Huge Hands

Dear all, I apologise if this has been done to death before, but here is my situation: I play bass guitar (and occasionally double bass) in a 40+ piece concert band, with drums, brass and woodwind. During the summer, they get asked to do a lot of fetes and outdoor stuff where there is no power available. We have tried hiring petrol generators in the past, but they can be messy and noisy in the quiet bits! I've tried playing my double bass without amplification, but once the whole band gets excited, I can't be heard. The band have suggested they may look into buying me a battery powered amp to use on these gigs. I was wondering on your suggestions for what is out there? I've heard of the PJ Briefcase stuff, but I think that might be a bit of a boutique budget for them. I've seen some of the Roland stuff mentioned, but wondered if the battery models might be under-powered? I guess in normal bass amp terms to get a comfortable volume without overdriving everything, I'd be looking for a minimum of 100W amp? Thinking alternatively, I really like my Retro 210 cabs, so was wondering if anyone did a battery powered head only? Or is there a decent inverter out there that would run my Carvin 1000W head/Retro 210 safely at 1/3 volume for about 4 hours without looking like some Frankenstein lab bodge job? I was just wondering of any of your experiences could point me in the direction of something I hadn't seen? All advice and products will be carefully considered!

I have the opposite problem. As a bass guitarist who has picked up a DB (I have not been taught properly), I am in a band playing 1950's/1960's blues and soul covers, and they only want the DB. Although I try to point out that in some cases, original was done on a bass guitar and I'd be much more comfortable/better at playing it with the guitar, they want the DB because of the cool look!

This will probably be deemed as wrong by the experts, but when I did it, I kept my right (plucking) hand in the same position as a 4 string, which was to have my thumb resting on the E String (which on a 5 string became between the B and E string). This allowed for good muting of both strings when not playing them, and meant my hand was still in the same position relative to the EADG strings. As the years have gone on, I've changed my hand position, and (I think due to this) I now find it harder to go back to a 4 string than when my hand was as I've said above!

Surely there must be laptop software/apps that do this?

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1468282552' post='3089881'] Now even sausage, fingered, bass players can play guitar! [/quote] Did someone mention me? I thought it was going to be a guitar with 19mm string spacing and thick strings - oh wait, isn't that a six string bass? I thought the video was a good laugh to watch though!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467884111' post='3086924'] Perhaps the internationally-known sign language gesture for 'feck off' would have been appropriate..? [/quote] I was screaming by the end, when he finally heard me. He had somehow slid in front of me with his back to me so sign language would have been useless, and my hands were full with my cab anyway! I was tempted to ram it into his back to get him to move, but he did look rather frail. Shame it left me off work for a week and now I'm a bit frail too!

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1467883320' post='3086909'] I have a trolley for anything further than 20 yds away. [/quote] Yes, me too. But unless you have a van with a ramp, they still have to be lifted into the car boot etc. My last back injury was from an old deaf guy blocking my way when I was trying to lift my Ashdown cab from the trolley on the dance floor up on to the stage. I was asking him to move, but he couldn't hear me!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467833742' post='3086647'] Yes, it's 13kg. It's all relative... [/quote] Sure is. I bought my two to replace my Ashdown 2x10 combo (35kg) and 15" cab (27kg) after a couple of back injuries (caused by carrying them). The 210s are light as a feather compared to those!

Well, I think I've solved my problem. I have been trying various little preamps and such, but not getting very far. On Friday, I was playing straight into my own amp when I stood on the cable, and all of a sudden, I got an increase in volume. It looks like I had a bad cable. I hadn't bothered changing this before, as I've known then cut out/be intermittent, but never had one work but cause a drop in volume. I can only assume there was a break with a small strand still attached acting as a big resistor? I have now changed cables and had a much better level (including THAT gig with THAT amp on Saturday night). One positive to come out of this is that I bought a cheap Behringer BDI21 to try, and that could become quite a useful little buy for me going forwards! I still love my NXT!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467805132' post='3086367'] I'm not finding any muffling using the Two10 vertically. It's loud and clear. But again, I'll need to gig it to see what's what. [/quote] It doesn't muffle in my experience, it is still loud and clear, but in some rooms, you lose a bit of oomph as the port is not so involved. This can be a plus as I, similar to DBerriff, play in a 40+ concert band and sometimes it is nice to not be producing earth shattering resonance when you're playing at lower volumes so it goes on its side. In other cases, you start off with a nice rounded clear sound, but feel you're lacking in the "lets make the room shake" department, so you put it horizontal. Either way, they sound great to me! P.S. Discreet, when I've done outdoor gigs with the concert band, as the only amplified instrument in the band, I often get comments that the bass really carries and can be heard from a good distance. I think they're sometimes complaining, but I take it as a compliment!

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1467800799' post='3086316'] I see, so it effectively turns it into a sealed cab when vertical......almost?! Si [/quote] I believe so. I seem to remember Alex (on another thread) talking about stuffing a T-shirt in the port being a similar option...but I could be wrong. I know in my case, I have had a few occasions where I've started with it vertical but then had to turn it horizontal to get decent bottom end. However, that has usually been down to weird acoustics in rooms, I often use it vertical in other scenarios.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1467800286' post='3086308'] But the port is on the bottom of the cab?.....what happened to needing around 6" clearance for ports?! Si [/quote] My understanding from my chats with Alex is that by standing it vertical with the port at the bottom, you have the effect of blocking the port, to aid with boomy rooms, resonance etc. That's why I prefer having mine horizontal, because it allows the port to work freely and is a bit more beefy. I think. At least that's what it feels like to me.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1467798009' post='3086275'] My OCD got fired up by the white 4 way. Black wiring on stage, people!!!! [/quote] ....Not with our current drummer. He's in his 60s and blind as a bat, so anything that stands out when he's trying to climb over his kit is a bonus!

Some pics of mine with the Carvin: Both cabs horizontal: Single cab vertical: I definitely think mine and Lozz's requirements are quite different!

I run my Retro 2x10s with a Carvin B1000 that happily runs at 2 ohms and was recommended by fellow Basschatters Eude and Merton (thanks again guys!) Before that I was using each at 4ohms on the two channels of my Ashdown LG1000. I've never noticed any phase cancellation, but I rarely run them both because 1x 210 cab is usually monster enough for most of the gigs I play. I find having it on its side (vertical - my badge is opposite to Discreet's) is good for boomy rooms or quiet gigs, but I usually prefer put it flat (both drivers next to each other) to maintain the low end warmth I love. I hope you enjoy it! I've had mine nearly 18 months and I love them!

I have repaired SM57s/58s in the dim and distant past when at a venue and remember a circlip which we used to get into place from underneath using a couple of very thin jeweller's screwdrivers, but I don't remember it being close enough to the actual capsule diaphragm to be of any real danger. This was over 13 years ago,so my memory is a bit rusty! We did start to buy the Beta range, but I wasn't involved long enough to see them get old and need repair. Sorry. I guess the suggestion above of looking on Youtube might be a good starting point?

I would have thought that the focal point of their name, and that people will naturally abbreviate it to , will be the "Awake" part?

This sort of thing wouldn't normally bother me, but I was mortified to hear the Queen classic turned into "Another One Drives a Duster" for Dacia the other day.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1465459366' post='3068328'] He wasn't but all seems well now. And he's playing like a demon :-) [/quote] Good to hear he's better. I'm hoping to make a visit to the old homeland in October - still can't get stottie cakes down here! Sorry to derail your thread!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1465455086' post='3068288'] BC's very own Bass Doc used it on a few tunes... [/quote] How is Howard getting on? I seem to remember hearing he wasn't too well?

My ex wife had regular problems with her lower back causing sciatica in her leg. She had several discectomies where they tried to shave off part of the bulge in the disc. These gave varying levels of success, but the problem would always return. (EDIT: My dad has had one discectomy op for a similar condition, and he has been fine for 3 years, so it probably just depends on the person.) In the end, she had the disc removed, and a Wallis cage fitted. I don't know what they are like in the upper back, but when we researched it, cage was probably the wrong word. It was more like a lego block with two loops. The block would sit between the protrusions from the spine bones and the loops would loop over them to hold it in place. This allows for some limited movement, and means it is not a full fusion of two bones (as you say bolted together). For her, it was a new lease of life. I think the nerve was too damaged so she does still get some sciatica, but in comparison to what she had before pain wise, it is a world apart. *Please note this is just some notes on her experience, I think my hopeless medical jargon (i.e. spine bones) would make it obvious that I am not a doctor or expert by any means!

I have always been amazed at the length of Ms Crow's fingers, as can be seen in the photo. I remember watching her play a keyboard on "The Big Breakfast" years ago and it looked like she was sat about 4 feet away! *Before you say I'm being hypocritical, I know I have the moniker of "Huge Hands", but that is down to big massive chunky hands, not long fingers.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1464951010' post='3064046'] ...and Donny Hathaway Live. . [/quote] Alex, you just went up massively in my estimation! I love that album - Willie Weeks is a monster! I understand others reasons for wanting to keep members' feet on the ground and not join in on the bandwagon of sycofancy, but as a year+ owner of 2x Retro 210s, I' can't say anything bad about them. That's even with the constant Tolex peel around the back panel. The sound from them is monster, and for most gigs I only use one. I must say I really took Alex's advice as a gamble as I didn't believe that 2x10s would be able to give massive lows (and more) like my old 15 had, but he was right. BTW, Congrats on the Tim Commerford thing. I didn't know who he was until the recent feature in BGM.

Wow - that chess set will be massive.....