ianrunci

I f I was spending that much I would just buy an Alembic, complete waste of money that one

We've had all kinds of requests. Most recently have been Black Velvet, Thinking of you (Sister Sledge) and Islands in the stream

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='609801' date='Sep 27 2009, 07:07 AM']I don't agree. I played guitar for 15 years, before switching solely to bass about 3 years ago. The main thing is just to start playing some basslines and just seeing how you go. The main thing (as can be added to guitar playing) is to learn bass lines by ear - internet tab is killing musical ears!! I've never attempted to play guitar on the bass. Although to be fair I consider myself a bassist who picked up the wrong instrument 15 years ago!! Just be aware that you may not go back to the guitar!!![/quote] I agree with this 100% I started on guitar when I was 10, when I was 19 I changed over the bass and joined a covers band, I played bass for 4 years and then went back to lead which I played up until about three years ago (I am 47 now) I never had any problem converting, I learned classicaly so the finger technique never presented me with a problem. You will pick it up very easily. If you have already played lead you will already know the neck and have the handspeed and technique its simply a matter of learning loads of bass lines which will give you a good idea of how they are structured within the music. I have seen guitarists play the bass like a guitar but its generally because they are idiots Just start listening to the groove instead of the solos

Bernard Edwards was a master of the ghost note. Tunes like thinking of you by sister sledge, such simple lines made to sound so complicated. When you break it down without the ghost notes its just simple octaves. I love his playing so much, his lines seem to bubble and pop

Dancing queen has a really nice line. Gimmie is pretty simple really as it just ghosts the bass synth. Double fingered octaves on the intro and outro and inbetween the choruses, and single octaves on the verses I find the easiest way to learn them is to learn the bassline off a midi file first and then go over the cd making sure all the little bits and pieces are correct

[quote name='maxrossell' post='656578' date='Nov 16 2009, 11:55 PM']I suppose I'll be bucking some trends here, but honestly in my opinion anything other than a Fender Jazz or P-Bass is a waste of time. I also don't get having more than four strings. The lower B just gives you five extra notes that most people never have a need for at the expense of a reasonable-sized neck, and the higher strings on those gigantic six or sevens just sound piddly and weak. Again, just my opinion, but whenever I see a bass player with more than four strings on his bass I expect either some seriously boring overindulgent widdling, or just a shoddy performance by someone who hopes that people will assume he's really good because he has extra strings. I really, really dislike the look of these overdesigned luthier basses that are made of sixteen different types of contrasting wood, all of which would be better suited to veneering a French dresser, and they all have fourteen strings and fanned frets and weird body shapes and pickups at funny angles and generally look a bit like someone nailed a ladder to a goldfish. And you never actually see anyone playing them live, presumably because there aren't many bands out there where the guitarists have twelve-neck guitars and the drummers have a 400-piece kit. After having spent some serious time in studios recently, I don't actually see the need for bass amp heads. Speakers, sure. But every time we tracked bass, we'd go through the gear we had to find a match, and every time without fail we passed over Ampeg, Markbass, Peavey and Mesa bass heads in favour of an old Marshall guitar head. And you tend to pay a little bit more for bass amps ayway, and they're usually overdesigned to the point where if something goes wrong it's out of commission for ten weeks. I don't get bass effects, either. Put it this way: A bass player with a load of effects on the floor is either doing something radically new and different, or he's just forgotten what the bass is for in music. Usually it's the latter.[/quote] Spot on that post

I did my own. Plastic wood, some wet and dry and a tin of stain. Turned out a treat. Although it was soon showing signs of wear as I was using roundwounds on it

[quote name='Earbrass' post='655881' date='Nov 16 2009, 12:30 PM']Anyone who uses "gay" as a term of abuse is going to have a hard time convincing me that they're not a bigot.[/quote] do me a favour, get a sense of humour

Thinking of you - sister sledge Spinning around - Kylie

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='655554' date='Nov 15 2009, 11:08 PM']Wow, a lot of strong opinion on this one. No, I didn't read the whole bloated thing, just the last couple of pages. It's funny, really - I like basses and bass gear in general. I make most of my living using the stuff. All I can really think of is that I can't stand bigoted, over-opinionated people. Remember, if you're going to talk the talk, make sure you can walk the walk... [/quote] I wouldn't say my post is bigoted, I just like what I like and thats it. I certainly don't consider myself over-opinionated/ Everybody has there likes and dislikes. Not everyone is going to have the same opinions

[quote name='Prosebass' post='655308' date='Nov 15 2009, 05:52 PM']I think this is great....you can't ask someone their preferences and when they give them attack them ? otherwise what's the point of expressing an opinion if we were all meant to like the same things. I've used some 'high end' gear and wondered what the attraction was but as a builder it would be churlish for me to mention those brands..... [/quote] I'm like most people I like what i like, nobody has to agree thats the good thing about personal choice As for it being a fender player, how in the world did you guess that, could it be the fender jazz in the photo?

[color="#000000"][size=2]any strings over 15 quid, a complete con * Ampeg bass gear (three tone settings rock, rock and sh*te) * gay basses like jaydee, status wal ect * most high end bass cabs, you can have one built just as good for less than half the price * Six string basses, for god sake get a guitar * plectrum bass playing, clunk click clunk * Rickenbackers, the worst sounding basses ever invented [/size][/color]

I think every era has its good and bad music. But in the end its all down to taste anyway. I was into early punk, i bought New rose and saw the clash at Bellevue. My band supported Ultravox (john fox era) Elvis Costello and the attractions etc and I loved it all. But then again I liked bands like Wire, OMD, Joy Division etc because it was new and different at the time. There are merits to be found in all kinds of music whether it be the hook of a bubblegum pop song or a great solo in a rock song it doesn't really matter, its all music. What I have discovered over the years is you have to change the way you listen to something to appreciate it. I look for different things in different styles of music. For e.g musicianship in jazz and some rock music, great song writing in pop music, new ideas in indie music etc I love Black Sabbath, The Clash, the stone roses and Pink Floyd, but I also like Level 42, Howard Jones and most other music. The only stuff I can't really get my head round is new R n B and Rap

[quote name='Stickman' post='649736' date='Nov 9 2009, 03:11 PM']"Trigger finger" is the first thing that springs to my mind, was it anything like [url="http://www.eatonhand.com/hw/hw022.htm"]this?[/url] Looking at your avatar there does seem to be tension from your right shoulder down to your hand when you are playing. As echoed above I would get anything looked at by a professional rather than risking permanent damage; from a playing/technique point of view however I would suggest shifting your bass more to the centre of your body rather than off to the right - this will enable you to drop your shoulder a bit and straighten that wrist.[/quote] Looks like that might be the problem. Although I still maintain there was no pain more a kind of twitch in the forearm muscle. I managed to play the last tune with both fingers and it didn't happen again ( touch wood) but I have made an appointment at the GPs just in case. I'll update you when I have spoken to him

[quote name='iamapirate' post='649230' date='Nov 8 2009, 10:25 PM']Get medical advice, all of you! Practise blood circulation - is it similar to pins and needles only without the 'pain'?[/quote] Nah it's nothing like pins and needles. Its a tendon problem. The finger stuck in position and wouldn't move. I could feel the tendon in my forearm becoming tight. Possibly I think it might have been because of poor positioning of my arm while I am playing. I'll see how I am at the next gig on sat and if I have a reccurence i will make an appointment with my GP. I just wondered if anyone else had suffered the same issues

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='649075' date='Nov 8 2009, 08:12 PM']Get yourself to the doctors mate, people on here can only give educated guesses, you need professional advice. Hope it's nothing serious buddy.[/quote] there was no pain or anything Wayne, it just locked against the palm and I had to actually lift it from the palm with my other hand. it lasted for a couple of tunes and then it was ok for the final song again. Very weird indeed

I had a strange episode last night while playing higher and higher. I normally play with middle and index finger and suddenly in the middle of the song my middle finger stuck to my palm and wouldn't come back into position. I had to finish off the set with one finger. I can feel twinges in my palm and forearm even now Anyone know what might be causing this? It's never happened to me before

Pink Floyd or Chic obviously for different reasons

I would agree with whats been said about it not really being about the cost of the instrument. Some people obviously buy expensive basses because they want to say I own an expensive bass, but others buy them because they play and sound better, thats why they are more expensive. Simples For me it would be pointless buying one because I only have one sound and its my sound and if I bought a 3 grand bass I would just plug it in and dial in the exact sound I get with my Fender Jazz. Thats all I need Having said that, if I was loaded I would buy them just for the hell of it. Same as I would buy a farari if I was multi millionare, because I could! I don't care what anyone says there is no way in the world that a 100 quid chinese bass is going to feel, look and sound as good as a 2 grand bass. I have had my share of both worlds when I was a lead guitarist and that argument is flawed to say the least. What I would say though is that if your happy with the way the 100 quider feels and it gets you the sound you want then yeah it would be pointless buying an expensive instrument because all you would gain would be envious looks, a big insurance bill and a heavy dose of paranoia every time you took it to a gig As for the necks being better it would depend on how you want a neck to feel I would think. Some people like big chunky fender necks, some like weedy thin graphite necks and some like a big half a tree to get their hands around so that point is flawed too Same goes for action, some like it high some like it none existant, I like mine somewhere in the middle so I suppose I have the perfect neck for me on the jazz bass, not to thick and reasonable action

I started playing the bass in 1981 when my mum told me that a band who came in the shop where she worked were looking for one. She said "They've been to Norway, Dubai and Germany already. I phoned up a mate who owned a cheap fender precision copy with a fender transfer on it, A burman 4x12 and a HH bass amp and blagged it off him promising to pay him for it when I started gigging. I was 19 at the time and up until that point I had been playing lead guitar in original punk and indie bands. I went for the audition and got the job straight away. They had a big PA rig and a band bus and everything and they told me we were doing 14 days in the north east and then going to Germany for 5 months. The only snag was I had 7 days to learn about 30 songs. Including a lot of disco/funk tunes (I didn't even know what slapping was at the time, apart from hearing a friend from Wythenshawe playing it on his fretless precision and the odd Level 42 record which had never really interested me as I was a rock guitarist). however, I managed it and played pro all over the world for the next 5 years. I felt much more comfortable on the bass than on lead, it just felt right for me Eventually I got married had kids and finished up playing lead again to make a living as I was working with my brother who was also a bass player. I went back to the bass a few years ago and it was like meeting up with an old friend again, I love playing the bass, I love maple necks and I love funk and jazz funk. I have a penchant for bubbling bass lines from the likes of Bernard Edwards I play weddings and corporate events now and really enjoy it. I still go to a couple of jam nights every week with my guitar just to keep my hand in. I am quite an acomplihed guitar player and can shred with the best of them. However, Bass is where my true love lies