uncle psychosis

Do you mean your avatar? (mine is the wee monkey in the red and yellow top). If so, click on your name at the top right of the screen (next to the sign out button), then select "my settings". Under the profile settings tab there's a Photo option.

If you can't afford to lose your bass then get insurance. If you really, really, really can't afford the few quid a month that insurance costs then never, ever, let your bass out of your sight.

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1369553714' post='2090304'] Not really. Turning up the lowest frequencies can kill a speaker at what can seem modest volumes, and simply telling someone to go easy does't always get heeded. I've said exactly that before only to find every control on the amp dimed to the max. Fortunately the guy was as ignorant about his own gear as he was about mine, and was't getting the level out of his multi fx to make either the clip or limiter lights flash. [/quote] If your amp was that delicate, you'd just not lend it. If the other guy has a big fat active preamp in his bass, an eq pedal, or an octaver then he could still do the same level of damage. You're under no obligation to let a stranger use your amp. I'd never criticise anyone for saying no in that situation. But if you are going to lend someone an amp, then letting them change the EQ settings is hardly the end of the world.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1369521250' post='2090181'] Heh. A bass player who turns up for a gig with no gear isn't a bass player in my book. Mind you, my book is pretty weird... but even so. [/quote] Indeed. But [i]sometimes[/i] there are excuses. I've turned up to gigs where the promoter told us there was a house backline only to discover that it either didn't exist or didn't work. Thankfully I have a DI box that I take to gigs but if you were naiive enough to take a promoter at their word you'd be in trouble!

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1369500968' post='2089903'] Spot on Jack, case in point is right there, its the [b]turning up without[/b] gear that is at fault, end of. [/quote] Then don't lend them an amp! Saying "no, you can't use my amp" is absolutely fine. Saying "You can use my amp, but you can't touch the EQ" is just...odd.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1369434125' post='2089371'] With some amps it can take a long time to set a good sound up. Luckily my Markbass head is the king of simplicity, however nobody has ever changed my settings because they sound perfect for a metal band HOWEVER... If I was to let somebody use my pedalboard, they would NEVER be allowed to adjust any of the settings! [/quote] In that case you just behave like an adult and say "look, please don't adjust anything, thanks". Going as far as taping over the controls just strikes me as being really quite weird.

[quote name='Jack Cahalane' timestamp='1369401109' post='2088792'] The only time I lent my amp out at a gig I put duct tape over the controls to stop him changing my settings, and the guy was happy with that, after the gig they all sloped off without saying thanks. A few months later I heard he'd been slagging me off afterwards because he couldn't get "his sound," and I was being "totally unreasonable." If you turn up to a gig without an amp just expecting to borrow someone else's then don't be surprised if they put a few ground rules down. That's if you're lucky enough to be allowed to use one in the first place. [/quote] to be honest, that's pretty lame behaviour in my opinion. By all means, refuse to lend someone an amp. That's cool. But to lend them one and then duct tape the controls? That's pretty sad.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1369223906' post='2086466'] The main purpose of EQ is to provide good sounds at low volume in the music shop and (these days) on youtube videos so that people buy it. Sorry but I'm firmly in the flat-EQ-with-minor-tweaks-depending-on-the-venue camp. [/quote] That is literally no different to the "eq set to whatever, with minor tweaks depending on the venue" camp.

You'll know when you've got the right amp because it will produce all the sounds you want at all the volumes you need. Don't worry about where the sliders / knobs get set, if the amp makes a sound you're happy with that's all that matters.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1369179493' post='2086091'] As long as it beats any reserve. Seems that people also bid because they are stupid, because I've seen bids on items that have a buy it now the same as opening bid. [/quote] Well, some people on it are just stupid. I once sold a second hand Bad Monkey overdrive for £32 delivered, at the time you could get a brand spanking new one from a shop for £35 delivered. Muppets. Not that I was complaining!

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1369175142' post='2086009'] So, I'm selling some stuff on eBay at the moment and it got me to thinking. I have something worth about £200 on £3.04 at the moment. Which means that someone has actually made a bid of £3.03. So someone's made a realistic bid of say £100 (I dunno, whatever) and the next highest bid is £3.03. Why bother? Do people honestly believe they'll win it? Or is there just loads of people out there that just bid on everything just for the perverse satisfaction of losing everytime? I don't understand! Whenever I've bid on something on eBay I've made a realistic offer (ie, as much as I think the item's worth) and left it at that. I don't think to myself "hmmm, a solid bid of 2p will win me this item." Weird. Truckstop [/quote] People place small bids as a reminder to themselves to bid again more seriously later. Also, I'm sure at one point---and it may still be the case---that once an item received bids its "buy it now" disappeared (if it had one). So people would bid so that others couldn't snatch it away!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1369167100' post='2085805'] Is it? [/quote] Yes. I'm not saying its the "best" order but if you google for "effects pedal order" most people suggest wah before overdrive. I suspect its because a lot of the classic rock guitarists like Hendrix did it that way.

The "traditional" order is: Wah - Dirt - Modulation - Delay/Reverb Where you put things like compressors and limiters depends on what you want them to do. Personally I put them first. However, there are absolutely no rules and you should try out different things to see what you like. Wah before distortion and wah after distortion both sound very different.

Certainly an interesting look! Wish more basses had a thumbrest like that

If I were you I'd make moves to sell it, but I'd be in no rush to do so. Its a really, really bad time to sell just now so unless you need the cash immediately then put it in a case and stash it under your bed or at the back of a wardrobe or something for 6 months. If you don't miss it, then sell it. If you do, then play it

One other thing, which is perhaps obvious, is to make sure you exercise quality control. It only takes one dire band to kill a whole gig, and unfortunately there are a lot of really dire bands out there. Although the nature of the night means you won't be paying, that doesn't mean you should not be picky about who you give slots to!

The really, really, really important thing to consider when you do stuff like this is to make sure that the nights have a well defined genre/theme/style. With my (originals) band we've done too many gigs where its a guy with an acoustic guitar, then a heavy metal band, then three guys with synths and a drum machine, then an indie rock band. The end result is that people turn up to watch their mates and then leave. To make nights like this a long term success you need to structure the event so that people will enjoy most of the acts and will consider turning up week after week just because they want to hear that kind of music. You're trying to build a community, really, and thats hard enough to do without trying to be all things to all men.

A friend of mine from school / youth jazz orchestras studied jazz on double bass at Birmingham Conservatoire and now makes a living as a gigging/recording bassist. Last time I heard from him he was in New York and was doing well for himself. Obviously thats a very unscientific sample of one (very talented) individual!

I'm not really a big fan of slogan tshirts but my wife made me a cool one that has a graphic eq on it and the phrase "aim low: play bass".

Use the "Site:" feature of google. [color=#666666]Precede your query with [/color][b]site:[/b][color=#666666] if you know you want your answer from within a specific site or type of site (.org, .edu). For example: [/color][b]site:edu[/b][color=#666666] or [/color][b]site:nytimes.com[/b][color=#666666].[/color] [color=#666666]eg:[/color] [color=#666666]For Sale status streamline site:basschat.co.uk[/color]

Does your band have a PA? If so, get yourself a DI box or something like a Behringer BDI21 and go straight into the PA. Works great.

[quote name='spacey' timestamp='1368087831' post='2072927'] Just poor workmanship on instruments. You dont get one of violins. [/quote] That is at least in part because fretless instruments have considerable leeway when it comes to intonation.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1367945205' post='2071398'] Ah poo, I just bought the CD, spose I`ll just have to keep playing the same track then. [/quote] [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1367945418' post='2071404'] Don't forget that Mr Mars also penned 'Forget You' by Cee-Lo Green which also has a killer bass line! The man know how to write a hit, that's for sure. [/quote] Didn't know that was him. Thats also a great song.

Locked Out Of Heaven is a fantastic tune. Everything else I've heard by him has been utter tosh, sadly.

I really, really, really want to like those but there's something about them thats just not right.