derrenleepoole

From Gagarin's Point Of View by Esbjorn Svensson Trio. A masterclass in understatement! http://youtu.be/H3f1Uq2jcL8

My favourite bassist isn't really a bassist at all! I'm talking about the very talented 7/8 string guitar player Charlie Hunter, who does all his own bass line accompaniments! Try to imagine Joe Pass, but super funky and you're sort of there. I love the bass tone he gets out of the three bass strings on the Novax guitar he plays. A really unique tone, not to everyone's taste, but it works so well in the context of what he does! I don't know how else to describe it really... but it works for me. http://youtu.be/ypL4Zo04ONw I do get bored of hearing bassists with brittle tone, and I think this is what I like about this guys stuff. It kind of hits you in the gut Plus, he has a great bass rig for a guitarist!

A great singer, but her song choices and material she does just leaves me cold... :/

There's been lots of discussion on this very topic in the past, just search BC, and the general rule is you get what you pay for. The Harley Benton is a Palatino under a different name. As an EUB, the Stagg and Harley are passable. But, and this is crucial thing to remember, both of them would require significant setup to get them better than stock. This means better strings, probably a decent preamp and possible some work on the fingerboard. When you factor in these additional costs as well as the cost of the bass, you're in the terrority of getting a second hand NS Wav EUB which sell for about £500 to £600. By comparison, these are significantly better and will offer better playability and resale ability in the long run. Both the basses you've mentioned are good, I've owned both, but when compared to something like the NS Wav, there's a significant difference. The Stagg for example is awkward to hold, the rests are clumsy a nd uncomfortable. The Palatino is heavy, the stand is weak and slips over time. The preamps on both basses aren't great IMO. Seriously, look on he second hand market for a WAV. In all likelihood a second had NS will probably of hand some money spent on it terms of good strings. So not only are you getting a better bass, you're getting good strings. I sold my NS for £550 second hand, and it had a set of strings on it in the region of £100 when new, and it came with a bow! Second hand will get you more for your money. The investment will be worth it.

Found a great uBass video on YouTube with Bakithi and James Hill playing Billie Jean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHC4KjglouQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Actually, this thread has brought back some very fond memories of my very early youth. I must of been about 15 at the time, and my best buddies dad was a huge prog and space rock fan with lots of stuff on vinyl. It was at the time when I was just discovering music - you know the one, spotty, smelly, silly voice etc. Anyways, my mate brought around a load of records, one of which was Hawkwind but I don't know which album. All I remember is the fact that there was no speed on the disc, and no matter which speed we played the vinyl at, it still sounded weirdly awesome. Right, back to work... Hawkwind on Spotify

[quote name='johnnylager' timestamp='1274558860' post='845354'] Classic Hawks - New[ish] guiatrist Niall started life as a bass player & plays lead bass on a few tracks live. Stonking. [/quote] Damn, I'd swear blind that some of that tune has loads of King Crimson-esq vibes to it! Love it

Only a double bass will sound like a double bass - simple physics. I'm liking the fact that the Kala, in the right hands, could actually be quite a versatile little instrument and just offers a different way of playing. I quite like the thumpy tone, I do get bored of hearing bassists with tone that isn't very 'bass' - if you know what I mean.

Have been recently following the work of the this guy on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjVCaTz-kF0 There are lots of good videos on his Youtube feed demonstrating how versatile the uBass can be. I'm seriously GASing for one now.

A decent set of strings with a good preamp to make the most of the piezo pickups, blended in with a good amp tone and you'll probably fool most people - especially when it's sitting in a mix of other instruments.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1318857750' post='1406937'] A good way to check would be to run an mp3 player into the aux input and crank it... [/quote] An excellent suggestion.

Cheers guys... the thought about the wobbly input never would of occurred to me, but certainly makes an interesting line of enquiry. Thinking back actually, for this gig I didn't have my proper amp to speaker lead for the extension cab I was using... the one I ended up using was a patch cable, not ideal but better than an instrument lead... thinking about it now, this is probably the culprit. More investigation needed me thinks.

Not sure, but I think the speaker in the Promethean combo is perhaps in need of a replacement. Gigged it on Saturday and it was just a washed out, flappy kinda sound. The focused sound that I'm used to simply wasn't there. Not had chance to really test it at home, but if my suspicions are correct and the speaker is in need of replacement, which 10" should I consider? I need a bit of guidance is needed... cheers.

That was an excellent video. Thanks for sharing

I use Soundcloud for my field recording stuff: http://soundcloud.com/fourfingerfunk My band is also on there, but the page needs updating with new material: http://soundcloud.com/thecottonhouseshakers

[quote name='Darkstrike' timestamp='1317235045' post='1388547'] The East MM pre-amp gets a lot of love, and it is a sweet pre, I have one in a custom bass with a Nordstrand MM pickup, but I'm probably gonna change it to a Glockenklang. I put a Basslines MM pre in a SX Stingray clone, along with a Basslines ceramic pickup, and that sounds great. If you don't mind drilling a hole in the pickguard/control plate, I'd definitely recommend a series/single/parallel switch, they're the dog's bits. Which Audere do you have in there? The only one I could find without the switch was one with a blend knob, or do you have the switch inside the cavity unused? Sounds mighty! [/quote] The Audere pre was the Classic 4B. http://www.audereaudio.com/Classic4B.htm I loved this bass, but the move to short scale meant all of it went. Shouldn't of done really, but never mind.

[quote name='Darkstrike' timestamp='1317235045' post='1388547'] The East MM pre-amp gets a lot of love, and it is a sweet pre, I have one in a custom bass with a Nordstrand MM pickup, but I'm probably gonna change it to a Glockenklang. I put a Basslines MM pre in a SX Stingray clone, along with a Basslines ceramic pickup, and that sounds great. If you don't mind drilling a hole in the pickguard/control plate, I'd definitely recommend a series/single/parallel switch, they're the dog's bits. Which Audere do you have in there? The only one I could find without the switch was one with a blend knob, or do you have the switch inside the cavity unused? Sounds mighty! [/quote] The Audere pre was the Classic 4B. http://www.audereaudio.com/Classic4B.htm I loved this bass, but the move to short scale meant all of it went. Shouldn't of done really, but never mind.

You can see some mods I did to an OLP on this video: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8BbAfWhd8c[/media] Basically a Basslines pickup upgrade and Audere pre. Not too close, but not too shabby either! Full details are on the Youtube page info section. Please ignore playing

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1317204222' post='1387897'] I`m sorry, but in my opinion, you are wrong. How does suiting the DB limit to the venue consist of "hashing through it"? The landlord does have a responsibility to ensure you are appropriate for his bar, but that`s one small thing on his list of responsibilities. You however, are solely concerned with the show, the sound, the venue, that`s all in your area of responsibility and as the previous poster explained, as a band you have to at least try to check out the venues yourself. So if the bar is inappropriate for your show,and you accept the booking only you are responsible. I understand many venues may be a couple of hundred miles away, and you can`t personally check them out,but you can talk to the manager/landlord to ensure you aren`t trying to take your Bat out of Hell tribute band with a 3k rig into a wine bar suitable for 60 sitting guests. I`m really quite strongly of the opinion that if a covers band that exists solely to cater for the Pub/Function circuit can`t perform a show quietly enough to suit super sensitive venues, they aren`t ready to work. I don`t know if you ever did a show while watching the old "Redeye" db power cut limiter that most social clubs had to install at one time. You HAD to play quieter than you liked. Or walk away.No arguments, no DFA knobs. We still took those gigs even though we knew they had limiters fitted. What would you do about that I wonder? Simply state you can`t work under these conditions and do one? [s]Flouncing off is for children. [/s] To put it simply, I`m of the opinion that if your show relies on a minimum decibel level, then YOU have to ensure the bookings you accept can accommodate that and are aware of it. MM [/quote] I think we're both saying the same thing really. I will always try to do a gig no matter, but if push came to shove, and a demand was too 'unrealistic,' and that's the key word really, then I would have to consider not doing the gig. Doing your research before hand is crucial and this is what I would always advocate. Usually situations like this only happen when there's a breakdown in communication or misunderstanding.

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1317201559' post='1387848'] Blaming the landlord for allowing an "inappropriately loud" band to be booked in his bar is ridiculous, and a complete avoidance of your own responsibility as the person in control of the sound equipment.[/quote] This is quite a black and white interpretation and doesn't take into account all the facts and variables. If a landlord is booking a band, there's a certain expectation on their part on what to expect. Now, if there are genuine issues where sound levels must be kept under control at a venue, it's up to the landlord to ensure this is communicated adequately beforehand. But off course, as we all know, this may not happen. Also, the band has some responsibility too to ensure that the venue understands what they're bringing to the table. So it's a two way exchange with both parties concerned. Now, I'm all for being professional and will always endeavour to deliver a professional performance no matter what the restrictions imposed on me are. But, if those demands being put on you/me are totally unrealistic, there has to be a point at which you say no and walk away. This isn't unprofessional, quite the opposite really. As a band entity, you're selling a product that is the music and the performance. In my opinion, it's far better to not do the gig, rather than trying to hash through it and potentially making the whole situation worse. There are always more venues to play. But yes, you should always try to do the gig if possible...

A really interesting thread this. Surely if a venue/landlord hires a band, there is a certain level of expectation and understanding from both parties concerned about what makes good live music practice. There's only so much a band can do to play quietly if you're using acoustic drums for example. Even the quietest drummer in the world is restricted by simple physics: stick hits drums, drums make sound! I think if the request to play quiet was just too unreasonable, or more importantly 'unrealistic,' I would simply suggest politely to the landlord that the gig is cancelled, and walk away.

HAs anyone tried the new Kustom range of amps and cabinets? They're meant to be very good at stupid prices. A [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/kustom_de300_hd_head.htm"]300[/url] watt hybrid head for £260. They do associated cabinets starting from £130 for a 2x10!

You'll someone's eye out with that bass! Looking good though...

The first album Bleach is far better. Although Nevermind is good, Bleach is just raw and brutal and works better for it

Just as I'm getting my head around the old one you go and change it Seriously though, well done. Clearly a lot of hard work has gone into this and it looks swell.