stewblack

I definitely don't want to give you the impression I dismiss as worthless music I dislike. Far from it. I'm saying I want to be able to learn from as wide a group of musicians as possible. I'm asking how I can truly appreciate them if I don't like the music they're part of.

So far it seems I am not alone. While we may differ in terms of what we like, many of us it seems need to like the whole package before we can truly love the bass player. Begs a question what happens if a favourite player goes off and joins someone I don't like ? 🙉

Just a snappy title to get the ball rolling. What has actually been taxiing the old bean of late is this. The further I delve into this wonderful instrument of ours the more great bass players I come across or have recommended to me. Just recently Scott Devine did another instalment of his "bass players you must check out" series on Youtube. It occurred to me that the bassists I revere most of all played or play for bands I also happen to love. The ultimate team for me being Thomas/Costello as I loved the lyrics and the basslines - win win. So how do the rest of you go about listening to and enjoying the bassist if he or she plays in a style or for a band which makes you grind your teeth? Can you in fact ever truly appreciate say James Jamerson if you hate Motown? (God that was difficult to type - I mean can you even imagine such a scenario?) Would I have instantly warmed to Joe Dart if he hadn't been surrounded by such astonishingly good musicians and songwriters? Why does Elvis Costello's output since his split with Bruce seem so empty to me? What about this whole chicken/egg thing I hear so much about? Questions questions. I'd like to enjoy the great work the bass player from Jamiroquai does but (with respect to all of their multiple fans here) I don't enjoy listening to the music so how will I ever? Similarly Squire and Lee. I do manage to sit through the insufferable prepubescent screeching of the young Michael Jackson in order to enjoy the music he yowled over - but only just. Thoughts?

You paint pictures with words. Pictures I now can't unsee.

goodness me this non issue really does excite us doesn't it?

Thank you so much for sharing these links. What fascinating reading.

Ashdown unreliable? Don't know about that but I do know they look after their customers in exemplary fashion if anything does go wrong. Markbass on the other hand definitely do not. Their gear fails? Tough sh!t. No one can fix it but their one chosen company. So you face couriers or a long drive and as they're the only show in town they can charge you what the hell they like. I learned my lesson the hard way with MB.

I like the cut of your jib @krispn the 'debate' quickly becomes stale, repetitious and dull. A product is advertised with hyperbolic exaggeration as to its actual capabilities. This is not new, not really worthy of so much breast beating. All that matters to those, like me, who have bought the amp is reliability, sound and volume. Okay, okay - and looks. Those of you who seem to feel that the manufacturer has in some way offended you personally won't be buying the amp. So why care so much about something you will never buy? I struggle to see why folk get so cross about such things, especially when it's nothing new, has always happened and always will. We're talking about a bass amp for amateur players here not food or medicine.

He doesn't talk about the neck but at least you have some sound comparisons here

Guess most of you have seen this, but it's interesting if you haven't

Second transaction I've enjoyed with Keith. Not only do you know precisely what you're buying or trading but you can be confident you're getting a fair deal as well. Keith met me in the kind of backwoods location they probably use to shoot werewolf movies and was the perfect gent. We parted happy with our respective acquisitions and he even threw in a bottle of his homemade apple juice! Buy, sell or trade with absolute confidence.

880watts I reckon.

+1. And a lot of other disco stuff.

Isn't it great when a bass just fits you? And neck love is the best. The body may have the looks but it's the neck makes or breaks the relationship. Wonder what a shiny reflective silver scratch plate would look like on that black beauty...

Strange one last night. Pub wasn't ready for us so we ended up setting up in a rush. No proper sound check. I basically plugged in and played tweaking the sound of the Veyron as I went along. Thought I'd be eating my words. Could not get any of that elusive heft from it. Sound was just a bit gutless. Turns out I'd wound the compressor/limiter knob way up to nearly one o'clock. In the break I had another look and dialled it right back and presto! Heft, weight, depth, ooomph, boom, bang and wallop a plenty.