Doddy

Joe Cleveland is all over the place at the minute. He's tearing it up with so many artists. Check out his pkaying on Mac Millers Tiny Desk Concert- everyone talks about Thundercats playing on 'Whats the Use', but Joe nails the rest of the set.

I think having improved parts and materials are completely worth the extra money. I'm not against the idea that cheaper instruments can get the job done. I've got a Sire V7 that I've played on a bunch of shows, and I think it holds up very nicely against most new basses in the sub £800 range, but when compared to my high end instruments the difference is night and day. It just doesn't have the finesse in playability or tone. I could take the Sire and spend more than it cost on new hardware and pickups and stuff, but it wouldn't up the value of the bass. It would still be a £400 Sire that has now cost £7-800. When you start looking around that price, you are getting to a point where you can buy a higher quality used bass that is arguably a better instrument at every point. I really think it's worth spending a bit more and getting a bass that is made of decent wood, has quality hardware and electronics, and better attention to detail.

I disagree. Sure you can buy a decent instrument for £400 but it's more than that. If you want something like all Hipshot hardware and Nordstrand pickups (for example), you're already looking at that budget, even on a mass produced CNC bass. Decent parts cost money. If you go to a luthier then you're also paying for their time and skill, like any other tradesman.

It's not completely wrong. The first time through at least, it's a low F#. It does play it an octave higher on the repeats though. Where it is wrong, is it's written in double time.

On a Precision, I have volume and tone wide open- on a PJ, I'll add the J pickup if I'm slapping. On a Jazz I have bridge pickup and tone wide open, with the neck pickup rolled back to 50-75%. With active instruments, I generally have both pickups on full and the EQ either flat or with a slight mid scoop. I really only use EQ for minor tweaks.

Unless he recently started playing Ashdown again, he switched to Aguilar a few years ago.

I bought a couple of the Little Bear pedals for well under £20. They sound really nice for the price. In fact, a guitarist I work with loved the Rat clone so much he swapped me his Subdecay Proteus for it.

Whereas I'd completely disagree. It's got flash and technique, but there is some nice phrasing and melodic lines in there because of how he's instantly playing what he's singing, and he throws in a couple of things for comedic effect. It's a really good, and relatively short, solo.

I have some loyalty to the companies that I have endorsement deals with, but for the most part I like trying out different gear. I did have 8 or 9 Fender basses at one point, but I'm down to 6 now (with one being out on long term loan), but I buy from certain brands because I like what they do rather than because of their name.

Excitement? Anticipation? Encouragement?

I've realised that over the years.

Interesting, because every gig I've either played or watched which featured drum and bass solos, those are the moments that seem to get some of the biggest applause. Especially drum solos. I'm genuinely surprised that so many bass players have such a dislike for bass solos, and solos in general.

Depends on the gig. On a jazz gig, I want to play something interesting and melodic over the changes. If it's a more pop type gig, I try to keep the groove and add embellishments. The most important thing is keeping within the style you're playing- you're not going to start playing a slap solo over a jazz ballad, or going well outside the harmony on a funk gig.

Matty is a nice guy, and a really good drummer and singer. He's been putting on some drum clinics around the Wrexham area too. He's doing good stuff for the drum community.

I saw Doug playing with his band last weekend. He's done a few repairs and things for me over the years. He's had some great ideas, and makes some nice instruments.

I don't really have a specific bass for specific gigs. For one of my regular gigs it was specified that I use a black Precision, so I use that for that gig. Other than that, since getting my F Bass I've played that on pretty much every other gig. I do like playing my Tobias 6 string on jazz gigs because I like the extra range for soloing and chords. The thing that I change the most is my pedal set up. I've got certain pedals that I always use, but then the others are changed depending on what's needed

If that's the case, then I don't really see the problem. If it's just an excuse for a night out with the lads, then ultimately who cares if there are a few issues? If, however, you want to take things seriously, this clearly isn't the right situation for you. Politely walk away and don't worry about it. No harm, no foul.

I notice a definite improvement in sustain and (yes) tone with a higher mass bridge. You may notice it, or you may not, but it's there. One of the biggest plus points for me, is that generally the high mass bridges are better quality and have more adjustability than a standard Fender style bridge.

I've had a TC Electronic Polytune clip on for a few years and it's never let me down.

This. I'm a massive pedal head, but effects aren't always the best way of filling out the sound. I'd be more likely to recommend focusing on your tone, and being aware of the harmony and what register you are playing in. I find that in small groups, it can often sound bigger if you play simpler, but with a good tone. Of course, if you know the harmony you can go all Jack Bruce if you want. Pedals are often best used as a spice to your tone, rather than a way to fill out the sound. If you look at it like that, you can actually get away with using any effects you want- but start with your playing first.

Tim Lefebvre's playing on the Blackstar album is beyond fine. I've never been a huge Bowie fan, and it was Tim's playing (and the whole band) that made me buy that album. Bowie live at Glastonbury is pretty ace too.

I heard that even when he was with TC, he was actually plugged in to a Markbass LM2 off stage.

I guess it depends if you'd want the EQ from the MXR, and where you want it in your chain. I always carry a standalone DI box with me to every gig. For years I carried an EMO passive box which is dead simple and works great, but I recently bought a Warm Audio Active DI and it's made a huge difference to my sound out front. It's also better than a lot of the venue supplied boxes.

My most used pieces of gear that I bought this year are a Schroeder 1210r cab, and a Warm Audio active DI. The Schroeder sounds great and is a great one cab solution for most gigs. The DI box just makes the bass sound right through front of house, and is far nicer sounding than most boxes that are supplied at most gigs. Special mention has to go to my Moog Subsequent 25, which is just awesome.

Yeah I spec'd mine at the factory after spending a few hours there. I really like the boost only preamp. I pretty much never cut frequencies on active circuits, so being boost only works perfectly for me. It also sounds great in passive, and hum cancelling mode. It's super versatile and sounds killer.