Maude

How do you tune it? I don't know which is more mad, this or the bass balalaika our mandolinist keeps trying to make buy

D'addario ENR72 half rounds (50 - 105) are my string of choice. I like the strong fundamental of flats, the punch and bite of rounds but don't like the sparkle of new rounds, I also like reasonably high tension, these tick all the boxes. Due to my, let's say brutish agricultural technique, I can generate quite a lot of string noise and fret clatter with rounds but not with these. I'd say they're closer to used rounds in sound but with that lovely solid bottom end of your average flat, you can still get a good grind going on with a pick but back off the tone and you've got a great Motown vibe. I'd also say they feel closer to rounds than flats as well. If flats are 0 and rounds are 10 then these are around the 7 mark rather than a mid way 5.

Couldn't agree more! Where's the Susa.... Souza.... Soosa.... Souza.... Tuba section?

I think the drums are perfect as they are. They totally drive the song in a Ministry or Therapy? kind of way. Not comparing it to either of those bands though, I don't much care for comparisons, "ooh it sounds just like so and so", f**k off, we spent ages making it sound like us. Even better on further listens.

I like that 👍 Some decent energy to it.

How unfair of them, don't worry though they're all a*******s b******s f*****g c***s and p****s.

Similar to the one I've got. They're so cheap and at least you know that the plug you're going to use is wired properly and has an earth.

We had one of those unexpected turnarounds last night. We were booked to play a comrades club and I'm usually a bit wary of members clubs like this as, rightly or wrongly, they're normally a bit sh!t. Last night was packed, with everyone up dancing and we found out afterwards that this was triple their usual crowd size which is great. I only recognised two faces from the 'scene' when we play that area but quite a few others were clearly into the same scene and transpired were down on holiday and heard about us somewhere. The rest were just locals who'd come along to see us. Got some great feedback at the end with loads of people coming up to thank us and say how much they enjoyed it, including the staff. It was far from the best gig but after preparing for a let down it was a really fun gig. It's nights like these that make it all worthwhile.

Whilst never having played to anything like those crowds (yes I am jealous 😁) I've found that the fun factor goes up with crowd size, but the biggest crowd I've ever played to was 1500 and you can really feed off the energy.

I get the whole signature guitar/bass thing but they're kind of a different kettle of fish and rarely four to five times the value of an equivalent spec'd instrument. I was more thinking the gear that was around for a normal price and then went through the roof because a 'sleb' played/used one. I'm not a big gear nerd so some interesting replies, thanks 👍

Ooh a year of birth thumb rest, not something you see for sale everyday. Now where's that £200 I didn't want.

I still don't know it even after you've told us 😂

I think my only concern with your set up would be, what hearing protection is the keyboard player using? 🙂

Wait, what? We're not? Ummmm........... [slides slowly out the room to get changed]

Yep, I love gigging too. I enjoy all aspects, writing, rehearsing, even the load in and out (it's sociable) but gigging is where it's at. I've never not enjoyed a gig, the worst ones are enjoyable, the best ones are fantastic.

Yes I've just had a quick search and drew a blank. There's some bass covers of it on YouTube, that would be my first port of call, you can at least see hand/finger positions. J.E. favours a lot of pentatonic scales so you should be able to get somewhere close. It's a great bassline isn't it 👍

Absolutely brilliant. I would sooooo love to do a gig like some of those. I would probably poop my pants leading up to it but I'd still love to do experience it. Well done 👍

This is about an effects pedal but I've put it in General Discussion as it probably applies to gear of all sorts. We all know that the Akai SB1 Deep Impact synth pedal prices went through the roof because of its association with Chris Wolstenholme from Muse. I was a tad disappointed when I sold my Akai UB1 Unibass pedal that they were worth so little as they were also a great pedal, just that nobody famous had used it. But I've just seen one for sale locally for £250, with the 'makes you sound like Royal Blood' tagline. Has the Royal Blood chap actually ever used one? Anyway this got me thinking about what other gear famous musicians have used that has sent second hand prices stratospheric, and I can't think of much that has been selling for five times its 'real' value, as the Deep Impact was at its peak, just because someone famous used it. Educate me folks. 🙂

That's very commendable Lozz but judging by another thread no one wants to gig anyway 😉

Pah, Henry Rollings. If he started that sh!t with me I'd kick his @ss.

That raises more questions than it answers.

A high pass filter and better EQ may be all that's needed. A lot of your amps power is being used to amplify frequencies that you can't hear, but will cause unwanted resonances in the room. Get rid of those frequencies and your amp has more power to use amplifying the frequencies you can hear and your general sound will be cleaner. The whole band can sound cleaner as the whole room is no longer being swamped with unwanted noise.

I your bass strung through the body at the bridge end? Whatever it is, your strings are basically too short for the bass.

I treat the load in and out as a bit of a workout. Some people pay to go to a gym and do a workout, this one pays you.

Perhaps he's re-releasing Voodoo Ray and wanted you to lay down the bassline. You'll never know now. 😉