jjay69

very sad indeed, the man inspired.. RIP

Rosewood every time for me

I woz there ! as they say, hat stealin son of a b*&%h Great gig, but i must admit to being a bit gutted that i hadn't gone on Wed now, I really wanted to hear Sailing the seas of cheese, Tommy the Cat in particular so i lucked out big time. Wasn't like that in the old days, if you saw a gig one night it was the same the next (more o less), i wasn't expecting that one.. Still, Les makes everything bass related look so damn easy.

Iron Maiden.... here we go, they were the very first band i saw live at Cardiff St Davids hall when i was about 16, that would have been 27 years ago then !!! T'was then i realised you could actually shoot people with a Precision...

Think this deserves a bump and a few additions come on guys, i learned a couple of crackers off this thread.

Ah right an MP3 file, nice one, bit clever that.. (currently filling the piggy bank for Barefaced-ness) anyone want to buy an old Trace 2x10 !!

Can someone explain the sinewave thing, as in how do you do it, do you need a special piece of kit for it or can you do it through any amp ? Whats the story (briefly, no extra technical details required:)

Thats rather typical of Swansea, it's an angry place, i know, im from there. Saying that it wasnt like that in my day when we played the likes of the Singleton, the Cardiff arms Coach house etc proper music loving pubs, 2 of which are closed now of course..

Just got home with an RC-3 and some patch leads ! quite pleased with that, could have easily been £1.5k+

Well im no connoisseur and perhaps too much tech on compressors is wasted on me, anyway im kitted up now, got one off here BC Alanbass, what a splendid chap, Aguilar TLC. Not really used it in anger yet just at home, will have a proper try next week, but so far i seem to like it. The first thing i notice is that i can crack on and play without having to think too much about my right hand and varying the power im putting in, i can dig in happily knowing im not going to spike and offend. It almost feels like it frees up a few cc's of brain power that can be put to better use elsewhere, but it's early days of course..

The things you do tsk ! OK so thats a few years back now, but i still wear the t shirts or one of them !

Influential moments i recall were Smoke on the Water live in Japan, when i heard that bass come in i said, "thats what i want to do". Another one bites the dust and Foghats, My Babe followed by Slow ride (album version with solo) and Fool for the City. Oh and you might edit the title to say ".... so i was born in 19....."

I would have to say Mark Evans on the early AC/DC albums, no slapping, no tapping, no superfast runs, nuttin fancy, but great groove and use of very subtle note changes placed beautifully in some key moments. Of course he hadnt been playing very long at the time, all the more reason. Oh and Nick Jameson and Craig MacGregor when they were in Foghat.

Where have i been ? i've only just discovered Soundcloud in the last week or so, this is just what i've been looking for to use to upload the rough and sometimes random recordings i do at rehearsals (and they are rough, nothing polished on here from me). It seems like a great way for the rest of the guys to listen back to what we did last and go from there. Trouble is i've already nearly filled my free minutes, how do you guys generally manage, do you pay for upgrades or do you delete stuff when it starts to fill up ? [url="http://soundcloud.com/jjay69"]http://soundcloud.com/jjay69[/url] Rough stuff

[quote]Edit: Coming to think of it, I don't believe Fender Precisions have ever had a "Contour body" logo... Maybe a Fender Expert will correct me on that? For reference, this is what a genuine 1978 Fender P headstock looks like, with a seven digit serial number usually starting with "S8" (there may be some S7s as well):[/quote] Well it's becoming a mystery because i've seen this exact type of headstock on basses in some Vintage and rare shop in Denmark St (the one that looks like someones old front room stuffed with classic instruments). I know, because i commented to the guy that my head looked just like this with this "long number" underneath, but no serial number, he said thats the patent number, the serial no will be at the base of the neck or inside the body somewhere. I've always known it was a bit different but thought nothing of it, it plays like a dream. I bought it around 1988-90. It was recently worked on by Martin of Sei basses at the Gallery, i'll give him a call to see what he thought when i get chance. [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjay69/6406515165/sizes/l/in/set-72157628162331605/"]http://www.flickr.co...57628162331605/[/url]

I don't think you can say that, there is no one true decal that dictates a specific time. The serial number that everyone seems so obsessed with is under the scratchplate or somewhere by the electrics on mine, i dated it years back. The number under the logo is the patent number not the serial number

"On a bass that looks like that, you'd expect to find a serial number on the neckplate (metal bit that the screws that attach the neck to the body go through)." I wouldn't neccesarily say that, i have a genuine 78 Fender Precision, it's neck plate is completely blank, just a square block, also Shaller machine heads, but they might have been changed ? I have also noticed that many Fenders built in the mid to late 70's seem to have a certain natural wood "Look" finish to them similar to your pics, hard to describe. Mine also has that bit ot text at the very top of the headstock which seems to fit with others i have seen from the '78 period. Some pics of my Precision and others (after recent upgrades) here [media]http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjay69/sets/72157628162331605/[/media] The headstock [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjay69/6406532079/in/set-72157628162331605"]http://www.flickr.co...157628162331605[/url]

[quote]I think a GK microhead and 1x15 + horn cab is a good compromise, especially as my pal could buy in a spare too. Would that kit turn you off too? I'd be quite chuffed to find something like that... [/quote] Possibly not, a lot of modern gear is a lot better than it used to be, im not a fan of 15's but the newer ones with horns are greatly improved than the old skool ones, so chances are i'd be ok. In other words it's a matter of taste. I think years of playing with a VERY loud drummer who always brings his own kit means a right power struggle so if the gear can't cope it's quite off putting. End of the day if the gear has power and is modern enough and flexible enough, ie not one particular sound type then i think most guys would be happy enough. Though yes with amps getting smaller the majority would still bring their own, so cab choice is important.

Just adding a couple of thoughts from this bassists point of view. 1. Im very dissapointed if i walk into a rehearsal room and find a bass combo, no matter how good it might be. From experience i've found them underpowered, farty and usually been hammered and give the impression of a cut corners approach where the bassist hasn't been considered. 2. Im equally dissapointed to find only 15"speakers available, too boomy and no clarity, 10's or 12's are much more flexible imo. I have gone out of my way to convince the whole band to avoid rehearsal rooms with gear like this and rehearse at a place where i know i can get a half decent sound. Based on this crude bit of research i would say picking the right gear can have a big effect on the success or failure of your venture. Whereas how fancy the studio is makes no difference to me at all. Though one thing i think all rooms should have is a blackboard or whiteboard for jotting notes down or explaining parts to the guys in more complex songs.

Guys thanks for the input and masses of information, Lozz [quote]get a good thick punchy sound on the D & G from the amp, whilst using the EBS to eliminate excess boom on the E & A. It does this, so I`m happy. I`m sure it can do a lot more, but for what I want out of it, it`s great - I get a nice evenness across the strings, plenty of presence, and without surplus boom[/quote] This is pretty much exactly what i am trying to achieve, lose the boom keep the punch so you've reassured me there. [quote]I see you are in London, if you are anywhere near me you are welcome to borrow a a compressor for a couple of days to see if it's for you or not[/quote] Rumple i nearly took you up on this one thanks, but the trip on the motorbikes to south London never happened on the weekend. Though i did get to Denmark street (only a bus ride away) and had a go on an RC3 Loop station ! what fun, a serious contendor 1! And as for this [quote]You Without compressor > < You With Compressor [/quote] Sheer Genii, who said bass players were unimaginitive !! So do i bite the bullet ? lets see what the London Bass Show brings

Well all i can say is the Behringers at our place have always been reliable and when plugged into the Marshall 4x12 there they sound great to me. If i forget to take my MB LMK along im not bothered as long as the BX is there, in fact i usually choose it over the big ol Marshall valve amp thats there too. Maybe it's me but i think it works really well for the rock sound and i prefer it to valve sounds anyway.

As far a great value heads go for rehearsal, our studio uses these amongst other things, i love 'em, i suggest adding them to your options [url="http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BX4500H.aspx"]http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/BX4500H.aspx[/url]