phil.c60

Just remembered being dragged to see Van Der Graaf Generator at The Barbican a few years ago by a mate who said they were fantastic live.They weren't, they were just dull. I did actually fall asleep at one point (at least the chairs were comfy).

A gothy/proggy-type band in around 1979/80 at The Greyhound Fulham Palace Rd. I was living in Fulham at the time so used to just drop in with a mate on a Friday/Saturday to see who was on. I thought they were still tuning up/sound checking until I realised after about 15 minutes that this was what they actually played like. We might have even left without finishing our beer. Can't remember who they were (if I ever knew, tbh), but they were absolutely the worst thing I've ever seen on a stage. And I've seen some things, I can tell you.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1447946842' post='2911742'] Not sure they yet make oxygen-free earplugs, but probably worth checking. [/quote] Or ones that realign the waveforms so the sound reaches your eardrums perfectly synchronised.........

Yep it's all about a more defined sound, plus comfort. The yellow foam ones clearly work to simply block out sound/cut spl. That,s OK if you simply want to spend time in a noisy environment you just don't wan to go deaf, but don't really care about the quality of what you hear, or want to be able to have a conversation at normal volumes when the sound level is low ie between songs or at rehearsals. If you are not worried about the quality of what you hear, why worry about "tone" at all, why worry about how good the PA is, what amp you use, what cabs, what strings, etc etc. If you can't hear anything except woolly sound anyway so how can you judge what you sound like?. Just my view, ymmv. You could work on the basis that Evelyn Glennie is stone deaf but the worlds number one percussionist, so why worry if your hearing is just woolly with foam plugs in (I can just [i]feel[/i] it, man!) but I'd bet she would rather be able to hear.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1447920100' post='2911410'] There's nowt wrong with foam earplugs or even cotton wool if what you want is simply to protect your eardrums. On the other hand, if you want to protect your eardrums AND still be able to listen properly to what's going on, without deadening or muffling the sound, then you need proper earplugs such as ER17s. If you want to protect your eardrums AND still be able to listen properly to what's going on AND to hear as clearly as if you weren't wearing any protection at all, then you need top-of-the-range filter plugs such as ER15s or ER20s. [/quote][quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1447923915' post='2911448'] I found the leap up to non-fitted yet proper plugs worth the outlay in terms of added clarity. They're still a little muffled (then I used the max protection version) but it is certainly easier to hear properly than with lumps of foam shoved in your ears. From what I can tell they seem to do the job very well too. Even when the band is loud I never have any discomfort nor any odd sensations/after-noise following a practice/gig. It just sounds like we are playing at reasonable front room volumes and all of the nasty sharpness is gone. [/quote] Both of these, but also, when i did a lot of clay pigeon shooting years ago I always used cans because I really really didn't like the feeling of foam or wax plugs stuffed in my ears, and not being able to hear clearly at normal volumes, so when I wanted ear plugs for music purposes I deliberately went for custom moulded ones despite the cost. They are great: I can have them in for 2-3 hours at rehearsals and all night at a gig without any discomfort or irritation. As someone else said, people think nothing of paying silly money for pedals, amps, cabs, guitars - why skimp on this?

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1447882491' post='2911282'] £15 for earplugs?! You must have money to burn! I just use those foam yellow ones typical in workshops etc. [/quote] Apples is apples and oranges are something else. My custom moulded ACS Pros were about £135 and worth every penny. You pays your money and you takes your choice. sorry - YOU PAYS YOUR MONEY AND YOU TAKES YOUR CHOICE - CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1447804326' post='2910644'] I'd run it straight into the regular input since the Mark Bass pre is pretty much flat with all the EQ knobs at noon and the filters off. Also IIRC the fx return gets blended 50/50 in parallel with the dry signal by default on that amp (switchable internally), which might result in less overall output volume vs having the fx loop running in series. [/quote] That'll be why the output volume is so low when I connect it like that, then, as I said. Front panel with it all at 12.00 seems to be the way to go - there's only one non switchable input + xlr in on an LM3, so I agree it sees my passive bass as now active which is why the gain and guitar volumes are now much lower than I would normally have used. I'm sure it would be different with different amps - all part of the fun and what gives you GAS, I suppose!

So far, with all the amps controls at 12.00 (except gain and master volume, for obvious reasons!) the results are marvellous. Real fat, deep, lovely chocolatey tones at the pedal settings that Sansamp suggest for SVT, With the pedal plugged in to the input, the volume increase is considerable when it's switched on (unsurprisingly) and with the guitar volume on full the clip light flashes playing moderately hard (fingers) at anything above about 9.00 on the gain. With the guitar volume at about 2/3 the gain can be raised to about 12.00, which means if you switch the pedal off and turn the guitar volume to max the speaker volume is about the same. With the pedal plugged din to the effects return, with the pedal on the speaker volume is about the same as it is with my passive bass ('99 Hot Rod Sepcial, P pickup up 95%, J at about 10% most of the treble wound off and flatwounds) plugged straight into the input with not much gain, so you'd have to wind the master up a lot to get a reasonable speaker volume. With the pedal off there is no preamp so no appreciable volume from my passive bass (not a surprise, really). It strikes me, therefore that plugged in to the input with the guitar volume at 2/3 is the way to go: if you then have any pedal issues you can hit the switch, turn the pedal off and wind the guitar volume up full and carry on, whereas if you max the guitar volume and keep the gain down low if you want to carry on you've got to turn up the gain on the amp to get a sensible volume which is not as convenient. Al this, of course, is just my initial fiddling and is with my bass, with my passive pickups (62 reissue at the neck, original J pickup at the bridge) and I'm no expert - it's my first time, I'm a pedal virgin. All comments welcome, mods if this is turning into a subject better off in Effects I apologise and do please move it if you so wish.

Great - that makes sense. Will have a good go tonight. Thanks again. By the way, i would simply have asked Ben, as it was his pedal so he clearly would know how to use it but he's on holiday this week.

OK Thnaks: will try it both ways and then twiddle all the knobs over the next couple of evenings. I'll try to be as scientific (!) as possible, but without getting into the whole "what it sounds like to me isn't what it may sound like to you" thing, and I'll try not to annoy the neighbours !

Hi This is new territory for me so please excuse the stupid questions. I have just received the Sansamp VT21 character pedal I bought from Colgraff and am itching to try it tonight. I've never used anything like this, so how best should I connect it? Passive P-Bass and LM3. The input is self selecting on the LM3, ie it will take both passive and active as understand it, so could I plug it straight in to the input? Or should it be in the effects send/return? Thanks All. (Just don't want any unexpected and upsetting fizzing noises and smoke).

Yes, especially if it's the ad for Leftybassman's Wal!

Thanks, Rob and Dad. And Sylvia - our posts crossed! I did notice that the left handed bass ad never actually appeared, Now I know why.

Hope this is in the right place - sorry if it isn't. On at least two occasions, including right now, things have been posted for sale and appear on the right on the market place page, but when I click on them I get a message saying "[#10340] you don't have permission to view this topic" Has anyone else had this happen recently? I can't remember it happening before. Currently it's the ad for a LM3 in Amps and Cabs For Sale, but it was for a left handed bass previously (I can't remember which). I'd just like to know what it means!

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1447514795' post='2908236'] I've got one for sale that's the right way round for you... [/quote] If I could afford it........

Went out to see a local band last night as I know the bass player and he's a great guy. Thought he sounded absolutely fantastic all night and guess what he was playing: his recently acquired Wal. Offered me a widdle at the end as we had had the "isn't it really heavy" etc. conversation, and he made me strap it on even though it's the wrong way round for me just to show that while it's heavy, it's really nicely balanced. It was, it felt great, actually. No widdle as I'm not good enough to play the wrong way up (and he's a seriously good player plus I was three pints ahead by then). He reckons it's his go-to bass now, and I could hear why.

Have you called to find out?

Advert in East Sussex Join My Band posted 08/11, Bass player/ keyboards/mandolin wanted for this band, but it does seem to say they want one person who does it all.

Paul Young a couple of weeks ago at The Empire Hall, Graffham - a small village hall venue - with his Americana band Los Pacaminos. They were great, he was charming and his voice as good as ever (as were everyone else who sang). Sound was average - couldn't hear the pedal steel very well but still a great gig. Then last week saw a local band in who were great players but not a great band - didn't seem to be all on the same wavelength. Still, managed to get a gig for my band at the venue early in the new year so worthwhile!

Like many people on here, I have several bass guitars, and three different amps/combos (whoops, just realised it's four including my practice amp!). When I'm browsing through the for sale ads it's really only to see if GAS strikes, and part of that is price. If I was shopping for an upgrade to my regular gigging bass, I might look at stuff that's 15/20% cheaper than new, and be pleased if it happened (it's how I bought my Barefaced Compact, for instance) but if it's GAS it's got to be at a price that really makes me think "cor, at that money I'm in!". Most stuff seems priced at 20/25% less than new, and while that's a good discount it's not what I would call cheap. As others have said, the market is awash with gear, but mostly at prices that make you think really hard before sending a PM, which means usually you decide to just wait and see (forever). As a leftie I'm always on the lookout as good stuff comes up rarely, but when it does it's usually more than I think it's really worth (there a semi acoustic Warwick up at the moment that's in that category - I fancy it, but have never played one so unless it's seriously cheap so I won't get too much buyers regret if I don't like it and think that if I don't I can pass it on without losing too much I'll pass). I think a lot of people probably look at the for sale section this way, which is why stuff seems to hang around forever in some cases. Just my two pennyworth, YMMV. PS I don't like making silly offers well below the asking price - it seems rude somehow!

Along with the Austin Allaggro.......

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1446129457' post='2897164'] My Fender P/J is rare in the UK. Only 6 Sea Foam Pearl and 6 Black made it to the UK. It's not old. It's not for sale. But it is rare (in the UK). Don't know why I fet the need to make this post tbh [/quote] Same as that - my Fender P/J is also probably rare - it's left handed for a start. I also have a proper left handed double bass. But that means the only person probably interested in them is me......and their not for sale either! When I spotted the DB for sale a while ago I considered making an offer as I've always wanted one, but wasn't sure it would be well received as they are, after all, unusual if not rare but as one of my mates remarked with only a hint of sarcasm - "I would, your probably the only bloke who will ever want it!" so rare or unusual is really only a category rather than a desirable attribute.

And the reason things are actually "rare" is usually one of two things: no one wanted one when they were new (perhaps they were simply too expensive for what they were), so they didn't make or sell very many or they didn't work very well / broke so very few people kept one. A Morris Ital (for those of you of a certain vintage) is a very rare car now, but it was crap when it was new and time hasn't made it any better. The sane goes for a lot of things.

Not So Little Feat