Franticsmurf

I'm in. I've managed to sneak in my IEM upgrade before the starting gun and I don't anticipate anything else other than a couple of professional set-ups that fall within the rules.

Thank you for running it this year.

Being a prog rock fan, I can't decide whether to aim for 5/8ths decent or 7/8th decent. 😂

Bridge pick-up on my Sterling 34HH through a Nux Sculpture compressor, Ampeg SCRDI, Sine HPF (40hz) and into the FX return of a Peavey Minimax 600 and thence into a pair of TE 1x10". I've been using the same combination for several dep gigs now as I'm very happy with the sound - punchy with a little bite and enough room to colour the tone with variations in right hand finger (and pick) techniques. I use the same signal path but DI directly from the SCRDI for my main band although I sometimes need a wider range of sounds and will vary the pick up combination and occasionally the Sterling's tone controls. Both set ups have received compliments for the sound from band members and audience members.

I was sort of agreeing with your original statement, in that I pick the bass that makes me look good in the band (in my head, looking fancy). Another consideration is the bass that makes me feel good - that I love playing, that will get me 'that' sound. When I'm in the zone with the bass, I'm probably looking as good as I ever will. 🙂

All the very best @Greg Edwards69.

I will choose the bass based on the type of gig - i.e. I wouldn't have played my headless bass at a recent C&W themed gig (Squire PJ). And an Eagles tribute night looked better (in my opinion) with me playing my Precision than my Sterling Stingray. And as they are performances, looks are important. Sadly, nothing can make me look particularly fancy. 🙂

The most I've paid for a bass was a brand new Sterling Stingray 34HH, which cost me just over £1000 in 2021 (and that was 'mates rates' from a local music shop). £1k is the benchmark figure I've used ever since. Apart from not having the disposable income or the frequency of gigs to justify paying more, I've been fortunate to find some bargains in 'B' stock or second hand instruments and I've built up a small stable of basses. My second most expensive bass is a 'B' stock American Precision which cost around £750. None of my other kit has cost more than £500 and I recently played a full gig using a £100 Squire PJ (with a £250 Ibanez semi acoustic as a back up).

I bought my only brand new bass in 2021 - a Sterling Stringray 34HH - which was meant to be the bass that would appear in all the band photos, the one I would develop my signature sound on, the 'One bass to rule them all and in the darkness bind them' instrument. Alas, my eye wandered and over the years I have bought and played other basses with various shameful excuses - it's too heavy/too big/doesn't fit the band image. I need a semi acoustic/fretless/headless/spare for stage. In my defence, the main band I pay with have such a range of styles of music (from C&W, through folk, blues, rock and heavy rock to a bit of grunge and punk although not all in the same gig thank goodness) that several types of bass seems logical and as we're a 13 piece, it's sometimes a tight squeeze on stage, so the headless basses come in handy. With a recent series of depping gigs, I thought I ought to get my act together and come up with a consistent 'signature' sound so the bands know what they're getting. Fortunately, the Sterling bears no grudges and together with my amp, cabs and minimal board it has found a place in my heart once more.

After several years of trial and error, this year I have managed to come up with a fairly consistent line up of pedals that are giving me what I consider my core of my sound. Add-ons take care of specific effects for specific songs. The signal chain is MS60B (which provides a noisegate and tuner functions, as well as any one-off effects - it's currently providing a synth bass patch for one song) > NUX Sculpture compressor > NUX Voodoo Vibe > Ampeg SCRDI. If the signal is going to my amp and speakers, it passes through a Sine HPF set to just over 40hz (and I'll adjust it as necessary on the night). If I'm going straight into the desk, I let the sound engineer handle the HPF duties.

I got the gigs through a mate I'd played with in the past. One was a band he had also depped with, and he recommended me. The other was with his current band. Initially they weren't based on my reputation or my visibility as most of my gigs with my main band over the last few years have been private functions. It's all about contacts.

This year has seen me get a few good depping roles in decent local bands. They've been on personal recommendations, too, which makes me feel great. Working with new musicians and learning new songs that I would never have looked at otherwise has given my musical self confidence a boost. If I'm honest it's also renewed my enthusiasm for playing in general, which was sagging a little. An added extra is that with the dep roles I've gone back to using backline and I've managed to get a consistent sound that I'm really happy with, and that the bands have complimented me on (as if I designed the TE cabs and Ampeg SCRDI that I'm using to get it 😂). While DI into the desk for my main band makes sense (there are 13 of us and we usually play large venues), I am enjoying the thump directly behind me.

There was a recent post somewhere on the forum about a battery tester which plugs directly into the jack socket. I can't remember where now, but it may be of some use. I've had a quick look but can't find it.

Step Into Christmas - Elton John. I played it with the band last night and it went down well. I'd never heard it before being given it in the set list about two weeks ago.

Last night was a dep gig for a local band with a big reputation and following - I was chuffed to be asked back after the last dep with them in September. It was a new venue for them that they were hoping to add to the list of regulars so there was a little bit of self imposed pressure for me to get it right, but they're a decent bunch and I didn't feel any pressure from them. It was a local venue to me, too - less than 2 miles away. Since Tuesday's rehearsal with them, they had added 'My Sharona' to the list and all I could do was try to learn the original arrangement and trust their assertion that they played it identically (which they did). Set up was into a very small space in a raised area surrounded by a waist high glass wall on my left and a wooden railing in front. It was tight, and that meant I had to get my kit in and arranged first before the drums could go in (there being only a narrow gap between the front of the kick drum and the railing). I'd brought my headless Ibanez shorty for just such an eventuality but the glass wall was just low enough that the full sized Sterling had room. I had visions of bending down to adjust an effect and smashing the glass with the headstock but, spoiler alert, it didn't happen. Fortunately, the guitarist was able to squeeze into the space by the back door and although we weren't allowed to block it to prevent people coming in as it was a fire exit, they put a sign out side to direct people to the front door. This gave the singer a little more room. Eventually, the jigsaw puzzle was complete and after a decent soundcheck, we were ready to go. It was a small pub but the place was packed and it was very hot despite windows being open behind us. We had dancers from the start - all credit to them as they had so little space to strut their stuff. There was quiet a bit of singing along too. There was a great sound on stage and apart from a few minor mistakes on my part, I think I did well as a dep. In fact, the only major problem was the guitarist starting a song in the wrong key - which we all managed to adjust to (even the drummer 😂) . At half time the band was offered several bookings in the pub (I've told them that as a dep, I expect a commission 🙂). By the end of the night the place was bouncing and we had a couple of encores. I was pleased to have a number of compliments about my playing and my sound from punters and the rest of the band. I have to say that I was really happy with my sound - punchy without being overpowering. Some of the comments back from staff and audience were that the band had a great overall mix without being too loud. The band are very thorough with sound and soundchecks, which clearly pays dividends. Kit was my Sterling 34HH through the board (MS60b for tuner and noisegate and a synth patch for 'Just Can't Get Enough' >Nux Sculpture compressor >Nux Voodoo Vibe (for Dakota) >Ampeg SCRDI> Sine HPF (set to 40hz)) and into my Peavey Minimax 600 via the FX return. Cabs were 2 1x10" Trace Elliotts. I think I've finally found a bass/board/amp/speaker combination that gets me the sound I've been chasing for years with this line-up. Footwear was, of course, by Skechers. This was my last scheduled gig for 2025. Next planned excursion is mid January.