Muzz

Played a gig at the Midland Hotel in Mcr last night, we asked about food, they said "We'll be serving at about eight, so it'll be either the food or the match". We opted for the match, went to the reception desk at eight to ask where the match was being shown. "We don't have it on anywhere in the hotel, I'm afraid. Oh, and you've missed the food." So it was Maccy D's at two on the way home... :/

I played a gig at Manchester Cricket Ground last year with a Harley Benton bass which cost less than half the price of a ticket to get in, just for the feck of it. It made a nice story, but if I'm honest, it's nowhere near the bass to play that my others are. Cheap basses are fun, but they're just that: cheap basses. If I found one that played like any of my main basses, it would get used all the time...but I won't. And I've never hesitated to take any bass to any gig: it's what they're for.

In my 'real job' in IT, I've worked with two people who were as close to genius in their field as it's possible to be, and neither of them treated people anything like the way that arse did. Genius is no defence for bullying, and it's got nothing to do with 'caring'. You can inspire and motivate perfectly well (actually far better) with different approaches. I'll reiterate: this man is a dick.

What a dick.

All four of my 'good' basses are in great nick, and I look after them. I play with a heavy touch, most of the time, but that doesn't damage them. I also take them down the Frog and Hammer without a thought.

Yup, that'd be the one...

In the main gigging band we don't rehearse at all (well not for at least two years now, and the last one was when we got a new PA, so I guess that'd be a 'technical rehearsal', as opposed to a 'musical' one) and that helps a lot. If you're getting paid to entertain people, you need to sell the songs via a performance, and that means working at it. If the band looks or acts bored, the audience will spot it a mile away, and they'll be bored too.

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1465234162' post='3066380'] My DHA VT1 EQ is an 'always on' preamp. My SWR is really loud, but clean. 'My sound' comes from the VT1 (DI'ed sometimes), and I use the EQ on the SWR head to make corrections for the room/stage sound. [/quote] That's the same thing I've done a couple of times with different setups. You don't have any interest in finding an amp that sounds like the VT1?

Following on from the interesting thread by Lozz of the preamp shootout at the Herts Bass Bash, the one about 'heft' from preamps , and in light of my own experience/prejudices... In terms of preamp pedals that are in a signal chain and always on, is it just a case of the amp itself not being the right one for the sound you're after? I used Sansamps (and their ilk - the BDI21, and the B3 and Jamup digital version) for a while with some 'politer' (or 'blander', if you like) amps, but in an effort to simplify my signal chain I went looking for amps which could do the same sound without the need for the pedal. And I found them, in various degrees. Just to reiterate, I'm only talking about the always-on usage, not the ones which give a different tone for different songs, etc - I'd consider them more of an Effects pedal in this context...although multichannel amps can do that. too...

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1464961318' post='3064193'] Passive instruments always sounds best in the living room, I find time and time again that it's when I'm on stage and need to make tiny adjustments of tone that an active circuit become indispensable... [/quote] Yep, this for me, although I don't have any kinda 'traditional' (or RI) basses, and I can see why passive would be preferred in that case. I love the East preamps, very musical - I have them in all my basses for consistency as well as tone.

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1465161862' post='3065802'] Bobby Vega; nuff said. [/quote] This. Never heard any snobbery in the real world, therefore I consign anything else into the realms of keyboard warrior trolling, and ignore it.

Ohhhhhh, go on then: maple board for Mark, some gold (tho not all, I have my limits) for Karl: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:147458] It's the wrong colour, mind…

I've got the Supertone on my Fenderbird (had it on two), and though the pups have been raised, I don't recall any major issues. I did replace the neck and the pups, too, though - and added chrome surrounds and covers: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:147458]

Yup, my point exactly...

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1464431276' post='3059396'] The overal tone of the bass does seem to change when the band start playing. I've heard really good bass tones when bands are sound checking just the bass, yet it becomes more generic in the mix and they lose some of the nicer points. I even find this at home playing along to CD's etc. Great solo tone but once it's blended in some of that just disappears. [/quote] You only have to hear the soloed feeds of people like JE and GL to hear how very very harsh their tones are to produce that cutting tone in a band setting, once they're up against guitar and drums. One of the reasons those angled Schroder cabs work well in a band environment is their kinda pokey soloed tone.

Drummers: the Kim Jong Il of band volume…

[quote name='thatgrantboy' timestamp='1464946751' post='3063958'] As would I! I love the chrome hardware on the tbirds, and this would really pop with it. I feel I'd spend more acquiring the chrome than I paid for the bass though! [/quote] There's an online supplier where you can get the surrounds and pickup covers - it's in Germany if memory serves. Not that expensive, either…well, in the context of a £70 bass, it is….probably £40-50 for both sets…

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1464947416' post='3063968'] Yes, just what is 'heft', anyway?? [/quote] HEavy to liFT…

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1464945545' post='3063939'] It all depends upon the context of a band. I'd quite happily do a coffee shop gig with a 1x12... You'd probably get away with it in quiet more acoustic focused bands... but you'd likely be wanting if you got much louder or larger venues. Probably worth clarifying whether this 1x12 has got to provide for front of house too... or whether it is just monitoring... or whether it's working whilst being supported by a PA (and of course, what PA - as that will change depending upon venue) [/quote] This, too - my comments about the Bergs apply to [i]without[/i] PA support. With the PA, I'd still use two, just to get the monitoring nearer my ears (we don't use wedges). The BB2 I used with and without - I played an RAF hangar with it and through a single-sub-two-tops PA, and had to repeatedly turn down.

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1464912738' post='3063806'] Not since last night. . . My 'second' rig is a Markbass LMII with a CMD112H. I've gigged with this loads of times in a loud rock band setting. Easily handles the volume and adjusts to lots of room types without much hassle [/quote] Not any kind of dig at all, but this kinda illustrates the gulf in "the rules" we assume about the instrument we all enjoy, its amplification, and the applicability of our experience to anyone else's - I've tried to gig that exact setup in a 'loud rock band' (my quotes for me, obv), and it was fartily, hopelessly inadequate. How any of us'd ever agree about anything more abstract, such as, erm, 'heft' is beyond me… Horses, courses…I think the default answer to the question "Is it just me…?" should really be 'probably'

I'd like to see that colour with the full chrome hardware - pup covers, surrounds, etc…

[quote name='Musashimonkey' timestamp='1464805647' post='3062791'] I've tried a number of good 12's but in my loud rock band the only single 12 to keep up volume wise was a Barefaced Big Baby 2. [/quote] This. I use 2 Berg 112s most of the time, and three when I want to really compete. The BB2 was extraordinary for the size.

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1464859724' post='3063167'] Muzz, I'm sure I noted somewhere that you've done a review on your Magellan. Buggered if I can find it any link fella? [/quote] Here you go…I hope http://basschat.co.uk/topic/284869-nrd-kindamagellan-and-berg-content/page__fromsearch__1

Where are the biscuits? Come on, who's hogging them?