BassTractor

Hey Jim, Welcome to BC, where all the awesome, positive people are waiting for you to hang out with them! Sadly, no-one here understands the question, except me. But if you ask it again, ask about people's favourite bass, and you'll be alright. (Seriously though, as not everyone reads the Introductions, you might wanna ask in the Gear -> Basses forum as well.) I can answer though: I have no favourite bass, and there is no sentimentality about basses. To me, they're mere tools. Like with any other tool, I worship them and make love to them, but that's about it, really. Sorry to be a bore. OK, just forget about me, and start enjoying the rest of the site. best, bert

Hey Deejayen, Welcome! You're sure to get loads of good advice here. Be forewarned though: I was a keyboardist who wanted to put down some bass lines on home recordings. Once. .... This site is vast, and there are loads of searchable topics about advice about first basses - especially in the General Discussion section. You can also start a thread with info about your budget and other things. People are gonna respond helpfully. Good luck with your quest! best, bert

Don't know the ABM 500, but to nooby me, the VU meter on my MAG 300 evo II seemed to work very well, whilst the one on my Little Bastard seems like a gimmick indeed ("Play louder to get the needle to move to the right" -"Well, thank you! That seems like a nice game! I'll sell my Xbox!") Of course, this could be the second time in my life I was wrong about something. If the ABM has the same VU in the same position in the signal chain as on the MAG 300, then it should be able to tell you when you're close to overdrive the pre amp tubes. best, bert

Living in the Past - Jethro Tull as well as a few others I seem reluctant to remember right now.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1361910000' post='1992998'] It put me in mind of a chap that I once met in Holland in 1974... [...] He looked at us as if, somehow, a point had been made. [/quote] I could explain, but sadly we're not allowed until 40 years have gone by. Just remind me next year. dutchbest, dutchbert

Hey Bret, Welcome to BC, and congrats with your beautiful, almos' perfec' name! You're in, of course, after that great introduction, and right now, there are only two formalities left: 1) We need to know more about the Dillion bass 2) We need to know more about the helmet After those things are dealt with, you're fully fledged. Anyway, enjoy the site, the info, the discussion and the banter! best, bert

IME, wearing a headband or Buff Headwear like thingy is all that's needed to keep the in-ear earphones inside. If not, a flake of soft foam will help tremendously. I've also had a headband with built-in, watertight earphones, but can't remember the brand name. Not very Hi-Fi, but worked very well. best, bert

Hej, Tång, Välkommen till BC, din unga vipparsnappar. Only kidding! OK, I'll do it in English: Welcome to BC, you young snorunge. Demn! Can't seem to get it right. Anyway, I hope you'll learn a lot here, and teach the newbies (=me) while you're at it, and generally just enjoy the site. best, bert

Hi Steve, Welcome! You came to the right place, as I guess you've already seen on the other thread. Search the vast site and ask away, and all your questions shall be answered. best, bert

Not at all for me personally. I dread the thought though, but that's about my concerns for other people and for the culture. But me myself, I'd just delve into all the music I know I love but have not used the time on lately. Also, new music pops up in my head all the time. No production necessary. I think I've not even written down anything for maybe a decade or so. best, bert

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1361825310' post='1991653'] Very Zen of you, Bert, I must say and - kayak?? [/quote] Yeah. Zen say: "Day have 24 hours, not 30". Kayak as in sea kayaks - in my mind the coolest hobby that is not music, and also my occupation. But, back on topic: I understand where the OP question comes from, and have certainly received hard times for gear purchases myself. In an ideal world, I wouldn't wanna be in a relationship where grown ups behave egoistically or with lies, but in the real world many relationships are just less than ideal, and one stays together for numbers of reasons, one of them being that one simply loves one's partner, and can live with some peculiarities. I wouldn't judge less-than-ideal relationships too harshly. That said, smuggling in basses does seem to me to push the boundaries. I've never ever smuggled in an EMS Synthi 100, a Moog System 55 or a Synclavier II. Honest! A guy in our community was busted by his wife while he was counting the 6,000 quids he had hidden in an old record player in the basement. She immediately ordered a new kitchen for the money plus plus. LOL. best, bert

My ex never demanded one out for one in, but it has worked like that most of the time at any rate, as it was the only way I could afford the new thing I [s]lusted after[/s] deemed absolutely necessary for my development. These days, living alone, if I want a new bass, I sell a car, a synth or a kayak, so essentially the one-in-one-out principle still rules. I wouldn't want it to be different either, as I like to keep my possessions somewhat limited in number. best, bert

In this vid, only thing I liked less than my beloved Bongo, was the P. 1 Matize and/or StingRay, 3 Jazz, 4 Bongo, 5 Precision Hm... best, bert

As a keyboardist myself, I think I can imagine several reasons why that could be. I have no definite answers, but here are some thoughts, some of them also mentioned by others: 1) IME, and in my seriously-not-humble opinion, in pop and rock music, most keyboard players can hardly play their instruments, as documented by almost every song shown on TV. They show some insecure, unsteady, stumbling and nervous playing that leaves me with the question whatever they did in the studio or whether they did anything there at all. 2) Many good keyboardists have learnt to express a personal view on the music. and may tend to bring that musical view with its timing complexities to bands as well. 3) Related to 2), they may be used to playing solo, and may have difficulties adapting to the demands of playing together. BTW, not one of my own teachers pre college ever taught me to accompany other players or singers, and I had to learn the hard way. These days, things hopefully are better. best, bert

[quote name='Dr M' timestamp='1361798285' post='1990954'] Imagine the insurance premium on that! 320 instruments at upwards of £1000 each? [/quote] Yeah, indeed. Got it confirmed that it was 320 basses quite some months ago, probably more now, and not even counting the basses he owns that are from other brands. I tried to quickly calculate in my head what they had costed, most of them even being expensive limited editions, but when I saw how dazzling the amount was, I just dropped it. BTW; I do have way too much gear myself as well, and am even aiming at 12 basses / 5 amps / 8 cabs, but once I have that much, I'm not going to sell away some of it until I know all that gear a lot better. best, bert

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1361728298' post='1989971'] Quite apart from actually finding a lefty bass easier to play than a righty - cos I'm a lefty, duh [/quote] However, that doesn't actually go for all lefties - at least not for me. I've never found my way around left-handed guitars and basses. Right-handed ones feel natural to me. Dunno why though. For all I know, my very first experience with a right-handed one may have set the tone, so to speak. best, bert

[quote name='kevin_lindsay' timestamp='1361738574' post='1990170'] What was the name of the second album by M (yup, of Pop Musik fame), where Level 42 were the musicians on it? I had the album ages ago [/quote] The Official Secrets Act. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Official_Secrets_Act_%28album%29 Thanks for making me aware. I dig M. best, bert

FWiW, I think Roger's contribution is not only within the boundaries of reasonability, but also appreciated. Not every manufacturer shows this level of restraint and seriousness. That said, I also think we need to be attentive when manufacturers or shops enter the debate, and I think I only need to refer to how the Warwick team started here as to why we should be attentive. best, bert

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1361619775' post='1988331'] Or are you going to stop when you hit 3 digits?? [/quote] Are you mad, man? Have you ever even contemplated what new possibilities those three digits give? On the Music Man forum, there's a guy who owns more than 300 Music Man instruments, 320 IIRC, and I seem to remember all of them are basses too. Seriously. Not that I condone it, of course. best, bert

Cool position by the sound of it. As [s]said[/s] indicated: a three hour drive means you can listen three hours to your own practising. So that spoon cuts on both sides ... er ... or something. Congrats! best, bert

[quote name='Lynottfan' timestamp='1361650246' post='1988888'] My bass sits lower than midrift, got my pick going like a good un' and I don't really have much use for slap, but man that boy Mark King can play and I like L42, infact Mark is one of those players that, though I have no desire to play like them, they inspire me to play better, some can love, some can hate, but Mark King's playing I have to rate. [/quote] Sorry, Andrew, but some of your other poems were better. You practise the bass too much these days, perhaps? best, bert

[quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1361651138' post='1988909'] . . . .just off to practice this, back [s]soon[/s] - [s]tomorrow[/s] - [s]next week[/s] erm. . . . when I've cracked it. [/quote] You'll be sorely missed, but ... Farewell and goodbye! best, bert

Just to be sure: my initial reply was wrong. It never crossed my mind that the head could be a valve amp. Sorry! Like others have written: do not connect a valve head's 8 Ohm output to a 16 Ohm cab load. b, b

As most here have expressed, that reply tells you everything you need to know about the person who wrote it. May still be a nice band though, who just need to get rid of one asshole. But trying to answer your question, here's what you wrote, and my notes to it - not that [b][i]I[/i][/b] am that critical against your mail, mind you, and I'm very much aware that I'm from a different culture than yours, but I just to try and find what they may have reacted negatively to - by using my own critical eyes. [b]"Disclaimer":[/b] [b]This isn't meant in any other way than answering your question seriously. I hope it contributes to something and that it will not be regarded as a sneer.[/b] [quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1361465156' post='1986131'] I play bass (and, occasionally, cajon) and I live [locally]. I'm currently playing with this band: (website link) but I'm very uncertain about its future. Could you tell me a little more about your band, please? Do you have a setlist you could send me? Where and when do you rehearse? What sort of venues and gigs are you aiming at? [/quote] "I play bass (and, occasionally, cajon)" As devil's advocate, I'd say: Look at how much space these two elements each take, and how the bass gets no attention, while the cajon is highlighted by brackets, commas and a long word. Mind you, I understand this was not on purpose, but it still works that way. My immediate reaction to that sentence, long before reading their answer, was exactly that: the bass did not get any attention beyond being mentioned. "I'm currently playing with this band: (website link) but I'm very uncertain about its future." As devil's advocate, I'd say: This offers no details, no enthusiasm and may be seen as poorly worded. You "play with" instead of "being the bassist". May come across as unengaged and uncommitted. The same goes for that band's future. It shouldn't have been mentioned in your very first mail. That was two short sentences about you. The rest of your message is four sentences about them, and asking them to provide you with more info about them before you are going to supply them with more about you. As devil's advocate, I'd say: That may have patted them against the growing direction of their fur. IME, these things are dynamical in the interaction: their original ad was uninformative and badly written. You then didn't offer too much extra either, and the result is what we know. I suppose this was just a lucky escape for you in this case, but in another case in the future: how about something slightly more like: " Hey guys, I'm much interested in your prospect. As a bassist with [kind] of background, and [such and so] of playing experience, I'm used to cooperate with the drummer so as to create a firm foundation for the rest of the band. I'm not a typical soloist, but I do try to create interesting parts for the rest of the band to listen to whilst at the same time trying to be clear and easy to respond to. Though having played hundreds of functions, incidentally I've never done weddings. I do know the typical songs though, and am willing to dress in style with the occasion. If this sounds remotely interesting, how about some words about you, your set list, gear and plans? To save time, you could just call me on 01-23456789. Thanks, and c-ya? " Again, I hope this contributes to something and is not regarded as a sneer. It isn't meant in any other way than answering your question in a serious manner. best, bert

Just received a link to a nice obituary: [url="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/arts/music/kevin-ayers-rocker-in-soft-machine-dies-at-68.html"]http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/arts/music/kevin-ayers-rocker-in-soft-machine-dies-at-68.html[/url]