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If he was going to give away free lessons he might as well have just bought a new bass. What happened to just doing the right thing purely because it's the right thing? He didn't have to offer a reward - moaning that it isn't enough is distasteful.

I’m not doing any more today 😄 (famous last words) as it was bad enough getting that screw out! State of the nation tho:

I'm going through those topics to update 'em so that the links work again (but not the YouTube embedding...). I'll finish 'em off over the next couple of days, I expect. (All the more praiseworthy as I'm really not a fan of funk in general ...) Edit: Slight correction: One of those links above takes us to a topic of some sixty-five (count 'em..!) pages. I'm beggared if I'm going through that lot, post after post, page after page, so the links will stay broken, I'm afraid. Sorry, 'n all that, but I wouldn't even do that for a Grateful Dead topic, so funk..? No chance.

I was waiting for the picture to load for ages.

There are lots of mod's that can be added to a bass but, as 5 string players are always posting and 4 string players are constantly failing to understand, a 5 string bass is not just about the lower notes. The main benefits also include the flexibility to play different lines, in different positions and in keys which are sometimes more appropriate to the song. A 5 string bass is not a 4 string bass with an extra string. It is an instrument in its own right with different possibilities and techniques. Adding gadgets to get a lower note and thinking that is a substitute for a 5 string bass is to completely miss the point. It's on a par with the misconception that EQing the neck pickup can make a Jazz sound anything like a P bass and that an electric bass can sound like a double bass if you fiddle around with the EQ enough.

When I first came here I was too embarrassed to be 100% honest. I have been playing for over 30 years and this still evades me. This forum has been a breath of fresh air on an internet that is usually full of complete and utter vileness. I have been a poster and user of internet forums for many many years and I don't remember the last time I actually found some real compassion and help, this forum should be very proud of itself. I think I may well stick around, as I have lots of other musical talents that I know I can use to help others as I have been helped. A bit more about me, if you will indulge me. I've been playing over 30 years, in a very on and off way (I realise of course that this alone doesn't help me learn what I want to know). I have played in 2 pretty successful bands, one for 4 years and the other 6. None of those band members ever suspected that I knew nothing and people from all walks of life and throughout the entire 30 years (often including people I greatly respected) have commented on my bass playing, telling me how much they enjoyed it! (if only they knew huh @6feet7 ) I can play almost anything, especially given time to sit and work something out and that has been my entire bass career. I'll work something out rudimentary at the early stages when writing with the band and then go home and in my own time work something nice out. I'm so fed up of having to do this and this is why I want to move forward and LEARN where I can play given any chord progression at the time of writing. I so want to be naturally playing sexy fills, rather than having to work them out later, note by note. I wanted to quote several of you but my post is already leaning towards tldr territory, so I will just try and ask some more directions based on the advice given. It has been mentioned several times here and I have seen it online many times also (scotts bass lessons, talking bass.net etc) learn what the intervals 'sound' like. I cant understand this concept because in my mind its not helping me 'know' where I can play. I can't see a link between the two things (this is hard to articulate too apologies). I know what a 5th sounds like, I am 99% positive I can pick a major and minor 3rd and a 2nd 4th 6th and 7th are all pretty distinct also. Maybe I don't know these as well as I think I do but one thing is for sure. I cannot understand how this helps me? I don't mean to sound disingenuous to the advice, I KNOW 100% it's good advice as I see it and hear it often but as i say, I cant see how it solves my problems. Get a bass teacher: Unfortunately, I'm out of work atm with a serious back condition (thanks years of humping band gear :P) and simply can't afford this route. I wish I could because the right person would be able to help me I am sure. Thanks for your time here TKenrick. To elaborate, I started based on advice from Scotts Bass Lessons on the C major scale (I actually started with G Major - seemed to maked more sense to me) all over the neck. From different finger positions. Finger 1, 2 3 etc. This IS actually helping because the more major scales I learn, I am beginning to see the geometric patterns without thinking too much about them, this has taken (if im honest about practice time) 30 mins a day for around a month. I started to speak the 'intervals' to myself as I went (and based on the advice given here and around the internet) hear what they sound like. The thing I think this is doing beyond anything else is making me a faster player AND making me stamp out bad habits, such as turning my fingers into spaghetti trying to jump around the neck. I know you can all relate to that. So this practice time and repositioning of my hand to use correct fingers has been great for many reasons. BUT... I am still not learning what I want, applying it over major chords in the songs my band and I are writing still comes up with bum notes!! And this leads me onto one further thing... (how very Columbo of me) I am actually enjoying playing scales. Really, truthfully... Its (as mentioned above) making me a better player and despite hitting bum notes still I AM learning and moving forward. But its these bum notes I want to talk to you all about. They are coming about I am sure from these rules in music that BAFFLE me completely and one of the things that's keeping me from actually understanding the fret board while trying to be creative. The use of borrowed chords, the use of sus chords, the flattened 5th or 7th of a chord... Now let me just explain, I have an understanding of how these are used and why. But when I'm playing with my band members how do I know this is happening when even my band mates are just doing things because they 'sound' right. I know my guitarist knows no theory but he will throw in some beautiful sounding chords that none of us have a clue about. How do 'I' know what it is thats happening? How do I use the knowledge of 'shapes' and all my recently learned knowledge to play over this when I have no idea for example that the chord he is plying has a flattened 6th? I am getting to grips fully with the shapes of the major scale all over the neck, and all different keys. Haven't even STARTED on the minor scale yet, there goes another month. But what then? Do I then spend another month on the harminic monor, then another on the melodic, then another on the blues scale... and on and on. I really appreciate the advice you have all given, and I apologise for the length and waffley-ness (is that a word? lol) of this post but honestly I dont know where to turn for the answer thats right for me. I hear what your all saying 'in general' and thats to forget learning this way and learn songs and interval sounds etc. But I counter this with the fact that I 'have' learned hundreds of songs, played in many bands and tried to learn along the way, yet somehow this still evades me. I'm sorry, I'm speaking in circles now... I won't change it, it's my frustrations laid bare because I know your a decent bunch who will listen. Once again, I thank you for your advice and time. And if you read all of this post I think maybe you deserve a medal of some kind. I have much to digest much to think on... Now I'm going to make myself a full member of this forum and start to help out where I know I can... In the recording section. Art

https://youtu.be/zfoLBRcK9to

Hi All, I'm Sarah and I play bass. Sounds like an introduction to an AA meeting, but without the guilt! You don't want to know how old I am or any of that boring stuff, but if you are curious I'm sure you can Google me and find out. I started playing bass when I was about 13, after my Dad bought a Beatles greatest hits album (the red one, 1962 - 66), and I was blown away by McCartney's bass sound and the way bass made the song 'whole'. After a lot of nagging I persuaded my Dad to get me a bass for Christmas; he got if off his mate who had been in a band years before and since stopped playing. It was a 1965 Hofner Violin bass, which I dearly wish I still had, but I sold it years ago for a ridiculously small sum. Anyway, I joined a band and had a ton of fun. Not long after that, we broke up and other life things happened; marriage, kids, house moves .... all the things that happen during a lifetime. I stopped playing and didn't touch a bass for around 20 years, until my current partner surprised me with a bass and a little amp for Christmas in 2009. That started me off again and I started from the beginning, teaching myself to play the thing properly this time. I soon sold that bass and started trading up; I went from the Agros 'Starcaster' Jazz bass to a Vintage V940, then to a Peavey International, a Washburn Taurus T25 and then made the jump to a Mexican Fender P bass. I wasn't much impressed with the Fender, so I traded that for an Ibanez SR300, which I kept for about 4 years. During this time I started making bass cover videos on Youtube, which earned me a bit of a 'following' both in the UK and around the world, notably in South America for some reason. I still do the videos when I get time and the inclination hits me, and the videos I already have online (about 70) still get comments and views on a daily basis. These are almost entirely 1970's pop hits; there are a couple of 60's and 80's songs in there as well, but I've just chosen to cover songs that appeal to me or mean something to me. Then, about 4 years ago I fancied joining a band, so I advertised myself on Joinmyband.co.uk and got no serious offers, just a few time-wasters so I quickly shelved that idea. Then, 2 years later someone unearthed my advert and contacted me to say that their bassist was leaving their band, and would I like to join? I sent them some links to my Youtube stuff, we met, chatted, jammed and before long I was in! So the first thing I did was upgrade my bass (again) and I bought a beautiful Ibanez SR1200 Premium. Not long after that, things started to get serious and I bought and Ibanez SR 5000 Prestige as well! Realising I was spending far too much on basses, I sold the SR 300, the SR 1200 and my SR 300 DXF ( did I mention I had one of those as well - lovely fretless bass!), and spent the lot on a Rickenbacker 4003s! So those are the basses I have now, the SR5000, the Ricky.... and a Fender American Standard Jazz bass which my partner and I decided to go halves on about a year ago. I'm not buying any more now (unless a Rickenbacker 4001 comes up at the right price!), I'm just keeping what I've got as investments and for the gigs we play now. My band plays pubs around the Leigh / Atherton areas of Greater Manchester; we do covers of 60's 70's and 80's pop hits, a little bit or rock and generally feel-good drinking music! People seem to like us and we have a lot of fun doing what we do and entertaining people. So that's me. probably more than you need to know, but what can I say... I talk too much !

I`ve swapped from Roto steel rounds to Warwick Red Label rounds and yes, I get about 2+ months out of them, rather than the up to a month on the Rotos. They sound very similar as well, and that`s the killer for me.

God yes. It all gets very dark and serious when that starts. A silly story but we used top play a large club in Slough. During the high stakes Bingo on a Sunday night they banned any talking, phones off etc. Our guitarist, being a forgetful chap, didnt turn his off. Off he goes across the room to the bar. Whispers to the bar man for 3 pints, and starts to walk back with them. Now, im not sure why i did this, but i decided as he was crossing the dance floor to call his mobile. It might have been because i knew he had the Dambusters theme tune as his ring tone, and maybe because there was no way to put the drinks down, but it was the funniest moment we ever had at that venue.....expect for him of course 🙂

The Story of Funk, on the iPlayer. Well worth a watch even if you're not a funkster. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04t6nm5/the-story-of-funk-one-nation-under-a-groove?suggid=b04t6nm5

I have an 8 string bass the ESP/LTD B-208FM that I use for my Pearl Jam tribute. I upgraded the pickups and preamp (because I wanted to, not that I needed to), rest is stock. GREAT bass. Best bang for the buck I have had in a long while. I recently tried a Frank Bello LTD (not the ESP Custom Shop), also incredible value. Some look a bit "rocky", but you cannot deny they sound excellent and have really playable necks.

Is this the 'Bird" they speak of in jazz?

I had a listen to the first video. In places it was interesting enough. Pretty much in the vein of the experimental stuff that we saw being done in the 60's. Lol Coxhill was great at getting hitherto unknown sounds out of his sax. At least these guys are out there gigging. Sounds like they had a bigger audience than on some of the gigs I've done. Good on them.

Out with the old: In with the new:

There's basically two 'Generations' of Class D amps out there, a lot running the older power amp module (which, I believe the TH500 is one), which had its detractors, and was the origins of the whole 'heft' thing, but the newer generation module in the Magellan, Mesa 800, Darkglass, etc, is a different animal in terms of presence and 'heft'. Unfortunately, an awful lot of people's negative perceptions of Class D is based on their experience of the first generation amps... That being said, I think the OP will struggle to replace a db751, which is at the end of the day a £2500 amp, with a £5-600 amp...if weight is the issue, I'd agree with the folk above who have suggested keeping the 42lb amp and changing the 98lb cab for something half the weight...and there's plenty of options for that...

I was expecting the ghost of Vivian Stanshall to materialise and announce : " Double Bass " .

I always thought red was not "my colour" for basses but it's definitely growing on me The VM4, however, ticks all the boxes! If I was buying my first Sandberg bass again today I would almost certainly go for a VM4 or VM5 (rather than the TM4 I originally went for) - there is something about a P/J or P/MM pup configuration that just works; for me it's all about having a 'P' in the mix. Whoever ends up with that bass is in for a treat.

They're from Milwaukee, Yeah! Blue

Doesn't really matter, they both suck.

Always the way. Stable neck - easy neck adjuster. Wibbly wobbly all over the shop neck = remove 16 screws and resolder 8 wires just to get to the adjuster

Fantastic. I've a spare Peavey Foundation body and a harpoon head neck. The Warman MM is part of the plan 👍 Separate Vol for each coil too 😱

I`ve found in the past that swapping a regular Fender BBOT for either a Gotoh or Badass on my Precisions has somehow "tightened" the sound a tad, and lost some mids. Nothing that I`d ever hear at band volumes but at home practice levels it was noticeable. A bit like the strings suddenly sounded a bit newer is the easiest way to describe it.

Al Krow, if you'd asked the same question in say 1999 you would have got a completely different answer - as many pro players played 5 string then and certainly on a lot of pop music of the time. This was largely because of the need for low notes (sometimes written for keyboard) and also because playing two octaves in one and a bit positions, made playing some music relatively easy - however a word of caution - like playing E at 12 th fret on the E string of a 4 string sounds different from E at the 7th fret of A or 2nd fret of D, that fat B sting can also change the timbre if things. Hiram K has pointed out the use of 5 strings in 80s work very clearly - it applies in the 90s extensively and also 2000s and beyond. Some of us may even remember what a spent force the Fender Bass was in the early 80s - indeed bass guitar generally as keyboards and drum machines seemingly took over a great deal. Its entirely possible to use a 4 string and tune down effectively but many people find this a faff - my son does this often but doesn't have a 5 string (though has borrowed one of mine on occasion and loves them). Unfortunately our educators and seemingly many others fixate on 60s and 70s bass history and as a result we get a distorted view of music and instrument history - I'm very doubtful the demographic on this forum represents a balanced view so the fact a lot of people may say - oh just tune down a 4 string, when they possibly don't even have any experience of playing music recorded on or best played on a 5 string, and in any case the common perception (an error) is you should be able to play anything on a 4 string, is probably completely wrong along with many other commonly held myths of Internet bassdom!! 5 strings may be seen as a bit passé (along with Fretless) in these days of sometimes inaudible bass parts played on vintage instruments - 5 strings certainly aren't passé in the real world and anyone playing anything remotely R and B from the 80s and 90s (even 70s) will probably need to use one - the fact they can make 60s R and B sound good as well is a bonus - ask some of the bassists in top West End shows 😏

Well, you see, it's actually a tad more complex than an initial hasty reading of the question could have one believe. There is the knotty question of what, exactly, is meant by 'pro' (I'm not sure that any consensus has ever been reached on this point...), or any time-scale set as, for example, the 5-string option was not really available to those choosing the electric bass from its inception. This, in itself, leads to an awkward decision: does 'bass' in this debate (for debate it certainly is...) mean simply electric bass, or does the erstwhile acoustic double bass figure in the equation, and if not, why not..? No, I fear that there is a great deal more (continued on page 27...)

I bypassed the BB pre (which has 4 tubes in the pre), subsituting the BB750 pre with the Subway DI/Pre which is the same pre in the D800. So same pre, 3 different Power Amps in the comparison.

Har me too, the active switch on Dolores opens the gates of hell!

No.

Very nice!

Apologies for butting in, but Guitar Pro have a tab-reading application for iOS or Android. Might be worth a look..? Hope this helps.

Hey Jim, we can be dumbasses together. I'm with you, its pretentious twaddle with possibly the elitist underlying message of "operating at a level that mere mortals cannot fathom". If they are getting people to listen to their stuff, then congrats to them. I certainly wouldn't be changing any plans to go and see them.

Careful now, this might add an extra dimension to another old argument: "fingers, plectrum, or barge-pole?"

Scarbee is now back!

Perhaps one aspect to consider here is that when gigging; pro players will generally be supported by a guitar tech, so if some songs need down-tuning to D or lower, it's feasible for them to be handed a re-tuned 4-string when required (luxury) instead of using a 5-string. But for mere mortals like many of us; playing cramped pubs at weekends, where there's a limit to the number of basses we can bring, a 5-string gives the instant ability to access those lower tunings and potentially cover a gig with just one bass if necessary. I've had to do this a few times, though if I'm honest I prefer playing 4-strings.

This is a subtle relic job isnt it?? 😋

The look on her face when she starts that solo makes me think she must have seen me naked... Lovely playing - especially with such tiny hands!

You just know that is going to end up better than anything they made in 1958!

Autumn Leaves is a tough one. It’s like the Stairway to Heaven of jazz (perhaps only a little less annoying than Summertime). But that’s my view, and I’m sure isn’t shared. Personally I’d do another ballad to show off your depth of knowledge within the jazz field. Your audition, but I think you want to knock their socks off really.

What about the year you started playing bass?

Thank you so much for the tag! It's true, I have been seriously lucky to have been able to review some pretty amazing Dingwall kit. Indeed it led me to buy my two (now one sadly due to extortionate bills). Fan Frets are dead easy to get used to and I do agree that the only thing I can think of that can be a bit of a stretch is if you are in to chordal work and are used to parallel fingerings. Everything else is a breeze, it just takes a little readjustment. I've seen youngsters handling a double bass, so the extended (37") scale length of the low B should be ok to adapt to. The only colour choice to go for is a flip paint finish. Soon, my current avatar logo is going to be updated to colour to match my favourite 'flip of choice'. Nearly all of my basses are flip paint. I just can't get enough of the stuff! *I can only apologise for the gratuitousness of these flip paint shots

That's spot on. To avoid having to dig the log tables out as a ready reckoner all you need to know is that 10x the watts is 10dB extra and 2x the watts is 3dB. You can then make a quick rough calculation by adding the extra dB's you get for the extra watts. Sticking with the Barefaced 2x10 which gives 98dB for 1W and looking at something like a 400W amp. That's two lots of 10x power and then two lots of doubling (400 is 10x10x2x2) in dB's that's 10+10+3+3 or an extra 26dB, 124 in total with the Barefaced cab. You can only just hear a 1dB change in level so calculating it to within a dB is usually good enough. A 300W amp is going to give between 1 and 2dB less 122-123db which is close enough for most purposes. The other bit of the story is why it's important. A metre away from a drumkit the average sound level is around 103dB. An audience makes an ambient noise level of 85dB or thereabouts so your quietest bass note needs to be at that level and your dynamic range (the difference between the quietest and loudest notes) will be about 40dB. You'll operate in a range of 80-120dB in most circumstances and if your system will do this without distorting you are going to be able to cope with most situations. When looking at bass systems I always look to beat 120dB as a target. With a valve amp you can crank it up 3dB and it will distort, in the example above the distortion kicks in at 118dB, but because its a valve amp you will only notice it as a bit of grit on the very loudest notes and a lower power amp amp will still deliver.

ACG if you do not already own one.

I played guitar for 30 years and have been playing bass for about 15 years and have never got it. I've had lessons. Read books. Gone online. Bought 'better' basses. I'm still a root, 5th octave player who throws in a pentatonic every now and then. I think the understanding music part of the brain is related to language and maths, and I (even though I'm 1/2 'foreign') can hardly speak a word of another language and had extra maths every Saturday morning throughout my school days (I'm not bad now, but I'm not a natural). But, I play in two bands. We get paid gigs and I'm complemented on my playing by the rest of the band (though of course, they could be sh*t too and just don't recognise if I'm good or bad). Learn as much as you can, if you can, but don't let it get in the way of enjoying playing.

I've been playing for thirty years and never learnt any theory whatsoever until a few months back when I started lessons. I am now doing the same as you, learning scales and arpeggios. These have been available in a variety of forms for years, obviously, but I think, personally, I need the motivation of a teacher otherwise I feel kinda overwhelmed by the amount there is to learn potentially. Also my teacher allows me to decide what direction the lessons take and I'm finding I'm applying it in my writing. I can wholeheartedly recommend being taught regardless of how long you've been playing, it's been a real eye opener for me.