SteveXFR

I need to learn to add more interest to my bass parts. When we're jamming ideas in the rehearsal room, I keep it simple and solid and tell myself ill add to it later but then never get around to it. I need to be a bit more lively on stage as well.

Classic rock radio stations who play "all the classic hits from the 60's, 70's and 80's" All of those stations have around a dozen songs they play on repeat and all of them have the same dozen songs. There are hundreds of songs they could play that fit their description but nope, they're all playing that same dozen songs over and over again only broken up by adverts for funeral plans, over 60's cruises and incontinence pants because they know their listeners aren't young.

I bought my daughter a Boss chorus for Christmas. Playing her Jazz bass in to MXR overdrive in to the chorus sounded amazing.

What style of music do you play? Lots of chorus sounds like it would be something very specific like shoegaze, post punk or alt rock.

Im afraid a lot of us are using that signature sound.

It looks like Warman don't make a 5 string soapbar although their website doesn't give any dimensions

They're actually not but this reminds me that it does have a pair of pickups from my old Zephyr. They are standard size but the 4 string International has 5 string pickups

I want to upgrade the weedy pickups in a 90's Peavey International with something with a bit more punch but want to keep costs down so thinking of the cheap Wilkinsons. Are they likely to be worth trying? https://reverb.com/uk/item/26036585-wilkinson-mwjh5-5-string-soapbar-passive-bass-humbucker-pickup-black

I played a sludge metal gig through an Elf once. My Orange wouldn't work when I got to the venue but the sound tech had an Elf so I used it. It was perfectly decent and survived 45 minutes at max volume which a lot of amps wouldn't do without overheating. Not bad for a compact head.

In my old style metal band Spector Euro 4 LX with eq centred both pickups on full. Two Notes Revolt on the dirt channel at 3/4 gain and mids boosted. Ashdown ABM600 with EQ flat and GK CX115 & CX210 cabs I tend to play lots of power chords or just very fast Lemmy inspired lines. With this set up I get a really nice tone almost like a cranked valve amp but without the maintenance bills or back injury. Im trying to work out my sound in my stoner/grunge band. I seem to be going towards my Yamaha BB with just a little dirt on it.

We bought my daughter a HB copy of a PRS guitar last year and its great. She was loaned a budget PRS (double the price of the HB) for a few months and preferred the HB. The only issue with it was the neck was really dry when it arrived but a couple applications of lemon oil and it was sorted.

Dopesmoker - Sleep

It was active and terrible. Decent quality paint but thats the only positive I can think of.

I really didn't like my Squier Affinity Jazz. It had sharp frets, tuners made of cheese and I could just never get it to play nicely. Without doubt the worst bass Ive owned. Id recommend looking for a used Ibanez SR305. You'll easily find one in budget and they're not just good for the price, they're just really good. They're light, comfortable, nice narrow neck and a big range of available tones. Peavey International V is also excellent but not too common. Surprisingly nice bass and I managed to find one for £150

After selling all my gear last year, all my gear has been bought this year. The worst is easy, a Fender Mexican standard Precision. I think it was just a bad one, I've had a few before but this one just sucked. I couldn't get a decent setup on it and it always sounded weak so its gone now. Best purchase is either my Spector Euro 4 LX which sounds incredible and is really nice to play and was a great price or my Yamaha BB1100S which I picked up for £450 and is the nicest playing bass I've owned and sounds great.

Mine is my lightweight bass! Its definitely lighter than my Spector and doesn't neck dive.

I took my BB1100S to band practice for the first time. We're playing something between stoner metal and grunge so pretty noisy and nasty. The BB actually sounded better than my Spector. Played through an Ashdown ABM600 and Gallien Kreuger CX212 & CX115 cabs, it had a nice growl to it and loads of bottom end with a nice midrange punch. I had it set to active with mids boosted and both pickups plus a bit of drive on the amp.

Im going to see them in April. What could be better than simple riffs and pointy hats?

I know some Red Fang is tuned really low, possibly A# and Green Lung mostly use C

He can play slap but chooses not to and for that reason alone, he's alright.

Thanks. I like a bit of Fu Manchu. Id just assumed they'd be in C

In the past Ive always tuned down to C or lower for anything heavy. I know where im going when its low but the guitarist im playing with now doesn't want to tune more than a semitone below standard. Its a new challenge for me so ill give it a bash but I need some inspiration. Classic 70's and 80's stuff doesn't really do anything for me (Sabbath being the exception) and were not going to be playing thrash, death or black metal. Has anyone got any recommendations for doom and stoner metal in standard tunings? All I can find is Clutch

I think one of their strengths is a broad range of influences. The one influence they all share is Muse but between them, theres everything from classical to Napalm Death. That and all of them absolutely love playing music. They're working hard, hopefully they'll get somewhere with it but for now, they're loving what they're doing.

50 million year trip - Kyuss

My daughters band, Butane Skies have just released their second single. It may have been written, first performed and released at Christmas but it is absolutely, definitely NOT a Christmas song. Third single coming very soon The cover art is by the singer/guitarist and all done by an actual human, not AI