Recent content by Figbassist75

I recommend starting with their 2013 Wacken Open Air show. It is one of the best concerts ever recorded.

Yes! And Nightwish is right up there with them. Tuomas writes some great songs for NW. As for the original post, a lot of American music doesn't hook me as much as bands from Europe, especially in the realm of symphonic metal. That kind of metal isn't typically popular in the US unless it is...

Decided to break out my Harley Benton six-string bass for the worship session last night. This is the first time I have played with it in a band setting. Yes, it is a budget bass, but it sounded like it cost much more than it actually did. I restrung it not long ago with Ernie Ball strings and...

Just discovered this band, and I really enjoy this song. Fun to play on bass too!

I can't say who originally inspired me to play bass, as that was a long time ago. Although I can say that I was influenced to return to bass playing after taking a break for several years. Marko Hietala, formerly of Nightwish. I especially love his work during the 2013 Wacken Open Air...

One thing I learned the hard way since I started playing bass in 1999 is to avoid bands or musicians who try to manipulate you. Stay away from those who always want you to play complicated in every song. That goes for those who always try to shove the "less is more, only play root notes" drivel...

It depends. Though I did buy a five-string acoustic bass guitar that I take with me when I travel.

I had a Boss OC-5 for a couple of days this week. It took something away from my sound when I played to different song sets. I had it on my pedal board with a Boss TU-3 tuner and a Boss BC-1X bass compressor. I also have the footswitch for my Rumble 500 amp on my board. Once I removed the OC-5...

Pretty much content not being in a band and practicing at home. If I get tired of it, I just turn everything off and go do something else. You can’t do that in a band.

I am new to DR products. Is there any difference in sound? The Lo-Riders have a great low end.

On a whim, I installed DR Lo-Riders on my Ibanez SR405 EPBDX. Just for reference, I have been an Ernie Ball user since 2008 and though they are great strings, I wanted to try something different just for an experiment. At first, I didn't like the feel of the Lo-Riders and noticed a lot of fret...

I play to the recordings of several metal bands that use all sorts of tunings, and my five and six string basses cover them all well. It can be done.

Update on the B-35 Harley Benton acoustic five-string bass. I had a conversation with my local guitar tech. He says it is a fixable issue that will be included in a professional set up. I was going to have the bass set up anyway and since I'm not really going to use this bass for gigs, I will...

Disappointing day for me. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Harley Benton B-35BK five-string acoustic bass last week. I got it today in a bundle package that included a nice gig bag and stand. Overall, the bass is a huge instrument that is well-built. Action and set up could use a...