leroybasslines

[quote name='razze06' post='1113989' date='Feb 3 2011, 03:25 PM']Seems to be that way for certain brands, especially guitars IMO. I will stick my neck out and say that Gibson are top offenders in this. The mid-life crisis market is a very lucrative one, especially for aspirational items such as motorbikes, sport cars, and musical instruments (rock and roll ones, can't see anyone splash out on a top of the range flame maple veneered bassoon to cure their crisis). People are cashing in on that![/quote] Yup! It's all about the mid life crisis and that fact that many players are men, and as such born with a mild case of Asperger's! Collecting is part of the fun really. Owning a good bass don't make you a good player...

[quote name='ezbass' post='1114100' date='Feb 3 2011, 04:30 PM']I use this technique (well something like it) when I want to play a root/octave line where I want an almost popped octave but a very smooth root. Pino uses this techique to great effect on John Mayer's Vultures (albeit no octaves).[/quote] I often do a similar thing - @risingson mentioned the palm muting technique earlier and I'm comfortable with that. However, he seems to have taken this technique to a different level with the speed and attack he gets.

[quote name='risingson' post='1114094' date='Feb 3 2011, 04:28 PM']Downloaded![/quote] Add new stuff in if you can think of any. I play along to this playlist as a practise session!

OK...this is where I admit to the true extent of my geekery on Pino. If you're a spotify user, get involved with my Pino playlist: [url="http://open.spotify.com/user/owen_liam/playlist/4J0KMwu3HUz9u2joumbZ2Z"]http://open.spotify.com/user/owen_liam/pla...3HUz9u2joumbZ2Z[/url] Feel free to add or contest as you see fit! As far as I'm aware, Pino played on everyone of these tracks, from Sugababes to Manu Katche, Gary Numan to Daniel Bedingfield! My fave at the moment though are his contributions to Roy Hargrove's Hard Groove. Awesome playing!

It does seem to be an economical style - he barely moves when playing what is a pretty busy line on the A sections. Interesting that he switches to an orthodox two finger style on the B and middle sections. I guess he's using the clawfinger thing (for want of a better name!) when he needs to make lots of jumps across strings, but when he needs to dig in he still goes for the normal finger style. His versatility is staggering but subtle if you know what I mean. He doesn't do tricks (I don't think I've ever seen him slap or tap) and you rarely see him step into the limelight, but he can adapt his playing to a mind boggling range of situations with just a few tweaks to sound and style. I think he's my favourite player at the moment. Although, being a fellow Welshman, I'm biased! It's not music that I'd normally go for, but I love it that Pino is really enjoying it! I've heard some of the PSP studio recordings and they don't make as much sense somehow - it seems like a live thing to me, watching musicians at the top of their game enjoying themselves. The recordings are too clinical and lack the character of this performance.

[quote name='Stuee' post='1113919' date='Feb 3 2011, 02:37 PM']Congrats, man.. that's a lovely bit of wood you got there [/quote] Cheers mate! I sold three basses to get my grubby hands on this. Swingeing cuts...

[quote name='DanOwens' post='1113849' date='Feb 3 2011, 01:43 PM']Link doesn't work for me.. [/quote] Sorry guys! I'm on my iPhone and out of my depth... Try this: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player[/url] The action starts about a minute or two in...

Just posted this clip in a thread about Fender Jag basses. The music isn't to everyone's taste, but the musicianship is stunning. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeLmVWzRiY0...be_gdata_player[/url] Go to 1:23 in... I've always loved Pino's playing and have nicked a lot of his ideas and techniques. But in this clip he's using a really unusual right hand technique: he seems to be playing the E with his thumb, A with his index finger, D with middle finger and G with his ring finger. I can see why this is a great way to be able to play, but I've no idea how he gets the attack that I can hear in his playing. When I try it, it sounds LAME! Anyone mastered this technique or something similar?

I've not played one, but having seen Mr Palladino play one, I'd really like one! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=WeLmVWzRiY0#t=84s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=playe...LmVWzRiY0#t=84s[/url]

Well, it was a bit of a tussle with DHL - I hate having to get musical instruments shipped - but my new Lakland 55-60 is here. A quick tweak of the truss rod - the neck was a little squiffy after being manhandled by a multitude of courier monkeys - and I was playing it. A great bass...you know when you pick up an instrument and it instantly seems to 'work' for you. I've played very expensive and beautiful basses that just didn't quite do it for me, but I think I have an instant rapport with this one! Here are some picks for those of you that like to ogle other people's basses! Full frontal: [attachment=71004:photo1.JPG] I am a sucker for a really good sunburst! When I was a kid, it was the way ALL guitars should look. [attachment=71005:photo2.JPG] Mmmm...block inlays. Love em. [attachment=71006:photo3.JPG] Lakland and Stevie...Old Skool... [attachment=71003:Hipsta_Lakland.jpg] Going to put my J Retro in it, but it seems impolite to do it straight away! I feel like I need to play it for a while with the original electronics, to get to know the bass and it's characteristics before I start supercharging and messing about with it.

Which is why I need to try an OC-2! The OC-3 felt a little out of control to me and too fiddly for one or two useable sounds. The OC-2 may be similar, but might make more sense useability wise...

Hmmm...I'm thinking OC2. I like Pino's sound when he uses one, so maybe that's the way forward. I've got a Bass Juice for distortion and I really like it! Although my guitar player keeps nicking it when we play live - he loves the bottom end it gives him compared to guitar fuzz boxes. Thanks guys - these are all really helpful recommendations and ideas. Gives me somewhere to start from at least!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1109774' date='Jan 31 2011, 05:58 PM']Mainly because in a larger band with guitar,horns and keys I don't need to worry about filling the sound out and use effects to give more synth like tones and give a different texture to some tunes.[/quote] Makes sense. When I think of this fx stuff, I think of Stevie Wonder's left hand keyboard bass lines. That's the kind of vibe I'm thinking of, and that would suit my larger band with keys, horns etc. We play a lot of Stevie stuff... Having said that, just starting up a jazz/soul instrumental trio with some players I've known for a while - keys/piano, drums and EB/DB. This is what made me think that fx might be fun...soloing and all that.

[quote]Why don't you get a multifx unit like Boss and try almost every fx available and see if you can get any use out of them. Then start buying dedicated pedal for each fx.[/quote] I think that may be a concession too far! I hate those computer generated multi pedal things...mainly because I get confused and then nearly fall over when using them! Thanks for the pedal tips though - you like the MXR stuff? That's what's drawing me, but I'm struggling to find a dealer in Bristol that carries the bass stuff so that I can have a fiddle... [quote]It's funny,I find myself using more effects playing in a larger band (8 piece) than when I'm in a smaller guitar based band.[/quote] That's interesting Doddy! Not that I use them much at all, but I'd have thought that was counter-intuitive! Why do you reckon that's the case? Never heard of the DiscomBOBulator! Thanks for the tip...I'm off to find out more! Went to try out the Boss OC-3 today at PMT in town (I have an irrational hatred of big music shops btw, so I may rant). I didn't like it much - the sound seemed unwieldy and characterless. There was almost too much octave and not enough subtlety. The sales guy was raving about an Ashdown bass octave and how it was the best thing since sliced bread and I could put a tenner down as a deposit and he'd order it in so I could try it out. As he could barely play the bass at all, I decided to leave it and ask you guys instead! Any experience of Ashdown octavers? I did quite like the sub bass thingy on their amps when I've used them in the past.

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1108832' date='Jan 30 2011, 10:38 PM']I`m much the same, not really into effects on bass. Only time I ever really used them was in a 3 piece, to add some variety into the sound. Used a chorus pedal, and a delay pedal. Just enough to add to what was there, but nothing too extreme to detract from the original sound. In a band with either 2 guitarists, or one guitar and keyboards, I not sure I would want to be changing the sound on the bass, and would prefer to let them handle this.[/quote] I play in quite a wide variety of bands - in the large soul band there's no way I'd start messing about with fx because I've got a job to do and like you don't want change the sound of the bass. But I've come to think that perhaps in smaller band situations it could be fun...and unless I've given it a go I can't turn my nose up at it! I'll probably get some pedals, try it for a bit and then sell them! How do you use a delay pedal with the bass? Do you use a short delay for an effect or more crazy stuff?

Now, I've never been one for effects and all that malarkey. I've always seen it as a weakness of character reserved for our six stringed 'friends'. However, recently I've been thinking that it's about time that I should try it all out. For a bit. And then go back to just plugging my bass straight into the amp and having a pint while I watch the guitar player and keyboard player desperately try to work out why no sound is coming out of their amps. Sooo. By my reckoning, a soul/jazz/funk/bit of rock bass player like me doesn't need much. I'm thinking somekind of warm fuzz thing, an octave thing and one of those wah wah wah envelope things. That should do it. I've already got the fuzz - I recently got a 2nd hand Bass Juice, and very good it is too. That leaves the octave and envelope things. I looked around and the MXR stuff seems good (I especially enjoyed this demo - exactly the kind of vibeI'd use it for: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_WqyHJaoQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j_WqyHJaoQ[/url]. Dirty, dirty funk) I've heard the MXR octave is good, but it's pricey. So, any suggestions for an old school Luddite would be greatfully received.

[quote name='nick' post='1108280' date='Jan 30 2011, 04:31 PM']Would be unprofessional of me to comment publicly on the way other bands go about their business, even if it is [i]"the finest 60's & Motown showband in the country".[/i] Lets just say, I found it an 'interesting' experience. Hi Liam, if you're interested go for it mate, give 'em a try - the do seem to be getting the gigs. If you still want to know why I jettisoned, PM me. [/quote] How can I resist?! PM coming your way...

[quote name='nick' post='1107890' date='Jan 30 2011, 09:55 AM']Ha .... my old band! Though I'm not the last bass player, I left a couple months ago [/quote] Yeah...go on Nick! I had half a mind to give them a call...but if they're getting through bass players like Spinal Tap get through drummers, I might save myself the bother!

Tell her it's a thing of beauty and therefore counts as interior design. What's the bass? Do you have any pics?

[quote name='porterpr' post='1080429' date='Jan 6 2011, 08:49 PM']Hi can anyone give me an idea how to get the best out of this preamp,I,m using it on USA standard jazz 5 string it,s the mid and mid sweep that I'm not sure about, cheers.[/quote] I've used one for a while on a Jazz 5 string and I rarely use the mid sweep! I don't know how much you know already, so forgive me if I'm patronising you! The bottom ring is used to select the mid range frequency you want to adjust - I think of it as more to the treble end of the mids all the way up, and more to the bass end all the way back. The top ring then boosts or cuts the chosen frequency. It's not an exact science because there are no markers or ways of knowing exactly what frequency you are manipulating - you have to use your ears. The only time I've really used it is to boost a bit of mid to cut through a messy mix. I'm not really a fan of mid-heavy sounds. I don't think I've ever cut mids on it outside of my living room! Although I do enjoy making wah-wah sounds with it - boosting and cutting mids is essentially how a wah-wah works. I think as an overview of how to use it, I leave my amp's eq pretty much flat and then do all my eq from the preamp. This is great if, like me, you are often playing through amps other than your own; if I have to use another person's rig, I set it flat, get the input levels etc right and eq from the bass. I think that way you're really using the preamp to its best effect - to control and colour your sound from the bass rather than from the amp. Obviously, with amps I know I might add a bit of colour here and there, but generally I leave the amp be. For me, the PU blend and master volume are what really transformed my bass, along with the bass and treble boost/cut. The treble boost pull switch is useful from time to time too. But the way the Retro boosts and enhances the bass's sound is just brilliant. I recently reinstalled the original Fender circuitry to sell the bass (I'm keeping the Retro!), and although it still sounds good, it made me realise how much the Retro does and how much I've come to rely on it and expect its amazing sound! Hope that's useful. Let me know if I can help any other way. Oh, and you can always email John East through the website. I've never found him to be anything other than really helpful, polite and very enthusiastic about his products. He's replied personally to some pretty inane questions from me! Cheers, Liam