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Yeah I hate a super fast clackity clack bass’line’ played by a show off (like everyone at LBGS) but a slow groove with a couple of accented slaps/pops, yes please 🤗 Weirdly the person who bumped this necro thread emailed support to say he wants his account deleting because he’s realised he doesn’t want to talk about bass with strangers!

Slap in context magic. imo.

Having quite rightly been pilloried for spending much of Lockdown - Part 1 meddling in 'the dark side' of 6-string electrics and guitar bouzoukis, I have learnt my lesson and solemnly declare I will spend Lockdown Part 2 concentrating wholly on proper instruments, that is, bass guitars. And you are aware in this modern post-truth world that my word is, of course, my bond Well...all of that might be rubbish, but - so far - basses have been pretty much my main distraction. First I finished @wwcringe 's African Bass Mk II: Then I did a refinish for @jimmy23cricket , stripping his black LTD 5-string body and making it bluey-greeney-tealey: And for another basschatter, shortly going to add a body and new fretboard to a very nice neck and loaded scratchplate And for another basschatter, @Jus Lukin , just at the final drawing stages of a very exciting project. In the words of Mr Spock, "it's a bass, Jim, but not as we know it." Build thread for this kicking off shortly. In that it means I will spend most of Lockdown Part II (and probably Parts III and IV) down in the cellar, MrsAndyjr1515 is, perhaps, a little too cheerful.

Also, seeing this thread ... just a few posts above is one from Pete Academy, a very accomplished bassist who played tasteful slap in top tribute band Stealing Dan (correction: Nearly Dan, thanks bubinga5) who I had the pleasure of seeing live and meeting with former BCer Nigel (aka silddx/xibblx) and is tragically no longer with us. Reminder to me of how things change in a decade. RIP Pete

Bass for a child Seems like a fair swap Can he cook?

This topic raises its head regularly. Slapping is a technique the same as any other technique. It fits in certain songs. When it's thrown in needlessly it can become boring. This is an example of slap suiting the song perfectly and done tastefully without over doing it. This is my humble opinion.

He was a fantastic and innovative musician no matter the instrument. I’m sure he worked it out

Pretty comfortable by looks of things

I don't even remember starting this thread. Nearly a decade ago and approximately 1,000 bottles of red wine later ....

His greatest trick was releasing a song without any bass and recording one of the greatest records. The record company thought it was a demo and demanded he record it again with bass. He told them to release it as, or he wouldn't record anything else for them.. he really had a great head on him.

Can’t go wrong with a Tanglewood EB -18 Elfin bass. Around 20 inch scale IIRC, looks like a shrunk Precision! They play and sound really well, and can be picked up for around £80 or less if you’re lucky. Ideal for small hands, but I’ve used mine on a gig and it coped brilliantly. Think Harley Benton do a decent short scale, the PB shorty, currently £79 at Thomann. More of a ‘normal’ short scale at 30 inches so may be a bit big for your nephew just yet. Good luck!

I don't get the hate. Used in a measured musical way, it can be really great.

Funnily enough was sent this yesterday Generally think of Prince as someone who would be regarded in the top ranks on thier instrument, if they didn't play so many instruments.

2020 was purchase heavy...

Play some piano, a little harmonica, but I never really got into guitar. bought one of these. Ive heard great things. I do a lot of research etc before I buy any musical instrument. £99 for an ash bodied Tele.!!!!!?? It does make me wonder why I have a very expensive bass. Maybe in the future I might bypass a Fender Tele and get a Suhr. It is a Harley Benton TE30

Best purchase this year for me has to be G&L SB-2, which was one of those “that’s the tone i have in my head” moments to the point where I replaced the pickups in my bitsa to MFDs too. Worst purchase for me was probably a tc Spectracomp. Mostly because after using it I realised I didn’t need a compressor (or I’m not clever enough to hear the worth) and I ended up dialling it back further and further until there wasn’t a difference between on and off.

Status

Hi, the original Neck is Birdseye maple with a maple fingerboard, and is wrapped up in bubble wrap waiting for me to get an alternative body for the carbon neck,it’s a great bass the maple cap gives it a top end sparkle, sounds punchy even unplugged.

Chuck Rainey on Peg. @1:40

His mum must have warned him about talking to stangers.

It’s funny how tastes change over the years. I was introduced to Joni Mitchell’s music in the mid 70s when I was in my teens. An uncle (who was a big influence on introducing me to different music at the time - some Jazz, Steely Dan, Weather Report, to name but a few) said that if I was interested in bass to check this guy (Jaco) out, and recorded Hejira for me. I only had a mono cassette player at the time so much of the music was lost but you could still really hear the Jaco parts and even then I appreciated how different it was to any bass I’d heard before. For years I tended to focus on the bass on the Jaco tracks, and as such didn’t really pay much attention to the wonderful bass played by Max Bennett on, say, Song for Sharon off Hejira. As I got older and I found my own style I became way more drawn to Max Bennett and Wilton Felder’s playing, and the way they approached Joni’s songs, rather than the Jaco tracks. These days Max Bennett and Wilton Felder are definitely more my thing but Jaco’s playing on some of Joni’s songs take them to a different level and offer something unique to the songs due to him and his playing. I suppose it’s a long-winded way of saying I like them all!!

I didn't say they were dishonest, just that they and pretty much every driver manufacturer make recommendations that they probably shouldn't. Putting it in perspective, those drivers would have been state of the art in 1975, when the very notion of an electric bass driver was still new, and for the most part what was available were generic musical instrument drivers that were very much guitar oriented. That was then, this is now, and now if you want a driver that's going to work well in a small cab it's not one with high Fs and short xmax. It will be one with low Fs and long xmax. A necessary trade off when you do that is lower sensitivity, which you need to compensate for with power. That wasn't an option in 1975, when 100 watts was a lot, and if you wanted 300 watts it took an eighty pound SVT to realize. That's not a concern today, when you can get 800 watts from an eight pound amp.

Hi BB addicts, Desesperatly looking for mint BB1024 or 2024 , i live in france, ( x model too) Can pay or trade with a Brand New musicman Cutlass bass (usa) or a Brand New Warwick Corvette bubinga 4 ( german pro série) I'm very nitpicky so i'm really looking for mint, immaculate models. Very light surface scratches ok , but non dent, ding, crack please. And if you saw New old stock models in your local shop , let me know and i give you a commission. Best regards PS : my BB collection in pic attached

I now need to sell something. Just used my car insurance money to buy one.

I've followed Joni right from her early days and have most of the previously mentioned albums. I also love her 80's albums and what she did with bassist/producer/hubby Larry Klein.

Here's a treat for JM fans. This is the live version of Rainy Night House i mentioned. I have this on CD too Absolutely beautiful bass by Max Bennett. And check the control she has over her voice. Remember this is live, and not a flaw anywhere. Best under headphones ...awesome

Best, my little Ibanez Mezzo 32" 5 string for £258. Innocent, somewhat sweet looking but a right bruiser in the mix. My band now get annoyed if I use anything else...

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Thanks I downloaded that.

Been a funny old year, I have bought quite a few things, but it is hard to remember what was this year and what was last. Best: ibanez EHB1505ms - was a complete faff having to deal with bax and return it because the headstock was cracked, but on the upside there was a bit of an advantage to that. But ignoring that, it is a fantastic bass, light vibrant, lovely to play. In fact, now when I pick up a bass it is either this or: Shuker Uberhorn - just a thing of beauty. Lusted after it at the bass guitar show in 2017 and now it is sitting on my wall. and a small usb page Turner, cost very little, works perfectly. Was going to make one but this was cheaper than the box and switches honourable mention to my BAM200 amp. worst: TC electronic spectradrive. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it, works well, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't do anything I couldn't already do. I mean it is no good gigging, as I have a TC450 which had the compressor and drive in it, I don't need a di, I don't need a headphone amp. so I will probably put that up for sale. also Shuker 6 string artist. Great bass but not for me. Why did I decide that maybe 18mm spacing would be ok. But I sold it for what I got it for and got to find out what a nice chap mr Shuker is, when I got a replacement preamp for the one broken in it so not feeling bad about it and probably would have never got the uberhorn without having it first

As someone who only started playing this year everything bass related that I own was a purchase this year. Best has to be my Betsy Bass that turned up this week. Worst is an Ashdown B-Social Lite, mainly because I still don't really know why I bought it. I've used it for about a week when I did eventually get away on holiday for a week in the summer and took my bass with me. It's actually a nice pice of kit but as I also have a full size B-Social it was a completely pointless purchase.

Sorry for the boring answer, but I think it is well established that Prince was extremely good on a number of instruments including bass.

Just finished rebuilding my rig and it’s all Warwick so it fits in here nicely! complete hellborg system with my 97 Streamer LX custom shop!

The fender squire short scale thingy is good - I got one for one of the kids, I play it more

I saw him live a few times and he always played bass on a few tracks. Saw the tour with Larry Graham on bass and they made a bass duet that was very musical with lot of good taste slap (I know there's that old thread and I am not myself a great slap fan...). So yes he was a great bass player. In fact his bass playing was as good as his guitar playing. As simple as that !

I’ve seen those before they are a great looking amp

My best purchase hands down is my Guild B-301. Probably, for what I want out of a bass, my best purchase ever. Probably my worst purchase was a combination of various things for a little project. Years ago someone had given me an old Stagg practice combo, 20W, I think, with an 8" speaker. It lived in the loft. I decided to carve it about, mount my Trace Elliot Elf in the top bit and put a better quality 8" driver inside. P. Audio one, 200W, cost me £50. I struggled to get the front board out cleanly and managed to snap it in half, the jagged bit tore through the grill cloth. So, rather than chuck it out the window I handed it over to a mate who did all the necessary stuff, put some nice Fender-esque front cloth on it, mended the front board, mounted the Elf inside with little brackets, fixed the new driver inside. Bloody thing sounds like a radio speaker mounted in a biscuit tin 🤣 I really should know better.

Mrs S was a fan, having seen them a couple of times in the 80s, so when they were billed to play at one of those 'Jazz nights' at Kew Gardens she was keen to go, must have been late 90s or early noughties. Safe to say they blew me away. Almost unbelievably it was hard to take your eyes off August Darnell, despite the best efforts of the Coconuts. He is one of those guys that just oozes charisma, always tipping his hat or striking a pose. Very, very entertaining live band.

My best purchase is probably my Yamaha Sessioncake, which was not only an absolute bargain, but also led to a better way of practising. It should also see me in profit as buying that meant that I have my Phil Jones Cub for commission sale at The Gallery (shameless plug).

I think it looks quite cool, there doesn’t seem to be any sound clips anywhere that I could find

The contributions of both Jaco and Max Bennett rightly mentioned with regards to Joni bass duties, but let’s also not forget the contribution of Wilton Felder. The bass on Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow is sublime, IMHO. Well worth a listen and play along!

Shadows and Light for the band. After that, I love them all and think that ranking them is a completely pointless exercise because it doesn't change the way I think or feel about them. She is a genius : end of. 😀

I was about to correct you to 'fewer strings' when I realised that the shorter scale length means that you were right! 😂