peteb

I recently acquired a 90s MM stingray in a trade and it's not a bad bass - plays OK, sounds great, etc However, I do have a bit of a problem with the pickup (apart from the usual 'g' string not being loud enough) - the exposed pole pieces are nowhere near flush to the casing and as I anchor my thumb on the pickup and I keep catching my fingertips on the poles, which can get a bit annoying, not to mention painful after a while! Does anyone know if there is any way of adjusting the height of the pole pieces so that they are flush to the casing?

The top of the range Streamers, Thumbs, Dolphins, etc are superb basses - my Stage 1 is great in all depts (sound, feel, looks, construction) Some of the mid range & cheaper ones they produce are not that great thru.....

Bilbo, you think too much - you're obviously a musician!

[quote name='silddx' post='910421' date='Jul 30 2010, 04:49 PM'] It was reading his interview that prompted the post really, but it is something I've thought about for a long time and I have my own thoughts about it. I know plenty of "people who play instruments" to a high technical level but who are primarily songwriters/composers, often they are multi instrumentalists. I also know "people who play instruments" to a high technical level but who can't compose or write songs, or even improvise much. They need to be told what to play and they play it beautifully. To my mind these are two completely different types of people. Zappa's ex band members, some of them are very good at composition and make a living at it, some are pretty poor going by what I've heard. I really believe it's important to make the distinction, especially if you are auditioning band members. It is probably easier to have people who don't have compositional ambitions in your band if you are a control freak and QC all your music yourself. Sometimes you may want band members who can contribute compositionally or improvisationally. I have to be a mechanic in one of my bands, but that's fine because I can still control the dynamics and the tone choices and that's very important. The other band allows me to compose my lines and luckily they go down very well. I am very sensitive to the needs of the song, the singer and the writer. I think I have good compositional skills for pop music and I write pop rock songs and lyrics. I'd be crap at jazz or classical or R&B, Hip Hop, blah blah, though, so there is another distinction one can make. My OP was very poorly worded wasn't it [/quote] I think that you can over intellectualise what being a musician is about? You're role in a band is likely to change from gig to gig (as you say above). If you want to be successful at any level and you want to be the guy that people call for a gig then you need to: learn to play; know enough about music to understand how to put a bass part together; and be the sort of person who the rest of the band can stand being stuck in a van with on a 5 hour trip to Carlisle or wherever! This applies at any level (witness Scott Thunes and Zappa again)! Doesn’t matter how good a player is – if they can’t get on with other musicians, they won’t work! What most bands want is to work with someone who can play who they can have a beer with (but preferably not a raging alcoholic)!!

Nige, i think that you are in great danger of turning into Scott Thunes here! By your definition I am both a bass player and a musician, not that I necessarily accept your definition of musician - the lead violinist in an orchestra may not compose or improvise but still may be a stellar musician! The only instrument that I play to performance level is bass and I play better than I've ever composed so I'm quite happy to be called a bass player!

[quote name='Doddy' post='905676' date='Jul 26 2010, 12:30 PM']It also says something that Zappa was willing to break up the band rather than get rid of Thunes. His playing speaks for itself.Some of his playing was just brilliant,and his growly P-bass with a pick tone is uniquely great.[/quote] Great player, but so was everyone else in that band It's never easy playing with a sociopath, no matter how good they are.........

[quote name='silddx' post='905670' date='Jul 26 2010, 12:28 PM']Regarding your first point, you don't know the story, I don't mean this in a bad way, but you need to read Zappa's view, and the Thunes interview to get a picture of what, as far as we can tell, really happened. Re you second point, that's exactly what Thunes means.[/quote] I have read both the interviews with Zappa and with Thunes, and I think that I can get a pretty fair idea of what did go on - thru to be fair, Zappa didn't have aproblem with him, just everyone else in his band! Don't get me wrong, I was a fan, but I don't see how ST's outlook was any more valid than that of Chad Wackermann et al, who let's face it, were all at least as equally talented!

[quote name='silddx' post='905637' date='Jul 26 2010, 11:55 AM']Nice one Doddy. Other than the Zappa interviews and books I've read, it's the only interview with a mucisian that makes sense to me, and it has taught me so much about what it is to be a musician. Scott Thunes speaks his personal truth in such an open manner and with such disregard for others' opinion about him, that it causes you to examine yourself very deeply, not just musically either. The interview in 'In Cold Sweat. Interviews with Really Scary Musicians' is half the book, and absolutely fascinating.[/quote] I would personally be loathe to base my ideas on what it is to be a musician on Scott Thunes, a guy who has clearly lost the plot and who was in a band full of top musicians who all hated his guts and refused to play with him (thus breaking up one of the best bands ever assembled)! That’s not to say that he hasn’t got a point, but surely getting your particular sound on an instrument is a component of your own personal (musical) voice….

I always kinda assumed that it was a fretless

Has anyone tried a Little Mark Rocker amp yet (the LM with a tube overdrive circuit)? I'm just intrigued as to what they sound like – do they sound like a souped up LM crossbred with a Boogie, like you might hope??

A bit surprised about people here preferring the high hat side of the kit as I always go stage right with a right sided drummer so that I can hear / feel the kick drum! I know that Billy Sheehan always insists on being on the same side as the bass drum, as do most other guys of that kind (just look at any live shot of Van Halen, Ozzy's band, Whitesnake, etc) I always play to the kick drum rather than the hi-hats – dunno, it might be a bit of a rock thing......

I do find it difficult to understand this - surely the reason for buying a great bass is so that you can play gigs with it?? One of the reasons that I would never consider buying something like a 60s Fender (even if I could afford it) is because I would be too scared to take it out!

[quote name='OldGit' post='818904' date='Apr 26 2010, 09:33 AM']Band wanted for wedding: Cardiff, Wed 2nd June 2010 Advert in Cardiff Gumtree: Play a wedding for [b]£200[/b] He says "I want a band / couple of guys on guitars, any kinda set up really who can do a nice 90 - 120 minute set of blues, rock sorta stuff, for my wedding in the Vale of Glamorgan" "Jeff healey band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy waters, BB King, Frank Zappa and so on and so on. " I guess if you are a pub band already doing that sort of stuff for that sort of money it might be different, and it [b]is[/b] on a Wednesday... If you are intersted the ad is [url="http://cardiff.gumtree.com/cardiff/12/56108212.html"]here[/url] Personally I think his mother and mother in law will hate it, and him, for a long time as a result ....[/quote] I don't think he's mad at all - it's his wedding and it should be what he & the blushing bride want for their party, not the future mother-in-law! Lets face it, its gotta be better than I Predict A Riot, tired old motown tunes and Mustang bleedin' Sally all night long! I do think he's being a bit optimistic expecting a blues band to play zappa tunes as well as a bit stingy only paying £200 thru!

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='817025' date='Apr 24 2010, 10:19 AM']I'm going to give it a go, you get nowhere saying no.[/quote] +1 - too true, that's the right attitude! I was just thinking how un punk rock this whole enteprise was until you said that!!

[quote name='witterth' post='797818' date='Apr 6 2010, 05:44 PM']I...just.....wish....I could play "Tommy the Cat" !!![/quote] Me too.... I'm agreeing with Sarah - bastards...!

[quote name='Jono Bolton' post='792235' date='Mar 31 2010, 06:01 PM']I have a Jazz with a set of La Bella Deep Talkin' Flats that I had set up in standard tuning, which I detuned to Eb a few months ago, and I've had no trouble at all with the action or the truss rod. If you're having problems I would think it might be to do with the strings you're using, maybe you need a higher tension string?[/quote] Any suggestions for higher tension (roundwound) strings??

I normally play in standard ('E') tuning and have all my basses play & sound just as I want them to - however, I'm doing a dep for another band in a few weeks and they tune down to E flat! The problem is that I've always struggled on the odd occasions that I have had to tune down - somehow I just can’t get the bass to have the right feel or play as well Has anyone any suggestions on how set up a bass to get the same string tension / tautness, hints on tweaking the set up, are there any other strings that have more tension (all my basses are strung with Elites Stadiums 105 - 45), changes to EQ, etc?? Any helpful tips are very welcome!! Cheers - Pete

[quote name='jjl5590' post='788130' date='Mar 27 2010, 07:35 PM']Hey guys, I've decided to move on from my GK 1001RB-II (it's in the for sale section) in favour of a lightweight head. I had my heart set on the GK MB-500 as I love the GK tone, but i've heard there were problems with it, and since i'm looking to buy used, I'd rather not risk it. Another option is Markbass, but theres just somthing about Markbass that doesn't appeal to me... not quite sure what it is though! Any recommendations, or stay-away-froms' will be much welcome! cheers[/quote] I know what you mean - Markbass gear just didn't appeal to me until I got one out of sheet convenience & being offered a deal too good to turn down! Having owned one I have to say that they are great – if you like GK or SWR you will love Markbass once you get used to the look of ‘em!

[quote name='peteb' post='776561' date='Mar 16 2010, 06:41 PM']Thanks for that Rich Answers a few questions I've always had about the difference between the ceramic & alnico pickups and why I seem to prefer the sound of the 4 string rays to a couple of my mates' 5 strings! May have to consider a 4 string ray if I decide to go down the route of a more traditional option - still can't make my mind up whether I prefer the 2eq or the 3eq thru! Cheers - Pete[/quote] Just acquired a 3eq stingray! First impressions are that it plays nicely, I prefer the neck to the sterling I used to have and that it has a much thicker sound! Also, I need to work out how to use the 3 band eq - any help appreciated!!