SimonK

...in another band we went through two or three members after fall-outs due entirely to arguments in the car park after load out. I think it was just a case of everyone being a bit tired (and sometimes alcohol was involved). Decided that for the long term good of the band we wouldn't speak to each other during load out - just pack everything and go! Sadly COVID did for that band in the end as we got out of the habit of playing together and then people moved on to different projects.

If anyone is in Canterbury this seems a bargain. I'd absolutely get it for the head alone if I was closer, and also not tripping over nine cabs as it is!

That's the most "rock 'n roll" so far - certainly compared to sneaking out a toilet window!

Yes but it says "Helpful" as well!! Looks like there was some sort of question and answer forum in the past where presumably people could upvote answers - or a particularly dusty place now?

What is a "best answer"?

An amicable band split - gave me an idea for a new thread:

In another thread a forum member mentioned a band finishing with "everyone remaining chums". While I applaud this band for its maturity, I don't think I've ever had a band finish without never talking to at least someone again (which I fear says something about me...). My least amicable split was when we accidentally dropped a flight case on our singers tambourine that she referred to as her "instrument". In penance the guitarist and I went to a music shop to buy her a new one but she didn't like the sound. Thus followed an argument along the lines of "but they all sound the same"... "no they don't"... "well you don't have to play it because it annoys everyone anyway"... etc. and the nickname "Jingle Bells" being coined. I think we only lasted one or two more gigs! I'm sure others can better this!

Ah so there are ten liars on the forum 🙂 !

...does anyone NOT do this - as in how else would you set up your amp gain stage? It's also why we have the -10dB pad buttons (or hi and low inputs) on amps?

...so is anyone still in? I'm already thinking about next year as having (unexpectedly) acquired essentially an entire new rig this year (plus a bunch of cabs), physical space may limit my GAS next year!

...although it would be interesting to try to work out how much of that was to do with set-up and amp settings given the US made Stingrays are certainly towards the mid to higher quality end of instruments. I've certainly saved a lot of money in the past by trying to optimise what I already have rather than switch to something entirely new - which is totally against the philosophy of our consumerist society! However, despite the above, I don't think there is any substitution for actually playing instruments, as while quality control is allegedly getting better, some instruments just have that "thing" and it may be that rather than going for model/brand etc. on advice of everyone here, just playing a bunch of instruments within your price point might be the best way to find a good one.

...dare I say "the best sounding (thunderous) low B" may have more to do with the amp and then the set up of the bass?

Hi Alan, I'm also on the south coast but from the other side of Portsmouth! If you are playing in church you might like this thread:

Not sure if this counts as a rookie error (or maybe saved by a pro?) but many years ago I played at a rather posh end of year school concert for my old school, in an acoustic guitar duet with an old guitar teacher called Simon James (who was one of the founding members of the band "Acoustic Alchemy" if anyone remembers them). The whole concert had gone very well so in a fit of enthusiasm the school music teacher invited all the musicians to come up on stage with their instruments for an impromptu finale. As I went to go up Simon motioned at me to sit down and said we would sit this one out. Sure enough it was an embarrassing disaster that fortunately we had no part of!

Saw Spinal Tap 2 is coming out soon and missed this quote previously: Derek, on playing in a Christian rock band: "Same three chords, basically. They just take a slightly different position towards the supreme evil one."

The amount of times I forget to check the settings on my pedals haven't been knocked in transit... Although my favourite(?) rookie error was in one of my first bands as an 18 year old having just got my licence - of course we squeezed three lads, two amps, a bass, a guitar and most of a drum kit in a rover metro... and of course we knocked the exhaust off on the first bump we drove over!

+1 for my electronic guru friend who showed me he has it marked in his calendar (although isn't on this forum) - he may bring along a couple of his home made amps if anyone wants a look.

This - and also I view my HPF as protecting amps/speakers, or at least improving their longevity.

...I played Sunday morning services a few times the morning after the old Cutting Edge (aka Delirious) events back in the late 90s early '00s and we used the whole stage rig including smoke machines just because we could... and yes it's not quite the same on a Sunday morning!! (in danger of name dropping @mowf (who is on this forum) used to play with Martin Smith on the Saturday nights)

I was thinking of getting one because they are in all the videos from the big churches, but then discovered a combination of my fuzz, octave pedal and chorus gave a similar effect without having to spend any extra money! I felt all satisfied that I was equipped to make that sound, but then only ended up using it once in a six month period, so ended up taking the pedals off my board again! Out of interest do you have a load of songs where you have a need for it? My experience of church is that 95% of the time a simple punchy bass tone is all that is needed!

I don't miss calculating that my entire PA was 2000/240 = 8.33 amps so fine in most single sockets, while the 12 not particularly great stage lights were 12000/240 = 50 amps meaning working out how to distribute them across different circuits every frigging time... and that's before we even worrying about gels, burned out bulbs, general fire hazard... so no I don't miss that!!

...that there is a list of kit that I need to have owned (or at least gigged) for at least some period of my life in order to feel psychologically complete. Currently something along the lines of the below, and actually it seems I am almost there! Fender P bass ❌ Rickenbacker ❌ Year of birth bass ✅ Fender J bass ✅ MM Stingray ✅ Fretless ✅ Five String ✅ 8x10 cab ✅ 4x10 cab ✅ 1x18 cab ✅ Trace Elliot amp ✅ GK amp ✅ Ampeg SVT ✅ Fender Bassman ✅ Fuzz pedal ✅ Octaver ✅ Envelope Filter ✅

I'm not much into lights either but do realise they are important for a performance. Life got much easier when things moved to low wattage LEDs as before that I had to spend more time thinking about power than anything else! I've got a handful of these that we keep on a fairly static/slowly changing colour to light the band https://www.thomannmusic.com/stairville_led_flood_panel_150_40.htm ...and then a couple of these set to sense/change with the beat, albeit they've had more use in my daughters bedroom for disco lighting! https://www.thomannmusic.com/stairville_stage_tri_led_bundle_complete.htm Cheap, cheerful, but fine for small gigs especially as powered off a couple standard extension leads and pack down pretty small.

Hercules three way for me - here it is with both guitars and basses (one arm folded down as only two basses that day.

ooh new bass sound to aspire to. Not quite sure why this came up in my watchlist but I like it!