bassjamm

+1 for the Ibanez Gary Willis Bass, they're good pieces of kit. You could probably also afford a Sandberg within this budget, Gwilym has a really nice 6 string fretless Sandberg, i've not heard it though. I personally favour the Roscoe/F Bass/Marleaux fretlesses, but you'd be searching for years to find one within your budget, but if you can stretch the extra mile, i'd heavily suggest it giving it some thought. Failing that i'd hold out for an Ibanez GWB1, they're good basses!

Hello there my funky friend!!! I'm in the studio on Weds in Birmingham from 10-3, but have just spoken to some friends who live in Watford, we might be able to come on down! What time are you starting and going on till? And is there any entrance fee/is it a nice venue? Thanks Jamie

Neilb - Overwater used to stock them but no longer do. BigRedX - If you tried the one from Promenade music then it will indeed be the one i know own...pics can be seen on my myspace page.

Waaaaahhhhooooo...more Marleaux lovers in the making!!! As Ped said, i own a Marleaux Constat 5 string fretless addition, 2 bart humbuckers, 3 band eq, active/passive, maple neck, ebony board + nut, mahogany body, pearwood top. Firstly, it looks out of this world, quite simply stunning! The feel is also incredible, quite light, balances beautifully, sits tight against your body, well contoured...and the neck is probably the smoothest i've felt on any bass. The sound, now that's the bit that gives you the warm gooey feeling, it is tonally a beast, i can get anything from pure fretless filth, gritty and growly bridge pickup beastyfulness...all the warm through to a really old school thick almost airy fluff sound, for the really almost upright like vibe. I personally love the Passive sound too, it's really amazing what sounds you can get from your fingers with this bass, but i tend to use the active for gigs and studio, the eq is really palletable and incredibly usable!!! I tend to knock of a little treble (simply as i prefer a trebless sound), boost the mids for the fretless swell, and boost the bass for some thick rich beef...all this however maintains a trully beautiful sound. The pickup pan is all that i tend to change unless the studio want a certain vibe, but the pickup pan is kickass!!! Now for some background. I'd been searching for the right fretless for over a year...in this time i'd bought a few frettes basses, and settled on an F Bass, which is just kick ass. My initial thoughts were to go for an F Bass fretless, however, they cost well too much and i couldn't get my hands on one to try...but i kept this at number one. The studio i work with were egging me on to get an F Bass fretless as they love the F bass so much to work with and i get on with it. But i continued my search, almost buying a Zon based on their fretless following, and almost got to the point of placing a custom order for a Roscoe...however, i then learnt of Promenade music having a Marleaux fretless in (they're the UK stockists, wicked guys to deal with, very helpful, great selection of Marleaux's too), basically...i went up and tried it, and bought it there and then...it was that good!!!!!!! As soon as the guys in the studio heard it, they said it was the right choice and were glad i held out for the right one!!! It is totally studio friendly and as Ped said, most of the current album is being recorded using the fretless. I've had to get to know it rather quickly, but everything i through at it, it handles. I've strung it E - C, detuned it to sub bass frequencies, tried it with flats/rounds, relied on it for gigs...had to through some heavy stuff at it in the studio on challenging tracks, and through each situation it's come out making love it even more!!!! If you can afford one, i strongly suggest you check them out. I'm currently planning my next purchase, a 6 string as i'm fed up of changing between E - C and B - G tuned basses, and i'm strongly considering a Marleaux M Bass, but i'm resisting trying one in case i love it too much!!! You're more than welcome to come and try mine out, or to ask any specific questions. Jamie

Hadn't heard of it...but gutted as i'd have been there for sure man!!! Is this on every year?

Nice choise kind sir...i've seen that Nordstrand a few times before, it's a beast isn't it!!! I'm loving the idea of E - C too, i had my fretless like this for a while, but now favour B - G on it, however, my Smith is E-C and it's awesome!!!!

Haven't read through the whole thread, so apologies if i repeat anything! From my experience on the dep scene and pro circuit, though it be limited thus far, reading is essential...there's no two ways about it, if you want to be a muso, you need to read! I'm having to work solidly on my reading, i can by no means sight read, so reading is something i'm slogging away at! Also, having listened and learnt quite a bit from the guys we all look up to, it would seem that the tint they put on it is this, if music is a part of your life that you can't let go of, something that you need, and something that you have to do...the reading music, knowing theory etc, is an absolute must...how can you communicate within a language if you can't speak it? Music notation/theory is the language, the charts and notations are our reading material, the theory is our verbs adverbs etc, and improvisation/solo/writting is our voice with which we talk. When i look at it like that, i feel almost ashamed that i can't read all that well, and in my opinion, so i should, i want to succeed as a musician, but i've got a lead weight holding me down if i can't read! Just my thoughts though. Jam

That's cool man. I just thought i'd ask as you had all the other ingredients for E - C. I've still got my Smith set-up like that, spent a few hours on it yesterday, i do love the high C, but i miss the low B from time to time. I think i should seriously think about heading back to a 6 string, it makes sense, but it's the whole huge neck issue then! Anyway, looking forward to seeing more pics as this develops, it certainly looks like the makings of a beast already!

To give you some idea, my band Groove Cartel have got into venues like The Jazz Cafe (Camden) and The Yardbird (Birmingham) from sending out our demo/promoback. This would include a covering letter, the Demo, a business card, and a biog. We actually got into the Yardbird from sending off a link to our myspace page! In my functions band, we inlude a biog of the band, a demo, links to websites, and packages available (background music in between sets, different forms of the line-up, etc). You don't need tonnes of pics, just get some half decent one's of you guys! Jam

[quote name='urb' post='36171' date='Jul 23 2007, 10:41 PM']Thanks I'd be happy to hang out - let me know when you have some free time in London - I'm only local, well Brixton based - drop me a PM if you are about. M[/quote] Will do mate!!! I'm down there a little more often at the moment, hoping to come down for Janek's lessons at the Institute on Aug 9th! Trying to get some more gigs down in London for my funk/jazz band, do you know of any venues that put on this kind of music and pay a half decent rate? (as in enough to cover our fuel from Lincolnshire and a bit for the back pocket ) Thanks Jamie

Hi mate...looks like it'll be a beast!!! I definately know what you mean about the scale length...the whole economy of movement thing that the likes of Janek employ certainly makes sense!!! Are you going for a low B or high C on this beast then? I think i'd rather have a shorter scale in the future, my F Bass is 34.5 and my fretless Marleaux is 35" which is a killer for intonation, i really struggle sometimes...having said that, i'm used to it now, so any smaller and i'd be so out of tune! Still, my Smith is 34" and the string spacing is 16.5 (something like that) as opposed to the 19" of the others, and the smaller spacing also makes a huge difference, you have rip around the Smith so easily, especially with the low set-up. I'm glad i got the fretless set up nicely by Martin, the Gallery guys really are good at what they do!!! Anyway, i'm pleased the bass is progressing...if i had the patience to wait a year for a build mate, i'd be right in there with you...maybe a Marleaux M Bass though, but i can't do it, it's not possible!!! Thanks Jam (by the way, Adam told me they're getting in some F basses, including a BNF6...so fretless 6 string, that will be a must try/buy [i wish]...wahooooo)

Yeah, i'm going to come to the Wednesday one sometime...i'm looking forward to it!!! I've just booked my band in there for October 13th, really stoked about that, should be awesome! What are the Wednesdays like then? Is it a decent standard, do they welcome people who don't have a great deal of knowledge about jazz but plenty of enthusiasm...

That's realy cool man...very cool indeed!!! I need to do more jazz...have you checked out the jazz jam at the yardbird?

Very cool my friend...that got my head nodding and my hips jiggling...very nice indeed!!! Got to hook up some time man!

Some albums: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (as mentioned...this is a must have) bassist is Paul Chambers, he kicks ass Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else / Inside Straight, quite funky, but cool Mike Stern - Give and Take / Voices (Richard Bona) Mike Pope - The Lay of the Land Michel Petrucciani - Live in Tokoyo (as above) Herbie Hancock - The New Standard Also: Soweto Kinch Jazz Jamaica And anything from the following player: John Scofield Pat Methany Chick Corea John McLaughlin Wynton Marsalis Micheal Brecker Bassists: Janek Gwizdala (his Mystery to Me album is a must have) Matthew Garrison Richard Bona John Pattitucci Brian Bromberg (awesome album is Wood II) Eddie Gomez Christian McBride Ray Brown Ron Carter Hadrien Feraud Tony Grey Jeff Berlin Todd Johnson Stanley Clarke Laurence Cottle (his albums are free on his site at the moment) That should keep you busy for a while! Don't let the fact that most of the above is Double bass stuff but you off, it's part of the history of the bass, let it influence you, jazz is just as cool on electric, if not more so in my opinion!!! Don't just listen for the bassists playing though, let the likes of Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane etc. influence and inspire you...i'm finding Michel Petrucciani's phrasing and voice on the piano particularly inspiring at the moment...get into the whole spectrum that is open to you within the music!! Jam

Hi all, Been meaning to do this for a while. Got a few gigs with my new funk band, Groove Cartel...after unleashing me at the Jazz Cafe (hehe), we're now back to reality and playing some cool venues a bit more local! La Raza, Cambridge - 18/7...so today, on from 10:30 this evening...hope some of you can make it! Charters, Peterborough - 21/7 , we're on from around 10, again, would be cool to see a few of you there, Check out our myspace (see sig) if you don't know what we're like. Thanks Jamie