synaesthesia

Get this if you are wanting to learn Latino bass: [url="http://www.shermusic.com/latinbassbook.htm"]http://www.shermusic.com/latinbassbook.htm[/url] It covers most of the popular styles and tells you what the rhythms are, but.... if you really want to know the music, get a few drum books: there are a few about that cover the variations of Afro-Cuban, Afro-Carribean, Brazillian, Tango etc. The ones written for Drumset you have to understand are often modern interpretive amalgamations of what one bloke can imitate on kit, in effort to mimic what a whole Latino percussion rhythm section can do. But if gives you an idea of where the accents are nonetheless. Another good place to start, and many people will have such a gadget, is your digital beatbox or drum machine. Most of those have one or two variations of each popular style, but at least you can start to tell the difference between Songo, Samba, Bossa etc.

More misunderstood than Jazz in this country for sure. Not enough Latino culture around for even schooled jazzers to know what's what. Auditioned a guitarist once as musical director for a named vocalist's tour, told him we were doing Mas Que Nada - he said he needed to brush up on his flamenco. Even with drummers you 'd get problems, gigged in a trio with a drummer who fakes his latino by banging a syncopated beat on toms, whether it is samba or bossa. Another schooled drummer told me the bossa was essentially just a clave thing.... Most of what is referred to as Latin music is Latin American Music, and Latin America is a large geographical expanse with many many styles of music as there are countries. Spain and latin America are related through language and culture, there is some cross fertilisation but Spanish music and Latin American music are not quite the same, as Portugal is not the same as Brazil. Within "Latin America" you have much diversity, and the rhythmic accents are not the same in the different genres. It does not matter much in the UK, for two reasons - the UK has no real relationship with Latin American Culture, and cultural ignorance will continue to be the norm - so you can play any syncopated beat and it must be 'latin'. In Latin America, the music is played from the cora-Z-on, whilst in Spain it is from the cora-thz-on. Close, supposedly the same heart but not quite the same.

[quote name='PauBass' post='225698' date='Jun 24 2008, 10:20 AM'] I know this may sound silly but, just in case, I wanted to confirm with you guys. To power my pedalboard I'm using a Dunlop DC Brick, which has seven 9v and three 18v outputs. Well the thing is that I'm using all the 9v outputs and none of the 18v is being used. Since I'm going to need two more extra 9v outputs I was just wondering if it would be possible to use the 18v outputs to power some 9v pedals. I know that if the pedals says it needs only 9v that's what you should power it with but I think I've heard before people powering some pedals, I think ditortion/overdrive/fuzz mainly, with 18v instead of 9v, am I right? What's your advice?[/quote] With distortion devices, you probably want minimum voltage as opposed to maximum voltage, most typical circuits clip; i.e, distort more easily as the headroom is often lowered with lower operating voltage and quite often with more desirable audio consequences. Some more controlled designs of distortion devices have voltage regulators to fix the voltage at say 5 V to get a consistent distortion waveform - as opposed to the old school on the fly technique of using old batteries, which give out lower voltage. Back in the day, several musos used to keep a slew of used 9V batteries as the tone for example from a TS808 or TS9 was actually 'softer and rounder'. Even some big names like SRV also resorted to doing that. Tricky though to use a dying battery. Raising the voltage is possible with several distortion devices but you are likely to end up with more headroom, and consequently less capacity for distortion.

[quote name='Musky' post='224635' date='Jun 23 2008, 12:06 AM']I read somewhere or other about a repair involving the material from a pair of tights and something like nail polish. Or maybe superglue. Never had to try it myself though.[/quote] Lens cleaning tissue soaked in PVA applied over tear will work.

The fingerboard "pau-ferro" is Ironwood. It is very common in Vietnam, often used in furniture that will last forever. The weight of the body probably suggests that your specimen is also made of "mamywo" which is James Tyler's nickname for "Malaysian Mystery Wood", - this is actually Jelutong, a very light whitish softwood. It has similar properties to "basswood" and actually is a cheap craft wood use in teaching woodwork, or making hobby craft as it is very easy to work, i.e. easy to shape. It is not quite balsa wood, but like balsa it is used in toys, hobbycraft, etc. Be careful with your body it would dent easily. The owner of GIM guitars in Malaysia Jeffrey Yong has assisted with the sourcing of Jelutong. Also Jim Tyler is second only to Howard "Alexander" Dumble in eccentricity. Tyler also walks about with a gun on his belt; and I've been told by Jeffrey who visited Tyler, that he literally pumps gun shots at his factory shop reject instruments if they don't make his QC grade.

[quote name='stevie' post='221237' date='Jun 18 2008, 11:11 AM']Leo Fender and Jim Marshall didn't make sde-by-side bass cabs in the 1950s. Marshall bass cabs were 4 x 12, 1 x 15 and 1 x 18 and Fender had the Bassman, which was a 1 x 15. The side-by-side 2 x 12s these companies built were guitar amps. The Fender Twin and the Marshall Bluesbreaker (and the Vox AC30 before it) used open back cabinets based on a perfectly valid dipole design that still enjoys popularity today.[/quote] Actually Fender started to make a 4X10 bassman as early as 1955. See Teagle and Sprung, Fender Amps, 1st 50 years. circa p 70 onwards. An electric guitar tone is not complete without the amplification system, and whatever historical deficiencies in design, such as limited bandwidth (typically 100 - 3.2Khz), speaker distortion, etc are part of what is desirable. Even the preferred 'clean' tone has this limited bandwidth, and the direct injected electric guitar tone reproduced in full audio bandwidth has never been desirable or even listenable. An electric bass has largely two different sonic goals given the history of how its tone has developed: 1. it behaves like an electric guitar and and the limited audio bandwidth and distortion characteristics are part of the 'tone' 2. the ultimate goal is to reproduce what the pickups send out as cleanly as possible, perhaps with some EQ. Full audio bandwidth capability is what is desired here. If you need your tone to be (1), stick with what is out there, albeit deficient in design. Your tonal bandwidth will be limited and won't disperse without problems. People do this all the time, and until they try to overcome these problems it is never going to be a problem for them. But then, I think Mr Zappa said some people like to vomit on their own clothes and it is not a problem for them either and it may be best to leave them be. If your tonal goal is (2), then your ultimate signal chain is the ultimate recording channel, and the ultimate audio reproduction chain is your ultimate public address system. And despite this the bandwidth of the electric bass spans typically from 30odd hz to about 6 or 7Khz. You really do not get much audio activity beyond that range, and most of the time you can drop off below 50hz, and drop off above 6 khz. Even Alembic pickups coupled with their on board preamps (famously bright) have capacitors to filter off oscillating frequencies above 6.5Khz. In either case, most stage musicians are weaned on guitar and bass having poor dispersion. If you have ever had a drummer ask a bassist to make his/her tone 'rounder' you will know that drummer has sat behind or sideways to a bass speaker system for too long. Stage audio deficiencies and intelligibility can be offset by close monitoring, either in ear, floor or pole mounted. But beyond the stage, dispersion and comb filtering become issues that you'd have to contend with, whether you like it or not. FYI, in the studio comb filtering can be an issue with the aforementioned products, but in the studio you mostly have an audience of 1 lab rat engineer who should be seated in the sweet spot, or a few others who come by to check out the mix or recording, and move into the sweet spot to listen. Comb filtering is a problem when you have a dispersed audience. You don't move around into different corners of the studio to check the mix, and you certainly don't position yourself away from the sweet spot area. Those speakers were certainly not designed for wide dispersion in a public area.

Sold a compressor, clean transaction, fast payment, no issues.

Love his playing but I 'm sat in front of the TV watching Mainstreet - EWF in concert this Good Friday morning. They are singing to tracks and the instruments are mimed in a 'live' concert. Hear the bass slap and watch his fingers, same for the guitarist and the drummer. Great stage effect with the spare instruments and the Conn strobe tuners in the backline The conga mics have no XLRs, they are certainly not wireless mics...they must have run out of dud XLRs..... the vocals are live though. Can't tell with the horn section look real though, the live sax solo was certainly desafinado and the electric guitar solo in one tune was also similarly out of tune in parts .... Glad that I bought the CDs and not tickets to their 'live' concert! Shame about the general miming. Love his recorded licks though.

Just got notice that RTF will play a place called Indigo2 in London. Not sure where it is but even if I have a gig that night I'd cancel to turn up for this one. 21 July. And to fend of the WTF is RTF posts, its the classic Return to Forever quartet - Lenny White, Al Di Meola, Chick Corea and Stanley.

I for one would like to see an internet only business offer prices where you know you are not paying for the overheads they no longer have for keeping a shop. Five quid less than Soundcontrol or any other other shop retailer with rented premises and staff to pay does not really cut it.....

[quote name='mybass' post='107623' date='Dec 21 2007, 01:24 PM']The genuine Neutrik plugs (as opposed to eastern lookalikes) appear to have the best fit for all jack sockets.[/quote] Genuine Neutrik products are mostly made in China and have been for a very long time.

These things are available here. Feeler gauges - you can get them at auto places for people who want to time their own spark plugs. You can also find them variously in tool shops. Various steel rules or plasterer's edges can be found of various lengths at place like BnQ or Wickes. Are they cheaper? Don't know, probably. Go have a look. Stew Mac will use UPS and you may get charged import duty and VAT. You can do the sums. (or math, of you want to sound Yank)

[quote name='bigd1' post='104555' date='Dec 15 2007, 12:14 AM']That is an option I suggested, but he wants to much for it. He would be looking for £1100 inc original case. I don't think he would get that much for it.[/quote] try Mike at Music Connection, he should have a part to fit. [url="http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm"]http://www.the-music-connection.com/ricpart.htm[/url]

I have used various versions of Encore, Finale, etc. Used to use Allegro, but now I use Finale Printmusic, from the Finale family. About 55 USD online or 55 squid here. I chart all my arrangements on it, and I can change keys if I want, and it always looks like 'fakebook' with the jazz font, which is for many people easier on the eye, You can play into it but that works best for higher register instruments, and it does midi.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='97455' date='Dec 1 2007, 11:08 PM']Unless you're already independently wealthy, forget studying jazz in the UK. If you are independently wealthy, go to the US to study it.[/quote] That is true. It is also true you hobnob better in jazz in the US, particularly in the jazz school scene. Outside of London and small pockets in other major cities, the general perception of jazz is geriatric dixieland. It is not a health pulsating thriving scene in the UK. Dick Grove, Berklee etc.....check them out. For £12000, you'd probably spend USD$12000 in the US. But if you are EU, you'd pay EU fees, which in all probability will cost you less than making the trip across the pond; at the cost o the social benefits of jazz schooling/ deriving lineage "student of the famous XXXXX"/hob nobbing in the US.

[quote name='Beedster' post='96224' date='Nov 29 2007, 04:51 PM']Well if it's 'all IMHO', your first word was perhaps a little harsh. As you say, it is your opinion and your entitled to it, but I would never reply to a fellow BCer in such terms. One more off the Xmas card list I guess Chris[/quote] He didn't say it to you He said the idea, i.e. to change necks ad gain the result as suggested, was. And I do not disagree.

[quote name='OldGit' post='94862' date='Nov 26 2007, 11:39 PM']Anyone got the Fender double bag? £43.76 from Dolphin. Opinions? [url="http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/24464"]http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/fl...roduct_id/24464[/url][/quote] Re: Fender, I have one, it's badly designed and is not all that well padded. The straps are badly designed, does not feel like it has been eating enough for two;.... it feels like a cheapo gig bag that has two instrument compartments, and got badged by a big company pushing more accessories than they really care to have a think about. Re: Ibanez, paid for one via Dolphin's which has an online deal now. Actually tried to buy from Thomann but they didn't have stock. Got in touch with ibanez agent here, they told me to order off my local shop. Local shop was about 15 quid more than Dolphin's. Apparently I'll get mine end of the month, which is a few days away. I may plan to get the guitar version too. My main gigging bass is a headless and it fits into a guitar sized case. All I need now is a spare headless bass... haha

[quote name='6stringbassist' post='94835' date='Nov 26 2007, 10:41 PM']They even confiscated a can of deoderant from me at JFK, it was in my habd luggage. The guy took it out and held it at arms length as if it was something terrible..........I made the mistake of informing him that I thought he'd been watching too many James Bond films.[/quote] You cannot take an aerosol can on a flight. Even if it is a suede cleaner or deodorant, it's got nothing to do with the content, it is the aerosol package which can be explosive.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='94715' date='Nov 26 2007, 07:22 PM']As Alpha-Dave says I have 2 - a [url="http://www.gusguitars.com/product.php?model_id=7"]fretted 5 string[/url] and a [url="http://www.gusguitars.com/product.php?model_id=15"]fretless 4 string[/url]. What spec are you considering? and what concerns you about the pickups? The dual humbuckers on the 5 string give me a massive sound despite being passive. All I do is filter out the frequencies that I don't want using the amp. I'm sure that Simon would make one with alternative pickups should you want. He's done that on several of the guitars he's made. Where abouts are you synaesthesia? You're welcome to come and try the basses at one of my band's gigs (we're based in Nottingham and we have some coming up in the next few months) although the basses are very 'handed' (probably more so than many other instruments) so it may only be of limited use. I'm surprised that Simon hasn't made a left-handed one yet considering that a good number of his guitar customers are left-handed.[/quote] Didn't know you were in Notts, you've got a PM.

[quote name='BB2000' post='91301' date='Nov 20 2007, 10:03 AM']Wire your PUPS in series.[/quote] +2

[quote name='Beedster' post='94640' date='Nov 26 2007, 05:05 PM']Folks I want to A-B number of PUPs in a number of basses. As I have the soldering skills of the average Koala (trust me, never ask a Koala to redo your electrics), I was thinking I could connect the existing leads soldered to the pots to those from the respective PUPs via some form of mini junction box until I find the combination I'm happy with, at which point I can start soldering. Anyone got any advice or products that will make this less disasterous than it's currently promising to be? Cheers Chris[/quote] A terminal block will work. Available from Wickes, B&Q etc but if you try a more specialist Electrician's supply you may find a smaller size terminal block. I think I have one instrument with a terminal block permanently installed as I had left my soldering iron elsewhere when working on it. A terminal block also lets you mess with settings such as parallel, series, single coil options, in a dual coil multiwire pickup provided you know which wires does what, even if you don't you could mess about with it and you'll know which two wires will work for which coil.

[quote name='Muppet' post='94623' date='Nov 26 2007, 04:39 PM']I've got a couple of old flight cases that I'm going to butcher to create a new pedalboard. Can anyone recommend a good place to buy spare parts (online is cool), especially those split hinges? cheers Steve[/quote] [url="http://www.adamhall.co.uk"]http://www.adamhall.co.uk[/url]

Has anyone on BC played a Gus bass? I have been communicating with the maker to possibly make a lefty for which he does not have moulds for one, but I suppose money talks. Love the design, not really sure about the lipstick Kent Armstrongs but they do match the chrome look. I have never seen Gus instruments in the flesh anywhere until last week, in Harrods of all places. [url="http://www.gusguitars.com"]http://www.gusguitars.com[/url]