Dr.Dave

It's done a few shows now , thought I'd give an update on it. It's awesome - sounds a toss off word but I can't think of a better one. I've gotten used to it's weight - light it aint - and the sound...well. I've had to drop the bass side of both pickups - to save lives! - it has so much power and tone available. Rolling the pup swing forward towards neck pup only is scary. Like my previous Status it's a breeze to play , the neck is a little less flattened out too which is more comfortable to me. Long story but I took a train to the gig last night - the ZZ trib band. I took the Status rather than the Epiphone Explorer I use for the trib because it's easier to carry. The difference it made to our sound was a revelation. It's also fattened up Dr Blue. My Shuker bolt on is a bit 'stingray growly middley' - which it what it's supposed to be - but the raw power of the Status fits our sound better. It's rapidly becoming my fave bass. I'll wait til we have some kind of gigging break before sending it of for the side LEDs. Can't bare to be without it at the mo and that's from a bloke with a custom Shuker and a vintage P. Just took this - sorry about the flash reflections. If I shuffle off this mortal coil you can tell everyone I died a happy man.

I've been playing bass in local bands since I was 17. I'm now 45. Although I've tried 5 strings and fretless I'm essentially at home on a fretted 4. I sing too so playing being second nature is important and it never happens with a 5. These days I play fingerstyle almost 100%. In earlier rock band years I used a pick. I've done a little slapping on demos and home recordings but it just doesn't excite me. I have huge admiration for those who took the trouble to become competent slappers but I didn't. I'm in 2 bands , featuring the same 3 people. A blues band that tries not to be just another pub blues band , and a ZZ Top trib band. I'm a huge fan of the music we play - or I wouldn't be involved - but my musical taste is usually more towards intelligent , adult pop. My technique isn't brilliant - I'm right hand heavy and my left hand isn't open enough (I play right handed). I've been around a long time though and , like anyone who's done anything for a long time , I'm pretty good at what I do. I do not have a 'gift' for it. I worked and practised hard esp in the early years and if I have a lay off of a few weeks my playing suffers. I'm an advocate of first and foremost supporting the song I'm playing. I left being flash behind in my toy box years ago but I'm glad I learned enough to be flash - I still show off an odd trick when my mates are in though! if I have a problem it's with concentration. I tend to get carried away being an entertainer and often drop a howler because of it. I've never been one to stand still at the back of the stage and never will be. My influences tend to be musicians , entertainers and songwriters - it's that that got me interested in playing myself - so I'm not one for bass playing heros. I did however learn much from watching and listening to Jim Lea of Slade , Geddy Lee and certainly not least steady old John McVie. The fact that other musicians that I admire rate my playing enough to want to make music with me has been one of the best ongoing experiences in my life , and the fact that my hobby/interest/life choice , whatever you want to call it , has made me money over the years is a wonderful bonus for which I consider myself blessed. It feels like a tangible reward for the efforts I've made and a 'thankyou' from the people I've entertained. My advice to young players would be - if you're being paid (even is it's just a tenner and a free pint) , that makes you a professional ..so act like one. And , if you stay fit and well . don't stop. Ever.

It must be right cos it was on 'How' years ago !

[quote name='Merton' post='40085' date='Aug 1 2007, 04:55 PM']Been told by my chiropractor I'm actually right hand-dominant, which makes sense. Can't play bass left-handed at all, or squash.[/quote] Right - I'm a Doctor , me , so I know these things. Without thinking about it , clasp your hands together like you were praying but with your fingers wrapped round to form a balled double fist. Which thumb is on top? That's your dominant side. If you have the other thumb on top it feels uncomfortable. If they both feel OK you're ambidextrous. As to the 'which hand do you masturbate with' test - got me thinking...... If you lie on your arm for a bit before you play bass - does it feel like somebody else is playing it ??

I had a GK combo - same head as the 400RB. Loved it but it got tatty and had to go. Of late I've been using an 400RB Mk3 head I bought used - it was meant to be a short term thing until I got something more powerful and 'hi-fi' sorted. I got an Eden , didn't care for it - tried an EBS , didn't care for it , a Mark bass , didn't care for it - so I came up with the correct solution for me...and bought a new Mk4 !! It's core sound is very me , it's facilities are handy and it didn't cost a packet. Be nice if it had a tuner out on the back too but the tuner in on the back of my Korg is knackered so I just link it at the front which looks a bit scruffy in the rack. That's the only crit I can think of.

Thanks for all your comments. I do like the idea of it being a Stuker - even better , a Stuka !!! The painting behind me I got at a craft fair a bit back - no idea what it is but Mrs Doc et moi both went 'I like that' at the same time so we bought it.

It cost £250 - though would have been much less if I hadn't wanted the high gloss finish. No plans to upgrade the EQ...............................................for the mo!! I am going to send the neck off to Sims for side LEDs though , probably fairly soon. I spoke to them and can keep the cost down by doing the final wiring myself , doesn't seem too difficult.

Anybody remember this??.... It's the Status series 3000 I picked up off the bay for a reasonable ammount of brick early this year. Anyway - Mr Shuker has had it for the past few months but inally got it back today with it's nice new top. It's spalted beech - the bit of maple we chose was gouged by a faulty machine. I hated it's MFI look and the top covers the nasty dings that used to be in the body. I like the high gloss finish too. Next stage is sending the neck off to Sims to have side lights installed. Here it is today.

if anyone here buys it for the pups/bridge only , I'll give them a fiver for the 4 grub screws in the head end string retainer.

Hofner Violin Bass Fender Precision * Hofner somehing or other Fender Musicmaster Gibson Grabber Hohner B2 Antoria Precision defretted another Gibson Grabber Fender Telecaster bass* Status Energy Fender Jazz KGB 5 Shuker Custom * Status Energy 5 Shuker Fretless * Epiphone Explorer * Status series 3000 * Still got the * Amps? You name them - I've blown them up! Eden's,GK's,Hartke's,Marshall's,TE's....don't have much luck on the amp front.

Welsh T himself will only have 75% of your worries, the great man being ...er....digitally challenged!!! I'll give you a 10 min break on Sun aft. you poor old soul , so long as you put some chalk marks on the triumph!!

[quote name='finnbass' post='33199' date='Jul 17 2007, 06:50 PM']Dave, that stuff sticks like sh1t to a blanket. You will have to chisel your amp out of the rack case even if you do tape it all up.[/quote] Just tested it by sticking a sandwich bag in an envelope and squirting it in. Buggered off and had some nosebag - when I returned a nice , solid , sandwich bag enclosed, lump of expanding foam came straight out of the inside of a spotless envelope. I'm tempted. Even though my butty went stale in the fridge. Maybe I should have used a new one.

[quote name='five-string.co.uk' post='32885' date='Jul 17 2007, 09:46 AM']As far as the insided is concerned, i've fitted a little battery powered LED (camping) light into the roof of my larger rack case. This serves as a great light source to prevent 'mole-eyed-squinting' on stage. Do a search on the 'bay for one. Hope i've helped, Greg [/quote] I already use one of those plug shaped baby night lights that go straight into the 4 gang. Quid from Wilkinson. Point is ,if the insides of racks were white we may not need to. I hadn't thought of the 'insulator' effect of using foam. Underneath though wih a fan side mounted?? It won't be messy or spoil the amp/rack because I had a further idea of squirting it into a pre positioned cheap sandwich bag. Anyway I'm glad of the input - any more reasons why it might be a crap idea?

I was putting the new gear in the new ABS 4u yest. The amp is well off the bottom and I was wondering what to pack the space with to reduce the strain on the front. Ideal material would be light,cheap,strong,easy to install and fit perfectly. Brainwave..... why not cover the amp and rack surfaces with low tac tape to protect them and squirt some builders expanding foam into the gap. The stuff they fill door/window frames with. Weighs nothing,it's strong when set,exact fit,piss simple to get in the right place and cheap as chips. So long as you avoid getting it near fans or other orifices can anybody think why that's a really sh*t idea before I try it? While I'm on. I can see why rack's tend to be black - but where is it written that the inside should be black too. Why not white so we can see in the back better.

As promised - here's the new 'A' rig. The Mark Bass amp , bought from our very own Rohan , arrived this morning and now it's in the rack along with the korg tuner and AT wireless receiver. The Ashdown 2x10 compact , freshly ebayed - pairs up with my existing 1x15 compact. Sounds great in the house - chance to test it all out in anger on Friday in York. At the pub venue where something bad always happens to me!!! On the half rack blank plate is an old Ashdown name plate , just because it was laying about. I'm thinking of half rack FX or a straight half rack compressor to fill it properly. All suggestions welcome.

Just bought a Mark Bass head from Rohan. He know's how to pack stuff up well I can tell you. He even sorted , and paid for , the delivery - despite me doing all that being the deal we'd agreed. Top man in my opinion - Thanks Rohan for a great bit of kit.

Just to be a sort of fly in the ointment... We did a festival type gig a bit back ago and forgot to load my 1x15 , leaving just my mini 48. What was in the trailer were 2 turbo sound bass bins from our PA which weren't needed that day so I hooked up one of those. Got a phenomenal sound!! It was a one off though. Horses for courses generally and sure you could find a scruffy old bass guitar cab that the great unwashed can spill their pints on.

Nice to see a 'different' Fender. So different I've never actually seen one except in pics. I like it's quirky look - reminds me of the Parker Fly's in a way.

[quote name='nottswarwick' post='31662' date='Jul 14 2007, 07:38 AM']what is your new rig to be , Dave?[/quote] Ashdown cab wise ,out goes the mini 48 to be replaced by a just aquired 2x10 compact paired with the existing compact 15. In the 4u ABS rack in my kitchen sits the Audio Technica wireless reciever - awaiting installation of my existing Korg tuner and the Mark Bass old style Little Mark I just bought here. The GK 400RB head will live in a 2u rackbag and stay home with the mini 48 for small gigs, maybe paired with the compact 15 again if they're not that small. I'll tune with the Korg AX300b multi FX with this rig and use a couple of the patches. I'm looking at half rack multi FX to fill the gap in the 4u. The big GK 1001rb head get's sold. It's really a variation of the 2 rig system I almost had completed when some theiving pikey scum relieved me of it.(that was Hartke 3500/korg tuner(the one you sold me!)/zoom FX -racked- and the huge Ashdown 15+2x10 cab) 'B' rig had to be adapted and pressed into service for everything. (the 400RB,tuner,compact 15 and mini 48). It's been so good it's taken the bigger gigs we're doing now with the trib band to feel the need for change. Pics will be forthcoming !!!!

I feel like an intruder on this forum - FX and me never having had that much time for each other. I use a bit of slow chorus from time to time , and recently a touch of overdrive/distortion for the ZZ trib band. I've always been a fan of the octave pedal when playing fretless up the dusty end too. I'm also pig idle. How many gigs I must have done with the pedals still in the gig box. I'm always scared of batterys going , wary of those thin, piddly adaptor cables and I can't bare the lead in front of me anyway - tripped once too often. Anyway - my new trib band rack is almost complete and it has a half rack space left. Looking around I see a few Boss half rack units , ranging from the older SE50 to the newer VF1. I've no interest in tap dancing with midi pedals etc , just want a few basic presets that I've ...er...preset(!) that I can't NOT use because they're already powered up in the rack. So - anyone use or used these units , comments please - anyone got a half rack alternative for a tight arsed dinosaur?