KingBollock

Sounds like they're as dim as the American I once had an argument with who disagreed with me that being in an M1 Tank that was thrown thirty feet in the air by a bomb, might be a bit uncomfortable. His argument was that they wouldn't have even felt it at all because it was an American made tank... He refused to try to understand that the internal organs inside the occupants might get a bit jiggled. Although, I was arguing with him, so who's the dim one?

It would be more important if I had the money to be choosy. It must be somewhat important else I wouldn't have gone to the bother of replacing all the knackered black knobs on my Peavey T-Max (bought secondhand) for nice chrome ones.

My first ever favourite pick was a normal Dunlop 1mm, but I stuck a round, rubber foot from the bottom of a telly to it, which made it about 4mm thick, and so much easier to hold. I played with that thing until there was no actual pick showing around the foot. That was before I discovered 3mm Stubbies. I also had some picks with the hook side of velcro stuck to them. It was so I could attach them to a strip of the other side stuck to my bass, but it made them easier to grip, too. I don't know if thicker picks would be easier for you to hold or not but, if it would, you can still use standard picks but adapt them like I did.

It's a tough one. On one hand, everyone that enters the competition has a bass and a way to record it, so we have a level playing field. Not everyone has a looper or knows how to use one (I have a couple in multi-effects units but I have never used them). The question is: is using a looper an unfair advantage? To say that it is might imply that music made with a looper is fundamentally better than music made without, so it would garner more votes. And because music taste is so subjective, I don't think you can really say that. But how do people choose who to vote for? Do they vote for the tunes they like or for the ones that seem to take more skill (I came third last month, which suggests the latter probably isn't true...), or if they hit a tie for favourite tune, do they then choose the most skilful of the two? Which might give a looper an advantage in that case, if conflating skilful with most complicated to perform. I would probably prefer loopers not to be allowed. However, if they were to be allowed then, to level things out, multi track noodles should be allowed. They would still, strictly be only bass, but it would allow people without a looper to use layers. But I think it gets too far from the original spirit of the competition. 'Ark at me! I've only entered once and I'm not even sure if I will enter this month yet... Edit: Yeah, what Rob said as I was typing this post out slowly with one finger.

Well that was exciting! When I entered I thought it would be nice if I didn't get no votes, so doing as well as I did is ace. Congratulations Rob. It's nice to know that the person that won is someone I voted for. Perhaps I should have voted for myself, too... Kidding! I'd never do that! Not sure if I will enter this time, though. I didn't come up with my noodle for the competition, I recorded the noodle just so I would remember it, and then saw the competition. But we'll see.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1459939255' post='3021012'] I've finally begun to realise, after 37 years of playing, that if I'm looking for fulfilment I'm not going to get it from music. [/quote] Never say never. But then, if you stop looking it might find you.

I know people that took up instruments, and actually got really good at them, that never had any intention of playing live or even with other people. The bass traditionally being a supporting role, I can see how people might find it difficult to imagine someone taking up the bass with no intention of playing with other people. But the bass can be a fun solo instrument, and things like YouTube can allow people to play to other people completely on their own terms, and home recording can fulfill other creative desires. Playing live can be a hassle. You need the right gear, a way to transport it, and there's all the time and effort that goes into that relatively short amount of time on stage. And some people might just not enjoy being on stage. For me, unless I decided to take up bass professionally and make a living from it, if I was offered a place in two identical bands, but one was paying and the other not, I would choose the one that didn't pay. Things tend to get squirly when you throw money into the mix and I would far rather not have the extra hassle. But I am the same in other parts of my life, I am quite happy to do odd jobs for people for free, but I won't do it if they offer me money (this drives my mother-in-law mad. She always wants to offer me something for my time and effort, but eventually she cottoned on to the fact that it just wouldn't get done if she did). My ideal band situation would be with a bunch of people I like, we would meet up at our homes to write original material and have a laugh, and would get together once a week at a rehearsal space to perfect the songs and have a laugh. And once we got it right we would record it. I wouldn't care if it went no further, but the occasional no pressure gig would be nice. I would actually love to gig, but I would want to put on a proper show with good lighting and probably even pyrotechnics, not just a bunch of blokes in jeans and t-shirts. I'd even be prepared to wear makeup if it helped the image and stage show. Unfortunately I live in the middle of nowhere, don't drive, and the music I would really love to play would be something like symphonic, blackened death metal... Not going to happen any time soon... Such a specific genre definition sounds like I am sabotaging my chances, but there is other stuff I would enjoy playing, too.

If you're in an experimental mode and not set in one technique, try as many as you can, but you do have to allow each method enough time to really know for sure if you like it. Three fingers is harder to get used to, but I believe it is worth it if you can stick to it. My favourite three finger (technique wise) player is Adrian Lambert (ex-Dragonforce, Biomechanical), he has a very, very tight technique. Also, don't forget your thumb. I personally struggle to keep three fingers tight, I get very sloppy with it, but I find it much easier if I use my thumb and two fingers, used normally or even rolling as in the banjo technique. I will also occasionally use my thumb and three fingers, assigning each to a string. I find these techniques where I use my thumb and fingers easier than just using my fingers, including just two fingers, which I really struggle with. I am mainly a pick player, but I will also use a pick and my middle and ring fingers at the same time for chords, either one after the other or all plucked at once. It is also handy for adding fast, or simultaneous, octaves while using a pick. Edit: Yeah, what NickD said...

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1459291001' post='3015279'] My band is working and getting paid. I'm musically fulfilled. Blue [/quote] See, if that was all it was, that would leave me cold and dead inside. Funny old world, eh?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1459203111' post='3014469'] At least one of those things is very necessary. [/quote] Yup. Who the hell wants a dry, flaky snake?

[quote name='pfretrock' timestamp='1459174289' post='3014093'] There is also the homeopathy approach. A gallon of spring water, just add one drop of methylated spirits. [/quote] What a weak concoction! You need to make sure there is absolutely no methylated spirits within a hundred yards of it for it to have any effect!

I had no idea there was a football match on either. Last year I went to a gig with five or six bands on and it was the same night that Wales played England at Rugby. It was a proper band venue with a proper stage, but there was a small telly behind the bar... I felt so sorry for some of the bands, they really went for it but hardly anyone gave them a glance, it was disgusting. I remember watching the singer of one of the bands on the floor in front of the stage, really giving it some welly, proper going for it, and then the bar erupted because Wales had scored, my heart bled for that dude. I saw him a bit later and he looked really sad, I want to give him a hug. There was some amazing talent on that night, but everyone preferred to watch a bunch of burly blokes groping each other in the mud.

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1458911121' post='3012056'] Mikael Akerfeldt from Opeth for me, stunning clean and heavy vocals. [/quote] If you're going to do growly and clean vocals, you should definitely do it like Akerfeldt. Not like those ones all over Scuzz and Kerrang! who sound like teenagers ranting when they think their mum can't hear them and then whining when they realise she can. It's such a let down. There'll be some nice chunky, heavy riffage and deep growly vocals, and then all of a sudden they all turn into a Disney boy band. If there were so many of them I'd think them a parody!

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1458859932' post='3011724'] Those go on forever, I've got a 17w one ('cos I'm so delicate ) that I must have had for a similar amount of time. [/quote] Same here, 17w and about the same age.

I use the bottom four strings from a cheap Fender five string set that I tune up to C or C# standard. It's a .130 set, which is probably a bit too heavy, but I have no problems with it. So don't be afraid to tune up to what you need. I do have five strings, too, that I keep in standard tuning.

Female: Mother Earth, Silent Force, Heart of Everything era Sharon Den Adel. Male: I struggle with this but in the end I have to admit that it's probably Dani Filth. I love Björk, too. Would love to hear a duet with Björk and Til Linderman from Rammstein.

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1458688530' post='3009980'] I quite like the idea of using those printed hessian sacks that coffee is shipped in, if you're going for recycled materials. They're colourful looking, cheap and seem like they would work well as speaker cloth. [/quote] That's a cracking idea!

I don't mind if I have to stretch the jacket cloth or whatever, to make it work. I know I'm perhaps being a bit daft, wanting to stick to something that wasn't meant for the job, but I would be using an old clock case so it would be fun to use mostly repurposed stuff. It really is only for fun. I have all the amps I need, this one will probably end up in the conservatory for use in the summer. My smallest amp is 100w, so something like 5 or 10w would be good. I might even look into building a tiny valve amp for it (the cases are quite large). If I do get it to work, I might knock up an iPod type amp or an FM radio for the living room. When I saw all those cases under that table in that shop... I dropped to my knees and while my mind started whirring my wife let out a very audible groan. That's when I knew!

[quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1458665988' post='3009661'] How much do you need? I have a few off cuts of proper grill cloth you could have if they're big enough. [/quote] I have absolutely no idea. I haven't bought the case yet and I have got a few projects that I need to get done (including fitting a battery operated movement into an old clock case) before I really start thinking properly about it. The cloth question popped into my head, so I thought I'd ask before I forgot. That's a very kind offer, though. I rather like the "make do" aspect of using a cut off from a jacket if it was suitable, though.

I found a nice supply of antique clock cases (they're not worth anything and the movements in them are dead) and a couple of them look like they would make quite cool little combo amps with speakers where the faces would normally be. The thing is that they're cheap, just £3 each, so I want to do the whole thing as cheap as possible. It's just for a bit of fun. I was thinking that some sort of tweed might look nice as a speaker cloth and I was wondering if material cut from an old jacket (that I would hope to find in a charity shop or something) would work? Or is it just a stupid idea? I don't normally use speaker cloth so am not sure enough of its properties to determine suitability.

I built a Ram's Head Muff and a Musket into one box with an order switch. I love it. They both sound very different to each other allowing for a huge variety of sounds. But using them together and being able to change the order adds even more variety and massive amounts of filth. And when you consider all the mods that you can add very easily... My electronics workbench is almost finished being rebuilt and when it is done I shall finish the mods I still have planned for my muffs (I have named the box Dank & Fetid) and finally get around to recording a demo of it.

I have barely played bass since November. Due to upheaval from Christmas and then me deciding to "renovate" my music room, my gear was all packed away and only cracked out again a couple of weeks ago. I played this and thought it was cute. I only recorded it so I would remember it, but I saw this thread and thought bugger it, I'll stick it up! It's the first thing I have recorded in four years (and that had been the first thing in ten). https://soundcloud.com/user5139486/upon-waking I played it on my Cort T-35 (all my other basses are still packed away) through my Behringer V-Amp into Audacity. If I had been thinking of this thread when I recorded it I may have made it a little longer than 21 seconds...

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1458390586' post='3007178'] have you tried a felt or leather pick? [/quote] There was a good thread on felt picks on BassChat a while ago. It got me experimenting with making my own. I basically used strong double sided sticky tape (I didn't want to use a glue that would leech into the felt and go hard) to stick the felt to a thin Dunlop pick. It worked really well, but with round wound strings the felt wore through too quickly.

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1458380731' post='3007069'] I use Dunlop Tortex 0.6's for electric. People used to ask why, when they all used heavy picks & heavy strings, well, if light strings are good enough for Iommi, May & Gibbons, they're good enough for me. Plus they just feel far better. [/quote] I hadn't associated the change with a change in string thickness. But in my case the pick thickness has gone drastically down, but the string gauge has gone up. In fact, on my main bass I only have the bottom four strings from a very heavy five string set. And I have it tuned up to C#, so they're a lot stiffer, too.