jakenewmanbass

Thanks TF, thats a very comprehensive answer! certainly given me some food for thought. Jake

[quote name='The Funk' post='208238' date='May 28 2008, 05:50 PM']A bit expensive though, isn't it? If you had a Bergantino 12" and a separate power amp it'd be a lot less. Jake - how much noise are you looking to make with the new rig?[/quote] I would want to be comfortable in up to 1000 seaters, I will always be in the PA anyway but I want a good solid onstage sound. It will be an 8 piece band. Not loud at all, sensitive drummer, guit, keys, 4 bvs including me, cello and lead vocal. The band has a very integrated sound, excellent ensemble and dynamics from pin drop to BIG sound and we make a good acoustic (onstage) sound which is just made bigger by PA.

there is no vs, it's all useful/valid

The advice so far is great, I'll try to give you a nugget to go on with. Scales are for muscle memory, the music is from you and what you have absorbed from outside sources. Jake

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='207232' date='May 27 2008, 02:01 PM']Bergantino powered cabs - IP112ER.[/quote] Thats an interesting one I hadn't considered. Are they heavy, with having the amps inside?

[quote name='Moose' post='207226' date='May 27 2008, 01:58 PM']I use a QSC PLX 1802 and it has loads of power - more than I will ever need. I usually run it into a Schroeder 410, but I have a Schroeder 1210 for smaller gigs. You are welcome to try it out if you are in the Oxford area.[/quote] I'm not in your area sadly, but that is a very kind offer anyway. Jake

Hi all, I have an Alembic F1-X valve pre amp which I currently line in to my polytone which is a great sound but only suitable up to a certain size venue. I will likely have a tour in the Autumn so will need to get a larger output so I'm looking for your recommendations for a power amp and cab to go with it. I love the pre amp as it's amazing for double and electric, and I like the mid punch of 12" cabs. What do you guys Reckon???

anything by the Oscar Peterson trio

[quote name='molan' post='206973' date='May 26 2008, 11:57 PM']I bought a guitar from Jerry D once - his signature Strat serial #0001. Hand built in the US Custom shop, beautiful guitar but a good friend fell in love with it and "forced" me to sell it to him, lol.[/quote] my mistake I meant jerry douglas

Modern country is part of a fabulous scene in Nashville. IMO where you get a good music scene it feeds into itself and the results can be amazing (think Motown) There is some really good songwriting going on in the genre and some really great playing. One of my personal favourites is Alison Krauss a beautiful voice and a seriously good fiddle player, most of her output is of the highest quality. And she has Dan Tyminski and Jerry Douglas in her live band. Can't be bad.

I have an Alembic 5 string signature model with whats called a 'balance K' body shape and it just sits perfectly at 2 o'clock. It is heavy but a wide strap means it isn't uncomfortable. I can play with very relaxed hand position in both hands.

[quote name='bassicinstinct' post='206508' date='May 26 2008, 12:54 PM']On a slight tangent, but still firmly on the subject of excessive distance to gigs, the most illogical piece of scheduling I've ever been involved with ([b]ALL [/b]from the same agent) was: Thursday night: Gig in Chelmsford. Friday night: Gig in Aberdeen (that's what teminded me!!) Saturday/Sunday/Monday: Gigs in Belfast. [b]There's[/b] a man who desperately needed an Atlas.[/quote] I once did Bonn to Dresden 14 hrs, consecutive nights, Zurich to Brighton (not flying... in a plane anyway!) and Dresden to Manchester 24 hrs, not to mention one gig in Taiwan.

It depends on what you're doing it for, as a work proposition it isn't viable to put yourself about as a guy that does those kind of hours for that money, I would want £300 after expenses as a minimum. I realise they probably couldn't pay that so if it's just for fun then do it as that.

[quote name='Josh' post='206388' date='May 26 2008, 10:19 AM']Would you say that that is where some sight reading players fall short? By that I mean, they are almost too "Robotic", they can play whats in front of them exactly, but lack a great amount of feeling which we all well know is crucial in being an established player and can be the selling point for most music-related employers.[/quote] There is a case in part for what you are saying, but I very much want to stress that we are on ground that is subjective, [i]being a good reader is not a feel bypass[/i] far from it. Feel is a very personal thing and I know plenty of great readers who can play with tremendous feeling. There are slightly different attributes between those that have learned instruments aurally (thats me) and people who read from early on, but I would shy away from saying one is better, they just are more appropriate in their respective areas of strength. Being a good reader is a huge benefit in time saving on rehearsal and recording which lends benefit to that type of work for those people, but the fact that there are plenty of aural tradition players that do very well means that it's a valid method of learning and reproducing music, not to be rubbished, and older as a tradition than dots.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='206705' date='May 26 2008, 06:09 PM']Assuming 'a few guys' includes me - with respect, you couldn't be further from the truth. I know a lot of 'full time' musicians, but there are very few full-time bass players up here. Many of those have to play holiday camps and social clubs. That's fine if they want to do that, but... I'd rather hang my bass up.[/quote] As it happens WoT I hadn't considered your post when I made my comments, as yours told how it was for you. Which is totally fine in my estimation, as personal decisions are just that. I made that comment as I felt the lack of detail in a couple of posts (specifcally chris b and warickhunt) could be read as discouraging. I felt that was maybe not their intention so I attempted to widen the discussion with a slightly ascerbic point and WH responded very nicely which can be seen above.

just returned from my fifth gig of the weekend it was outside (sort of... in a tent) Need I say more, (for those outside the south it's lashed down all day) we had a great laugh though cos everbody at the event wanted to be in the tent with us.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='206359' date='May 26 2008, 09:27 AM']It's a good point. If you're dependent on something for a living, you're then driven by financial motives rather than fun.[/quote] Quite wrongly IMO, you appear to assume that the two are mutually exclusive. For me they are not. I mean who said making money is not allowed to be fun? Add playing bass into the equation and I think you would struggle not to have fun in your financially motivated quest. It's all about outlook and I am not surprised when people who don't share mine find it unfathomable, all you need to do is not tell me how good (or not) my life or choices are, because I happen to have my finger closer to my pulse than you do. I don't think there are any gigs I do that I don't like. I have a deep and unwavering gratitude that people will pay me while I'm doing one of my most favourite things, it's an outlook that lets me enjoy playing what to some might seem like hell. I just don't mind, I can have fun on pretty much any gig, and with the exception of full on sectional orchestral playing, I have done them all.

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='206333' date='May 26 2008, 08:10 AM'](notice I didn't say proper job ) and keeping the music as something you can do at weekends and evenings. This way you can do whatever kind of music you like without having to worry about an income (the caveat being that ANY job/work can cease to exist at ANY time).[/quote] That is the great thing about music! Available to anyone interested enough. A very nice elaboration on your earlier points WH (I always have to be careful when considering shortening your login name Not to Wari' if you get my meaning) It was a fuller perspective like yours that I thought would be useful as a note to the OP and anyone else considering, so I hope you didn't mind the tone of my little cyber poke. Cheers Jake

The hardest reading gig I ever did was in Belgium with the BRT (Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra) doing a premier of original contemporary classical music as a tribute to the work of Frank Zappa it was fly sh*t and millions of bars of rest. But with a days rehearsal the gig went very well. Classical players are the business when it comes to that discipline and being an ear player who came to reading in my 20s I have never been a top flight sight reader, that said what I trade on is my feel, I have just got in from a gig (2nd of the day) in Barnes I was depping (therefore reading) in an old style R&B band doing bluesy rock n roll there was quite an accurate pad, I missed maybe 10% of the figures but all the chord changes and notation (walking bass) I got 100% and I don't consider myself to be a good reader. Every member of the band came up to me afterwards and said "great feel" and more importantly asked for my number. To respond to a few earlier posts there seems to be an attitude here by a few guys who think that it's really tough to make a living as a player, and their outlook seems limited by their own lack of insight into the game, I don't want to sound rude or harsh about this but it strikes me that those commentators have not encountered the real pro working scene where very professional individuals can make a very decent living, and they formulate their opinions based on examples of people who haven't done very well. I have to say that that is not representative of the pro music scene I know, there are people who struggle in all types of employment music or otherwise and I'm trying to say this without sounding too harsh, just because you haven't seen it work for some doesn't mean it's the same for all. I have a diary full of pro colleagues who have kids mortgages, nice cars, foreign holidays etc etc And this is the bit that could sound awful If you are good enough you'll do ok.

Jackson is one of my faves too, very individual but classic at the same time. Glamour profession on Steely Dan's Goucho is a killer line, especially as for large parts of it there is a synth on the one and the bass plays the line 'off it'. I am also a v big Jimmy Johnson fan. He has an incredibly light right hand technique, with one of the most consistent tones in the biz IMO. Jake

[quote name='chris_b' post='205613' date='May 24 2008, 05:06 PM']....you also need a partner who doesn't mind paying ALL the bills![/quote] I'm pretty sure you're joking but just in case you're not, I have fed and clothed and housed and holidayed etc etc a wife and three kids solely on my music income for 12 years. And I have many colleagues that have done the same. Are you pro Chris?

[quote name='TimmyC' post='205594' date='May 24 2008, 04:34 PM']Thanks Jakesbass that was real helpful![/quote] It's my pleasure TimmyC

[quote name='The Funk' post='205534' date='May 24 2008, 02:01 PM']Hijack: which restaurant? May pop in for some din-dins.[/quote] Shanghai Blues, very very nice Chinese food playing from about 8-11.30 really superb piano player on too, Mike Gorman. He plays in Jim Mullens organ trio amongst others.

Just had another thought to add to my earlier post, seeing as there has been a discussion here about the merits of Jazz, the single biggest contributary factor to my ability play in any style, and therefore make a living, is being able to read and interpret chord charts, (make music from sketches) I have learned this skill through playing standards 90% of which was done and still is (eg gig tonight in a restaurant in High Holborn) playing Jazz.

XB, great and really knowledgable advice all round, I have never looked at the Gary Willis thing but you've sold it to me. Cheers Jake