chris_b

IMO adding a non-Sadowsky pickup might work against the existing pickups and you'll end up with less rather than more.

The size of a speaker means nothing. The sound depends of something like a dozen different parameters and the box. Also depends on the volume. A speaker being driven at 50% will sound better than the same speaker being driven at 100% and a cheap speaker won't sound as good as a well made, more expensive, speaker no matter what size it is. IMO even with a quiet jazz drummer a 10" will sound better than an 8" speaker. You're happily using a 25watt combo, so I'd suggest you get another combo, the same as your current one.

Talk about making a simple job complicated!!

Not a good idea, in my book. If 3 pickups sounded better, Roger Sadowsky would have already done it.

The 3 bassists who started me off were Bill Wyman, John McVie and Duck Dunn. After that it was Tommy Cogbill and Jerry Jemmott. These days Nathan East and Reggie McBride.

Do you make 5 string basses, under 8bs?

IMO all basses, amps and cabs have a sound. The art is matching these components so they compliment each other, and make you sound like you want.

I spent 8 years in a cover band in the early 10's and we never rehearsed. When the band leader wanted to put in a new song he emailed us with an MP3 or YouTube link. We learnt the song and gigged it the following week. This rehearsal business is very overrated.

double post!!

The comfort of my hands, arms and wrists determines the length of my straps.

Old school??? Whipper snappers.

Why have a fixed number? Put 10 songs on the list, start at #1 and work your way through. You might have 3 or 5 or all of them under your belt by the end of the day. The secret of good rehearsals is to turn up knowing the songs.

It was worth saying twice.

I've played at many weddings. The one thing many bands don't realise, at a wedding you are playing to guests, not an audience. They are not there for you, and what you play only had to keep multiple generations happy and on the floor. Modern or old fashioned is irrelevant if they are dancing and enjoying themselves.

This happens a lot in the music business. The business side thinks it knows more about the music than the musicians do. What is the significance of 8? I think you know your business better than anyone else. You are seeing the response, what is the feedback you are getting on the gig?

I guess it's old technology now, but we record everything we're interested in on a hard drive recorder. I haven't seen an advert in 15 years.

Popularity always requires talent of one kind or another. There are very few popular and untalented people in the entertainment and music business. As usual, other peoples' preferences are being dismissed.

I agree. The volume thing has gone crazy. It always surprises me how many audiences put up with it. I play with a couple of blues rock trios and my amp for those gigs has more watts than my first 3 bands put together. I'm also using industrial strength hearing protection when playing with those guys.

IMO cheap supermarket beer is in the process of killing live music.

Even supporting members can donate a little extra to keep us ad free.

RP's a monster. The left hand is pretty straightforward, but I can never get the right hand technique working.