Bassnut62

I've just spent 3.5 years putting a band together and finally got to the point where it is taking off.....what a nightmare. It never used to be this hard, when I was younger! I've been in many original bands since the 80s; all of these have been with people found through personal networking and this is infinitely preferable. This time I was putting a nine-piece Disco covers band together, from the start.....nightmare. I've never run a covers band before and didn't know enough people personally, who would be interested; so resorted to adverts in music shops, networking and online adverts. I reckon the best sites in this order are Gumtree, Party Sounds and Join My Band. Band Mix seems to be entirely populated by people who don't reply or it's a scam to get suckers like me to subscribe. Dealing with strangers has been both a blessing and a horror-show. I must have been through nearly forty musicians in these three years and very few have turned out to be what they say; and many have been useless at communication and preparation for rehearsals. Almost nobody has been prepared to help with all the admin, sales, technical and logisitcal tasks. Very few people say thank you for all your hard work either. Thankfully along the way I have met more decent people/musicians than the five psychotic devils or simple timewasters that I have had to kick out of the band. However, not until now have I had all great people and excellent musicians, all of whom are focussed, committed and have their act sufficiently together to make a band a success. Part of the change that has brought success is due to cutting the band down to seven piece last year; i.e. no more brass. I nearly gave up earlier this year, after the third line-up fell apart; then all the right people appeared out of the blue, all from Gumtree. Maybe this was the product of becoming more aware of what to look for and more ruthless in getting rid of people quite quickly if they appear like they might not to be cutting it. Probably the change is more down to luck and perseverance. So to the OP......be patient, persevere and luck will probably come your way. You can help make your own luck too, through good networking, advertising on Gumtree especially, listening to your instincts and being quite ruthless from an early point. If being ruthless doesn't come naturally (which it doesn't to me), just remember that all those timewasters and dickwads have been using you and your hard work from the start; and know that people who are prepared to work hard to make a band work will respect and support you more if you get rid of the deadwood ASAP. The bottom line is you will have to create and lead a band yourself, if there are no suitable bands in your area that you can join. The absence of a band to join may suggest that there is a need for your idea of a good band too.

Oops, thought I had reported end of story! Yes, it worked out great. Efficient service, reasonable price, quality work. They did a bang tidy job to exact original specification that Burman used. The amp/speaker now sounds even better and with no buzzy distortion. Very crisp and clear with full extended tonal range from dual concentric speaker. They even replaced the scabby terminals too. Good recommendation. Thanks

It would be worth checking out old MusicMan amps from 70s and early 80s too, like the 210sixtyfive with reverb and tremolo. They come with tank already bagged too. You might want to make sure it has an alnico stock MM speaker or been upgraded to an EV12ML for best tones though. I've heard these amps are similar in tone to BlackFace Fenders; but never having owned a BF I don't know how true this comparison is. I do know that the MM amps are great value for money though and have the best clean tone on earth or in heaven. The bigger ones are just as heavy as the big Fenders. Also don't be put off by the transistor preamp and valve power amp - that combination is what gives them such great clean tones combined with all that lovely valve tone and bounce in the power stage. Also you can switch down the power headroom with most of them, e.g. run them at 35w or 65w; this allows you to have an amp that stays clean forever or switch it down to make it break up more easily.

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1407778578' post='2523948'] Most of todays second hand gear was yesterdays must have equipment and it will sound / play as well as it did then. [/quote] Too true. I have bought all my gear (except one Sandberg bass) on that exact principle over the last 30 years of playing. I now have what many would consider a primo collection of vintage gear that would cost maybe more than £20k to replace. It has probably cost me more like £5k over 30 years, i.e. av. £167 pa. I have done this by reacting fast and buying and selling at the right moment; i.e.only buying when a good piece of kit that I reckon I would like has been in the small ads for a bottom-dollar price and mostly only selling when someone really wants to buy something I have and will pay top-dollar. I am not a dealer or a collector, just applying a bit of common sense, time, patience and diligent observation to the market, as well as surpressing the false urge created by the advertiser/consumer relationship described in the Bertbass's comment that I quoted above.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1407774925' post='2523880'] imho conspicuous consumption is a bad thing despite what the government is telling us about 'growth' and what advertising tells us about how insecure and inferior we will be if we don't aspire to greatness and buy the latest crap... which of course is so much better than the previous crap... [/quote] +1 to that

[quote name='The fasting showman' timestamp='1406879270' post='2515474'] Kim Annette Clarke, Defunkt (great Stingray sound on 'Thermonuclear sweat') Tracy Wormwoth, The Waitresses [/quote] +1 for Kim Clarke.....she and Bernard Edwards are a big part of the reasons I bought my natural Stingray (in avatar) back in the day.

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1406017879' post='2507456'] Good luck fella.... We love the DISCO!! [/quote] Cheers crez.....it can only be disco, right....and as much funk as you can get away with on the night!

Hi all My band The Disco Prophets are opening Pride in Nottingham this year. I'm playing guitar rather than bass in this 100% disco band. It should be a blast and there will be performances of all kinds happening from 12.00 to 18.00 on the stage. There will be stalls, food, etc. all around Lace Market Square. The march starts gathering at 11.00 outside M&S and leaves to walk through the city centre at 11.30, arriving at the stage for 12.00 The instructions from Pride are[b] 'dress to be noticed'[/b]! Here's our event on FB, if you would like to join...... [color=#141823][font=Helvetica, Arial,] [color=#333333][size=4][b] [url="https://www.facebook.com/events/657524744336590/?ref=25"]The Disco Prophets public performance at Nottingham Pride[/url][/b][/size][/color]12.00 mid-day, Lace Market Square, Nottingham NG1 2PF[/font][/color] ......and here's a link to Pride's event listing....... [color=#000080][b][u]http://www.nottinghamshirepride.co.uk/pride-entertainment/[/u][/b][/color]

There's a nice Epi Dot on Gumtree in Worksop Nottinghamshire now for £215 with Seymour Duncan Humbuckers already fitted, not sure which factory guitar comes fro though

I've recently been down same need to fill out tonal options of guitars and wanted a humbucker loaded guitar. I settled on a blonde Epiphone Dot from Peerless factory in Korea (serial numbers start with R or P). The Dots from this factory were unbelievably well crafted guitars. I was told these ones are better than any other Dots and as good as a good Gibson. I paid £250 for mine used with original Epiphone hard case. However, they are relatively cheap because the hardware and electronics are not up to good US/UK quality; but they are basically good enough guitars to be worth at least a pup upgrade, maybe when you've had the guitar for a while and know if it's a keeper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOb0JOdlxz4&feature=kp Proper funk here?

If its funky, I want to taste it!

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1404847758' post='2496389'] I love that album. There is also some good (Brazilian) pop on there as well as the Latin Jazz themed tunes. [/quote] Yes, true....love that pop element too. Whenever I put that album on the car stereo I am transported to an imaginary cruise in a convertible down the Pacific Coast highway to Tijuana. I've never been there and reality is it's an old Hyundai hatchback on the ring road in Nottingham...probably in the rain!

George Duke - Brazilian Love Affair....what an album!! Supertight beautifully produced funky latin fusion stuff, filled with sunshine and love....nice!!! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gpRcPLnMoo&feature=kp[/media]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1404299681' post='2491244'] I was just reading the Allanah Myles thread and it occured to me how much I have always loved so much of the Rock music that come out of Canada; Rush, Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, Max Webster, Kim Mitchell, Bachman–Turner Overdrive, Alanis Morrissette, Avril Lavigne, Bruce Cockburn, April Wine, Pat Travers, FM, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bryan Adams.... not the sort of stuff I listen to any more but the quality was always great. Go Canada! [/quote] I agree with this so much, that me and some mates formed a band called Songs By Canadians a few years ago, playing all original compositions. Here's a link...... [url="https://myspace.com/songsbycanadians/music/songs"]https://myspace.com/...ans/music/songs[/url] None of us were/are Canadian and none of us have been there either!

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1404144140' post='2489724'] Wembley Loudspeakers can do pretty much anything with speakers. Might be more economic to consider a different speaker, there might not be much in it, cost-wise! But if you gots to have the Burman.... [/quote] Spoke to Wembley Speakers and they can recone Burman XP5012s for a very reasonable price and ship it back. Fantastic! Thank you Moon Bass Alpha.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1404144140' post='2489724'] Wembley Loudspeakers can do pretty much anything with speakers. Might be more economic to consider a different speaker, there might not be much in it, cost-wise! But if you gots to have the Burman.... [/quote] thank you, I do want to keep my Burman 501 combo completely stock. I'll give them a call.

almost anything with Herbie Hancock and/or The Headhunters...especially good album is Flood...check out killer live version of Chameleon Here's their rhythm section (and my fave drummer and bass player) getting up to some funky fun more recently. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1i1RJeUw70[/media]

Saw them recently in Brum and they are great musicians; but a bit too pleased with themselves for my liking, particularly the bass player. Saw Prince recently too and the Puppies could learn a lot about humility from the Purple One. Still they are a good band and well worth seeing I reckon

Mornin', chaps and chapesses! Does anyone know where in UK to get a Burman XP5012 reconed to original spec? Or does anyone know where I can get hold of a mint XP5012? Thanks for any help. Rupert