JTUK

I. too, would also be quite concerned about how you could blow a 212 cab..!!! That cab should be rated 500w at least...and I think it is a poor show if its blown. I'd be tempted to think, just unlucky with a duff unit, but it would also make me lose confidence in the quality of units they use..?? Depends what amp you run with it, but I wouldn't look at a 15 if 2x12 aren't man enough..??

[i]Since you can't decide, ask the wife what suits her...[/i] [i]If she resents you potentially gigging too much over [/i] [i]the money that brings, it seems to me [/i] [i]you are left with the band you like more.[/i]

[quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1423345828' post='2683828'] He didn't . I'm pretty sure it was played by Wilton Felder of The Crusaders. And he's a[b] trumpet [/b]player. Sorry I missed the earlier post. [/quote] He is a sax player but he is a very strong bass player and has countless sessions on bass under his belt

Agents should work for the pubs but that is because pubs are too lazy to do the footwork themselves. You might find that agents want a fee off every job the band does, and some bands are desperate enough to go for that exclusive agreement, so basically the band lets the agent put them in everywhere as they are going to have to pay the agent fee anyway. So, from this, you might find that once this type of agent gets into a few places, then they only put on 'their' bands.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1423316215' post='2683423'] Haha, the bass player looks quite embarrassed [/quote] Quite right too

I used Elites on a MM for years and they were great. Not sure they are the same string now and even tho I don't play a MM anymore, I didn't like them on my current basses. Nothing so much wrong with them, just that they didn't do it for me. I tend to like decent metal in strings and I think this has been a varible laterly, IMO, as cost is an issue. So, I go for clean sets that feel nice to the touch.. Clean strings=clean sound for me.

Met him once, seemed a nice man and as he was going off for a run and was pretty fit, this was at odds with the perception of a doped up hippie. Now, his bongo-player, mind..????

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1423232036' post='2682548'] I will trust a manufacturer when they are the likes of Mike Tobias and Roger Sadowsky. These guys, and others like them, are not trying to sell basses by BS but by putting into practice what they know. And they know a lot more than most of the members on Basschat. [/quote] Agree... no luthier is in the kidding/BS game if they sell basses at £2k plus. But there is a limit to how many combinations a luthier will use as he knows the tried and trusted woods and experiments are risky AND expensive. You can clamp woods together to approximate glueing them and do basic sound tests but you'll not really know how it turns out until all bolted together. This is why expensive selected woods also tend to have very good and sound construction techniques as you don't want to do all the work for it to 'fail'. When you use cheap woods, the combinations are more variable but the driver might be the price and if it doesn't work, well, it was cheap anyway.

[quote name='Weststarx' timestamp='1423230826' post='2682538'] Is that because of different songs or just unhappy with your sound? I get so worried about gear at gigs that I set everything up get it all sounding half decent and dont touch anything in case it all breaks!! [/quote] All you need to do, really. I might switch to the back pickup for a style or prefer another bass as it sound checked better but the last thing I'm doing is chasing EQ. It is set-up, that is what the sound check is for. The keys and Gtrs handle the effects but it pisses me off if we set a level and it goes half thru the second set because someone has turned up.

Anything too rigid, turns me right off and bores me silly. One reason why I'm never much interested in ripping the thing note for note.

There is a world of difference sound wise between a new string and a well played-in string. So much so, that you would probably have to re-EQ, I am not saying one sound is better than the other as that is for the individual, but a new string livelier and peakier and a played-in string is more rounded. I found that a Ag GS112 cab was fantastic with new strings but so very much less to my tastes after a few days max. That was one reason why I moved the cabs on.

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1423215403' post='2682216'] At band practice last night I went into the rehearsal room and there in the corner was an old Ampeg 1x18" stacked on an old Ampeg 2x15". Blimey, I though, I'm gonna give them a blast!! Plugged in my amp, plugged in my bass... Totally underwhelmed by the low frequencies. Unplugged everything and set up my 4x8" and 1x15" cabs. Much better. There's nothing like a practical to prove the theory. [/quote] What were you expecting....? I'd be thinking low mush and a generally unusable sound

If they don't consider the band makes a successful night, then why do they bother with a band at all..? Not sure I would really want to do their gig, tbh. I don't like playing to poor turn-outs so I'd knock that venue off the list. If we really liked the place, then we'd work it a little harder. There are a couple of town venues, where passer-bys might all come in around 2230 and that can be a good turn-out in the end, but we've finished by 2330 or so, so it doesn't really appeal..

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1423146172' post='2681384'] A keyboard player I worked with a few years ago mentioned to me that the other musicians that played for Texas were on about 70k a year when the band were at their most popular. This could be nonsense but the guy was quite a honest man. If true, it`s decent money to do something you love. [/quote] That band was regular and she mostly only changed round the drummer. A friend of mine got a tour when the incumbent drummer wanted more money and within 2 weeks, the other guy was out, the new guy in and the tour started. He wont tell me what the money was but he earned very well at the time, I know. Those days have gone, but I'd still expect a band of that stature to pay well..but within the market they operate now. I assume the deal he cut ..he was cheaper than the other guy tho

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1423092567' post='2680818'] I guess the way I see it, at the bar band level ( I can't speak for pub bands even though there are some similarities) a packed bar and over the top alcohol sales does not not mean the LL is going to bend over backwards to re-book the band. I don't think it's a good idea when a band has a fantastic night to sit back and say; [i]" Wow! did you how busy the bar was all night and the crowd was huge, I know the LL will be giving us a call"[/i] Blue [/quote] But over here, if that was all true, they definitely would. This is why we don't have to chase too many pub dates. I can't imagine a LL not doing that... Your market seems pretty strange to me...if they'd turn down such a gift horse..??

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1423126661' post='2680974'] A few years ago a guy "retired", moved into our village and to cut a long story short we met in the pub and it turned out he could play guitar. He was asked by the landlord if he wanted to do a gig, so the guy rounds up his drummer mate and asked me if I would play bass. I ask for a list of songs we're going to do and his answer was "bollocks, we'll wing it!". The Monday night in question we played. This guy is a human juke box and he can sing, too. Everything from BeBop through to modern chart stuff. I was about six million miles out of my comfort zone, cocked up big time but I got a load of encouragement and guidance not only at this mess around but since. The guy in question, I quickly discovered, was a go to studio session guitarist who has also toured the world a few times with some very big acts. We are now very good friends but he is opinionated, arrogant but he certainly knows his stuff and makes me laugh at what I think. What he did teach me was to use (in a live situation) just a bass, a lead and a good valve amp and develop my technique by practice, practice, practice, along with asking questions and listening. Yes, he will have me playing in a small occasional fun gig with him but he told me categorically that I am still good enough to play a proper gig or session with him or his mates and I'm never likely to be. (I have played some pretty big gigs and recorded with various bands over the years). Do I take offence at all this honesty and arrogance? No, because I can hear his voice, inflections and see his face when we talk and play. And there I feel is the problem. Unless you are a master of language, the subtlety of expression and meaning disappears in the written word: hence the risk of misunderstanding and conflict. All IMHO and appalling English of course. [/quote] Yes, but first off...he's cool with you playing with him.. That is a start. Imagine what you'll feel like if and maybe, when, he asks to do the next gig up. There is no better endorsement than from a guy who has got the best tee-shirts out of a 15 year career at the TOP... and they say you can play...and they aren't just being polite. As for arrogance... I think this is a little bit misunderstood. You have to have the belief that you belong there and after a time, even the most humble person knows that they are actually pretty damn good and they excel at a job that an awful lot of people can only dream about and lust after. Now imagine that you feel you can play a bit and you get the top gig going ..and you know who else .(.who are also at the top of their tree..) was going for it and you've been choosen..?? Or course, you are going to be pleased about that. I never worry about ego in a musician as I know most have one...and that is ok as long as they deliver on it.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1423089765' post='2680756'] Nobody's mentioned Ed Freidland. Again his welcoming lasted about 3 weeks and ran to about 12 pages. He now gives live q&a sessions on the Scottsbasslessons site taking turns with others like Anthony Wellington. We do get a smattering of stupid questions though like how many basses do you have. I liked it when Anthony Wellington was asked about his EQ settings. He replied "I don't play $10,000 basses and correct the sound electronically". [/quote] Didn't know about Ed F.. But Anthony W is right... and the premise is, the bass is set-up and sounds right, all I need is an amp and cab to compliment it, but too often people want to fight it. If you don't sound right, then its what is coming out of the bass.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1423094374' post='2680830'] I think the term pro can mean a lot of different things. Some say if you only play on weekends your a hobbyist, I don't subscribe to that definition. Just because for the most part you only play weekends does not make it a hobby. It's not like building model cars, golf,or fishing.I don't think ,as a rule you come home with money from any of those 3 things. With a hobby you generally not providing a service. I was able to pay my condo association fee and utilities from monies I earned from last weekends gigs. Does that make me a pro? I don't know, to me it means I was able to pay my condo association fee and utilities from monies I earned from last weekends gigs. Here's something to think about. A group of musicians see you a gig and admire your performance and several say; [i]"Wow! good band and did you watch and hear their bass player, that guy is a real Pro."[/i] Maybe that's a Pro, when that is how your peers recognize you. Blue [/quote] Yep... Anyone can be a 'professional' if they make money at music..but some people might not considered them a true pro if they can't play. That is why the greater currency is excelling in a market that put most store in excellence, IMO. And I think this is most pertinent when you talk to fellow professionals... They aren't concerned that you've worked at music for 20 years and call yourself a pro musician, they want to know if you can really play. There are levels of heirachy in music and the one that crosses those levels is how well you play. Anything else is dressing, to all intents and purposes.

Way back in her day, Tina Turner ( it was said ) would not break her bands pay scale to get in a guy who wanted £5k a week...and this was at a time just before she was doing all the huge dates..so as a touring act she was a hot as they come..at that time. Not sure if the band ....who she stuck by for years, had a pay review to take into account her revised status but the guy basically blew out all her major TV gigs in Rio and the like.

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1423085830' post='2680653'] I've gigged with John Colhan of Status Que fame. He goes out as Coglan's Quo for a minimum of a grand a night plus expenses. We got 250 a head on a normal gig and on occasions double that. [/quote] He did a local pub at £10 a ticket so I would think it would be a squeeze for the pub to hit that figure. I think they just about did and they are happy to have him back so I guess it works. Many ex names are doing the same thing but the name wants the bulk of the money and the rest pay for pub money. This generally means the band is pub standard and that is a lot of money for venues to stump up .. it is a tight game. £250 per man is generous, so that's cool

The writers get the royalty cheques and £4k is good for 3 weeks but not if that is all you do for 6 months

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1423079604' post='2680521'] Wasn't aware of the last one, but the others are as I remember them...oh, and I've not the faintest idea who Jerry Scheff is Celeb members tend to see the site turn into the bass worlds very own Hello magazine online...odd considering [/quote] or ...they tell how it is done at the very top level - and they know that because that is where they work and have done for 30 odd years-....and they get someone say that is not the way you do it... so you can imagine them thinking, who is this guy..? We aren't talking about guys who do £50 gigs here... they work the very best gigs out there. Some they may not have to even audition for, but if they did, and the word went out that so and so was auditioning, likely all the hottest guys in every muso town would be on the first plane..!!!

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1423077990' post='2680479'] So assuming that say Tony Levin's paid a retainer by Peter Gabriel how much do you think or know that's worth to him? [/quote] Don't know but I think someone for a good name act ..who had 5 very good hot years.. got £30k a year to sit and wait around.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1423077901' post='2680475'] Yes but not all for the same reason. What I remember is (hopefully correctly) .. I remember the Mani thread, IIRC there were some dozy questions, lots of welcomes, not a lot useful, just, I love me Rickenbackers. Yolanda Charles probably got inundated, as I imagine Mani did. Probably a ton of PMs. Janek had too many spats and then had the piss taken excessively by tBBC. Guy P was referred to in an anecdote about telling some iffy jokes and people jumped on the bandwagon. Vail Johnson (who virtually no-one here had heard of, think I remember reading about him in '80s US guitar mags, completely forgotten about him though) made a very bold statement and got pounced on, fairly IMO but a bit too viciously. Dunno what's happened to Jerry Scheff, but he refuted HJ's neggy book review and they became friendly. Lemmy called discreet a w***er and couldn't believe the tornado-level backlash and got frightened off .. Who else has been on here? What have we learned from them? [/quote] We've learned that they don't stick around when people are keen to have a pop at them and since we are talking mere days in a few cases, who knows what they could have contributed. But I'm damn sure that anyone who plays at some of those levels could impart some knowledge that could be useful.. Its not like we know everything, that's for sure... you've only got to look at most of the threads..

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1423075967' post='2680431'] Do you apply this same 'logic' to other professions and/or vocations, or solely musicians..? A professional plumber..? A professional footballer..? A professional vicar..? I understand the differentiation you're aiming at, but am hard pressed to come up wit an adequate word for this limited understanding of the term. I'll keep looking, but meanwhile, do others seem the same to you..? No malice intended; simply curious. [/quote] You accept that musicians are pro simply for taking money for their services...and I agree that that is one definition, just not the most significant, IMO... I'd put more significance in excelling at the craft...