peteb

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1360357327' post='1969423'] Nice post, thanks. I think you have painted yourself into the 'literal' camp, maybe you didn't explain it in a way we would understand. But that's clear now. The bass line in the clip, most of the main part of the line falls on the 'and's, between the kick and snare hits, no? [/quote] I think that I probably did, but in my defence I was rather pushed into it...! From a first listening of the clip you seem to be playing with the bass drum - of course what you play in between the kick drum is another thing (as long as it works)! Will have to give it another listen....

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1360353385' post='1969294'] I'm delighted for you Pete. However, there is more to music than blues and backbeats. You can orchestrate bass in millions of ways, as the song requires, even ones with backbeats. I love writing lines with loads of space, or sustained notes I can play with using effects and volume swells and bends and stuff. I see bass as architectural. If the drummer's kicking a good backbeat, you can syncopate and make space glow. You can create new rhythms with interplay with the drummer, or accentuate part of the beat with accents. Good taste and understanding the emotional intent of the words and voice, and feeling the song is the key to getting this right I think. I have to play good ol pumping electro dance bass lines with one band, lines written by someone else. They are fairly straight but I f*** about with them onstage, I leave spaces and play off beat or in triplets, throw in little bits of bass architecture, all what I feel would make me go 'f***in hell!' and want to dance. The drums keep the beat well enough and me and the drummer bugger about a bit together and follow each other outside the straight recorded versions. None of it is intended as nonsense, it creates energy and the crowd feed off that I believe. We certainly go down very well and people dance. This is a decent example of a line that's nowhere near the backbeat with the band I mentioned above [url="https://soundcloud.com/silddx/london-zulu-may-2012-umlhalho"]https://soundcloud.c...y-2012-umlhalho[/url] [/quote] A number of points here:[list=1] [*]First of all, I don’t just play blues by any means – that’s quite a recent thing! In my time I have played many types of music (still do). Admittedly, we are generally talking about rock of one sort or another and usually based on backbeats (or shuffles, of course, for some of the blues stuff). A backbeat / shuffle tend to be the basis of most types of music that most people here listen to (but of course not all), be it rock, funk, blues or soul, etc. [*]Of course if you are not playing a backbeat a lot of what I am saying does not apply! I totally agree that you can do all things that you mention, even when playing a backbeat. You seem to be taking me very literally, not helped by that in the previous debate on this matter I seemed to be forced into a rather absolute position by people who didn’t seem to want to understand what I was trying to say! Of course you don’t have to play a note [b]every[/b] time the drummer kicks the bass drum and you can play melodically when the opportunity arises. However, I would suggest that your fallback position should be to lock into the bass drum pattern unless you have a reason not to, when playing anything with a backbeat. [*]The ‘nonsense’ that I refer to is the bag of tricks that we all have, which we reach into every now & again to hopefully provide a ‘wow’ moment to impress people (fast runs, slapping, whatever). That is all fine, but shouldn’t detract from creating a solid rhythm section. [*]I’m confused by the (pretty cool) clip that you linked to. Granted, it is not exactly a typical AC/DC type backbeat, but you appear to be locking in with the bass drum with a touch of syncopation in the middle section in what is basically a groove based around a backbeat. Sounds really solid and works really well for the track, but I can’t see how it is an ‘example of a line that's nowhere near the backbeat’ (assuming that I have got the correct link)?? [/list]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1360349241' post='1969192'] [/quote] Ace! edit: apologies but stolen and put on facebook as part of an ongoing food conversation already!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1360337023' post='1968925'] I remember a grown up musician on here (can't remember who) saying pretty much every note on the kick drum should be covered by a bass note. I honestly couldn't comprehend why anyone would believe that. Bizarre [/quote] Yep, that will be me and I would strongly suggest that should be the general starting point for any music that is based on a backbeat. Of course, like all rules it can be disregarded at will but IMO that should be the fallback position. For me, the drums and bass should work together as a unit and provide a foundation for the vocals and chordal / lead instruments. One of the nicest compliments I ever received wasn’t someone telling me how impressive my individual bass playing was. It came from a very talented guitarist & vocalist who is reasonably well known and who does sessions in London (Jake Newman has mentioned on here working with him) as well as his own stuff and a few bands (i.e. a very good musician who knows his stuff). He sat in for a couple of tunes on a blues gig I was playing. After the gig, we were chatting and exchanging pleasantries and I mentioned that it was the drummer’s first gig with the band. He seemed genuinely surprised, so I told him that we had played together in a couple of other bands for ten years. His response was that he could tell and that we worked together well and were a really good rhythm section. That meant a lot more to me as a bass player than someone being impressed by the odd bits of nonsense you sometimes throw in!!

[quote name='Earbrass' timestamp='1360277088' post='1968135'] When I first went to secondary school, aged about eleven, there was a boy who clearly had some er, "issues". He would to get very very upset and fly into rages, or tearful tantrums, for reasons that weren't at all obvious to the rest of us. He would often be followed around by groups of pupils just to see what he would do next. This made his behaviour worse, until eventually his parents had to remove him from the school. I am not proud to say that I was one of those who sometimes followed him round to gawp and laugh at his antics. What I've seen on basschat in the last few days with the "inti" issue has reminded me of those times. This can be a wonderful and supportive place, but I don't think this has been its finest hour. [/quote] [quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1360278029' post='1968145'] Agreed, I've been ganged up on by the BC massive before and it's very unpleasant - I notice a few of the same names are involved here. Some people just like to put the boot in and they feel stronger with their gang in support. Very easy on line, but I wonder how tough these people are face to face, one on one. It's all a bit 'Lord Of The Flies' and quite unnecessary. [/quote] Please chaps, lets not get over sensitive about this! What happened was that he posted a video of himself and everybody was very polite about his playing but a few said that it wasn't their cup of Darjeeling. He responded to this furiously, revealing himself to be both arrogant and to have a vastly inflated opinion of his (admittedly quite good) abilities. Worse of all, he showed that has no sense of humour or understanding of the concept of irony, which is obviously going to expose him to ridicule on a forum dominated by British musicians! If you are going to act like a d1ck then you can expect to be treated like one....

I think that the heritage arguement is nonsense for a 77 P bass, but I have to say that when I modded a similar 77 precision that I probably lost about £500 plus when I did eventually moved it on....

[color=#222222]Slightly off topic but another thing to be careful of when buying from ebay is to be sure that the bass comes from where it says it claims it does on the listing.[/color] [color=#222222][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"] [/size][/font][/color] [color=#222222]A few years ago I bought a MM Sterling, supposedly from the UK, but when it was delivered (in a massively oversized carton that you would not assume contained a bass guitar) it had a 'value less than $50' sticker and had obviously been shipped over from the US![/color] [color=#222222][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"] [/size][/font][/color] [color=#222222]Could have cost me quite a bit more than I had counted on if it had been picked up by US customs...[/color]

[quote name='spud19870' timestamp='1359758503' post='1960128'] Thanks for the advice guys. I have been out today trying various bits of kit and I have picked up an Apmeg SVT 410 HLF. It sounded amazing with my Ashdown head and Ibanez bass. Also I will put my old cabs up for sale on here soon!!! [/quote] Good choice - a industry standard, quality workhorse cab! I'm sure that you will notice a marked improvement..... Give it a couple of months and you will want to upgrade your amp!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1359755846' post='1960057'] You better like 12's more than 10's then..... There is a world of difference in my decent 12's and decent 10's..and anyone who says they do the same job sound wise, has cloth ears IMV. Fair enough if you prefer 12's or 15's or whatever but they don't sound the same.... IMO. [/quote] Absolutely....! If you want a 410, get a 410! If your budget stretches to a Barefaced, I would look for a s/h Bergantino. Failing that then maybe a s/h Aguilar or even an Ampeg or an old SWR...

Has anyone tried a G30 with an active bass??

[quote name='DiMarco' timestamp='1359056069' post='1949231'] Doug Pinnick is 62 and still one of the coolest bassists on the planet imho. Don't worry lads age is not the issue. Behaviour is so get out there and behave like a little kid with a really big toy (talking about your bass here). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eX9YouDpaHU [/quote] The point is that dUG has always been cool, so why should be stop now he's 62?? Most of the people posting on here are from the rock & roll generation(s) i.e. late 40s, 50s & 60s - growing up is kinda optional...! Maybe lose a little weight and don't dress or act like an old man (but don't dress like a kid either) but generally just be yourself....

Probably an old SVT2 (before they branded them "pro"). I played thru a SVT classic, which was great and I love my Mesa mpulse, which is as good as anything I've used! Best cab I've ever heard is a Bergantino NV610....

If anyone is going to the Skegness Rock & Blues bash this weekend, I will be playing with Rhythm Zoo. We're the last band on Saturday night after the headliners have finished. I'm believe that we're playing on the stage in Jak's Bar, starting just after midnight. As I understand it will be the only place you can get a drink at that time, so we're the last band of the night! It's the first gig with our new guitar player (who is excellent), so really looking forward to it. Come and say hi after the set if you're around...... Cheers - Pete

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358849478' post='1945869'] And all I'm saying is that a neck pocket gap is only "poor quality" [b]if[/b] the bass has bad sustain. If the bass sustains well then the fit of the neck pocket is not an issue. Chipped paintwork is an entirely different problem and is not what we're discussing. [/quote] If I was looking to buy a bass, chipped paintwork would not bother me at all! Obviously, if it was new I might ask for a small discount off the asking price. However, I would walk away if it had a badly fitted neck pocket. That might hint at some potentially serious issues and these days there are so many other top quality basses available (unlike in the 70s).....

[quote name='lowdowner' timestamp='1358803596' post='1945447'] I'm going to be auditioning for a blues band in a couple of weeks - I've always wanted to play some blues seriously and I'm pretty stoked about it to be honest, but... I've been told that (and I believe it) blues is all about the feel - you need to immerse yourself in plenty of blues music to get with the feel. So, does anyone have any recommendations about what to put on my Ipod to make up a 'classics blues' song list? Obviously I have some, but any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Oh, and any hints and tips about blues playing would be great too [/quote] [color=#222222]What type of blues? Trad Chicago blues, modern blues rock, funky type stuff??[/color] [color=#222222]I started playing in a blues band about three years or so ago having never really played blues before and I got there pretty quickly by listening to the Paul Rodgers’ Muddy Water Blues album as well as a lot of SRV & Walter Trout (in fact, if you really learn Muddy Water Blues back to front you will be well equipped to play most types of blues). I found it easier to listen to a lot of modern stuff as opposed to the old masters, mainly because it is easier to hear the bass player and the arrangements tend to be a bit tighter. [/color] [color=#222222]Good luck, there are lots of great gigs in the UK blues world if you put a bit of effort in and are prepared to travel…..[/color]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358779157' post='1944813'] I'm sure that there are Fenders out there that have issues---they are mass produced instruments, after all---but I honestly think that some people are imagining QC faults that, well, aren't, and are just parroting things they've read on the internet. I'm not sure that a neck pocket gap is necessarily a bad thing. It [b]may[/b] be, but you should judge a bass by picking it up and playing it, not looking at it and thinking "oh, neck pocket gap, must be crap". [/quote] Well if I see a neck pocket gap I think "well that is not going to do much for the sustain" and "if it is that badly built, what else is likely to be wrong with it"? I used to own a P bass with a serious neck pocket gap issue and I have seen plenty of other ones! The Fender I currently own has a perfect neck pocket, but the factory installed bridge was not put on straight (since replaced). I think that some people are in denial here - I have never seen a Musicman with similar issues (nor a Lakland or a Warwick, etc).....

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1358711354' post='1943897'] The majority of the world's iconic basslines were played on Fenders. Some of them probably had BBoT bridges, three-bolt neck joints and gappy neck pockets. [/quote] [color=#222222]Surely that’s the point - Fender make [b]the [/b]most iconic bass guitars, both in terms of sound and looks! Most bass guitar sounds are described in terms of either Precision or Jazz basses and there is something about them (looks, etc) that is just very cool![/color] [color=#222222][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"] [/size][/font][/color] [color=#222222]However, most devotees see their faults and outdated design features as being positive qualities (a bit like Harley riders in the motorcycle world). I would suggest that many builders do Fender better than the original (Lakland et al) and I can’t see why Fender can’t improve their QC and build quality to match their competitors. After all, Musicman seem to manage it ok…![/color] [color=#222222][font="Times New Roman"][size="3"] [/size][/font][/color] [color=#222222]Of course, none of this matters at all and people will obviously just play whatever they want to and the attraction of the Fender brand is a strong one. But this is a forum for discussing bass guitars and it is inevitable that people will talk about the pros and cons of the most iconic brand of bass guitar of all i.e. Fender…..[/color]

I would be tempted to keep looking for something a bit better quality than the Behringer.....

[color=#222222][quote name='urb' timestamp='1358244953' post='1935295'] I worked in the (once) large HMV in Oxford for two years and was the buyer for the 'specialities' section which had a huge jazz range alongside country, folk, world, soundtracks and other stuff - but then I had a chance to work for a music dotcom in 1999 and went for an interview and got the job. I told one of the (arrogant) regional manager's who would swan around the shop once a month (swaggering about like he was a frigging rock star) that I'd got a job on a music website and his immediate response, with a sneering laugh was; "what the internet? that's rubbish..." Well this seems to tallying exactly with the views of the MD as per the above article: [i]"The three greatest threats to HMV are, online retailers, downloadable music and supermarkets discounting loss leader product". [/i] [i]Suddenly I realised the MD had stopped the meeting and was visibly angry:[/i] [i][i]"I have never heard such rubbish", he said, "I accept that supermarkets are a thorn in our side but not for the serious music, games or film buyer and as for the other two, I don't ever see them being a real threat, downloadable music is just a fad and people will always want the atmosphere and experience of a music store rather than online shopping."[/i][/i] It is sad but their business model and their arrogance (like all old school record labels who had it good for so long) they got complacent and then failed to act quick enough when the tide turned against them - the music industry and music fans have changed forever now and while I love going to a good record shop but increasingly artists/bands are getting really good at selling merchandise directly to fans at gigs and that really is the way it's going. If you want to actually buy music (which I still do quite a lot actually) then there's no excuse - it's all there at your finger tips. [/quote][/color] [color=#222222]Yea, absolutely right![/color] [color=#222222]When I was a teenager I used to hang out with my mates at HMV in Bradford, pouring over the new rock imports to see what was new and buying what we could afford. A few years later (in the early eighties) I worked there briefly and couldn’t believe how much it had changed and how little the regional managers knew or cared about music. The wide choice of music available had all but gone and it its place was just a massive storeroom full of hundreds of Madonna & Dire Straits albums. Even at the height of their success, the writing was on the wall as real music enthusiasts couldn’t find what they wanted in the store and had to look elsewhere to track down what they wanted![/color] [color=#222222]It was a breath of fresh air when Amazon appeared – suddenly dozens of albums that I had been searching high and low for were available for £7. Before that HMV either didn’t stock them or would make out they were doing me a favour to order them in (with a wait of at least a couple of weeks) for up to £25 or so![/color] [color=#222222]The last straw was for me was when they started worrying that people would be put off buying Tupac or Foo Fighters albums if they were served by kids with tattoos! When I went for a job there they seemed to be worried that I that my image wasn’t cool enough to work there (early 20s, long hair & a leather jacket) – I pretty much had to point out at the interview that plenty of kids went in the shop to buy AC/DC, Foreigner or Def Leppard albums!![/color]

If you want something that everybody knows, then how about Jungle Boogie by EWF (maybe too 70s for you but well known due to Pulp Fiction) or failing that, 'Give It Away' or something by RHCP. You would probably get away with a lesser known funk song if it wasn't too long and would get punters dancing!

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1358281793' post='1936367'] Guy who auditioned first got the job cause "he just clicked with the rest of the band" [/quote] You can't really argue with that - no reflection on you, just that they found someone who connected with them straight from the off! No reflection on your playing, just wish em luck and who knows, they may call you at some point in the future if the new guy doesn't work out or moves on.....

As far as I understand, Musicman make mass production basses but I've never seen a Stingray with neck pocket issues!

Yes, but we've all seen Fenders with that neck pocket issue. I'm just amazed that they're attention to detail is so lax that they choose that particular bass to be the basis of their catalogue picture! I bought a s/h US Fender off someone from here, but even thru the neck pocket was good it was didn't sound right. I took it to Jon Shuker to sort out who eventually found that the factory installed bridge had been put on at an angle! Never heard of that of any other top manufacturer.....

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1357863720' post='1929899'] You'd better get on to Alex right away and tell he's doing it wrong. [/quote] Actually, it was something that Alex said on here about the success of the design of the old fashioned 810 fridge cab that led me to change to using two 410s! I've never played thru a BF rig, but unless Alex has found a way around the laws of physics and can make a 12 inch speaker move at the same rate as a 10 inch speaker, there is bound to be a phasing issue (see example of ripples in a pond above). Of course, it maybe that the advantages of the rig outweigh this issue for you, but it is still there.....

[quote name='simonc61' timestamp='1357726432' post='1927178'] Michael Corby, is vastly intelligent, and an enormously capable musical, [b]military [/b]and political strategist, and an astounding planner and architect of projects and occurrences.Upon his explanations, it dawned on me the vastness of his planning and designs, and profound thinking, from his early formative years, stretching all the way through his career. I began to take his recommendations seriously." [/quote] So that's where John Waite wemt wrong, losing his key military strategist all those years ago...!