gjones

Try one of these. It does a good job of getting an Ampeg type valve sound. All for £19 from Thomann. [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD0CN4rs8p8"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv1fcgUq2ng[/url]

My band was asked to 'Pay to play' for a support slot for Alabama 3 in some London 'Rock Pub'. A pub's a pub as far as I'm concerned. We told them we were washing our hair that particular night.

Sorry to hear about your tinnitus. I had carpal tunnel and the thought of having to give up gigging was awful. Luckily I had an operation and all is now fine. But I have a lot of sympathy with what you're going through.

Looks kosher.

If you do start a band, keep it small. I was in a 9 piece band a couple of years ago and trying to get them all in the same room for rehearsals was like herding cats. We had one gig in 18 months.

The usual Letterman house band bassist is Will Lee. Wikipedia says he started in 1982. He must have been on his holidays that particular day. Here's Will playing slap bass with Hothouse Flowers on 'Be Good'. There's no slapping on the original but it kinda works. The first (and last) time there ever was slap bass on a Hothouse Flowers song. [center]http://youtu.be/F3r7sQkUvJ4[/center]

I had one of these babes about 3 years ago. A beautiful retro design and a great sound but seriously heavy. If it wasn't for the fact I live 3 floors up I'd buy it. Might be a bargain for someone. They went for £700 3 years ago. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231306140074?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1407773688' post='2523860'] Does anyone else get frustrated not being able to afford half decent gear? I play a Jhs vintage bass and whilst I like it I would prefer something a bit higher quality. My amp set up is just a mixture of second hand Hartke stuff off here or ebay. Last gig my amp head died so I am currently trawling the web looking for cheap second hand heads which I know is a false economy as they probably wont last five minutes. The gigs pay well but that usually gets spent on the kids. Think its made worse that the guitarist and drummer have no commitments so are always buying new gear. I would never expect them to chip in for my gear but cant help getting a bit down about it. I look at prices of decent gear and its like a different world to me. Anyone else feel the same? [/quote] I saw a secondhand ashdown mag 300 on ebay for £75 yesterday. Decent amp and reliable.

I play through a PF500, regularly, at a local venue and I love it. I'd buy one at the drop of a hat but I keep on seeing posts like this one about how unreliable they are. Is it just the original ones that fail? Have they sorted the problem out yet? Are the new ones more reliable?

All right now, by Free. I was still figuring out the bass part on the solo until 5 mins before the gig.

Interestingly I have a old P bass neck from around 83 with the same problem as in that video (the truss moves but has little effect on the neck). Luckily it's set pretty straight and the action is very playable. Very interesting info though......thanks for that.

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1405860296' post='2505865'] Don't play hard sh*t, play good sh*t. sh*t that works inside the music that is. [/quote] That's a good bit of advice.

It was listed last week and it got up to £600, then the seller pulled it. He's relisted it again, possibly in the hope of getting a better price. Or maybe the sale fell through. I tend to think that people who have a thing about JV Squiers, want an all original bass because they keep their resale value.

Well you've got to choose songs with relatively difficult basslines, if you ever want to get out of your comfort zone and become a better player.

It needs a good scrub with dettol and a steel brush (also works for Hemorrhoids...... so I've been told).

Get a big fan and point it at yourself so you don't get hot and sweaty.

Tokai were so good that they make Fenders now.

I usually hate TE stuff (mainly because of the ancient TE amps in dodgy rehearsal rooms). But I used the venue's GP7 1x15 for a club gig the other day and really liked it. There's one for sale, for peanuts near me, and for a brief moment I even thought about buying it.

I believe these were the 90's equivalent of the Highway Jazzes and Precisions. There was also another earlier series 'California Series' before the American Traditional, which was constructed with Mexican parts but put screwed together in the USA. Todays equivalents would be the American Specials.

I second the J retro solution. There aren't many sounds you be unable to get with that. I have one in my Jazz. Costs £195 and will take you 15 mins to install.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1403938046' post='2487821'] 10% experience 10% feel 20% character 60% Van [/quote] No van no gig

My 35 year old bass has played a 1000 gigs and has been through the wars but the only places it shows wear is the hardwear and the electrics. There's nothing but the odd dent on the neck and body.

After 10 years playing every weekend, in 2002 I fell out with my brother-in-law (whose band I was in), got a proper job, sold my amp and gave up bass. What an interesting time that was! I was out every weekend getting drunk and having fun like normal people do. But after a couple of years, slowly but surely, the word got out that I was a bass player and I got offered more and more gigs. I bought a bass amp, discovered basschat, found out what G.A.S. was and I haven't looked back. Oh and by the way I made up with my brother-in-law and we were out gigging this weekend, with the old band, as if the last 13 years had never happened. There's a moral in this story..............eh somewhere?

I've never found the perfect drummer yet. Some can swing but aren't tight and others are tight but can't swing. I play in a ska band and a blues, swing, jump jive, rockabilly type band. The ones who are good at ska can't swing and the ones who can swing can't play ska. The really good drummers all seem to be playing in wedding bands to pay for the mortgage. Meanwhile we continue to go through drummers like Katie Price goes through husbands and like it says on my avatar, however good you are, in reality 'you're only as good as yer drummer!'.