Les

Doesn't work for me either.

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1413883742' post='2583015'] with singers wanting stuff in Eb, [/quote] Bastards

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1413857244' post='2582862'] Would you be willing to share where i can get that black band shirt? I think it's very cool. By the way, that is one of the hottest looking Fender bass I have seen in a while. Blue [/quote] There are a few brands doing them, Jawbreaker, Banned, Criminal Damage and they all look pretty much the same. They are 40 to 50 quid on ebay new, but we bought ours second hand in a "worn once for fancy dress" kind of thing for about £20. If you can hang on till the weekends gig I'll find out what brand ours are and pm you some links. Both the singers and my jacket are the same jacket with different coloured braiding. Les

Sort of, we recently added goth/steampunk jackets to our cowboy hats, boots and jeans thing and the guitarist is reluctant, but we are working on him and he'll come round Basically we want to look like the band not 4 punters who've just walked on stage, if you get what I mean ?

We have a bit of a band image/theme so don't need to put much thought into wardrobe it as it's pretty much the same every gig.

The rest of your band have no interest in the bass you play as long as it sounds ok. They probably couldn't tell you exactly what your bass is,

Yep, Dancing in the moonlight springs to mind

we use AMPband and I know a lot of others that do. But I don't know anyone who's put it to the test with a clam. Do any of you ?

It's a copy of your public liability insurance they want to see. No it's not compulsory but if the venue want you to have it to appear at their gig then thats a condition of the booking. It's not dear these days and quite wise to have PL insurance

I think you should stay. You are learning loads. Maybe not loads about playing bass but you're learning about being in a band. You've been able to start an interesing thread with some great points and input from experienced band bass players and whether this is the band that see's you do your first gig are not you can now say "I am the bass player in a band". well done you. By all means keep looking for the next step but you have certainly taken the first step and have obvioulsly gained from it. good luck Les

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1411917111' post='2563852'] How many of you use earplugs when rehearsing and gigging? I have noticed my own hearing has been going down the pan recently. In order to preserve whats left I have bought some mould your own ones that fit your ears precisely. [/quote] Would be interested in knowing how you get on with these, I've got the er'20s but they alter the sound too much for me. Let us know if your new plugs attenuate equally across all frequencies please mate. Les

A lousy situation very well handled. You did what you had to do and it's sorted.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1411287831' post='2558064'] I can't go in on week 3 and tell them all how to do it, [/quote] You can actually.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1410740323' post='2552676'] Fix it permanently.... get Dunlop strap locks. [/quote] Really ? Had them years ago but as far as I can remember they work on the same principal. Unless things have moved on a lot and I'm behind the times

Thanks flyfisher, will give the glue and toothpick method a shot. Don't really want to get invasive with drills and dowel cos' it's an old bass.

Came out completely 30 seconds before the drummer started counting at Fridays gig. Gaffa to the rescue and gig completed without mishap. I've fixed this many times before by inserting bits of matches/toothpicks etc watched a couple of youtube vids this afternoon and it seems it's better if the bits of wood are glued in. Never done this but I'm going to later tonight. Unless anyone knows of a better repair ?? cheers Les

No you don't if it's under 50 quid. When can I pick it up ?

If I didn't gig I would probably never pick up a bass again.

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1410429676' post='2549297'] I saw bill fitzmaurice mention in another thread that he uses a high pass filter at 160hz. This is interesting as I always find bass really gets wallowy in the PA mix and so I'll definitely give his approach a go. Any other suggestions? [/quote] Should have said, our desk has a low cut switch on each channel at 100hz. I engage this on every channel though conventional wisdom seems to be everything but the kick and the bass and bass heavy synth stuff. Makes eliminating the woolyness you mention easier but still leaves bottom end punch.

The two items that generally need a bit of eq'ing through the PA are the kick and my bass. Almost everything else is close to flat on the desk. On my bass I use the desks parametric to find and then cut the "boom" I get, same for the kick but a different frequency. Couldn't tell you the frequency as I use my ears. But you can certainly eq the "wallowy" sound out.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1410113745' post='2546288'] Ive met quite a few guitarists that the term "goat shagger" would have been fitting for [/quote] We had a band meeting about this and decided that as long as it didn't interfere with the band or tarnish our reputation whatever he did in his own time was his own business. As an aside his billy goat died of sex this year. He was gutted, he was fond of the beast and it had a name, though I forget what it was called. After being pestered for sex every 15 minutes for most of his young adult life and fathering so many kids he couldn't remember all their names the billy goat calmly walked into the middle of the field, sat down in the sun and thought "fook it, I'm done" laid on his back and expired. A light that burned so very briefly but oh so brightly.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1410109814' post='2546210'] No goat sacrificed, though; is that really mandatory..? [/quote] I'm not sure to be honest. We use goats because our guitarist actually breeds them, though I would imagine any reasonable sized animal or medium sized punter would do at a push.

I'm yet to be convinced by any of the naysayers points about everything through the PA. I'm blessed to have a drummer that plays at a perfect volume, hard enough to make them sound like drums but nothing daft. We set up at The Dog and Dick ale emporium. I'm cursed with being the sound guy as well so I have the hideous task of putting everything through the PA. this involves a whole 4 leads and 2 minutes 38 seconds of my life that I'll never get back. Drummer plays, I can do nothing about the onstage volume of his kit, it is what it is, we don't monitor them (and I'm assuming as we're talking pub bands that's the norm,electronic kits excepted) so I then turn my back line up to the appropriate volume so I can hear it and the drummer can while he's playing. Guitarist then chimes in at the appropriate volume relative to the drums and me, all is well. 2 acoustics and the mandolin are checked in the same fashion but they go through the foldback. All is still well. we all start singing and playing, foldback levels adjusted accordingly. The reality is that unless the drummer starts to play quieter or louder there really is no other workable volume setting for any of the other instruments/vocals to go to without ruining a happy onstage sound. Then after we sacrifice a goat to the gods of stagesound I turn the PA up and nip out front to listen. FAR too loud, jump back on stage and much to my relief I find the master slider on the desk actually goes down as well as up. Back out front, I'm a bit too loud and the vocals are a bit too quiet, jump back on stage alter a couple of sliders. Nip out again, fine, that'll do for me. Run my fingers across my throat, band stops, takes off their instruments and f**ks of to the bar leaving me to tidy up after them.