Leaderboard

I am engrossed in Mark Smith's Walking Bass course. It is is very deep and complicated for a simple person. All 62 videos of it. But then I started to notice something reassuring. You can actually play almost anything and get away with it. Let me explain... You set out to join the dots between chords tones. There are four of those. Your bass line gets smoother as you introduce scale notes, and there are lots more of those. It gets smoother still as you introduce chromatics, and that's almost everything else. That's when I realised... It doesn't matter what note you play. So now I happily play faux-walking bass, concentrating only on hitting the beat and leaping up and down the fretboard in a confident looking manner, playing largely random notes. Looks good, sounds good (helps to play fretless with dull flats). No effort to learn. And I recently played just like that in a jazz group for an evening just to prove my theory. I was complimented.... So am I bad?

The clue is in the original post.

When asked, say you were playing in a modal way. This will end the conversation and you'll be considered a true genius. Almost nobody will ever try to argue as modal playing is a total mystery to most of the musicians. And if it doesn't seem to work, there still is the "you know free jazz is quite hard to explain" sentence. Or use the George Benson technique, repeat your mistakes as they will then become an integral part of the way the notes were chosen. Not a mistake anymore, but a very deeply thought approach. Isn't life beautiful ? 😁

Some years ago I was in a guitar shop where a young lad was explaining to his Obviously Very Well-Heeled Father that the Marshall DSL full-stack on display was the ideal home practice amp. To his eternal credit, the salesman tried to dissuade OVWHF from this course of action, suggesting a smaller and less expensive option. 'No, if that's what he wants then that's what he'll have,' harrumphed OVWHF, oblivious to the hideous fate that awaited him.

Two shows supporting the Wildhearts this week, Wolverhampton and Dover. Wolverhampton was massive (1000 punters) & KK Dowling apparently liked the band. Dover was a 300 capacity but both were great shows. Photo courtesy of Black Velvet Magazine.

This might interest some of you ...

-

And there you have it. The electronics aren't done yet because I lost the tone cap I was going to use, but other than that it's pretty much done. I cracked the scratchplate (again) but it's not that noticeable. I'll make (yet) another one when I can be bothered, but it's a minor quibble for now. The thing I'm happiest about is the balance. It sits perfectly - not a hint of neck dive!

Just bought an ACG Recurve Custom from @Bigwan of this parish. And it's the absolute business! I can see why there's so much raving about them... It does just about everything my Wal does, but is lighter and possibly even easier to play. So do I sell the Sandberg Bassic or Parker PB51?

Ah, the fret thingies... 😄

Ok, frets filed. The second part of the process is to file them at an angle. One option which I like is to file 'into' the neck, so the angle takes off the sharp edge of the fretboard. Later I'll sand it so that it's a comfortable rolled edge. I also like the way with trimmed frets they look as though floating. And love Evo gold! Now, at this point I can never resist putting two halves together to see what we have. Remember the body hasn't been sanded at all so ignore the blotchiness, that will disappear, honest. This is what I have in mind, more or less. Gold humbuckers, maybe black or cream surrounds....oh and maybe one of those floating type pickguard things that Gretsch always do....

The one jazz album I will never tire of: Midnight Blue - Kenny Burrell Wavy Gravy just gets me every time @ 19:10 on the linked youtube video - try it - you'll love it!

I've been watching the 26 minutes introduction video. Top notch lesson with a cleverer approach than the usual way. And Mark J Smith is going straight to the point and not jumping around and talking nonsense for hours. Thanks for sharing this @lownote12 😊

My first custom build bass, it's a 2nd hand G&L, someone else's spec but it is exactly what I would have specified. I can't wait to play it!

Here's my setup with a load of static cameras - with friend on monopod roaming cam. All set between 1.4 and 2.8. It's certainly a learning curve but a quite rewarding way to document gigs. Apologies for it being a bit rough around the edges... guitarist, keys, perc and female singer all deps... and this was after a run through at soundcheck when somebody came up to us asking us to play Timewarp... so we gave it a go... warts and all. It's all a learning curve. For this one... I learned that putting the wide high up on the balcony at the back of the venue in the cold leads to condensation on the lens...

On a serious note (no pun intended), I suppose it depends who your audience is. If it’s jazz musicians, at worst you’ll look like a blagger who doesn’t know what they’re doing, at best you’ll look like someone who is un-musical (poor note choices). Contrary to what people think/hear, there’s nothing random about Jazz, 9.5 times out of 10, each note, whether you like it or not, will be a considered harmonic choice by that musician. So random to some people, extremely considered choices to others. So yes, depends on your audience, and of course, how important your musical output is to you 🙂 Si

Bad gigs for me are where the promoter does nothing other than book the gig, where the headline band lose their heads in their own back-passages and won’t move their drums off stage but won’t allow the other band(s) to use it, multi band gigs in venues where there isn’t enough storage for all the gear, and where the promoters don’t get in a set backline to make changeovers/storage easier. Also gigs where bands think of the gig more as a party and bring all their friends in the dressing room who then drink the whole rider and stay sat in the chairs that are there for the bands to relax in. Said bands are often the types that overrun on set times. Again the promoters should have a better handle on this and just stop both of these happening. Lastly gigs where there is no parking - makes things just that little bit more frustrating.

The only reason for you to feel guilty is if it will turn you into a roiling cauldron of creative angst, and/or help biographers to explain your legendary status in years to come. Otherwise, enjoy the plaudits and the epiphany. If it works, it works. If at any point it goes seriously pear-shaped, double points for stopping dead and glaring at the band like it's all their fault. In all seriousness, though, maybe you have a genuine knack for finding the right "largely random" notes.

Gaye Advert 😍🥰😘

Bit of progress today. First of all, I got the frets in. This is a always a bit nerve wracking. I press them in and the little buggers occasionally decide to jump around, gouging the top and leaving me in paroxysms of anger. Not this time though, oh no. Lovely well behaved frets. I'm using Evo gold, which look nice against the black ebony background that MOP dots... Unlike most builders, I fly in the face of convention and sometimes don't glue in the frets. I've never had one come loose, maybe because I use a radial arm saw (and a stewmac blade) to cut the slots so they are a very consistent size. These ones went in very smoothly, tight but no issues, so they're going to be glueless. As I go I check each one is seated properly (meaning I can't get the thinnest fealer guage underneath; 0.038mm), and when sighting down there's a consistent look to them... I then cut the frets back as close to the side of the neck as possible before starting filing them flush. This. takes. forever. Even with a diamond file. And gives me tennis elbow, so I've only done half of it. Photo to follow tomorrow once I've done the other half. Looks lush though😁 Also today I finished the binding the f holes. I didn't find it easy at all. I always think guitar building is all about process, getting an order of jobs down that causes the least amount of aggravation. I can plainly state now that I will NEVER do f hole binding again on a guitar that has already had the top glued on. Having said that, it has turned out rather nice, even if not perfect - there are some gaps at the sharp pointy ends that need to be filled, but that's what epoxy is for, right? I'm now officially looking foward to introducing the body to the neck😎 Edit: forgot to mention, that my technique for bending the binding (which in reality is just thin strips of constructional veneer) was just to soak them in water for a minute or two, then bend them by hand around a drill bit that was approximately the right size. No heat, just water. I found the key was not to soak it for too long. The ones I left overnight immediately split.

To help out with the upcoming gig booking season, my band booked in at Unit 26 Studios in Trafford Park near Manchester for a 'recorded rehearsal'. 3 songs, recorded live, warts and all, with a multi camera setup in a 2 hour slot. First hour was setup and warm up, second hour was 2 takes of each song. Then mixed down, edited and sent to us 2 weeks later all for £150. We're very happy with the results. As a pub covers band paying for a full showreel was a bit much so this was a nice in between solution. I'd absolutely recommend the studio. For those who are interested, the bass rig was all bought from the sale boards on here: Stingray Stealth 5H - via @derek Handbox R400 - via @TPJ Barefaced Two-10 - I forget who from and can't find the PMs about it. Here's one of the vids, would be interested in your thoughts. Cheers!

No matter how many times I see this thread title I keep reading it as “How To Avoid Gig Bags” 😕

Love these guys and how they slip the humour in with the more serious aspects.

Opposite effect when I took my wife (who couldn't play a note) to GuitarGuitar in Birmingham to look for a first guitar. The salesman (for that's what he was) was only interested in persuading her she needed something with a solid spruce top. She saw right through him. Went to Rattle and Drum in Derby and the helpful young chap gave much useful advice and she came away with very nice, parlour-sized Fender acoustic for about 2/3 of my expected outlay...

Yes you should feel guilty - isn't that what the catholic church teaches? The whole of your life is run on guilt. If you feel no guilt you're not doing it right Oh sorry I shouldn't bring religion into things.

Earlier this year I bought my first 5 , it’s a Yamaha bb 415 , 41mm nut width which is really comfortable, nice string spacing and a super low action, so easy to play and it sounds great, and within budget, I would recommend one of these 🙂

Very different responses to a thread I saw on TalkBass. The definition there seemed to be "where one of you gets shot."

So, you're saying he would fit right in then?

2 steps back? You were lucky!

This all the way - although the last time we had one of these had a redeeming moment. 1 a.m, just finished, outside trying to de-sweatify myself for 5 mins. Very drunk punter: Hey, mate, did...was yer in there?...did yer see that band what were on? Dead good they were... Female half of couple walking past: He's the one on the left, dumbass!

Probably got a big enough mansion to banish brat to the far wing of the mansion or build him a sound proof studio. You'd think a parent would be more wary of young Tarquin's propensity to crank the amps up as loud as he can 🤣. Ah the joys of grandparent's revenge. I love visiting my kids and hearing my granddaughter playing Moonlight Sonata at warp speed on the keyboard (just cos she can) or grandson giving Highland Cathedral an airing on yet another instrument.

If you are playing at a certain level you might not get away with it, but at my level. . . . it was explained to me by a jazz bassist, "Play a different note every beat. You're either playing the right note, a harmony to it, or a passing note". I have done this on gigs and it works.

A demonstration should have cured that surely?

A bad gig is where the males in the audience throw their knickers at you.

Wild horses couldn't keep us away!

You could always try listing it here - threads like this are why we needed a specialised marketplace for bass guitars.

1/4" can be very finicky. Maybe it's because they don't like being asked to do something totally different than what they were designed for, 20th century telephone switchboards. 😏

At 65 so do I. Great story and not much different then mine for last Saturday night. Private retirement event, I was expecting uninterested family and friends. Plus it was our first gig with our new 25 year old lead guitarist and vocalist. I wasn't happy with our rehearsals and didn't think we we're ready. From the first few bars everything clicked together and the crowd turned out to be cool music lovers from the 60s & 70s. The gig gave me new faith the band can survive the loss of a 14 year founding member. Blue

My favourite chorus on Bass is actually a delay pedal! What? 🤔 Yes - the Alter Ego V1 with the legendary 2290 MOD preset and the delay turned off... ta da! There are also chorus toneprints for the flashback delay that work with Alter Ego. They don't come cheap, even on the used market, but a pedal which does delay, delay with chorus and just chorus might be an option....

This is gonna sound real limp against other posts citing punk, metal, etc but my first childhood interest in bass was sparked by.... Merrill Osmond! 😲 Actually it was his voice first (incredible...) followed by that weird big guitar with only 4 strings that he wore. My older sister had been given The Plan as a present and we played it to death - her for the Osmonds ‘thang’ but for me it was Merrill’s voice. When I realised his big guitar was in fact a bass I knew exactly what I’d been hearing leaping out of the speakers at me and what I’d been humming along to in my head. From then on it was bass all the way. It was what I heard first in a song and what got played on repeat in my head (along with drum parts). I had uncles who were big into blues and Elvis (name that tune...) that got me into guitar in the first place and so I just loved those rock n roll bass parts that Stuart Coman played in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s on his various productions. Then came the ‘80s and what a wonderful time to be a budding bass player. But I had to make do with 4 detuned strings on my old Spanish 6 string until I bought my first real bass in ‘85.

Guitarists reviewing basses is as insightful as Clarkson writing the forward in Greta Thunberg’s biography. 🙄