Dan Dare

Remember you're part of the rhythm section, not a soloist. If people notice you, you're overplaying. Keep it simple.

2 x Phil Jones C4 1 x Phil Jones 4B 1 x Epifani 310UL mk 1 (favourite cab) Basswitch pre Two RSE power amps (500 and 900 w) Carvin B1000 head. Can cover most situations.

Time to move on unless the issues are sorted? Find a new band for the new year? They'll have problems finding a bass player with a PA who stores (and presumably transports) it. Not worth playing with idiots who are intent on deafening everyone. Been there, done that. Your hearing is worth far more.

Great musicians. Dave is a hot bluegrass banjo player, too and a fine craftsman, as well. Some years ago, I saw an old horse drawn travellers caravan he had restored at a country fair. Beautiful job. An extremely talented man.

Classy photo and pose. Shoes like dead pigs' noses, to quote dear old Ian Dury ("Blockheads"). Imagine one puffing and blowing in your earole...

What's important, imho, is employing correct lifting techniques - using the back and body properly. When we lift weights, we follow proper techniques and take care to do it right. The we go out to a gig and try to drag that heavy cab/amp out of the car boot at full stretch, bending over to reach it. Even a light object can do harm lifted wrongly - see Twincam's post above.

You appear to have answered your own question. If you love the sound of your MB 102HF, add another. Pay no heed to us on here with our "advice" - we're all biased in favour of what we like/use... It's your taste that counts.

Re. the talk of "learn your parts", etc, there's a world of difference between an amateur band that has its one or two sets - possibly 30-40 songs - that it plays regardless of where it is and a function band, which can have a potential repertoire of hundreds, even thousands of numbers. It simply isn't possible to keep that much material in a state of constant readiness (That's why orchestral, big band, etc musicians use music). What counts is the end result.

There was a pair of Ashdown 4x8s on evilBay the other day. Worth a look?

Got to be a spoof. If you apply, you'll probably end up on You've Been Framed (or whatever the current equivalent is). Lenny Kravitz hardly "newer stuff"...

Why buy one? Versatile, excellent pickups, very nicely put together (in the Cort factory, I understand), great tones. I could go on. I had a L2000 Trib. Astonishingly good for the money. The only reason I sold it was because I've played J basses for 30 years and just couldn't get on with the wider, flatter neck. I did persevere with it, because the instrument was so good, but in the end, I tried a P Bass Special and marginally preferred it to play, so bought it, even though the sound isn't quite as good. If the G&L neck suits your hand, go for one.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1482402662' post='3200174'] Part of the problem is that there's a large amount of bass players who think the answer is more bass. I play at a church, big stone building, modern glass wall at the back and massive resonance down low. We have no backlineand a IEM system and the FOH. PA folk often end up with a massive mush in the bottom end. Its taken me a year and demonstrating that turning on the desk's HPF on the bass guitar cleans up the sound no end. I only have to suggest they do the same on the acousitic guitars, keys and kick drum and we may one day get it sounding good! [/quote] +1 Luke. Relatively few appear to realise that less often equals subjectively more when dealing with low frequencies. Quantity vs quality and all that. And as others say, little point in wasting amp headroom on subsonic mush/rumble.

There's an interesting parallel with hi fi amplifiers in that some with apparently low wattage output can deliver much more oomph than those which should, on paper at any rate, be more powerful. Some say that it's the amount of current an amp can deliver (and how long it can sustain that delivery - i.e. more than a few milliseconds burst) that determines how powerful it will sound, not simple wattage measurement. Could sustained current delivery be the way to measure "heft"? When I need to be louder, I use a preamp and bridged PA power amp that is stated to deliver 900w and which sounds a LOT more pokey than my class D head (also claimed to deliver 900w). It has a hefty power supply - massive toroid and reservoir caps like bean tins. Could there be a connection?

Bill's right (as usual). I don't have the option, as my head only has one Speakon out, unfortunately.

I've used a piece of foam ever since my old TE 350 was nearly walked off a 2x15 cab by the vibrations (I turned round to see it teetering, fortunately and repositioned it before it actually fell off). Now I use a lightweight head on an Epifani cab (which, being lightweight poplar ply, vibrates quite a bit), I always make sure I take my foam. You can get a suitable offcut from one of those foam cut to size shops which will do the trick. Go for something reasonably dense so the head doesn't squash it too much. I like Bill's idea of using a piece of camping mat, although some are a bit thin. I reckon an inch or so is a good minimum thickness.

I think the Wharfedale name, as have many from the halcyon days of British audio, has been bought by a far Eastern conglomerate. Would imagine the bass stuff is generic Chinese fayre under the hood.

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1482244121' post='3198771'] I have Daddario chrome flats on my fretless alembic and love the feel and tone. Also have la bella deep talking flats on my Kelly acoustic bass which almost give it an upright tone. [/quote] Yes and yes. I use Chromes on my Yamaha fretless and they sound great and are very nice to play. Tried La Bellas, too and they do give an upright sound, especially if you pick over or near the fingerboard and away form the pickups. Prefer Chromes as they are brighter when you need it and the LBs are now on my P Bass.

Could I pick your brains, Bill? What is your favourite all round 10" driver(s) for bass guitar use (in a suitable cab, properly driven, etc, of course)? Thanks. I appreciate this may be a bit of a naïve question, but would be interested in your thoughts. Thanks.

Anyone else constantly chop and change their preferences for what sounds best? Over the last few years, I've been fortunate in that I have been able to afford, within reason, to buy whatever gear I like. Having tried, bought and sold a fair bit of stuff, I currently have a choice of several nice rigs. The problem is, one day I like one thing and the next another. Would really like to settle on something and offload the rest - my home is getting cluttered with black boxes of various sizes. However, I know if I sell something, I'll wish I hadn't and be wanting it back again. Guess it's Gear Indecision Syndrome. Any fellow sufferers?

I had a padded Roqsolid cover for mine. Did a good job and not expensive.

Replace with metal mesh?

If you use another combo, it makes no sense not to use the onboard amplification (which will also enable you to equalise volume, tone, etc between the two).

If it's his gig, he can decide who he plays with. I sense you're feeling "I've put a lot of effort into this and I deserve better". It may be true that you have, but life ain't fair or meritocratic, I'm afraid (however much people may try to persuade us that it is). As for being "unprofessional", don't even go there. That way lies blaming yourself. If the guy's a bit of a dick, that's not your problem or fault. If you're at uni' with him, just cross him off your Christmas card list. Plenty more fish on the sea. Lots of people at uni' start bands.

It'll be fine as others say. Obviously, don't expose it to damp, temperature extremes, etc. or leave it in direct sunlight,