Rayman

IMO..... you take what you need from instruction, take from it what's useful to you, and ignore what isn't. Like someone said earlier, you can loose a bit of your individuality if you follow to the letter what someone else is showing you. Singing/lessons is the same, keep your own voice and take on board the stuff that helps you improve your own technique. Be yourself, always.

Anyone mentioned Tina Weymouth? My favourite player, and the reason I started playing in the first place. Anyone who can hold it down with two notes is alright with me.

BBs are totally awesome, from the lower to the higher end basses, new and old. I think Yamaha BBs and Ibanez SRs are both fantastic ranges of basses. I've had a few BBs from the 80s and 90s, a couple of 300s, 400F an 1100S and a 3000S which was absolutely stunning, loved that bass so much. @GreeneKing had a BB5000 which was beautiful.

I had an 80s ESP Horizon 5er a few years back, it was really stunning, and there's an identical one on the bay for fifteen hundred quid currently! Awesome quality thing, I just couldn't get on with the low B.

Nice. That'll do anything you want it to do. Fantastic basses. Best colour too I reckon.

Is nobody else a bit old school like me, and just prefer the original unaltered releases (whoever they're by) as nature first intended? I love Rush too, but remixes, reworking, unreleased bonuses et al just gets on my tits. The remastered "Never Mind The Bollocks" sounded pants... the original warts and all had the vibe, the rehash really didn't. I'm not bitter like.

The best home practise combo, for me, is the Peavey Micro Bass. Peanuts on eBay, and a fantastic tight tone with some punch and low end. Compact and simple EQ, perfect. Couple it with whatever bass feels and sounds good to you and you're done for home playing. Don't get drawn in to the "snob trap" of where your gear was made or how much it costs it's irrelevant... think of your bank account first, and your ears second... the rest is gravy. I've had all the expensive kit since I started 30 years ago, and now it's all gone, but the MIM P bass I have currently does all I want it to. 300 quid on the bay, job done. It's great. A proper bass. My only "advice" is to have fun, enjoy music, enjoy your life and keep the bass playing simple and groovy as it was always meant to be.

We're all so different, as musicians, as musicians fans, which is totally brilliant. One guy likes something, the other guy doesn't, it's all good. The question is.... is the TV show any good as a product? For me, Yes it is. In the absence of a better option I think Later is an essential product. If it was shut down, within 6 months folk would be demanding it back, just like with the Tube. Rose tinted specs fully engaged of course. These shows can always be better, but when there's nothing else.... The show concept is as good as ever, but I wonder if it just needs a reboot, or maybe the music industry is so *****d that there's not much worth seeing... or maybe I'm a bitter old man. One of the above I'm desperate, and I think the industry is desperate, for the new punk to come along and tear it all to shreds and start over, because I for one am bored with it all. I spent the weekend playing bass to Groove Armada records... in the absence of anything more inspiring. I wish I was Michael League. Rant over

#groove

I could use some too...

David Bailey (photographer) once said if you can't take a decent picture on a Kodak disposable camera, you can't take one with a Leica SLR either. Same with anything, the magic's in the fingers.

Oh blimey yes. I started on a Columbus Jazz in the late 70s, so Sire basses would have been a bloody godsend. I think they're good solid guitars, for the money.

I watched that a couple of days ago... and remember thinking how uninspiring the bass sounded. I get it, they're "affordable" basses, I'm all for that, but it was noticeable as they all took turns to solo... when it came to Vic... it was a bit meh sounding. Could have been for a bunch of reasons, but still....

Tony Levin is an amazing stick player too.... check out "Stick Men"

Oh the stick is out of my league... NO idea how that works! But yeah, Rob Chapmans' stuff. It looks and sounds lovely, I just wondered how they played. Obviously it's a fairly young brand, and the basses in particular aren't tried and tested too much by the wider public, I'm just liking the vibe of the company, and it's something a bit different to the regular well known brands.

I'm after a 5er. My first port of call is either Ibanez SR, or Warwick... but I'm wondering about Chapman basses. I'm on the verge of buying an ML3 guitar... and now I'm wondering about a bass too, even a trip down to Andertons to try one. Anybody got any experience with them? I know they're a new thing, but I thought I'd ask?

I used pound the strings like a ruddy jack hammer, Steve Harris style. I was always a heavy player with heavy strings, and it was a bit of a workout doing gigs, especially being the singer too. Then I watched Gary Willis play. Effortless technique and beautiful tone. He looked like he might doze off mid song it was that easy. Now I'm with the Billy Gibbons school of thought. Make it easy for yourself. Lighter strings, lighter touch.... just turn your amp up!