Blue_floyd20

Yeah, I was looking at the Ashdown RM 500 EVO III but wondered if the Mesa is on-brand and punches above the 350w rating on an ear test.

Hi, I've been gigging for a few years with an Ashdown OriginAL HD1 300w. For the most part it's been brilliant, small and more than powerful enough for 90% of the gigs I play. The band is becoming more successful, bigger stages with higher expectations! Of course the bigger gigs is through PA and amp is jsut for monitoring. I wondered if the Mesa is going to be that extra little bump I need for those 10% of the middle ground. I like the idea of something nice and small, low maintenance and reliable. I play through either a single RM 112 (small venues) or RM 115 + 210 Large venues - all 300w 8ohm cabs.

Thanks for all replies. So, gigged with the SubRay Saturday night. It was the centre detent of the pot that was getting me. I really had to start at zero and lifted both between 20/30% to get a much nicer sound out of the beast. Then I could tweak the top end up when needed (like Down in the Tubestation/Town called Malice). I've been used to the Yamaha setting everything to 100% and using the EQ on the pedal to alter the sound for individual songs. It's a different way of working. But the guitar is definitely growing on me.

I am interested. But also lazy 😅

Hi All, I've liked the Stingray shape for a long time and recently acquired a Sterling SubRay 5. It's my first active bass or guitar. My other regular gig 5-string bass is a Yamaha BB235 which other than perhaps getting a little bit thin at the top end has a very nice warm tone, but it's passive. I took the Subray out for a rehearsal and with all of my fiddling I couldn't get the warmth the Yamaha has. In fact it sounded quite gainy, like a really subtle drive effect, no matter what I did. I've got an EHX bass battallion which has my distortion and compression in it. I was rather hoping with the pad button it might be OK with the SubRay but it just sounds really hot. Without the pedal direct into the amp it sounds a bit boxy with no depth of tone. The tone adjustment works on the guitar (fresh battery!) it just isn't the beast I was hoping for. I play with a pick most of the time due to a finger injury but the only time I could get near the roundness of tone I wanted was playing finger style on some ska stuff. Am I looking at a standalone compression pedal and drive/distortion pedal? I'm not a pedal board guy, one or two plus a tuner is enough for me - anyone had similar experience and solved it? TIA

I've got one. Great little cab. Often play small venues pubs and it's all I take with me. It is sealed and that speaker really does push some air and make a hell of a noise for such a small unit. The only downside is that it's so light that on a smooth/slippery floor it can 'walk'.

Yeah, talented guy. Individually I love Black Midi's stuff but it can be tough going after a few tracks, in some part due to his vocals. I was excited to watch their Glastonbury set a couple of years back but it became a tough listen as the grooves are in such short spells.

Cool, this has come up in our latest round of suggestions for new songs. We've been playing 'All these things I've done' after I saw a group going mental for the chorus but it's never really taken off, so going to swap in 'Somebody told me'.

Land of a thousand dances is one we play too, but a punkier version closer to The Rezillos cover - rocks along at quite a pace. Ah some good tracks there might steal those as suggestions - We play Pump it up by Elvis Costello, one of those that's fun to start with but the endless repeats in the outro outgrow their welcome.

Not sure if this thread already exists but here goes. If you're in a covers band, what do you enjoy playing from a purely selfish bass-centric POV? I'm not a particularly high-level player, due to a finger injury I play with a pick which can hamper some stuff but there are some songs I really look forward to if they are in the set: Neat Neat Neat - Literally the easiest thing to play but I get lost in this and it gives me the opportunity to crank everything up with some heavy distortion. Proper sweep your legs loud. Don't stop me now - I play this a bit heavier and busier than John Deacon, It's a 3 piece and it fills some sections out I Predict a Riot - Again, I've busied this up a little it's a fun one to play that crosses a couple of keys, I would never listen to the original but enjoy playing it, not sure if that's odd! Down in the Tubestation at Midnight - some fun little licks in this and some backing vox to keep me interested Timebomb (Rancid) - Cool Ska riff with some backing vox, good fun

Not ready to retire just yet

Wonderwall/Sex On Fire, or more generically, anything by Foo Fighters cover 95% of the requests. I've been threatened by a group of stabby little chavs for refusing to play Wonderwall, hung around while we packed up telling me they were going to kill me, the pub has since shut down thankfully. It's always a marvel to me that people think you know every song ever written though. We do have a reserve song for this occasion where we announce we are going to play a special song just requested by [drunk person], then proceed to play 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley. Live audience Rick Rolling, sometimes, but often not, well received. It's also hilarious that they think you can hear or can comprehend a word they are saying mid-song or haven't got anything else to concentrate on. Then they come back having typed the request into their phone, haven't got my glasses on, it's why the set list is in 26pt type! Like the rope light idea.

I'm probably late to the party on this. I'm in two bands Band 1, 3 piece; we have an arrangement where the PA (a decent Yamaha setup prob over £1000) was owned and paid for by our front man/Guitarist, and for each gig over a certain value myself and the drummer contribute £10 to the upkeep. It's a good arrangement, it means he isn't solely responsible for the costs of repairs or servicing. We all benefit from owning rather than hiring and if needed can run drums and bass through it without any issues. It also means any other bits and pieces such as DI boxes, lighting, cables, signs etc are bought from this buffer fund if there is a decent amount saved up. We all set up and break down the PA system at gigs. Band 2, 4 piece; Cheapo setup with a xenyx mixer and G4M 10" active speakers (Prob £300) only used for vocals. Front man owns and is responsible for all PA equipment. No animosity there, he is happy with that and he will set up and break down the PA. I'm pretty lucky - the no d--kh34d policy in both bands means none of this has ever been an issue and no one would propose something that was unreasonable.

Thanks for all suggestions so far. There is of course a safety element but I have to admit that I'm getting sick of people trying to request songs while we're mid-song, if it stops just one of them it'll be worth it. Nothing will stop the coked-up steroid-taking blokes though except the cattle prod. I'm considering sticking warning tape to the PA speaker covers, fill them with drum bags and stick in gaps as appropriate.

A lot of the places I play are not on a raised stage so you're set up at one end of a dancefloor. Come the end of the night and the crowd's inhibitions have been lubricated away, they tend to get too close. I've been hit many times with my microphone, people walking into the band space to request a song (while you're playing!), drinks spilt near pedals and monitors etc. etc. etc. It can be irritating and unsafe. It's difficult in one of my bands as we are a 3-piece so tends to be more space for people to walk into. Is there a passive way anyone has discovered of keeping people out of the band's space without being OTT and unapproachable?