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Hi Peter, one of your posts struck a chord with me, no pun intended. I also started bass late in life later than you in fact and have suffered from imposter syndrome for most of my playing career. I'm slightly older than you too and am usually the oldest member of the band. I've been luckier though as most of the time I've been gigging regularly. You shouldn't feel as if you were 'sacked' just that you stood up for yourself and tried to make the band better. The guy was simply wrong, successful improvisation takes real structure and discipline other bassists may have worked to cover up his issues but I suspect this is just a narcissist and a bully. Just focus on what you really want, to join a band, be part of a group of people working together and who want to gig together regularly. Value your contribution, they can't do it without a bassist and reliable, organised easy going musicians aren't exactly plentiful. You may have to work hard to find people and you may have to compromise on the music played but there are working bands out there for you. I've played hundreds of gigs now but sometimes you spend a few months in the wilderness. Previously I've been through the desperate, needy join any band that will have me process but actually it gets better when you set your own standards and decide for yourself what you need as a minimum and what you are prepared to compromise on. I've just spent four years with a band of lovely people, not the best band in the world but people I've been glad to spend time with who have spread that togetherness to audiences so that we have never had trouble getting re-booked. Sadly our singer has called it a day and I'll once again be looking for a new band. I know what I want; no big egos, 20 gigs a year roughly, people who put the audience first and who are fun to be with and musicians who take the music seriously enough to always want to play their best and who have a professional attitude. Everything else I'll compromise on. Every audition I'll be auditioning them as much as they are auditioning me. It's a dating game and I'm not going to settle on something just for the sake of it, someone out there wants me and someone will want you. have faith and look for that gigging band with confidence and energy. Good Luck

Nothing to do with your musical adeptness (or incorrect perceived lack thereof) and everything to do with his musical failings. He’s basically musically gaslighting you here and you need to be shot of him entirely. Learning arrangements, spending time working on parts to get them right (or adjusting slightly to ensure you can deliver them accurately) and wanting structures and arrangements to be fixed on and agreed are all the hallmarks of a pro player. I can vouch for this because I’ve been a pro player for nearly 20years and all of his behaviours are the opposite of what you need to be a pro player. So don’t be thinking you’re at fault here because you’re not. Even top flight players need fixed arrangements and agreements on structure unless they’re at a jam where it doesn’t matter! You can be the best bass player in the world but if you’re playing and suddenly there’s an extra few bars added / removed you’re gonna play a clanger. Working in an ensemble is a group endeavour and one of the agreements is on structure and arrangement….unless the agreement is very specifically the opposite - I.e changes will be clearly cued. So take heart, continue working hard as you do and find yourself another outfit who are able to function properly as an ensemble. You’ll be an absolute asset to them.

It's been a bit 'head down and battle on' with this one. Added some luminlay side dots and top MoP dots to the fretboard: Made some knobs: Fixed the magnets to the control hatch and the flush-fit truss rod cover: I'll be staining the spruce under the thumbnail cutaway so it blends in better: Note the headstock swifts also added. The positioning was thought up by Jack and his good lady. I think it's great And that's the basic build done Still to do is the final finishing, the fret ends/levelling/etc and then just the installation of the hardware and electrics And so, just a couple of gratuitous mockups and then, sometime back end of next week, I should be able to show the completed guitar

Peter, dont be disheartened, as others have said hes covering up for his shortcomings. I've been lucky, I've played in bands for around 30 years since i was 16. Unless he told you before he started the song, that hes changing the structure then its on him. The only exception would be tio shout or signal that hes adding /removing while playing. Even then its not really your fault if it goes wrong. I joined a jazz band a few years ago, I had never played jazz at that point. Pianist shouts out at the rehersal, ok guys, 6251 in F, Cal (the drummer) we will trade 8's after the solo, 32 bars then back in to the head. I sounded like a bass falling down the stairs. We stopped. The pianist then explained to me (and played examples) of each of the bits he mentioned. EVery week he'd spend at least 30 mins giving me a jazz music lesson and a listening list. Fast forward a year we are playing 2 hour gigs just calling out tunes from the real book, improving structure (with signals). I cant think highly enough of that pianist. He recognised my weaknesses and helped me fix them, to make a nice little jazz trio. If your guitarist was as good as he thought he was he would have done the same. He didnt, hes covering up. I havent heard you play, but you approach songs in the same way I do, and was taught to do at music college, so you are more competent than a few musicians I've encountered. I know who i'd rather play in a band with, and it isnt the guitarist. Good luck with the next venture man. Jonny

I didn't find AC's comments offensive either. Nadine Shah's comment was just reactionary. In my opinion. Seems like a silly thing to get your knickers in a twist over ...

Does this really need to turn into a JP thread? Eurghhh.... A snake oil salesman at best, a religious pseudo-psychologist nutter at worst....

This interview demonstrates exactly how people, especially the press, have a desire or need to stereotype and generalise. Everytime he makes a statement she tries to strawman him and generalise something, he then has to point out he is describing specific behaviours by people in specific situations. This is akin to having a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail. Say something has female qualities and you're being sexist... And say something is masculine and you're excluding women from being able to do it. Which is plainly nonsense. Sometimes you need to look in your toolbox and decide whether you should be using a hammer to bang in screws.

Hmmm. I smell bullsh*t, Peter. I couldn't possibly be the guitarist's fault so somebody else has to carry the can. Most bands I know would give their right arm for a bassist who has the skill set and dedication you display, so I'd suck it up, shake it off and move on. I can 100% guarantee you were not the problem.

Absolutely and completely this ^^^ His anger is the giveaway, it is an clear indicator that he is, in fact, very far from confident in his own abilities. As much as his behaviour angers me it’s over and you’ll be better off in the long run. Granted, I’d have taken a dump in his lead bag as I left… …but this is actually all positive because he’s clearly delusional and has a complex about his inabilities that manifests in anger rather than communication. Real musicianship is about working together and communicating, eventually he’ll be sitting in his room, playing what he wants, the way he wants, with no one, to no one, until he grows the f*** up.

Busy week…

I think that's enough for this thread. Thanks to all who contributed, now please let's move on.

If you can't count, and you don't listen to other members of your band / group / orchestra & what they're playing, you are not a musician. You are a singer. True dat.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59606655 Taylor Swift is going to be sued for copyright infringement because she used the words "haters gonna hate" in a song. Just how bloody stupid is that? It'll have songwriters from many years back trying to work out if they were the first to put "I love you" in a song and seeing how many other songwriters they can sue as a result. And Jon Anderson will be having a field day, as he's used just about every combination of words possible. Oh well, tossers gonna toss.

The bass arrived today! All i can say is, the weight is perfect as is the balance, excellent low action, amazing sound. The craftsmanship is probably the best i have ever experienced (and i have owned a few high end basses). Here's a few pics for now, i intent to get back with a video asap

JP says a lot, it's often totally unintelligible. Even his writing that's been edited doesn't make a lot of sense. Anyway, I don't think anyone is saying that there's no difference between women and men. The differences are obvious. That's not what the progression in language is about. I'm sure I don't need to explain this to you but "Hit like a girl" could mean girls are less likely to feel they could be a successful boxer, or drummer "Throw like a girl", "run like a girl" etc "Bass is a manly instrument" There's a prevailing attitude that this language fuels the inequality we see between men and women Of course JP would have you believe there's no such inequality Like I said, I don't think anyone's offended by ACs remarks, it's just that some of us think that language is outdated and we should move on

Everyone is diagnosing his comments right left and centre but maybe he was just joking. Has the world lost it's sense of humour?

Always looked at these and thought “want”. But never been the time. Recently sold a Spector so missing that neck through, active, fancy wood bit… Haven’t plugged it in as I was involved in a ridiculous situation at work today involving mud and being punched and kicked… Anyhow. It needs a tweak - but acoustically is very much like an old Warwick I had, but feels lovely. I haven’t plugged it in - because, frankly…wine has been opened and I’m really bloody sore. Will report back.

Yeah, and you came in at the wrong place!

I’m still in…

Not really one to post new purchases on here, but I thought I'd make an exception for this as it's been an awfully long time coming. I fell in love with this when I first saw one back in 2009(?), but the £400/$649 price tag at the time meant that it wasn't going to happen. Fast forward to 2021 and I found a practically mint example on eBay while having a few quid in the gear-fund... There have been other examples sell for less than I paid, but I am a sucker for boxes and manuals, and this is the closest to a new example of this unit I'm going to find. This now takes its place next to the other pedal I dreamt of owning 15 years ago... Sure, they're both enormous, have stupid power supply requirements, no presets, hyper-sensitive controls and are generally outdated in every way. There are far, far superior options for bass synth pedals out there these days, but these two are so much fun to play with and are capable of some truly obscene sounds. Any advice for getting the best out of either one of them gratefully received, as I'm still learning the ropes. Most fun I've had in years though

Few mistakes and the only recording I got of my jazz before I fell out of love with it

This was sent as a link by @Machines who’s a bad, bad man.

Touche. On that basis, lets get back ON topic, general bass related discussion only in this thread please.

I think that paragraph there sums up the skillset and attitude 99% of bands want from a bassist but not many always get. Use that when you enquire with other bands and you'll be top of their list of people to audition: hard working, aware of own limitations, knows his role. Sounds like the ideal bandmate to me.

That was one thing! Jack went through a few different pedal options with me, as a means to filling out the sound when the guitarist solos and there is no rhythm guitar. He (and his other half @Silvia Bluejay ) also gave me lots of advice about gigging, which is something I haven't done yet.

I stole this insult but I have used it.... Me: Hey Mr Singer, I have an idea - why not do the first verse in B, the 2nd in F, the third in C and the verses in D flat? Singer - How the hell am I supposed to remember that? Me: Just do what you did last time!

@BillyBass can tell you what he learned ... what I learned was that his SansAmp Geddy Lee preamp sounds just sublime through a big power amp into a Barefaced cab. 🙂

You got sacked because he isn't good enough. Calling him a musical chocolate arseshole ? Well who wouldn't ? That is exactly what he is.

There's been some reasonably acrimonious to'ing and fro'ing going on. Finally, at the very last, the lead guitarist has said what it's all about (ffs), that he was exasperated with me because I'm not musically adept enough to cope with his style of playing. His anger and exasperation plainly visible for months, was down to me as I half guessed. I'm not good at improvising over a chord chart. That's an understatement I learn a song beforehand and when we come together as a band I play pretty much the 'textbook' baseline unless it's too difficult for me when I'll adapt it. If it's not right I'll listen to advice and sort it. I can spend many hours on a song that gets binned at the first hurdle. That's me and I value advice and work to develop my playing. I tried to talk about the inconsistent song structure, how I felt it needed sorting and that it spoiled my enjoyment of doing a good job. He got angry. At no time did he communicate exactly who with or why. As said above, we could have communicated when to move from chorus to bridge etc. He's finally said exactly why. Because I can't cope l with his style and seamlessly adapt to an extra phrase or two being inserted or deleted from the song structure on a whim (by mistake). He plays by feel and I'm a music technician. I acknowledge that we all make mistakes. I put a lot of work into my playing. I'm not gifted in some ways but I can hold time, play an appropriate bassline and get some feel into the song. i.e. I can fill the role. This is where his 'musical differences' or 'musical incompatibility' comes in. It's a bit of a shock to my esteem but I'm not sure that his expectations are fair or realistic. He's not vastly experienced with bands and gigging. So basically I've been sacked because I'm not good enough. (Or perhaps because he can't communicate at all and he has unrealistic expectations). I don't think he was impressed when I said he played too loud and dominated the band by way of it. It's calling him a musical arseshole evidently. Upwards and onwards then. Peter

It's all down to the tonewood used in the building...

Most of the time, it's the room. There are some combinations of amps/cabs that just don't work...but not many. Rather than look on it as the room, look on it as the room and all other combined factors (background noise level, PA or not, drummer...keys etc etc). It all has a significant impact on how the bass is heard.

The friend (me) got his (my) bass today… ah. It’s very blue. plays well, decent weight. changed the knobs, changed the pickup.

Shouting eh ? You know what that means. Are you really a guitarist ?

A couple of nights ago on London's most floral stage... @Cat Burrito Transport troubles led me to take the house amp option... despite yer man's assurances it turned out to have a blown cone, so I ended up DI'd. Hey ho, still a pretty fun show though.

Well, he certainly sounds like someone who's feeling himself. It is possible to play by feel - I've done it in marching bands as a side drummer when marking the beat and as a trad jazz trumpeter a long time back. But playing by feel doesn't mean you expect the others to read your mind and throw toys out the pram when they don't - you lock in with the beat, count on autopilot and if you're taking a improvised solo, you know exactly when to cue the rest of the band back in. Our normal MO was to turn towards the next player for one-two-three-four while making eye contact so they'd hear the solo getting louder and have enough time to take over. It came together after a lot of practice. And crucially, you need enough humility to recognise when you've f**ked up and work on what needs to addressed. Your approach to learning songs is absolutely fine. That's exactly what we all do in both the bands I'm in - agree the version to learn, put it on a Spotify playlist and work on our parts. If either singer is struggling with the key, we change it. If anyone has some changes they'd like to try, we run through them at rehearsal and decide yes/no. Seriously, do not blame yourself for Ego Guitard's attitude. This guy is an insecure arrogant cretin who has no idea how to play ensemble. You shouldn't have to cope with his impromptu adaptations, just as he shouldn't be adding them unless he can count bars properly and agree cues with the rest of the band. From what you've said on here I think you've shown commendable patience in dealing with this fool. Walk away and find better people to play with. At the very least, you've learnt to spot warning signs! Onwards and upwards.

And this isn’t OT

Yes, LPF elements are used throughout audio circuit design. Not just for bandwidth limiting but also for stability management reasons.

IMO rooms can be bad, but most are OK and some sound great. Buy good gear. Stuff that works well together, get a good sound with the EQ, in the ball park. Get a good balance with the band and play the gig. Nothing is ever perfect so don't go chasing those shadows. Rooms can be difficult but most will give you a reasonable sound if you EQ well enough and get the volume right. If you were recording you'd want perfect, but gigs just have to sound OK. It's the songs, playing and performance that makes a successful gig.

Good luck when their autonomous napalm-wielding AI military lawyers catch up with you more like!

That shirt fits and he's wearing it. Onwards and upwards indeed.

Have to say, I like the guy even less now... if that's at all possible. *Apparently he's not a fan of me either, so we're all-square

Well, I'm glad that all you chaps are giving some thought to this issue.(Seriously, not being facetious). Ironical though that 6 pages of comment include very little input from female bass players. I have to confess to not reading all 6 pages, though I did see Silvia Bluejay's comment. Insightful as usual. Apologies to any other bass sisters I may have missed. FWIW, I wasn't offended by AC's comments. A bit silly and schoolboyish perhaps, but nothing to really make my hackles rise. I prefer Jah Wobble's description of the bass as 'the predator' of the instruments. Sums it up nicely without resorting to sexism.😎

When I was in a thrash band at uni, we did a gig with a death metal band where the bassist had one of those and let me use it. it was amazing, tone was like being hit in the face with a brick

I recently acquired a Status S4000. They're not the most desirable model but they're as rare as hen's teeth and I love it. Bought some double ball end Elites and couldn't get them to tune in before I ran out of tension so I emailed Status and Rob sent me several replies to assist. In the end they had some 45-100 strings made up for me as they were out of stock and they are now on the bass and working perfectly. Can't praise Status enough. If I could bring myself round to selling a couple of my collection I'd have no hesitation in ordering a new S2. Which will probably happen soon!! 🤣