JTUK

My custom colour was going to be a nice sunburst on a decent figured top as you'll see the grain.. with tort plate, RW with MoP blocks and bound. Maybe a different sunburst to stock Fender... so a decent spray job to really set the bass off.. That said... I'm sure LPB, Sea foam and a few others would work for me as well. If you really have carte blanche on the colour..check out Sims and then the websites of Sadowsky or Avella C etc... as they have just that little bit extra in colours, IMO.

No..I'm very quick on the draw with intros for some reason. Pretty crap on lyrics but pretty hot on intros..

As far as the OP goes... I'd put new gigs at about 30% DB requirement around here...judging by the Ads..

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1438691147' post='2836400'] competent, yeh, but I'm ace on bass and no-one offers me bass gigs! [/quote] No, because they don't want you nicking the gig

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1438673216' post='2836207'] Yeah I agree here. As long as there's a first come first served policy on reserving dates then having various members in various different projects is pretty much the norm. You just need to agree some terms from the start and have a good diary system to avoid an awkward situation. If he agrees to a date with you then he's not allowed to cancel at a later date when he is offered a gig with his other band or something similar. [/quote] I never get this 1st come, 1st served nonsense tbh... but if you do take a gig, and then pull out it is down to you to sort out to the satisfaction of all concerned. You just need to know what the deal is... and deal with it as professionally as possible. Some of the guys I can use will tell me straight that my gig is their 3rd choice. As long as you know up front and understand why, things are manageable. You'll not get to use them at all otherwise. Some people find that untenable, others don't. I'm with the latter. Diary's are easy for most people the vast majority of the time but if you can't use one, then there is not much that can help you to be honest. It is right up there with being able to play....in importance. That and good comms and reliability.

Stick to 19mm for when you go to 5's... but on the other hand, why sacrifice your main style for slap..? 17.5 splits the difference.

Dr Feelgood... !!! yes..lose the electronic kit and the music stands

Anyone any good will be in demand... once it is known they are taking gigs. And if they are any good, they'll have better offers than a pub date. But if the band is decent, then you should be able to pay him £80 a gig and that might focus his mind a bit. Outline the plan... £250 for 2x45 min fee..and split 3 ways. If your new guy wants to play... buy him a kit..or he can buy his own and you can get those gigs.

I'd go andplay those AC's in the classifieds ..not saying they'll be what you want, but if you played them, you'll know. I don't think you can decide what you want until you play and hear it.

I'd say you are only as good as the weakest member but the other thing you don't want is the singer or the gtr pick the drummer.....generally.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1438362881' post='2833999'] Perhaps so, but I'f I'm hearing what he is at least as a starting point, then theres a better chance I can provide a sound that needs a minimum of mangling at the desk and so far my conversations with sound engineers have indicated I generally do a pretty good job of that. Really this thread is about the idea of separating the duties of sound/tone shaping from the actual amplification and you either "get" the benefits of this approach or you don't I guess, but it seems like its a growing trend hence the popularity of pedals such as the sansamp and darkglass and the mere existence of exotic stuff like the Jule preamps. To answer your earlier point about "why dont bassist just use a PA as backline" well the distinction is getting more blurred all the time and at some point we may no longer be talking about bass cabs vs PA but just a-box-that-makes-things-louder. [/quote] Well, if I read these thread's right most people's bass rig is better than the P.A they're using..?? There are P.A's and P.A's but if I took a local sample as sort of indicative of what goes on here... they bass sound isn't very good to start with...and neither are the P.A's... so where were we again?

[quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1438357808' post='2833919'] That would leave you with your insane amounts of FX reproduced as you wish rather than EQ'ing for the cabs you're using. At least, you'd hope so.... My view stems from the fact that I'm tired of EQ'ing for the cabs I'm using. It's not that they're bad if you're using a 4 string, but if you use an 8 or a 12ver, well, they are seriously less so and although I can get a good sound, the post amp DI sounds like a buzzsaw with virtually no low end on it at all. That isn't what comes out as obviously there is a huge boost in the 100-180Hz region from the cab rather than the amp. The fact that the treble is pretty much uncontrollable with those tweeters just does my head in as most EQ's are tailored for control of the lows rather than treble which is a pity. There are some really weird boosts about 3-4kHz and that's very difficult to control on a bass that is in effect 2/3rds of a guitar and has quite a lot of signal up there. Whilst Chris' point of flat response being a starting point to me is valid, I just find it irritating that DI's differ so much from the output because cabs are hyped in certain areas. If the problem can be solved for PA's can we not do a bit better for us humble coffee maker bass players? [/quote] The answer is up your tail which is where most bass players end up anyway....otherwise the pages of this forums would be pretty thin.. The other issue is what P.A's are you guys trusting to..? I don't see min tech riders for your stage requirements and you don't even know who is doing the sound so altho the concept is nice... and the lip service is fine, that is as far as it goes. IMO. If bands have a tech rider spec and their own engr, then I'd say you are on the road to getting what YOU want..otherwise, you're likely one of 4 bands with a 5 min soundcheck allowance, in all honesty.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1438356372' post='2833894'] The desk get my pre-amp DI out. Its non-negotiable. The presence or absence of "clank" is my artistic judgement to make, not the sound engineers. [/quote] But I'd suggest he could still influence it to quite a degree...and you'll not easily know..

Make sure it is transparent... and get a third member to run the kitty book. Dual account is fine... but you might get a few looks

If someone decided that a flat response was their goal and then decided a whole load of EQ and FX were in the chain, where would that leave you? What is a far better goal, IMO..is balance from your tone stack and that is where very good amps score. It then helps if you don't have a lumpy old cab but try playing thru a good P.A cab as your backline..? Not many do that for a reason, IMO.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1438320286' post='2833491'] Its not so much about having a totally clean uncoloured sound (although it would give you that option as a bonus), its about having your on stage sound be a better representation of what is heard through other sources e.g. the DI .Its also about the sound being volume independent as in not having to worry about an amp/speaker volume sweet spot. Same applies to power amp distortion. If you can get your sound/tone fully shaped by the and of the preamp stage with a neutral power amp and speaker then your in a lot more control of what you and the audience hear. [/quote] But still subject to the FOH man doing HIS thing... as his job is to make the context sound good...so I doubt you'll be able to exert that control. He wants a clean signal in... but I doubt very much he'll send a clean signal out and bass players at our level are to accommodated, within reason. It is his bat and ball and what reference will you use to find out what he is doing to the signal when busy playing..? If you like clank and he doesn't..guess who wins..??

I'm not sure of the value... most bass players can't handle clean or uncoloured and will only want to put it back in with a pedal anyway. The reason gtrs like overdrive is the reason bass players like Ampeg.. IMO. Hide a multitude of sins...and the vast majority of bass players I see and hear could not handle a clean pure signal so it depends where you put the lack of colour ... in the amp or cab. A clean amp might not be the same in terms of a clean cab.. but it can amount to pretty much the same when the signal is pure and that is difficult to play with. Example... play back in the studio without any treatment to the bass... could be a nightmare for some.

I use the DI on the amp... it is good enough and that was I control it. If using a stage box, what is the rush.. let them do it.

I'll do 8's around the B on the A string. I'll put octaves in there so he can hear a spread of notes. I'll offer up a low B....and then I'll do some high end stuff..all to give him an idea of what I am probably going to throw it so he can balance the bass. I'll drop a few slap fills in so he can be aware on any spikes as I'm not compressed. I'll try and point him in the direction where he should know what he needs to cope with... with examples of hi and lows and a few fills and steer him away from the subbie underpinning sound that is not much good for anything else. I might play a lot of notes all over and he needs to be prepared for that

I'd actually say good musicians don't play dives... as they don't need to but I can see that might be a tad contentious.. but then generalisations are all a bit crap as well. Do I play less that salubrious pubs and venues.. I'm sure I do but I also think if it is worth doing it is worth doing properly. I'm not doing a gig for gigs sake...that is for sure. Others might not think that way. Another pet hate... Beer festivals that don't supply P.A and lights and crew for multiple bills and also think they can get away with pub rates

Picking songs for a set list and making it flow is quite an art and skill ...much ignored, IMO. Many bands just pick their favourite songs and try and play them. It just about works down the pub and that is the end of it.

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1438188147' post='2832408'] Drummer? What drummer...? [/quote] Well, I know a couple of great drummers..and I mean great, so that is a musical treat in itself. I wouldn't be doing gigs without a drummer anyway...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1438121391' post='2831943'] We play fairs, festivals , bars and clubs of all shapes and sizes. Another thing thing for guys like me that do this for a living. There are bands out there playing high profile gigs with pro lights and sound that are getting paid less then you would at the corner bar. Blue [/quote] Well, that is just dumb then... or they aren't very good.

I've got all my gigs covered with all my kit. Might streamline and sell and amp or two, but will A/B them over the next few weeks/months. Basically I have them because I need them..oh and want comes into it a bit, but I'm not too sentimental. If I was I'd have my first bass still..and I saw one going for £2900 the other day..for a 70's Jazz..!!! It was a crap bass then and always will be.. :