ubit

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1424970021' post='2702487'] I love them. I have them on my 4 strings and am going to put them on my 5 strings as well for a bit of low A action. [/quote] But do you have them on all 4 strings? That capo set up is no use to me. Transposing all our material onto another fret where all my major notes would be on minor frets would confuse the hell out of me and as I'm the singer, I can't afford to be concentrating too much on what I'm playing.

Thanks guys, we do play in two different tunings and I've always used two guitars, which has never been a big issue, but to be able to use just one would be a lot easier. I'd probably still take two basses, but at least one would be a spare . I apologise for my ignorance of the Hipshot. Consider me converted !

I think it's a gimmick. I can re tune in seconds, so why spend so much so that you can drop tune one string for a couple of songs? I wonder has anyone ever put 4 of these on? Then you could retune the whole guitar down and back. Is this possible? I don't know

I have about 14 or 15 guitars and I can say hand on heart, they all get played. The only one that never gets gigged is my Cabronita and I'm trying to find a new pick up to replace the existing one, so that it will join the gigging basses eventually. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any of them. Ok, I've got the room for them, plus I'm not desperate for money, but apart from either of those reasons, there's no way any are leaving!

Yes, you wierdo!!!

Every time I look, they are sold out!

Well did, I'm insanely jealous

This has got everything! Can't afford a music stand and the obligatory drunk guy who barges in to " sing" backing vocals ! http://youtu.be/EYno_Em_n2A

Sorry mate, blues has been done to death up this way and it would need to be an astonishing step up from the norm to get any kind of crowd. We play exactly what the public want to hear and sometimes it irks me, as I want to play something a bit beefier in the rock sense. We still find it hard , but as I said, it's not the bands that are the problem, it's the lack of venues that want to push live music. In the 90's and early 2000's, every band had their pick of venues. We used to all do the circuit with no jealousy or animosity cos there was so much to go round. It's very different now!

[quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1424871623' post='2701384'] my band currently struggle to get shows, we havent done one in 6 months. every time we play we bring people AND people come in when they hear us, the promoters says the love us, as do the punters, the local radio stations have had us on and like us. we are all seasoned veterens in the scene and know who to talk to, but apparently, we have hit a niche, and our brand of blues rock does not fit the indie/acoustic scene around here so we are really struggling to get shows. [/quote] We are similar. I.E. We are seasoned veterans who have done this for ages. Ok, we are not in the first flush of youth and our stage craft is not exactly hello Wembley, but we know we are a tight unit with a great sound. We have been told numerous times that we make a great noise, but still, the gigs are few and far between. The pubs are not so keen on paying for entertainment when they could get a disco or even just stick the juke box on and get folk in . We know that they are never as busy when there's no live music on, but the venues seem to think it's ok to compromise and lessen their overheads

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1424820160' post='2700949'] I'm 62, is there really plenty of time? Blue [/quote] Yeah, but you are like me. Young looking genes, so yes, there's still plenty time man

My job means I can't play all the time. I work month on, month off, so we have to make bookings to suit that. The guitarist has a young family, as has the drummer, so basically everything is conspiring against us, but we still try and get gigs, it's just that there's not very many gigs left up here. It's all very well saying work for it, but the distances involved in the west of Scotland are pretty big, so prospective venues are unwilling to pay you, plus your fuel and possibly bed, consequently, we have to try and get local gigs and as I said earlier, there are less of them every day.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1424799019' post='2700599'] "Sorry, this video is not available form your location" Jon. [/quote] Plays fine on my iPad, iMac etc, but it's only 1.25 long. Is this just not a sample for the proper show?

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1424798225' post='2700592'] Link says not available in my location! It's not on Youtube yet....hopefully somebody will upload there. [/quote] Get yourself one of those android boxes, you'll be able to get anything as long as you've got decent wi fi !

Thanks guys, I will certainly have a look at those. I might be able to make a new bass out of the Cabronita after all!

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1424762464' post='2700039'] Tone **is** all in the fingers. And the strings. And the pickups. And the bass. And the amp. And the EQ. And the mix. [/quote] I agree, but what I'm saying is, you can change the tone by playing differently. Having big fingers does not give you an inherently heavy tone!

West of Scotland, the gigs are getting fewer and fewer. We used to play in our town in about 8 different venues plus loads of out of town gigs. Now there's only one or two still doing live music. We were getting annoyed about a band coming in and undercutting everyone else, but now I'm starting to think that we are gonna have to drop our price too. I remember in the 90's playing sometimes 5 or 6 times a week. We played one place every second Saturday AND Sunday for about 2 years. The pub was rammed both nights all the time . That same place now is really quiet and doesn't even do live music anymore. I don't know if it's the recession, smoking ban or whatever, but people just don't go out in the numbers they used to!

I have a Fender Cabronita bass , which is finished in the gorgeous tobacco burst and looks great. Trouble is, I am not that happy with the sound. I have tried rounds, flats, tone off, tone fully on, distortion, you name it, I have tried it with this bass, but I just can't find a sound I am happy with. The bass looks and feels brilliant, but I would never use it live. The sound is supposed to be distorted, but I think it sounds thin and weak. Does anyone know of a pick up that would drop right in to this bass, that would bring it to life?

Plenty time mate, I had given up after years of failed relationships, then, at 48, met the best friend I could ever have. She supports my gigging too. I've struck lucky, so never say never mate.

There's some very strange attitudes on this thread about tone being to do with size of fingers . I am a pretty big guy and I can play lightly. I can dig in too, so the tone changes. How does this work in the theory of my sausage or pencil fingers making the tone. I'm pretty sure I can get different tones by playing differently. If you master a copied bassline, it's very easy to sound exactly like the original, unless, of course we are talking about a very unique sound like JJ's . That, I think , is the purpose of this thread. By the way, when I was younger and much, much smaller, I played far more aggressively than I do now!

I don't know why someone can say a P bass doesn't have a sound. It's one of the most recognisable sounds there is. Ok, you can disguise it, but a P bass played clean through a system , is pretty easy to spot.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1424748261' post='2700009'] however understand that music and gigging will always be number 1 and you will always be number 2."[/i] Blue [/quote] No offence Blue, but you obviously haven't met the right girl yet.

My girlfriend supports me in all my playing. She's got two brothers that are different class when it comes to playing guitar and they both get a hard time from their wives every time they have to gig. The gigs are a lot harder to come by these days up this way right enough, plus I work away for long periods, so maybe she's just used to me being away. I had a girlfriend years ago, that moaned constantly about me playing, but she was happy to take the money I made. It paid for a Caribbean holiday for the two of us!

It's a look , pure and simple. Basses for the last few years have been finished in lacquer that just doesn't age. Instruments from the 60's and 70's, even after careful use, will. Especially if they are sweated on, chipped etc. so basically, it's impossible to get that look nowadays without faux relic'ing Why can't folk leave it alone for what it is? It's just another custom look. There's lots of different custom looks out there. Leather looking guitars, denim finishes, rusty finishes, old finishes etc. As long as the bass still plays well, I am happy with a retro look.