chris_b

A trolley and a couple of bungee straps.

I've been sitting around for the last couple of weeks. Next week I start a run of 5 gigs in 2 weeks. We'll see if any of them happen.

A wise Dad. We should all buy the instruments that make us feel happy when we pick them up. If you start a practice session or lesson feeling happy you'll learn and achieve more, and that is what will get you the gigs. I've never joined a band because of my gear or sound. Only because they thought my playing would be a good fit. From my experience I know it's easier to play better when your confidence is pumped up because you bought the "right" gear.

What are you playing now? If the Viking has really grabbed your attention, you could use BD's finance schemes, or even get a bank loan. The bass will probably be sold by the time you've made the required amount out of the Lego lottery.

This.

IMO this the best solution for playing at home. Then you can play at any time of the day or night. I'm restricted to the mornings and early afternoons. The only reason I don't have a headphone amp is I have spent enough on gear and atm don't want to buy any more.

I use my gigging gear at home and get a much higher quality of sound than I would get if using a practise amp. Currently my home rig is a TH500 and 2 BF One10's. Even at front room volume levels I can get a sound every bit as good as the recordings I'm listening to.

I last adjusted my strap in 1973. . . . . . . . . . !

Saves wasting a lot of time and effort.

When playing repetitive lines for extended periods I always focus on the groove, ie not working on the notes but how to make them flow. I don't worry that there hasn't been a bass fill for 6 verses, just focus on reaching another level of groove. Merge with the drummer. Always assuming the drummer is playing well enough. When that comes easy then start adding flourishes. . . . . . or don't. What are you going to add that enhances the basic riff, that was good enough for a hit record.

If you play faster lines and don't rake you improve your right hand speed, accuracy and dexterity. I guess we should aim to play either way.

It might help with speed, but it's a good way to become familiar with all the notes in all the positions. That will enhance your accuracy and playing vocabulary should you choose to use those patterns in your playing.

So what comes first, stories, spelling, grammar? You can be illiterate and erudite but you don't see that too often. Literacy enhances how we talk, what we say and is critical for what we write. Same with music. You can write and play tunes with no theory, but to do it better and consistently takes knowledge. That knowledge is the theory, that is so easily dismissed.

While so many have spent the last 60 years slagging off "Pop" music, the reality is the production values of this "throw away" music was actually very high, as was the musicianship.

IMO they have all been good, but my current Aguilar AG700 is the best so far.

Rutgar Gunnarsson was a classically trained musician. His great playing and bass lines didn't come by chance. He was that good because he knew his theory.

Does that say what I think it says???

10lbs+ = you're kidding! 9.5lbs+ = very heavy 9lbs+ = heavy <9lbs = nice I have heavy bass and a nice bass. Just about hanging on to the heavy bass. It sounds fantastic, but some nights are a struggle. I could solve all my weight issues in one easy move, but I can't see me playing a Danelectro!!

If this is a one-off tribute gig, I wouldn't buy any gear for it. Get a regular Fender low mid sound and you'll be there.

If a combo is rated as 500 watts, that will usually be the rating after the addition of an extension cab. So the 500 watt amp will be putting out about 250 watts into the internal speakers. A modular system has big advantages, ie you only take what you need to the gig. Running a larger amp with the volume turned down won't mess up the sound, but running a less powerful amp with the volume on 10 will not sound good. It's better to add speakers if you want more volume, so a 4 ohm combo (if you can even find one) isn't a good idea because you can't add an extension cab. More speakers gives more volume, but IMO also gives a better tone compared to fewer speakers working twice as hard. I prefer to use separate amps and a variety of cabs because I can change the rig I take to a gig. Upgrades are simpler if you have separates.

It seems to me that the question is not "if" but "when". The virus is spread during the pre symptom phase so staying away from gigs is not going to be an effective solution. If you gig, work, shop, or just walk around the block you're likely to be exposed. My "medical" advice is that healthy people should carry on. Get exposed and get it over with. If you have underlying health problems isolate yourselves 100% for the next 6 months.

Since leaving Lakland, I haven't seen many innovative ideas from any of Dan Lakin's business enterprises. Those original basses were, and still are, exceptional. I wonder how much of the initial innovation came from Hugh McFarland! After Dan Lakin and his Dad dumped Hugh McFarland out of the company there has been very little ground breaking stuff.

For $3000 I'd rather be buying a bass from the guy that made it, rather than from a business man sitting in the middle.

If you really have to know the numbers you'll have to build your own cab. As a Barefaced user I don't need maths to tell me what I like about these cabs. I'll believe my ears rather than determining my sound by looking at a sheet of numbers.

I like it.