chris_b

The F1 was the only amp I've owned in the last 10 years that I didn't like. I thought it sounded sterile and lifeless. IMO my LM2 was far better. Neither amp is made anymore but there are plenty of Markbass amps to try that will sound pretty good.

Hurt his feelings. Tell him to stop or he's fired.

Your brain knows how to climb a mountain, even when you're walking on the flat.

Neither am I and I'm currently having lessons. My first ever, and after more than 50 years of playing! We're not talking about a comprehensive musical education. I asked my teacher for help to dig me out of the rut I was in. It was a good rut. Everything I have been asked to play has fitted right in. Even so, I have always been aware of my limits and limitations and finally decided that I needed to make the effort to move beyond them. A 5 min talk opened the door to a new way of thinking. Now we're working on my repertoire and the brain and fingers are starting to catch up.

I'm sure there are. Take no notice of me. As I said in my post, I just don't have the mind-set to be a collector.

A back up amp and dirt in your sound are 2 different things. Get a good second amp and a pedal that works with any amp you buy.

I look at all those basses and think, "You could have bought a really great bass with what you spent on that lot!"

I own 3 basses.The only piece of gear I own that doesn't pay its way is the P bass, that bought new in 1969. Everything else is here to work. The other 2 (PJ5 and J5) are my go-to basses. If I find a better bass than the one I'm using I'll buy it and the old one either gets sold or becomes the backup. If the new go-to bass doesn't work out I'll sell it and go back to the old one. I'm not a collector.

Love this. . . . . . . and this

Don't rub it in!!

You don't need to reproduce 30hz in order to get a great sound out of a 5 string bass. SVT810's cut off at 40hz and so do many other cabs. 5ers can get a good solid tone , at high volume, out of most cabs. You want low end without mush? All the top quality cabs should do that, if you EQ them right. BF cabs will always be capable of performing towards the top of that list.

Hey Higgie, nice playing. I was slow off the mark for that bass. Sounding good.

Don't count, learn how to feel a triplet and all it's variatiuons.

In the last 10 years I've only played Bergantino and Barefaced. The Berg tone was particularly impressive and I felt I'd reached a whole other level in bass sound when I got them. IMO my Barefaced cabs are another level again, they are monsters for sound and get even more positive comments than my Bergs did, and they generated a lot of praise. IME people do notice the bass player, if you sound good enough! The BF cabs are lighter and I need fewer of them to cover all levels of volume that I require. If my rig was stolen I'd happily replace it with either, but a BF rig would be at the top of the list. I'd expect all of these cabs to sound totally different to your Markbass rig. You might find that a little off putting, maybe not, but the difference will be very noticeable. IMO the difference was a revelation to me and the extra tone and clarity gave my bass playing a boost. I've not heard an amp that didin't sound good through either Bergs or BF cabs. You can go down to Brighton and try Barefaced cabs in the factory. If they have a demo unit on the shelf you can borrow it. You can send the Barefaced cabs back if you don't like them. You can't audition the other cabs and you'll be stuck with them if you change your mind. I'm sure that if I heard one I'd love the VDK. At this level there are no bad cabs, just preferences. PS Sorry, but Barefaced cabs are not flimsy. Don't confuse light for "flimsy". They are as solid as any standard designed cab. If you are careless enough to damage a BF cab you'll have done more damage to a regular cab. I carry all my gear and don't have access to roadies. In 10 years my cabs have never even been scratched. Good covers and care are all that is needed. my 2p

Gigs I love? I love playing in big fields. Open air festivals, that is. Big stages, big sound systems, big stage sound, captive and appreciative audiences and you also get to see some great bands on the bill. We were booked to play one early this year that was washed out and had to be rescheduled but I haven't been rained on at an open air gig in a few years.

Call me boring, but black with silver cloth would still be my finish of choice and, after several years, the tolex is still fine on all my cabs. I'm using two One10's for practice at home. One sounds good but even at front room volume levels two still sound so much better!

There are 3 solutions: play sitting down, fix the bass to a stand so that you don't have to hold it at all, or (the best) buy a lighter bass. It doesn't matter how good this bass sounds, if you can't carry it for a whole gig then you have to sell it. The biggest/best strap in the world will just move the weight around, so that's not a solution. One thing is certain, there are plenty of great sounding basses out there that weigh 4kg or less. You've just got to find the one that sounds right to you.

What did your gear sound like then?

I don't sweat much and wash my hands before every gig. I can't remember ever cleaning strings. I change my strings every 12 months, whether they need it or not. That's enough maintenance for me. I don't particularly like the "zing" of new rounds. My DR Lo-Riders have been on since last Christmas and are just coming into their prime.

The pattern is the thing to grasp. 7/4 can be 4, 3 or 3, 4 or 2, 3, 2 or 2, 2, 3 etc etc. The drummer can also be playing a different pattern over the rest of the band. I know a drummer who likes to mess with bass players and could come out of a clatter around the kit into a snare on 1 and 3 pattern. It always surprised me how many bass players fell apart when he did that. The dangers of following the drummer rather than relying on their internal clock.

If they let you into their band you must be doing something right. You don't count 5 in Brubeck's Take Five, it's 3 and 2, so break the rhythm into manageable chunks. Also, every weird time signature has a pattern. Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers is in 11/8. The count is 3, 3, 3, 2 but when the bass starts this pattern in the intro no one's counting 11, they've just got the bass riff in their heads. Then again this drummer could just be playing 4/4 and throwing the beat around, accenting different parts of the beat. Feel the pulse and even if you get lost in the bar, always know where the 1 is. This drummer will have phrases and "tricks". When you've worked those out you'll be fine. I wish I was playing with a drummer like this again. Keep doing what you did in the audition.

All components other than the strap locks can make a difference to the sound of a bass. Depends how the instrument is made and what it's made out of. So bridges don't always make a difference to the sound, but can make a difference if there is a difference to be made. Some people will hear that difference and some won't.

IMO you can do better than both these combos but at this point in your playing career it's not worth selling one for the other. As you already own an amp that can make you sound good and being a "new" player, I would advise you keep what you got (forget what you sound like. . . it's good, believe me) and spend your time improving your playing and technique. Your idea of a great sound will change in time and there are plenty of options at the next level, Save your money for when you get there.

IMO the first couple of Robert Cray albums were the best. Keb Mo, Jon Cleary and Bonnie Raitt have moved on a little but can still come up with great blues songs. The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Robben Ford are always class acts. Lucky Peterson can be a bit hit and miss but there are some cracking tracks on youtube. Bobby Bland's albums Dreamer, California Album and Reflections In Blue and his 2 Together albums with BB King are essential blues listening.