6stringbassist

It's a sign of the times I guess. People want stuff and fire off a PM, then sit and think and realise that theu can't actually afford it. I'm selling my Sei 6 string in the 'for sale section''. I've had someone offer me a bass that I sold them 6 months ago plus cash coming to a total of half the value of my bass. I think you just have to accept that selling nowadays is sometimes a long process.

You need to be very, very versatile. Being able to read can be quite useful. Time is money, that's something I was told ages ago. You need to be able to get the job done with the minimum of fuss. Having the ability to play a couple of different instruments is useful too, BG and DB for instance.

[quote name='mildmanofrock' post='688049' date='Dec 18 2009, 09:30 AM']True. But I think the main problem is sonic subjectivity. What sounds great to a rock geek like me - fat low bass with a gravel-path crunch - will sound crap to a floppy hatted funkster who's popping and slapping all over.[/quote] That's kind of my point, it would help if people actually staed what sort of situation they've used said piece of gear in, and what sort of music they played through it, other gear used effects etc. People ask for advice on cabs, strings, basses even. And people automatically jump up and shout "try (insert whatever item of gear is currently in vogue)". What they should ask is what do they want the gear for, what sort of music, how regularly will the gear be gigged etc.

I agree with some of the posts on here. There is definitely a tendency for members of this site to 'big up' (for want of a better phrase) certain manufacturers. Shuker basses instantly springs to mind, I've personally hated everyone that I've played, but that's just me. And if someone comes along and says something less than positive about said manufacturer then all hell breaks loose. I think the main problem is that peoples reviews aren't totally accurate, they possibly don't try other manufacturers gear beforehand. Then they claim that 'X' is amazing and totally blows everything else out of the water, it's transparent sounding when it's not, it's loud when it's not, it's this, and it's that etc. A few months ago I played a bass built by someone on here, it was at a bass bash. It was awful, it was like something made for a GCSE technology exam, by someone destined to fail said GCSE technology exam . But I've seen similar basses receive rave reviews on here. I've not heard or played through one of Alex's cabs, so I won't comment on them. I did communicate with him a few months ago about buying one, and found him to be friendly, but I found that I had to ask very direct questions about the cab and the sound of them before I got a proper answer. I now use an Acme cab. This is 'transparent', a word that's used a lot, but I think it's appropriate here. I find this produces the sound that I was after.

He's amazing. His compositional skills and his playing. I spent a day with him recently at a masterclass, he's a really cool and nice guy.