bassjim

I have the 250 as a back up amp. I used it for all gigging whilst I was waiting for a HD350 replacement and its very plug and play.Good no nonsence does what it says on the tin. Considering how good the 250 is, and if you like the EBS sound,you simply cant go wrong with the 750. Seeing as its same amp but a few extra features and louder whats not to like? It is f***ing loud though (750). Not sure personally I need that kind of volume these days but if this is what you need that's what you're gonna get. Any one experienced any cab damage using this to dominate all in your presence?

I also think there are different levels of musicianship. From poor, un-experienced to well versed, experienced and popular......but if the passion to play music is there more than the desire to be popular then...... smells like a musician to me. Has to come from the heart in the first place I think.

For me a musician is someone that can draw inspiration from within themselves and create a part within the music that is being played. Regardless of genre. For example : Playing a cover of a Chaka Khan tune or a Beatles tune. Musician : Look at all aspects of the tune and regardless of what has been played on the record instinctively know weather to keep the notes exactly the same as the record or construct their own part. A musician would typically construct a part using some of,if at all, what has been played already, and naturally make it swing,groove, sit, whatever so that it becomes an integral part of the whole musical piece. Be able to add /subtract to the part on the fly whilst simultaneously keeping it a moving emotional experience for all listening to it. Non musician: Is incapable of any of the above. Has no musical drive or instincts. May even have all the theory in the world but no idea how to use it. Can copy parts parrot fashion but no awareness of other musicians "feel" or groove. Plays lack lustre always with no passion. Has no interest in playing about on chosen instrument of choice just for the simple pleasure of playing it. Has no ability to create. Probably has a guitar.

I remember a guitarist friend of mine brought round a DVD with him doing "You Aint Got No Groove" at some Bass Day event some 15-20? years ago. I thought this was really good. Since then apart from the occasional thing where he is actually playing bass in a band I'm kinda numb to it. Its the same thing for me if I see any band or artist regardless of genre playing virtuoso things for a long duration. However I would say this..... Early Level 42 stuff has loads of instrumental youthful testosterone fulled fast playing with lots of riffs glued together. Today I cant listen to it but as an 18 year old lad I thought this was very moving stuff. If I was 15 and just starting out on bass, I'd probably want to be the next VW and although I'd in all probability be nothing even close, he would be the Mark King of today that got me into playing in the first place. Maturing as a musician and as a person comes later. (although sometimes looking at my own performances I'm still working on that ) So yes its all very twing twang twong slappidy ping ...but for all the players new and experienced that find it inspiring its got to be a good thing overall. These days its players like Pino that inspire me.

Worst part about this whole gigging thing for me is the hanging around. I try to get to gigs as late as I can get away with. 9pm start = 8 pm at the earliest for me where ever possible.. If its one of them have to be there sooner like a wedding then its hell. Loads of time to start over thinking the tunes in the set that you went in your head " yep know that one.....err...hang on..what keys it in?" Answer is as advised above; to practice the material so you cant get it wrong is exactly the right thing to do. (providing you care enough).Plenty of distractions going on from arrival at the venue to start of the gig to help put your mind in the wrong state. Its ok to be nervous and worry about making honest mistakes but only if you can honestly say you did your homework and are not relying on the cosmic flow of the universe to guide you through the set.Man. I usually start to worry about the others to be honest..."is he going to do that embarrassing thing he always does, will she forget when to come in/shut up, will he get the tempo wrong, will that starship enterprise console of a keyboard rack crash....again........mid set, please god don't play the teddy bears f***ing picnic for the thousandth time in between numbers you muppet no one is impressed at all its like a form of musical tourette's, are you seriously wearing that?..." the list goes on...

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1471520708' post='3113614'] If you have to pay anyway, why not rehearse without your guitarist? A lot can still be achieved with the absence of a group member. [/quote] There is always this as well. Still productive, A chance to come up with some nice twists and turns with the rhythm section without the singer or gitard getting bored or bossy. You can take your time to sort out a possible groove problem. If its agreed in advance that is. I still insist however, if they cancel on the day.....they pay.

We have a rule: You cancel, you pay. Simple as that. The only sort of emergency that would be an exception would be some one known to a band member has died or an accident that has resulted in a broken limb. If your kids are sick then its ok to cancel but you still pay. We are a covers band so we always have a giggable set so its not like at this stage 4 years down the line we are short of material so its not a major disaster if we have a cancellation. We block book our place every other month or so to do new stuff, tweaking ect. But.........what must be taken into consideration: everyone will have taken time out to learn material for the rehearsal plus may have planned their week/work life around it. Its not acceptable for anyone in my book to simply blow it off cause they dont feel like it or are tired after work. I cant stand lame excuses and would rather people were just up front.."sorry guys but I'm just too knackered today and will be of no use". No problem...you pay. If a band member repeatedly didn't attend then said band member would need to ask themselves if they really have the time and energy to be in a band because I would be asking them the same thing.

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1470322197' post='3105136'] Set 1: 1. I predict a riot - Kasier Chiefs (C minor) 2. Are you gonna be my girl - Jet (A) 3. Dynamite - Tiao Cruz (C# minor) 4. Forget you - Cee Lo Green © 5. Moves like jagger - Maroon 5 (A minor) 6. Somebody Told me - The Killers (A minor) 7. Use somebody - Kings of Leon © 8. Saw her standing there - The Beatles (E) 9. Valerie - Amy Winehouse (Eb) 10. Last Night - The Strokes © 11. Get Lucky - Daft Punk (B minor) 12. Dakota - Stereophonics (E) 13. She's Electric - Oasis (E) 14. Parklife - Blur (E) 15. Happy - Pharrell (F) 16. Everlong - Foo fighters 17. Buck Rogers - Feeder (E) Set 2: 1. I gotta feelin' - Black Eyed Peas (G) 2. We found love - Rihanna (G# minor) 3. Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke (request) (G) 4. You really got me - The Kinks (G) 5. All day and all of the night - The Kinks (G) 6. Place your hands - Reef (D) 7. Disco 2000 - Pulp (F) 8. Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus (E) 9. Bet you look good on the dance floor - Arctic monkeys (F# minor) 10. Mr. Brightside - The Killers (D) 11. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon (E) 12. Chelsea Dagger - Fratellis (G) 13. Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams (D) 14. Livin' on a prayer - Bon Jovi (D minor) 15. All these things that i've done - The Killers (F#) 16. Locked out of heaven - Bruno Mars (C minor) 17.Don't look back in anger - Oasis 18. I'm a believer - The monkees I have played some of these before... I suppose if people are up dancing, I'll be happy enough. Just falling asleep with some of them, and the frequency of KOL and Killers. Two bands I hate. [/quote] its not as bad as i thought it would be. If like me you are a funkateer at heart then I can see how some of this looks. I made the most money,got the biggest audiences,got the best abroad gigs, made so many new friends,gained a regular gigging experience I never had before and met my fiancee' playing this stuff amongst other benifits over a four year period, yet it was playing the music i liked the least. Most of it was like this. Take the gig. You never know where it ends up. Try and go with it but never give up on your real musical passions.They will come....

can we see the set list? I/we know what you mean about some tunes.......they come on and you turn off. I always rewrite the bass parts to suit me more where ever possible and I encourage the rest of the band to do the same. Then they become our version of the song without it being too removed from the original. Unless its an integral part of the song or if I'm depping (wrong place to blow every ones mind) thats how i get round it. Its 20% of the set i dont like but I/we know these are the bread and butter tunes that without them there is no regular gig. If your band are pissing you off then think of it as a paid stop gap. Could be that perhaps a couple of the guys in the paid gig think like you and it could be the start of a new project. Its a good way out of the current band for you as well. "sorry guys but this is regular paying and the misses ....." No need for an argument or storm out. They may well give you some gip but if they are not gigging...... Use the extra cash for GAS!

i learnt stevie wonders do i do playing along to the record.This was long before the youtube army turned up to show us all how. I down tuned the E to an Eb (4 string bass obvs) but the A,D,G in standard tuning. Absolute bitch to learn. Got it sorted but couldnt get it exactly on the money.Then I sussed out Nathen Watts (i think it was him) tuned a half step down on the recording which makes this already challenging to play not half as much. So..... if all the tunes you play are a half step down, a 4 string is a lot easier (i find it to be) to get around on without the need for a 5. If you dont have any other bands or projects you do on a regular basis, get the bass action, intonation ect set up to compensate for floppy strings. Its also good practice to learn the same tunes in a standard tuning but a semi tone down. Helps if you find you need to change a key for a singer in the future . Win Win?

When i find my self in some rubbish rehearsal room with a rubbish supplied bass amp and cab, usually the cheap "affordable" end of a product line, regardless of what ohm rating the cab or how many watts the amp says it will do, its just inferior in every way to my gear. The OP asks if the sound desired can be got from a 2 x10 . I can , with the 2 x 10 I use, get the sound and volume I desire from my "upmarket expensive gear" in the same environment no problem, but the cheap stuff just aint got it. Another thing I would question is does the amp you're using actually do what it says on the tin? Personally I have spent many a gig staring at what is described on a web site as the best thing since sliced bread but no matter what i do with it, its weak with no body to the sound. Volume yes but no substance ( IMO!!!! trying to avoid a whole revamped debate here ). Mind you if the band are noise monsters, or I need more presence on a gig I'm gonna have to add a second cab to achieve the same effect. Regardless of where the ports are, my two pence worth is a well built and well researched cab in the more "professional" line, from MOST well known amp and cab manufactures will always get you closer, if not spot on, to where you want to be. The cheap stuff: you're pi**ing in the wind. It wont happen cause its not there in the first place. Invest and rest....

pure class. fantastic player and all round great guy.

There is a local venue to me........In a previous band I played in we were flavour of the month/year.Especially in this pub. We made demands such as "not only that much money but a free bar as well". They agreed to all of our demands even some Spinal Tap ones. When said band folded I went in there to ask for gigs for my new venture only to be told by the greedy bastard of a landlord that I would have to prove my/ my new bands worth first and play for £150.00 on a Sunday afternoon. I can understand a pub not wanting to throw £250 + at a band they have not heard of before and can even let this GBL have his point of view, but to not offer anything at all is out of order. If its hard to get gigs then I would offer the following: This is wot i done: Say Ok. To prove we are worth it...We will play for 1 straight hour and then go. If you punters like it and if you are busy you can pay a full gigs money to keep us there. The other bonus is you now know what we look and sound like. Hows that? In my case it was agreed and he paid full whack on the day.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1470217221' post='3104108'] Hi Jim - give some Hi Beams a go. I know they are expensive but for me at least, they keep their brightness far longer than Rotos. So where I was changing my strings regularly - I don't need to so much now so the difference in cost is now insignificant. I'm yet to find a string that I like more! Dunlop Super brights - I'm with you on those too! [/quote] Ok I will give em a go. next string order is next week so I will try em out. I tend to play a lot in between gigging during the week, rehearsals, practising ect as well so they get a hammering on and off the pitch. A lot of the gigs we play , especially as its summer, get really hot and sweaty so they are gonna get some gunk! I will, as ever , share my thoughts post gigs.....

@ £12.00 a set I'm using roto cheapest nickels. New set pretty much every gig as i like new strings so I'm changing them every week sometimes even twice a week if its two sweaty gigs back to back. As much as every one raves about DRs, and I'm sure I would like em, it worries me that they would go dead too quickly and at the prices they fetch so for now I'm sticking with the cheapest. I like the feel and my sound with them so maybe I'm just lucky? I will take a punt on different strings from time to time but always come back to the Roto cheap nickels. I honestly prefer them. The Dunlop super brights I thought were rubbish.

thanks every one. This weekend just gone on two separate gigs, I mostly used less of it. Its on the amp (EBS 350). I found I had better control of my dynamics when the band was playing and could hear the D and G strings much better without having to "fight" for em. On its own about half way up is where I've been using it out of habit so I know where I am as a refrence. Until further notice I am going to use less of it because its become a sort of a new toy to play with if you see what i mean? When I get that situation where something improves dramatically by adding more (what ever that may be. The room acoustics,drummer eating a biscuit ect) I will make a mental note. I can report back and see if I have won a prize if you like but till then on this subject.... Thanks for every ones help and opinions. Can I sum up: its a handy thing to have and horses for courses.

would it be better for metal? Room I played in this Saturday night just gone.....wouldn't have made a difference what cable, wireless, unicorn hair ect the leads were made of. Nasty boomy concrete box...

Any one got into trouble blowing speakers by removing it?

Thinking about turning the compression off altogether this weekend. Its one of those features I just started using a long time ago via a pedal but for the past 5-6 years, as its built into the amp I use, its there so it gets a turn. I've always backed it off the louder it gets as it kills the dynamics but this weekend I'm thinking about turning it off all together. I wonder if within the first two songs its back on? I shall find out starting this evening....... Am interested in any views for and against on this very subject..

Having already gone down this road before in relation to is it really worth IEM for pubs, there have been some very strong cases for using them. If you really want to go this way then the PA needs to be up to it so possibly now instead of taking your amp you are replacing it with bigger PA. You have to ask your self : Who's moving that about then? As already said up here the whole band needs to be actively enthusiastic about it as its also not with out its problems. I did try it out, albeit in a rehearsal and once on a gig plus with not exactly the best in ear pieces , and although I was biased against it to begin with I am personally even more biased against it now. However I think its a safe argument that if someone like EBS Freak turned up to do the sound for my band armed with all his gear and experience using it. I bet it would indeed be great. As this is never gonna happen and I could find myself playing for many different bands between now and death, I'm gonna hang on to my amp for now

I wonder if any venues would enter into a contract with any band to say: in the event the use of the limiter causes any damage to the bands equipment due to the improper positioning, inaccurate calibration ect ,they will be responsible for repairs,replacements and any subsequent need to hire equipment. Unlikely I imagine! Also I wonder if you would have a case to make a claim on yours or their insurance in such an event? Would you be within your rights a perfomer to make the venue aware you will seek damages if this were to happen? Hmmmm......