubt the Status necks are great, but the neck on my Ray is amazing, would only replace it if there was a catastrophe

What happens to all these homeless Stingray necks?!

I took the advice on this video and adapted a fuzz patch on my multi effects pedal by introducing autowah, chorus and octave, it does a much more sympathetic synth sound than most synth presets. Definitely worth exploring second hand multi effects that are easy to edit rather than buy a one trick pony pedal.

I didn't like number 4. I couldn't tell a lot of difference with the others, though 2 sounded more bassy than 1. All except 4 sounded good as chorus effects and suited what you were playing, I guess which one to keep depends on how they sound with a band and what you want to do with them? Also whether versatility is something you're after with those effects too.

I hate seeing a fingerboard that looks like it's had a row of spuds planted in it then removed, same with the back of the neck. Makes me wonder how uncomfortable it is to play. Just taking off some shine, a few chips off the headstock and logo is sufficient.

Well now you mention it I have just started an 80s band so....

If an agent has kept you booked solid and well paid I'd be inclined to listen to them, even though it startles me that they've said this, but it's their business and they should know. I just can't work out how or why this would be the case. In my sweeping generalisations I would have thought it's easier to find a good female singer than an adequate male singer, and easier to "sell" a band with a female singer.

If I can find up close pics I'll put them up... I wasn't brave enough to do a full relic but I had an MIM Jazz that I deliberately went about "aging" in my own way: Chrome pickup covers. Simple to age them, just never put the bass in a case. A big flake came off the bridge cover near the F which looked better than any chemical pitting I could have tried. Neck. This was played and played... But in fitting new tuners I accidentally drilled all the way though the headstock once. That stayed. There was a few dents in the end of the neck from bashing in to guitarists and drummers. Again, no case. No cleaning the back of the neck to let sweat take its course, but the thick poly type coating was tough to stain. Body. Dragging the strings against the body when removing them took the burgundy down to grey. In one rehearsal a guitarist and I got a bit too angry with somebody and in a fit of noise I was smashing my bass bottom strap button first in to the floor. Big flakes of poly and paint came off to reveal naked wood. So every now and then I picked at that a bit more. I think the bass had been owned by someone who must have played with a stud bracelet on or something, it was scratched to hell, wish I'd sanded through that to the wood. Pickguard. I put on a black Pickguard but when I fitted new pickups it needed some fettling. I didn't have good tools, just some wood files so made a right pigs ear of it, which looked pretty good IMO. I'm up for buying a Chinese ebay body and neck and having a relic P, would be fun.

I took all this advice on board, the Ian Allison video I found was great. I considered buying up all the individual pedals but actually it didn't take me long to edit a fuzz preset on my multi in to a few good useful synth sounds by adding Octave, chorus, and autowah and dialling back the fuzz a lot. Thank you! You've helped open my eyes and save money... And save lots of Thomann packages arrive for my Mrs to get suspicious about!

I'd love to say something about my personal creativity and not wanting to tread on the likes of Paul McCartney by doing a version that never quite captures his brilliance... Yawn. I have a set list of over 60 songs. I learn something that captures the original spirit, be it a main riff, a way of phrasing, but I'm not going to remember every single fill and trill along the way. And sometimes I'll throw in my own because I'm bored, or the song needs a bit of space filling that we don't have the instrumentation for, etc. Sometimes I want to learn a fill because it sounds cool. Sometimes I listen to an original recording of a song I've been playing for years and realise the band has strayed massively from elements of the original. If people want to hear an exact reproduction they can stream it/ get the CD. If they want to have fun listening to a live band they have to accept some "artistic licence" which may also mean, lack of ability!!

Thanks, that looks like a budget EHX Battalion. I also saw Thomann had an Eden unit for sale at 62 down from 180 that looks incredible. Also has DI out and effects loop. Was going to buy but I took on board some advice and spent some time with my multi to try to get use able synth sounds so the multi stays put... For now!

I'd vote for Scottish independence if that means no more bagpipes ever to be heard in England. And English men wearing kilts at weddings.

I'm no film buff but I always had this idea of a covers band that plays songs off the Vietnam war movies: the Doors, Hendrix, etc. Then I realised with my existing covers band that a lot of the songs we were suggesting all came from movies too. I think there's a sensory link. Memories of a good or great movie, the visuals, the tension, and the soundtrack. It's a bit like a convo I'm sure I read on here years back about covers bands, where the gist was it doesn't matter if you're not playing the horn parts in any way, in the minds of an engaged audience they're hearing it through memory and filling the gaps themselves. I think, as a covers band, playing songs that link strongly to events, movies, TV, will always go down well because of the nostalgia element. I find with some bands I don't like watching a good live performance can really change my view. E.g I always couldn't stand Limp Bizkit for everything about them: puerile lyrics, Fred Durst, whiny vocals. Then a few months back a friend showed me a live performance of "break stuff" and I think it's amazing.

When I'm stuck for packing materials I try to cut some cardboard from something bigger and wrap it around the object. A layer of hubble wrap, some cardboard for a bit of extra protection, then a padded envelope, more bubblewrap or if I think I've done enough then one of those plastic postal bags you can get.

From Thomann at least my Sire came absolutely perfectly set up. Wonder if its the same when buying from other sources. I think I've read some blurb on their marketing that they set them up properly at the factory, all manufacturers will say that though won't they...!

Lovely bass. And I like Mansons too, always visit when I'm down that way and have bought a few things from them that they don't have out on the shelves, very helpful.

Been thinking about effects a lot recently. I'd like a preamp/ EQ pedal with Di out and a mute-able tuner and basic compressor. That would cover all the essentials for most before you then add the drives, chorus etc of your choice... Generally though I want pedals to react the same to active and passive basses (maybe that requires some kind of buffer in the signal chain?) and I don't want my pedals to give a massive speaker pop when I engage them. I own a very good IMO at least, multi fx, but just don't have the time required to reprogramme it, learn all its quirks and get it set up for a gig. I'd much rather have 4 or 5 individual pedals that can actually behave together but I don't even know if that's possible! Guess I need to get some time invested back in to the Boss manual...

I love the look of it, it's got that kind of 50s/ 60s weird view of the future thing going for it like a lot of the stuff Eastwood copy. I'd want one with three of those pickups all really close together and the same headstock shape as they had on the semi hollow a few years back, was it called the Starcaster or something? However I wouldn't pay Fender Custom Shop prices, no way. A nice MIM or Squier version would be tempting.

Yep! Same neck crack repair and bone nut. It's quite distinctive.

Nope. Hoping they're somewhere in the masses of packing. But it's just such a weird thing to do, why on earth would you remove the knobs?! Otherwise all is as it was and the bass works just as it did before posting. It's just been neutered.

Go for Fender Japan! More colour choices etc, a lot less money, some say equally good quality.