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I’m recording the bass part to a very well known song I’ve been playing pretty regularly for maybe 25 years. listening to the playback I realise I’ve been playing it wrong. In all those years no one has complained or mentioned it. Not in the bands or in the audience. So it’s true. No one pays any attention to the bass player. Including me.

Did my first session with her yesterday. Can confirm - absolute dream to play, sounds amazing. Super chuffed!

Reading Guy Pratt's book recently gave me this anecdote: He wrote that Bernard Edwards had told him: It doesn't matter where the fu(k you go... as long as you're back on the one. Great book by the way.

Covers band isn't the same a a tribute band. and U2 is always improved with slap. Always.

I don't think I've ever played anything 'right'. Never had any complaints

Class. Assuming this was after the first broadcast of Hitch-hikers, a dressing gown and towel would have been appropriate accompaniments. Provided the budget covered it, of course...

After a long(ish) search & after exhausting all other options including getting Ernie ball to make a new one, BFR's & five strings I finally got my hands on this exquisite bass. Via a private sale & at a decent price I've finally got one! Plays absolutely beautifully & weighs a tonne too! Fretboard was swapped a few years ago by a studio in London & new bound ebony fretboard installed. At first I wasn't really keen on the binding, but it's growing on me. Hipshot D Tuner installed (I have the OG tuner) but alas no original hardcore. This is my second ever vintage bass after my 72 Jazz & I've fallen in love! Unfortunately I don't think I'll be using her for every gig I'm hired for, but I will try my dammed hardest! Serial starts No. B00. Neck signed by "Andy" IMG_3658.heic IMG_3659.heic IMG_3660.HEIC IMG_3656.heic

Live on YouTube if anyone is interested

As a long time American Anglophile I’m thrilled to take this opportunity to swim over since Talkbass literally went down in flames. Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stuart

Well ... I don't have a Fender, I don't chew gum, and I don't like Hershey Bars. But how did you know about the nylons?😲

"Slow"? --- this is nothing, I've had a bass stuck in UK customs since 22 March 😑

The failure was entirely on my part. I misread your post and overreacted. One of the risks you encounter with pure text communications. Please accept my apology. I’ll lighten up and do better going forward.

I find the trickiest situation is when I dep or play with an established band and they play a song I know well ‘differently’, maybe to my ears wrongly. I’ve learned over the years to be diplomatic, say nothing and learn their version. That way I get called back.

Of them? Kind of them to make themselves available

... then you listen to a live version and realise that even the original bassist doesn’t play it the same as the record. The only sin, for me, is getting out of the groove.

Similar reasons as to why I switched from Barefaced to Ashdown cabs. In my past bands the Barefaced had been exceptional but in the 3 piece punk band I needed that depth and Ashdown/Ampeg were the ones I liked best, Ashdown winning out on many other factors.

Confirmation

A bit of Sabbath to wake up the neighbours ...

The Scottish equivalent greeting wouldn't make it past Basschat's profanity filter, particularly if you're from Glasgow!

One looked like he was playing a bass ukulele, but the rest were definitely playing Precisions, with burst and tort.

I just came for the biscuits and tea.

Casady CASADY CASADY CASADY! erm. Yeah. JC.

I had a bunch of air-bassists at a wedding once. About 4 of them made a line in front of me and . . . . played air-bass for a whole song!

When an Englishman greets you with a cheery 'Hello, you fat bastard' you know you've a friend for life. I tested this theory (almost) to destruction when one Christmas our office did the 'Secret Santa' thing. I drew a colleague who had recently discovered his house was under threat of compulsory purchase for a road-widening scheme so I bought him a small Corgi toy bulldozer.

I came across this earlier, I know Dean Town might be a bit overposted but that’s the first time I’ve ever heard a crowd singing along to a bassline, any other examples out there? Seven nation army doesn’t count, it’s not a bass (and its not a bassline either)

Thanks Hiram, It's a colon issue and I'm going to win. Daryl.

Thank you....my OCD was almost at 11

Your absolutely right. The misinterpretation was entirely my own. I’ve already offered an apology to SpondonBassed for my mistake. Thanks for pointing out my misinterpretation. I should know better than to post anything when I’m having a bad day.

Oh my word! Pass me a cushion!

This is very true. We need to keep it fresh, little changes to lines here and there is what keeps things interesting.

20th Anniversary JC:

I glue the splices one face at a time - I find there's too much floating around of wood on glue to do all 6 faces (or even 2!) at a time First one - I am using the two thicker outer sections of maple as my main clamping cauls (they are also protected from the clamps by some plywood packers) and the name of the game is to have squeeze-out all along the length. I'm using the two bench clamps either end and then as many G or screw clamps as necessary in between: ...and a few hours later, the last one is curing in the clamp: I will leave this all to fully set overnight, then in the morning start cleaning and squaring it up ready to rout the slot in the top surface where the walnut top will slot.

I picked up this beast a while back, I don’t do metalwork but I’m sure I’ll use it for something 😁

Interesting read: https://www.loudersound.com/features/geddy-lee-mr-bass-man "what was supposed to be 12 instruments has grown into over 250 instruments,” he notes, audibly wincing. “I guess that’s just how I roll! "

Surely that only really works if your guitarist is Brian May? And again more seriously: what makes a great bass tone is not the bass tone itself but how it works in relation to the other instruments. Just listen to the isolated bass tracks in the Geddy Lee thread. On their own, they are a selection of nasty (not in a good way) farty sounds. However when combined with the rest of the instruments in the mix they are perfect, and that nasty fartiness is a lot less pronounced when it's binding the mix together rather than being standing out on its own. For a great bass tone listen to what the other musicians in your band are doing and find something to works in harmony (pun intended) with them. The sound of each individual instrument and how they all work together is as important as the notes that each instrument is playing and how they all work together.

I had the lightweight Berg AE112 cabs and altho they were clear and the Deep Purple tribute band really liked them i found they lacked depth or low end. (commonly described as "heft") Circa 2011/12. It might have been down to the cabs being very hi-fi and every note was crystal clear and not coloured as much as other more traditional cabs. Was an issue with a lot of Neo cabs back then. No idea if Berg have changed. ? In comparison with the Mesa cabs its night and day for me. The Subway cabs have lots of depth exactly same sounding as my more tradiotional Powerhouse 212 cab. I also have a Berg HT322 with traditional drivers and it has depth but still retains its clarity. I also found that my Markbass Combo and ext cab were the same as the Bergs yet they slotted in really well in a full 5 piece band from an audience perspective but not on stage. I did try a new version of the MB cabs that were similar in dimensions to my Mesa cabs circa 20" cubed and they sounded a lot better than the MB combo i had. Hope that helps a bit but please remember that this kind of thing is all subjective and only my own experience. I'm sure others will disagree. Dave

You'd be surprised...

Made me wonder, do you see more short scale air basses these days?

Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan

I agree with all of this. I love the aesthetics but understand it’s subjective. The roadworn blacked out thing is exactly what I’m after. Sound wise, I don’t think there’s any bass which does this sort of thing better. I run mine through an SVT2-PRO and it’s lovely. Audio clip below: Defiant Bass.m4a

Good to see you and the invisible bear are going strong. All the best to you and the band.

We’re nice, but also a lot of us have been locked inside for the most of a year So there’s just a lot of energy of lots of types flowing around! I have a feeling that the British sense of humour would probably get a fair few of us banned from talkbass....

Roughly the same as in green shield stamps.

have you ever known the bass player in a band to have the time and luxury to actually mic up their cab? far too busy sorting out the PA and lights and the Guitarists (Gods) Mic placement to the mm on his poxy 412 as well as getting in the first round...

So the replacement nameplate turned up today... very happy with how it turned out