Weststarx

I think if you are thinking of joining a band so soon that is a great thing - it took me 3 years to pluck up the courage! Being in a band is great, it will make you a lot more musical and a better player as well. Eventhough you've not been playing long do not be under the false impression that everyone is better than you - you will be amazed at how many terrible players are out there in bands! I think being a musical person is the most important thing, fancy playing and silly noodling can come later... The biggest fustration we have in our band is our singers timing. He can really sing but is the least musical person I know - you can imagine my horror when he brought in a tambourin! It was like that scene from the Steve Martin film 'The Jerk', I couldnt contain the laughter and had to make up I was laughing at something else!

[quote name='Bassjon' timestamp='1423483127' post='2685216'] I think the problem with my first time was I was told 2 minutes before we went on stage for the first time 'its a big stage so you have to fill it by moving about'. Good job I brought my spare pants! But once I decided I was going to swim rather than sink it felt better and I'd rather do that than small pub stages where the bassist gets the least amount of respect. At small gigs heres what I find happens: 1) I help to get all the band gear in. No-one will help with the bass amp - I have to ask politely for a hand. Not sure why as its part of the gear! 2) As soon as the bass amp gets put in place it immediatly gets disrespected ie - drummers lean the cymbals against it, guitarists put their keys and coat and drinks on it. I would never do that to someone else's gear! [b]Thats why I prefer bigger gigs/stages - more respect for the bass player![/b] [/quote] Or they just have found more places to put their stuff. It is annoying being the bass player at times because I'm always middle left or middle right of the stage depending on the layout of a venue, so every gig set up is always an argument where I am going because both guitarists want more space eventhough they both remain static the whole gig - our drummer explores more of the stage than they do!

I'd love to play a big stage just so I could pretend I was in a proper band for a couple of hours and not playing covers. We have played a 'big stage' at a festival but it was in a tent on some grass - not a proper stage like the ones in Wooks and Blues pictures. We all had stage frieght that gig and it felt really weird being so far away from the rest of the band, I think we all felt we were on our own! On Friday night I witnessed some fat bloke walk past the micstands and knock all 3 of them around, he didnt even look back to see what he'd done or stop to correct it. I wish when things like that happen we were in a bigger venue with some sort of barrier between the band and audience. Another time I recall is singing some back up vocals and someone walking back into the mic stand which caused the mic to give my front teeth an almighty whack! But its thing like that you remember and laugh about later and thats what its all about for me.

Go Ape is always fun and a laugh - The 'Tree Top Adventure' is really fun - Not good if you dont like heights though! But its the Zip lines that are the most fun I thought! http://goape.co.uk/

All I can say is I had the Fender Modern Player Made in China one, and it had a terrible pickup! I didnt like the 5 way tone knob either, the volumes dramatically changed between the five of them. It was also awful playing with a pick as I do because if the pick made contact with the pickup it would make an absolutely awful sound. I sold it pretty quickly! Its the worst bass I've owned but it was the best looking bass I've owned at the same time. Saying that, it could be that I picked up one of dogs, as I bought the bass on looks when I was in the shop rather than how it played to me - amateur mistake!

Cool, I took us slighty off topic there but interesting non the less!!

Yeah I orded my Yamaha acoustic from there and it arived safe and sound.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1423166769' post='2681761'] Saw him a couple of years ago. Is it just me or is two hours of guitar noodling a bit tedious? [/quote] I play my guitar much more than I do by bass so this isnt a 'anti guitarist' post but I find it extremely tedious as well. I think its a great thing he can do but when its constant all the time it drives me up the wall. Its the same with Slash, I watched the 'Live in Stoke' show i think it was called, and he was doing all sorts of noodling after almost every song and it was so bloody annoying I turned it off! Billy Sheehan as well, I cant watch the 15 minute solo videos you see on YouTube. I like all three artists but the noodling for the sake of noodling because you can noodle is not for me. Its not music, its just showing off!

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1423230554' post='2682534'] Yes, and much more so when I play in a covers band - which I don't. But yes. [/quote] Is that because of different songs or just unhappy with your sound? I get so worried about gear at gigs that I set everything up get it all sounding half decent and dont touch anything in case it all breaks!!

[quote name='Mudpup' timestamp='1423156465' post='2681574'] You can buy new knobs online very cheaply - I had the same issue with visibility and got some black knobs with a big white stripe on to replace the chrome topped ones for a couple of quid. [/quote] Do you guys tweek for different songs then or something? I set mine at the start of the gig and dont touch it ever again haha!

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1423142067' post='2681294'] They seem so ruggedly put together I'm not expecting mine to fail any time soon yet at the same time I wish I'd picked up the silver anniversary one, a couple of places were selling them at about £40 or something similar, bargain. [/quote] Yeah I got my silver anniversary one from Thomann, I would of been happy to pay twice the price for how good it is!

I absolutely swear by my Hartke Bass Attack, its the best money I've spent in years! My sound is just incredible now and I wouldnt play without it.

Thanks for sharing!

[quote name='Drax' timestamp='1423089960' post='2680759'] Staggering numbers - 28% of $7billion market tied up in Guitar Centre. If it does fall, it would take out a few manufacturers along the way. Might force Fender to trim down their range.. [/quote] Makes you wonder with those figures how they've managed to get it so wrong!

I dont routinely change my strings I will only change the strings when I feel like my sound doesnt have enough 'Zapp' and 'Zing' and the tone starts to sound boring to me.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1423063188' post='2680190'] I think I replied in the original post - or one of them at least. For me, the dictionary summed it up without further thoughts! [/quote] My post was actually first in the form of an essay arguing with myself what I considered a 'professional' to be and how it is measured and that does pretty much sum it up in half the words I orginally wrote!

A professional musician to me would be someone who is in a band or solo act that makes money from playing or creating music. Anything outside of that I would consider them as whatever their job title is e.g. salesman, promoter etc but would cover them with the blanket of 'professional in the music industry' providing they are qualified in the job they are doing.

[quote name='theyellowcar' timestamp='1422995313' post='2679358'] Will do, but I'm not sure I will ever move this one on. It ticks every box! [/quote] I certainly wouldn't! Well found dude!

If the ever you question whether you should by a new bass the answer is always yes.... The GAS will prevail...

I would have killed for that bass! Jealous would be an understatement - hit me up if you ever sell it!!!

I've been looking at these only because I'm a massive fan of the guitars. There was a really nice one of thomann which I was tempted by: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/esp_ltd_b154dx_str.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/esp_ltd_b154dx_str.htm[/url]

''Are you always this sh*t?''

Sounds exactly like my band and situation but I've never had the balls to it...