peteb

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396347045' post='2412449'] If you are playing with just one gtr you could always jazz up the turn rounds drop down to the 6th and henstacked 4ths which will turn you round onto the root just in time. That Rosco Beck vid shows a few pointers in that regard [/quote] What on earth does that mean?? I've played the blues circuit up and down the country and I have never heard anyone use the term 'henstacked 4ths'...

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1396299980' post='2412141'] Quite so. HM is for individualist musos. Any homogeneity of appearance - white, male, long hair, tatts, black t-shirt - is just evidence of their rejection of bourgeois ideas of 'conformity'. We must excuse Bilbo for - as a Jazzer - he embraces a musical form which has absolutely no predetermined image in the eye of the public. [color=#ffffff].[/color] [/quote] Or indeed any interest whatsoever from the public! Of course, we must remember that Bilbo was once a fully paid up member of the HM community before he saw the error of his ways and took up jazz as a penance…

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1395303002' post='2400776'] I just want to make it clear that everyone in Kit's band has a day job, including Kit. None of us is involved in music for the money, we are in the band (and other bands) because we are passionate about music. Of course most of us would love to make music our sole source of income, but I think we all want to be in a successful band, rather than the session/teaching/cover band/pit gig route. [/quote] BTW - I wasn't having a go at you or your band in any way! We all lose gigs we love from time to time and of course it can be very frustrating. But there is always something around the corner - a new gig and a new challenge...

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1395320809' post='2401032'] I'm not sure if it's that unusual but I always take plasters. Never know when there's going to be some equipment related accident. Or blisters. Edit to add - they have to be fabric plasters. Can't play with waterproof plasters on your fingers. [/quote] Very difficult to play wearing plasters so I always have superglue in my gigbag. Obviously you just superglue over any blisters or cuts on your fingers. Also, a couple of spare clean tee shirts...

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1395258795' post='2400422'] The music industry is only interested in money. But then plenty of musicians are too. [/quote] IME if a musician is only interested in money then they should have trained to be an accountant or a lawyer! A lot of musicians are overly interested in glory but at the first sniff of a bit of money become completely infatuated with it! Onwards and upwards...

I've gone off black basses as a rule these days (despite having owned a few in the past), but tort on black with a maple neck can still look pretty cool...

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1394240027' post='2389569'] If I played Tempus Fugit with RS's tone, the whole song would sound completely different. Same as if I played Pull Up To The Bumper with CS's tone. The bass tone affects the music quite substantially. [/quote] True, but rather extreme examples! You could play different types of music with the same tone and although it may well sound completely different it could work equally as well in both musical situations (reggae and prog rock stretching this concept somewhat)…

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1394237918' post='2389553'] I don't agree with that mate. Otherwise Chris Squire would sound the same as Robbie Shakespeare. [/quote] I have to agree with you there very strongly…! To cross-reference with another thread, it certainly true that a lot of your tone is in your fingers but, when it comes down to it, a hell of a lot of it is down to EQ. Hence the huge difference in sound between Chris Squire and Mr Shakespeare…

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1394235836' post='2389526'] Exactly. [/quote] Funnily enough, I have a completely different approach to you. However, I don't think that is really the issue here! I basically use the same tone for every occasion and would never use a pod or similar if I could help it. But the main thing is to have the basic tone in your head, know how to use the EQ to get there and not be too anal about it…

People can get way too hung up on this subject…! There are hundreds of great bass tones out there and even more bad ones! Pick a good tone that you like and works with the music that you play, then get a decent amp that can deliver what you have in your head and learn how to EQ it. All you need then is a good playable bass that is compatible with that sound and forget about it and concentrate on playing…! The chances are that you will have to compromise many times (use different amps, etc.), but if you have a decent technique and know how to use the EQ on an amp, you should pretty much get a decent sound that is something close to the tone that you want…

Actually, I think that generally, only chrome looks right on traditional ‘Fender’ shape basses. On more modern designs I much prefer gold (or black) hardware…

Well, if nothing else I have learnt something from this thread. I was under the same misapprehension about Basswood as the OP! Enjoy the Fodera, absolutely cracking instruments. However, speaking as someone who compulsively mods most basses that pass thru my hands – even I wouldn’t take a router to a £3.5k Fodera…!

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1393889960' post='2385624'] Look out for a used one in the US. If there's a dealer with a used or ex-demo one then they can ship outside of US. [/quote] A few years ago, I actually got a quote from Bass Central for shipping a used Musicman over here. I didn’t go ahead with it in the end but they seemed more than happy to deal with me and ship to Blighty...

You may wish to show your guitar player the following YouTube clip, where a seemingly slightly drunk Nuno goes through the main guitar parts and solo – showing you how to pay them properly! You might find it useful for some of the unison runs as well. Probably not the easiest song in the world to cover…! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU5PCcrjmAk There are also clips of him running thru other songs of the Pornograffitti album. Really shows you what a great guitar player he is…

Round here cover bands on pub gigs are expected to go on on at 9.30 (gig o'clock as it is often known), play for 45 minutes and take a longish break to allow punters to have a chat then go back on at 11.00 to finish exactly at midnight. This is what most landlords generally want and bands structure their sets accordingly. This tried and tested approach seems to keep the most punters there until the bar closes. You may lose a few who have to leave early but you can't please everyone can you? Seems to me that the band you saw had been pretty professional about it and got the set timings spot on...

Just count yourself fortunate that your new office is not on an industrial estate in Warwick...!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1392045603' post='2363959'] Have I been lucky and not realised it? Is there some kind of Monster cable lottery that I have won without even realising? Is mine the 1 in 10 that makes the grade? I bought it from a shop in Norwich, and just assumed it would work . I was right ! As far as I can tell, that is... [/quote] Actually I have been using Monster cables for years with no problems at all; they’re excellent (thru rather expensive). However, just to ensure that I am not too far away from the herd – I do use obbm speaker cables, which are really good as everybody here will testify…

Prefer stage right with a right sided drummer, as favoured by Billy Sheehan and many other hard rock bass players – allows you to hear / feel the bass drum better. Conventional wisdom these days seems to insist that you should set up on the hi-hat side...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1391179690' post='2354229'] Yes, that really sucks giant mythical plums. And it's usually because the first time the 'singer' has 'sung' it is at ****** rehearsal!! [/quote] Or the first time they have tried to sing the songs with a band behind them! Surely the answer to 'how many rehearsals' should be as many as you need! That will depend on how complex the arrangements are and how closely you are going to stick to the recorded versions, how much you are going to do withe the BVs (which can take take up most of the rehearsal time IME), not to mention any singer and key issues! Of course, if you have already played together and have done the songs before then you won't need many rehearsals...

I had one for a while. Nice idea but stopped working after a few months...

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390910075' post='2351073'] So what are you suggesting, some sort of union closed shop that only allows 'good' bands to play anywhere? [/quote] If only that was possible...

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1390421828' post='2345347'] Hi Pete! How is the jazz? I think you'd probably have to get a ultimate gs100 or a hercules gs414b or 415b, something that hangs from the headstock rather than resting on the base. [/quote] Hi Oli The jazz is a bit different from how you may remember it now – it has had a couple of visits to John Shuker’s place and undergone a bit of fret dressing in addition to currently sporting a Schaller bridge, Bartolini pickups and a John East circuit. It looks and sounds great, although possibly a touch on the heavy side! I already have one of the larger Hercules stands but wondered if anyone knew of a smaller stand that would fit into a gig bag but still be able to accommodate a jazz. I have already left the stand at a gig once and tend now to use a MB Basskeeper, but wouldn’t mind finding a suitable smaller stand (if one exists)!