solo4652

Quick look around the web; 34" scale, and not an especially expensive Spector.

Long, medium or short scale? Any way of telling from the photos?

No! I don't really want to buy a back up amp and then cart it around without ever using it. I'd always thought of the BDI21 as a tone-shaping thingy. Since the only tone-shaping I do is via the tone pot and/or pickup selector on my basses, I've never needed or used the BDI21. However, if it can serve as an emergency DI box into the powered desk if my GKMB500 goes down, that would be great. I'll try it at next rehearsal. BTW - the two basses of mine that you very kindly sorted out are both going great guns. Thank you.

BassBunny - Thanks! That means I won't have to buy a seperate back up amp, then?!

[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1474445942' post='3138016'] A BDI21 through the PA saved my bacon on one occasion. You might also want to ask yourself why you need an effects loop. These are intended for line level devices and most stomp boxes are instrument level devices. If you do need a loop it needs to match your main amp for serial or parallel, otherwise it may not do what you expect. Knowing that you run EBS cabs I would suggest a Reidmar. [/quote] Can I check this, please. I have a BDI21 which I've never used. Don't really know why I've got it. Could I use it as an emergency back-up amp in some way, if my main amp goes pop? Our PA uses a powered mixing desk, so would passive bass>BDI21>powered mixing desk>PA speakers get me home safely? Enough amplification for a bass in that chain?

Now £199 https://www.andertons.co.uk/p/WTX264/bass-amp-heads/eden-wtx264-260w-mini-bass-amp-head Very tempted to get one as a backup - should be loud enough through two Tecamp 112's for my 4-piece semi-acoustic jazz/swing/pop crew. Shouldn't it?

Five rehearsals in, and it's going well. However...guitarist wants to do an acoustic version of Wish you were here. At the start, he wants to use a looper to record the 12-string picky guitar bit so he can then play Gilmour's resonator/bluesy bit over the top. Looper gets turned off before the verse, and myself and drummer come in towards the end of the first verse, as per the original song. I've thought about this, and I've said that I'm not happy with a looper being used, for three reasons; In this song, I can play some of the 12-string guitar part on the bass - enough for the guitarist to do the bluesy stuff over the top. In other words, I think we can do the song justice without a looper. My choice would be to keep things simple and not risk timing and technology cockups from using a looper. My personal opinion is that a live band means exactly that - what the audience is listening to is what's being played in real time by the musicians in front of them. What do you think, folks? Make a stand, or go with the guitarist's flow?

As I suggested above, give the "Frontman"/MC/entertainer role to whoever in the band has the natural vitality, personality and motivation to deliver it, regardless of which instrument they play.

So this is an acoustic band, then? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAVt9Y-4XRs I like the music and song treatment. Just can't convince myself that this is an acoustic band.

If you have the musical talents [i]and[/i] the performance talents in the band, then you're there! All you have to do is be a little flexible about who does what. Lead singer, lead guitarist don't [i]have[/i] to be band fronters. If other people in the band are better equipped for the role, get them to do it. This happened in a band I was in a couple of years ago. The out-front people were very able musicians, but not showpeople. Myself and the drummer were the more extrovert ones. So, we traded roles, but not instruments. Drummer at the front-side of the stage, side-on to the audience. I was across the stage at the other side. Lead guitar and lead singer were centre stage, but would take a couple of steps back between songs so they weren't responsible for chat and song intro's. Certainly looked different from the audience's perspective, and that in itself created interest in the band. Years of work as an Occupational Psychologist made me realise that if you have a square peg in a round hole, it's often much easier to change the shape of the hole rather than change the peg.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1481219155' post='3190732'] Jeez you lot there's a simple calculation for this, beard score. Members of band wearing a beard; 0-punk or classical. 1-Pop or Rock. 2-Rock or funk. 3-Acoustic or dull (coldplay etc). 4-Jazz. 5 or more including the women-Folk. [/quote]

[quote name='razze06' timestamp='1481211854' post='3190622'] Seriously, my band started getting loads more gigs once we dropped the overall volume, I started playing double bass as well as electric, and started doing more jazzy/swingy/folky stuff. We don't call ourselves anything like acoustic, but I can say that we do jazzy/swingy/folky covers... [/quote] Sounds like our bands play similar stuff. When somebody asks you; "What sort of band are you?", what do you say? Thing is, our guitarist is keen to include "Acoustic" in the band name. I'm not, because (1) I don't think we're are an acoustic band (but I'm not sure now!), (2) labels such as Acoustic, and semi-acoustic mean different things to different people and (3) including Acoustic, or some other band-type in a band name could easily become a hostage to fortune, especially as the band is a start-up.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1481206056' post='3190527'] Why is it so important? Just call yourselves "Aliens drive Winnebagos" and have done with it! On second thoughts, don't - I might use that one myself! [/quote] Sure, it's not of earth-shattering importance! However, when you walk into a venue trying to get a gig and you're asked "What sort of band are you?", there are times when you have to think about how you reply, surely? Potential gig at Dog and Duck pub, "We're a full 4-piece pop band with drums, two singers and bass. We have our own PA system, so you don't have to supply anything..." Potential gig at a smart wine bar on a Sunday afternoon, "We're basically an acoustic set-up playing cool neo-soul at sound levels that mean that people can still talk to each other..." Adjust the band description according to who you're talking to. I still think we're a semi-acoustic band. That covers most things, I reckon.

My new covers band is trying to come up with a band name. 4-piece band line up; lead singer, miced through PA, guitarist playing an electro-acoustic through the PA and singing BV's miced through PA, myself on electric bass through my own backline, drummer playing a stripped-down kit tastefully with rods. Songs by George Ezra, Caro Emerald, Beautiful South, Amy Macdonald. The guitarist refers to this as an "acoustic" band to the point that he wants "acoustic" in the band name. I'm not so sure. Got me thinking - what does the term "acoustic band" mean nowadays? I think we're a semi-acoustic band.

Still no short scales? I'd buy one.

Does this count as Jazz Funk? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Fs8IFTFDE

https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/very-rare-maybe-only-one-in-uk-late-70s-soviet-union-orfeus-bass/1200133916

I don't have a smart-phone, so I don't know how emails and texting works on them. When I'm texting on my dumb-phone, I turn the predictive texting off. Surely that's possible on a smart-phone?

Stop press: I've just received this email from guitarist: "We would like very much for you to join us on this new project if we haven't traumatised you too much with the key changes!" I've said yes.

Finally got to play with these guys today. The drummer sent me some videos of guitarist and singer rehearsing some songs, plus a list of songs and keys. All good, apart from guitarist was playing one song in Cm on the video, but saying it was Bm on the songlist. I queried this, he replied that they did it "as per the video, in Bm". I rechecked the video and, trusting with my ears, convinced myself he was playing Cm. Having never met these guys, and fearing I'd be labelled a pedant, I carefully, politely, asked the guitarist to re-check the song key. Email thread, all before we'd met today: Guitar: "Oh yes - sorry - I am playing it in Cm on the video, but after that we changed it to Bm." Me; "Ahh, right. So shall I practise it in Bm, then?" Guitar: "Yes, please" Me: "OK - no problem. I'll tell you what, I'll practise it in Cm and Bm, then I'm covered both ways" Guitar; "Fine. See you Saturday" Got there for the first meeting/audition. A few songs in , we got to the song in question. Guitar; "Right. Let's do [the song]. We'll do it in C#m" Me: "Pardon?"

Bugger. Sharon Jones had battled cancer for quite a while. I thought she'd beaten it, but no. I first came across her on Live at Daryl's House. Check this out for energy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK0LEpyM0oQ&list=RDAK0LEpyM0oQ#t=16

Possibly. Pissably. Piss a brolly.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1479331806' post='3175793'] Let me tell you what it means. It means...find someone else to form a band with. If the guy can't list a handful of his favourite songs, it does not auger well, for good communication if/when you did get a band up and running. [/quote] Yes - you're right. I've already crossed him off my "possibles" list.

Aha! That's it! He plays bass, guitar and drums. When he said ;" U boy Jaco Pastorious. I'll bring acoustic guitar...", he meant; "You be Jaco (in his clumsy email-speak, this becomes "U boy Jaco.."), and I'll play acoustic guitar". Yep - that sort of makes sense. Serves me right for being too literal.