KevB

Guitar Pro for me, wouldn't have been able to learn enough songs in time to get through some auditions without it.

WRT lack of response to Camera Eye I think you have to look at it in context. For this tour it was well documented that they would do the whole of MP as a 'mini set'. I think a lot of fans then treat it like a single suite and save the main applause until the end of Vital Signs. Seemed that way at Sheffield anyway from what I recall. I think the introductory vids before the start of each set were way too long and spoiled the jokes a bit.

I'd better not post any spoilers then if there are people who've not seen them yet I'm not sure just what it is about his bass sound that doesn't do it for me these days. I think it's partly that it sounds too overdriven/distorted too much of the time. You really only hear it properly when either Alex or Neil or both are backing off on what they are doing in a song. If Neil has a lot of bass drum stuff to do it seems to drown out most of the bass guitar sound straight away. Having said that I thought the sound was better last night than when I saw them at the same venue from a similar position on the S&A tour.

Was at the Sheffield gig last night. On some of the close ups of Geddy playing it looked a bit less flamenco style and more trad fingering to me but not easy to be sure. Sometimes the individual notes were coming through better than the last tour I thought. However on the whole his bass sound is still a bit of a mess and mostly gets lost when Alex and Neil are going full on as well. I was trying to put my finger on it and it sounds like there is a lot of very low end and a fair bit of high end but not much in the middle? Can't be easy getting a really good sound in those big ice hockey arenas though. Good show on the whole, you do feel that they are at least spending some of that high ticket price on the set, lights, effects, big screen backdrop etc and a fairly large crew to keep it all working.

Definitely going to get myself a 30 string fretless made. I already have a goatee and ponytail so I'm part way there. Then I plan to destring it and.... get on with the ironing

Have to say that having checked out the youtube clip everyone's moaning about I didn't think it was that bad at all, though I was listening through little cheap headphones and the piano wasn't very loud. I'm usually pretty sensitive to people being seriously offkey but I've heard far worse than that performance and I'm not a rabid Adele fan either.

[quote name='dbass' post='1211482' date='Apr 26 2011, 09:53 AM']Playing @ The Greyhound in Beeston, Nottingham this weekend chaps! A good chance to catch us at quite an intimate venue (stupidly loud if I remember, ear plugs for that one!)[/quote] Sorry I couldn't stick around and say hello but I did enjoy what I saw of the Greyhound gig. Could have done without the support act though, 10:50 is a bit late to be starting for old timers like me!

[quote name='Bobby K' post='1213717' date='Apr 28 2011, 12:17 PM']If i dig in on my p bass nowadays, with lively strings, preshape activated on the Trace, as well as some high end boost on the graphic, i can get a Rick-esque crank Great for [b][i]Town called malice[/i][/b] at pub/wedding gigs [/quote] I think by the time of 'Malice' Bruce was actually using a p bass anyway! back on topic, I'll be off to the cavernous shed that is Sheffield Arena to see Ged and the boys for (probably) one last time.

The basic premis about having a good mix of established with less mainstream or up and coming acts is still valid. I think the actual show itself is starting to look tired though and could do with a bit of a makeover, starting with a new presenter. It's difficult because it's become an institution. Thus they'd probably rather scrap it altogether than revamp it in what might be a more watchable show. Strictly record, sample & hold the bits I'm interested in these days for me.

PM sent

Just make sure they don't fob you off with American cables that won't work on UK voltages...

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1195680' date='Apr 11 2011, 01:24 PM']The Behringer rack tuner won't track low notes properly. It's fine for guitar (given the normal limitations of Behringer kit - ie you bin it when it eventually breaks) but it will struggle to recognise the A and E (and lower) strings on a bass. If you have the cash the best rack tuner is the [url="http://www.petersontuners.com/index.cfm?category=73&sub=66"]Peterson Strobo Rack[/url].[/quote] I've never tried one of their rack tuners but I've had a Behringer foot pedal tuner for a while and never had any problen tracking, though I'm only a 4 stringer so never tried it on a low B for instance. I tend to tune my E string playing A on the 5th fret anyway just out of habit but it will track an open string E as well as any other pedal I've tried.

In response to Pete.... No and , er...no. Well maybe once but it was a long time ago.

This really takes me back. I recall when I first set out to teach myself the basics and got a couple of books out of the libray. Page one was all about practising just basic plucking of each string with the importance of mastering an even response on each string and with either index or middle finger. Tedious as hell at the time but invaluable for a complete starter.

At the Greyhound there usually are instruments that can be borrowed if need be, it's just that most people prefer to bring their own. I've loaned my bass to other people even though I've just been there as a punter.

Sixshooter, if your question was aimed at me, there isn't one at Running Horse any more. The one that was there is now at Royal Children on Wednesday nights. The one on Sunday afternoons-early evening (currently 3pm-7pm) is at The Greyhound in Beeston; [url="http://www.greyhoundbeeston.co.uk/Greyhound/Welcome.html"]http://www.greyhoundbeeston.co.uk/Greyhound/Welcome.html[/url] The web site still says 2pm-6pm but it was changed to an hour later a while ago.

Usually with jams people tend to turn up with their own instrument but back line is provided by the venue. Colin Staples jam nights at the Running Horse was one of my first public performances on bass. I thought it was a bit cliquey and of course it is naturally very blues oriented, other jams are less restrictive. There's also one at The Greyhound in Beeston (you know where it is as I've seen you play there with the Bowie trib) on Sunday afternoons from 3pm, where our own Out To Play Jazz is in the house band.

Had a custom case made for my Roland PK5 pedals some years ago, it was very well built and since someone picked it up for me in person and paid cash I got a bit of a discount too.

[quote name='cetera' post='1190635' date='Apr 6 2011, 04:19 PM']Wouldn't be a GnR tribute would it? [/quote] OP's in Lowestoft, got to be a Darkness tribute surely?

I did see them several years ago but their touring seemed very on-off for a while and I wondered if they'd quit completely. Glad to see them out and about. No dates anywhere East Mids so I guess I won't seem them, I could possibly have made The Robin if either gigs were weekends but no chance on a weekday. Re Wayne's possible names list, when the 'alternative yes' breakaway thing happened in the late 80's there was a rumour that they would call themselves 'The Affirmative'. Wakeman then came out in press and said they'd probably just use their names and so the firm of accountants and sometime musicians 'Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe' was born.

[quote name='dmz' post='1173932' date='Mar 23 2011, 09:38 PM']Thanks for posting - wonderful basses. I remember falling in love with a white fretless Marathon in Glasgow in the early eighties. Was lucky to have to have owned a fretless six string Marathon - same colour as your Modulator. One of those instruments you definitely regret selling on..... Would love to get a double neck - will need to update my searches on flea-bay ![/quote] I recall Scottish prog band Pallas used a twin neck Shergold for a while. From what I recall although it was used on stage by the bass player it was actually owned by the singer (Alan Reed). He's been sacked from the band now so who knows he might be looking to offload some gear

When I got my US jazz S/H I noticed that there were a lot of scratches on the plate in an area below the G string, I don't know whether the previous owner played a lot of high register stuff and kept missing or what...I've had it about 4 or 5 years now and the plate looks exactly the same as when I got it so I know I've not personally contributed to it. I think I put more marks in wiping them down than actually using them.

I recall him being on a multi band line up several years back with the likes of Glenn Hughes and Frank Marino, was a good night out and he did a few old Cream classics and other stuff. Looked like a little old used car salesman. Just checked and it was as far back as 2002, 'Legends of Rock' tour. Anyone else saw this?

Closest thing to those I currently have is this; Not had it too long so still experimenting with it tonally but it's capable of some serious output! I picked it up S/H for only slightly more than the OP's Mexican new price. One of the pots is a bit scratchy so I have one on order from Fender, otherwise no quibbles about it at all. The neck is a P rather than jazz (I have a uS jazz in same colour from same year (2004) so it's an easy comparison. At the moment the S1 jazz is still my first choice but this is creeping into my affections too.

I had a Schecter C4 about 5 or 6 years ago in this finish; [url="http://www.spectrummusic.co.uk/itemdetail.php?i=713"]http://www.spectrummusic.co.uk/itemdetail.php?i=713[/url] I didn't make a huge loss when I sold it on. It seemed well made enough, quite lightweight but with no particularly characteristic sound. I thought it had a more pleasant shape than some of the later designs but you hardly ever see anyone playing a C4.