Lfalex v1.1

It's a known issue. Well, it certainly is at Status towers. During a lengthy conversation with Dawn, she explained that whilst they'd love to do round-cored Hotwires, they just keep coming unwrapped. Even Double Ball-ended ones, and always at the head(less?) end. Strange.

[quote name='wulf' post='1246599' date='May 27 2011, 08:05 AM']If you choose to play anti-commercial music then you either have to supplement that by a day job or by playing other music which does attract some income.[/quote] I HAVE a day job. It just doesn't pay enough to subsidise the rehearsal/gig cycle. [quote name='Conan' post='1246606' date='May 27 2011, 08:09 AM']I think that is what you meant to say....[/quote] No. It wasn't. The circumstances have been the same for the last 5 or 6 bands Ive been in, but now fuel prices in particular are making it an issue, and my car does 50+ mpg... [quote name='lojo' post='1246639' date='May 27 2011, 08:54 AM']Re the well heeled comment, every hobby is, its all relative, Id love to go jet skiing every day, but I can't afford to, but also their are people in the world who see my living room with its TV and Wii as something they would love to have just for one day a year Don't get bitter, make some choices, if you cant afford this band or think they are throwing money away, leave or make some suggestions about saving, perhaps rehearse / write acoustically in someone's place every other practice etc[/quote] What I'm getting at is the fact that something I have done a lot in the past is now being moved beyond my reach due to circumsatnces beyond my control. Re: The band, The drummer and I quit. The other two were a***holes.. They lived further away thanthe studio. [quote name='tauzero' post='1246873' date='May 27 2011, 11:53 AM']Move closer to the rehearsal studio and get a lock-up there. Rehearse less often for longer.[/quote] Don't think the wife and kids are going to buy that. Time and money at a premium. Inclination waning. Depression and "For Sale" section looming large.

[quote name='ahpook' post='1246284' date='May 26 2011, 09:30 PM']there are more costly hobbies.[/quote] And that's why I'm not partaking of them. [quote name='Happy Jack' post='1246311' date='May 26 2011, 09:54 PM']Precisely... ...I get paid (in a covers band) to play pubs in West London. The money barely covers my basic expenses - I doubt it will ever pay for any of my basses. That's OK, I'm not doing this to make a profit, or even to break even.[/quote] I don't expect to re-coup on the outlay on the instruments, nor make a profit, but it's just like pouring money into a big hole at the moment. [quote name='Ed_S' post='1246365' date='May 26 2011, 10:22 PM']To my mind, I have a decent job and can afford to pay what little it costs to rehearse and gig, so if it's a choice between being in a band and not, I'll be the one up on stage. My band agreed a long time ago that we'd prefer to play to a full room than cover costs, so we rarely charge unless forced to by a venue.[/quote] I don't have such a "decent" job, and I can't afford it. Hence the thread. [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1246397' date='May 26 2011, 10:48 PM']Like others have said it's my hobby and the amount I have spent on gear alone would take ages to get back at the £50 a gig minus costs anyway, You can't take it with you.[/quote] I've never even been paid a tenner for a gig. The sort of music I play doesn't get paid like that, but I fail to see why I should have to play stuff I don't want to (functions/covers). Fine, if it were a bread-winning job, I'd have to do it. Right now I have the ability and the gear but can't afford the continual and substantial drain on resources that rehearsal and gigging represent. As for food and drink, I was only talking about a burger and a coke or a single beer, but that still stacks up to nearly £400 per annum if you play once a week. Add £2.5k for rehearsal / associated travel and £500 for gig-related travel, et [i]voila[/i] £3.4k a year to rehearse and play once a week. Based on there being no financial return, it's a cost I can no longer afford. Nice. Now we're turning into a hobby for the well-heeled only. Never thought I'd live to see the day.

I've used my Yamaha Attitude in "two channel mode" to great effect. Neck HB clean. Split "P" driving my SVP-Pro to death. Nice.

As the title says; Is being in a band now so expensive that you can't afford to play live and not get paid for it? When you factor in the costs of Fuel (to gigs and to rehearsals) Food Drink Rehearsal space costs (ok, none if you can find a way to do it for free, but I've never been in a band that has!) I enjoy being in bands and playing live, I don't even care about not being paid to "work" (Ars Gratia Artis and all that), but the costs of simply keeping a band up and running are becoming ruinous if you're not getting paid. I'm finding that not (currently) being in a band is saving me about £40/£50 a week... And I do begrudge paying out the thick end of £2.5k a year for no return. Most of the outlay is in petrol costs to and from rehearsal and gigs. The rest is rehearsal cost itself. I'm assuming that this will apply primarily to originals bands, for I'd want to be paid the going rate to play anyone else's music (covers/functions etc.), and that's really not my scene at all... What say you, BassChatters?

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1243402' date='May 24 2011, 08:34 PM']There is no bass shop in existence with an esoteric and diverse enough range to satisfy me. I'd rather spend my £20k directly with the luthiers of my choice.[/quote] Ok. Name the names, then. If only so we an all go and have a look at their sites....

[quote name='WILD FROG SHOT' post='1192647' date='Apr 8 2011, 10:10 AM']That's the great thing about basses - you don't have to be monogamous; you can indulge in whatever takes your fancy![/quote] [quote name='Muzz' post='1192661' date='Apr 8 2011, 10:22 AM']The more I pick up the three basses I keep coming back to (the FrankenP, the Ray and the Fortress), the more I think it's impossible for me to settle on a single bass which will do everything. They all have strengths and weaknesses which I think I should accept as part of their whole, rather than trying to resolve into one 'perfect' bass...[/quote] +1! Irrespective of how good a single bass is, it'll never capture all of the elements of several instruments. I have a selection of instruments, traditional, modern, active, passive, bolt-on, neck-thru... (you get the idea) for that very reason.

I haven't tried this config- I don't have a guitar amp... However, I don't think there's any reason NOT to give it a shot. My main concern would be the EQ voicing wouldn't be that good for the bottom end of things. I'm also assuming that th pre-amp isn't inherently "voiced" for guitar (!) Guitar through a bass amp & cabs? Awesome. A bit sucked-out in the mid range, but HEAVY!!!!

Status Streamline...

Bizzarrely, playing bass HAS improved my typing ability!

[quote name='big25g' post='1237810' date='May 20 2011, 09:58 AM']Hi Guys, I think its time to change my strings, and am thinking about picking up some coated strings. I have been looking at the DR Peacock Blues but I think they have been discontinued... Are DR's the ones to go with? I like the idea of the colours and my bass is blue so these would go nicely... Also where do you buy from for the best price. £34 seems to be the best price I have found. Thanks Gary[/quote] DRs are generally well respected strings. I don't use the coated ones, but others here do, and I can't recall any issues over and above the usual issues with coated strings; Dirt making them look dull Coatings flaking/wearing off (worse if using a plectrum) They can sound a bit "quacky"on phenolic fretboards. I'm not likely to be putting any on my Status Streamline. On the plus side, they're easy on the fingers. Easier on frets, too, as the coating wears before your frets. Re: Peacock Blue DRs- Have they been replaced by a "Neon" blue model?

[quote name='dc2009' post='1237642' date='May 20 2011, 01:28 AM']OOH the set neck infinity, that is one beautiful instrument. I'm jealous.[/quote] Looks like a twiglet! Plays well and sounds good, though. Are you sure you didn't mean the "other Infinity" with the thru-neck and F-holes? Most seem to favour those (and they cost twice as much...) Edit for - Bought (new) for about as much as a Fender Jazz. No-one wanted it, so I made 'em an offer! Bargain.

Given current s/h values, almost any German Warwick in good condition is worth a punt. I picked up a Fortress MM5 for just over £500, and it's an excellent instrument. Streamers and Corvettes are good. Balance issues and iffy playability when seated have always put me off Thumbs. Dolphins look like they'll be a good bass. Never tried one, but that JJ/J pick-up configuration is excellent. I currently own; '02 Infinity SN4 '97 Fortress MM5 '97 Streamer LX6 Both of the last two have Wenge necks and JAN I. The LX 6 came with Seymour Duncans in as MEC didn't make soapbars big enough at the time.. None of them are ever likely to be sold. All way too nice. The MM5 is a Stingray slayer and a half. With extra versatility to boot. The Infinity is like a super jazz if you tap the JJ, but gets thicker and fuller using the JJ in humbucking mode.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1226017' date='May 10 2011, 11:48 AM']...There is no reason why a bass player shouldn't be able to solo as well as any other instrument,and a big part of that is phrasing.Horn players have to phrase because they need to breathe,but bass players don't-they can just play a barrage of notes... The bass can be,and is,so much more than 'the foundation'.It's all about your attitude and how you choose to apply it.[/quote] [quote name='Happy Jack' post='1226019' date='May 10 2011, 11:50 AM']I don't care if no one in the pub is actually listening to what I'm playing. It doesn't feel like that. [/quote] The people in the pub are [i]feeling[/i] it... I don't tend to solo, possibly only in short exposed bursts, but I'd love to swap harmony for melody a bit more often. But (and it's a big "but") just try finding a guitarist who can or will sit back and harmonise! With regard to phrasing, there's ways around the tendency to deliver a barrage of notes- Write the solo by singing or humming it. That'll force you to breathe and then transfer that composition to the bass. Alternatively, imagine it's being written for strings or horns...

I seem to recall making music by being plugged into an electrical device using a conductive cable whilst standing on an uncovered stage made of scafolding in an open field. During a thunderstorm. Not the best gig ever.

Surely this is why we all need more than one bass. I have one running real low for the scraping/grinding/fret noise (but not buzz) tone. (An OLP MM3) [i]Some[/i] running a regular/moderate action for usual use One running higher than usual action for tonal reasons. (Warwick Infinity SN4) And does it not sound amazing! I try to use sympathetic sounding strings that work well with each bass, then having found what works well with each, mess around with the action until I find something that sounds "spot on", then work around that. Just trying to squeeze the best out of each bass.

Please, someone, give one to Tony Levin.....

And there I was thinking; "At last, a substitute for an E-bow that might actually move a bass string...." Gutted.

Work together on something, based on something she likes. Perhaps she could play the melody and you play harmony? My daughter is learning flute (not bass flute, I fear) I've still found a lot that I can pass on to her with regard to scales, timekeeping, delivery and phrasing. With both of you playing the same instrument, I'd hope there would be even more you could pass on (including Primus)

I wouldn't learn a whole album. I'd treat each track on it's own merit. I employ a similar methodology for putting MP3s on a player. If it ain't good enough, it just doesn't get put on there. To date there are only 2 albums that get listened to in their entirety; Tori Amos- Boys for Pele Jellyfish- Spilt milk Nary a filler track between them, but I'd say at least third of the tracks on both do not use a bass guitar at all anyway...

Looks like I'm [i]Turbo[/i] un-cool, then. 4 of mine; Warwick Infinity SN4 Warwick Fortress MM5 Warwick Streamer LX6 Status Streamline

Feeling Brave? Your very own garage. Or Shed. Or someone elses! DIY is the way to go.

Well... Bongos are pretty damn fine-sounding, and they've got Basswood bodies. Even if the bulk of the tone is down to the pick-ups and electrics, at the very least, the Basswood body doesn't hold it back..

GSOH? That helps! Welcome to BC!

You'll be unlikely to find sensitivity figures quoted for 1w/1m for 50Hz. It'd make a lot of cabs seem quite poor. Unfortunately, the standard seems to be 1kHz. For the same reason, you'll rarely see a trace for modulus of impedance issued by a bass cab manufacturer. I suppose you could always carry out your own measurements, but I don't think the retailers would like you pumping out 50Hz sine-waves in their shops!!! Remember that the cabinet is very much a victim of i) The environment it's being used in ii) Where it is placed in that environment iii) EQ iv) The partnering amp v) The bass you're playing and how you're playing it (with emphasis on pick-ups and EQ again) Perhaps altering some other variables could help a lot before you invest in a monster cabinet?