tauzero

[quote name='achknalligewelt' timestamp='1361205793' post='1982751'] Cheers. I find him to be melodic, rhythmic and just endlessly listenable as both an indidivual player and as part of the overall Blur sound. The same goes for Mat Osman (Suede), Mickey Quinn (Supergrass), Colin Greenwood (Radiohead) and Bobby Kildea (Belle and Sebastian). Some of the bassists on the indie scene are superb, but seem to go utterly under the radar on BC. I got called a troll for saying that I didn't like John Entwistle, which seemed a tad harsh. [/quote] Seems a little odd to me that you don't like Entwistle when I'd have said that that Tracy Jacks bassline is rather Entwistley.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1360849517' post='1977329'] But then again, I have acted in plays and musicals with married couples before and no problem. Added to which I believe there are some BC members who are in bands with their other halves. For instance tauzero I think? So maybe they will come along to this thread and advise us! [/quote] Yes, of the five bands I'm in, Mrs Zero is in three - one of them being a duo. We're comfortable with being able to criticise each other's playing/singing just as much as criticising/being criticised by other band members. In one of the bands that Mrs Zero isn't in, the drummer and keyboard player are husband and wife, and that hasn't caused any issues. In the ceilidh band, we have two married couples - our melodeon player can be a pain at times and her husband is something of a lightning conductor when that happens as he's normally first in the firing line.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1360934436' post='1978555'] But he [i]didn't[/i] do it. He played half of it and they bodged the second half in the studio. IMO, the rest of his playing on Graceland was easily enough to give him immortality. [/quote] When he played it live, he did the whole part including the bit that had been reversed in the studio. And it was so popular that he did it twice. But anyway, the answer to the question is to ask if the bassist in question is good on Basschat, take two buckets, and collect the froth from the mouths of the pro lobby in one and the anti lobby in the other. The heavier bucket wins. Don't expect anything more moderate than fervent rantings, such expectations will only lead to disappointment. And beware the Basschat Thought Police, they're everywhere.

I eventually made the switch when I finally found a 5-string I was happy with playing - I'd been rather spoilt with a JD Thumb for a 4-string and it took about 20 years from buying that to finally getting a 5-string that I could settle down with. It didn't take long to settle down with it, I just committed to using that for all the gigs I played with one band and still used a 4-string for the other band because I didn't need the extra flexibility of a fifth string (I very rarely use any notes below E but I do play more across the neck).

I used some glow in the dark stick on ones, partly for dark use but also so I had markers on the fret positions on my fretless (which has dot markers between the frets). They fall off after a bit of use, however, and that gets a little confusing. I'd like to get them replaced with Luminlays or similar.

While they're reasonable basses, they're hardly worth that, considering that with a bit of luck you can buy a real Warwick Thumb NT for £300 less than that.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1360709682' post='1975354'] But they still go into the tone shaping circuit of the amp which ought to be more powerful than anything you can fit into a bass control cavity. [/quote] You're surely not suggesting a connection between physical size and tone affecting abilities?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1360500705' post='1971237'] The woodwork generally looks pretty neat to me, judging by the photos. I think what's causing the sadness is the replacement of the Wal electronics (the bits that actually make it sound like a Wal) with something very generic. [/quote] I'm surpised that the overseer or the experienced luthier didn't go for pickups which were at least similar dimensions to the originals so the body didn't need significant modification.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1360081530' post='1964537'] Unless your instrument is being thrown in a truck by roadies or in a cargo cabin of a plane, I see no reason to use a hard case. That's one less hand you have to get your gear in and out of the gig in one shot. [/quote] It cost me a few quid to have my Sei repaired when I managed to let go of the handle of the soft case and dropped it from a height of probably less than a foot. It goes in a hard case now.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1360069089' post='1964261'] I've always worked on the principal that if I can't still remember an idea the following day, it wasn't worth remembering. [/quote] I once wrote an entire song in my head when walking down to the pub and wrote it down on a brown paper bag as soon as I got there (this was about 25 years ago). Five verses, chorus, and all the chords. I think I'd have had trouble remembering that the next day. I know I've got a voice recorder on the phone but I'm more at home with the sight of words than their sound. I also suspect that if Wayne County had used a voice recorder in the middle of the office for the lyrics to "If you don't want to" [1], he might have had Words said to him. [1] The song title is a little different but that's the start of the chorus

My Warwick JD Thumb - I'm another who has gone over to 5-strings, and on the odd occasion that I play a 4-string, I play my defretted custardised Thumb. I don't want to sell the JD though, I'm rather attached to it.

I do, but I'm not as prolific as I'd like to be. I have a bunch of ideas that I've put down but haven't got round to actually concentrating on doing them. It's always useful to have something to scribble ideas down on. That's something I don't seem to have these days - a smartphone is OK for some things but I can't type on one as quickly as I can scribble. I do have more chance of reading it later though.

From the Tamworth battle of the bands in 2012, the first time we'd done originals for a gig. The song is "Love lies bleeding" and Mrs Zero is singing it - an ironic state of events as the song is actually about when we split up in 1979 (before we got back together in 2004). [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EZXLKtb9Bs[/media]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1360010481' post='1963586'] Shorting the batter with copper wire will run it out fairly quickly, need a resistor involved. [/quote] Two wires separated by half an inch won't form a short circuit. When a slug bridges the two wires it will find a small current flowing through it.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1360003443' post='1963408'] Have you seen the near identicle warwick thread? [/quote] The one in which the OP hasn't actually said anything about having contacted Warwick as yet?

I've got a couple of Hiscox cases. The Tsai 5-string fits in the standard bass one with a shortish (3m or so) lead coiled up in the headstock end and tuner and set of spare strings in the under-neck pocket. The strap (embroidered Planet Waves one) rolls up and fits between top horn and body. It has straplocks on so has to be taken off. The Sei headless fits in a Fender Strat one, with a towel folded a couple of times under it (very slim body), a couple of tools, spare strings, and tuner in the under-neck pocket, and another shortish lead and strap in the headstock bit. The shortish leads are for rehearsal so I don't have to bother remembering anything else.

and 4th in the queueue...

[quote name='jackers' timestamp='1359712434' post='1959060'] ....just...why. why would you do that, especially if it actually is a USA P bass [/quote] Perhaps because they wanted to increase the variety of tones available and they weren't bothered what people might think in two or three decades. Should have bought a better bass in the first place.

Karaoke bars might be worth checking out. The singer in one of my bands is good, can play guitar (but so far we haven't actually made any use of this), but hadn't sung in any bands before. He had done a fair amount of karaoke though. There seem to be a reasonable number of people who can sing to a reasonable standard out there. The problem comes when you try to find a reasonable singer who hasn't got an unreasonable attitude.

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1358855700' post='1945972'] To be honest if I could find a copy of a roya I would be sorely tempted! [/quote] Tony Tsai used to make Roya-esque basses - quite obviously not a Ritter as it's neck-through (which considerably reduces the weight as there aren't 72 screws holding the neck on).

[quote name='gub' timestamp='1358794762' post='1945191'] Or is it more to do with not really hearing yourself clearly on stage ? Bass travels a long way and it could be everyone out front can hear you fine , think I suffer with this problem sometimes ! [/quote] I took a wireless to my last gig and wandered out front when sound checking. On stage, it seemed there was a huge amount of bass but once out front, it was just mids. Next time, I'll take the Gramma pad (forgot it this time) and see if that helps by getting rid of the stage boom so I can boost the bass a bit.

[quote name='AnalogBomb' timestamp='1358767476' post='1944533'] Sort of making me consider my position really. I don't invest money and time in good gear and practice to be made to look like a fool. This happened to anybody else? [/quote] Yes, one band that I was in nearly split up because the rest of us couldn't bring ourselves to sack the singer, who was starting to get us a poor reputation. Eventually he left - mind you, he did ring the drummer up in two minds as to whether to leave or not, and the drummer gently persuaded him to go.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1358646045' post='1942880'] What's an " oscilascope "? Is it related to an oscilloscope perhaps? [/quote] Probably, but how he'd use one to set intonation I hate to think. Perhaps he'd hit the bridge saddles with it.