JTUK

[quote name='dudewheresmybass' timestamp='1426761701' post='2721582'] I've been playing for 28 years, and been earning my living from teaching and playing / recording for 13. Ability wise I see players that I feel are better than myself, but I know that if needed I could reach the required standard fairly quickly for almost any situation. [/quote] Generally players find their levels after a while, but if you should ever find yourself playing with a world class player, then that should either 'deflate' you as in being way out of your depth and seriously out classed or you get a bump as you know you at least can hang on to their coat tails, to a degree. It is all useful and relative.

Ian Shawcross has just retired, I think. Not seen him gigging lately

I'll stick with my initial thoughts but I have a sneaking suspicion that B is going to be the 10's

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1426695187' post='2720926'] I'm a basic hobbyist. I've been playing/learning for about 5 years, but it's not as simple as 2 years enables you to do X and 4 year equips you to do X+. I was at a Bass Bash some time back. I would class myself as the least experienced guy in the room. Most others were in bands and certainly could display better chops than I can or probably foresee being able to in some time yet. At the Bash a good member came along and did a presentation on Modes and how they're constructed. I was staggered to find out that most folk in the room knew nothing of Modes. I was probably the most knowledgeable guy in the audience on that subject. My approach to bass is clearly much more theory based than most here take.[b] I'm not a great one for playing along by ear to CD tracks. Who's right?[/b] I'd guess if most folk took my line they'd have quit of boredom by now. Where I can advise is on repair of gear. I used to be an electronics engineer. I know how to repair and finish furniture and a lot of that brings transferable skills. [/quote] Friend of mine has just joined a soul band and said he loved learning all the classic Chic etc etc soul tunes. What struck me was that he didn't know them already as he had been playing for years..? Maybe he listened to too narrow a collection of music, and maybe it depends what you put yourself out to play but I wore out vinyl records when I was a kid by playing these things over and over.. I had to go out and learn the 60's RnB tracks from Stax and Atlantic etc etc when I joined a band that the guys grew up with on that stuff, but I do think you should put yourself in all sorts on non comfort zones if you want to play. After a few years, you'll have a library of hundreds of songs and you'll be able to play them in any key... That is ear training and busking. Add formal music lessons and understanding theory and you'll have most bases covered. All you need to do is keep up your playing time and you'll be called a lot..

Not sure it is worth that much work... I'll guess the cab was designed for the 115 and was left over so the test adjustments wouldn't destroy a saleable cab... AFAIK, TKS don't use 10's atm... so what was used would have been what was lying around with the least amount of a rework..?? In that sense, the worst sounding cab B..IMO.. might be the 10 as it was the least best fit for the units they had. I seem to recall TKS sold some odd chassis recently but again, can't recall which and don't know their tech specs either... I am pretty sure TKS wouldn't have designed Cab B for a 10...

Yes..I don't know if that is a H115 or 1126 cab... and haven't looked up to see whether the Dims are the same for those two cabs... but I think they weren't designed as a 210..initially.. Also, those cabs are shelved ported for a specific unit..?? so whilst it is a fun exercise, I'm not being too serious about it. Having said that, maybe TKS know that the box is a fit for all..?? I've heard some of his boxes and I definitely think he knows what he is doing tho.. Basically, most voters seem to think the boxes sound like their pre-conceptions.. how correct that is, we'll soon know, but I also assume there will be a sting..??

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426686598' post='2720769'] While I don't doubt the experiences of the respondents so far, I do think that a lot of us hear with our eyes and muscles. If we heft in a heavy piece of gear, we expect it to sound "heavyweight" too... Maybe another blind test is called for (like the one relating to cone diameters)? [/quote] Maybe the visual is a factor but I would say...as much as I can use my lightweight class D and NEO's, .. there is just a 'factor' that transformer and ceramics add or just have. I want to like the lightweight thing but I've never really 'loved' any NEO cab I've gone thru... and it took me a while to come to that conclusion. I didn't set out to not like NEO, I just realised all the ones that I was passing on, were actually NEO. Once I'd formed this opinion, I did think Class D might follow the same pattern but all that did was stop me buying one until relatively recently. I'd used Markbass and a few others by this time and wasn't struck on them anyway. Once I had my latest big block amp, i then KNEW... IMO

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426686407' post='2720767'] I am really interested to see if you are correct JTUK! You've said a number of times that you would be able to tell the difference... [/quote] ha ha ... sure, but the experience seems to have a flaw as the cab wasn't tuned for all the chassis' that ended up in there..?? And of course...it isn't me playing which isn't as flakey as it seems as I do know my style and how that pertains to cabs..IMO.

I often wonder the same as I read some funny things in some threads. I know there seems to be more than a few people who don't want real top TOP players to contribute as a few have joined and quickly found it wasn't for them. This is very small minded, IMO and that might actually define the place. I think the main demographic is semi pro/week-end warrior as in most don't rely on playing bass for sole income. It is a place for pub bass players mainly. How many could or would want to step up from there is likely to be debatable? Maybe much less than 5% would/could in terms of desire and ability...?

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1426685005' post='2720735'] To be fair this is not a criticism of 'Pino', he is a great player and deserves all of his success. But, when he has layed down a bass track does anyone put it into dots or does it just stay in his head. In fact are any top flight musicians 'fussy' about transcribing their work accurately, because I would be! [/quote] If he uses dots he might well save into dots... but he may well have another system that works for him. When you get to his level... you get him in because of what he brings, so you are pretty fluid with what you want but you direct the bass rather than write it out. With that in mind, unless you are going to tour and need those specific parts played, you might have the Tour MD score it... but the direction and ethos has already been decided so you get a guy who can 'cop' the same as the original. The band might have a set score' for reference but nothing cast in stone if you never used that approach when writing it... IMO.

The EBS Classic is a budget line... so bare that in mind. I think they are quite good not sure I like un-attenuated horns, iirc... I don't feel they are in the league of Aguilar, Berg or TKS, for example, but then they aren't priced to be. TKS prices were lower than the other two but new prices come in in April, I believe.

Agree that this is not so much a really useful test as it seems like the chassis were just fitted into a box that may have been designed for a 12 or 15. But, as an exercise, I've played. Unless the 1126/H115 type box is actually going to be used as a 210 it's just a bit of fun

Cab A 10 Cab B 15. Cab C 12

I haven't checked but I thought most of the bass work on Street Life was Felder..? As for AJ's quote of no money beyond the 5th fret..??? hmm, I'm sure he made plenty up there.

Not very, but never ever a factor. Could I practice unplugged..? yes, would I want to ? no..!!

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1426625410' post='2720109'] [i]Desirable[/i] perhaps, but not a [i]necessary[/i] skill. It all depends on what kind of gigs you might get a call for. Suffice to say in 40 years of pro and semi-pro work, I've never been asked to read dots. [/quote] Really..??? Never been asked..?? That is surprising... IME.

argggg... One of my earliest fave bass players.

[quote name='Modman' timestamp='1426601354' post='2719713'] @ras52 Indeed it does.... My 6 string (soon to be) I am looking to purchase within the next week or so and my cabs I should have enough saved by september. [b]I am currently looking at the EBS classic lines for cabs[/b] at the moment, they do look very tasty and for the price they're fantastic! [/quote] Might know someone who would sell theirs and they are from Kent

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=moondance+chord+chart&espv=2&biw=1248&bih=688&tbm=isch&imgil=WTtVO860XXyeyM%253A%253B7hJmFLqwISUSkM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.curtsheller.com%25252Fsongs%25252Fsong_pages%25252FUL513_moondance.php&source=iu&pf=m&fir=WTtVO860XXyeyM%253A%252C7hJmFLqwISUSkM%252C_&usg=__7SxrOomtL6iHLHjfmXV0UI1auYE%3D&ved=0CEAQyjc&ei=VVkIVaXID6m67gbG4oGwCw#imgrc=WTtVO860XXyeyM%253A%3B7hJmFLqwISUSkM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.curtsheller.com%252Fassets%252Fpdf%252Fimages%252FUL513-1.png%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.curtsheller.com%252Fsongs%252Fsong_pages%252FUL513_moondance.php%3B612%3B792 I just searched Moondance chord chart and came up with those. If nothing else... just walk a bassline thru those changes. Vocally, it's lame, IMO but works better as a jazzer if you have a good lead horn and can take the rounds somewhere. I would seriously ask what the band proposes to use it for as it is normally a throwaway number at a function where people want back ground musak while still eating..??

I find a J5 neck notches my ring ring near the nut, where as the P5 neck is far more comfortable in that regard. I don't use a baseball bat grip

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1426593553' post='2719580'] The venues which are actually venues (ie. have PA and a stage) seem to be moving towards having just tribute bands on, which for covers bands such as us is frustrating. I'm not anti-tribute, just wish that these venues would alternate tributes and covers. [/quote] Friend of mine regularly says that Tribute acts kill live music... and I think he has a point in that the small venue of 350 will be booking tribute acts to sell. This is borne out by ;names' agents targetting pubs if they can pay £600-1000 plus. Some of them are a one time members cashing in..nothing against that, but they don't appeal to 350 capacity and maybe they are too much like hard work for the difference in money. Our local venue used to pay us £750 plus but we'd be expect to sell 350 plus tickets at £10 a time.. which is pretty stressful for a cover band to do more than a few times and was why we wanted a 'support' band to chip in a 100 or so tickets in sales, but you can see why this wasn't that attractive money-wise. Far easier to get a pub to do all the work. I know of 3 pubs in my town that have gone down the ex name route.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1426585836' post='2719463'] You're asking a 1x12 to do the job of 2 2x10s? That's a pretty tall order if you play at high volumes... ..................... [/quote] I'd agree.... Be reasonable what you expect but a 12 will not compete with a 4x10's and altho Markbass cabs aren't my thing, they are decent cabs.

Depends what you play and can do..?? In Kent there are some very vibrant scenes but you aren't going to earn a living very easily at all if you have to be in a band. The band scene is mostly weekend work but bars pay typically £250 for 2x45's. You can do better than that but you'll need to be worth the difference. If you could do 3 gigs per week plus a payday function gig you could be working £350 plus per week depending how you set the band up. Duo's can get £180 so 4 or them a week is getting somewhere but to earn much over £20k a year takes a lot of effort and hassling, generally. The problem is the weekday gigs mon-thurs so if you can cover that typical downtime then there is enough work weekends. Function bands can quite easily get £750 without playing all the stuff you might not want to play, so a better than decent pub band can do better than just top up their pub gig money for a party. For bands to work £1500 plus gigs, you need to tap that market or be very good and/or willing to travel. There are definitely gigs out there and a solo act who travels and works his nuts off has paid for his house in just over 2 years. He is pretty good but nothing wonderfully special. So... yes, down here you can make decent pennies but to work it full time, it will get tough and you wont live 'well' but you'll earn enough probably not to have to get a day job if you live cheaper..

No, I wouldn't... I'd probably think it was 'unplayable'... I don't see the point of having to dig hard just to get a sound out and avoid anything that can lead to CTS or RSI..

Try this and then just walk between the chords and changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5niOj4LkgqU