Dan Dare

52 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

You certainly won't learn how to as long as you are simply copying the fingering of the original.

Au contraire. If you learn how great players did/do it, you can use the knowledge and skill you acquire from studying what they did/do to develop your own lines. Standing on the shoulders of giants and all that.

2 hours ago, SimonK said:

A friend of mine at University was wooing a classical pianist. As he was also a pianist but couldn't read music he asked her for "lessons", but his game was up when she caught him looking out of the window while playing, but remembering where to turn the page! Turns out he has a phenomenal ear and doesn't really need theory because his head/mind/ear can do it for him. Irritatingly he switched from keys to bass in a funk band on the spur of the moment having never really played bass before...

 

Proved to me that natural ability and a good ear have a big part, if not the main part, to play. Theory can make up for not having the natural ability (as in my case) but irritatingly no amount of practice or theory can make up for a good ear. That's why playing with other people, and learning to hear how music works, is so important.

There are always people with exceptional natural ability, but they are not typical. We ordinary mortals have to work at it. We're seeing a lot of the cliched arguments for not acquiring an understanding of music theory on this thread. I'm just waiting for someone to opine that knowing about it it will "harm their creativity"...

"No amount of practice or theory can make up for a good ear"? Does that mean that those who don't have that "phenomenal ear" may as well give up and take up photography or golf? You can develop your ear's ability, in the same way as you can develop any attribute.

Of course, it's important to play with others. Of course it's important to hear how music works and not just read it from the page. The point is not that one should learn solely from a book, but that one ought to do so in conjunction with playing with others, trying things out for yourself, etc, etc. It can speed up the learning process, sometimes dramatically. Would anyone recommend not learning to read or write language?

There's a lot of defensiveness around this topic. Some are prone to knock it to make themselves feel better about not understanding it. If you'd rather not do it, knock yourself out. In the end, nobody else will be any the worse off.

2 minutes ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

While the 500w rating of the neo Rumble 112 is so much fluff it's loaded with a Basslite 2012, which has a real world mechanical capacity of 150w. A pair of them could handle a lot more amp than the TC the OP has.

Bill, what do you think of the Basslite drivers? They appear to offer decent value for money. I'm wondering whether to take a punt on a couple to put in an old cab I have. It's not really worth splashing out on Deltalites or similar.

If you can, visit a well-stocked shop and try stuff out, rather than buying on the basis of recommendation alone. The good news is that most gear from reputable brands is very good these days. It appears you may not be that familiar with what's about, so a fact-finding mission should be helpful.

If you really aren't in reach of any shop with a decent range in stock, the suggestion above to get another Rumble cab like the one you have, plus a better head is a safe option. TC are prone to be optimistic with their claimed power outputs. Most stuff will sound good at living room volumes. It's only when you push things that any shortcomings are revealed.

If you like Markbass, a used LM2 or 3 shouldn't break the bank and will certainly do the job with two Rumble cabs. 

3 hours ago, Cato said:

When I first started playing in the late 80s a lot of my friends were also picking up guitars and many of them tried formal lessons.

 

Back then it seemed that no one was really teaching 'pop' or 'rock' guitar the only lessons, certainly in my locality, were all classically based and the general advice from tutors seemed to be not to move to electric guitar before you'd achieved a basic level of proficiency on a nylon strung classical model.

 

Sod that.

That isn't the way it is these days. You can study rock guitar at university if you want. But yeah. Sod knowing anything about what you're doing. Much better to let it all hang out and trust that good stuff will happen by accident.

2 hours ago, Paolo85 said:

It is a good point but there may be issues with the premise. A person playing at 30, from beginner level, with quite possibly a lot going on in their life like everybody, and with a gazillion of alternatives available in terms of entertainment, may just stop playing if they find the experience frustrating. In my opinion, there is a complete disconnect between what in theory is the best way to learn an instrument (that is, a structured program that enables the diligent student to become competent in the shortest timeframe) and what in practice is the best way to learn, which I believe is seeking gratification above all (which may mean different things for different people) and avoid joining the vast ranks of people who give up.

Obviously, it's not black or white. If somebody really wants to play jazz I guess it is easier to learn theory than to learn walking bass lines note by note.. again, I am not recommending against theory

What issues? I did not (and would not) advocate learning in a way that is frustrating. Yes, learning to play an instrument can be hard work, but so can acquiring any new skill. Gratification and enjoyment are certainly important to keep motivation up, but, as the saying goes, nothing worth having was ever easy. No point in glossing over that fact (the ad's promising to teach you how to play in just five minutes a day don't help, in that they give a false impression of how easy it is).

It's a quite common misconception that theory is only for would be jazzers and classical musicians. You don't, as I said, need to learn how to compose for full orchestra. However, some basic/simple knowledge - keys, how they relate to each other and how the most commonly used chord voicings are constructed - can be of immense help in playing any music.

Not sure I understand the comment about it being "easier to learn theory than to learn walking bass lines note by note". They are both things you need to learn. However, a little knowledge of why the notes that make up that walking bass line work is very valuable, because it will help you create your own lines, rather than having to learn each one note for note. Anything that will help save the learner from playing the same tired pentatonic clichés over everything has to be good.

On 16/02/2024 at 18:33, stevie said:

The weak link in the hi-fi chain, whether you're talking home hi-fi or hi-fi bass, is always the speakers.

Agreed provided everything else in the chain is of good quality. Feed an accurate, revealing speaker with a poor quality signal, however, and the result is not likely to be pleasing. GIGO, etc. A less good speaker will probably be better in that case, because it will mask some of the shortcomings. It's all about finding combinations that work well together and complement each other.

The trouble with the term "music theory" is that it has a lot of unfavourable connotations for many. It can conjure images of poring over dry textbooks, having no fun, being rapped over the knuckles by the teacher, etc, etc.

All of that is to do with the way it is taught in some quarters, not the subject itself. The reality is a lot different. It's all about demystifying how music works and learning why some things sound good and others don't. Some knowledge of it cannot fail to improve your playing. Even if you never intend to read music off the page, it will make you a better improviser, because you will have a better idea what to play and what not to play.

bass_dinger sums it up very well when he observes that his 7 year old daughter learned in 3 years what took him 30 years to learn.

There's no downside. You don't have to go the whole hog and learn how to compose for a full orchestra, but it's mad not to learn anything at all about it if you're serious about playing.

Have a look on the 'Bay for "Telebass guitar by PCsGC with precision (42mm) neck width". For some reason, the link won't post here.

Another gem. I think my favourite bit is the demo' video, which, in addition to being of his usual high standard, is qualified by the following - "I am sorry that this video is a bit rubbish and a different bass of course, [my underlining] but it has the same tones and fast action, and does have the same chrome bridge cover".

The "calligraphy" is rather natty as well. 

2 hours ago, Beer of the Bass said:

I think the magic for recording is in the mic'ed speaker sound - the DI sound doesn't really have the same feel as that.

Agreed. It isn't just the amp, but the way it and the speaker interact that gives the "tube sound". A speaker is a reactive load. It's impedance varies according to frequency. Speaker level DIs incorporate a dummy load to protect the output transformer of the amp. Unlike a speaker, it will have a fixed impedance and the amp will not respond to it in the same way as it would to a speaker.. 

2 hours ago, Steve Browning said:

By the same token, Gordon and the new drummer may have been the perfect match. I presume the other members are a cast of deps too? Maybe I'm a bit sensitive but I'd be sharing the disappointment.

As Gordon mentioned that the singer was going to import the drummer and bassist from the other band, it appears they may come as a unit and be used to working together. I agree it's disappointing, but it happens (it's happened to me a few times). The only thing to do is chalk it up to experience and move on.

1 hour ago, police squad said:

So I'm in this band, we've done one (sold out) show. The drummer (lovely guy) isn't quite good enough.

Singer wants to bring a drummer in from one of his other bands and the bass player.

This leaves me as a dep and the band leader was flannelling me about it, 'we need to get the other girl fronted show going and the blues rock thing' and 'we need a pool of players and deps'

 

This is why I gave up chasing the dream 30 years ago.

 

Too much bull ship for me

 

I actually thought me and the band leader were friends

 

I'm actually very disappointed in it all.

 

But I still have my other bands and now I have some more free dates as I won't be doing any of the booked shows

Difficult situation for everyone concerned when someone isn't cutting it, especially if there are friendships involved. As you acknowledge, the drummer isn't up to it. If the replacement drummer and bass player come as a unit, the BL probably figures it's simpler to use both as they are a known quantity and he won't have to worry about whether you and the new drummer will gel/bond. Not great for you, but you can appreciate where he's coming from. Rather than b/sing you, he may have been trying to spare your feelings.

As the saying goes, one door closes, another slams shut in your face. Something like that anyway. At least you have other avenues to pursue. Good luck.

The 7040 is the obvious choice to go with your 8010s. It's been designed to work with them. You're not looking for high volumes, but to extend low frequency response and in a small room, so it should serve very well. Sound on Sound gave it a very positive review and I find their reviews reliable.

I don't subscribe to the "mix it so it sounds good on terrible speakers" (which your 8010s aren't) philosophy referred to above. Yes, such a mix might sound reasonable on similarly terrible speakers, but on anything decent, it won't.

1 hour ago, gjones said:

I always associated a hi fi sound with the sound you get when recording your bass clean into your PC or laptop. The sound is clean and unprocessed through hi fi speakers, or monitors, with small drivers (mine are about 4 inch). 

 

I suspect a Phil Jones cab would get that kind of sound, due to the size of the 4 inch drivers he uses.

As a PJB owner/user, I can confirm that they put out pretty much what you put in. So in that sense, they could be called "hi-fi", in that they have quite a high degree of fidelity/faithfulness to what you feed them with. You need a lot of them if you want any volume, however. It isn't the size of the drivers that's responsible. The big Barefaced cabs - with 12s and horns - also do a very good job of producing an uncoloured sound if driven with suitable amplification. Ditto FRFR/PA cabs.

A true hi-fi sound would probably be what you get when you play your bass through the desk in a studio with serious monitors (not little desktop/PC jobbies). It's super clean and, truth be told, a little sterile. Sounds quite nice in isolation, but mix it into a track and you have to start tweaking it to prevent it from being lost. If you want that in your live rig, a quality pre' driving a beefy PA power amp with plenty of headroom and enough cabs to enable you to run high volumes and have them work well within their capabilities is probably the best way to go. Not cheap.

As Bill says above, best not to worry about how any amp or speaker might be classified and just use what sounds good to you.

Just returned from Stewart's. Had a very interesting and enjoyable morning chatting over a cuppa and talking gear and the old days (he works mainly from home at present). Had a play on his '63 Tele' through one of his current combos. The amp was really excellent. All solid state and sounds just like a 50s/60s valve amp. Instant Ventures guitar sound when clean and breaks up gently and smoothly at higher volume. I would defy anyone to play it sight unseen and not think it was valved. Compact and light and very pokey for its 22 W rating.

He explained the idea behind it. He's developed a circuit that replicates the effect of an output transformer (which S/S amps traditionally don't have). It senses speaker impedance and ensures, as does an output transformer, that the signal sent to the speaker takes account of variations in impedance. Speaker impedance varies, sometimes quite dramatically, according to frequency. In general, impedance rises as frequency gets higher, meaning a S/S amp is working harder to deliver the same output as frequency rises and causing it to sound duller and lacking in sparkle. 

He considers the reason valve amps sound louder than S/S amps of the same output rating is due to the fact that the speaker in a valve amp is always being sent an optimised signal. So maybe the belief about "valve watts" isn't a myth, after all. Made sense to me as a layman and I can confirm that it works extremely well.

Not far down the road from me. It's staying there, too.

On 10/02/2024 at 17:04, Acebassmusic said:

OK....maybe daft question(s) but why the "bike park" split in the front panel? Is it a type of reflex design? What are the advantages / disadvantages etc? I tried looking on t'internet but couldn't see much that related directly. 🤔

It's a slot port. They tend to be used mainly in subwoofers (typically for in-car and home cinema systems). If designed properly, they can work quite well. I heard someone using one of those slotted Trace combos a while back and it sounded quite decent.

Why must it be Ampeg? They may have been the only show in town a while ago, but things have moved on since then. A lot. Beware thinking all Ampeg gear works like a SVT plus an 8x10. Their stuff is generally decent, but it's far from the only option. Certainly not the cheapest, either.

On 09/02/2024 at 13:54, chris_b said:

@Geek99 If you are playing with guys who can't get it right then don't blame yourself.

This. It doesn't sound as if the other players at the jam were much cop, to put it bluntly. If it was really too loud to hear the drums when you were standing next to them, that's ridiculous.

If the people you are playing with are terrible, you have no chance of getting anything right. It will just drag you down to their level (lie down with the dog, get up with fleas). Jams are notorious for being like that. I've seen really good players drowned out and dragged down by ham-fisted idiots at jams. You can't play correctly if everyone else is blundering along and blasting the windows out.

Regardless of whether or not they're "encouraging", I'd be looking for somewhere else. Sure you made mistakes, but it doesn't sound as if you were the only one. You were just more honest about your shortcomings than they were. Forget it and move on to pastures new.

I'm always the slowest to pack up. I own/run the PA. I like to do so at my own pace, make sure everything goes in the right box/case, cables wound neatly, etc (OCD, dontcha know). I tell the others not to worry about helping me and to head off. I actually prefer it that way. I mean it and appreciate that, unlike me, some of them have to get up for work or family duties next day. So if he tells you it's OK, take him at his word and go. 

If you like the instrument and intend to keep it, by all means put some money into upgrades. Be aware that you will never get the money you spend on improvements back. A HB is still a HB, Seymour Duncans or no.

Do you particularly dislike the pickups it has in it? If not, replacements will not magically transform it.

HBs and similar are budget instruments, built down to a price. The woodwork and finish is generally quite reasonable (it has to be or people wouldn't buy them), but economies are made on fittings, metalwork, electronics etc. By the time you've replaced pickups, tuners, pots and the like, you could have bought something better with the money that will have a higher resale value.

I appreciate it's difficult to sell on an instrument that was a gift. In your shoes, I'd use it as is and save for something better.

4 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

The harm can come plugging into the cab with a 1/4" lead and briefly shorting the amp across the tip and shaft, much the same as dragging your lead out of your instrument with the gain up puts one across the preamp. POP. Dead short plus solid state for too long is very bad business.

Good point.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126319429390?hash=item1d6939870e:g:1kUAAOSw3tVlwlLW&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4MIUiy4i87kVy6U6tvWUu96fXRujgsbPruu5674P1qMkZ5%2BiFZuv%2BB%2By1JCzl6HlFGDAFI9zT0pvIxi744BfYJapKEeHeLhtUe6zII0YCPTpm7QgbRSKX3%2F4qHQolxhKQ61NbkklvdAzAHtTd4ty0Eb7boVG9K3%2BSmDWkkcNPOIgzODkPSqcqaBwW9mSclpS8FIT%2BF7oRI4XgRAv2J1kUZUdlJXDC0%2FF9VW0pnjMFJ0zYh7Jc5EVBxuNy3D91e3vHUK1kIKdzt0UTJ6sEdlfxhTiP%2FL9RHkDWzLxaxdUiNGi|tkp%3ABk9SR4ir3ICyYw

Another chancer who has scrubbed the Squier decal and serial from the headstock and stuck a Fender one on.

It's a good idea to use cable that is fat enough for the cable grip in the Speakon connector to hold it securely.

On 01/02/2024 at 07:00, Baloney Balderdash said:

Yeah, don't have the speaker disconnected while the amp is turned on, the output transformer won't like it, and you could potentially risk ruining the amp. 

 SS amps don't usually have output trannies. A very few hi-fi brands, such as McIntosh, do, but you shouldn't harm your Peavey by switching it on/powering it down without a speaker connected.