uk_lefty

I feel your pain. It doesn't take much to listen to a song and write down "4 times the intro riff... Verse (G C F, G C F, F#) Chorus..." on a bit of paper! I'm auditioning for an originals band next week where the EP was recorded with the guitarist playing all guitar and bass parts. He has recorded videos of him playing each song all the way through on bass and sent them to me. I have absolutely zero excuses for getting a note out of place, given its three songs and I have 2 weeks to learn them! If I turn up not having got the songs 90-100% then I don't expect to be asked back. It really is that simple! Yet I've had "band mates" not learn the chord changes, and even sit out whole songs saying "this works with just bass and drums, you don't need me" the song? Wherever I lay My Hat. It's a bit empty without any keys or guitar!!

Wow. If the hammer price is what someone paid, even plus 26%, then someone got a Euro Spector for £350+ 26%. Bargain.

They were the PBX and JBX I think, so i assume these are the standard ones. They were OK and I think they cost me about 45 quid maybe. I went cheap to see if the bitsa was viable then very quickly realised that "buy cheap, buy twice" definitely rang true. I had to widen the P route for them, and I'd had to widen other screw holes in the body too so didn't think anything of it until I upgraded the pups and now I've got some big gaps to fill or cover up, sadly.

We use Time Tree so that, in theory everyone puts up their holiday dates etc so if you're talking to a venue about a gig you can whip out the calendar and start pencilling in dates that we should in theory all be able to do. Everyone gets notifications of new events added, etc. As already noted, its worse than herding drunk three legged cats through water. People don't put up their holidays etc. OR they agree to gigs without considering key members of the band might be away AND IT SAYS SO IN THE CALENDAR. Or they suspect that being away for 3 days for a wedding is too long, so of course you can do the gig... Not realising travel up might before, go to wedding, stay the night, travel back next day.... People, eh?

I had Entwistle PJs in my bitsa. It was acceptable. Then I put DiMarzio model P and model J in and the bass is freakin awesome. Pickups are something I'd try not to save cost on myself. Be warned, Entwistle P pups are slightly wider than most so you can end up having to widen the route out. Not great if you replace them later!

I don't know of I'm imagining it but I think I've seen cabs where you could switch the "Ohmage", to me that would be the ideal solution. Obviously I've either imagined it or its completely impractical, hence why the likes of Ashdown sometimes to do the same cab in 4 or 8 ohm versions, but if it was practical and affordable it would probably help most of us out I think?

Having heard great things about TIs I had them on my 70s P bass to replace the Steve Harris signature Rotos. Did not get on with them at all. I didn't like the sound or feel. I put them on my Ray and they did not last long there either. I'd like to put some decent flats on my Ray to see what the fuss is about but to me the Ray needs bright zingy rounds... I've used Chromes, Fender flats and EB flats that come in the blue packet all on other basses but never on the Ray, and there's nothing about those strings that makes me think they would work for me. Maybe I just need two Stingrays!

I really, really wanted the jazz in that finish! A bit split on whether to go for it at the mo for various reasons, but that looks so so good!

It's my error and over simplification on translating from "standard" tuning to this. Pedants may stand down as it is an error, not me stating a fact.. My thought process was "take D down half a step = Db" which after a night's sleep and a prod from Nancy Johnson reminds me, that's the note formerly and formally known as C#

And I've just realised my mistake...! 😁 Gb indeed!!! I'll get my coat.

Does describing the same note as either sharp or flat make one of us an optimist and the other a pessimist...? 😉 Thanks for the advice on the string guages, much appreciated!

So the guitarist got back to me. The answer is..... E = C# A = Ab D = Db G = Gb And luckily my Ray with a drop D tuner is already set up like that.

Good points. I had assumed all strings tuned down relative to E going down to C# but will double check. The ideal sound I would want would be the typical bright ballsy Stingray tone I get already with nice fresh stainless steel strings, so I expect I would want similar tension to what I have presently tuned all strings down half a step. I want to play "normally" for me which is fast fingers and sometimes pick, not "thrashing" the bass as that's not me. Lots in this thread to think about, thank you all for the input!

Wasn't aware of them, will have a look, thank you!

Thanks, already got a D tuner on my Ray, but the other strings need to be down tuned too!

They're all upside down... And I've already got enough basses (I am told!)

Help please! I'm going to audition with a band who play in drop C#. I've currently got a few 4 strings set up in either standard or 1 step down and a 5 string in standard. I have fairly light strings on all my basses so I'm guessing to go drop C# on a 4 I'd need to get a thicker gauge... Any guidance appreciated! Ideally I want a really bright zingy tone, I want to use my Stingray in its full Tim Commerford for the sound I think would suit band. I also can't get my head around what this means for playing my 5er because I'm tired... I'd like to have my 5er as an option because its fretless and some of their songs could do with some melodic fretless.

I suppose my main bass is my US Stingray that I bought with a lovely tax rebate a few years back. I was very, very tempted by a US Jazz that was 4 or 5 hundred cheaper hut felt that the Ray would suit my live playing better, while I thought the nuanced tone of the jazz was better for playing at home and if I were to do recording. I always thought about that jazz though... Fast forward and the other week I tried out one of the new US Jazz basses. I didn't like it. GAS and regret dealt with.

Similar experiences here I'm afraid. I think all the decent bands got their stinky poo together in lockdown, rehearsed and recorded remotely, refreshed their set lists and now have more gigs than they can shake a stick at. Those who wallowed and waited have gone stale and been left behind... Like my band who had 1 terrible rehearsal and now expect to do gigs without rehearsing 😣 I've been looking for an established band in my area that needs a bassist and I'm finding it harder then ever before. There's a lot of 1 or 2 people from an old band who want a bassist but they also want a drummer and guitarist and a singer and a.... So it's not really an established band! Stick at it, some bassists will have a diva strop before the Christmas and New Year gigs and leave you an opening. If you keep trying to form something, join something, then at least you're learning new stuff and learning how to play with different people.

Definitely! It all starts with everyone being nice and everyone following the script. Then a few rehearsals in, say you've started an 80s band for example, you get asked can we play this song... Its from 2006 so, No. Then the guitarist seems to only learn bits of songs, you think it's him only learning his suggestions but it turns out he doesn't know them either. Then he wants to play synths but you find he can't really play. After a while you realise you, a drummer and a singer have just spent a few months learning songs just so you can attend a show and tell of someone's arsenal of very expensive gear that you're not sure they can actually play. Short answer, even if someone seems good at audition, make the audition period last 3 or 4 rehearsals but don't tell them that outright.

I don't think you do. Singer may have one, otherwise hire one. Most practice places worth playing at should have one in place and would probably hire you one, or there would be local hire companies. The music shop in town when I was a kid used to hire out a decent PA for twenty quid if you could collect it. Also, what is a PA? The guitarist in my attempt to set up a band insists his Line 6 powered speaker is a PA. I insist it is not.

Anybody else watching this on Disney+..... Suppose just those of us with small kids! Watched part 1 last night, excellent. Sir Paul and Rick Rubin talking about how certain songs came about and isolating the bass and talking about how it works with the track. Sadly not a full bass documentary, so they comment on the tone on While my Guitar Gently Weeps but don't say how he got it. I'm off to buy a Hofner. And maybe a Rick if I can get one for a realistic price (£500 or less...)

LA studio comp is my favourite, seems to add punch and is quite good at keeping the sound well defined.

Interested!