bassjamm

Well which ever way you look at it...the dudes got some character, quite an interesting read, i liked the boxing bit, lol!

Hi All, Just a quick one to say that a venue here in Grantham are looking for bands to play on there Weds night band night. It's a fairly ok bar here in town, looking at booking in some gigs myself, they pay, but not sure how much...sounds ok to me though!!! Here's the myspace link [url="http://www.myspace.com/theestablishmentgrantham"]www.myspace.com/theestablishmentgrantham[/url] The chap i spoke to is called Andy, and the landline is 01476 575434 Let me know if you land any gigs through this please. Jamie

The whole round/flat thing aiy!!! I recently bought a fretless, the single most expensive purchase of my life...i was very concerned about this issue. I spoke to the makers on my bass. In a nutshell they said something along the lines of, we've been making them for 15 years, we've done 2/3 fingerboard sand downs, we make them with rounds in mind, they work and sound just fine with rounds...it's personal preference. So, personally, i prefer rounds, but tastes are different...flats will definately do less harm, but don't let that put you off rounds. You'll notice little string marks after a few hours of playing, but that isn't the wood dissapearing before your eyes, it's just marks, they'll happen, can't stop that, after a few years of constant use, you'll notice blemishes to the board using rounds, but that'll take a lot of playing... I'm sticking with rounds on mine though!!! As for intonation, check out Steve Bailey's video lesson on Bass player TV, very helpful!!! I play a lot plugged into a tuner, not good your ear though. I'm also doing all of my tecnique building on the fretless, so all my exercises are done on it, and i keep a constant check on it...it's made harder in that my fretless is 35" scale, and my fretted 34.5" scales, but getting to know them both individually is helping to overcome that confusion!!! Definately suggest the Bass player TV vid though...you'll have more fretless practicing from that one vid, than and of us could suggest (i reckon so anyway!!!)!!! Thanks Jam

Thanks Mike, (yeah it's me, Jamie) That's cool, mine till has a bit of a bow in it...i was thinking of getting it set-up though, i think i'll take it down to the Gallery, they did an awesome job on my Fender Jazz!!! I've got my Smith strung E - C at the moment, and i've set it up and adjusted the intonation for it, and quite simply, it sounds amazing, and it's insane how nice the high C sounds, and it's so useful!!! I did try it on my fretless, i found it a little thin, but then again, i didn't really give it much of a try. I really love the options the high C offers, but i can't afford to keep the F Bass, Marleaux, Smith and Jazz...the Smith and Jazz need to go, dispite how much the Jazz means to me, and how great the Smith is playing/sounding! The plan is to sell them both, and then next year get a custom bass that's either 6 string, or 5 with E - C, and fretted. But the idea behind the E - C on the fretless was that it would sound unique in a sense, and there aren't that many 6 string fretless players about! But would i miss the low B...that's the question! I think i would, but i've got on with the Smith without the low B, it's a different beast to the Fretless though... Hmm, i dunno. Thanks for the info though my friend...really digging the whole jazz thing at the moment, working no end on my jazz harmony and jazz chops!!! J

[quote name='urb' post='14048' date='Jun 8 2007, 10:19 AM']Hey thanks people - you're most kind - and I have my action very low - one guy who played my bass after he'd been playing his Japanese Jazz bass said "forget low action - this is no action!" - but hey it works for me and helps with getting a really long sustain - the ebony board really helps as well. Everytime I need some technical inspiration I listen to Gary Willis as his touch and ability to pull notes out of the finger board and attack them from every conceivable angle is just astonishing - he is quite literally the man on fretless these days. Thanks again for checking this out - much appreciated Mike[/quote] That's cool Mike...so your notes don't get choked up the fingerboard then? I'm guessing you must have to have your neck dead straight for this then yeah? I've had mine taken down, but the action is still quite high up the neck...i'm thinking of getting it strung E - C as well, but i'm not too sure on that one yet...i reckon i'll get it set-up somewhere though...can you recommend anyone who does a nice job of fretless basses? And what do you reckon to the whole E - C thing...i'm loving it on my Smith at the moment, but i don't know if i'll miss the low B on the fretless or not...hmm!!! J

I think i heard somewhere that the Metro's replaced the Tokoyos as Roger wasn't happy with the luthiers work after a period...but that may not be true. I would rather have a Tokoyo than a Metro though, i prefer their sound. Just as a slight side point, the guy who made the Tokoyo range is the same guy who makes the Atelier Z basses...and they kick ass!!!

Sounds cool man!!! Really getting into playing fretless at the moment...how do you have the action on yours?

Hi Hadrien... Jamie here...speaking to you on Myspace a bit. The F Bass looks great man...mind me asking what custom spec you went with? I was going to get a fretless F Bass to compliment my fretted one, ended up getting a Marleaux Constat, it's an awesome machine!!! Looking forward to coming over for the lesson and the jam...sounds like it'll be pretty cool!!! Oh...and welcome to basschat Jamie

Hmm...tough one, but based on current influence and wicked bass playing-ness the list would be something like: Jaco Janek Gwizdala Brian Bromberg Gary Willis Hadrien Feraud I think for tone though, Paul Turner would be highly rated, he's got such an awesom sound!!!

+1 for Gizmo's list...some awesome players there. Brian Bromberg is the man, gotta see him some time, he's just insane, love his playing on DB at the moment! And if either Alain Caron or Hadrien Feraud come, hopefully they can bring there fretless F Bass' so i can finally have a go on one (i'll pretend that i'm some important dude, hehe!!!)!!! J

[quote name='al embic' post='10587' date='Jun 1 2007, 02:59 PM']cheers for the suggestions,just sold a g&l asat,been looking very closely at the ken smith,it does look amaze'n ,played a similar bass in newyork last year,just that damm extra string!!!!!stingers are cool,keep em come'n if you can.........[/quote] Hey man...it's a 5 string tuned E - C but i can re string it B - G and adjust the action no problem...keep it in mind!

Definately going to be there this year...it would be wicked to see someone like Hadrien Feraud there...he's only of the channel in France

And it plays amazing!!! Stop it guys...your selling it back to me!!!