Leonard Smalls

Why thank you! It's all done with smoke and mirrors though... I'm currently wading through; standards seem to rise every month!

Managed to squeeze a short one out... Bit rough but not much time this month! And unusually, I've used the Sandberg. [url="https://soundcloud.com/dredd-and-the-badass-weed/ive-seen-the-light"]https://soundcloud.c...-seen-the-light[/url] And beware, it comes in fast and loud!

Parumpapumpum? [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kfdEyV3RQ[/MEDIA]

Personally, I wouldn't "check the local market" to see what punters like because I want to play what I want to play; if other folks like it that's a bonus! So I'd look for like minded others, and get them together for a jam. This is easier said than done, especially if you're in a very rural area like I am! I put an ad in our local listings mag - "The Broad Sheep" - for musicians to start a band somewhere between Parliament, Motorhead and Ornette Coleman. I got 1 reply from an appalling singer-songwriter, who was basically looking for an audience to play his "song" to (i.e. me), and from 2 blokes who wanted to start a Beatles tribute band... Now, quite a few years after just writing my own songs and ploughing my own little sad furrow, I happened to put my local village into JoinMyBand, and found a drummer and guitarist looking to form an originals band playing funky metal, influences Rage, Chillis etc. Then quite by chance - during a conversation at the butcher's shop - the drummer found a singer who'd just left a quite well established metal band. He'd left due to being a bored bored of playing straight-ahead metal and wanted something a bit more syncopated. So we're now jamming, and sounding somewhere between Primus, 24-7 Spyz and Skindred! We're expecting to take a lot longer than 6 months to get paid gigs! But we're rehearsing in my garage, so no rehearsal room fees, we've all got the kit and all are very competent indeed. So my advice - at least if you want to play your own stuff - is keep looking, keep practicing, and keep visiting your local butcher.

I use my FX loop as a means of blending the sound of the bass with the sound of the FX. And I'm about to try splitting that loop into 2 with a Palmer fx loop splitter so I can drive chains of FX cleanly, and also blend them with each other and the clean bass if needed. It's all an excuse for extra fiddling and twiddling!

One of my favourites, with glorious Flora Purim bassline: [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trbvx1U6Ry8[/MEDIA] Old Skool! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63I6XIZ0zp8[/MEDIA] Funky! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZX-VOcW2Qo[/MEDIA]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1488725704' post='3251299'] +1 ^ Run for president, Lenny; run for president. [/quote] I'm so tactful I could be the Queen!

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1488724791' post='3251291'] I'd certainly suggest that these monies are being used to pay for things like Trident missiles and submarines. There's an economy that would enable lower rates, I'm sure. T'aint easy, is it..? [/quote] I saw a post recently on Facethingy which suggested that the £100bn or so used to pay for Trident should in fact go to Children In Need, then the BBC could do a fundraisathon for Trident In Need!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1488716519' post='3251206'] Having owned a shop in the past, the rates was a very considerable overhead. It's like the Council is another member of staff - only that one doesn't do much. They don't even take much rubbish away. You have to take out a contract with a private company to get that done. [/quote] Aye! We pay £9k in business rates plus £8k to a private contractor to take our rubbish away. Still haven't worked out what we get for the rates: the new business help dept were deeply unhelpful, the road to our shop is maintained by Highways, there's no streetlights.

This would be my entry if it didn't contravene just about all the rules! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J1sOQdvudc[/MEDIA]

Lawks! Two very different winning offerings... Didn't think many would take to my rather odd, Trump-based noodling but thanks to all who voted - shame there's not more who do that thing! And congrats to Mr. Fingers - excellent song.

Funnily enough I've just joined my first metal band, and not only are they happy with my Wal, but they don't mind me playing funk and even disco bass lines!

A mate of mine from Frome managed to get in!

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:239255] Wal it Yammy FX7700 used as pre-amp and tuner, into ch.1 of DBX compressor, into 1990 Marshall Jubilee amp. FX loop goes into Bass Whammy, Darkglass tube distortion, 3 Leaf envelope follower and back into ch.2 of compressor. and then amp. Amp outputs into Markbass 2x10 and Precision Devices 15" in ancient Yamaha cab. Sounds pretty big and perhaps a touch weird!

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1487782523' post='3242860'] same line up? [/quote] Yup! Though we did used to have another guitar player (only Chris Hasket!) - but he went back to the US (we didn't need 3, and besides, he was too good for us!), and a keyboard player (Jay Rayner!), who went on to do less musical stuff. But we've got the original other 2 geetars, me, singer and drummer.

The Badass Weeds have been going since 1982!

I see your Mama Funk, and raise you a Nasty Gal [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf5NUBIcEyU[/MEDIA]

I was always a huge fan of the Monochrome Set with the great Andy Warren on bass... Shame they never made it big - they're still playing small pub venues! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jSqLJsDJgw[/MEDIA]

[MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PmQ3dFQvs[/MEDIA]

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1487075218' post='3236749'] I like unusual shapes for basses. That's why I have this. [url="http://s970.photobucket.com/user/gelfin5959/media/cDcIpYvh_zpsfup6ywfw.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] Me too- that's why I've got a Parker!

I like odd, but that Danelectro is odd but square at the same time. Saying that, I fancy a Warwick Spacebass!

I've rolled mine in as much glitter as it would stand, as well as a stain and 3 coats of varnish. And this is what happened! http://soundcloud.com/dredd-and-the-badass-weed/topsy-turvy

Have you optimised your PC for audio? [url="https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207355205-Optimising-your-PC-for-Audio-on-Windows-10"]https://support.focusrite.com/hc/en-gb/articles/207355205-Optimising-your-PC-for-Audio-on-Windows-10[/url] Are there any USB driver problems? Or perhaps a Presonus error? (Check via device manager, USB or sound or sound video, game controllers - there'll be a yellow exclamation mark) It could also be something like an input/output sample rate mismatch... Is the BIOS/chipset etc running the latest update? Or perhaps it's power saving that's causing the problem. Make sure it's not set to go to sleep, that the USB isn't set to turn off to save power, that USB selective suspend isn't on and that processor max/min power are both set to 100%. And finally, try a new USB cable!

I'm in the middle of something loud and shouty, featuring a guest vocal by Donald Trump and crazed "guitar" solo in a variety of largely unrelated keys...

[quote name='Grahambythesea' timestamp='1486230109' post='3230225'] Anyone who can get that good a tune out of those awful rubbery bass uke strings is probably miraculous! [/quote] Good player? Yes! Cool? No! They are not necessarily the same thing! This is cool: As is this: