WalMan

It was an occasional day out for me from the south coast with two particular memories for me. I was working in NW London and got a call from the vocalist in the band I had been in previously asking if I could go into the studio to help out with bass on some demos for Innervision. I didn't have a bass with me but they were going to arrange for one to be available. Got to the studio and it was a completely unplayable plank so we jumped into a car drove down to Tottenham Court Road / Denmark Street area, walked into one of the shops on TCR plucked a Precision from the wall and walked out with a cry of "just borrowing this for the afternoon" (not from me I hasten to add!!) and it was no problem. Second was of a long day in a studio in a basement in Denmark Street learning the songs and coming up with basslines prior to recording the second lot of demos, which had Wham's brass section on - or o I was led to believe anyway. Happy days

[quote name='uptonmark' post='355224' date='Dec 15 2008, 05:56 PM'][b]real bassists play four strings... and do not use plectrums [/b]:brow:[/quote] Well there you go, and for the last 30 years I thought I was one - a bass player that is!! [quote name='martthebass' post='355358' date='Dec 15 2008, 08:57 PM']I've now moved onto a G & L L2500 (courtesy of Essential T) and couldn't be happier - I might even start using it on the odd gig against the P/Ray4.[/quote] A great and vastly underrated bass the L2500. I quite fancy a 3+2 to go with my 4+1 - well we can all dream can't we.

[quote name='Geek99' post='354389' date='Dec 14 2008, 05:30 PM']not valentines weekend please.[/quote] That's that cheap option out of the window then Tinman

[quote name='mike257' post='353317' date='Dec 13 2008, 01:35 AM']I've got an Emu 1212M, and have always been happy with both the sound, and the PatchMix software that runs it all, so my recommendation would be the Emu. Haven't tried the USB versions though, mine is PCI.[/quote] I have the same and am generally happy with it. That said I have been thinking about the UX2 as an easy input using the digital In/Out on the 1212M rather than the USB connection. I have a POD xT and a BOD xT Pro and have the most horrendous problems with white noise bursts that no amount of fiddling with settings on the PC seems to fix. Having used the digital connections on the BOD those problems were not apparent so it seemed the way to go. I had thought of the Emu breakout box to the 1212M but that seems to be horrendously expensive. Annoying thing is I bought the PodFarm download update and amp & effect packs to use with the POD a while back, but I suppose it will mean that I have a second copy #2 son can use on his Mac. Now what I [i]really[/i] want for Christmas is a Mac I can dedicate to recording, but unless ERNIE comes up with the goods a bit better that an't going to happen sadly

I only got my first 5'er just over a year ago having played 4 (and just the one at that) for 20+ years prior to that. I found it a bit of a struggle at first, but that was more to do with the fact that I had D-Tuner on the Wal and so had learnt songs where I was flipping the tuner down & up and therefore had finger memory for the detuned bits that totally threw me on the 5. As a result the 4 has been semi retired, from gigging at least, but then I was lucky to find the L2500 that is brilliant for the stuff my lot do. I don't use the B a huge amount, but it is nice to have that option available, particularly since the keyboard player left and stopped encroaching on my bit of the spectrum

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='354353' date='Dec 14 2008, 04:53 PM']They don't usually notice a new bass appearing. Should be no problem [/quote] Oh how I fell foul of that with MrsW when I was trying out the SUB5 prior to buying it from Nik. "They're both natural" I thought. "She doesn't come to gigs that often. She'll never notice" So she walked through the front door and the first thing she said was "That's not your Wal" Are the MM's the same colour? At least they're the same make. And finally - You lucky bu99er!!

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='353743' date='Dec 13 2008, 05:37 PM']I love it So much fun to play [/quote] Yes indeedy Probably the reason I have had to start gaffa taping my third & ring fingers as I was coming home with shredded knuckles

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='353647' date='Dec 13 2008, 03:36 PM']Mr Brownstone by guns n roses. Not really unusual as such but it's not an obvious choice of cover from guns n roses![/quote] That was our first G'n'R cover followed by You will Be Mine

[quote name='misrule' post='353338' date='Dec 13 2008, 07:26 AM']We do the theme from The Simpsons[/quote] That is our current "short blast" into "White Punks on Dope" by The Tubes. Previously it was a medley of "The Pink Panther Theme" into "Hawaii50" into "The Sweeney" and prior to that "Mission Impossible" got in there somewhere. Always good to get a pub singing WPOD and watching the odd Tubes fan that always seems to be at every gig sidle up at the break and ask for another We did "Talk to ya later" and "Out of the business" by The Tubes for a while but they have been dropped more recently - shame but as ever I was outvoted . Just resurrected "High Road Easy" by Sass Jordan and "House of Love" by Skin and have have been doing a heavier version of "Wayward Son" by Kansas, which if the sound guy [i][u]ever[/u][/i] manages to get the ADAT working at a gig I may mix and post one day. Our intention when we stopped doing the originals and the bluesy set was to do good rock songs that we enjoyed that other bands on the circuit didn't play. That has slowly slid out of the window and the standard fodder has slid in.

[quote name='brick' post='351190' date='Dec 10 2008, 08:29 PM']Hey there peeps as the titles says i need help, i am currently in the third year of my music degree and as part of which im doing a study of the playing styles of James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey and Donald Dunn. Have managed to aquire the obvious books on the subject and am now trying to hunt down articles from bass magazines over the years and was wondering if anyone on here had any if they would good enough to scan and email them to me. In return said persons would recive respect, positive rep and good vibes being sent there way Ta Ross my email is [email protected][/quote] Might be able to help as I have BGM back to issue 1 & BP going back years, though I have a nasty feeling my scanner died a couple of weeks back and I'm not sure where we stand on copyright?

Isn't it hilarious the trails an [i]innocent[/i] scamster leaves around t'internet nowadays with MySpace, Facebook, Bebo & the like

[quote name='Old Horse Murphy' post='349495' date='Dec 9 2008, 11:04 AM']I've added the link to my Feedback to my signature. What's more is I fell damned proud of myself for managing to do it. Hooray for me![/quote] Done, though I am not quite as prolific in the Buy/Sell department as the venerable Beedster

[quote name='bassninja' post='347251' date='Dec 6 2008, 02:22 PM']The New Inn, Littlehampton. Rough looking boozer, but salt of the earth really.[/quote] Pretty much my local, and it's tiny, but I was busy myself tonight with the last one for the year ([i]unless any deps come up, but as the last one I did was about 10 years ago I doubt that[/i]) People keep telling me we ought to get in there, but I have to point out once we were in no one else could. So far as my w/e went it wasn't too bad. It is a year since we did the last gig with our keyboard player (and on that night the #2 guitarist) and I think it is probably safe to say he has left the band, just never actually said as much Friday in Southampton we tried a slightly different arrangement of gear on stage, which partially worked as the two guitarists were together which looked better for the dual/duel guitar bits. The new guitarist is normally lurking behind me and unseen for much of the time, but he is doing some backing vocals now and we are managing to swap around to get him to the limelight at relevant points. It partially worked, but needs refining as my amp was too far forwards so the drummer was losing it a bit. The gig was a leetle bit of a "bring out some of the older stuff 'cos we are going to need everything tomorrow" night, but we got through largely unscathed and they were up and dancing in the second set - the first set needs a rejig as it starts OK but is all a tad medium paced/slow and less well known stuff thereafter. Last night (now) in Chichester went well (though again flagged a little during the first set). As ever for the Fountain the crowd were well up for it and singing/dancing pretty much all the way through. Its always a pleasure to do gigs like that. A few senior moments for me. Confidence is a bugger when it gets you to go off on one and get lost -note to self: really must work on the theory harder! That said I suspect very few noticed. Hard work as ever as they are longer sets than we normally do. Usual is 9 'til just before 10 then 10/10:10 'til 11/11:15 depending on licence & strictness of stopping times. Tonight was 9 - 10:10 and then 10:30 - 12:00 (and would have gone on longer but we really had to stop so they could chuck everyone out) G&L was sounding frickin' marvellous as ever and blending in with the two guitars really well. I love it for the rock stuff we do. Scary point of the night (well most of it to be frank) was the one young lovely stage centre, which in the Fountain is pretty much stage everywhere, who had been necking shorts that suddenly caught up with her early in the first set so that she spent the rest of the night alternating between looking on the verge of the most spectacular technicolour yawn (probably all over my Line6 short board with me taking the collateral damage) and dancing like a mad thing. Amazingly (to me) she got to the end of the gig without doing the former much to my great relief. So another gigging year over for The Alibi as Steve is off for his usual Chistmas holiday in a couple of weeks. Back at it in the middle of January with some new venues to try out, and possibly some new covers / rearranged songs we used to do with the keyboards that ought to work as well if not better to perk up the first set.

When my son was at BIMM in Brighton there were significantly more guitarists that bass players so that at the end of term concerts bass players would be in two or three bands whilst guitarists could struggle to find one and end up trying their hand a bass. Organisation was a tad flaky at times. We had a couple of instances of required coursework handed in and lost that almost cost him the good pass he got. ACM is just over the road from my office and looked OK facility wise when I went there for a BGM bass day a few years back. I can't really comment on either so far as bass is concerned though

So Mmy lot have their last two gigs for 2008 this weekend should anyone be interested Friday 5 Dec @ [url="http://maps.yell.com/client/yell/?&nat_id=1866892&qs=SO19+9BG&sl=false&storePC=SO19+9BG&ssm=0&companyName=The+Swan&clarifyIndex=&clarifyOptions=&replayURL=%2Fucs%2FUcsSearchAction.do%3FlCOption23%3DWoolston_%2BSouthampton%26companyName%3DThe%2BSwan%26M%3D0%26searchType%3Dadvance%26broaderLocation%3DSOUTHAMPTON%257CHAMPSHIRE%257CSOUTH%2BEAST%2BENGLAND%257CENGLAND%257CUNITED%2BKINGDOM%26location%3DWoolston%26potential%3D0%26scrambleSeed%3D1440387845"]The Swan Woolston[/url] Saturday 6 Dec @ [url="http://maps.yell.com/client/yell/?&nat_id=3440156&qs=PO19+1ES&sl=false&storePC=PO19+1ES&ssm=0&companyName=The+Fountain+Inn&clarifyIndex=&clarifyOptions=&replayURL=%2Fucs%2FUcsSearchAction.do%3Fssm%3D0%26companyName%3Dfountain%26scrambleSeed%3D2378557%26M%3D0%26searchType%3Dadvance%26location%3Dchichester%26potential%3D0"]The Fountain, Chichester[/url] Normally good ones for us (that'll screw them then) so hopefully we can exit 2008 with a bang.

Watch what the guy helping you does to the amp he plugs you into. I have seen compressors & the like punched in as they plug in a bass to pump up the sound. I always start by turning such gizmos off and setting the tone on amp and bass (if it's active) flat to start with to see what it sounds like then. There's little point in buying an active bass when all the tone controls are flat out leaving you nowhere to go.

[quote name='tauzero' post='340186' date='Nov 29 2008, 12:33 AM']As the saying goes, "Anyone who hasn't had a Fender by the time they're 25 has no heart. Anyone who still has a Fender by the time they're 35 has no brain.".[/quote] Blimey, I'm a heartless basstard! I've never had one (unless G&L count by connection through Leo) [quote name='skankdelvar' post='341108' date='Nov 30 2008, 01:36 PM']The doors of Heavenly Paradise are henceforth shut to all humanity until you, [i]SINMAN[/i] repenteth and go forth into the wilderness and pluck for me from the fiery bush a Mojo-laden yet somehow entirely pristine NOS '55 Precision and send it to: Pastor Billy Bob Spittoon Latterday Church of Non-Believers 15, The Council Houses Cemetary Crescent Littlehampton[/quote] Nik & I will be looking out for this one landing

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='340764' date='Nov 29 2008, 09:01 PM']My keyboard player was raving about these guys earlier this week- will have to check them out.[/quote] This one is probably not be as instant as their first - Milliontown - and all this from a guy whose day job is writing & producing for the likes of Girls Aloud, [u]but don't let that put you off[/u]!!!

[quote name='tonybassplayer' post='340358' date='Nov 29 2008, 11:03 AM']When using plugs I really miss the audience reaction and thinking of switching to IEM and setting a mic up to pick up the ambient noise and feed it through. Rest of the band are unlikely to go the same way ( not keen on spending the money ) so it will probably just be me looking at doing it on a budget. Any thoughts/ideas ??[/quote] I haven't tried them but I did notice the the Audio Technica systems have a mic input with the suggestion that you plug a lavelier in. For me I set my dB Tech system to Mix rather than Stereo on the receiver and then only put one of my Shure plugs fully in

[b]Frost* - Experiments In Mass Appeal[/b] finally dropped through my letter box this morning after a major ordering screw up by the Classic Rock Society. Just getting its first blast while I [i]should[/i] be getting on with some work. Otherwise most of my recent additions have been downloads from eMusic from which I am particularly enjoying [b]The Reasoning - Awakening[/b] and [b]Dark Angel[/b] and [b]Todd Rundgren - Arena[/b]

Rather more fun last night that last Sat (who have rung about booking some more - anyone else see that pig fly past the window?) Cheers Bar in Bognor last night. I tend not to like the sound, and my rhythm section chum on the kit loves it, because of the tiled floor area, but last night it sounded great to me. We were really tight and the harmonies sounded better than usual to me, and the L2500 having had a new set of Elixirs last week sounded awesome . Two more next week - The Swan in Woolston and The Fountain in Chichester and then that's it until the new year. They are normally good ones to hoping to go out with a bang

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='340103' date='Nov 28 2008, 10:08 PM']As much as you guys may love your Warwicks Sei's etc..... I think this guy is trying to get as close to that tone as possible with his current set up. No offence like.[/quote] In which case there's no point in me saying get an L2500, stick a new set of Elixirs on it, plug it into a Bass Pod with Ped's rather marvellous SVT Grit patch on it and the fire that through a PA - It sounded feckin' marvellous tonight [url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url]

I love my uprated Pro1 and still regret letting the Pro/early Custom I saw in GAK a few months go (at least it went to a BC'er) Mine is semi retired now & I only really use it at home for recording now, but was my #1 bass for about 20 years prior to that and always sounded great & recorded beautifully. Feels great too with a nice fast neck, but clearly they are not to everyones taste. The actives give a huge range of sounds and the XLR DI came to my rescue a few times when my old TE combo went through a spate of packing up during gigs (cracked input board it eventually transpired). That said I have to say that I tried a couple in the Bas Centre in Wapping years back and what seemed to be a combination of horrible setup and Knack'd strings could easily have put me right off.

a short instrumental @ 60BPM and about 1:20 long. G - Bmin - C - Cmin Set so you can loop it if you wish. [attachment=16287:Guitar_0...8_NoBass.mp3]

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='334703' date='Nov 23 2008, 02:23 AM']Congrats on keeping it together! We had some twats like that last year at Horatios on the Pier in Brighton and it all ended up in tears after one of them tried to half-inch one of the guitars... Just got back from the Master Mariner in Brighton and it was a cracking night! Venue was pretty full, everyone dancing and singing along, really good sound.. Just what you want for all the effort luging gear around in the freezing cold! What never ceases to surprise me is the impact of Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' on an audience. Of all the songs we do, that one just connects with people more than anything else.. Our singer Pete always keeps the crowd singing along after we've finished it and sometimes, they keep going for 2 or 3 minutes.. Amazing! Anyway, that's enough post-gig chuntering from me.. G'night to one and all![/quote] Glad to hear you & some others had a better night Nik. Funny thing with ours was they were asking us back and none of his mates were impressed by his antics anyway. Ah well..... The other funny thing is the closet Tubes fans who always come out of the woodwork and ask for another after we finish the first set with WPOD. Last night it was for "Don't Touch Me There", which as we don't have a chickie vocalist wouldn't really have worked