derrenleepoole

The transposition capability of the app is an absolute life safer too, perfect for lazy people like me

We use a website called [url="http://www.northwestbands.co.uk/"]http://www.northwestbands.co.uk/[/url] - obviously you're in Oxford, but I do know many of the gigs we've had have come from venues who use and who are listed on this site. There may well be a sister site for more areas, so check it it out

I haven't done it myself, but my good friend is a guitarist who has done this for about 10 years, and from his experiences and tales it boils down to: 1. a worthwhile experience in the short term as you'll see new places all over the world as part of the job 2. you'll meet loads of new people 3. you're playing skills will grow dramatically through constant playing 4. you will get drunk a lot 5. you'll put on weight as a result 6. cabin fever will eventually kick in and the job may become too much 7. it can lead to other music shows across the world if your playing is really good 8. it could destroy your musical soul and leave you never wanting to play again

[quote name='51m0n' post='797405' date='Apr 6 2010, 12:14 PM']This guy has been around a lot longer than Les I'm afraid....[/quote] Not familiar with him I have to say, but I have heard of the group... [quote name='Chris2112' post='797428' date='Apr 6 2010, 12:32 PM']With half the talent, yes! This guy is a great player. I like the video on youtube where he shows you some of his bass collection. I'm sure it includes Warwick, Kubicki, Spector etc etc...very good taste![/quote] I'm sure he is a good player, but talent is subjective at best. One man's meat is another man's gravy as they say

Hasn't Les Claypool been doing stuff like this since forever?

There are variations of guitars like this dotted all over eBay. This is a Roberts model: In defence of the Sinsonido, it is a superb travel bass, but you'd never really use it for any other purpose in my experience..... The Roberts and Skylark look like they'd suffer serious neck dive due to the large headstocks and comparatively light bodies.

+1 on the MB CMD121P, I've owned one but they're a very clean sound which might not be to your tastes... or a cheaper alternative is the new Ibanez Promethean range, which I have and is rather good.

The powerblocks are fantastic amps and I wish they'd make one for bass, even though they work fine for them anyway! I bought one for £50 new a few years back and stupidly sold it

Nice shout out about this gig mate, it was great. A really nice and cosy affair with lots of chat and banter between both John Etheridge and Yolanda Charles with the audience. Even got to me Yolanda at the end. She's such a good player and can groove for England! The recording I did of the gig came out excellent too, now I've got to edit it

This is also a John Etheridge gig, so should be a blast. See you there PS, I'll be the nerd recording it with my Zoom H2...

Nice one, might toddle on over

La Bellas are simply superb strings. I quite often buy sets from the US in pairs off eBay as it can work out cheaper than buying a single set here in the UK. Just takes longer to get here that's all... The 115's are heavy strings. I've found La Bella's to be a very taught string and feel heavier than they are. So sticking around the 105 range is probably a good bet.

Don't forget that some cabs are not that efficient either. So even if you have a setup which gets you full power from an amp head, albeit with a single 4 ohm or two 8 ohm cabs, the volume they give out will vary considerably. The general conceived wisdom to bare in mind is this, more speakers will move more air, and will give a 'perceived' increase in volume and will help carry tone and sound better. This is not always the the case, but it's a good thing to keep in mind when looking for particular setups. Also, having two 8 ohm cabs and head setup will probably give you more headroom for much clearer and stronger tone, not necessarily more volume - this will also help in getting you heard just as well without being 'more' loud. If that makes sense....?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ashdown-Mag-600-Bass-Amp-and-Cab_W0QQitemZ110510697674QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL?hash=item19baf36cca#ht_500wt_947"]This[/url] Ashdown is on eBay at the moment. With this setup you'll get 300 watts out of the 600 watt head. But you can always add another cab when funds permit. It's right at the top of your budget though.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='789916' date='Mar 29 2010, 08:51 PM'] Come again? [/quote] What's your budget and ideal bass player's tone, someone you admire? Let's see if we can point you in the right direction

No, your head would be 4 ohm minimum, some run at 2 ohms. Two 8 ohm cabs = 4 ohms. Three 8 ohm cabs = 2.66 ohms approx. Four 8 ohm cabs = 2 ohms. You will never get a 1 ohm head. It's confusing at first but it soon gets clearer. If you run a 4 ohm head into a 2 ohm load you'll blow the head. Most heads you're considering will work with two 8 ohm cabs perfectly. For your needs, anything in the used Ashdown, GK, Trace Elliot or Hartke range will work fine. Ashdown gear is good, but can be over generous on it's specs and power ratings. GK is tried and trusted solid tone, and the Backline range secondhand would be perfect. Trace Elliot are built like brick sh*t houses, and are gig worthy, reliable and deliver tone and volume for days, and you'll pickup a used head and cab setup for little money especially the older range. Hartke has gone out of favour of late, but they are superb amps and like Trace, early models will deliver volume and tone in spades for little money.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='789862' date='Mar 29 2010, 08:23 PM']I thought 8 ohms was better? Can you explain to me in very simplistic terms why 4ohms is better? lol [/quote] Most heads run at a minimum 4 ohm load, so a 4 ohm cab means you'll get the full wattage from the head with one cab. This can be a good and bad thing depending on your needs. If the cab isn't very efficient, the single cab route at 4 ohms would be a bad choice. 2 cabs at 8 ohms each, is a much more versatile arrangement. In answer to your original question have a gander at maybe a GK Backline half stack setup? There is a range on [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?xsid=cc275fbea745402502c159d9998b6cc2&sw=bass+half+stack&x=0&y=0"]Thomann[/url].

[quote name='jjl5590' post='788252' date='Mar 27 2010, 11:31 PM']had a listen on youtube, can't say i'm digging the tone. I much prefer the tone from the Genz benz, and my GK. That punchy slap tone. I also think it will be underpowered for my needs, i play in a black metal 5-piece band. I'll have a look at some Epifani amps, but i need to find a used amp. so far no one's even made me an offer on my FS/FT thread (http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=81854) which is a bit weird because GK's usually get a lot of attention.[/quote] Ah, the Promethean amp wouldn't suit a black metal band, you need plenty of air for that type of gig Of the 3 amps tested in the link, the Genz Benz was my favourite too but I couldn't justify the extra expense when making my purchase. The MB gear is really good, the tone and power they offer are simply superb. But it comes at a price obviously, and for me, the Ibanez offered a good compromise for my more meagre needs (blues and jazz band at low volumes etc). The MB gear is tonally very flat though, and I found that you need a really good bass with lots of character to get the most from them because they don't really add any colour. This is probably true of most really high end gear though. Good luck with your search, it's a nightmare trying to find the right bit of kit. I did with the Promethean and I hope you do too.

There's n amp shout out on youtube of the Ibanez head against a Genz Benz and TC: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnC0n4txgA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCnC0n4txgA[/url]

That is the head, but I have it in combo form with the head being removable to pair with other larger cabs if required. The combo is available for £500 from Thomann. Don't be put off by the Ibanez name, this is as good as any MB gear, and I've owned MB gear so should know It also bloody loud for it's size. Don't judge a book by its cover, you may be pleasantly surprised and better off in the pocket for it!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIL72B3JXgc"]Ibanez Promethean[/url] - half the price of Mark Bass but just as good, just as powerful, head comes away from the combo to be used with other cabs as required, extremely well made and rugged, small, light and portable. You can even get a gig bag for it....

Mint