JTUK

As an aside, and not knowing what you need to earn, but lets assume £500 a week. That means a decent payer of £250 plus per head per week..and then a few other gigs, lessons etc to top it up and you can see how hard it can look. The best function bands round here are struggling with the £1500 plus wedding dates..as these are the ones that have been more scarce. And these are the same bands that do 'celeb' type functions so that is their type of of market. Even pub work here for £300 is getting harder..and bands are talking about putting their money down.....!!!!!

Best tops we had were Martin ICT500's by a country mile but you wont like the weight. They slaughter the Q12's we now use. Maybe the ICT300's would be better and e-bay might get you them for £400..but make sure you get the controller. Our keys uses SX300's and I would say they are ok but not much for a P.A tbh RCF do decent actives and aren't that heavy to be fair, IMO...but not for that money. JBL aren't what they used to be either and suffer from breakdown's so it may depend on which ones you get. If you MUST go Mackie, get the earlier models. Not an area you want to skimp on tbh, I'd get more money together and go for 10 or 12 active RCF's as a minimum standard

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1351979945' post='1857609'] You did the right thing by being loyal to your old band and trying to get it on the right lines. Whatever you do now you can do with a clear conscience and your integrity intact. Good luck. [/quote] Not so sure about this... It doesn't read to me as though this unit was ever going to shape up to the new world order so I am surprised the OP gave them more 2nd, 3rd or whatever new chances. We can all be wiser after the event but this misguided loyalty cost the OP. To make the jump to pro function band standard...in terms of getting the money and gigs is NOT an overnight thing and certainly not easy in today's climate. Most of the full-time ...as opposed to pro standard..and there is a big difference, IMO.. bands round here have suffered with their diary so to crash that market takes something else and certainly, time. If that is where the OP wanted to go, he should have taken the job when on the table. Of course, I don't know the bands but that sounds so much like chalk and cheese to me... I'd call the band leader of the function band for a chat. No doubt the position has gone, but no harm in networking and seeing if they found someone they are going to stick with.

If you can find a Redhead for that price, that is an awful lot of amp for your money, IMO. Don't think an Ashdown or TE would compete myself, but if you like the sounds, then ok. Markbass 102 combos are a modern take on the Redhead but not £200 better on SH prices..IMO

Not an Ampeg fan, really, and the their 410'a are pretty basic..but they do that sound well enough. To me, it is money against weight in your 2 choices. The Ampeg should be pretty mobile on its wheels. Very popular round here and all the guys sound decent with them.. but you get what you would expect, nothing too fancy.

Newtone, because they make them to my spec...which is basically their Diamond series with ALL strings tapered. They are also the cleanest strings I've come across ..in terms of decent metal.. and they last a decent time. They aren't my version of super bright, but they dull less quickly or noticeably, so I use them longer. Great and easy to deal with and they are a UK maker with a personal service. I pay for all my strings and would have these over some freebies, anyway.

If you're hiring the venue, then I'd expect something like this to be a factored cost. I'd get them a dated cheque but if you don't trust them, don't book it....

We avoid playing dives for a start, but would expect the venue to deal with those things.

Doesn't really matter if you have FOH or not, IMO..you should approach certain things the same way. Tune/EQ all intruments to occupy a sonic space and have a little cros-over as poss. Any decent drummer should be able to get a decent tune from his kit...it is that basic. If they can't do that, then you have the wrong guy. Bass needs to cut not flood a mix and sit around the kit....and you need to hear all the notes when playing with full drums.as this underpins the whole song and mix. Gtrs and Keys need dynamics to either play a support rolle or lead role and they should be aware where they need to be dynamic or integral. Once you have all this in place an a generic EQ on the instruments, non P.A support mixing is easy and just a case of levels.. by and large. And when you have this core good mix sorted and all the instruments sound good on their own and don't clash with others sonic space, the FOH engr gets a pretty easy ride and 15 mins sound checks for decent size P.A and stages become easy to manage as you have done all the hard work for him..hopefully.

Quick fire way to potenially devalue the cab. I wouldn't be storing it anywhere that wasn't heated so if a working office type dwelling that copes with other electrical type kit, then ok....ish..!!

You have to realise when you are in the rut.... so changing things around is the least you should do after 18 months or so.. same old, same old is not good...for anyone..IMO so a fresh adventure should be applauded. Sometimes I think bands keep going because it is hard to find something else...but that is the worse reason to keep doing it, IMO

ok.... I am pretty finnicky in that regard, but I take the scratchplates off at a whim and it makes no difference to me. I'd understand Ramps for other techniques rather than slap.

A ramp or a plate..? A plate would have the purpose of adding a little attack to the slap... and this would be placed on the neck. A ramp generally goes between the pickups...or that ballpark type position... and is for stopping the fingers/thumb going too far under the strings if you use a 4 fingered technique or double thumping.

yep... always.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1351536640' post='1852351'] Mackie tried to sue Behringer over copyright/design infringement and the case was dismissed by US courts. Mainly due to Behringer agreeing to settle out of court - one would assume that Behringer accepted some degree of culpability in this case... [/quote] I noticed this similarity when I went to pick up a mates amp from repair... I think it was an LD or something. The tech said the innards were the same as you would see in a lot of amps around that price point. He even mentioned the name of this common component..and he said he saw many amps through his repair business ..wont mention them here but you'll know most of them, for sure, use them.

[quote name='JPJ' timestamp='1351457358' post='1851453'] Horses for courses. Behringer gear is pretty good for what it is (a clone of something else) at a very attractive price point. I bought a pair of their PA tops (clones of a Mackie SRM450 from what I can tell) and they performed brilliantly considering that the pair cost less than one of the Mackies. Some of their stuff is a little to 'noisy' to use to record with, but other than that, I'd say they are pretty good value for money. [/quote] Mackie and Belringer are very very close to being the same stuff...

For the most part, I'd be aiming for the essense of the song and the part... The proof is, does the track work and it does or we don't play it. I don't much care for ripping sonmeone elses parts and because I know ours work, I don't have to. As I said..if it doesn't we don't do it anyway.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okBPsjjvAz0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okBPsjjvAz0[/url] from 4.41 is useful

You couldn't do it in practical terms...as you would have to mute with the LH pdq....which you would have to write and the notes would make no real sense. To use raking, you really are going for very fast muted notes and open strings would complicate it to a degree that it wouldn't be worth doing. IIRC Billy Sheehan covers raking very well in a video...

couldn't handle the sparkle...... but I need to see what happens with this ...

Don't like what I've come across..desks, for example are poor, but you would surprised what other kit uses the same sort of innards. IMO..........cheap tat but if you can get it repaired cheaply then it may do the job for you over a period of time.

A rake is when you pull the striking RH fingers up across 3, 4 5 etc strings. Mostly effective across 3 , IMO If you want to go up a scale, you can incorporate a flamenco type strum depnding om how many RH fingers you wont to use. Many players will use the idea with their thumb to get a fast ascending triplet and you need to sort out your damping as you don't want really live strings, IMO

All my basses have been 34" and I buy them for their sound and playability. 35" wouldn't be a problem but I agree that B's are defined by the way they are made rather than lenght alone. Having said that, wouldn't use anything less than 34",,,,, as they are hairdresser's basses

Don't think I am much bothered.. If I haven't bothered to listen to an original then it is obviously working to a degree and especially if no one has bothered to mention it. A classic case would be a Blue Bros type set.... I've played them so often in so many outfits that I don't see the need to refer to a version... and they have been covered by so many...would you know whose version is defintive...?? If the drummer lays down his thing..then that has more influence on what I will play that the original anyway...?? I am sure I've played a good fews songs and NEVER heard the original...