peteb

[quote name='JTUK' post='1368518' date='Sep 10 2011, 01:19 PM']I agree.... I think it is pure profiteering by the accountants that drive production cost to the cheapest place..maybe understandably from their POV. This tech isn't the youngest so I guess the weight is an issue for him as well...but he'll say the same thing about Booigies as well...although I agree he'll see more gtr amps that basses from that maker. I can only report what he said.... FWIW, he also said the design stage of the pre amp of my bass amp was wrong or rather not as he would design it, so he seems pretty confident of his stuff. and I do actually know of his pedigree. I just think he has no axe to grind....he calls it as he sees it and having been in the biz for so long, I would imagine he's seen a lot.[/quote] A mate of mine is a tech who says exactly the same about ampegs & boogies, although he will admit that once you sort out any problems then a boogie sounds great!

Glad it worked out Nice one!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1359159' date='Sep 1 2011, 07:52 PM']I'm exactly the same. Nothing more to add. Wish I'd learned more theory skills, but I was busy having fun instead. I have lost gigs through not being able to read, but what the hell. I can compose my own stuff by ear.[/quote] In more than 30 years of gigging, generally with good quality players (some who have been in bands with decent record deals, some who have toured the world as sidemen with household names) I have never lost a gig thru not being able to read! I have however lost gigs thru not being able to sing very well.......

I'm sure that I've seen a UK site that sells Warwick parts Does anyone know who the UK distributor is these days? [quote name='TheGreek' post='1344615' date='Aug 18 2011, 05:19 PM']JOOI what parts are you after??[/quote] Just a couple of screws for a bridge saddle for a Stage 1

I vaguely remember that someone here once posted a link for a site that supplies genuine parts for Warwick basses I don’t suppose that anyone still has the link??

[quote name='Doddy' post='1343735' date='Aug 17 2011, 09:54 PM']I do have a Roscoe. My most used instrument over the last 18 months or so has been my Fender Deluxe Jazz V (Mexican) and my favourite instrument is a mid '90's Japanese Fender Jazz. Every instrument I own has been used on gigs,I don't care how much it is.If I wouldn't gig it,I won't buy it. If someone wouldn't take their cheaper bass out on a gig I think it says more about them than anything else.[/quote] I hope that it doesn’t sound like I’m having a go or anything because I’m not at all, and obviously it works for you, who earns a living as a professional musician. But I am interested that you will take out a MIM Fender when you have a Roscoe, especially as I have never rated any MIM Fenders that I have ever played (or indeed many American ones) and that you could pick up a secondhand Warwick or EBMM relatively cheaper (say £600 to £700)! The guys I’m talking about bought the cheaper basses for a particular purpose, i.e. teaching and use the nicer basses for gigging & recording. They tend not to have too many expensive basses hanging around as (unlike me and many others here) they have to use their earnings from music to pay the mortgage!

[quote name='TheGreek' post='1343739' date='Aug 17 2011, 09:57 PM']If the majority of people are voting under £800, how come there are so many MM stingray/bongo/Big Al, MIA J/P, Status, Wal, Jaydee, Goodfellow owners on this site?? Are they not voting or are they getting their gear extremely cheap from somewhere??If it's the latter can I have the address please??[/quote] Buy secondhand! I got a Warwick Stage 1 from ebay for £435 and a EBMM stingray in a deal worth about £700. Someone has got a great looking bongo up in the for sale section here for less than £800!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1342614' date='Aug 17 2011, 12:52 AM']A Tokai SG that cost me £100 (edit....this was at the Italian Grand Prix last year) For what it's worth,the only instrument I own that cost me over a grand (and not by much) is my electric upright.[/quote] I thought that you had a Roscoe?? For what it’s worth, most of the guys I know who play the same sort of gigs that you do tend to have: a workhorse bass, nearly always a 5 string, often expensive but certainly not cheap; a secondary bass, often a 4 string, something like a stingray or a MIA Fender; and a cheap but cheerful MIM Fender to be used for teaching or the occasional free for all jam session, but you never see them gigging the cheap bass!

[quote name='Doddy' post='1341383' date='Aug 16 2011, 12:29 AM']No....Rock stars get given them. Back to the OP....I really don't know what you are getting at. It doesn't matter how much money you spend on an instrument-it's what you play on it that is important. Spending a fortune doesn't make you pro-all it means is you spent a fortune.Likewise,spending a couple of hundred pounds doesn't make you any less of a pro. Take a player like Paul Westwood,who has played with so many people both live and on record...his main bass is a Hohner Steinberger copy. I find the whole concept of 'pro-level' gear to be bogus and a pure marketing ploy to get people to spend more money.[/quote] A question for you mate.... what is the cheapest bass that you have used on a pro gig in the last few years?? Genuinely interested to know……

They may look as gay as a very gay thing but great band! Excellent stuff and a great bass player........

Well played sir!

Anyone playing at the Maryport Blues Festival at the weekend?? I’m playing with the Paddy Maguire Band on the trail at the Captain Nelson on Saturday night and the Maryport Rugby League Club on Sunday night. I understand that we will be the house band for a late night jam session on both nights after our set – I believe that a few special guests from the main stage will be coming over to have a blast after they’ve finished! If anyone here is playing or just going along to watch and fancies a beer or two, come up and say hi – you may even find yourself sitting in on the jam session if you’re up for it……….!!

Just bought a nice Lake Placid Blue Jazz Bass from Oli – a great guy to deal with, very smooth transaction, good communications, seems to know his stuff, bass was packaged really well and was happy to come to an equitable agreement about paypal fees & delivery, etc A nice guy and a pleasure to deal with………

[quote name='markstuk' post='1303481' date='Jul 14 2011, 01:02 PM']For me this is the "classic" Warwick.... And at a great price... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145599&hl="]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=145599&hl=[/url][/quote] To be a "classic" Warwick, I would argue that it would have to be a neck-thru! Still a great bass at a great price.....

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1302765' date='Jul 13 2011, 07:32 PM']For what you'd pay for a new Pro/Artist series Warwick you could have my German made 1990 Streamer Stage I (neck-thru and active)... [/quote] Now that is a proper Warwick! Having owned a few myself, I would recommend that anyone after a Warwick goes after something similar to that one i.e. a second hand german built top line model, preferably neck thru. After all, they are going so cheaply these days, why compromise when the top models are such good value? Personally I wouldn’t bother with the Rockbass or even the mid range models (such as the Fortress, etc) – they are nothing special IMO...!

Mars Cowling ('classic' Pat Travers line up) Tony Franklin

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='1300050' date='Jul 11 2011, 04:16 PM']Sarzo's rock star looks and posing have served him well over the years. He replaced Bob Daisley (a far superior player) in Ozzy's band and then replaced Neil Murray ( a far superior player) in Whitesnake.[/quote] Both decent bassists but far superior to Sarzo?? Have to disagree there! I don't see anything wrong with RS on this clip - quite restrained really, he just has aged better than the others!

Gigging for 33 years since my mid teens Highs: • Playing with a few really good musicians who should have become big names but just missed out, mainly because they just never got the big break (or because they were too pigheaded to compromise and take full advantage of the opportunities that they did have) • Playing in a rock/metal covers band with some really good mates up until recently that on our day were as good as any similar band that I have ever seen – I would challenge any band to live with us at some of the big gigs / bike rallies we played early on in our time together! • Same band – thru a strange set of circumstances we ended up playing a number of very successful and lucrative function gigs (playing a set pretty much based on Van Halen covers) that culminated in us playing at the Café Royale in London with Chas and Dave going on directly before us! • Playing last weekend at a blues festival – great venue on a decent stage with a big appreciative crowd – the band played great and stormed the gig, getting loads of great feedback, offers for other festivals, etc • Probably most of my best friends are people I have either played with at some point or met thru gigging (used to come to shows, in other bands, etc) Lows: • Missing out on a couple of really good gigs because of my rubbish harmony vocals • Stopped playing seriously for a little while in my early 20s when I first moved to London and quite possibly missed out on a few opportunities • Played with a couple of a**holes along the way (surprisingly few considering)

Just to clarify, no one is suggesting that you should copy every bassline exactly note for note and you certainly don't need to use the identical amp settings, use the same bass or wear a similar hat to the original bass player! I have two general rules of thumb: ‘good enough’ usually is not; and the difference between okay and great is largely down to nuance (but not as much as ability)……..

[quote name='Doddy' post='1298156' date='Jul 9 2011, 12:32 PM']But there you are talking about playing a part differently....Who is going to notice if you are fretting a low D on a five rather than drop tuning and playing an open string?[/quote] I agree that no one should care if you play an open drop D note or fret it on the low string of a fiver. However, there are plenty of (mainly) rock tracks that require you to utilise an open string, such as Slither or, say Mr Brownstone (to keep the GnR comparison going!

[quote name='Johnston' post='1298099' date='Jul 9 2011, 11:36 AM']So a load of pissed up punters who usually can't remember how they got home are going to remember that the bassist used an open note and critique you whilst drunk because you fret the note instead I play the intro riff to sweet child different from any version I know. Ironically I use open notes rather than staying around the 12th fret. In something like 8 years no one noticed. Not even the rest of the band. Heck I listened to my mates bands demo and he plays lines that are nothing like the originals. Now either No one notices or no one cares. Because they are booked up something like a year in advance and play something like 3 times a week and nearly every night in the Works Christmas do period.[/quote] So you play a very well known song completely wrong and you think that no one notices or cares?? You're having yourself on mate...........

[quote name='Doddy' post='1297790' date='Jul 8 2011, 10:56 PM']As long as you're playing the right notes,it doesn't matter what you are tuned to. If I'm playing a five string,like I do 90% of the time,should I still tune down a semitone to match the recording? There's no point,I've got the notes under my fingers anyway.[/quote] Sorry, but that is just wrong for a lot of riff based rock songs Try playing for example 'Slither' by Velvet Revolver, a fast open string riff in drop D tuned down half a step on a 5 string in standard tuning and make it sound right? It just won't work.....

[quote name='Johnston' post='1297774' date='Jul 8 2011, 10:48 PM']And do you think a load of pissed up punters would notice the difference?[/quote] Believe me, they will notice the difference if they've seen another band play it properly the week before!

I will be travelling up to Scotland this weekend with the Paddy Maguire Band to play three gigs in two days, in Edinburgh and at the Dundee Blues Bonanza: Friday 1 July (7.30pm) – Wistlebinkies, 4-6 South Bridge, Edinburgh Saturday 2 July (teatime) – The Dog House, 15 Ward Road, Dundee Saturday 2 July (9.30pm) – the Underground, 25 South Tay Street, Dundee You may not be too surprised to find out that it’s a pretty loud blues rock band with a great frontman. Anyone who is into that sort of stuff and is in Dundee for the Blues Bonanza or out in Edinburgh on Friday, please look out for us and come and say hello and maybe have a beer….. Cheers – Pete