BassTractor

Ours was a viola da gamba (bass viola much like a cello). Happily I was allowed to take it home to practise, and so could ditch the bow, hold it horizontally sitting on my lap, and pluck it as if it was a real instrument. Also, it helped with a microphone into a mixer and that signal fed into a Small Stone (IMS) and certainly a Big Muff Pi. Great days! BTW, music teacher was not too convinced about my progress with bow playing.

Welcome, smokin! bert

New tracks to be included on the re-release of The Next Day, which is coming next week. I hope people outside Norway can hear these: http://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/Her-kan-du-hore-fem-nye-later-fra-David-Bowie-7356175.html#.UnDxdxAb_kc

[quote name='Wylie' timestamp='1383008679' post='2259171'] Wouldn't make me a better player, but would make me a better person. [/quote] Nonsense! You're a better person already. It's the Geddy Lee!

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1382956359' post='2258315'] Visual fail, so it's a no from me [/quote] Doesn't matter to us at all. We still need out gut shots!

Welcome, Julius! bert

Those who do not love jazz are time and again described as lesser specimen, but in fact some of the most musical people dislike jazz. I think it is much about what way you listen to music, and to what degree you can accept the enormous amounts of weak choices that are made in jazz. I personally can accept those weak choices (and love jazz), but some people just can't.

Welcome, Andy! bert

Two 112EXTs, a Midget and a Compact. Yup, I'm looking forward to it.

Sorry if this seems harsh, and I don't mean to be harsh, but me, I can't manage to get my head around why anyone would think they were in any way served by adopting a name they know is already in use. This has boggled my mind for decades if not centuries. That and the very notion that you have to walk around knowing you hadn't been able to come up with a name that is unique and works well with Google. My take: open dictionary, blindfoldedly pick a set of words, combine several of them and repeat until reasonably satisfied, check for availability. Done.

Well, at any rate it's a lot lighter in weight than a Streamliner with attached 19" rack module, so my back is safe!

Update: Thanks to you guys' info, I went for both lines, and have these last weeks taken reception of a Streamliner as well as a GBE instead of a Max. The way I understood it, the best argument for the ShuttleMax over the GBE is weight, so I assume that the GBE is not a worse amp. Even when shoved through Ashdown LB 112 cabs (made for the Little Bastard), the GBE was mighty, open and airy, and responded to every little change in my "playing". I guess this will get even better when shoving it through Vanderfaceds. Not tried the Streamliner yet. So: thanks again! Playing bass became more fun.

Welcome, Peter! bert

Welcome! bert

Welcome, Rob! bert (sold two cars to get basses, but then I'm obsessed)

Welcome, Adam! bert

Kevin Gilbert: Tea For One from the album Thud. Gilbert (deceased in '96) seems rather unknown, but is highly regarded in some circles, and everyone has heard his work on Sheryl Crow's "Tuesday Night Music Club". http://youtu.be/RkgsNx0mdCI

[quote name='pst62' timestamp='1382438671' post='2252069'] The only difference between the 2cv4 and 2cv6 is the engine size, [/quote] Exactly! Total crumbling AND no speed! Perfec. Physics! On a serious note though, I protect my stuff adequately, if only so some helpful numptie doesn't damage it while trying to carry it through the door opening whilst banging it against the door frame. A recent experience of that type renewed my religious faith that people can't be bothered to take care. My basses herefter will be in cases, simply because I feel cases are better when putting many basses on top of each other, and because cases can be at the bottom of the car's load area, whilst a bass in a gig bag would always be on top. Last time I drove 2,000 miles with instruments, these were in gigbags on top of all other luggage, and not only could easily become projectiles, but also were visible to possible thieves. This no more.

[quote name='pst62' timestamp='1382427313' post='2251876'] You can't knock him for that! If ever a flight case was justified for short journeys, putting them in a 2cv6's is it! [/quote] I'm convinced that one was a 2cv4 though, so he [b]can[/b] knock him for that.

Got it already, A Bongo Dargie Delight in Logan Green (the one below). That said, I'm a noob, and might change this quickly as I gain more experience. For example, the fretless StingRay 5 took me by storm, and I might switch to that one given some more practising. Also, of my life's dream basses, I still have not owned a Longhorn 58, Rick, Mockingbird, Alembic, Streamer or Wal, so maybe one of them could be the one. [url="http://s1170.photobucket.com/user/basstractor1/media/mm-bongo-hh-dargie-delight-_zpsa7e53372.jpg.html"][/url]

Wow! Thanks, man!

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1382361364' post='2251139'] I doubt that many classical (or other music types) musicians would be efficient at playing say....Mingus, but doubt that a jazz player would have any major problems playing other music forms. [/quote] I'm not confident that I understand this text, but whatever you may mean, IME: - most classical players stink at jazz, and are mostly very aware of this. - most jazz players stink at playing classical, whilst thinking they do a good job. No time to go into detail right now.

Reminds me of this saxophone player who dies and, against all tradition, signs and expectation, finds himself allowed into Heaven. He even gets to play in the Heavenly Big Band. Great players, great scores, inspiring solos ... he's having a great time. Then suddenly he notices this slim trumpet player in a tight cut Italian suit, soloing, with his back to the audience, on a stopped horn. Our saxophone player asks who the Hull that is. - That? Oh, that's God. He thinks he's Miles Davis!....

[quote name='Anthony Welington'] [i][color=#333333]"Victor Wooten has the biggest toolbox of any bass player I've ever heard or 'evaluated'! And I've checked MOST of them out. And Victor's has one of the BIGGEST imaginations out there too![/color][/i]" [/quote] . Bah! [color=#ffffff].[/color] "Victor Wooton Ain't So Great".

I get the impression that this thread better than we've had before pinpoints what one is talking about here, with "theory" existing as a backdrop even if one doesn't explicitly think in theoretical terms, and with delightfully little (or none) of this "You theorists only follow some rules. I however am free!" bollocks. My take is the same, I think: Man has developed musical sensitivities through the ages, and one slowly has reached a level of agreeing on how stuff by large works on the human ear. Normal, tradional theory, in my mind is just a reflection of some shared and agreed-on insights about how the overtone spectrum governs what the human ear likes, and how the human ear likes it. Since music is all around us, and our ears thusly are trained all the time, in my mind we're rather musical people, and I think I see this confirmed when so many people love for example Pink Floyd, The Beatles or Queen - artists who do not belong in the realm of the most unmusical music there is. The following may be too local for Brits to get a good impression of it, but I'll take the chance, as I think it exemplifies this more: A popular and simple style of music here in Norway and in Sweden is what is called "dansband" (dance band as it were). It's not about cover versions of popular music, but small orchestras playing their own songs with a strong and recognisable 4/4 beat and very simple lyrics, melodies and chord structures. Nothing there to expand one's brain by. "Modulation" for example is often achieved by simply repeating the same structure in the new key. Now, in this setting, the most popular band by far is the one that IMNSHO is the most professional in musical terms. Their songs float like a piece by Mendelssohn, and these songs are flawless if one analyses them with classical theory in mind. Simple, mind, but flawless in the light of what they try to achieve. Gazillions of other bands exist in these circles and with this specific musical style. What most of them share is a lack of success AND compositions that are as leaky as a house without a roof. This, to me, is a great example of my notion that people are not unmusical, and do indeed take part in this shared knowledge base - also on this simple level. So yes, theory is there, even if you're not aware or think you don't use it. Each musical choice is a choice that in some way comments on or reflects our shared experience. One of the things that make Swedish prog band "von Zamla" so exciting to me, is their strong sense about exactly how much they can break conventional rules without landing in chaos. Their music tickles and amuses, and IMO is deeply musical at the same time. They confirm the rules by defying them - or rather: defying is probably the wrong word here. How about "bending the rules"? (If by any chance you're interested, look up Samla Mammas Manna / Zamla Mammaz Manna / von Zamla. They're essentially the same band under three different names.)