JTUK

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1323606643' post='1464874'] [b]Well... Honestly... I do think they are inferior. That's not to say a good bolt-on is a competent instrument but invariably, bolt-on neck guitars are so constructed because they are cheap to make....Not because they offer advantages tonally. You tend not to find bass guitar luthiers (as opposed to companies diversifying into instruments) building a bolt-neck first and then building through necks... It's almost always the other way round...They build their top quality amazing sounding through-neck and later, if the market profile has grown and impecunious potential customers are lusting after their product, they commission cheaper bolt-necks (usually in foreign climes) which in effect sell on reflected glory[/b].. Leo Fender built bolt on-neck guitars because a) He wasn't a Luthier, he was a radio engineer, and it was an easily replicatable process for mass production. His (and THE) original electric bass of course had felt blocks damping the strings to make it sound like a double bass...the way the strings reacted with the body was not even a tiny bit important...The tone of the P bass became an industry standard because it was the original instrument and it's a heck of a lot easier to replicate or copy a bolt-neck than it is to do a set neck or through neck. I see bolt-neck guitars like I see rear wheel drive cars with one piece rear axles and leaf springs. Frequently entertaining but ultimately flawed and requiring quite a lot of 'help' to get them acceptable. well you DID ask! [/quote] I think this is absolute bollocks myself. You'd get Sadowsky say the same thing ..as it happens..but why stop there. I have two Sei J5's that sing like a banshee on heat..and I have not come across 2 basses that sustain as well....neck-thru or bolt-on. I've played a few. I agree that some basses can be as duff as a smothered blanket but that is the way they are put together and material used rather than the idea employed. IMO and IME, of course.

Best strings I have tried recently..and I have tried a lot ..........are Newtone Diamond series. You can request custom winds and they are very easy to talk to via e-mail. All contact details are on their website. Handmade UK made strings...perfect for me..

Congrats...

You need to know what kit works on what sized stages. Of course, you can always turn down but I use two rigs and find one for small and compact gigs and one for large is fine atm. I am thinking about adding a 610, but that depends how much mileage I'll get out of it considering I'll have to arrange different transport so cost effective..?? esp as my other rig can handle a powerful 100x30 stage with the other backline we use. Gtr will run AC30 and ext cab or equiv alternative and keys run stereo 300w per side. We can position a key cab either side if we need to. Drums are loud and powerful and I'll need a 550w amp. Stage sound is fine and full..and the sound check is useless if we can't arrange things to hear everything. It is a very odd and rare set-up when we can't hear interaction between the players and it would majorly p*** us off. The balance is between hearing ourselves and being loud enough to enjoy it but at NO TIME am I not able to hear key players ...!!!!

Sounds like you are playing bigger stages that you rig can cover and you need side fills...

I don't go for the bad solo sound sounds good in the mix myself and it is pretty hit and miss that it will work if you have no FOH reference so I get the best sound for me and my style and go from there. I know the band mix is good and uncluttered as it is one of the first things that gets commented on..and my bass just layers on that. As fro the trad TE sound..it is mid scooped... The Graphic will have a classic smiley look with the faders.of which you only have 7... The sound will be raspy and full as the highs and lows are mainly slightly boosted.... Tbh...with only 7 faders..there is a limit to what this can do..and you would be best off taking the TE sound..mimic the default and boost the mids to your taste..that is assuming you can't get the bassto work to your pre..with the preset switched in. There is not a lot ot go wrong with that sound..in the main..but if it doesn't work..?? If your bass is active...set that bass as flat on the dials and go from there. TE amps are worth perservering with...so don't write of the sound as yet. Bombproof kit...pretty basic by todays standard but many don't need much more...

but how many

On our circuit all recent degree students come out a lot more business savvy than they used to. The first thing they ask is how much is the gig worth... which is good. but there is no substitute for talent. You either have it or you don't ...IMV.

Yep looks like him to me...... and his style is brutal. I would think he must be storing up problems at a later date after the beating he gives his hands..!!! Always been like that, tho.......

OK.. I've skiimed this. As far as working in the industry goes..sure, roll the dices and take your chances. But it may depend how much you want/needf to earn and how many guys you know that make £30k easily from full-time music. To put it into some sort of context, you would likely need a single payer per week, to bring in £350 or so..and then add a few more dates. That is tough to do week-in week-out..

[quote name='daz' timestamp='1323921464' post='1468723'] I play my basses unplugged maybe 80% of the time. [/quote] Hardly ever do this..always amplified All the little nuances need to felt and heard..and some styles you just can't get acoustically.. IMO.

[quote name='rapscallion' timestamp='1317224692' post='1388354'] The Tele would be lovely if it was without that bridge pickup. [/quote] This..................... as it is, neither do anything for me.

Thanks..will check them out. Sunlite looks ok as well...it is just what interface Dev you use or have to use.

If I know G, he'd have been all over this within the hour of delivery and wouldn't have posted unless totally satisfied... can't wait for smug pics..

[quote name='Harry' timestamp='1323774688' post='1466767'] yeah very busy ta, loads of dep work etc....How about you? yeah will let you know when it comes, be good to hook up again [/quote] Looks great...coming along nicely now..!! Not bad, thanks...mostly with main band. Might want to pick up one or two other little jobs. Depending on the commitment. I still have this groove band idea ... just very slow to get it working and it is panto season so not really the time to do it....ha ha ! Sure, we should meet up soon.

Looks good...but I wanted a software package on a laptop so we can integrate with other lighting systems..or run with just ours. I also wanted to fire and forget and not be dancing around on the pedal, if poss...so would program the music set to the light 'console'.. The laptop idea is so we don't aways have to have a dedicated operator at all times. We also want to run slides from it if poss... that is my thinking anyway..... I have looked at the Sunlight link, thanks. Will investigate more.

I don't believe it until we have pics ...... With the OP sitting there with nice satisfied smug grin and mug o' tea..!!! Glad it all worked out, G.

5 Strings are ALL about the B, IMO...so for that money, concentrate on that area above all else. I also think heavier strings is a cop out. The B either sounds good or it doesn't. Of course, dull old strings will not help here either.. Old strings can even kill my basses..IME..!! It really has to sound balanced with the tone of the other strings but instead might tend to be bass heavy and out of sync.. ditch this bass if that is the case, IMO. But for £300...you might struggle here.

A repairs are invisbale to most of us, we have no idea what they guy had to do to charge us for the fix..so trust and integrity is key. Am hearing stories of late of a shop round here that changes valves as a first fix on valve amps... and was caught out as the shop forgot they had already harged them for valves in the first visit.. Having said that...our old school guy can test the valves as well..and he is straight and likes to chat. He is pretty much retired now, but has some great stories and knows his stuff. He even said the design of the pre amp stage was 'wrong' in his eyes. He has a history/pedigree as a designer and hold a few name patents/copyrights. In this case, you may need ther pre valve looked at. These old guys are like gold dust ..!! As for the SWR, SM400 had no fan at first and runs VERY hot. Earth lifts and fans came later, but also, so did the bass sub fix..as the earlier models drained power pushing sub bass levels that were unuseable, IMO... I can't use my SM400 with bass past 12... if that. The EQ is extremely powerful with the semi para 4 band... Hint.. an updated version of this excellent amp is the Thunderfunk... does everything the SM can do..but is hard not to get a good sound. Whereas the SM..as capable as it is.. can give you the round around at times. The SM has that tubey vibe to it whereas the TF doesn't quite get it, IME..not that that worries me at all...in the slightest.

12's are a bit of a struggle as far as I am concerned...so I'd use 10', but not on that budget. I would have said Berg's would hold their vlaue..but I think their price is inflated and maybe they haven't done so well in FS latetly..but then, it is a difficult time for selling. As for cabs..you HAVE to try them.

[size=5][sub]Anyone got a good recommendation for lighting software and the dev it needs to run from a laptop..?[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]I was thinking software and a USB/DMX type converter device?[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]I want to program a set....only pretty basically....at first.[/sub][/size]

I've skimmed this..but IMO, they didn't fix it. Get an old school guy to check it over and do the job properly. I have just the man..but he is in Kent. My SWR400 cost £35.00 to fix...as has most of the stuff we send him. Maybe it is because he can bench test every stage on the design...and there isn't that much wrong, but of course, that diagnosis is beyond the likes of me. My SWR only failed because it fell off stage under power. I've used it for 20 years or so..and the original design and build of that amp was very highly specced, he confirms. This is why the old ones are so good...IMO.

[quote name='algmusic' timestamp='1323688321' post='1465710'] I think the key is the always be prepared and positive. It's about your reputation not theirs.. I've had a similar thing. I didn't join the band as it was very unorganised, I made my excuses to decline and afterwards the band member who turned up offered me another gig, because I had a positive attitude during my audition and played very well. The lesson here is you really don't know where you next gig will come from [/quote] This is true. I turned down a position of a young hopeful as I can't be doing with being at beck and call for someone else' career..plus the work I expected to be invloved in would have been too much like hard work with the band he was proposing and I told the manager exactly this. I told him I would put a band around her but that it would cost him. It wouldn't have worked in those early days for that reason but at least I was upfront with him and he appreciated that. We get on fine..talk often and I wish her well. She is getting very positive responses in town and we parted company on good terms.

If the head has two speakon outs, run those two from the head, rather than daisy chain from cabs as a cable failure on the first would take out both cabs. But it seems like your config has all basses covered, so that is good.

I'll take two...they are the same config but different sounds. They can be interchangeable and both can cover the set..I just pick which one I like/prefer in soundcheck or set-up. If a venue is too small to have two basses on the stand, it is probably too small anyway, so we don't do it.