JTUK

If you don't like the music then it needs to pay well... It is better to have both, of course. If you don't feel comfortable, then this is pushing yourself outside the comfort zone..which can be a good thing but you need to get something from this or pass.

A dep will be expected to have ears and know the songs.. How they go about that is upto them, but altho intros can be joined in later on some songs ...then outros must be nailed. I usually let the drums start and cop the feel with a bar or so...you can't be all at sea at this point as it sets up the song. You need to come away from the gig having impressed and get called again. Just as the band need to be sure of you..then you need to be sure that are upto playing with deps... As with all things, you need to swim in the right circles. Some gigs are a roasting but if they are only paying pub rates, then I doubt it will matter too much either way. They may have decided to make the gig a busk and just go with it..and that lessens the pressure.. but if the playing level is up a notch, then you need to be on your toes. Bands tend to ask people they know as they know what to expect... if you aren't comfortable of knowing where you stand in all this.. go for the rehearsal and a decent split share. That way you aren't setting yourself up for anything major falls, hopefully. It seems at this stage..you need the experience of just dropping in/depping so you are learning on their time..as it were. With this in mind, cut them some slack with the fees. go for a split on the night and you shouldn't have to pay for the cost of the rehearsals.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1366015732' post='2047178'] I usually don't see deps being required to rehearse. I do a lot of deps and I wouldn't expect to be asked to rehearse. But, as a matter of professional pride, I [i]will[/i] turn up knowing the set better than the guy I'm replacing. In my bands we only ask deps who are good enough to busk the gig to a high standard. Our deps get a cut of the money. Anyone who thinks they are worth more than the regular guys won't get asked. [/quote] This... You can put any price on your services that you like, but the bottom line is can the gig afford it...? It is hard to get a quality dep for £50, so we might agree to some sort of exes to smooth the deal .. but you end up robbing Peter to pay Paul. Rehearsals are not included.... but then you have to know the guy can cut it busking/reading or whatever. If the gig is £850, we might put the dep on £100, pay ourselves more, to balance up the light gigs, and kitty the rest. We then use the kitty to pay all gigs at a min of £50 per skull. You have to play the dep game as above, IME, as the [b]last[/b] thing you want is to be reaching for the 'unknow quantity' phone call.

I had a Selmer TnB as my first amp..It was awful...or I was, so was the Marshall straight after it.. The Hiwatt cleaned them both out... but maybe I was learning. I'd perserve with it... it will be of value to someone so don't give it up cheaply...

I'd be more worried about the amp, myself, volume-wise if the band can kick out some volume.

In itself, £500 looks on the short side. since you are unclear on what you want, get something like Ampeg as the name appeals on resale. Best band for buck cab..IMO..is a SWR Goliath ll/lll410 but they are heavy and that is half your budget. (£250-ish) If you could pick up an SVT3 for £350..you only need to find £100... That rig will do most gigs. The cab is clean..the amp is grindey, IMO. Another route would be GK....to get to the same sort of place, soundwise.

Sims.... they can scan the old neck and use as a template.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1357403360' post='1922196'] Just been listening to some live Average White Band so got to say Alan Gorrie/Steve Ferrone, although on some tracks Gorrie and Hamish Stuart swap bass and guitar duties. [/quote] That is Ferrone for you..makes anyone sound good. Ditto Pocaro. Always had a soft spot for Micky Curry and T-Bone. Will Lee and Anton Figg Dennis C and just about anyone but Steely Dan and Tom Barney was a good match.

You've missed out the best of the lot...IMO. so, for me, this is pretty pointless.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1365686714' post='2042900'] Here's a question. Can you improvise music in your head, bass lines, drums, sounds, whatever, that increases your heart rate and makes you nod your head or move your body, makes you smile, gets you all excited? [/quote] yes..in a fashion... or to my satisfaction. But only in the field of music I'm interested in or like. I wouldn't have that in our reggae example, tho.. so the 'intensity' drops off drastically

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1365685593' post='2042868'] Good post, and the point is that if you want to play any sort of music well you need to breathe it. Reggae is easily possible but you have to REALLY love it and REALLY feel it. It helps if you want to dance when you hear it. When I put music on that I really like, I can't help but want to move and dance and rock the f*** out. Ask Low End Bee Seriously, there are 'rock' bands that you see on stage looking more like Stonehenge (and not in a heavy way). These people can not rock out because they are not being made to move by what they are playing. Plenty of funk players who do the same, if I see a funk player sitting down they can f*** off most of the time, same with drummers wearing woolly jumpers, they ain't working hard enough Seriously, if I put Deftones on I feel like going mad, I feel the energy so viscerally, same with a lot of Beyoncé stuff, Single Ladies for example, I just want to dance. Reggae and dub REALLY makes me want to move. If you don't feel that way there is no hope. [/quote] Agree..sort of.. And I think funk takes that sort of commitment.... which is why most rock players will miss it by a mile..even if they don't want to think that they would. If I had a gig needing hard 8ths dug in.. I'd say, give it to someone else..who can and wants to do it. AC/DC..??? money..?? yes please...!! triple times over, but really, give it to someone else... I don't have what it takes to do that gig....

[quote name='bremen' timestamp='1365685452' post='2042866'] Do you like reggae though? I'm sure if you do you'd be able to play it after some time listening to and watching Family Man Barrett. [/quote] No... I don't like it... I don't get it. As far as the notes go it should be easy...but not to me it isn't.. I am trying to find a clip of a funk groove. It is as slippery as hell... and the guy just has IT.. We should be able to get close to it..and make it work to varying degrees, but there will be a world of difference in how successful most of us will be....

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1365683641' post='2042808'] I honestly think you don't really want to accept that people think you are wrong. [/quote] But he isn't N...or not in my opinion. People may think they can make a fist of both...and it comes down to what sort of fist...? To the vast majority of people, if someone said play something funky on the bass...they'd pull off their bestest slap riff.... That is the sort of thing you are up against. Somethings have a funk tone or element, somethings have funk through and through. World of cheese..!!! If you put a world class funk player into Maiden or a metal band... I doubt they'd get the gig even on playing ability alone. That is why the OP is valid..IMHO. We are replacing a rock drummer with a funk player. Once we like what he brings to the party, we will decide if the direction that takes us to is where we want to go... It wont be because he can't play... as he is likely in a different league anyway...it will be because we can bend to what he brings. But then we don't inhabit a strict genre..we know we will miss the rock-out, maybe.. but should gain some serious funk chops.

I think I can play and groove well... I've listened to a lot and my technique is pretty sound..all in my opinion. I think I know where I stand in the grand scheme of things...or certainly at the level I operate. I can't play reggae to save my life.. but surely, I should be able to if I am a capable bassist....??? The trick is to know where you come up short...so I leave reggae well alone.

Depends how you hear it. You could have a certain sound feed to a amp/cab and and another to another amp and cab but what does this really give you? If you send two signals to the P.A ..assuming he has two channels for you... then what controls the pan ?? and you could end up with bass out one side only..?? As for monitors with no amp... has the P.A got two mixes for you..?? This is all pretty specialist stuff and almost an indulgence beyond any real gain. You'd have to have a very good relationship with the engr to go this route... which means budget and influence, tbh. No one else is really going to bother. A lot of time and money to what end..?? only you can say. I used to run stereo for a bi-amp system but it cost me a lot of power for a tad of seperation.. back to mono/bridged now..far easier for what I want/need and the amp has been retired to rehearsal mode anyway.

Faking it isn't excelling, tho.. If you think of bassists that are considered funky.... like Larry G who just exudes it, then they will have a take on the genre that you either have or you haven't. You can't be seriously funky or groovy just because you put the time in or want to be. Some guys are funky without having great chops or technique.. and some can't be in a million years no matter what.

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1365608115' post='2041756'] Agreed about Flea being a rock player with funkier sensibilities but I definitely do not agree that he can't 'groove' (eugh the more I see that word the more I don't like it!). There are loads of tracks with the RHCP that he didn't slap on but grooved all the way through. Would you describe him as a rock player with no other sides to his playing? The funk influence on his musicianship and feel are pretty obvious. Is he the archetypical funk player? Obviously not, leave that to George Porter Jr. Not everyone is going to have heard of the Meters though so let them discover down to the bone funk bands through common influence on players like Flea. There's no need to so rigidly define stuff. [/quote] Didn't really want to make this about one player but in this example... he doesn't groove by any defintion I understand.so yes, I'd call him a rock player pure and simple ...

I couldn't say they are the answer in context with the amp but if you are moving over from Markbass cabs then Vanderkley, Berg, Aguilar DB and Epifani would be on my shortlist.

[quote name='Bass Lady' timestamp='1365599435' post='2041606'] Thank You, Thank You and Thank You! Yep, Speakon is inserted and twisted in so I will now go and try!!!! [/quote] TURN IT UP....!!!!!

He sounds cool to me and I expect he will himself expect to have to show some chops, so let him steal the show. He probably will anyway You'll prorbaly find he has played some massive gigs and is cool about them as well, as in, they would have beena great buzz.. and if your mate knows him, he will know his character. We have a local guy round here who has played in probably one of the TOP 3 favourite BC bands, I'd suspect. Everyone likes him and respects him as he is a NICE guy to boot...so when he has a story to tell...no one sees it as 'name-dropping' or any sort of agenda... they listen and join in on the joke.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1365595934' post='2041514'] Myself and my other bandmates just got this text from our drummer: Folks I have some news. 31st July you are playing with Gregg Bissonette at the Freddie Gee Drum Academy. Gregg was David Lee Roth's drummer from 86-91 and is currently Spinal Tap's first choice. I'm officially bricking it. Defo keen to do it as it's a really cool opportunity. He's a friend of our drummer who used to tech for him. Any advice? [/quote] It will be an opportunity to see how a top guy does it... I wouldn't worry as he isn't going to fire you... and I expect he will be a cool guy about it all. He wouldn't really agree to it if he hadn't thought it thru..??? Ask him about his Toto Dep gig...saw him at Shepherd Bush dep to Phillips.. ask him about the guys that he rates and he might have a nice story. But...... the flip side of that is... ex names round here have CV's that have people drooling.... you need to see and hear them to decide whether that adds up to much..

Didn't really want to post this..but ..? Flea is a rock bass player who uses a perceived funk technique...( slap ) Only rock bass players think it (he ) sounds funky. and this is why funk players don't really want to talk about his technique/style.. IMO. I have this 'discussion' about 'Higher Ground' which seems to be a default rock slap part. Some guys want to play it exactly as Flea does... in order to be called a slap bass player... (this is true, IME) whereas the point should be..IMO..is it funky..?

Have a drummer who is a rocker and he is really good at that.. as good as anyone around here, IMO. He can make a pass at the funkier stuff and sound pretty decent .. but you can tell he doesn't listen to it..and therefore he is short., IMO. If he put the time in..he could be so much better but he doesn't have the empathy or desire. Not a problem in reality as nobody but a really good funk drummer would notice... but... It is more than just having the notes/licks down.... in both genres. I think it is fair to say so and so is a rock player OR a funk player. The people that I know just don't cross-over or can't... ( I am talking about being at home in both a Maiden song or a Jamiroquai song... hmmmm..???) and why would they unless you are talking playing AT it, rather than playing IT.

Played an early 80's model for years and it was rock solid, great action and after I took the pre-amp out was one of the best basses I've had. Played a few recently and they don't seem the same company ..well they aren't.. and I hate it when the bass feels like a block of wood in your hands. Pretty poor, IMO. I think I might just about get on with the 5's but I have them covered with my current basses anyway but I have always found the 2 band EQ very clumsy even way back then...so apart from a slight hankering for the 5 that ship has passed. We moved on.. have MM's..??? I think the Sub budget range is decent for the money.. but is still a poor bass overall.