Freuds_Cat

In Australia there is one song above all others that will instantly fill a dance floor 1971 Aussie classic 'Eagle Rock' by Daddy Cool. Probably the most instantly recognised rock song in Australian music history. So famous that even the Wiggles do it [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQfAZVsz6KM"]Eagle rock on tha tube[/url]

[quote name='ARGH' post='106782' date='Dec 20 2007, 09:03 AM']Ive heard its the absolute in tone (yeah I heard that about SWR and Eden..tried them and they were overpriced,and pissweak)[/quote] I heard the same things about GENZ BENZ stuff. I went into a large musical stockist of said gear here in Adelaide and asked to try. [b]Said I:[/b] First lets get the whole amp off the raised wooden resonating box floor that its currently on. Second lets move it down to the Drum section and grab a loud drummer......400watts you reckon? [b]Said sales assitant:[/b] "um....er I better get my boss". Bottom line was that if I wanted it to practice in my bedroom or do low volume folk/jazz gigs it would be great. For loud rock it was so flabby and underpowered it made me laugh. When the manager asked what I thought of it I told him without the slightest bit of sarcasm that they should really get some decent gear and not stock toys. I cant beleive this stuff has the reputation that it has, I really am dumbfounded it was that bad.

I use roundwound 45-105 sets on most of my basses. My Experience with strings is similar to a lot of you in that I used Rotosound (RS66 Rounds) for about 20 years and slowly but surely watched the price go through the roof and the quality decline greatly in about 2002/3. For my long scale (34') basses I switched to Web Strings Detroit Stainless (about US$10 a set) and have used them ever since. (about 3 years now). For my Shorties (30.5') I use Ken Smith Strings KS_RWM-S 44 63 84 106 I'm pretty sure that these are relabled GHS strings (due to the weird gauges and the feel of the strings from experience) but great strings and one of the only short scale sets that are in the gauges and tension that I like. At US$20 a set from bassguitarstrings.us they are still quite cheap in price. [url="http://bassguitarstrings.us/store/home.php?cat=346"]http://bassguitarstrings.us/store/home.php?cat=346[/url]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='99380' date='Dec 5 2007, 07:18 PM']I do stretch the strings well though.[/quote] I hope not as much as Dawson or Doolan or whatever his name on youtube does!!! Anyone remember the link to that? Did a search but couldn't find it.

This is a 1 knob, 1 switch unit, pretty simple to use. Not a noisy unit but really only has 1 basic sound with a distorted version to the same sound as variation. I tried this with my 72 Jazz with active EMG's into Ampeg gear. Reminds me of Bootsys solo sound on Govt Mules Deep End vol 1 album. You really dont get much else from it. I'm into retro and acid rock sounds and it does one of those kinds of funky sounds but its not so great a sound that its worth spending more than about 20 quid on it. On the question of if I would replace it if it died or was stolen then,If it died at a gig I'd probably throw it at the stage hand and tell him to file it under B. Customer support from EH: Dunno, dont care. If it dies its in the bin. I play Rock/classic rock/blues/funk etc etc I've played for over 25 years, 10 for a living. If it were stolen or lost I would probably order a beer and forget about it. It was fun for 5 mins to jam along and have the same sound as Bootsy. I picked it up cheap from ebay mostly out of curiosity. I gotta say that the hype I've read about it falls a long way short for the money. Its a bit of a novelty but seriously if you expect more than a funky novelty sound to use in a short solo out of this unit, dont bother. My opinion is to spend more time effort and cash on your natural sound than worrying about 1 dimensional novelty sounds. Sorry to be so negative about this. I am a fan of Mike Matthews and admire what he's done greatly, its just this unit doesn't do much for me.

[quote name='Mobius' post='92484' date='Nov 22 2007, 10:05 AM']I wouldn't bother with my jazz - it can stay in tune for a couple of hours of solid playing.[/quote] I would suggest weeks with my Jazz. It just doesn't go out of tune. After all these years this fact still freaks me out now and again. Cold days, hot days, trucks, cars, home, studio's, practice, it just doesnt seem to matter. Now, where do I find a woman this reliable?

Not that many (if any) here knows Adelaide venues but Sat night we Played the Gaslight Tavern in Brompton with the recording gear all setup and running. Good gig but the 1st set was a bit dry and not loose enough, thinking to much about the extra mics onstage I guess. The rest of the night was a cracker once we got into it and forgot about the recording. Sunday arvo was at the Bacchus Bar in Henley Beach. The venue looks directly west out to sea into the sunset. That seriously went off. Packed crowd, hot weather with some steamy rain that came straight in from the water. Free Handles of dark Ale, big plates of fresh Calamari for 3 quid (7 bucks) and a crowd that always reminds you why it is that you like to play live. Gotta love our English place names, Henley, Brompton. Having spent 3 years in the UK it still gives me a chuckle when I see 'em.

[quote name='99ster' post='96772' date='Dec 1 2007, 01:39 AM'][b]+1000[/b] ..... work with good musicians & they always sound good WITHOUT a PA. And that's the key - it should sound great without a PA - you should only need a PA to lift the overall volume & let the singer be heard clearly. A PA engineer shouldn't have to fix the crap sound of the band & fight against the egos of 'musicians' who think they deserve to be louder than the rest of their band mates.[/quote] I think you've hit the nail on the head there 99ster. We usually work to the drummers natural playing level as he obviously cant turn up or down and still needs to hit the kit at a comfortable level to play properly. This the way to go in small venues. As the venues get bigger we will introduce some kick drum to the PA and if bigger again then because our guitarists dont play that loud anyway we will just mix a little bit of guitar more for balance than volume.

I have a great situation where I get a couple of my students to get up and do a song with my gear and I get to go for a walk. One in particular I've taught from quite young and his style is a bit similar to my own. This gives me a pretty good idea of what things sound like out front. Mind you the guys I play with have all been playing for donkeys and have a good understanding of how to get a good sound even without a desk. Lifes easy these days I guess. I can remember a few times in the 80's at big shows where you just knew that the FOH whas sh*te and there was just nothing you could do about it from the stage.

[quote name='NJW' post='35527' date='Jul 22 2007, 09:42 PM']Sound engineers cant polish a turd. Something many people forget.[/quote] Its interesting how this comment was taken by people. I must be more contrary than I thought. To me it meant that if a band already sounds like sh*t then there is no way your gonna make it sound polished just by mixing it through a desk. I dont necessarily disagree with this comment in that context. I mean if you have a band where the guit4rist thinks that 12 is normal vol setting with a drummer that plays like a dinner Jazz brushes player and a bass player that has a thin dry sound with bugger all bottoms. ( hope the band I'm talking about dont read this) and a singer that goes from mumbling drivel like a pissed Jim Morrison to belting it out like Plant (well not quite) and none of them have any idea what the other is doing in a dynamic sense then I'm sorry but even Steve Hoffman is gonna have trouble making it sound good.

very interesting read Happy Jack. Look like lovely players.

[quote name='aryustailm' post='86367' date='Nov 10 2007, 11:55 AM']I also think regarding the recommended supplements, they should be regarded as just that: supplements. branched chain amino acids are found in any rich source of protein (good quality meat, fish, eggs), vitamin b6 is found in similar sources as well as in nuts, amongst other things. All those nutrients are great, but just eating plenty of good nutrient rich food should come first, to help any healing. For some reason, people seem to remember to pop a pill in everyday more readily than they do to just eat some good food - I may be getting way off topic here! If the problem is with your hands/bass playing, I think it would be worth concentrating on your habits regarding them, THEN worry about nutritional problems/supplements. Just my opinion. Hope it heals quickly [/quote] Yep, I dont disagree with your comments aryustailm. As I mentioned I was digressing somewhat from the main topic. Just thought I'd mention some of this stuff as I've had some experience with it and seen positive results.

And the winners are: [quote name='The Burpster' post='85639' date='Nov 9 2007, 05:33 AM']I think I can ID it..... I think its called Phil and it sleeps rough in a cardboard box, near the fire exit of our local Boots the chemist where every Tuesday and Thursdays it picks up its Methodone script. The rest of the time, it lives on White Lightening and out of date food from Sainsburys, and it stinks of pi55...... I beleive you get the picture...... [/quote] [quote name='SJA']mind you, if that came out of the Fender Custom Shop as a special edition relic, people would be paying £3000 for it....[/quote] hehehe worth the fiver just for your comments

Hmmm... ah, I just picked up a coupla SX's so I might just ignore this one

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='85402' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:24 PM']It looks like it was found in a skip. I'd pass if its over £20.[/quote] Therin lies my problem. £5 and The skunk stripe has me curious. None of the complete rubbish 'toy' basses I've ever seen have ever had one.

[quote name='Hamster' post='85394' date='Nov 8 2007, 10:08 PM']Hard to say - have you taken off the neck and scratchplate to check for names / numbers etc? Hamster[/quote] I cant, I dont actually have the bass. Just had the pics sent to me. Being offered VERY cheap to me. Neck looks interesting so I figured I would get some input from you guys.

I think this is an old Japanese bass but not sure what. All help appreciated.

I've never been able to understand why we dont see more T-birds played by punk bassists. To me it seems a natural combination. I mean they have a bigger bottom end than a P and they rumble better. I've tried a few of the newer Epiphone T-birds with the bolt on neck and the Alder body and to be honest they had a great sound. Definitely not the same as a Gibson or a Fender but kind of 1/3 each and 1/3 its own sound. And cheaper to boot. The best one I tried was Korean. ([url="http://www.musicgearreview.com/review-display/7565.html"]accurate review here[/url]) All had that huge bottom end.

Our Guitarist is a chippy and suffers carpel tunnel once or twice a year. For him its related to the use of a hammer rather than his guitar. Sucks a lot to watch him struggle with it. That not being the problem then I would suggest both mineral supplements of Magnesium and Potassium (or bananas). I use the magnesium myself and probably eat enough bananas. The Magnesium is great for muscular cramps, also drink more water, seems to make a difference. One of my best mates is a Chiropractor/Herbal medicine specialist and recomended this to me a few years back. Another interesting but digressive point is building up muscle tone in your hands fast to improve your chops. Go to the health food shop and ask for some Branch Chain Amino Acid tablets or powder. If you need to build up your hand and finger strength quickly and you will be doing the work required (ie heavy practice, rehearsal or gigging) then take this stuff within 20 minutes of finishing playing with lots of water. It is a natural product and is produced in your body at a rate equell to your average level of activity. This is just a supplement but it does work. (also fantastic for frostbite....seriously!) I was involved in clinical trials of the physical benefits of BCCA's with a company called Musashi. There is not a professional sports person in Australia that wouldn't have used them, they are not anything to do with steroids or illegal drugs of any kind. They get used for everything from sports training to soft tissue injuries to speed up recovery and healing. I dont sell this stuff either.

[quote name='ARGH' post='81360' date='Oct 31 2007, 02:55 AM']Rank old Peavey MK3s with half the eq knobs missing or bent...worn 100w combos with shot 15" speakers and tweeters that fizz...DISTORTOMATIC!![/quote] Peavey Mk 3 and 4 heads are like bad 80's music, they just seem to keep coming back and they both suck.

[quote name='wulf' post='79357' date='Oct 25 2007, 09:34 PM']It can help to take a bit of tone-shaping with you. When I last went through a phase of using rehearsal rooms, I was regularly using a Sans Amp Bass Driver DI which can help a lot (and now have a Bass Pod XT, which can help even more) given a fairly average starting point. If the problem is that the amp and speakers have been abused, then it is probably down to the other people who have used it. I didn't have many occasions when I found unusable gear and, when I did, a quick word at the desk got it swapped out. If you regularly get bad gear and the management aren't responsive to polite requests then you have to decide if they are worth the money you are investing in them. Wulf[/quote] Yep I agree with this. We are the owners of our practice room and rent it out to other bands. We supply a basic Pearl drum kit (quite reasonable quality) A Laney 100w Combo for guitars (ordinairy sound but works OK) a genuine Hammond B3 (too bloody heavy to shift anyway) and a 15" JBL cab with a Peavey Mark 4 head. I cant stand the sound of Mark 4 heads personally and I've had to use quite a few over the years. My practice solution is similar to that suggested above, I bring my Ampeg Preamp to practice and just use the power amp section of the Peavey. Works a treat, its light, only takes a few seconds to setup and makes practice 100% more enjoyable. When my gear is in a truck or un accesible for some reason I have even resorted to using a Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic100 (Very basic tube preamp) These things are small, cheap and make a subtle but effective difference to the sound and feel of an instrument. I think I paid Aus$50 second hand for mine from [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEHRINGER-MIC100-MICROPHONE-PRE-AMP-PRICE-INCLUDES-VAT_W0QQitemZ130160551561QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3278QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem"]ebay[/url]. I did change out the Chinese tube with a Tung Sol though. This is not the best way but it is a very cheap and simple way of getting a better tone when using a crap sounding amp but as Wulf says nothing except talking to the owner can solve damaged speakers. And if you are paying for it then you should expect everything to work.

Took the speaker out of my EV TL 606 cab about 6 months ago and cleared out a small family of dead mice from the dacron. What a way to go!

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='71445' date='Oct 9 2007, 06:27 PM']Bassist, on this site and otherwise, seem a pretty insecure bunch.[/quote] Um I cant say that I could quite call ARGH insecure especially when he hits the nail on the head with comments like: [i]'I would label your lecturer a 'Twat',for judging you on your gear choice and style of play. Tell him to use his ears...its what hes paid for...'[/i] I mean I'm a bit suprised at the fact a lecturer is proffering a position on what gear should or shouldn't be used by a student. FWIW I like a blend of technology Vintage 4 strings through Active pups into Ampeg Tube pre into Class D output but to each their own. Does that make me a semi or demi purist? Nah dont answer that, my ego couldn't handle it.

[quote name='lowhand_mike' post='71662' date='Oct 10 2007, 01:01 AM']at practice last night our drummer said that someone had suggested we put a suggestion box by the door when we do a gig though i think that may just be asking for trouble[/quote] OK the fact that it was the drummer that made the suggestion made me chuckle..

[quote name='3V17C' post='71298' date='Oct 9 2007, 06:22 AM']Next time we play, come and say hello! Bring your guitar if you want and you are by all means welcome to show us what you can do.[/quote] Touche' Thats the spirit. Listening to Iron Maiden is not particularly to my musical taste but I have been in bands where I've had to play some of their songs and as simple as the bass lines are, I gotta say I had a hell of a lot of fun doing it. This guy obviously has no other way of getting a feeling of musical relevence other than by baiting other musicians. I mean anyone who wants to compare Iron Maiden and G13th #9 chords is obviously an idiot.