Dan Dare

Another vote for Smooth Hound and Chris is great to deal with.

[quote name='lurkingbass' timestamp='1491226629' post='3271331'] So amp has only jack output. Do I get any benefits using jack to speakon instead of jack to jack, in this particular case? Thanks! [/quote] Probably not in terms of sound quality at lower power levels. Speakons are for higher current duties. They are more reliable, though, which is nice. So if you have the option to use them, probably worth doing so.

If you want to do it cheaply and don't mind the weight, Peavey made some nice, but heavy, 410 cabs. Look for one fitted with their better drive units (Black Widows were their premium models). I had a 2x15 with Black Widows that was wonderful, but a beast to move around.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1487766152' post='3242547'] The good news is that bugeras seem either to fail early, or carry on running... One of my guitards is very happy with his... [/quote] That's encouraging. Picked up a mint used Veyron head as a backup recently. As it's passed the early failure stage, hopefully will last. Sounds surprisingly good for something so cheap and has plenty of power. EQ is a touch basic, but the onboard pre on my bass sorts that out. Fingers crossed.

My old AH350/GP11 was, but not sure about yours. The back panel should tell you. Will say something like "4 ohms minimum impedance" next to the speaker out. You just need to ensure you don't go below that. Four 16 ohm drivers wired in parallel will give 4 ohms total cab impedance, so should be fine, but you would be best not to use an additional cab with it.

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1490712991' post='3267301'] Actually the soundboard is a critical element of a pianos sound and is made of wood. [/quote] True, but sadly it wont be thick enough to make a solid guitar body from. I like The Greek's suggestion - you can find some wonderful timber for nowt or not much, although people are becoming more aware of the fact that it has value. A couple of years ago, I found a lot of first class mahogany in a skip outside an office that was being refurbished. The builders were ripping it out and chucking it away. I asked if I could take it and they were quite happy for me to do so. Gave it to a luthier friend, who is still using it to make necks to this day.

My missus used to come to the occasional gig when she was alive, but only if it was a special or unusual occasion. I wouldn't have gone to see her teach at the uni' where she worked, so why would she have wanted to come and see me at work?

I'd suggest HK Premium Pros for your budget. I use 4 as monitors for larger gigs, or as out front speakers for small jobs where my main rig would be overkill. Have proper wood cabinets - much better than plastic - and are available active, with high quality onboard amplification, or passive. There are 10", 12" and 15" top boxes and several subs in the range. They'll surprise you with how good they sound. Much nicer than Mackie, EV, Alto and all the other other plastic PA cabs imho.

Need to watch the wiring if replacing TE 4x10 drivers. They used higher impedance Celesstions, wired in parallel, so you can't just duplicate the connections. If you use 4 or 8ohm drivers, you need to wire them in series/parallel (plenty of explanations online) to avoid ending up with 1 or 2 ohms total cab impedance. Apologies if you know this already - hope I'm not teaching my granny to suck eggs here.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1490532647' post='3265717'] Auditions for originals bands are always bizarre... I went to one last year for a rocky punky type thing. Learnt all the tracks from a demo they sent me, they were ok, nothing special but lively and fun. When I turned up it was obvious I was a poor fit. The songs sounded good but I definitely didn't have the image they were after. Fair enough I thought, lets just see it through anyway. After playing the songs from the demo they decided to "try and catch me out" by playing something I hadn't heard... bit odd I thought but whatever. I asked what key it was in and off we went... again sounded pretty good. I was then told "right this time I'm not telling you the chords" ... erm ok... again it sounded fine. The songs were pretty simple stuff and I worked it out from looking at the guitarists chord shapes what was coming up... following this I was told that I couldn't look at what he was playing anymore and the next track consisted of him standing in the corner so I couldn't see the fretboard... by the time he'd finished and turned round I'd left... 😐 [/quote] That's what I do. I play guitar too, so pick up the structure/chords from watching the guitarist's left hand. Why he thought it was wrong for you to do so, Gawd knows. Would expect him to be pleased you are someone who uses his loaf.

[quote name='Barking Spiders' timestamp='1490270429' post='3263755'] Good answers . I could also have asked, as you get older and afflicted with assorted ailments, which would cause more grief, arthritis in the hands or the old fella not being up to scratch anymore? [/quote] Definitely prefer to keep the use of my hands

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1490262755' post='3263649'] I play drums in a few bands. I only ever get bored when the song is rubbish, otherwise, playing a simple beat and listening to the rest of the band play a good song well is entertaining enough [/quote] You sound like everyone's dream drummer. No wonder you play in several bands.

It's usually about who people click/get on with best. Most bands would prefer a competent player who is good enough and a sound fellow to someone they don't like who "smashes it out of the park".

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1490266646' post='3263711'] Sex??? Yes I have a vague recollection! [/quote] Yep. I love getting old...

[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1490254548' post='3263559'] Our drummer doesn't drive! And whilst it is a pain in the a**.....he's bloody good so accommodate. [/quote] This. If someone is bloody good and a sound chap/chappess to boot, a lack of transport may not be a problem. It helps to live near one of the band members, so they don't have to detour miles on your account.

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1490265553' post='3263701'] Well, they nearly all sound like precisions but the tones vary wildly. I tried loads in the last few months & the difference between all the basses I played was incredible considering they were all 4 string P's with the one split pickup! If it was a rock gig & they were all sharing a tubey stack that might have made them sound more similar especially as most rock bands try to find very similar bass tones as we all know what just works. Here's an example - you'll hear that the 70's one absolutely slays the others. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgzD3vcrExE[/media] [/quote] I've seen that, too. Whilst I wouldn't say the 70s P absolutely slays the others - the Jap gets quite close at times - it does sound better and has that lovely stringy edge the others lack (although we don't know whether all had the same strings, of the same age/amount of wear, etc, etc). It certainly proves they sound different.

Conan's detailed post is excellent advice. There are so many variables. He's also right that people can see pound signs at the mention of the word "wedding". I guess the bottom line is to decide what you and the band would be happy to earn, taking all that into account and not to fret about it if you find you could have charged a bit more.

I suggest most great musicians are best admired at a distance and not invited to dinner . Their eating and conversational habits may well leave a lot to be desired

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.