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And now... apparently I'm blocked on facebook for commenting that his remarks are unlikely to attract bassists!

just put this up here....

I awoke on Christmas morning to find Santa had left me one of these... A Fret King Black Label Esprit Bass! I wanted a bass and spent a few hours at the end of November going round a few guitar shops trying them out. I tries bases from £79 (a second hand Yamaha) up to £1500 (a Stingray) and thinking I can't tell any difference between these. The only one that stood out for me was the Fret King. It felt right and sounded great. But it was dearer than I wanted to spend on a first bass. Anyway, my lovely, sneaky, wonderful, crafty wife only went and bought it for me. And kept it well hidden until Christmas morning! So now I have a guitar that is too big and missing a couple of strings! How the hell do I play this thing?

I think we should all give your wife a round of applause, what a lovely thing to do.

A good lead guitarist is a much rarer breed in my experience. Perhaps that's because they're all frustrated bass players. 😂

Strangely, i'm in a funk band .. ' What The Funk ' ( seriously ) and i dont play any of them as per the original, because we're not a tribute band. An approximation is fine , as we're just a covers band. Long as you get the feel, and maybe close enough to the original, i say ( IMO ) that it's good enough. A good drummist is required. Tight, not too much flash, and certainly no shed builder. Playing with a good funk drummer is a joy to behold

Not really taking sides in this one, but what I would say as a (now retired) professional tutor for both guitar and bass for around 15 years is that among my adult students more time was spent undoing bad habits learnt in their youth than on any other single aspect of playing technique. Yes it does take all sorts, but when I hear bad technique justified by saying things like 'it never did [insert name here] any harm' I do get a bit annoyed. People who succeed in the music business with poor technique mostly do so in spite of their technical failings, not because of them. If one is happy with the way one plays then there's not much that needs saying, but to advocate it as a method others should emulate is (as you might expect) something I would caution against.

Yeah you're probably right, but some people want to be Nigel Mansell while others are happy just to drive to the shop. I just want to be in a band and make some noise with my mates. It never hurt the Sex Pistols. You can practice technique all you like, especially if you are or want to be a "professional" musician. But banging away on route notes to a three chord song is still great fun. Spending hours learning scales, finger patterns, technique etc can be extremely daunting for new players, as well as sucking all the fun right out of it. Learn the basics, join a band, make a noise, worry about the rest later. The most important thing is enjoying it. If you're not doing that then you're wasting your time.

OH NO YOU DONT!

I see a funny ol' phenomena on social media of bands saying that bassists are a rare breed and we're hard to find. Now... it may be because I'm a bassist myself but the one member of the band I never seem to struggle to find is a bassist. To the point where I usually end up on keyboard myself even on the times I fancy taking on the bass role. Now, without naming any names. A particular band I've been following for a while has been really struggling to find a bassist, I always kinda wondered why as they generally get good shows and the material isn't overly complex. Now, I've just witnessed a particularly interesting rant on social media as another bassist seems to not have worked out for them. Stating that bassists are over-defensive, frustrated guitarists and that guitarists generally make better bassists than guitarists (also going as far as to say that if you're thinking of learning bass, you should learn from a guitarist). I think... just maybe... that I've worked out why they struggle to get one! However, I also wonder. Are bassists actually rare? I usually struggle to find drummers/vocalists by comparison!

Nobody has suggested a short scale bass? I recently bought one from this very boutique, and the results are quite amazing. If I'm practicing a line that's a bit of a stretch on a long scale bass, I try it on the shorty "guitar scale" Jazz, and sure enough, I can usually play the line faster, and less sloppy. The incredible part is, when I then switch back to the long scale, I'm playing the line just as well as I was on the shorty - due to the luxury of more space on the neck. I figure if I keep repeating that process, I will become infinite! 👍

My twin Aria Pro II Super Basses. SB1000 & SB900 factory fretless, both made in 1981.

My entire bass experience for seven years is founded on this most excellent philosophy. I buy basses to locate the one that will find the pro musician I know lurks within me. None has succeeded yet but I'm an optimist and will keep on buying trying.

The tour hasn't officially been announced *yet* and as it isn't my gig, I am a bit reluctant to go too public right now but when it does I will probably do a thread. I will say we start in Edinburgh on Feb 13th and run through London and a few Midlands / Northern dates before going onto to Italy. I'm hoping I can be a bit more public when I rehearse next month as I am really excited about it.

funnily enough...I depped for an extreme metal band for a couple of gigs last weekend. Went fine, excellently actually, but they're mates anyway, and couldn't have been nicer to me personally. However, their need for an emergency bass player follows them having had a guitarist playing bass, very badly, about two years ago - they figured that anybody who can play reasonable guitar can play OK bass. He was so bad that he wasn't allowed to play on their album, and eventually got sacked. They finally appreciated what a bass player actually brings to the band, which they had taken for granted previously, but only spotted when it wasn't there. So they find a really good bass player and they immediately see/hear the difference...but never quite get round to announcing that he's actually in the band, keep using old photos with the sacked bassist, and surprisingly enough he gets fed up and jacks it in. So now they've learned both important lessons - get someone who can actually play bass properly, and treat them well enough so that they don't get fed up and leave. Third time's the charm...

I have a dep gig for February / March, touring the UK, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. It's all simple rock basslines (original songs) but a lot to learn.

Hey guys, I was asked recently to do a video on looping for beginners. If this is your thing then take a look and let me know what you think... https://onlinebassguitar.com/loop-pedal-for-beginners/ Enjoy and happy holidays! Hugh

In a nutshell, using PA gear instead of traditional bass amps. More power and higher fidelity for less money and less weight (well, sometimes), then use an amp modeller or preamp in front if you need it to sound like an Ampeg SVT for example. Your amp modeller will sound like it's supposed to and you'll get the same sound on stage as through the PA.

I've got them, PM me your details and you can have them for nowt, for 'tis the season and all that!

Just off to do some trawling. Not that I can afford to spend anymore money on gear right now, well not if I get the Helix I've been gassing for...

I sold my ABM600 to buy a 4Stroke 500. The ABM is a great amp but I preferred the voicing, clarity and simplicity of the Orange.

I’m ashamed to say I had a Sadowsky I didn’t like about 8 yrs ago. Sacrilege. It was a beautiful PJ, there was nothing wrong with it, I just couldn’t get the tone I was after from it. On retrospect it was most likely because of my lack of playing ability and lack of knowledge about setups at the time. I’m fairly sure I could get it to do everything I need if I had it today, I probably just wasn’t ready for a Sadowsky yet. Classic case of ‘all the gear and no idea’. I can get a tone I like out of almost any Fender-style bass nowadays so I definitely blame my ignorance rather than any deficiency with the Sadowsky. I wonder how many basses get the blame when the culprit is bad technique or a bad setup?

I think we should all give your wife the phone numbers for our own wives, so that Mrs. Deanol can tell them how it's done.....

Good musicians with good social skills seem to be in the minority. Not every talented player is able to work with others and, sometimes, players with poor social skills wonder why their band always seems to have certain vacancies.

Funnily enough... thrash metal band

From my point of view I wasn’t try to give advice to develop bad techniques, I was talking about using a different technique which most bass players adopt by necessity. I feel that one finger per fret is a guitar technique that has been transferred to bass, and due to a significant difference in scale length is not appropriate for many people. So recommending that people try a different technique is not bad advice in my opinion.

It does sound like that band need to be honest with themselves and any potential applicants that what they want is a guitarist playing root notes an octave below the guitar. nothing inherently wrong with that, if it's what they think will suit their music, but they need to stop kidding themselves they want a "bassist".

Like you say, it's fairly obvious why that band struggle.

Totally agree with that. But at the risk of sounding like the moaning old fart I've always vowed never to become, if Kate Bush were a new artist today then within three months of her first single reaching number one, every other record label would've got themselves a 'Kate Bush' in a bid to cash in on the success. I'm sure that's why there's a sea of female singers around at the moment with that 'quirky' breathey voice that sounds as if they have Icelandic roots in their immediate family. Nobody is distinctive in pop anymore because if they're successful the record companies flood the market with their own version. My musical journey started in the late 70's, early 80's and if I slip my rose tints on I'm sure there were far more distinct bands out there. Madness were instantly recognisable, as we're Duran Duran, Blondie, Talking Heads, The Cure and many, many more. The Cure were massive but I don't remember any other singers copying Robert Smiths style, or David Byrne, etc. Sure there were similar styles but not the carbon copies that flood the airwaves today. I'm sure A&R men were more focused on finding the 'next big thing' rather finding their version of the 'current big thing' years ago. OMG, I'm like, so old! 😁

That would defeat the object.

There is no right or wrong way to play. I used to do stretching exercises for my left hand and indeed it does stretch wider than my right. IMHO, there are two types of bass players (regarding left-hand technique): i. those who play "correctly", with their thumb elegantly placed on the back of the neck, etc. and ii. those who do what they like; if you look at the top players with their own recognizable style, they tend to be the latter.

These negative threads do amaze me. Several things Spring to mind:- 1) I'm guessing virtually no one in this thread has played an 18 volt neo pick up version? Try that before you moan. 2) I use them more or less exclusively and have none of these problems. I don't think I'm just lucky across the number of basses I own - they are all set up correctly however (based on factory recommedation) 3) If you don't like them why don't you just go and play something else and stop moaning - not every bass suits everyone - I went off Precisions in the 70s and nothing has changed my mind since - my initial annoyance was caused by hearing them disappear in front of house mixes or sounding very unrefined - I think they're actually grossly overrated unless you're playing music with a 60s vibe - do I start threads bemoaning them - no. 4) I'm pretty sure that some people who berate these basses have other axes to grind - and probably poor home or after market set ups or string choices on their basses. Get a good set up from someone who doesn't think everything has to be set up as a Fender. 5) Other people have played my Stingray Classic - normally they sound great but one in particular sounded awful - the only difference was the player's skill and style. (Limited or agricultural I'd describe it). 6) Listen to recordings with a Stingray (eg Ed Friedland) - the sound balance across strings is fine - is he lucky or just skilled? 7) If you really want to lose upper string sound on stage try playing an upright in a large band or a Fender Jazz with loud rythmn guitarist and left hand piano. I would wager everyone talking about string balance is not talking about front of house but directly in front of back line on a loud stage - probably rock music. And we haven't even talked about EQ settings - another area where some people get very confused!! (And turn everything up full)

Don't bother with it, lad. It's supposed to be 'funk', but they're all... Fakenham..! ...

I haven't, but that's because I like switches and I don't like bridge pickups

I've also been considering this as a 'longer-term' piece to get started on...

I got this for Xmas. Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson I'll try to work my way through the music when I get home. Made the schoolboy error of not bringing a bass to the in-laws

Not true! There's all levels of ability on here, and however acomplished (or not so much, in my case), there's always something to learn. Enjoy your playing & jam

Lovely! I suspect this one I tried recently was by the same builder...

Stretching is not the right way to play bass. Don't use one finger per fret until you are above the 8th fret at least. Use the 1,2,4 finger method. Don't stretch your fingers, just move your hand so that your fingers naturally fall over the fret yo want to play.

Stop getting Rush wrong! It's Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures that are the best. Not the bland synth Pop of the latter years.

I can't see any family resemblance but I'd go along with it if she's certain.

Oh aye, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Of the gigs I've been to recently I've seen some very good bass players playing with that bat holding technique and I'm not saying it can't be done. I was just responding to the particular original question about finding it difficult to stretch and that is definitely something that helped me. I use both techniques for different songs myself. I use the bat holding technique for Sweet Home Alabama as I found that for some reason the thumb at the back technique was hurting and making my hand go numb. On the other hand Venus by Shocking Blue would probably be murder to play like that but with the thumb at the back technique it's quite fun to play. Probably because there's some breaks in it as I find the gripping with that technique painful if I don't get a chance to relax my arm during a song. I'm looking at you, Rescue Me by Fontella Bass.

This is part of the blurb about me on my bands website, Being a "dyed in the wool" bass player, rather than a guitarist covering the bassist role, Al was an obvious choice....... That was written by a guitarist as well so some do understand our role.

IMO one-finger-per-fret is neither necessary nor desirable, especially at the head end of the neck. It is perfectly acceptable to cover 3 adjacent frets using all 4 fingers, and to move your whole hand to a new position when required.

Because 2 hours of octave-up added bass is not, for me anyway(!), what bass is about. Octave up can add some really juicy colour and variety, but it wouldn't be an "always on" part of my bass sound.