fretmeister

Aguilars have arrived and the bass is now with a luthier to get them fitted - and at the same time I'm having the neck side dots replaced with bright white ones. The pretend luminay ones that ibby use are stinky poo. They only glow for 30 seconds even when charged with a UV light for an entire minute for a SINGLE DOT, and they are invisible against the neck when not charged. I suppose the roasted maple is one of those annoying in-between colours for choosing black or white dots, but I've gone with white. I don't usually look at the neck at all, but while I'm still getting completely familiar with the fan frets it will be a good thing. Hopefully get it back next week. Then I'll decide if I'm going to swap the preamp or not. Or even remove it. The DCB demos where they have been fitted to a similar Ibanez seem to sound best when in passive mode so I might be able to just leave it in passive and not worry about it at all.

Do you mean just different tunings like Open C major / Drop D / DADGAG etc etc or the weirdo idea that A = 432hz because "that is aligned with the universe and has healing power" nonsense? If the former - then swap instruments for that tune live. Or if the guitar is in Drop D or even Drop C then a 5 string has plenty of range for it. Just learn it properly and ignore the guitarists fingers! If the latter - then nobody can help you. Not even a psychiatrist.

Neck swaps between J and P 20 fret models is easy, so getting a new neck is an option. Have a look on ebay for a used Mex neck for a couple of hundred. Sandbergs all have the same neck profile - no changes between their P and J types - the bodies are a little smaller and differently shaped and IMHO better for it - comfy! The neck profile is somewhere between a trad J and P.

I'm looking for some good brass and woodwind sounds for recording. I've been writing a few old RnB type things and I'd like to have Blues Brothers type horn section available. I do not want to program anything - I'd rather have a keyboard and play the parts. Can anyone recommend a sensibly priced keyboard / controller and an easy to use compatible plugin? I'm on Win10 Pro with Reaper if that makes any difference ta

Ooo I forgot - I have an Urge 2 in my rack. It's a lovely instrument but it's too heavy for me these days so I never play it anymore. Amazing sounding thing - I even had flats on it for a while for recording. The JPJ pickup switching arrangement is very cleverly thought out. If it was 3lb lighter I'd be using it all the time.

No - I haven't got a BH amp. But the Helix works well at lower volume levels too - you don't damage the amp if you ease up the volume gently on the Helix and then let the amp do the hard work.

Strats are a good example. Most are just a neck shape tweak or different pickups. But occasionally there is a proper variation - like the Iron Maiden models or the Ed O'Brian sustainer equipped model. I would have liked the GP more if they had taken the opposite approach with the compressor - use that blank space in the larger housing to have more controls - threshold / ratio etc but perhaps with a switch to go immediately to GP's own settings. That would preserve the GP signature element but make it more appealing / versatile at the same time.

You could run it into the AUX input on the back as that is a clean input for ipods etc. I'd try that. Just ease up the volume on the helix slowly to start with as the AUX input is likely to be used to dealing with lower signal levels than the max Helix can put out. The "don't use amp models" thing is more "don't use cab models" - You don't want to run a Cab model into a real traditional cab or it will turn into an underwater sounding muddy mess. But use everythying else as you like. A cab model into a PA or other FRFR type is fine though. But if you happen to like a cab model into a real cab - go for it! One of the very best things about the Helix is that you can unlearn everything. Every block is just a sound manipulation block. Do you want a signal path like: Bass - Reverb - Cab - Amp - fuzz - another amp - EQ - Wah Then you can! There are no rules and you won't break anything.

Shame that the compressor is only on or off (via footswitch) and that there are no setting options - just GP's preferred ones. But I suppose they had to make it look more different than an ABM.

Comes down to the individual bass. Not naff at all. 99% of the audience won't know and the rest won't care. I wouldn#t buy a Myung as I don't play a 6. But I'd like a Geddy.

Very odd thread. If I found the girl of my dreams and it turned out she was gay would I still marry her? No. If I found the film of my dreams and it was only available on Betamax and I couldn't get a player... would I buy it. No. There are some things that just aren't going to work and probably cause more pain / annoyance / frustration at the same time.

Tim’s band.

Yes. Bit of fun when alone and completely awful in the mix. Disappears into the mud never to be seen again.

He didn't mention a chord sheet at all. Just listen to it once and you've "learned" it.

No.

This. His definition of "learned" is what I would call "be able to recognise it on the radio again and play along to it badly" - nowhere near actually being able to duplicate it let alone perform it to an acceptable standard.

Good point - but they do tend to be quite a bit heavier. That's important to me, but the OP might be young!

Be kind. Ask him to tell the others within say, a week, or you will have to because it's getting in the way of making arrangements. He might actually want to back out but finds it easier to tell you as the new guy than his long standing mates. He might even be expecting you to tell them and might be surprised you haven't. Doesn't have to be an aggressive conversation - ask him in a way that doesn't close any doors in the future.

We are definitely using different definition of "learned."

Film session musicians get the sheet music. Rainey formally studied music - piano, trumpet, bass, violin and went to college majoring in brass instruments. He's not a valid comparator for an average covers band - and as you noted - even he gets 3 attempts. Carol Kaye is equally qualified. Point is - they aren't learning the song by listening to it. Film sessions are fully scored. All the players get notation. If the conductor wants a particular player to not sight read it they get an arrangement chart and asked to improv it. They are playing what is on the page in front of them and trusting the other players to do the same. No memory needed, no chance of missing a change. No need to actually learn it at all. Can play it, get paid, go home and forget it completely. That still isn't the same sport as listening to the track on a CD and knowing it. Unless that definition is now expanding to listening once but being allowed to pause it every 3 seconds to take notes.

Just seen this. My definition of learning the song means being able to play it (with the other players) to a performance standard. Anything under performance standard means to me that it has not been learned. All stages up until it is ready to be performed is "still learning it."

Many runs are part of the hook and in a covers band that is important because the audience expects them to be there. Many recordings are not clear enough to get the chord voicings right in 1 listen. And the bass player looking for interesting lines is moving the goalposts. Could be a U2 tune with crotchet root notes that could be worked out in 1 listen. But what is the point of that if the drums, vocal, and guitar parts cannot be? And that's assuming only 3 players and 1 singer - no harmony instrument parts or vocal parts. Getting a rough idea of a tune in a single listen is vastly different for that song to be ready for a performance by multiple players. A jam along to youtube isn't even the same sport as a gig with other people. Are you really claiming that a band could be in the dressing room, put the CD on for 1 listen and then go out and perform it after that single listen? No chance. Even the greatest sight-readers on earth rehearse.

Spoken like a player of a traditionally single note at a time instrument.

One listen? To performance standard? No even a conservatoire trained 1st chair for the London Phil would say that was accurate even if it was 7 Nation Army.