peteb

Does anybody have any suggestions for a compact stand that will hold a jazz bass securely without the arm catching on the jack if the bass is plugged in??

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1390241300' post='2343053'] Measured my hand ok from first to last little finger full stretch is 15 cm. But if I turn my hand like I was holding the bass my stretch is 12 cm uncomfortable max. I don't know how that measures up to others lol. [/quote] Exactly the same as me and I have been gigging regularly for nearly 35 years! I've never needed a bigger stretch in all that time. Keep doing your chromatic 'one finger per fret' exercises and you will be fine...

I had a SWR Goliath Sr, which was a great cab - only sold it (on here) because I changed car and couldn't fit it in the back! The Berg NV610 is also a brilliant cab, one of the best I've ever played thru...

American pro touring drummer, Layla Hall, is doing a drum clinic at Guitar Zone in Halifax on Saturday (18 January). I believe that ticket prices are a very reasonable £5 and it all kicks off at 4.00pm. I will be playing in her backing band along with Anglo-Irish blues guitar player Paddy Maguire. Layla is quite different from most of her contemporaries; not least because most road hardened drummers are generally not rather petit slips of a girl! Any drummers here will not fail to be impressed by her technique and grove, whilst others will marvel at her playing the drumset with her dreads and other party tricks! Later on, we will be reconvening at the Cross Keys in Siddal (just outside Halifax town centre) where we will be joined by a few selected guests for an evening’s musical entertainment. These include Lorna Fothergill on Vocals (Northsyde), Jules Fothergill on Guitar (Northsyde), Jenna Hooson on Vocals (The Jenna Hooson Band), Sean Fitzpatrick on Drums (Gerry & The Pacemakers), Marcus Lazarus on Guitar (Band on The Run) and hopefully a couple of special guests who are rather well known on the national (and international) blues scene…

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1389611061' post='2336000'] I wanted to buy a house and I recalled people who were considered as not so capable at school having all these things around the age of 30... That is when I realised that you needed an income 52 weeks a year. Earning 'good' money in a week wasn't so much the problem...but being able to do it week-in, week-out was... To this day, this is still very true with all my 'pro' mates. Also, I didn't know, or wasn't as confident as to how good you had to be... I am far more comfortable with that equation now...but am not remotely interested in it.. having said that........... should a good tour come along, yes, I'd do it.. but that is because I can afford to. [/quote] Pretty much this - it seems to be pretty much feast or famine for my 'pro' mates and these days the feasts do not seem to be as big as they used to be! Many of them would like to have a day job that gave them a regular income and allowed them to play music they liked rather than constantly stuff they hate in function bands. Of course it is difficult to suddenly find a worthwhile day job from scratch when you are in your 40s/50s and spent the past 30 years as a musician. Still, swings and roundabouts - they have played with and met lots of their heroes and done gigs and been to places that I can only dream about...

BTW - I restrung the bass yesterday and, yes, it does feel tighter and more responsive! Of course, that could be partly because I have used stiffer strings (DR Low Riders) but it certainly does have a different feel to it... No idea if this will influence the sound in any way, but I have a rehearsal with one band on Tuesday an two gigs with another next weekend so I shall see then...

I was being facetious – did I really need to add a smiley?? Not strictly about songwriting, but still pertinent… [url="http://www.audioprointernational.com/news/read/ben-hammond-public-misconception-of-the-music-industry/06700"]http://www.audioproi...-industry/06700[/url]

Perhaps there should be an hourly rate for songwriters, where they are paid for the quantity of their output rather than how good or successful their songs are??

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1389478640' post='2334714'] So an element, the song, that is essential for the covers band, is the only element not compensated. They get the song for free. But without it they have nothing to perform. [/quote] But the writer is paid for the performance of their song, via the PRS licence - it's just the Landlord pays for it rather than the covers band (who would otherwise have to factor this cost into the fee that they would have to charge the pub)

[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1389365121' post='2333392'] I've strung the Jazz both ways and not noticed any difference in sound, maybe, and I might be imagining it, but through-the-body stringing does seem to give the string a little more tension, a tighter feel? I read somewhere that some slap players string the E & A through the bridge and the D & G through the body, but that just confused me when I tried it. [/quote] A slightly tighter feel is all I'm hoping for, as the Bishop said to the Actress! I will try and re-string the bass over the weekend and see how it goes...

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1389382058' post='2333748'] Definitely agree with that, I found some comments rather ill considered in fact damn right rude (I brought a comfort strap and apparently put it on the wrong way round! his comment to someone down the phone " he doesn't even know which way round a comfort strap should go") err actually no and I still put it on which ever way feels best but he does know his stuff and he wants you to buy the right gear for you, enjoy your visit and wear a thick skin in advance [/quote] Actually, I find his approach rather refreshing. Far better than some salesman talking b0110cks trying to tell me that there is no difference between Lakland Skyline basses (which he stocks) and US made Laklands (which he doesn't) except for price! Gimme a break...

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1389381979' post='2333746'] Seems a fair summary to me, though you missed out the arrogance of MPs accepting an 11% pay rise under the same circumstances. [/quote] I wouldn't argue with you there! Going back to the OP, I've been reading the (rather fascinating) interview with the three members of the Police that started all this. It does seem that the interview was laced with a large dose of black humour / alcohol and apparently Sting does give a significant share of his Police publishing royalties (15% each) to Summers and Copeland, which seems fair enough. Perhaps Sting isn't such a bad chap after all...!

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1389378809' post='2333673'] How could the banks 'demand' anything of the taxpayers? More likely, I suspect, that they knew full well that they were so important to our current society (however right or wrong we think that may be) that they knew that government would not dare risk the wrath of the general public by letting their puny savings disappear as the banks sank without trace. Would you rather lose your music collection or all your money overnight? I can't see much public support for bailing out a bankrupt former-millionaire musician can you? [/quote] I don’t think there was much support from the public to bail out millionaire bankers to be honest, even if there was little alternative! I think that the whole affair demonstrated the impotence of the Government when dealing with the banking sector that had become too powerful and the folly of previous administrations who failed to regulate the industry a long time before for fear of angering the golden goose! It also demonstrated the arrogance of the banking sector when they attempted to return to the massive bonus culture, whilst the country is still reeling from the damage that the meltdown that their industry had caused…

Some people seem to be very much undervaluing signwriting here, because somehow they van not equate it with a 9 to 5 job. I struggle to understand this – surely if you create something of value then you should continue to benefit from it for as long as it is of value! It is irrelevant if it took you 30 minutes or three months to write that song, the only thing that matters is how good that song is ! I thought that the point of the OP was about Sting / Andy Summers and how different parts of the process are rewarded? Why does the guy who writes down the lyrics and melody get 100% of the spoils and the guy who came up with the guitar hook that turned it from just another pop song into a massive hit get nothing??

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1389356354' post='2333184'] I'm not convinced about 'right and proper' but it is consistent, which is why I find it curious that we're generally happy to slag off bankers' bonuses while admiring Noddy Holder for making half a million, or whatever, every Christmas on the back of something he did 30 odd years ago. [/quote] Well, you see that Noddy Holder created a very good song that caught the imagination of the public and was generally beneficial in a modest way to society. Whereas, certain elements of the banking profession pursued a high risk, short-term strategy to maximise their bonuses that created a mound of toxic debt. This plunged the country into a dreadful recession, causing many other people who never ever benefitted from their rather shady endeavours to lose their livelihoods. Also, as far as I am aware Mr Holder has never been declared bankrupt then demanded that the taxpayer pay off his debts whilst allowing him to continue to receive his huge royalties…

This seems to be a bit of a grey area, where sometimes the guy who comes up with a distinctive riff that defines a hit song gets the credit and sometimes they don’t. I’m damn sure that Richie Blackmore did alright out of Smoke On The Water…! It most have been a pretty good guitar riff that Andy Summers came up with as it inspired three US no 1 hits – the other being Missing You by John Waite! Come to think of it, I’m surprised that Waite didn’t sue P-Diddy as well, as the subsequent version owes more than a little to Waite’s take on this musical idea. Perhaps Waite didn’t sue as it would have left him open to questions about where he got the song from and perhaps Sting didn’t sue John Waite as he didn’t write the riff in the first place…

Mark is a really nice guy and can be very talkative when he gets the chance, bearing in mind he is a one man operation and always seems to be really busy. Beware that he is a man with very definite views, which may not be the same as yours! That is not to say that your way of doing things is wrong, but be prepared to be challenged a bit - he never read the memo about the customer always being right!! However, he does know his stuff and he may give you a new perspective on certain types of gear, etc...

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1389168629' post='2330736'] I presume these other people are not bassists - I think I can guess what instrument they play. I must say this problem has never affected me though I've been asked by other musicians who I wasn't working with why I didn't use a Precision!! I think that people have not been bothered what instrument I used (though some would probably have baulked at a Flying V bass or similar!!) and were interested in how the sound and playing enhanced the music as a whole. A Stingray probably looks very similar to a P or a J to Joe Public particularly in sunburst or black. I see this analogous with the electrician questioning or dictating what instrument the carpenter should use or at a different level, the vicar or accountant dictating the equipment the surgeon should use.......... Thankfully for many of us the above doesn't happen as a result of professional or craft rules and legislation - there has long been a belief amongst some musicians that owning of guitars by some people should be outlawed!!!!!!!! [/quote] I think that many bandleaders (not just guitarists) just feel a warm glow of reassurance when they see you pull a Precision out of the bag (US Fender of course)! It depends on genres, but generally passive Fenders seem to be in fashion these days - just look at the posts from many bass players on this very forum. Personally I would prefer the heft of a Precision rather than a Jazz if I am forced to use a passive bass. Having said that, someone has just sent me a youtube clip of me playing a passive Nash Jazz a couple of years ago and it sounds great out front, but I was never convinced with what I was hearing on stage...

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1389125122' post='2330408'] listen to Boz Burrell on a fretless P on tunes like Feel Like Making Love - Bad Company. [/quote] FWIW - Boz also used a Stingray in Bad Company! I had a Stingray for a while that I acquired as makeweight in a trade for an old P bass that I wasn't using! It was never my main bass (even though I gigged it a fair bit) and I moved it on after a while. However, it was definitely one of those basses that I missed after I'd sold it and I wouldn't mind another one at some point! I certainly never had any problem with it not being heard in a mix! Having said all that, I may well buy another P bass when a couple of basses I have for sale eventually go. This will be because a lot of the people that I might end up playing with seem to prefer them at the moment...

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1389106932' post='2330047'] It's sometimes nice when other musos see you putting your Fender back in the case and you flip it over and they see the ferruled holes in the back and give you that 'Ooh its a US model' look. Pure snobbery I know... [/quote] I've had four US Fenders in total over gawd knows how many years and only one could be strung thru the body. Except that I couldn't as I had put a decent bridge on it that removed that option...

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1389049413' post='2329437'] Is there going to be a difference ? [/quote] Dunno - that's why I'm asking... [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1389049634' post='2329442'] It changes the compliance of the string because the break angle is different. TBH you need to try both ways and see which one you prefer. [/quote] I'm minded to try it out to see what difference it makes but wonder how it it is likely to affect the compliance i.e. will it increase the tautness / 'perceived tension' of the string (I know that it won't change the actual tension by the scientific definition)?

I have a new bass that needs its first change of strings and has the option of stringing thru the body, but I never strung a bass in this way before. It has a low action and I prefer a tight feel to the strings. The bass is a Xotic XJ-1T 4 with a Hipshot A style bridge. I'm sure that this has probably been discussed here before but can anyone tell me what are the pros and cons of stringing a bass in this way??

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1388520014' post='2323096'] That's keyboard players for you. I've worked with loads and there's definitely something wrong with 'em. [/quote] The good ones do tend to be a bit of a strange breed! I have done quite a few gigs in the past where the band leader tended to go off-piste like that a fair bit, but at least we all knew where we stood and that was the deal when we signed up. The material tended to be pretty straightforward stuff (mainly blues based) and there were a lot of fingers being raised in the air to indicate the next chord change, etc. It was great fun and there were not too many train wrecks – it certainly kept you on your toes! However, I’m sure that the band would have generally done better if we had kept to an actual set list… The guitar player once called a Bob Seger track to end a first set in Burnley of all places and a punter came up to tell the drummer at half time how much he had enjoyed that particular song. He was genuinely amazed that the said drummer had absolutely no idea what the song was and had never heard it before he had started to play it that night…

Hey, I am not getting nostalgic for the times when a decent bass cab was so heavy you could barely lift it on your own. However, weight is not the main factor in determining what cab I would buy as long as it is not so heavy that I can hardly lift out of the van at the end of the night! I’m not knocking Barefaced here, I heard someone use one at a gig a couple of weeks ago and it sounded fine. It’s just that I’m not bothered about whether I can lift a cab one handed!

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1387066322' post='2307987'] I'd just like to say I've never knowingly heard anything by him before and that cover was truly f*cking aweful. (keep yourself alive). It was like a small kid showing off his tricks. The lack of humility or feel for the original material for an apparent musician is extraordinary. [/quote] I think that you (and others here) are kinda missing the point! If you look at another of one of my favourite guitarists, say Billy Gibbons. You don’t go and see the Rev Billy G and expect him to shred, you want to appreciate his touch, feel and sparse but expert note choices, all delivered with an eccentric sense of humour. Likewise, you know that Yngwie is going to assault your senses with an over the top display of prestigious technique, incredible musicality, fierce attack and absolutely no taste whatsoever! Personally, I think that the Queen cover is a stunning display of guitar playing and is great fun without (for once) taking himself too seriously (and I am a big fan of the original). You may not appreciate it or indeed you may not like Yngwie. However you should at least acknowledge that he is an incredible player and has influenced many other top guitarists, many of whom have gone onto to make far better records than he ever has himself (e.g. Paul Gilbert / Mr Big, etc). PS. If you think that Keep Yourself Alive is over the top, you should hear his pass at Gimme, Gimme, Gimme by ABBA…! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cUClZiUXsc