maxrossell

[quote name='BigRedX' post='682874' date='Dec 13 2009, 11:20 AM']You should probably ask this question on the [url="http://www.soundonsound.com/forum"]Sound On Sound Forum[/url]. As well as looking at damping (duvets are good as has been mentioned, egg boxes are best kept for carrying eggs in), you should also check the dimensions of the room (including the height). Distances that are close to equal or fractions of each other will be a problem as they will accentuate some frequencies and cancel out others - this could well be the source of your mid-range hump.[/quote] Yeah, I figured that might be the case. The room is square and the walls are almost exactly twice as wide as they are high. I was thinking I might try experimenting with hanging offcuts of carpet about one or two inches away from the walls, full-height, just to see if I can trap some of the unwanted reflections, and then work back from there. I also think we need some thicker carpets on the floors.

FWIW I've played the Roadworn 60s strat in Olly White and it's the only strat I'd consider owning. The Roadworn tele is also phenomenal.

[quote name='MythSte' post='682164' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:59 PM']I thought he was talking about me to start with. But my hair isn't long enough to join maxis band Lets stop nitpicking now ladies and gents. Oh, and Max, have you had a chance to Lurk on Prestone recently... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised![/quote] Nah. I'm maybe not a huge fan of your band's music but I'd hardly call them awful. I've not been on Prestone in months. What would surprise me?

[quote name='Mog' post='682149' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:36 PM']The point I'm making is your choice of words was wrong IMO. You cant justify commenting on other people in that manner simply by comparing them to level you were at when you started out.[/quote] Why not? They're around the same age as I was when I started, around the same instrumental level, their gear is about as crap as mine was, and for exactly the same reasons as my first band was awful, they're awful. I wouldn't call awful to their faces, but given that on here no-one has the faintest idea of who they even are it doesn't matter. Again, I'm just emphasising their beginner-ness to make the point of how much better this guy is than them.

My rehearsal room is basically a brick box with pretty high brick ceilings, so the sound tends to bounce around a lot, making everything sound quite undefined and a lot louder than it actually is. We get a lot of unpleasant high midrange, but the floor is wooden boards with a bit of thin carpet so we lose a lot of the bass end punch and warmth to unsympathetic vibrations. There are a couple of foam mats nailed to the walls and so on but apart from that pretty much no acoustic treatment at all. Does anyone have any ideas for what would be the best way to remedy this, and ideally for not much money? Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='682141' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:22 PM']At your age, Max, I'd take that as a compliment [/quote] Man, I'd give you a good telling off for that comment if it wasn't for my dodgy hip.

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='682114' date='Dec 12 2009, 12:58 PM']i'll start off with saying i havn't listened to your stuff at all, Super-serious amateur weekend-rockstars playing with all the best-gear-soundcontrol-sells playing their own ('professional' sounding) varients of the guitar music they listened to when they were 17.....[/quote] You must be psychic.

[quote name='Mog' post='682098' date='Dec 12 2009, 12:34 PM']Whatever scene your band is in. The collective grouping of bands from a similar genre.The issue I had with your post was in the wording. Talking negatively about a band will eventually come back around on you. The fact that you made the comments about his bandmates abilities was offensive or would be if they happened to see it.[/quote] My band isn't in a "scene", whatever the hell that means. Neither for that matter is the band we're taking about. And you may notice that I haven't identified anyone, and the bass player in question doesn't use basschat, so no-one involved is gonna see it. Satisfied? [quote]Personally I dont agree with remarks of that sort.I've seen too many kids give up on playing music because their abilities were of a low standard and instead of giving guidence and support, other musicians felt it was better to point out they're shortcomings. Technical ability is not what makes a band enjoyable. I've played with many musicians over the years and the only reason I would leave a band is because of peoples attitudes.One in particular is Grade 8 on piano,violin and guitar. He plays with the local choral society.Fair dues to him, he's happy with it. The guy in your O.P is in that band because he feels it is where he wants to be musically. You should respect that,give him an option of joining your band and let him think it over for a few weeks.[/quote] Yeah. The fact is that they're a beginner college band and so they sound awful, just like mine did when I started out, and like yours did when you started out. It's not up for discussion. That's not the point. And I'm not a retard, thank you very much, if it wasn't already a done deal that he's chosen to remain in the band we're discussing I wouldn't have brought it up. Furthermore if you'd read my original post, you'd have noted that the band he's in is [i]not[/i] where he wants to be musically, and they're [i]not[/i] his friends, and yet he's chosen to stay with them instead of joining my band or any other of the four or five bands that have asked him. If it was as simple as "they're his mates and his likes the music" I wouldn't have asked the question. Oh, also, a matter of personal preference, I don't like being called "kid" if you don't mind. Cheers.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='682078' date='Dec 12 2009, 12:07 PM']Brand new seller but at a glance it does look like it could be real.[/quote] Either that or one of the best fakes I've ever seen.

Wow. He's gonna make a packet on that.

[quote name='Mog' post='682050' date='Dec 12 2009, 11:33 AM']Firstly the tracks are good. Lots of grunge/alt vibes and I reckon the band could get somewhere with proper managment. Second, your attitude stinks kid, passing comments on other musicians ability or gear is not on.If they're kids, then of course they're gonna be playing through cheaper gear. Did you start out with a stadium ready rig? Remarks like those makes you seem like a condescending dick and no ammount of modest comments about your bands ability will change that. Musicians will ultimately play in a band where they feel comfortable, 90% of that will come from a good relationship with bandmates. I dont want to come across as making a personal attack, I just think you need to readjust your views when it comes to other bands/musicians.In the end, with that kind of attitude towards others, your just alienating you and your band from the scene.[/quote] "The scene"? What scene are we talking about here? The scene of beginner college bands? I'm not passing comments on the other band's gear or ability to take the piss out of them, I'm doing it to illustrate how bizarre I find it that someone who is so far ahead of them as a musician would continue to play with them when there are dozens of opportunities to progress. Would you find it weird if I wondered out loud why a football player good enough to compete at a regional level would choose to remain with a team of people who haven't yet figured out how to dribble the ball? Hell, maybe you would, but I don't understand why someone who has talent and ability wouldn't want to engage with something at least close to their level.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='681878' date='Dec 12 2009, 01:16 AM']I've wondered for ages about those little thumb rests some people have on their vintage basses, the ones below the strings but I've alway been embarassed to ask and feel stupid. You know, the one screwed into the scratchplate near the vol knob. What's it all about? How does a thumb rest below the strings work? What's its real purpose? Surely it's entirely impractical as a position to offer any support to the right hand when playing?[/quote] Nah, it's back in the day when people used to play the strings with their thumbs, the rests would be for the other fingers.

Yeah man, that's a cool mod.

[quote name='scott22890' post='681717' date='Dec 11 2009, 09:10 PM']Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I'm gonna end up getting a big muff and a weeping demon. As of right now I'm just practicing by myself at my house and every once in a while I play with a friend of mine who has a guitar, but we're thinkin about getting a little band going soon. As for amps what are a few you guys recommend and how many watts should I get to play in a band?[/quote] That's going to depend. Number of watts alone is not usually the best indicator of how loud an amp can go - although for playing in a rock band situation your strict minimum will be something like 100w-150w or thereabouts if you want to be heard. For instance the number of speakers in an amp also has an effect on the amount of db volume, because more speakers shift more air. A pair of 10" speakers will be more volume-efficient than a single 15" speaker, because they move more air, and 10" speakers also tend to have a slightly increased midrange response (midrange is more audible than bass end) - but the tradeoff there is that you may "feel" less bass with a smaller diameter speaker. For amps to start out with, you could look at Peavey, which are very cheap second hand but still quite good. A lot of the bass players I know started out playing in bands with a Trace Commando. I'd advise staying away from Behringer, because although they're very cheap, they're also quite underpowered and they don't use durable components.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='681484' date='Dec 11 2009, 04:14 PM']No, I want the last word![/quote] Chill out, man. I know you don't like my style, but I'm not trying to start a beef with anyone here.

[quote name='fatback' post='681459' date='Dec 11 2009, 03:55 PM']+1 Damn thing flies out of my hand every other bar. I'm embarrassed to admit I can't pick for toffee. Any tips? fatback[/quote] You're digging in too hard. The trick is to not try to "pluck" the string like you would with a bow & arrow. It's more of a kind of scraping motion with a bit of a dig as the pick leaves the string. The pick should be at a slight angle to the string and the tip of it should rake across the string, not hook it. Also your fingers should be fairly loose so the pick has some give to move over the strings, you shouldn't have to hold onto it too hard, and the majority of the playing dynamics come from wrist movement.

SR705, SR505, SR305, SR4005E, SR5005E, all very similar in shape and layout to the K5. Soundwise and playwise they'll be different in some respects, but the distinction is mainly in quality of finishes.

2. We haven't gigged as a full band since March. All down to the bassist bailing and being completely unable to find a satisfactory replacement until this week.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='681099' date='Dec 11 2009, 10:58 AM']He's asking for reccomendations for distortion and wah pedals. I don't think he's talking about boutique true bypass £200 dirt boxes. Yeh, you'll never get any low end out of a crappy practice amp, and obviously you won't be able to practice with a band but if you want to play with effects while you're learning and building up a rig, then £70 on a multi-effects pedal is a good idea, as opposed to £150 on a distortion and wah, or saving up for 2 years before you can afford a decent amp. Most rehersal spaces provide a bass amp. Having said all that you can get 100W 15" combos out of the paper for £60 on a good day.[/quote] This is what I'm saying - £70 on a multieffects will be cool for a bit of practicing, but if he gets asked to play in a band next week, he'd be better off with the bigger amp. Gotta try to think ahead with buying, even when you're starting out.

Do you pay tax if it's used gear?

Them's some crazy-looking pickups. What are they?

That does look a little like a Prodigy, but prodigies didn;t have precision bodies, they were a bit more rounded and the horns were pointier, that's definitely a Precision Bass Plus Deluxe - But I would have expected to find the S/N on the rear of the headstock. P-Bass Plus Deluxe Either way, that looks like a good price, but I'd definitely want to play it before I committed.