Sean

Dave - great series on Walking Bass - has whiled away many hours of my lunch breaks. I know you're the busiest bass guy in London but any ideas when the next lesson is up? Keep groovin' Sean.

I agree with OldGit's advice advice on getting a lesson or two. Also if you are really serious about getting into slapping I can't recommend highly enough Ultimate Slap Bass by Stuart Clayton from www.basslinepublishing.co.uk - it'll cost you the same as a lesson and keep you going for years. I think there's some samples of the lessons there too.

[quote name='JJTee' post='68093' date='Oct 1 2007, 12:50 PM']Everybody Dance - Chic. Who can honestly nail that ludicrous intro?![/quote] I'll bet a month's cider budget that Stuart C can!

[quote name='paul, the' post='67690' date='Sep 30 2007, 03:20 PM']I don't think looking at resale value is a very positive thing to have in mind when purchasing a bass. If a bass is of good quality and deserved reputation, then it should sell itself.[/quote] If resale value was everything we'd all have Stingrays! Good quality and [i]deserved[/i] reputation plus the magic "it's fashionable" or "it's timeless" usually mean good residuals. I would definitely think twice about buying a bass I liked if I knew it was going to be worth a quarter of what I paid a year later.

I use a heavy duty Ritter gig bag - it is their most expensive one with 40mm of padding. Certainly does the trick for me. If we go to gigs in a van and have the volunteers who try to be roadies I uses cases.

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='66751' date='Sep 28 2007, 09:39 AM']I love that 55-02 Sean - I'm GASsing for one badly. I used to have a 55-01 and never should have sold it. As a matter of interest, how long did you wait for your pickguards? I rang Roger the other night and he nearly jumped out of his skin when I told him where I was calling from. Chatted to him for about 20 mins - nice bloke.[/quote] I reckon it was with me in a week, no more than 9 days. Came through without a customs fee too. I'd highly recommend Roger to anyone.

[quote name='phsycoandy' post='66656' date='Sep 27 2007, 10:41 PM']Did u have to drill the 5502 to fit the guard?[/quote] Yes, I did. I just can't bring myself to put one on the 44-02 - I don't want holes in that beautiful finish.

[quote name='Chopthebass' post='66645' date='Sep 27 2007, 10:09 PM']Out of interest, what strings are you using? Do you have them strung thru the body?[/quote] On the 55-02 I have D'Addario halfrounds as I find these perfect for doing the Blues Brothers tribute. The G, D & A are strung through but the E and B are bridge strung just because they aren't long enough - no one seems to stock those D'Addarios in Extra-long. I don't really hear much difference anyway as those Lakland bridges are so heavy-duty. The 44-02 has DR Mellow Yellows as you probably can't tell from the rubbish photos!

I have much better results with BIN and Best Offer. I've sold loads of guitars this year and made well over what I forecast by doing BIN with Best Offer. Remember on Bass World there was that guy that got flamed for selling Stingrays he'd bought on ebay, cleaned, photographed nicely and then re-sold, he always did BIN. He definitely had the right approach to making a few quid but we all went psycho on him! He claimed he wasn't a dealer but if you looked at his buying account history and compared it to the selling account history he was definitely dealing and not doing it as a hobby. He had a go at me on eBay when I was selling a Stingray 5, he reckoned my description was too similar to the one he had for a near identical instrument - he was just a little too tightly wrapped for my liking and he wasn't a bass player.

[quote name='paul, the' post='66638' date='Sep 27 2007, 09:42 PM']I am the bass tree, come reap my bassy fruits.[/quote] Paul, you'd be the panacea for all our GAS attacks. I'd love to come and pluck one your low hanging ripe fruit and then use it to make beautiful music. Sorry couldn't resist; I've been hanging with smutty drummers too long!

[quote name='paul, the' post='66634' date='Sep 27 2007, 09:32 PM']That looks fantastic Sean! Those Laklands are really growing on me.[/quote] What? Like fungus on a baglady's feet?

[quote name='phsycoandy' post='66624' date='Sep 27 2007, 09:04 PM']Man Thats sweet, are the Barts or the new Lakland pups?[/quote] They are the Lakland Pups. It seems there's nothing this bass can't do. It has so much authority with those pups and the LH3 pre-amp coupled to the 35" scale; last night I was on stage thinking, "F*** Me, the is fantastic!" It's smaller brother the 44-02 is a completely different animal, it's faster, lighter (7.4 lb Vs 9.25lb) , much more slap-able but doesn't have the, "Get outta my way or do I gotta kick yo ass!" thing that this baby has. I love 'em both and they are definitely keepers but as well as they do a passive Jazz I don't think you can beat a DJ4 in that department.

Of course another reason that some of us gig is that it gives you easy access to easy love! Last night we played a Student Halls of Residence (UWIC Cardiff) and for the first time in a while we got at least half a dozen offers between us. Of course, we are all far too professional to accept!

It had the PG fitted a couple of days ago and was gigged last night and had lots of positive comments. The pick guard is Black Abalone and came from Jeannie's who gave superb service. This is a stock standard 44-02 with DR Extra Life Mellow Yellow strings.

I've always gigged, it's a way of life. I go cold turkey if I don't gig for a few weeks. As Soulfinger says, it's all abot the interaction with other musicians but I'd add the audience to that too - I love watching them reacting to the band playing. Knowing that your playing is making the audience happy and providing a bit of escape always gives me a real buzz.

[url="http://www.daddario.com/DADProducts.aspx?ID=3&CLASS=ACCA"]http://www.daddario.com/DADProducts.aspx?ID=3&CLASS=ACCA[/url] Try these D'Addario half rounds. I use them on my 55-02 to get a mellow sound for soul and blues.

In no particular order: Ibanez Ergodyne 600 EDB USA Fender Jazz Deluxe FMT w/ Badass CIJ Fender Aerodyne Jazz w/ Fralins 1980 Ibanez Roadster EBMM Stingray 5 Lakland 55-01 Peavey USA Dyna Bass (current) Lakland 44-02 (current) Lakland 55-02 (current)

I've decided to put a pick guard on my Lakland 44-02 but just can't decide on a colour, I'm not keen on white or black or even brown torty... A clear one, white pearl, black pearl or something else? What do you think would suit this?

[quote name='bassman2790' post='63929' date='Sep 22 2007, 09:26 AM']I'll give that a go. I noticed the same lack of growl on my old MIM Fender Jazz V. A Schecter I had had a really nice low B but that was a 35" scale. String spacing was too close for me to get on with so it had to go, shame.[/quote] Looks like a job for a Lakland 55-01. Good string spacing (19mm), 35" scale, soap bar pups. Fabulous pieces of kit.

[quote name='bassbloke' post='63644' date='Sep 21 2007, 02:59 PM']They're still in business because the British public still cannot grasp the concept of voting with it's feet. We're renowned for tolerating long queues, crap food, dirty expensive trains and being kept on hold for 15 minutes by our telephone or cable company because they've screwed up our online bill.[/quote] Hurrah! Couldn't agree more. This is exactly the reason I shop at Waitrose now and have abandoned Tesco. Vintage English Perry 8% ABV at £1.49 had nothing to do with it! Seriously though, get yourself down to Waitrose and ask to be shown to something you can't find, or ask to taste something on the deli counter before you buy, it makes you feel valued as a customer - what a feeling! Why can't I be made to feel the same way when I buy £1000 worth of bass as I do when I buy £30 worth of groceries? I bet the olive counter in Bass Centre is rubbish too!

My package finally arrived yesterday (strap locks and strap ordered on 3rd July) and as I was fitting it to my bass I vowed never to deal with the Bass Centre again. There are so many other people out there providing excellent service that we do not need to tolerate Barry & Co's behaviour. Big up while I'm at it for Jeannie's Pick Guards in the USA - ordered a pick guard Wed night and it's already on the way via USPS Priority. I overpaid the postage and it was refunded within minutes. All questions answered promptly too. They may have dodgy foreign policy over there but they know how to treat customers.

I've tried Labella flats and didn't get on with 'em and just thought it was me too. Then I tried Rotos and they didn't feel nice under my fingers so then I said whatthehell and tried Roberts Flatwounds from ebay which are one of the [i]products[/i] I've ever bought. I then tried TI and now I'm happy, they are exactly what I was looking for; I have them on my US Peavey and with the P pup on full it sounds very authentic jazz/soul.