super al

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1497478485' post='3318616'] I used to live near Stratford upon Avon, about 5 miles away from the old Phoenix festival at Long Martston. All you could ever hear of the festival was Boom Boom Boom to various rhythms. When the wind was blowing in the right direction you might hear the occasional crowd roar. Bass frequencies travel. [/quote] Ah, the Phoenix Festival, such happy memories (I think!)

After a gig I came out of the venue with my amp and saw the guitarist speeding off in his car and the rest of the band looking at my car's rear bumper! Apparently the lights had changed and he didn't have time to stick around to apologise for backing into me car. Just one of many niggles we had with him but probably the straw.

[quote name='ColinB' timestamp='1449042010' post='2920245'] I've upgraded the amp..... but I can't seem to load up the 3 new effects into it. I'll keep trying but I'm in the middle of house move negotiations so play-time is limited at the moment. [/quote] Me too! (Not the house move but the effects). Tried to update the toneprint app on my phone but nothing happened. Had this problem before and solved it by taking the app off the phone and downloading again. Worked before but not this time, maybe its the new version of the app or my android phone is out of date! Downloaded app to tablet, big n fiddly compared to phone :-( . Looked at reviews on latest version of app, quite a few unhappy customers.

Has anyone (with a BH or BG amp) tried the upgrade and tested out the tone effects yet? Any good?

Great thread, tees seem to hold great memories of gigs past for a lot of us. I went to a tiny festival last year at the railway inn, Winchester. It was the promoter's birthday and to celebrate, his daughter had sown together loads of his old tees into a giant backdrop for one of the stages. He seemed happy enough about it, I would've had a fit I reckon! I think my oldest gig tee is from 1990, the great but sadly short lived Five Thirty

Bought the guitar in the late 80s from Axe, it was £99.99 I think. As well as a cheap guitar you also got a tiny battery operated amp, a lesson book (more like a magazine than a book) and lesson tapes which I think I still have somewhere. The guitar was black with axe on the body, a mate rubbed it off for me so it looked relic'd. The frets were dangerously sharp on the ends and hardware a little cheap looking (what did expect for £99.99!). Oh, it also had a whammy bar! The Axe drum kit was about £200 for a 5 piece kit so you could kit out a band for about £400. The guitarist wouldn't be very loud though so everyone would be happy!

Bristol always bemuses me. Saw alt country/trip hop/Americana dude Jim White twice there. First time in the thekla he played to about 50 punters, then about a year later he played some working men's club down a side street in the middle of nowhere, place was rammed! About 200 punters! I think he put it down to having a tune played on breaking bad that year. Love Snarky Puppy but M.L.'s bassface is just strange, you gotta have great chops to pull that kinda gurning off!

I think this relates to The Funk's 1st post, every time I hear the intro to 'son of a preacher man' I start singing 'hits from the bong' by cypress hill! Its a terrible thing to say but its the only time I'm disappointed to hear Dusty Springfield sing!

That is ideal Paul, thanks for the 'heads up' I might just go for that. I have the same stand too (well, you need it with this bass!) Good work and thanks for posting pics too

Check out a band called El Ten Eleven, a duo from the states who play instrumentals. The guitarist/bassist plays a twin neck with the bass underneath the guitar. I would post a YouTube video but I'm rubbish at that sort of thing! Amazing sound for a duo but he loops a lot of the bass and guitar parts.

Like Blue I had an active bass run out of juice mid gig. Mid 90s I had the good fortune to play in a band for the musical 'Grease' (Southampton Uni not West End!) but didn't have a spare battery. In front of a sell out audience my bass decides to die during the first few bars of my big moment, 'you're the one that I want', oh poop!!! Luckily the MD played the bass part on her keyboard and saved my butt. 20 years later that still haunts me but lesson learned, my EUB takes a 9v battery and I always have a fresh battery for a performance plus a spare on top of the amp in case.

Sorry Ped, I've not had the time to sit down and post my feedback yet, here's my 1st go with the strings - Received my test strings in the post Saturday (4th July) and also a nice Elixir tee in my size! Bumped into a drummer friend that afternoon whilst wearing the new tee and got into a conversation about Elixirs (his son plays bass). Kudos to Elixir already! I've used Rotosound strings 95% of the time I've been playing and Elites the other 5% I would say. Mostly roundwound nickels and steels (stopped using steels so much when I noticed fret wear) but the occasional dabble with flats. I put the Elixirs on my MIM Fender Jazz, she has been modified with Basslines Quarter Pound P/ups and a Gotoh bridge. Just tuning up (amp muted) I thought the Elixirs had a slightly 'bedded in' sound compared to my other new strings. i've never been a big fan of the bright, clanky sound of new strings so, for me, that was a good start! To compare strings I had my Peavey Jazz copy to hand with a set of my regular Rotosound strings on (newish!). Going back and forth between the two I found the Elixirs were smoother with less of that scratchy string sound (bad technique alert!) I get with my usual roundwounds when my fretting hand moves along the strings. Playing around with chords on both basses I preferred the Elixir strings for their tone and cleaner sound. Overall they feel nice and smooth on the fingers too. I shall give them more of a road test at band practice and at home but so far, so good. I've never spoilt myself when buying strings, buying flatwounds probably the most I've spent on a set, so this is a bit of an eye opener for me.

I was left with an old Peavey PA from my last band. Started using one of the speakers as a cab with my TC Electronic bh250. I wouldn't say it was great but it's loud enough for band practice (15 inch speaker,150 watts). The bh250 sounds a lot better through the 2x10 (admittedly 400 watts) but I like the look of this little red amp atop a scruffy, beat up old PA cab.

[quote name='CHW' timestamp='1436868659' post='2821457'] I bought a VHS tape on beginners bass (introduced by Jools Holland and taught by a guy called Henry Thomas) It taught me the basics of pick and finger style, gave me the major and minor triads and formed the basis of my playing for the early years. I spent ages playing and replaying tapes to try to pick up riffs once i realised how error strewn expensive tab books were and I've picked up little bits from all over over the years. Never had a sit down lesson with a qualified teaching pro. [/quote] THE Henry Thomas!!! I think he was the bassist in the BBC's rock school programme! I taped the series back in the late 80s/early 90s. Dare say some of it must've rubbed off on me but not much. Keyboard player looked Thomas Dolbyish.

Self taught here too I suppose. Started out with guitarists teaching me the bass parts and one band I used to sit opposite the lefty guitarist and he would teach me the bass parts so it was like I was following a mirror image (if you see what I mean?). Only real lesson I've ever had was on guitar with Rob Caggiano (ex Anthrax) in a dressing room at the Brixton Academy! Taught me some good warm up exercises and he was supercool too!

I'm in Salisbury area, not very good on either 4 string or my EUB and not doing much at the moment. PM if you're interested in hooking up, might even know the same people! Toupe from Southampton were 2 bassists and a drummer, like a cross between Zappa and Primus!

Welcome old newbie, I used to live nearby in Petersfield back in the 90s. Funny place, quite quaint during the day but a battlefield at night due to the amount of pubs and a nightclub. A mate said he saw Alec Guiness and Dave Gilmour on the high St (not at the same time!).

I caught 'pedestrian at best' today on 6 music, didn't catch the name so thanks Jennie :-) Made me stop and listen which happens quite a lot on LL's show in the morning, she picks some cracking toons!

Have you tried Junodownload.com it's mostly dance music but they have many genres of music. Currently filling the gaps in my p funk collection! You can pay using paypal too.

Go easy on the free alcohol (if there is any!). Stand a safe distance from the drums, one gig I was hit twice on the back by drumsticks and I hadn't played any bum notes. And if the nerves get you, find a decent toilet!

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1435476602' post='2809029'] Was anyone else slightly disappointed at the lack of an actual Mothership though, like they had on some of the 70s tours? [/quote] Isn't in a museum somewhere? Probably sold to fund habits! Saw him twice in the 90s and that was great in patches but last night GC and band nailed it for me, 73 and still funkin! Lots of pussycat action too, methinks BBC camera person was enjoying his work!

Watched The Mothership Returns in full on the iplayer, by far the best thing at glasto in years!