Soliloquy

I knew him to say hello to years ago, he used to hang out in the old Birmingham Bass Centre. A band I played in used to support a band he played for regularly, and I played for them when he left. He was a monster play then, that was 20 years or more ago.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1324635283' post='1476424'] Mahavishnu '84 was my favourite. [/quote] Mine too ! Jonas Hellborg on bass.

[quote name='whynot' timestamp='1324521635' post='1475242'] £399 is way cheaper than I was expecting this to be, but maybe realistic taking into account the 250w rating up against all the other lightweight heads out there. [/quote] Don't forget that there is a lot of fibbing going on by manufacturers regarding the specs of their amps. I truly believe that EBS Have been quite honest with the rating of this. It's very loud through my single 8 ohm Acme Low B2, and just keeps getting louder as you turn it up. It isn't a case where all the volume is in the first quarter. I got a gig tonight with it, so I'll pass on my 'real life' opinion tomorrow.

[quote name='samuel' timestamp='1324549783' post='1475397'] Effect power supply's (the stomp box) has them at £379 with free postage [/quote] That's where mine came from, quick delivery too.

I just got my Reidmar today. I gotta say I'm very impressed with it. It's very well made, sounds very nice and is surprisingly very loud for 250 watts.

I'd play nursery rhymes as long as someone pays me .

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1323952630' post='1469050'] I think as you've said your PRIMARY instrument will be Bass. I'll suggest that you'll also have to be able to play or will at least have to learn piano as your secondary instrument. I played with a drummer who was in his second year of a music degree with percussion as his primary instrument. Awsome drummer, his second instrument was piano and I've never heard anyone play piano like it. I would say he was a better pianist than drummer! So wen you graduate you should be able to do all that sequencing stuff that you're worried about becoming the norm and add your own live bass parts As an aside and not really that relevant. There will always be a call for 'real' musicians. I'm fairly sure that there is (there certainly used to be) an agreement with the MU that anyone miming on a TV show must be a memeber of the Union. Even those pretty girls that look like models you see miming to tunes you know don't have real musicians playing on them, are registered with the musician's union. I may be wrong, of course, it may have changed. My friend joined the union as a tuba player and has done lots of shows despite not being able to play tuba - I kid you not! [/quote] I think most colleges, ICMP etc. teach keyboard as a 2nd instrument. They also teach music technology, you get to learn Logic and I think ProTools.

One thing to add to this. There are guys out there who make a living and tour extensively around the globe playing just bass...on it's own ! Steve Lawson, Michael Manring and Yves Carbonne to name just three of them. I've met Steve a few times and remember him telling me that he's always done OK, he's never had to take a real job or anything. They don't live in mansions or drive flash cars. But they make a good living playing solo bass. My point is, if they can do it playing solo bass, then given the correct skills, drive and determination it's quite possible to make a living doing what you love best.

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1323865554' post='1467885'] [url="http://www.markbass.it/product_detail.php?id=196"]Markbass MB100[/url] Looks to be just the sort of thing.... [/quote] Just sold one of those !

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1323887951' post='1468341'] The day of the session musician is long gone, especially for high profile players like Anthony Jackson etc etc. They're lucky to have proved themselves and can ride out their days based on their name playing jazz gigs as they see fit. I say this all the time, but studying music at University has to be one of the silliest ideas going these days. It's a lovely thing to do if you have no aspirations to own a house or get a job, but in the real world, a music degree is as much use to an employer as as a wad of used toilet paper. You might enjoy indulging your hobby for a couple of years but beyond university and the meagre pickings of the music world you'll not have much to show for the colossal debt you've accrued. [/quote] That has to be one of the most ridiculous things that I've read on this site. Are you joking ? Only I've read a few of your postings on here over the years, and you've always come across as being quite intelligent. The guy will have 3 years of experience of playing with some great teachers. He will come out (hopefully) with a degree, maybe he'll decide to go into teaching ? His playing will have improved, his playing skills, ie reading will qualify him to get positions that most people on here could only dream about. There's also the personal confidence instilled in him by playing under the scrutiny of his teachers. People will always want to see and hear real musicians playing. I think people are nowadays having live bands at weddings rather than DJ's. There's still a fair bit of session work out there too, for people with the relevant skills. I can't think of an album that I've bought in the last few years that hasn't listed session players in the credits. I don't mean the likes of Anthony Jackson or Will Lee either, I'm talking about real everyday session players some of whom frequent forums like this. Studying at somewhere like ICMP (my old college), you also study business skills amongst other thhings to help you cope with the modern day music business.

I've traded a few things, shipped them and then waited for the other guys item to arrive. I've also paid for items by bank transfer too, which I guess could be construed as being a bit silly. People have also paid me for items by bank transfer. Generally though, I prefer to meet face to face. As George Orwell said, 'on the whole humans want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time'.

Markbass Mo Mark.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1323722758' post='1466321'] Yeah. A US magazine bench tested it, and it only puts out 236w. They do some magic doohickery to it that makes it sound as loud as a 450w amp (killing the tone and dynamics in the process IMO). Lots on Talkbass and a couple of threads on Basschat. (Apologies to the OP for the hijack) [/quote] Yeah, sorry about the hijack. I hadn't heard of this, but it just goes to show how manufacturers lie to us. I checked the TC website the other day, it clearly says that it's 450 watts. It's the same as the various cab manufacturers saying their cabs cover a certain frequency band, and go down to this frequency level when they don't. I am certainly intrigued by this little EBS amp though.