Steve Browning

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1501965146' post='3348561'] Yep if your drummer knows how to tunew and play his kit it will balance perfectly if you place the mic over his right shoulder about a foot above him,pointing at the center of the snare. In a pub stereo drums are pointless ime... [/quote] I used to play with Dave Mattacks and his minimum was always a single mic over the shoulder (left, in his opinion). Add kick if necessary. I figure he would have some kind of inkling.

I use my two sunburst Japanese reissue P basses for gigs, they are identical but for the fact one is ash bodied. I don't carry a spare fretless although I use the A/E for 3 numbers at the moment. My spare would always have to be the same to maintain the same sound etc. That said, it's more for comfort as I have only ever needed to swap basses 'in anger' twice in over 40 years.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1504356037' post='3364345'] Our drummer buys and sells to make money since his early retirement. He bought a 1983 Premier Projector kit on eBay for a bargain price. When he picked it up the seller said it was one half of custom kit that had to be recovered when resold so as not to break endorsement rules. The original white and red barbed wire design is still underneath the vinyl which our drummer has now removed. Turns out it's Saxons drum kit that was used on the 'Rock the Nations' tour. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gxWnZ0cO1Y[/media] [/quote] I used to gig with Nigel Glockler and I remember helping cart that entire kit up 3 flights of stairs to a gig in a nightclub in Eastbourne. I believe it was it first outing just after he got it.

[quote name='Gottastopbuyinggear' timestamp='1504180105' post='3363184'] Based on your original post I think we're in a similar position, playing cramped pub "stages" in the main, and we're currently looking into getting some new monitors. Our current floor monitors are lacking in power a bit, and the drummer in particular has a problem with hearing much of the rest of the band, so I'd already been wondering about a small monitor mounted at head height for him. How did you have your side fills mounted - can you get small footprint speaker stands for this? [/quote] That's what I use, short speaker stands. They work brilliantly. It is situated between the drummer and me and provides plenty of the vocal.

Either leave it alone or refinish with nitro and let the mojo happen at its own pace.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1504093600' post='3362611'] I'm happy with Rotosound Roto Bass. I played the SS Swing Bass set for years but after a dalliance I realised I preferred the feel of nickel version. Roto bass are just unsilked nickel Swing Bass, but a lot cheaper. I didn't notice any major differences tonally if I'm honest. [/quote] I use Jazz Bass (flatwound) strings on all mine bar one and that is strung with Nickel Swing Bass. I find the nickel strings to sound more 'organic' although that sounds horribly pretentious!

Bought a guitar stand from Graham. IT was delieverd straight away and well very packaged up. Thoroughly good guy and highly recommended. Steve

A few years ago I played in a Dire Straits tribute band. I wasn't massively keen having endured years of hearing them on the radio. As rehearsals got under way it became clear what brilliant songs MK wrote and just how beautiful his guitar playing is. A whole new appreciation started which has continued.

Have to say I think the body would be better about 20% smaller. Blue and tort - hate that.

When you say large venues, I wonder what size you mean and do you also mean without PA support?

I used to play in a (blues) band in which the singer would preface EVERY guitar solo with 'play me some blues on that thing' and every one of his harp solos with 'excuse me a while'.

I'm thinking maybe just Jack from now on.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1503474392' post='3358443'] How bizarre is all this? I get the impression that a number of posters on this thread don't actually have children. The only answer that will actually get you anywhere is, "What/who do you like listening to? Fine, play along with that then." If I'd asked my father what to listen to if I wanted to hear great basslines, I'd have spent the next 20 years listening exclusively to Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra. Your kids don't want to listen to "your" music. That's part of being your kids. [/quote] It's called having a bit of fun. We all know what children are like. My eldest daughter started off wanting to play Roundabout and I didn't even like Yes.

Carrying on the 5 songs theme (as most likely to succeed): Money - Pink Floyd Goin' Underground - The Jam Peaches - The Stranglers Killer Queen - John Deacon and some other people Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown 5 slightly different flavours and none of them so difficult that you can't have a stab after a while.

Not if it has to come through Customs. Your friend will be liable and it will won't be released until any tax is paid. The discussions will take place at the bench before it is allowed through so you will not be able to turn up and have any say yourself. Can it not just be sent straight to your home? Meeting it in the UK won't affect it's condition after all.

It isn't worth trying to smuggle the bass in as you risk having it impounded and getting your friend into trouble. If he travels regularly he won't appreciate the black mark.

I have to say I'd be looking at ways I can do both gigs. In my case I would look to simplify bass lines (luckily we don't play Rhythm Stick) where possible.

Talking of customs. Are you going to have to think about adding VAT to the cost when it comes into the UK?

From where are you buying it (Ebay, for example)? If it's costing a fair bit I would be very wary as there are many things that can go wrong.

Even Nelson it would seem: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/22/toppling-statues-nelsons-column-should-be-next-slavery

[quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1503392461' post='3357766'] Source, please. [/quote] One that satisfies me, thank you.

Apologies for slightly hijacking there. FWIW I think you have made the right decision and there are other options available to decorate your stage. I have to say, Blue's contribution was quite an armoring read in that it shows the depth of the fragmentation on either side (and its extent).

[quote name='Trueno' timestamp='1503391586' post='3357748'] Please enlighten me as to what act of despicable cruelty Thomas More was responsible for... apart from the fact I had to read "Utopia" at university? [/quote] Burning people alive tends to be frowned upon these days.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1503389980' post='3357717'] So you'd be ok if Hitler statues had been left up? Or Pol Pot? Or Idi Amin? Unless you can see into the future you cannot claim that removing a statue of a murderer is an indication of "worse things to come" - that is hindsight based reductive nonsense. [/quote] I hear what is being said (and don't disagree) but do wonder at which point the line is drawn. We have statues of royalty and other figures (Thomas More, for example) who were responsible for acts of despicable cruelty, and we appear to venerate these people. Not advancing any theory and certainly not trying to be any kind of troll but there's a hypocrisy on some level. I also wonder what the Georgia Satellites would be doing about it, if they were still going.