deepbass5

Slightly uncomfortable with the suggestion, as it will end up a witch hunt, a lot of BC'ers can be a little OTT on this sort of subject. If the Moderators wish to set up a sort of Trip Adviser style star rating that may be more useful. Some luthiers are better in certain areas than others. Neck, Body, Electrics, or just basic professional finishing. Or the guy who constructs their necks or wires the control cavity leaves to join someone else or sets up on his own we maybe should know about it. We have a lot of power here to influence others so criticism should be done responsibly, direct to those concerned. They should have a means of redress. I am thinking more of the British Bass Luthier, not the local music shop who knows this guy who tinkers with guitars.

Just thought of another really cringe worthy line. A drummer I know used to back touring American artist round the UK in the early 70's In one northern club the Entertainment secretary got up to introduce the act. " Now at great expense we have for you tonight Four Black guys from America, they're not my cup of tea but you might like them, Ladies and Gentlemen - The Four Tops". Another storey to add to that, as part of their act the band would start up and they would file out dancing from a stage side door through the audience then come up the steps in the centre of the stage, split off into formation and start singing, One night the Roadie decided it would be funny to take the steps away. They came in as usual then had to give each other a leg up the 4' high stage with the audience in stitches.

The One that use to crack us up was End of the night the Club secretary would get up on stage and take the Mic to thank the band then say. " Next week we've got a really good band......

Turn your bass up, then use a lighter touch and play closer to the bridge. Some of the above may work. Are you grouping these 4 x 4 in a bar. I tend to say Mississippe to myself to keep track = Mis-sis-sip-pee, Mis-sis-sip-pee, Mis-sis-sip-pee, Mis-sis-sip-pee, Ya I'm Mad, but an old MD gave me that and it stuck

Do you just need reassurance that they are correct? It’s been years since I played in an orchestra, but the whole piece will be in concert pitch, as a piano and as your bass, so you play a 'c' and you get a 'C' Brass Trumpets and Trombones are Bb instruments so their parts are written in a key that will sound correct when you all play together. As with the Eb instruments. Most orchestral parts for trombones are in Bass clef but occasionally Tenor clef and also Alto clef. This is a head ache for the player but it will be scored so the orchestra is in concert pitch when the piece is played. Hope that’s what you wanted

Just had another couple of listens, like the making of. Is Cold hands a number you have already done as a band electrically and adapted for Brass band for the energy? If so have you changed your approach or part to accommodate the sheer power of the lower brass instruments? Just curious All the best it deserves to get noticed

Really impressed, well done. sound is great it works very well. Post some more info, how it was recorded, seperation and takes etc. equipment used, was that a complete run through. About ya band and are you hoping to do this live soon. All the Best

Starting with JJ Burnel, from an interview he stated he played most of his Stranglers material through his cab with one ripped speaker cone, apparently he and the others likes how it farted and broke up at volume and it became his sound. As Conan said Tone is actually volume, need to think of a graphic how each frequency is attenuated compared to another and its 2nd,3rd harmonic etc. It all starts in the fingers, strings, pickups, wood, preamp, amp n speaker cab. Then there is the jolly old room to bugger it up. I have often wondered how Pro guys feel about leaving all that in someone’s hands, maybe just hearing it through in ear monitors and wondering what it is like at the Back. Thinking of Guy Pratt on the Floyd gig, you can't even go and hide or wallow in the warmth of your Rig. A good tone makes me play well a bad tone leaves me tweaking all night and not concentrating on my playing.

Yes Chris-b i believe you are right, how your brain is wired is what marks us out between Technicians and gifted artists.

It is comforting to hear many of you feel as I do. Bass does not come easy to me, I would not class myself as a natural, I have to work at it. I am in love with the Bass as an instrument and in its ability to move people and transform a piece of music. That’s what drives me on, to be part of that. There is a lot to personal discipline and hard work; I have the attention span of a nat. Most pro bass players and I refer to session type guys rather those who have grown up in one successful band. Are totally focused and disciplined and do a huge amount of home practice, never rest on their laurels. We don't see all this we just see the YouTube videos of the end results and it comforts us to dismiss it as they are naturally gifted and that’s why I can't achieve that standard. They have to maintain that and you will find they organise their day around that, they will practice what they need to just stand still and have other allotted times developing new techniques and working on particular projects they are booked for. Music for me started in Brass Bands, Orchestras and then Big bands before taking up the Bass and I know that a contesting brass band practicing the same number for weeks and months takes a great leap forward. I used to hate it but it works. Just wish I had that discipline in my Bass practice. If we all practiced for the time we spent here we could all improve. One Tip Don't practice what you know

Yep agree with Doddy and Co. It will not improve your playing but hamper it somewhat. I find a 5 a necessity in today’s modern music. When I made the jump I did what others have suggested, use it as a four damping the B string with your thumb until you get comfortable with the width of the neck. You will soon instinctively start using the lower string on little skips and fills as you would on a 4 string. And that’s where it comes into its own. You have a couple of octaves under your hand without zooming around the neck. But the trade off is the width and greater discipline required when slapping etc. When I changed I made myself play it without changing back every gig, my playing suffered a little to start with but now I’m hooked. Only real advice is buy a top quality bass, try as many as you can, even the ones you cannot afford so you realise a 5 string is a different instrument than a 4 string bass. Most low cost 4's are playable but a low end 5 is a dog. Go for it

[b]No don't do it[/b] is the answer these mass produced cabs are made from fairly cheap light weight stuff anyway; it is the speakers that make up the weight. I would suggest changing the drivers to neo's but that would cost as much as a good second-hand cab with Neos in. Don’t mess around building something buy a quality second hand one so all the design calcs are right. You will end up with a Dogs dinner and have spent a lot of time and money and still not be happy. probably change the sound too

Really pleased with mine, bought it from Homer three months ago, and have played it extensively since, in fact tonight. He modified it with Wizard pickups and an East Deluxe which I can recommend. I paid a grand second-hand and I know the original owner who commissioned it must have paid twice that. I bought it on a whim from feedback on here and I am very impressed, enough to consider ordering one myself. This bass was ordered with 21 frets and not what is the norm now 24. This I feel is better allows more room on the body to alternate your plucking position, I played a Fender P for years and this feels right again. Just a thought. Any new bass will lose half its value just like a new Car.

I used to get the same, it is a common problem which is why I now use a two channel amp LMK, so I can set up the right amount of mid cut and boost on bass and treble. I also have an EBS comp this should help keep things tight. Without all this set up to jump on, you are going to need time to tweak bass and amps I guess. And you will not know until you start playing whether it is the sound you want. So you do need to sound check the sound then have it ready when you need it. Mid flight is always going to be difficult.

I've decided. If I get offered another gig on a different bass, I'll just give the gig to Doddy, then call Johnston and have a night on the town, he's looking good lately.

Yep happened to me, we did a wine festival in Switzerland a few years back, Brass players took their instruments and the rhythm section got agreement to use the local bands kit. I was using a 5 string Schack bass as my main instrument at the time, and got word that the bass player in the Swiss band had a Fender jazz, so at least knew what I was going to get. We did three gigs over the weekend, and fumbled a couple of times forgetting how many strings I had. He was a really nice guy and on chatting after the last gig he asked me what bass I played, and it turned out he had a 5 string Schack at home he could have brought along. What were the chances of that?

A Bump so more catch this tread Great Band hope they get the break

A reputation helps that takes time and care to build, so the only thing I would suggest is pool a gig and get your own PA and drop your price We have realised over the years that People do not differentiate over numbers of musicians in the band must = X bucks. They will take your quote and the trio down the road and the committee will choose the trio.

Hello from south of the border. I was born in Berkshire, then you Oxford folk went and stole Wantage and Abingdon from us, anyway nice to see a real Girl on Basschat!!! You’ll need a handsome young guy as an AVATAR to confuse these guys with beautiful young girls on theirs. This site is addictive but very informative. All the best have fun

Have a look on the back the sticker will tell you My LMK has a 4 amp fuse, so thats the max, it probably will not draw more than two amps but just tell them 4Amps and what jonthebass said.

This is something you will get better and quicker at. I find it depends on the song, it is far better to learn it parrot fashion verse by verse chorus by chorus start to finish. Be aware of that guitarist they have a tendency to learn one verse and one chorus scribble an intro and a bridge and bobs your uncle. Many songs have some quirky alterations as they go on. So I always learn them. Top to bottom as a check. Down load for free ( [b]Best Practice [/b]) you can download your track into it and slow it down without changing key. Or use it to learn something in a different key, say to suit the singer. Really good for those tricky numbers with loads going on, where picking out the bass line is pretty hard. Our guitarist wanted to play Sweet child of mine in C, crazy I thought but I just used Best Practice. I need crib sheets and I use all three of these methods in an evening. Remember the worst handwriting is better than the best memory. 1. Just Learn it so you can engage with the audience and move about a bit 2. My own short hand which comprises of A4 sheet with basic root chord notes per bar in big felt pen, maybe with some written bits or runs where things need to be spot on and I may forget. 3. As a reader I occasionally write the whole thing out, usually on more moving lines that do not seem to follow a pattern and again need to be exact Good luck