DaytonaRik

Just checked out the Mike Lull T-Birds....hubba hubba! Sadly well out of my pay-scale

As I play out and out rock I guess that's a good indication of what I'm after...something that's going to drive a band along with plenty of punch. It doesn't need to be subtle or to be a jack of all trades. My sound has always been similar to Duffs classic G n R tones...quite trebly sitting prominently in the mix. However- before anyone says P-bass I know enough to realise that amplification and an attacking pick style has more to do with that sound than the instrument itself. I agree re the used Gibson market being the better long term option with plenty of bargains (compared to the RRP) to be had if I'm patient. Thanks for the heads-up re bridge and neck issues...I guess I'm better armed in the what-to-lookout-for dept now! I wish I was closer to try yours out NJ

The shopping list is already growing - a Sandberg relic Jazz and a Thunderbird to name but two! Think I'll stick with t Ashdown gear but swap the 1x15 combo for a head an 2nd cab

I meant that I back off in a good way - notably not straining my voice. Good mic control has always helped - too often you see a vocalist with no sense of how to maintain a constant output level when they put a bit more into the vocal performance. No matter how perfect your monitor mix is, whether wedges or IEMs, ultimately FOH is in the hands of another...or your mate in the crowd pointing to the lead guitarist and gesturing to turn him down!!!

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1386337706' post='2298967'] If you are a vocalist, it's the best. Defo. I hate singing without them now - the only thing that can catch you out as a vocalist is that because you hear yourself so loud in your ears, you tend to lay off the mic a bit... so especially on your lead singers, do a thorough soundcheck so they get used to singing on the mic and tailor the mix so they don't back off the mic... if you get what I mean. [/quote] Odd as a lead vocalist I also found a huge benefit was that I was able to back off and wasn't screaming my head off to get heard in a monitor mix and I had much more control overt the dynamics of my voice and also better able to look after my voice properly.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1386332018' post='2298833'] It's certainly a pretty penny and you'd probably want to be gigging a great deal to warrant it - especially when you add up the complete cost of the radio setup, the T1 lives/T2 lives and then the ambient pack on top of that. Retail on the ambient pack is £450. As for ambient with external mics, you'd probably notice a marked improvement if you considered using some condensors instead of dynamics such as the SM58... just keep them away from the drums! [/quote] Wow! But, if you're making a living out of the industry then it's worth every penny. I do have a pair of ultra-discreet AKG PP416 condensor mics that would do the ambient job nicely - just park them stage right/left angled in...job done! Nice idea - thanks!

I suspect it's out of my price range and that the ambient SM58's will be staying for a while

A couple of comments really - when you're older you're more likely to give something your best efforts because you really want to be doing something so perhaps you get more out of your hour practice than you did when you were younger? It's no longer just a case of learning something parrot fashion, but perhaps there's a greater interest into the process and mechanics, not just the end results. The second is that both guitar ad bass are easy to get stared on to a degree where you can play a few things quickly, but very few people every truly master so as long as you're enjoying your playing and having fun then surely all's good?

[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1386279250' post='2298314'] The epi pro 4 active has a good bridge,pity they never fitted it to the classic. Both are good basses,I,ve played both and I,ve got the active one in black. [/quote] I gave the active IV a dabble in York a while back and was impressed with it - felt good, slim easy-to-play neck. I'd like to try an Epi and a Gibson back-to-back and get a feel for the differences before committing the cash.

My pride and joy - Top to bottom - Audio Technica ATW 3110 wireless Korg Rack Tuner Marshall JMP-1midi valve pre-amp Rocktron Intellifex LTD multi-fx DB Technologies IEM 2200 Marshall 9100 dual monoblock valve power amp All running into a Marshall1960A 4x12 in stereo close mic'd with AKG PP416 condenser mics and controlled via an ART X-11 midi footswitch [attachment=149924:IMG_0785.JPG]

My main guitar - Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro Elite. They were always seen as a poor-mans PRS but I chose this over a Custom 24 as I preferred the neck joint and feel of the neck plus you could visit the factory and get the luthiers to 'tweak' things, neck profiles, tops and they had stacks of good advice re what to look for in wood blanks etc. [attachment=149921:IMG_0877.jpg] [attachment=149922:IMG_0878.jpg]

[quote name='pst62'] The most notorious weakness is the neck just behind the nut, a bad knock to the headstock can result in it snapping clean off. Having said that, if you're careful in your cavorting about, or are not the type of bloke to partake in such actions, I'm sure everything will be fine. [/quote] I guess not unlike Firebirds/SGs in that respect then?

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1386263137' post='2297940'] What a disappointing thread. None of the Tracey family, no Parker, no Lady Penelope.... and certainly none of these: [/quote] Brilliant!

My modest offering - ABM EVO III 1x15 combo paired up with a 2x10 NEO cab factory fitted with blue-line drivers. Apparently the customer didn't like it when he saw it so I dropped lucky that day! Nice and punchy and very portable, although I'm temped to get a 1x15 NEO cab and go for the rack head...hmmm! [attachment=149910:IMG_0800.jpg]

When I bought my Gibson Les Paul a few years ago I tried 10, maybe 12 before rejecting 6-7 of them due to feel, then repeat tested the remaining through the same amp/settings before making the final choice which wasn't my original choice on aesthetics. It was long-winded but I ended up with a fantastic guitar,

All, as a long time Thunderbird fan I'm hoping that fellow BCers with realworld experience of the Thunderbird can let me know exactly what to look for when buying a used T'bird. I'm aware of some of the the pros and cons of living with one as a main bass but given the repertoire of material that it will be used with is Thin Lizzy/Gary Moore I'm pretty sure that tonally it will cope with the demands but again, I'm all ears to those with experience of living with one. Everything from sound limitations to what to look for when buying, known weaknesses, worthwhile upgrades etc. Unlike with my guitars, I'm not a brand snob and I'm just as likely to end up with a classic Pro IV as I am a Gibson if the sound/playability is there. That said, the only one I'll avoid is the bottom-of-the-range bolt on neck job! Thanks in advance Rik

Agree - without haze the effects of any lighting source are diminished.

Toss up between Cowboy Song and Still Got The Blues.

A few shots for you -

I'm still hanging on the 'unregulated' end of channel 70 with my UHF Trantec 3110 system with no problems.

With advances in DMX and LED technologies it's possible to light a pub/small club gig with four LED panels and a few colour changers. Gone are the days of baking under PAR lamps...thankfully!!! I use a pair of DMX LED panels either side of the stage for washes/fill and 3 colour changers behind the kit in a fan pattern - small, portable and all runs from a PC running free software. Each panel supposedly offers an 'unlimited' palette using RGB mixing but in reality there are a dozen or so usable variations but this is sufficient.

A really useful feature of this model is the front mounted 'Engineer Out' headphone socket which can be used to run a wired feed to a 2nd band member - usually the drummer.

One of the biggest musical revelations I've ever made was swapping to IEMs - I took the leap around 8-9 years ago - I never looked back and I still have the same DB2200 system, albeit with Shure earpieces as opposed to the original Sony buds. I tend to run the system n mono and have a vocal prominent band mix in one channel and my bass in the other which allows me to blend the two channels to my preference and to make adjustments on-the-fly. I find it works well for me. I also add a couple of ambient mics to add some 'atmosphere' into the IEM mix

Swap them for a DiMarzio ClipLock strap?

I guess it sounds like I did it the right way and went Apogee Jam and Ampkit from the word go - I've never felt unhappy/underwhelmed with the sound and the Ashdown ABM emulator was well worth the few quid it cost to buy. The Jam interface comes with both an Apple 30pin and USB cables andworks beautifully with Garage Band so a win/win