Davetheglitz

We tend to forget that the volume control is via a logarithmic pot so the perceived sound will increase linearly. I'm very fortunate that I play with a musical drummer - and with a Markbass cmd121h combo (which has been nicked out of my van in the last week - bastards!) I had volume set at 9 to 10 o'clock. I'm buying a traveller 121h cab and a little Mark 2 at 150W into 8 ohms to replace the beast and I reckon it will give me better resolution when setting my volume. Even at these levels I still wear ear plugs!

We use to do Owner of a lonely heart/stairway to heaven Seven Nation Army/Sweet Dreams are Made of This Mostly it was because we couldn't handle key changes or difficult bits! Remember doing Since You've Been Gone/Fire (Arthur Brown)/Burn at a country village pub - big crescendo - complete silence! The only sound we heard on stage was an old boy at the bar who looked at his mate and said 'F**k!!!"

Saw them at St Ives last year. Stunning!!! Norman Watt-Roy has still got it - and Derek the Draw fits in brilliantly - a great testament to Ian! Enjoy!

Definition of jazz - they all play together and it sounds so bad they each do a solo to prove it's not their fault!

Basic fact - There are more good guitar players around than good bass players. Guitars are cheaper, easier to get a tune out of and can be played on their own - so it's not really surprising. When I was a kid and forming bands it was the rich kid with no talent who ended up on bass as the equipment was so expensive! I found the transition from guitar to bass fairly straight forward and it gave me rarity value to join bands! Never looked back!

Glad to hear about yours though!! How are you feeling about Friday!

My biggest fear is starting on the wrong note. After that muscle memory/patterns take over and I know I can get by. What note - don't care! My set list crib sheet states what string and what fret I start on and it all happens from there.

One of the great guitarists I used to watch locally played a normally strung guitar left handed. He was such a clever player that he made a feature of this and could play things that a 'normal' right hander couldn't. Clive Hooper is one of the reasons I'm now a bass player!!! I'm not aware of any upside down bass players. Are there any?

Currently in mourning as my long term band has recently broken up - but having done a lot of rehearsing for an audition with the Kate Bush Tribute band advertised here (didn't get the gig - but one of Bass Chat members did - respect!) I've re-discovered my mojo - and am enjoying playing bass for playings sake! I'm old (55), self taught, use a plectrum and consider tapping and slapping the bass worlds equivalent of the trombone - not to be taken seriously. Hope my forthright opinions don't offend!

I came to bass via rhythm guitar - and being self taught I never learnt to hold a plectrum properly - I use two fingers and thumb so the angle of attack is the same for up strokes and down strokes. The consequence of this is that there is nothing that I can do finger style that I can't do better with a plectrum and self taught damping with left and right hand. It's not just the notes - when I use a plectrum the bass 'sings' where with finger style the bass is being forced into submission! If one finger sounds good - go with it!

When listening to music I only ever notice the bass player if he is amazingly good or truly terrible. Most bass players are there and would leave a great big hole if they didn't play. In my opinion I can count the number of worthwhile bass solos on one hand. A lot of technical players to my mind are not musicians but applied mathematicians.