TrevorR

My two Wal basses (bought in around 1993 and 2001) have been a pretty effective GAS cure and neither are going to be sold any time soon (i.e. NEVER!).

Back in the covers/function/wedding band days this was my set up... Two reasons. First I always had a spare bass just in case (not that I ever actually had a bass failure on stage but insurance is an item you buy hoping never to use). Second, although I could happily play the entire gig on either bass I would swap between them across the course of a gig. This was never a problem but I made sure that my set up meant it was never a problem or a delay between the songs. My set up signal path was "2 basses - Lehle 3@1 switcher pedal - inline tuner pedal (Boss TU2 or Polytune) - Amp...". Also I was very particular about how I approached switching basses so as to ensure that the gig and the audience experience didn't suffer. I never switched between them song about... rather I segmented each set into blocks of several songs and looked for segments of the set which particularly "suited" either bass - either tonally or in terms of the feel of the bass/neck. I'd then swap quickly at the end of each segment. With the switcher pedal it never took more than a couple of seconds to change basses so there was absolutely no interruption in the flow of the songs. The singer/guitar player similarly would switch across the course of each set between acoustic and electric (not necessarily at the same point as me) but, again used a similar technique. When you have to stop, go over to the amp, unplug the jack from the amp, unplug the bass, drop the jack on the floor, change basses, find the jack you dropped on the floor, plug the other jack back into the amp, change the settings on the amp because that bass has a different output, walk back to your performance position it does look unutterably amateur to an audience and does create huge dead air in the flow of a set - doubly so if you do it between EVERY song... I would never have allowed myself to do that. It was, for me of course, pure indulgence but I love both my main basses and they both have different tonal characteristics and feels so it was a little subtlety that gave me pleasure (and, I'm sure therefore enhanced by playing). Did the audience notice - not consciously but that's not the point. So, I'd say feel free to bring a couple of basses along with you (if that floats your boat - one P and and the Sire sounds like a nice, versatile combo) but do also invest in a good quality inline tuner pedal and a good switcher unit (something like the Lehle [expensive but bombproof] or a Boss LS2 Line Switcher). The advantage of that is that a good quality switcher pedal will allow you to balance the outputs of the different basses so you don't need to change the amp gain or master volume when you switch between them.

Verdigris patina copperwound strings? I shall immediately go out and but a brand new Shergold guitar to put them on!

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1487443898' post='3239888'] Slightly related to the topic, 'the other way round', has anyone tried the Nickel Bronze Acoustic Guitar strings from D'Addario? These: http://daddario.com/DADProductFamily.Page?ActiveID=3768&familyid=150 I've got them on my Faith acoustic here. They are (of course) Nickel outer wrap rather than the all familiar Bronze acoustic strings. I gotta say, I *really* like them. [/quote] [quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1487448187' post='3239929'] I've tried regular electric strings on an electro acoustic and they sound far too bright [/quote] I've often wondered about this. I've always used bronze or phosphor bronze strings on an acoustic bass for either acoustic or piezo pickup playing. This has been on the basis that I've known a few acoustic guitar players who have used steel or nickel strings on their 6string acoustics and they have without exception sounded absolutely awful either acoustically or electrically.

[quote name='uk_lefty' timestamp='1487244487' post='3238290'] This has all got a bit out of hand since my facaetious comment about wearing two watches... Are there any more useful gig tips? [/quote] As a leftie who plays righty I always remove my watch and put it in my back pocket before playing for two reasons, neither to do with the gig fashionistas. 1) Being a leftie I wear it on my right wrist and don't want the metal strap gouging up my basses. 2) if I do leave it on the electronic mechanism gets picked up by the pickups. Boy, that was a half hour wasted and an embarrassing rollicking from the sound guy after he'd spent ages trying to work out what that strange faint ticking noise coming through the FOH was. Fast forward 15 or 20 years and my diabetic consultant moved me from daily injections to an insulin pump, which of course is basically a small belt mounted electrical stepper motor... next gig, "...ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka..." Whoops!

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1487530053' post='3240508'] Then that makes Wilkes sliding pup gits were built in the 70's ... so he was up there with Armstrong Alembic and Gibson. !! [/quote] Nope, 1985!

[quote name='fleabag' timestamp='1487463477' post='3240052'] According to the Wilkes site, the Answer first came out 20 years ago, assuming that the current Wilkes web pages are not actually 10 years old The Rail bass was featured in a mag in '84 , but i've just remembered that the Gibson Grabber was around in the mis 70's [/quote] Well, the review by Neville Marten which is transcribed on the Wilkes web page (the review I was thinking of) is dated July 1985. Which does suggest that page has been hanging around for about a decade!

Oh, this one hurts. Rest in Peace Clyde, officially the Funkiest Drummer out there. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/clyde-stubblefield-james-browns-funky-drummer-dead-at-73-w467805

[quote name='P-ZARN' timestamp='1487434557' post='3239802'] Check out 'Doug Wilkes' website where he's been applying this idea to guitars and basses. [/quote] Oooooh, blast from the past. I remember when Wilkes The Answer came out about 30 years ago. Sadly it seemed to be an answer to a question no one was actually asking!

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1487316827' post='3238820'] Trouble with a capital T is my favourite song in our set. Great band and a great bass line! [/quote] Your band plays Trouble With A Capital T? #deadjealous Also one of my top three or four fave Horslips tunes! You need to lobby to get The Power And The Glory added to the set too! Never had occasion to play a single Horslips tune live

[quote name='skb558' timestamp='1487281136' post='3238681'] Anyone remember Badger? Ex-Yes keyboard Tony Kay's band. [/quote] I had a poster of their album cover on my wall at university. Had never heard the album, just liked the Roger Dean artwork.

Longish story... my first set were an unwanted set from CamdenRob which he'd tried on his Wal Mk 1 and decided quickly weren't for him so I don't know for sure. They went on my shedua Mk 1. The second set on my Pro IIE are 760FLs. However they feel much the same as the ones on the Mk1 so I'm guessing they're both the same.

So, anyone recognise ANY of these at all? I love 'em! Horslips http://youtu.be/y5G8AJf4Xzw River City People http://youtu.be/wlLdr4yD-PA Gordon Giltrap http://youtu.be/ktRsmHrLHU4 Iona http://youtu.be/wRVZrvbOEMU Threshold http://youtu.be/3NnJ79Ndx6I

I was sorting out some MP3s for the car and so browsing through my iTunes folder. Looking at the bands I love there were a few which are well known choices... Lizzy, Rush, ELO, Incognito, James Taylor... However it struck my that a very high proportion of my fave bands are ones to which even most music fans might go, "Huh? Who?". Now it's not that my tastes are exclusively limited to the Guatemalan nose flute or something. These are all pretty much bands which have had hit UK albums and singles over the last forty years or so. OK they may be located on a more obscure corner than Kylie, Status Quo or R.E.M. But still it's a surprise so few folks seem to have heard of them. Even here, where a more discerning level of music fanhood seems to be de rigueur ive only ever seen a few mentioned in conversation once or twice. Are there bands that you've long adored that you're surprised don't have a wider appeal or recognition factor? Would be interested to know who is on your list. The ones that stood out for me were seminal Irish folk rock band, Horslips, short lived 90s jangle poppers, River City People, folk/prog virtuoso, Gordon Giltrap, Celtic-fusion band, Iona, and prog-metallers Threshold (tho Rich did give them a fantasy band shout out just now...). I'll add a video by each in the next post in case anyone's interested in checking them out.

Went over to La Bellas on both my Wals a bit over a year ago and am loving them. However, I do take some issue with the standard "Want thud/thump use La Bella Flats" mantra you hear a lot. That for me sounds like a very limited, non-sustaining sound which is not at all what I get from them. Now, if it means a strongly fundamental based sound that cuts through the mix really effectively, that's more like it. However, that seems a long way from the words "thud" and "thump". I love the sound of them, much to my surprise actually. My more considered and detailed thoughts on the flats are here... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/273185-adventures-in-flatland-formerly-another-so-im-thinking-about-flats-but-thread/page__view__findpost__p__2943813 And here... http://basschat.co.uk/topic/273185-adventures-in-flatland-formerly-another-so-im-thinking-about-flats-but-thread/page__view__findpost__p__2993109

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1487188917' post='3237954'] Frost* Threshold (although that would cause some confusion, as their keys player has the same name as me!) It Bites [/quote] Great to see a shout out for Threshold! Have known Karl and Rich for more years than I care to remember. Top guys and a great band. Maybe if you did get the dep slot Steve would let you borrow that lovely myrtle topped Sei of his. Now there is a nice bass. Mind you, I reckon that your Wal would slot in just nicely on any of their tunes!

Don't thank me, thank Shazam, Google, YouTube and Allmusic.com in that order! I'm also going to check them out further having heard that track!

I would impersonate Lee Pomeroy and spend all my days playing those classic ELO tunes. Either that or I'd throw a banana peel in front of Tom Hamilton and jump in to the breech as a last minute dep for that Thin Lizzy gig.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1487093866' post='3237014'] As the owner of an exquisite [i]satin-finished, tobacco-sunburst[/i] [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/j36.jpg"]Shuker[/url], I shall endeavour to pretend that I didn't read that. [/quote] Not ALL satin finished basses are equal (after all my no 1 bass is a non gloss Mk 1 Wal). It's that particular finish which just looks unfinished. Maybe, the particular colour and the way the wood filler is. It looks more un-buffed than deliberately satin. Reminds me of a finish Yamaha used to do on some next price point up Pacificas. A bit like this... It wasn't a satin sheen, just dull and flat.

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1486930557' post='3235690'] Looks nice, although I'm not wild about the tart's-handbag neck inlay. I'd certainly have a fretted one but without the flowery excess. I love my acoustic bass, Ok so it's not loud enough to compete with an acoustic guitar, but that doesn't bother me. It's fun to just noodle about on. If I buy another fretless bass, it will definitely be one of these. [/quote] Quite like the design of that bass though fretless is sooooo not my thing. However, the sunburst and the matt finish makes it look like someone hoiked it off the assembly line before the last few finishing operations had been done. The design and marketing teams should definitely have a stern talk to themselves and think up some more attractive finishes. So what is my guilty pleasure nominee? I see several folks are forgetting to add their own choices in, without which this thread kinda doesn't work. Well, for no other reason than having a hankering for one I've always fancied the idea of having one of these... No idea what I'd ever actually use it for, whether I'd get on with the 30" scale and a less dour colour would be nice.

There was another version they recorded that didn't have the intro. I think the one in the mixtape was an alternate take. It's a cracking bass intro. Glad the alternate version is available out there.

From the YouTube clip it sounds like the drums Andy bass intro are integral. Here's another... http://youtu.be/RUhAlsgmu3U

http://youtu.be/86NYDQh8WuU

Shazam suggests that it is Confusion - The Two Things In One once the guitar kicks in... http://www.allmusic.com/album/together-forever-the-music-city-sessions-mw0002173637/credits Johnnie Lee Tucker on the bass...