martin8708

My best. "P" out of my six is my Black 57'. AV re-issue . I have tried a CS Pino and lovely as it is , the neck of the 57 feels more natural to my hands I've had a few fellow muso's play the 57 at Jam nights and they are all comment how good it feels Mind you , it's taken 10 years to get the bass played in .

Singing ( and playing acoustic guitar ) I love the whole singer / songwriter / guitarist thing Cat Stevens , Jim Croce and Ray la Montaigne to name a few .

I'm one of those Luddites who does not have a mobile phone ( shock horror ) I stay in touch with band members by landline and our weekly rehearsal and now even by that new e-mail thingy . All the bands in the 60's 70's and 80's. seemed to survive just fine without a mobile phone . When I have to endure some other person having a conversation on a mobile phone , the majority seem to be entirely without fact or substance , so I'm quite happy as I am . PS , never missed a gig or a rehearsal , I use a calendar .

I'm 48 and keep going back to look at the Cardinal Red Jeff Ament Thunderbird . If I had a spare 3 grand lurking around , it would be on its way to me now. I believe the Lull T-birds are very light and well balanced , unlike the Gibbo counterparts . I don't really give a sh*t about what people think , I still go skateboarding at the local skate spots because I enjoy it and have done it since I was 12 years old . Buy the bass , wear your best rock and roll T shirt and enjoy gigging it.

Well , I like em , so much so I have two of them , used to be three , but I sold the Adamas . The steel string is a Balladeer that I bought 30 years ago when I was an poor student , I was in a guitar shop and this guy brings in the Balladeer to try and trade against a shiney new guitar . The assistant behind the counter was a real dick , and offered very little for it , so I got chatting to him and offered all my ready cash for the guitar , and its been with me ever since . I thought I would go one better and get an Adamas , but to me the feel + sound of the Balladeer was better . I bought the Classical guitar version about 5 years ago for £200, it has a gouge in the soundboard from some ones over zealous finger nails , but the playability and depth is fantastic for a 200 quid guitar , plus it has an on-board stereo amp . Other Acoustics owned ( and subsequently sold ) are a Gibson J185 , Brook Creedy , Larrivee OM , Yamaha acoustic , Bernabe Classical . If you avoid the cheap Applause range , I think the proper old Ovations are great guitars for the money .

I feel pretty much the same if the band I 'm in is falling apart at the seams , or I become victim of a band re- shuffle . Pack down the basses , £1600 is a great budget , so immerse yourself in acoustic loveliness . I'm sure the urge to play bass will return , once it's in the blood ,it stays with you .

Hi Marvin, it depends what the other various things are. You could just be preoccupied with other things and music is just taking a back seat at the moment . I tend to play classical or acoustic guitar when not in a band , sounds a whole lot better than plonking away on a bass on your own , so maybe another instrument will re- ignite the spark of music. As previous posters say , there is no law that says you have to pick up your bass and play , take a bit of time out from it. All the best .

Always wanted a JV Squier P-bass , never seemed to be any around when I had money a year or two ago , now they appear regularly on the for sale section , and I'm skint.

Apart from the beverage choice , I'm pretty much the same . My " sound " comes from turning up the volume loud enough to be heard in the band .

Who ( or what ) is JLS ?? Sounds like an alco - pop drink . ( Wicked ! )

Singing whilst playing bass is similar to playing drums and singing , the temptation to sing every word on the beat is very strong . Playing guitar and singing is quite easy compared to playing bass and singing . Try and treat the vocal as a separate entity to the bass line , much like a keyboard player can split the melody line from the bass line . Learn the bass line until you can do it in your sleep , then slowly add the vocal line on top , keeping the bass line steady . Takes a lot of practice though . Good luck Martin. Edit , put yourself on a strict diet of early Police records ( yes , I still listen to records ) to get inspiration from the master of singing over complex bass lines

Bought an EA Whizzy from Tom , great cab for a great price , well packed and promptly delivered . Smooth transaction , many thanks again . Oddly , this is the third item that I've bought from Clarkys bass emporium Many Thanks again Martin .

I'm sure it was BigRedX who said that the older we get , the music becomes less important and the people we play with become more important . This is definitely the case for myself, I would rather play average music with a great bunch of guys . But then again , I enjoy gigging , it's a great escape from my day job . It's a bit like looking for a job , always seems a lot easier when you have a job rather than when your unemployed .

Nice set up , I have a similar rig , Vanderkley MNT212 and Markbass Tube 800 , this was so I could be heard in a ( rather loud ) 2 guitar band . Probably a bit overkill for the current quieter stuff I am doing , but very clear detailed sound . Is the MN 210 suitably loud enough for your needs ? Cheers Martin

I love the old school stuff , but Adam Ant , Roland Gift and Kevin Rowland lacked the vocal power of the younger performers. Mr Ant was visibly relying upon his back up vocalist midway through the track . As much as it pains me to say it , but Paloma Faith was the saving grace of the Jools Holland show .

Most of the "sound " will come from your fingers / pick / thumb style of playing . ( grabs a tin hat and runs for the trenches ) never needed much more than a good Precision .

I only had one ( or two at max ) till I joined Basschat . Never needed a back up bass in 25 years of gigging . Only needed one Combo amp , since joining basschat I've been through 5 heads and 6 cabs . Mind you , I suppose there are worse things to spend your money on .

[quote name='Tandro' timestamp='1356131793' post='1907380'] -In: An awesome Warwick Streamer special edition Markbass cab -Out: I've no idea what you're talking about [/quote] Hi Tandro , still got that '87 Streamer I sold you a few years ago . I still see you like the Warwick's . Cheers Martin

hmm In and out ; Alleva Coppola KP5 Antiguan Fender Custom shop Pino Paladino Markbass LM3 and 604 Stack In , 63 Precision Vanderkley 212 Cab

Our current drummer , ( Graham , you are a Godsend ) plays keyboards and sings as well. He is a bloody good drummer who really lifts the band , he also listens to the bass and the guitar and will frequently make suggestions for us to try different timings or arrangements . ( can you imagine that , a drummer telling a guitarist how to play ? ) but he really knows his stuff. Fully agree that cr@p drummer = cr@p band .

1982 was the first year of the Vintage Re issues that Bill Schultz and Dan Smith introduced at Fender to try and get the factory back on track , and repairing all the damage the CBS management had done . Its a 30 year old bass with a nitro finish , so the woods have had time to breath . I have a black 57 Re issue from the early 80's and its the best Precision I own . I would not sell mine for £1500 , I would much rather keep it .

I know of at least 2 guitarists who now just do solo pub / eateries venues and I am starting to see the logic behind this move . They don't have the hassle of getting everybody together for rehearsal / gigs and they play the music they enjoy and get to keep all the gig money . I don't know if I getting old and sentimental , but there seemed to be more band loyalty in my earlier years of playing .

Played both guitar and bass equally for nearly 30 years , they defiantly complement each other with regards to fretboard knowledge and timing / rhythm . Playing guitar allows you to work out songs easier and allows you to read what the guitarist in the band is doing ,should he go into unfamiliar songs / jams . Being able to play more than one instrument makes you a much more rounded musician , go for it.