stingrayfan

One of those ones where it starts off dire and ends up great. Played a locals pub in Surbiton. For first hour it was empty, despite posters and promotion. Then a rent a crowd appeared and piled onto dance floor during 2nd half. We kicked into gear and started playing all our big tunes back to back. It went crazy as a result and ended with one very attractive young lady dancing on a table in front of us. The lead singer says he's made a mental note of the image for recall later. Used my Yamaha BB614 and Trace combo which coped well but were farting a bit by the end. Stuck the Aphex Punch Factory on too which seemed to smooth things out. Really like my little combo, it's great for pub gigs.

I wonder how much of an Emperor's New Clothes there is with swapping out the bridge. I did it on my Yamaha (added a Gotoh) and I [i]think[/i] it's added sustain. But I wouldn't swear on it!

Really good pics.

[quote name='beerdragon' post='423536' date='Mar 2 2009, 07:02 PM']I saw a bass player in a band doing it the other week, every thirty seconds or during every number he would lick his plucking fingers, it got so i couldn't my eyes off him, pluck, lick pluck. don't know what it did to the strings. then i read in Mag today John Deacon did it to.[/quote] Sounds like OCD.

[quote name='bassicinstinct' post='429478' date='Mar 9 2009, 03:43 PM']Also be aware that the [b]absence[/b] of a demo CD is a very rapid way for the venue manager to get you [b]off [/b]the phone. If all your ducks are firmly in a row [b]before[/b] you make contact, it makes it much more difficult for them to come up with an "objection" to booking you. [/quote] +1 to that. You need to do a demo and have it on CD and online. Most pub landlords aren't that technical, so CD is best. Also CD will prob get listened to on a hi-fi, MySpace etc on crappy PC speakers. Would advise finding a little studio and spending the money getting a 4-track demo recorded properly - esp the drums and the vocals.

[quote name='Hoppo75' post='428590' date='Mar 8 2009, 02:19 PM']Trace Elliots 715 served me very well for years mate, although they don't make them anymore. You should find one if you search hard enough. I've had mine for best part of 18 years and very nearly sold it on this very forum, only for me to withdraw it 2 days later. Great little amp.[/quote] +1. The one I picked up from here is brilliant for pubs and small gigs. Get the 300w version if you can.

You're not going mad - I had the same thing with my Stingray, although it was more noticable at practice levels. Through an amp at a gig, you didn't really feel much difference. Swapped the pickup for a Nordstrand and the output's now much hotter.

[quote name='Gamble' post='368992' date='Jan 2 2009, 11:58 PM']Did anyone else know about this? I just tried to visit their website and was told the "Thank you for all the years of support. The OLP brand has been retired, starting in 2009." Seems a shame if you ask me, from what I could tell they were decent quality for the money.[/quote] Haha...now watch the scramble to get one by those who'd previously written them off as cheap copies. Nothing like a shortage/hint of collectability to create demand.

[quote name='yorick' post='424724' date='Mar 4 2009, 07:23 AM']Try out the Yamaha BB414. I use one for the more intimate stage size gigs and it's rather spiffing. The P+J pickup arrangement will suit pretty much anything and the neck is really comfortable.[/quote] +1. Very giggable.

Did a rugby club post-match gig which was going great... ...until my Trace head went up in a puff of grey smoke. The sound stopped, so I turned around to see smoke rising from the head. It was still on, just no sound coming out. Think the Mosfets must have blown. Luckily I had my Aphex Compressor in my bag, so I used it as a DI box and ran myself through the PA. Think it sounded ok out the front but was pretty crappy onstage, through the monitors.

NME's a bit like Radio 1 - you're sposed to find it annoying when you get over 30.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-Sets-Hartke-50-105-Bass-Guitar-Strings-Free-P-P_W0QQitemZ290297738624QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Guitar_Accessories?hash=item290297738624&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318"]Hartke @ £10 a set[/url], though they do come up cheaper often. I use these on all my basses now, great strings.

Ask at your local guitar shop - they should do it, or have the number of someone they use. Average cost is around £35 + strings.

Looks a bit desperate - but we've done worse! Did a 40th birthday not so long ago in middle of nowhere where the bar was dry and no-one got out of their seats. It was deathly.

[quote name='Andyalfa' post='420872' date='Feb 27 2009, 01:28 PM']One last question, is it worth signing up for an agency to get weddings/functions?[/quote] If you're doing it for money, yes. If you're doing it for fun, no. The gigs will often be miles away and you'll be treated like staff. My experience anyway. Worth signing up to the free wedding website though, if that's the sort of thing you're after. Defo need a good, professional looking website for weddings as a lot of couples now browse the web at work to find a band. If you just want pubs and parties, it is a marketing thing as rightly said above. It sounds like you're being a bit shy about spreading the word. Don't be! Posters, flyers, group emails, business cards, demo CDs, t-shirts, Facebook, whatever. Lots of people watch bands in pubs but only a small % will come and ask you what you're called or for the contact details. Make sure the band name is on the front of the kit. Get flyers on the table. It's all about creating a bit of a buzz around the band.

[quote name='Absolute-beginner' post='419927' date='Feb 26 2009, 10:45 AM']A guitarist and a drummer?[/quote]

America - when the £ against the $ was better. (my G&L bass) Otherwise: here (several basses, Trace Elliot stuff), online retailers like Absolute (leads, mixer etc), Ebay (odds and sods like strings) and Andertons in Guildford, Surrey (Yammy bass and Warwick cab - great store). There is a big guitar shop in my town but they're so aloof and overpriced, that I've stopped going in there.