Bloodaxe

On the South London circuit, I'd recommend these two... [url="http://www.myspace.com/stevematthewsrazers"]Steve Matthew's Razers[/url] - He tends to try & get Jonty Banks (Ukelele Orchestra of GB) or [url="http://www.petepritchard.co.uk/"]Pete Pritchard[/url], whenever they're available. Both are fantastic players. [i]Very[/i] occasionally I get the call to fill in. Tres Geezers - [url="http://www.flyguitars.com/interviews/mickhawksworth.php"]Mick Hawksworth[/url]. Well worth a look if you like the Little Feat end of things & a Gibson RD Artist fretless. Pete.

[quote name='Mr. Quiet' post='711503' date='Jan 13 2010, 04:24 PM'][font="Verdana"]Hello to all you low-down bums Mr. Quiet[/font][/quote] Oh Gawd it's a Hippy! Welcome aboard that man, I spent many formative years down the road apiece in Taunton. Nice part of the world, a good part of me still thinks of it as "home". Pete.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='711412' date='Jan 13 2010, 03:29 PM']Thanks! Now I just need to know if I can use any opld replacement caps?[/quote] By "any old Caps" I take it to mean Generic vs Branded, in which case I'd say yes. The two key things to match are the value & the rated voltage. With power supply caps it's normally fine to exceed both - e.g if you've got a 2200μF 250V smoothing cap, there should be no problem with replacing it with a 3500μF 250V, or, say a 2200μF 500V cap. [i][b]Don't go [u]below[/u] the figures printed on the casing.[/b][/i] This applies to conventional Transformer > Rectifier > Smoothing > Regulator types - switched-mode lightweight PSUs are a whole different Ketlov Fish. Also, don't be surprised if a modern replacement is physically considerably smaller than a "vintage" smoothing capacitor - the technology has advanced somewhat over the years. Also also, make sure that you observe the polarity of an electrolytic cap, if you get 'em the wrong way round much unpleasantness can result. If it's caps in the signal path, they need to be matched to the μF values otherwise you may find that the tonal response goes completely up the pictures. Pete.

Another factor is the [i][b]cut[/b][/i] of the wood - Quartersawn or Plainsawn? Also different boards cut from the same tree will exhibit different characteristics as the grain will vary considerably. Boards may also contain hidden "defects" that never become apparent during manufacture, but that nevertheless affect tonal response Pickups [b][i]do[/i][/b] add their own character - there will be subtle differences in winding over the course of a production run. Ditto with hardware. As far as a manufacturer is concerned, if samples pulled from a batch are within tolerance, that batch is good to go - what is deemed an acceptable tolerance will vary by manufacturer. I personally don't believe that a true A/B test is ever possible as no two instruments are identical, even more so on a luthiered instrument where the intense degree of hand-finishing will inevitably result in subtle variations from one instrument to the next. It all adds up: [quote name='jakesbass' post='709508' date='Jan 11 2010, 10:27 PM']10 words: 'The whole is greater than the sum of the parts'[/quote] Occasionally, it's less as well - it's all in the ear of the beholder. Pete.

[quote name='Igor Gribov' post='709662' date='Jan 12 2010, 03:53 AM']Yeah, I guess what You are realy veteran of bass!! I tell you about some purport this number in history of my country. So, in 70th years in USSR a number 101 was some especial. If a person was an old offender, than he was evacuated behind 100 km from Moscow. In folks told "he is from 101 km" that was aught a brand for the person. But for me this number brings very good emotions.On this frequency (101,2 fm) is broadcasting true rock wave when plays the cool riffs of my youth (1994-95) here such the story!! I~m sorry I often dont say what I can in russian. I hope, what conversation with all of you will got better my English!! Thanks for yours welcome!![/quote] Igor, Three things... 1: Welcome aboard, there's some damn fine people on here & lots of good info. 2: The 101km thing - never heard that before, very interesting - thank you. 3: Your English is perfectly OK with me. It makes me pay attention! - you're communicating just fine mate. Pete.

[quote name='Sarah5string' post='710228' date='Jan 12 2010, 04:54 PM']The insurance mostly! lol speaking of which just got a quote from allianz.. £47 a year for £1700 worth of gear inc in unattended vehicles.... seems pretty reasonable![/quote] A couple or 3 months back I got a call from the Co-Op offering me insurance (I'd made a casual enquiry about it prior to the call, so it wasn't strictly a cold-call) & I asked about gear. They quoted me a nad's over £140 for... £21000 Household Contents, plus £2500 Musical Instruments (tbh it *might* have been "including" - can't recall now, either way it panned out as £23 down & £12.68 for 11 months) I specifically asked the rep if I'd be covered if a pint got spilled over my rig whilst playing in a pub, & was pleasantly surprised to get a "Yes". I have been a customer of theirs for a yonk, so whether that was "street price" or "Members' Discount" I can't say. Pete.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='709361' date='Jan 11 2010, 08:52 PM']Wow... you lot are a tough crowd. I like it... the chorus is as catchy as hell.[/quote] Aye. 'Appn as us likes worrus knows, & knows worrus likes...

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='677856' date='Dec 8 2009, 01:35 PM']If the Gods of Old Bloke Pub-Rock are listening - I'm perfectly happy to travel...[/quote] His name is Reg - the God of Club Performers*, & blessed are they that partake of half-a-bitter-shandy-cos-I'm-driving and play "Spanish Flea" in His name. [size=1]*Commonly manifests as a bloke somewhere indefinably north of 50 - maybe even 60+ - with a combover & bottle glasses, wearing a faded maroon velvet jacket, "off"-white ruff-fronted shirt & playing a Premier drumkit (when angered He is known to dep on the Mighty Farfisa).[/size]

As far away from me as possible, please.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='709139' date='Jan 11 2010, 06:24 PM']Correct. The bassline to "Hot Sauce" from "Aliens Ate My Buick" is comprised from over 50 samples of The Lost Toy People bassist.[/quote] Killer album! Terry Jackson (with an appalling mullet!) gets the bass credit. TBH even the synth bass lines are really good. For the uninitiated.... & my own particular favourite piece of B-Movie Schlock-horror Jazz...

For me it's "none at all". I was living in Hong Kong at the time (1982), was just getting [i]seriously[/i] into music, & a mate who was a drummer talked me into going to a rehearsal studio (with full backline and instruments) for a "muck about". Tried drums - nooo wayyyy! Couldn't think in four directions at once. Tried singing - was asked to stop for the good of humanity. Shied away from the guitar - bad recollections of "Music Club" back in the 1st/2nd year Keys? - Nah you need lessons for that. Bass then... Hmmm... Yeah, this works! The only instance of a tune making me want to take up an instrument is this: Those little stopped harmonics & that phrasing are the sole reason I wanted a fretless - Thank you Mr. Palladino! Pete.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='707764' date='Jan 10 2010, 03:27 PM']Okey-Doke. IMO, the 'importance' of the blues rests in more than the nuts and bolts of how you play it. I'd argue that it's significant for other aspects: <snip>[/quote] I'd agree with m'learned colleague's appraisal & add in this grandiose oversimplification... In the late 40s there was the svelte, urbane Jazz & it's poor country cousin The Blues. Jazz had it made, it was hip, swingin', cool, & all sorts of other baaadd sh*t. So it pretty much put its feet up for the next 70 years. The Blues, however, seemed to be good at making friends from different backgrounds. Probably its first new pal was Country. Helped by Blues' sister Gospel, they arrived at the idea of Rock 'n' Roll - where colour didn't seem to matter (Blues & Gospel was for Black people, Country was for the White Folk, but R 'n' R was for anyone who wanted to have a party). Rock 'n' Roll went on to become the dominant form of popular music in the Western world. Meanwhile Blues split, caught a northbound freight train & moved to the big industrial cities where there was work. Some folks added into this & set up Motown (part of the blues that stayed south found a cozy nest in a place called Stax), these extra influences brought Soul into being. As time passed & tastes changed, Soul begat Funk & Funk begat Disco. While all that was going on a few middle-class white guys in London, Birmingham & points North got bored with Rock 'n' Roll & went back to "the source" - The Blues. To begin with they tried to be as "authentic" as they could be, but it dawned on some that they were stained-glass window designers from Richmond & not particularly downtrodden or repressed, let alone discriminated against or enslaved. So they started to write things from their standpoint & so we got Rock. Some art students got bored with this, nicked a load of stuff off some dead guys & perpetrated Prog Rock, which caused a huge backlash that instigated Punk. Rock caught on to Punk's vibe & mutated into Heavy Metal. In the late 70s & into the 80s, Motown & Stax became a fixture on the club scene in the north of England. Out of the Northern Soul scene came BritPop. In the US of A, Funk + Jamaican "toasting" caused Rap. And so it goes on... Jazz has pretty much stayed as jazz. But look at what grew out of the Blues - that's why it's important. Pete.

[quote name='Faithless' post='705992' date='Jan 8 2010, 08:27 PM']We've tried bass sound capabilities with my tutor, and came to conclusion, that pickups let the whole thing down (cheap bass, stock pickups..) I'm after Jazz bass pickups for 5 string bass.. Not anything expensive/fancy. Any suggestions on this? Cheers Faith[/quote] I can't assist with pickup suggestions I'm afraid - outside my experience. What would help greatly is an idea of what sort of tone you're after - maybe have a trawl around YouTube & post some links. Pete.

[quote name='rapscallion' post='706120' date='Jan 8 2010, 10:57 PM']Is it worth planing it now? Or will it warp?[/quote] It's likely to do what it wants - warp, shrink, split, cup, bow - you name it. Best to leave it as rough-sawn & oversized boards until it's settled, especially if you were contemplating using an industrial planer/thicknesser. Sap is heinous stuff to get off blades. If you're desparate to get stuck into something while waiting, see what you can find by way of reclaimed timber - or even old furniture. It's surprising what some people will chuck out. Pete.

[quote name='rapscallion' post='705881' date='Jan 8 2010, 07:07 PM']A friend of mine works up at Goodwood estate and I think they've branched out to have kilns etc so that sounds do-able. How long would the wait be after kiln drying?[/quote] To be safe "stack & stick" for a good few months. If you got it now, I'd be still be inclined to leave it until the end of summer. Kiln drying never gets to the core or heart of the wood, & that moisture still needs to escape. That takes time. Pete.

[quote name='iconic' post='705173' date='Jan 8 2010, 09:45 AM']OK, I'm getting there I think... this vid has helped, I can hear the funk in this blues[/quote] The intro to that vid is essentially this: & you don't get much more Blues than the Wolf Re- "boring". The bass line to "Built for Comfort" is about as generic as they come - but with a vocal that powerful, I'd play it all night long. The song comes first. Pete.

[quote name='Jigster' post='705119' date='Jan 8 2010, 08:47 AM']...well in particular in Smoke On The Water - have been loving his sound and it just doesn't feel like it's finger style? Am I wrong?[/quote] He's used a variety of things over the years, but he's always brought Roger Glover along. 4:45 Sunburst/Maple P, pick between p/up & neck, palm resting on the ashtray. The amp's a Marshall (possibly a Super Bass 100), cabs appear to be Marshalls as well - no idea what's in them though (9:00 ish). BTW anyone know the source for this clip? It's obviously a TV studio, but it's very early DP Mk II. [quote name='Jigster' post='705119' date='Jan 8 2010, 08:47 AM']Also, anyone know to what extent Deep Purple downtuned, guessing they must have - half a step, whole step?[/quote] Never aware of them detuning - I'm sure Jon Lord would have had a few choice words in that department!. Smoke's in G, as is Highway Star. Lazy = F up to G up to A. Great, great player - possibly the Definitive Rock Bassist. Sure, there are better players from a technical perspective - JPJ for one - but Glover kept it nailed no matter what was going down. Pete.

[quote name='adamduceFTW' post='704166' date='Jan 7 2010, 01:58 PM']Hey guys - long time lurker, first time poster! I'm not a bass expert by any means, one of the reasons I've been too afraid to post before incase I embarrass myself with lack of knowledge! On that subject, I need some help with a possible purchase - have saved up for a new bass for a while (got an ancient DeArmond Jetstar at the moment and it's seen better days) and have found my dream guitar. I love vintage beauties - found a '67 EB3 Gibson and think it looks the bee's knees. I've done some research and the price is a bargain for what it is, but want to know if anyone has actually played one or has any advice before I shell out. Looks are one thing, but how does it sound? The actual model in question is [url="http://justgreatguitars.com/product/Bass/Gibson-EB3-bass-67.aspx"]this one[/url] - any thoughts, positive and especially negative, are greatly appreciated. FYI - planning to play through a Line 6 LD175, do have some budget for a different amp if anyone reckons it'll sound rubbish through this.[/quote] Greetings & welcome... It's been a very long time (25 years or so) since I played one of these - a friend in Somerset used to have one - but from what I recall of it I felt it was a wonderful bass from the point of view of playability, but not for tone... The thing is that tone is entirely subjective. If I wanted to nail that 60s thumpy/gnarly Jack Bruce/Felix Pappalardi sound I'd be in there like a shot, such a slim, slick neck - so easy to fly around on. If you wanted a more versatile tone, that could be achieved with aftermarket pickups, a new bridge (the original has nylon saddles!), & maybe a pre-amp - but of course that would destroy the originality & on '67 Gibson that'd be a daft thing to do unless you really didn't care a hoot about future value. Only my opinion, Pete

Welcome aboard Maza. The self-teaching approach works fine (in my experience) to begin with, but once you've got the gist of it you may find you learn faster by getting out there with some like-minded souls. The old adage "An Ounce of Application is worth a Pound of Theory" has a lot going for it! Have a hunt around for any local Jam or Open Mic nights - I started going to these about two years back & I reckon I've learned more in that time than in the previous 10 jamming at home to my record collection! Pete.

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' post='704585' date='Jan 7 2010, 06:46 PM']Sad times. I was gonna go and try to get a gig at the Red Lion at the weekend. No need to now. Strange pub,was a Filthy Mac pub for a bit. It's hard enough to find places as it is. The coach and Horses, is that closing too?? I find the guvnor (Richard) to be more interested in making a few bob,rather than look after the bands . (ie ,he'll charge £5.00 admittance fee wether ther's 2 or 22 people watching) Looks like we may be reverting to playing with ourselves ,if ther's nowhere for us [/quote] Slightly similar down my way. The nigh-on 10 year run of the Tuesday jam at the Forest Hill Hotel in Stanstead Road SE23 is under notice - Punch Taverns (spit!) have sold it to a property developer, so it's just a matter of time. We're hopeful that we can relocate it to somewhere local, but... who knows? Still got The Cherry Tree at Norwood Junction on everey other Sunday - trouble is I can never remember which is "the other Sunday"! And of course... for anyone out east... [url="http://www.coachandhorsesbluesjam.com/home.shtml"]The Coach & Horses[/url] is still going strong & coming up for its first anniversary, Pete.

[quote name='iconic' post='704510' date='Jan 7 2010, 05:53 PM']Seriously, almost every learning medium I have come across declares that blues is the mother of all modern funk/disco/rock, everything bar classical, but I can't hear the blues riffs in most of the funk and disco songs that I know and love. educate me please.[/quote] Try these two... Not particularly funky, but the reason I went fretless... Pete

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='703606' date='Jan 6 2010, 10:42 PM'][b][/b]Well, it's 2010 and time for basschat's first planned bash of the year. So far: Date[b][/b]: To be confirmed [b][/b]Time[b][/b]: To be confirmed [b][/b]Venue[b][/b]:To be confirmed Format, Venue link and Map under discussion It's basic at this point, but here's a list that people can add their name to, in the interest of at least having a numbers count and quick reference point. [b][/b]01. Essexbasscat[b][/b] [b][/b]02. Bloodaxe & the usual Aria or two[b][/b] [b][/b]03.[b][/b] [b][/b]04.[b][/b] [b][/b]05.[b][/b] [b][/b]06.[b][/b] [b][/b]07.[b][/b] [b][/b]08.[b][/b] [b][/b]09.[b][/b] [b][/b]10.[b][/b] [b][/b]11.[b][/b] [b][/b]12.[b][/b] [b][/b]13.[b][/b] [b][/b]14.[b][/b] [b][/b]15.[b][/b] [b][/b]16.[b][/b] [b][/b]17.[b][/b] [b][/b]18.[b][/b] [b][/b]19.[b][/b] [b][/b]20.[b][/b] [b][/b]21.[b][/b] [b][/b]22.[b][/b] [b][/b]23.[b][/b] [b][/b]24.[b][/b] [b][/b]25.[b][/b][/quote] EssexBC! I think this is where it starts to get a bit ragged mate! Another (possibly) 20-odd posts like this & we'll be in megathread country before we know it. Perhaps just keep post #1 as the master & assume everybody is just a "possible" for now - it'll soon shape up when we've got venue(s), & some prospective costings/dates. By way of an update on that BTW, I've just about ruled out two in SE8 - Creekside Studios & MusicComplex - on access/parking (one's on the 1st floor & Saturday is Market Day). Couldn't get to the Coach & Horses - jam cancelled due to weather - so that & one in SE23 will have to wait until next week. Pete.

[quote name='TGEvans' post='703609' date='Jan 6 2010, 10:45 PM']Playing kind of post hardcore/punk rock stuff. The kind of stuff I have done in the past but for some reason it feels more natural with a pick this time round.play a five string too so dont know if that makes a difference.who are the pro 5 string pick guys? I know Jason Newstead did ( I think). Went through all my picks today. The 1.5 mil felt good for the lighter stuff but the 2 mil felt better for the heavier stuff.Dunlop picks. [b]What picks do you guys use[/b]?[/quote] How long's a piece of string?* Seriously, you're likely to get as many different answers as people that reply - rather like strings It took me ages & much experimentation before I settled on Jim Dunlop 1mm Black Nylons, so I'd suggest a hunt around on Ebay, get an assorted "grab bag", & see what suits you best. From what you've stated I'd probably tend towards the heavier/stiffer picks, as I guess you want to enhance the edge & clank. Slightly thinner/more flexible ones are good for high-speed "drilling" - for me anyway. Pete. [size=1]*twice the distance from the middle to one end[/size]

[quote name='Musky' post='702148' date='Jan 5 2010, 09:18 PM']There's something strangely cool about that. I wonder if Jon has ever come across something like this? The only tele style bass I can remember were the cruddy Jedsons, and this looks way better than them. And those [b]tuners have something stamped on them that looks suspiciously like 'Fender' [/b]- there can't have been too many factories knocking out those. [/quote] A quick 'n' dirty bit of Photoshoppery confirms that they do bear the F-word. The whole thing looks "manufactured" to me, not slung together.