GrahamT

Phil, It is most probably me being thick, but I cannot open the link to Photobucket. Maybe there is a hole in my bucket? ....Sorry.. BTW, I have a few rehearsals coming up at Churchinford in preparation for a gig in Bridgwater on 24th July. Can I have a go with your cab please? I have a couple of Genz Benz Reflex 112's to do a direct comparison. Please call me on 07802 967649 to discuss.

My band play a wide mix of pop and rock covers. We do What's Up midway through our first set and it always gets 'em singing along. We finish on Feeder's Buck Rogers which always goes down well. We're trying Freedom (Wham!) as an opener in our next gig to gauge the reaction. We love playing it and it suits our (female) singer's voice but we haven't yet found a suitable place in the set to put it. It may be because the punters are embarrassed to admit they like it??

Hi All, I have a Hartke Kickback HA1200 120w combo bass amp which is gathering dust as I have moved on to separates. 15" driver. Could I use it as an active bass bin for the occasional times when we are playing in large halls or marques? Thanks.

Hi All, I would like to reiterate the comments made above - Jim did a great job of putting this together. Another great bass-only afternoon.

I've double checked my calendar and 12th is good for me. Talking with Jim yesterday, we came up with an idea..... Would anyone be interested in car sharing for a trip to Bass Direct in Warwick? One weekend day in November seems to be logical. Mark, the owner, is an all round nice guy and very knowledgeable. I'm sure that he would get the kettle on and break open a packet of digestives if a goodly number of us visit together. I have bought amps and cabs over the phone from Mark and the advice that he has given has always been on the button. Looking at the website there is an Alladin's cave of basses, amps, cabs, accessories etc. See here for more goodies www.bassdirect.co.uk Logistically, it would be easiest if those interested could get to their nearest junction on the M5 to make pickup swift and painless. Maybe we could discuss the finer details at the Bass Bash?

It is only when you play your set to an audience that you will get true feedback on how you are performing as a group. What seems to work in practice can sometimes fail live, and visa versa. We have had very positive comments about some songs that frankly I was doubtful about, whilst some that I really enjoyed and considered to be strong bombed heavily when played live. I think that it is all about personal perspective and expectation - yours as well as the rest of your band members. Does each of you have an equal voice when discussing arrangements, song choice etc? In my band, when we brought in a new drummer recently, the first thing we said was that he had an equal share in how and what we play, and that his opinion was welcomed. It is always refreshing to have the input of others, whether they have been playing in a band for 10 years or 10 minutes.

As my job is near Taunton and I live in Hemyock, any of the above areas would work for me. I am always keen to try out new gear. Jimrs2k has built some Fearful cabs which are awesomely powerful. He lives at Ashcott, on the Bridgwater to Street road so he may be a useful local contact for you.

Yes, I am interested too. I really enjoyed the Dorset/Somerset bass bash. I met some nice guys in a pub skittle alley and played with their equipment!! Ooo err missus...

Ok, how about clothing specific to the musician? Right handed guitar players tend to have only the right shoulder not covered by instrument, strap etc so a t-shirt with a design that goes from the mid- chest upwards and over the right shoulder and down the back would be most effective. For a singer it would most probably be the lower half of the shirt, and for a keyboard player and drummer, across the upper chest..... Or.. t-shirts with patterns all over that have reproductions of the instrument that you play blanked out in them, kind of like a negative. I am rambling. Time for my medication methinks.

[size=4]I have always fancied a fan fret 5 stringer and was idly scanning evilbay when I stumbled over this. Item No. [color=#333333]271513303205[/color][/size] [size=4][color=#333333]It is made by Steve White, of Ipswich, Suffolk. Does anyone know of Steve and his work? [/color][/size] [size=4][color=#333333]It is a reasonable price, although with a basic set up as described in the listing. I am cautious about the new sellers account and no feedback too.[/color][/size] [size=4][color=#333333]The individual bridges seem to be mounted on a different piece of wood to the rest of the body, although it is set into the body nicely. [/color][/size] [size=4][color=#333333]Anyone know why this may be done? What does the collective think of this bass?[/color][/size] [size=4][color=#333333]Thanks.[/color][/size]

Our guitarist is a cautious man - he has asked me if I thought that we should be paying songwriter fees for the songs that we cover at pub and festival gigs and I have no ready answer. Do you guys pay fees to PRS or similar for the songs that you cover at paying gigs? Opinions please.... Thanks.

A VERY long time ago, the novice covers band that I was in played our first public gig in front of friends from a local running group at their Xmas charity do. We set up in the afternoon, ran through our six song set, got the thumbs up from the guy delivering the beer and we went away feeling quietly confident about the forthcoming trial by fire. The party and disco went on much longer than we were expecting and, being inexperienced and polite, we waited our turn. At 10.30pm we went on stage overcome with nerves. We had naively left our instruments and backline unattended and Mr Nobody had been fiddling with the settings, so when we started our first song it was dreadfully out of tune and the mix was awful. This continued throughout the set, despite variously twiddling and adjusting settings, tuning, etc. It didn't help that the guy flying the mixing desk had become totally pi**ed on the free beer so couldn't help us at all, in fact it would have been better if he had left the desk alone. We we a laughing stock, humiliated.... The worst thing was that my Brother had brought his new girlfriend (now his Wife) along to meet my Wife (the singer in the band) and myself for the first time. Not the best of impressions to give. Lessons learned and never repeated.

Yes, the first time I gigged in the stunted tophat (apparently called a gravediggers hat), my Daughter was so embarrassed that she nicked it at half time. I put it down to a repressed childhood and too many ciders..

We (The Dukes of Haggerd) are a pop/rock covers band. Without any prior discussion on the subject, all of our band turned up at our first "real" gig in chinos/jeans and black t-shirts with brightly coloured logos. Helen (singer) also wore her 14 lace hole Doc Martens and skinny fit jeans - a definite bonus for me viewing from the back line (don't tell the missus!!) As a result, that is our default position - clothing-wise - except when I feel a bit more avant-garde and I wear a hat from my collection., especially one like this:- or a pith helmet.

I own a Hohner Jack V and a B Bass V. I love the action (and lack of weight) but want to have them fettled so that they sound different from each other. Please excuse my ignorance, but do the lighter gauge strings produce a weedier tone? Would changing the pickups and preamp for something else give me a different sound? Many thanks.

OMG! Build-it-yourself GAS! I have been suffering too... Very many thanks to York5Stringer for co-ordinating the day. I took my Hohner B-Bass that I fettled on the day and strung with flatwounds to band practice last night - lovely action but greatly disappointed with the sound. I had to turn everything up to have any presence in the mix. I had hoped for a double bass stylee sound but it was all muddy. Back to roundwounds then.

I really enjoyed the day and learned lots! Great fun and a good laugh with the other guys from BC. Highly recommended.

And me.

Anytime from 9.00 onwards would work for me. It would leave some day for other things.

If we don't pin this down soonest, saturday 5th will be filled for me!

I find Sundays difficult, so if possible can we make it on the 5th or 26th April please? The 5th would be my preference, if that carries any weight??