Bassalarky

Just to answer the question above, you certainly can connect the pickup directly to the output jack - a quick and effective way to reassure yourself that the pickup is working. You can measure capacitors with suitable meter but to be accurate you would have to remove it from the circuit anyway (or at least one leg). I'd suggest wiring the pickup direct, if that works wire the vol pot, if that works add the tone pot. Hope you get it sorted.

I normally go from 600 to 800, etc, up to 1500. Any coarser and I worry about sanding through... I guess it depends on how even the top coat is? I've done a few guitars but I'm certainly not an expert. ( I also find sanding quite therapeutic 😀)

My suggestion would be Meguiar's cutting compound and polish. It's for cars but works great on poly, acrylic or resin.

I'd suggest using a fine-toothed blade. I use an old table-top scroll saw and it works fine, I've also used a hand-held electric jigsaw with no problems. Also had good results from a small (1/4") template router bit for cutting out the pickup holes - I made the one you can see on my avatar pic. I finished the edges with and sanding block and sandpaper.

Have used both X18 and Ui16 with great success. Both benefited from an additional router as others have mentioned. The X18 has open-source software so there are an increasing number of apps you can use for control. The Ui16 makes it a bit complicated to save your settings - and easy to zero everything accidentally while you're looking! X18 also has only XLR outputs for Aux sends which is a bit odd - worth a check that you have the right cables/adaptors for sending to your drummer's in-ears!

Get to know the Tutors and absorb every ounce of knowledge and experience they have. That's why they're there. I taught Music Technology at Bristol College for many years and was always surprised how many students don't do this.

There are some looper pedals that might work, eg a jamman? You can build a library of loops - can be sounds, riffs, whole backing tracks or just click - at a preset tempo. These can be selected and started/stopped with pedal switches and even have the tempo adjusted by a 'tap tempo' function. On the better ones you can also split sounds and click to L/R outputs. You could also use a 4-way interface from the keys setup and use mainstage to send click on dedicated output?

This is also my approach 😀

Good luck! Ongoing drummer issues here since June.....

Bought a multi-fx pedal from Craig. Great communication. It was exactly as described, well packed and delivered quickly - great seller, recommended. Thanks Craig!

My bass has just a volume knob, sounds fine 😀 As others have said, maybe a touch 'wider' tone from the pickup (passive mm type) but there's plenty of tone control on the amp.

Seat of pants - short term, infrastructure and strategy - long term? Personally I prefer structure, tend to be better prepared in many ways but then I'm not much into improvising on the bass. Having said that, I've just taken 3 gigs in December with no planned rehearsals but good pay!

I saw them in Bristol a good few years ago - that was an eye-opener! They asked for volunteers for 'special' treatment in the dressing room after the gig.... I seem to recall Dave Coverdale showing off a boner during a Whitesnake gig in the late 70s.

A bit left-field but I had great success staining a maple top with black ink (the stuff for fountain pens). I think I used acrylic clear coat over it - was a while ago.

I'd go for red too!

Blu tack?

Originally it was Richie Blackmore. I saw Rainbow at Wembley Arena when I was around 16 years old and it just blew me away. Later it was Bruce Foxton as he first made me realise that playing the bass was even cooler than playing the guitar. He had so much energy in his sound but still carried the rhythm perfectly - all while singing backing vocals! I just wanted my bass to sound like his.

No 1 is closest for me but not so loud these days....

Been using a Soundcraft Ui16 recently with a very similar band setup. I found I needed to roll off above 5kHz drastically and reduce both high mids and below 100Hz in order to get the FOH to sound like the bass amp. This was DI from a TC450. Ymmv....

I'll second (or third!) that it could be worth loosening the neck bolts and shifting the neck. Worked a treat on my MIJ precision.

I was involved in a fair bit of 'world music' in the 90's but I've never seen one of those!

Another vote for the TC Spectracomp.

Maybe you could try some threadlock (or even clear nail varnish) on the saddle adjustment screws?

You're not alone! The gitwrist in my band (a leftie) has a few fenders but nine times out of ten he picks up his old Squier Affinity Tele. The rest of us think it sounds better too but that could just be cos he plays it better....