NHM

Thanks for all the advice. I like the idea of running FOH from one channel of the power amp and monitors from the other. If the FOH speakers had a different impedance from the monitors, would it harm the amp? Is a stereo amp basically two separate mono amps in the same box?

The reason people use back and side lighting is because it is more atmospheric. Front lighting tends to kill a 'modelled' look - think how flash-lit photos flatten pictures: front lighting has a similar effect. Also, there are the practicalities to think of - lighting from the front tends to mean lights placed on stands where the public are, which means hot things with mains power going in a space where you can't control safety and drinks/liquids prevail. Having said that, all side and back means you can't see faces very clearly and unless your band is wild and wacky you probably want to be able to engage with the audience through your illuminated faces for seeing expression during songs and chit-chat between numbers. Not many bands want the lead singer either half-face in red and half-face in blue, or (even worse) the face/ eyes in shadow. So, what to do? Well, footlights are a good solution - they complement side and back lighting really well by adding atmosphere whilst lighting the front of the face. Also, they are near you rather than in the audience so are much safer. If you are 'big time' and have a followspot for the lead singer, then these provide the perfect solution for 'second status' lighting - eg guitars and bass. Also, footlights are brilliant on equipment that sparkles, eg drums, mic stands, so they give the whole stage a classy look. Also, if you can get some sidelighting downstage of your mic line - say lightweight gear screwed on the top of the PA, as long as the light gets into both of the singers eye sockets, then it is job done.

I knew there'd be a catch! Thanks for your advice.

Hi there As well as playing the low notes I also set up the PA for our band (well, I own it and I'm not sure I trust the others to do it). I run a pair of 200W 8 ohm speakers for FoH and a pair of 80W 8 ohm Monitors, using two stereo power amps. We use the rig in mono. I'm trying to reduce the amount of gear I take out to gigs, so have come up with this idea: just using one power amp, and running the FoH speakers in series from the left channel and the monitor speakers in series from the right. This would have the advantage of increasing the umph of each set of speakers as the load would now be 4 Ohm. The power amp can drive 200W @ 4 ohm so the FoH would be very efficient; I would back off the other channel's output to about 40% so as not to overload the monitors. Is this a crazy idea?

If you wear a glove to pluck, why not sew a pup into the palm - then you can learn to move up and down the neck to always be on the 'sweet spot', and subtle shifts in intensity will be possible too. Shouldn't be too difficult to master.

Just swapped the GHS PFs for LaBella 760s on the Musicmaster. It's transformed the bass. Didn't realise a different string/brand could make such an improvement on what I though was good already

I thought I had all the kit sussed - how can a poxy cover unsettle the equilibrium! As you say, I've learned that true perfection is always just out of reach.

yep, that's one solution, but then the amp becomes unbalanced to carry. Maybe I'll have to go for this, but I thought up till now life was perfect.

Just bought a Fender cover for my Rumble 500 combo. Not expensive either. The only problem is the logo has been embroidered on the back! (the cover does go on, but if the logo is at the front the slit for the top handle doesn't line up). Has anyone else had this problem, or I have I been sold a Friday afternoon cover? (perhaps it will be become really valuable in time like those rare stamps that have mistakes in the print).

I fitted a Celestion 8" 15w to a small Hartke practice amp, thought it would really improve it but it didn't make much difference. Is a 15w rumble worth spending money on?

or next time why not use a Flea?

perhaps that's why a yellow bass was chosen

Have you thought about taking on a private tutor for one-to-one lessons instead? Might cost more in the long run, but having been a teacher (not of the bass!) all my life I know how much 'value' you can give. You are an individual, with specific needs, and a good teacher will get to the heart of this right away and give you a programme tailored to you. Good luck!

just finished my fourth gig this week at the Broadstairs Folk Festival. Seemed more rock than folk, but perhaps I was looking in the wrong places. Good to know that dog wee doesn't seem to damage a Rumble.

I've got a Rumble 500 and it's a great sound, lightweight, lots of poke and fits in my boot (BMW320 - small boot).

We (The Quiet Americans) played at the 'Dukes of Hazzard' event at the Black Griffin in Canterbury last Saturday. The event was themed imaginatively with two A5 colour pictures of an American car, two bales of hay and a couple of US flags. Having said that it is a great venue, lovely (wild) crowd, and all went as it should.

I though his explanation of layering chords, making chords that utilise natural harmonics, and how you can move harmony towards cadences whilst creating melody was really well explained. I haven't been to a music conservatoire where I expect this is all second nature, but to someone brought up on figuring out for myself, I learned more from him than I've done for a ling time. Trouble is, I now know I'm a worse bass player that I thought I was yesterday.

some basses just seem to be duff, so trade it in. I've had various with 'dead spots'- two 'P' basses have been the worst so I don't know if this design is particularly susceptible. What it has taught me is not to try a bass without properly trying it out. Most other problems are fixable, but deadspots aren't. You can'yt play a bass with deadspots musically - it will drive you mad in time. I've gone down the graphite neck route and don't wake at night any more suffering from 'deadspot angst'.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the GHS, they are great strings. Possibly a little more tension than the Fenders?

I've got Precision Flats on my Musicmaster and they sound great (Curtis Novak pup fitted). My band plays country/Motown.. But not sure if they are any better than Fender flats and I like the green winding colour so perhaps I prefer the fenders? .

I thought they were as good if not better than the Warwick Blacks. Having bought some blacks to 'improve' the sound ('cos they cost more), the reds went back on!

The Rockbass exam series is good as it has a play=along CD and you can pitch your reading ability against a standard. Also the Hal Leonard 'Big Band Play-along' series is fun, again sheet music with a play-along CD.

Just brought a v3 500 combo this week - and it is fab! But did some recording this afternoon with the DI, and the Master Level changes the DI out. This seems a bit weird = what's the logic to this? I tried coming out for the effects loop, but the Master Level controls this too...

I've got a Spector EuroLX4 (a carbon-reinforced neck), and the sound reminds me of King Wenceslas - deep and crisp and even. What's not to like?