Dan Dare

I agree with Jus Lukin. A small meal and not too close to the time you have to perform is best. Remember those wildlife documentaries about lions in the Serengeti? They kill something, tear it to bits and devour it, then go to sleep under a tree for 3 days. You don't want to do that if you have to be alert and play.

What's a Metallica?

As others suggest, it's almost certainly to do with over-straining. Seeing a doctor is good advice, but it will not help long term if you are doing something to cause pain and discomfort (medic's refer to that as a 'maintaining cause'). Playing a musical instrument, whilst not a natural skill and something that needs to be learned, should not be overly physically demanding or require excessive force. If it does cause pain, you're doing something wrong. You refer to the fact that you have not been playing for long. Are you self taught? If so, some lessons to get you on the right track will be invaluable. A teacher will also be able to check that your instrument is set up properly.

Chromes work very well on my Jazz and have plenty of midrange growl when needed. I find rounds too clanky on a Jazz, which is already quite bright sounding.

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1489835094' post='3260171'] On another note then, what are people's thoughts on innate talent? I'm firmly in the camp of talent is earned & learned rather than born. [/quote] Talent and ability, potential or realised, are different things. If you have innate talent, which you are born with, you will make much quicker progress and be able to take things to a higher level than someone who is not so fortunate. It isn't easy to accept, especially in these days of "I can achieve anything I want", but some do have greater talent than others. A pal of mine is tone deaf. He just can't pitch accurately. He really wants to play and sing and works at it, but is always back to square one. Various friends have tried to help him, but it's like explaining the concept of colour to a blind man. He just doesn't hear pitch accurately. It's an extreme case, I know, but the principle applies to a lesser extent, too. Some just have greater aptitude for sport, music, painting, etc, etc than others.

Is it April 1st yet?

I think the same makes and models that are prized now will remain so. I doubt whether any mass produced instruments will become really desirable (apart from those - vintage Fenders, Ric's, etc - that already are). Scarcity has a lot to do with demand/desirability. The handmade, custom makes mentioned above will always be sought after. When I started out, 50+ years ago, there was little choice - you either got a cheap piece of junk or saved for a Fender (which wouldn't necessarily be all that great - some were dogs) or possibly a Ric', unless you could afford custom. There was no real middle ground. With the advent of CNC machining, vast improvements in materials technology and mass production techniques, instruments of amazing quality are available at virtually all price points. I recently bought a Mexican PJ, which is better put together than my vintage Jazz. It isn't as characterful and I don't love it like I do the old beast, but as a versatile working instrument, it's excellent and it was very affordable. I could have picked from an enormous range of well built, reasonably priced alternatives.

Nice.

Another vote for La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass (as used by Jamerson). I like the 760FL set, which is quite light (43-104), but combines the requisite thump with some nice stringy tones and comfortable tension under the fingers. I find D'Addario Chromes suit my Jazz better than my P Bass. They're quite bright for a flatwound string. Tried fender Flats (which look very like re-branded Chromes and sound similar), but found them too bright/clanky for that classic P Bass tone. The beauty of La Bellas is they last so well.

Picked up a used but very clean Bugera Veyron (non tube) yesterday. Very pleasantly surprised at how well something so modestly priced sounds with my Epi and PJB cabs. Clean and powerful and plenty of grunt, simple but effective eq. Intended it to be a backup, but will use it on a few gigs and see how it fares.

[quote name='Jack' timestamp='1489599318' post='3258302'] If you decide that you occasionally could benefit from more power then pick up a used Behringer power amp or something for under £200. You're still way under the TH500 budget! I think you'd be surprised how far 350W will go though. :-) [/quote] This. Sensible advice.

Never got all this "Ex famous name, £145 squillion" nonsense. It's just a mass produced and ordinary amp, guitar or whatever. The fact that Spiggy Tope has dribbled over it makes no bloody difference whatsoever. Rant over.

I have a couple of Phil Jones C4s, which are quite remarkable for their size. Won't blow the windows out, but very clean and even and each is a cube just over a foot high, wide and deep.

I'd be surprised if any cab of even remotely portable size could reproduce the fundamental of a low B string at any significant volume. 31 hz is seriously low. Happy to defer to Bill and Phill on this if I'm wrong, but aren't most cabs producing mainly harmonics at those frequencies?

If forced to choose one, would have to be James Jamerson.

Bob Babbitt's bass part on Tears of a Clown.

Look 0n the bright side. He could have used galvanised clout nails...

Seems to me you need to be clear in your mind about what you want. You obviously enjoy the band but, more important, do you feel it has a future, or are you just playing in it to keep your hand in/until something better comes along? Given that you and the drummer obviously don't gel, seems you might not be finding it too rewarding. That isn't likely to change, if my experience is anything to go by. You say your point of view is ignored - another bad sign. It appears that you have been talked into reconsidering by the "manager". Do you think you "overreacted"? If you said what you honestly felt, that isn't overreaction. It's just the truth and no point in denying it to yourself. You obviously don't want to trek 350km to play to nobody (nor would a lot of us). Why not tell them you won't do that job, but that you are still interested in playing with them provided some things change (like your views being heard and proper discussion and action about the future) and see what the response is. You've nothing to lose if they say no.

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1488006020' post='3244916'] As you know i have the same battle. Sometimes i think i should have kept my tony butler but it was never getting played. I now have a vintage modified precision but still use the jazz at every gig because i prefer the feel and the tone. Just bought an SPB3 to try on my precision to hopefully convince me to use it more. [/quote] I find the SPB1 is more Precisiony. Have one in my bitsa.

I don't think it's the Ampeg per se, but the 8x10 configuration that works so well. The rehearsal room I use has a Peavey 8x10 with the larger world tour head and that has that effortless oomph, too.

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1488255505' post='3247242'] DJs are the real talent. the way they press "Play" on their laptop is amazing, what talent ! [/quote] Dead right. The way they understand "beats" leaves me slack jawed with amazement, too. How can anyone just know how to find the first beat in a bar without consulting a music textbook? Much respeck, bro, etc.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1487969862' post='3244767'] What about white enamel then? Like ye olde style kitchen bowls, enamel (which is glass) on metal. [/quote] I like that. For the real vintage look, how about ye even older blue and white enamel?

People love labels. They find them comforting. Much of the music genres thang appears to be down to music journos desperately trying to find something new to say, imho.