Bilbo

I use Duracel simply because I find that, when they die, they die quickly. So, rather than have a gradual and undiscernable deterioration in the quality of the signal that results in you fiddling with your eq, it quickly deteriorates into a hideous buzz that screams 'change the battery now'. I do like a bit of clarity.

I would leave the bass alone for a couple of days and probably the computer keyboard too! Rest.

The flute wasn't a waste of time, mate. She tried it, she learned some stuff about music (reading?, listening, playing in time, bits of theory - there's loads of transferable skills here). She decided she didn't like the flute - could be because she didn't connected with it. Could have been a bad teacher (there are LOADS out there), could be that the teacher only threw classical stuff at her when she wanted to learn more popular music forms, could be that she couldn't identify with the genres she was being introduced to. She may find out later that she does want to play the flute (or saxophone?). There are 1,000s of top notch musicians out there, professional players and celebrity musos alike, who started on one instrument and later changed to another, sometimes several times. Its a journey and many kids don't get the instrument right the first time. It woudl be a shame to ditch the whole idea on the basis of one bad decision. I know its a pisser when you are spending money but, as someone said, you could sell the flute (or play it yourself). The gift of music is priceless and the outlay relatively cheap (what does an ipod cost? Or a weeks holiday?).

Paula Gardiner, Gill Alexander, Melissa Slocum, Chi CHi Nwanoku (principle Double Bassist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment), Miranda Sykes, Antonella Mazza..... I could go on - some of these pop bassists are a bit weak when looked at alongside some of the jazz and classical double bass players listed here. There are hundreds of quality female double bassists that could knock these 'celebrity' bassists into a cocked hat. The world of music is broader than you think!

Just got a listen to him on his website. Am loving it and just ordered a cd off Amazon (£5). I have, for a long time now, enjoyed neuvo flamenco so this is not new territory. But his is just a beautiful sound and it has got me wishing I could play that instrument (see previous posts about why I can't).

[quote name='BigBeefChief' post='201628' date='May 18 2008, 05:54 PM']Ref: the original clip. I managed to sit through it twice. Although I can't say I enjoyed or liked it, its much better than most. I can see the guys talent and I can [i]almost[/i] tap my foot to some of it. And that for me is a giant leap. I'm off to drown myself in a shallow bath.[/quote] Keep at it,my son! You'll get there in then end!!

But I like the tin foil hat....

And another under represented gem of a player - Marc Johnson. His sound was one of the first double bass sounds I could recognise immediately. Still love his Bass Desires stuff .... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ML3Pj5AijY&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ML3Pj5AijY...feature=related[/url] Listen to Frissel's solo! Saw him with John Taylor a few years ago and his sound was superb. His bowed solos are some of the most beautiful in jazz.

No probs, Jase. I saw this one myself but didn't really like it (I am not a Clarke fan - I find him clunky, always have!!)

[quote name='chardbass' post='201313' date='May 18 2008, 12:03 AM']Jeff Berlin and his Dean bass.[/quote] They do suck a bit, don't they? I understand Mike Stern (guitarist) has the worst gear possible but makes it sound fantastic.

I've got hayfever.....

I have had this irritating buzz on my PC recording software for months - it was recording midi stuff perfectly but the audio stuff always had this irritating little buzz in the background that rendered all recordings fundamentally imperfect. It was particularly bad with my Wal but, after changing guitars/basses 5 times, I still couldn't locate it. I tried plugging stuff in and unplugging it, changing leads, checking earths, everything. But, whenever I tried to record anything using guitars or basses, this tiny little buzz would return. Sometimes it was louder than others. I would fiddle with levels on the instruments and on the audio interface - you name it, I fiddled. Anyway, I found out what it was last night. Everytime I was fiddling, trying to get rid of the buzz, I was sat in front of the computer with the guitar facing the monitor. The pick ups on every guitar were picking up interference from the monitor/PC - all I had to do was turn away from the thing and, magic, no buzz. Isn't technology wonderful! Happy that I nailed it. Hacked off that it was so simple and stupid and that I hadn't spotted it earlier. Here's to buzz free recording in future.

The action of an instrument and the fact that it is or is not playable with or without amplification is of no consequence. The music is what matters and Holland, of all people, transcends the idea of technique and focusses on the music Dave Holland remains one of the world's greats. I have about 70 cds with him on an each one is as fresh as the last. I love his ability to keep me interested, his creative spirit, his artistic vision and his beard. Proper jazz. Favourites? The Razor's Edge, Conference of the Birds, Extensions, Music For Large and Small Ensembles (Kenny Wheeler), Questions and Answers (Pat Metheny).... the list is endless. Have seen him 5 times (with the Extensions Quartet, Kenny Wheeler LargeEnsemble, Pat Metheny Trio, Jack DeJonhette and with a small orchestra playing a composition written especially for him-thelastonewas the weakest for me). His presence adds depth to any performance and I would urge anyone interested in contemporary improvised music spend some quality time listening to him. It would be time well spent.

This is one of the UKs greatest bass exports in crystal clarity: a solo rendition of Coltrane's 'Mr. P.C.' - enjoy [url="http://youtube.com/watch?v=HHu6rzmUvFI&feature=related"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=HHu6rzmUvFI&feature=related[/url]

One swallow does not a summer make!

[quote name='Machines' post='199685' date='May 15 2008, 03:46 PM']To assume every person can find a non-custom instrument that suits them perfectly is quite silly.[/quote] To assume that, having played a tiny percentage of the available 'off the peg' basses, that anyone is sufficiently discerning enough to HAVE to have a bass made of Argentinian Zebrawood with a 34.667 inch scale, a Zygote reinforced pick up and perfectiminium machine heads in order to be able to execute your unprecedented ideas on sound makes assuming every person can find a non-custom instrument that suits them perfectly sound positively enlightened. My point is that NO instrument will suit you perfectly. You have to work WITH the instrument in order to make beautiful music. Trying to create the perfect instrument as a one off exercise is, in my opinion, a fools errand. Of course, if you want a 29-string monster, you ain't going to get it off the peg but most custom basses are ordinary 4-5-6 strings with fairly conventional set ups. Its just self indulgence. For the record, a Wal Custom is, ironically, not a custom bass. It is off the peg.

That's my point. What does it matter? If its got a body, neck, strings, pick-ups and machine heads and sounds like a bass, it is a bass! So why go out and spend 3 or 4 grand on getting 'Johnny Luthier' to build you a 'special' thing when you could buy a beautiful instrument 'off the peg' for £2k and then buy a top notch amp and still have enough change to buy the entire Miles Davis back catalogue! Twice! Because you can? I still don't get it! I think the 'signature' bass thing is ego driven. Its the music that matters not the tools.

I think its all GAS! I have never seen the particular attraction of a 'signature' bass. If you can't make beautiful music on a regular 'stock' bass by Wal or Fodera or Sei or whatever other manufacturer floats your boat, what makes you think that that specifying the material that they make the nut out of is going change that? I have never heard a 'signature' bass that had a 'signature' sound. They all sound like basses to me. I think it all a bit of a pose, frankly.

Is a jazz neck something you get from nodding your head excessively to a swinging Basie groove? NIIIIIICE!

I'm with Jakesbass on this one. Anyone who works with horns is more likely to gravitate more towards flat keys as most 'jazz' horns (trumpet, flugelhorn, tenor sax, alto, baritone, soprano ) are tuned to Eb or Bb. If you have ever written out charts for a jazz band with horns, you would have had to deal with this. Wulf's right too although I have rarely seen anything actually written in Ab.

Benvenuto, augh-nuto. It's never too late!

Hello from Felixstowe (but I used to live in Newport and gig my little buns off at the FBI in Cardiff. My bezzy mate is in Roath (Balaclava Rd), a few hundred yards from ther Claude. I once had a curry and a pizza on Albany Rd (but not on the same night)....

Its a moot point. Is the music interesting? If so, the bass line is, by association, interesting. If the piece is poor, the bass line can be a doozie but it will still be a weak piece of music. A great bassline in a weak piece of music is, thus, an oxymoron. It doesn't exist.

Doing loads of jazz gigs and then one heavy funk or Latin gig that requires me to play so hard/fast that I get a blister/sore fingers that means I can't play at the top of my game for days. It doesn't happen often but, when it does....ouch. WE HATESSS IT FOREVER!!

It really annoys me when I hear Bob Dylan sing!