Sean

Time for the full SP. Singer and drummer arrived on time and everybody was non-hungover and in a positive frame of mind, we set up efficiently and had a really nice cup of tea ; nothing fancy, PG Tips (standard type not any of the [i]Fresh, Strong, Rich, Mellow[/i] stuff). The schedule worked well and proved to be enough time in each case to play the four songs through a couple of times and also have a bit of a jam with one of the songs. So, what were the guitarists like? I hear you cry. Well, they were all good and based on what we saw and heard today I'd be happy to be in a band with any of them. The first one was great to play with, played for the song, had a bluesy texas vibe, played a Heritage LP through a Victoria all-valve head and 2x10 and had tone that most blokes never achieve in a lifetime and it was all good just not right for what we're doing. Second guy had a Line 6 100w head with valve power amp section and 4x12 cab. Rock monster and really nice guy that would probably fit; we liked him. He was the most nervous of the three and we tried our best to get him to relax and he had a good stab at it but on the negative side was blisteringly loud, like ouch, even my earplugged head is splitting. We did get him to roll back after the first song though. Third guy rocked up, set up in no time, 15w Orange head and small cab, self-made custom pedalboard that was beautifully designed and populated by some nice gear with some of it using the FX loop and some through in the input - complicated and lots of leads cable-tied and going through a junction box but he certainly knew how to operate it all so it looked really slick, no fiddling, no faffing just great tone and then he nailed all four songs in his own style but had interpreted the material really well - it felt like a band that has been together a while. He gave us a really good vibe as a bloke too and was very easy to get on with but knew what he was about. Difficult to find negatives, really. His Soundcloud stuff was amazing and he went into this easily the favourite musically. Fourth guy nailed all the stuff, so-so tone but was using a borrowed amp as his wasn't available (long story), learned the songs and put his own stamp on them and seemed like a good chap with lots of experience in originals bands and ticked most of the boxes. We'll be contacting them in the next couple of days...

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1402171229' post='2470766'] Only advice I can give is that they're auditioning you as much as you're auditioning them, so don't act like knobs... Having been in your position a few times I've had to rein in band members who seemed to forget we wanted certain auditionees to come back! Good luck! [/quote] My band's as knob-free as a nunnery full of lesbians.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1402167313' post='2470724'] Don't bother with the ones who don't like tea? Seriously, sounds like you're putting a lot of thought and attention into this, I hope the auditionees have the respect to do the same. [/quote] I have been out today (don't do that often) and stocked up on quality tea bags and milk for tomorrow!

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1402166809' post='2470711'] video the entire proceedings - tell them it is for a reality tv idea and then post all the videos up on here and we can collectively vote for your new guitarist as an extra bonus im sure ped could possibly throw in a BC polo shirt for the lucky winner [/quote] That is a fab idea and you know it would work!

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1402165046' post='2470693'] Bear in mind they are also auditioning you [/quote] See first post - [i]very[/i] aware ;-) [quote name='Sean' timestamp='1402135393' post='2470283'] We're also very aware that we are also being auditioned by each guitarist so I will be having a bath tonight and ironing my t-shirt in readiness. [/quote]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1402164557' post='2470679'] If they plug their lead into the amp before their guitar, sack 'em If they spend more time tweaking their sound than playing, sack 'em If they try to tell you how to play bass, sack 'em etc... have you thought about keyboards...? [/quote] I'm ultra-sensitive to lead and strap etiquette and can get preachy about it so I'm well on the case with that, it's hardwired. Messing about with FX/tone is an incurable illness as far as I'm concerned and will drive me nuts. When I was playing guitar in bands, I had all my sounds pre-programmed and ready to go with a stomp. We have gone through some agonising experiences with keys players in the past months and will be revisiting that once we've got the guitarist sorted. We sacked a keys player earlier in the year and have turned down the last two because one couldn't commit and the other was absolutely unbearable; like a cross between Mr Bean and George Integrity Whitebread.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1402164060' post='2470669'] In the interests of verisimilitude, you should of course insist that they each set up by the door to the gents toilet ... [/quote] Should I take a friend along to tread on their pedals and spill lager as they push past them whilst they are playing?

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1402162287' post='2470629'] Text them all to check whether they can play, have learned the stuff, and aren't prima donnas. [/quote] One of my favourite posts of 2014 right there!

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1402147432' post='2470440'] Having been a guitarist auditioning for a band (albeit a functions band) in a similar scenario, I wouldn't worry too much about auditionee no.2 hearing auditionee no.1 through the wall. In my case at first I thought 'oh crap, he's way better than me', and then 'what have I got to lose', so I just went for it, and got offered the slot the next day. As both auditionee and auditioner, I always sleep on it before making a decision. The recording idea is also a good one. Put the four audition recordings up online somewhere only you 3 can access them, and everyone can make their comments when you meet up for a pint/cuppa later. You have probably already considered this, but money is a key issue - it's the source of many disagreements in couples! Try to get an idea of what they are expecting to put into, and get out of, the band financially. This includes cost/time of getting to rehearsals and gigs. If things are going well, your guitarist may not mind poorly paid gigs or chipping in for studio time, but these things can be a cause of resentment and discontent when other issues crop up. [/quote] Interesting perspective. Money has been clarified up front, there isn't any :-) We stated in the ad that we weren't looking for paid gigs per se and also that any money we did earn would be used to pay for rehearsals or recordings. As far as potential resentment about rehearsal fees, fuelling cars etc, I hadn't considered this. We will be expecting to split costs of studio time equally so I'll make sure that this is made clear tomorrow. Also rehearsal/writing frequency and costs will need to be made clear.

Some really useful advice. Wish I'd posted last week. I'm really looking forward to the whole process and it should bring the other three of us tighter as the drummer is very new although I've worked with him before and he's very good.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1402137175' post='2470314'] Also, maybe post a week ago so you've got time to sort all this out. Otherwise, good luck with it! [/quote] Thanks :-) It's all been a bit touch and go but everything seemed to align yesterday and we get to go ahead as originally planned.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1402136886' post='2470311'] And after all that, hire the one which didn`t turn up with a 412. [/quote] Appropriate gear comments have already been made within the band :-D

The singer has just told me that they will have to wait for us to unlock the door from the inside before they can get in. Sorted.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1402136413' post='2470303'] 1715-1830 decision !! i admire your optimisim but seriously if they are all that close and not one individual stands out significantly above the rest then you might consider holding a second audition day especially as this is for original material and you need to find somebody with original ideas to bring something extra to the mix that is unique and different to the three of you already hopefully there will be one of the four that stands out from the others and the decision sort of makes itself with just agreement from you all to confirm [/quote] Hmmm. This has made me think. We've narrowed it down to these four from about twelve unseen applicants who submitted demos and youtube stuff so as these are the best of the bunch, it might prove trickier than we're currently thinking. I like the second audition idea.

[quote name='toneknob' timestamp='1402135985' post='2470295'] I'd put in a contingency between each guitarist to send one off before the next one arrives. Then you get a little discussion/note taking/sobbing time between each, and less chance for awkward "oh hi yeah just wait a sec while the previous guy packs up" moments. [/quote] Cool. How about emailing them today to let them know to wait in their car until the previous guy has left? Is that reasonable?

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1402135891' post='2470294'] In all seriousness - after you've worked through the four songs you've asked them to learn, how about presenting an idea (that you as a band may have worked on already) and seeing what they can add to it? [/quote] Nice idea. We've got a couple of unfinished things knocking around. Our drummer suggested a two chord funk thing that we've been working on just to see how the cope with something different.

Hi All My band is auditioning guitarists tomorrow and although we have a pretty good idea of what we're doing and what we're looking for some advice from others can make a difference. We're an originals rock band with ten songs already written and demos recorded with other guitarists. We've got a good village hall booked with easy-in, easy-out loading, a good sound for recording the sessions and we've arranged the auditions in slots. Each auditioning guitarist has been given four original songs to learn and the brief was to put their own style on them. They don't necessarily have to learn all four but should know enough material so that we can play the original material and we can all decide whether it works and if there is chemistry. Each guitarist will then play the songs along with the rest of the band and we'll be looking for who we feel is the best fit and who has a playing style that we like. We're also looking for someone that we get on with but realise that it is not necessarily easy in just an hour or so to decide whether someone is a perfect match. We're also very aware that we are also being auditioned by each guitarist so I will be having a bath tonight and ironing my t-shirt in readiness. The singer and I are early 40s, the drummer is 28 and we are all very committed and driven albeit with day jobs and families. The goal of the band is to play the smaller originals festivals, support slots nationally and to record original material. It's not ever going to be a touring band but hopefully about as professional as an originals band can be with the constraints of it being a weekend warrior arrangement. We'll be helping with unloading and moving gear should it should speed up setup times. This is the schedule for tomorrow. 11:00 - 12:00 Drummer, Singer and I turn up and set up and run through the plan, have a cup of tea, make sure we're on the case 12:00 - 13:15 first guitarist audition including setup, breakdown 13:15 - 14:30 second guitarist 14:30 - 14:45 tea break 14:45 - 16:00 third guitarist 16:00 - 17:15 fourth guitarist 17:15 - 1830 Drummer, Singer and I pack up and discuss, have a cup of tea, hopefully make decision What have we missed? What experience has anyone got that they could pass on? Should one of us (not the drummer, obviously) take notes so we don't forget stuff? Someone suggested taking photos of them to aide discussion later but would that give the wrong impression, it's not a beauty contest? And moreover, I'd feel like a tw@t doing that. Are there any sort of standard audition questions that we should be asking to gauge their commitment level? Any help gladly taken on board. Thanks for reading.

[quote name='RockinRelic' timestamp='1402067491' post='2469762'] I live in the USA and bought one from a store in Germany last month -- purely for the surf green color. I couldn't find one anywhere in the states. It arrived within a few weeks, and it was in pretty good shape out of the box. First thing I did was turn the truss rod to correct the neck bow. I did mods on it, including Bartolini pickups and a Gotoh bridge. I also replaced the stock strings. My luthier (who can turn a log into a Stradivarius) worked on it and I did further work filing the fret ends smooth. I also painted the head stock to match the body. It now plays with the best of my other basses. I use it professionally in a surf band. I couldn't happier with the sound and joy of playing it. Amazing. Bottom line, the J&D bass is an amazing value for the money, and with a little work, it can be your main rig. [/quote] Photos please!

Disappointing. I was thinking of buying a P to put in my BBingray. Best zombie thread in ages though :-)

[quote name='Classic69' timestamp='1401551053' post='2464676'] Back to bass- That cabinet demonstrates British craftsmanship, the details and care taken in it's build. And it sounds HEAVy, which btw it is not! Only 41 USA lbs, not sure of how many kilos that is! [/quote] We do lbs too! We drive in miles but fuel our cars in litres and then measure the efficiency in miles/gallon but remember our gallons are 4.54 litres whereas yours are 3.8 but that's because your pint is 16 fl.oz whereas our is 20 fl.oz. When we weigh ourselves we don't use lbs like you guys or kg like the Europeans, we have Stones and lbs so I'm 13st 11lb which is, uh, too much :-) One thing that everybody else measures that we don't is the area of our homes, we have no idea what you mean when you say, "my condominium is 1250 sq.ft", we just have no frame of reference. I nearly bought a CMT-100 myself, came very close indeed. I'll be interested to hear what you make of it :-)

You can see all the castles and palaces on line without having to leave your bed and you can download and photoshop much better shots than you'll ever take yourself but for all the man stuff you have to actually go there. I would have reached a compromise: she stays at home and surfs the net while you go to the UK and visit bass places :-D

Oh! No problem. The local accents and dialects in the UK change massively over distances as short as ten miles so you're excused. :-) We get a bigger difference in 30 miles than you guys get between Virginia and Massachusetts.

I don't get the SHORE thing. Anyway, congrats on your new baby.

I played bass in a Blues Brothers tribute with a great bunch of people, awesome (bonkers) drummer and loved every minute of playing the music and gigging. I learned loads about gigging, emulating styles, working with people I normally would not etc etc etc Dump your prejudices and get tributing!