gjones

I was under the impression that the master on a class D amp can be turned to max and you can then use the gain to adjust your volume. Which means that your gain shouldn't clip, unless your band is seriously loud.

Another vote for a G&L L2000 or L2500. Ridiculously versatile with all sorts of sounds including a good Stingray impression.

Interestingly, the last time I used my CMD121P the sound engineer didn't bother to DI it, he just put a mic in front of it and listening back to the recording that was made that night, he got a very good sound.

Great interview, by Colin Murray of Radio 5 Live, with legendary bassist David Hood from Muscle Shoals https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001947y

John East does a 2 band Stingray Pre at a reasonable price. I had a 2 band EQ in my USA Stingray SUBs and the 2 band EQ does have a darker tone, like a P bass on steroids.

Tears For Fears in the grounds of a big old castle in the Scottish borders. Great gig and a great sound. They looked like they enjoyed it as much as I did too.

It's a cross bass players have to bear. It's one of the reasons I like active basses, as I can go out front and adjust the sound from a distance.

I like the aggressiveness of my 3 EQ Stingray. I have Precisions and Jazzes and got the Ray specifically for that Stingray sound. I have a tendency to try and make all my basses sound like James Jamerson's precision. If you do want a deeper, thumpier sound, I recommend buying a USA built SUB. I owned a couple a few years ago and the 2 band EQ gave a great thump. I used to describe the sound as a Precision with the sound of a kick drum behind it.

I saw TFF playing live last night. Roland was reminiscing about his and Curt's unfortunate ska band period.

I've got a couple of GK MB D class heads and they're pretty bulletproof and extremely loud.

I'd recommend buying bigger strap buttons and then you can fit your normal rubber thingies to them. I've got those big cumbersome strap locks on my Fenders (they came fitted) and they're a real pain, as you have to remove them when you put the bass back in the case.

The world's best cheapest cabs. Or possible the world's cheapest best cabs. I can't be sure?

Dave swift takes his Bergantino gear with him on tour (Jools Holland's bass player) but it's just for show as I believe he has an endorsement with the company. He uses in ear monitors and stands on a plinth that vibrates with the bass notes, so that he gets the impression of standing in front of a big old bass cab, when in reality the master volume is turned to zero on his amp. Sad but true.......

Here's some good advice.

At age 18 I went into Sound Control in Edinburgh and the shop assistant was a condescending twerp. I met him again, 40 years later, and guess what, he's still a condescending twerp.

I've written to the Queen, complaining about this very subject, several times. So far I have received no reply.

I tap my foot on the offbeat. Don't know why? Although I did play in a Ska band for a couple of years.

Chris recently bought my john east pre amp and the deal was smooth as a baby's bottom. Recommended basschatter.

Real nice bass sound you have there.

I experimented with replacing a 200watt 8 ohm speaker with a 400 watt 4 ohm speaker, into an Ashdown EB 150 combo . I also replaced the 150 watt amp, in the combo, with a 500 watt one. I was told that I was mad and that it wouldn't work but I did it anyway. It sounded great and I played it in various bands, with great success, for a couple of years. So go for it.......what's the worst that could happen?

I suggest, to make it perfect, get a new wiring loom to switch controls to master volume, blend, tone.

I went to see a band called Mamas Gun, at Lafayette, in London, back in January. The band played to a packed house of 600 people and the sound was excellent and the PA looked pretty 'state of the art'. Fast forward to the beginning of this month and I saw them again, in a small club under a railway bridge in Glasgow, playing to about 50 people,through a not very 'state of the art' PA system. But the sound was equally as good, if not better, at the gig in Glasgow. Interestingly the bass drum did sound too loud for part of the first song but after that everything, including the 4 piece harmonies, sounded fantastic. Their sound engineer really needs a medal. Interestingly he was introduced halfway through the gig by the band, and took a bow.

I've been in the position, in years gone by, where gigging was my main source of income and every gig was a good gig (even when we played in dives to a less than appreciative audience), as long as I got paid. 10 years later and I continued to gig but the money I received from playing in a band was no longer my main source of income. That's when I started to be picky about where I played, and with whom I played. I've refused to play gigs where I was concerned about my personal safety (I got kicked out of that band because I didn't fancy playing in a dodgy bar where people regularly got stabbed/glassed). I've also refused to play with certain other musicians that I wasn't a fan of, or I thought weren't up to the job. I refused to play at a political party's rally (although the money was good), as I didn't believe in their politics. I still love gigging though and I still take it very seriously, as even though it's no longer my main source of income, I have a professional attitude to getting things right even though, in reality, I'm no longer a professional musician.

The Barefaced Super Compact needs some serious oooomf to compete with a loud drummer. Whatever head you get, make sure it has decent power if you're using that cab.

I played through one in a studio I was recording at. I tried to pick it up from on top of the 410 cab it was on...... I couldn't. I therefore assumed it was screwed to the top of the 410..... it wasn't. They are VERY heavy.