Sean

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[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1344548475' post='1766414'] Jack Bruce, Geddy Lee, Lemmy, etc, etc. [/quote] Yeah, but they can sing and play. It's strictly one or the other for me for any basslines that are not straight time or just very easy; if I start singing when playing the playing goes wrong and if I start playing when singing the singing goes.

Oli's an easy guy to deal with. Just sold him a pickup, prompt replies, swift payment. All good stuff.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1344498186' post='1765330'] Have you not thought of getting a bassist instead? Then you can take the vocals [/quote] We've been through this with a couple of bass players and it changed the feel of the band too much and became a problem because I build the songs around my bass lines and the bassists didn't get it. Plus I love bass playing more than singing.

I've been in a band for 18 months and we've really struggled to find a singer that's a keeper for whatever reason but the three of us get on well and are vey creative. We've recorded a few bits and pieces with me singing; overdubbed because I can't play my busy lines and sing the melodies. I was wondering if anyone else is in this situation, whether you think it can be maintained long term, what the pitfalls are etc. I like the recording process, I like writing as a collective and I love singing ( I fronted bands on guitar and vocals for 20 years) but obviously we'll never gig unless we find a singer. I get a massive buzz from gigging, always have since I was 14 years old. Am I like an alcoholic trying to convince myself that orange juice is the way forward? I've thought about packing it all up and joining a function/tribute band or someone else's original band but I've been there, done that in the past and I don't get the satisfaction cos there's no ownership. I'd be interested to know your thoughts. Cheers Sean

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1343377658' post='1749668'] I'm not sure he counts as either unrecognised or forgotten but I always hear a lot of Mike Mills in my own bass playing. Which is unsurprising, because I've long worshipped REM. What is a little bit odd about it, though, is that I only know how to play one REM song on the bass...so [/quote] +1 Mike Mills is awesome. He is one if my biggest influences and like you, I can't play many REM songs complete. Kenneth is one if the best bass lines ever. In parallel universe I'm married to Mike Mills, he makes me think, he sings incredible harmonies, he has impeccable taste in his playing and always manages to give me goose bumps on the rockier stuff. The man is absolute magic. Sting is such a part if my musical make-up that his style is now innate. I can't shake it off. Our drummer told me tonight that the new song sounded very early-Police, i couldn't disagree :-)

Status flats have less tension, try 'em. I have them in my Yam BB400s and it sounds really authentic. I play Chili Peppers songs on that bass and they sound great. Give it a go, if you don't like, then you will know :-)

Very sad. Midnight Train to Georgia is a song I've loved since I was a kid and it's one of those incredible bass lines that stays with you. Bob's website is an excellent source of info on bass and Motown. Bob, your music lives on.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1342127848' post='1730225'] £2500 status streamline[/quote] Wow! What extras have you got on the Streamline? Must have LEDs to get the price up that high, surely?

I like the big old lead sled bridges that come on old Yamaha BBs, they rock and they look a bit C&W but not totally Kenny & Dolly so that's OK. BBOT bridges just don't work for me but if I want to replicate their sound I stuff a load of foam under my strings ;-)

Ten by Pearl Jam Regatta De Blanc by The Police London's Calling by The Clash Live in Dublin by REM - Mike Mills kicks so much ass he must have to have new boots after every song :-)

He was great in Belgium two weeks ago. I miss John F's vocals but the band was on top form.

I've bought a few specials from John, always easy to deal with. Had some repairs done too at very reasonable prices. I'm after a U-retro for my Streamline next :-)

[quote name='overdriver' timestamp='1341931687' post='1726406'] Yes. [/quote] They might indeed come from the same factory but they will be made to different specifications according to the mother company that's sub-contracted the manufacturing. It's the Cort factory and they make all sorts of instruments for many companies. The Hohner headless basses and Steinberger Spirits are not the same animal in the same way that a Lakland Skyline and an Ibanez SR300 aren't the same despite coming out of the same factory.

I've had a couple of Status basses in the past and didn't get on with the necks but the Streamline I have is fine; it was the one thing putting me off but I took the plunge and it's like a Ray or modern Precision shape. The Streamline is nigh on perfect aesthetically for me; I've tried a couple of XL2s in the past but just hate the way they hang; the nut feels as though it's too far away, like on a Warwick. As far as sound goes I can't remember what the Steinbergers sounded like; the Streamline suits me, I like the sizzle although it needs an East U-Retro to replace the two band Status EQ, I like to boost my lower mids and am doing this with an outboard EQ at the moment.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1341781959' post='1724171'] Are you SURE you weren't plating Rockband with the special strat controller? [/quote] Definitely Rocksmith. Definitely Epiphone real guitars. Definitely out of tune. Or at least the top three strings were way out, maybe the E and A were OK, like I said, the song I did (a Nirvana one) was on single note setting and only the E and A were used. When I had a noodle it was shocking and when I strummed some chords it was horribly out.

I can't even begin to imagine how it feels to be told that a loved one has passed like this. My thoughts are with the family.

He's still missing. Let's hope he's OK.

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1341599554' post='1721747'] You sure ? Everything I've heard says that guitar being in tune is important as it doesn't simulate anything. It's just a USB cable to the console. Otherwise if you played a wrong note how would the system know when you can use a any guitar? Heard the Bundles Epis were actually quite bad . They are just the cheap budget starter fodder after all. [/quote] The guitar was way out of tune; I had a strum with it unplugged. Maybe the two low strings were i tune - they were the only ones I used on the demo. Maybe the Rocksmith demo Epis were the pic of the bunch and set up just for the exhibit stand; they certainly weren't gas-inducing but they were 1000x better than I was expecting them to be.

I had a good go on this at the IOW festival a couple of weeks ago. I'm quite a useful guitarist and I was completely flummoxed by the whole thing. Made me feel like a complete novice. It's notation system is worse than TAB and I found it just horrible to use. Why do all the symbols have to flow towards you Star Trek-style? What is that all about?! The guitar that was plugged in was way out of tune but the computer simulates it back into tune so when the game is on it sounds OK although a bit synthy. I was quite impressed by the feel and build quality of the Epiphone guitars they had. Not for me but I'm sure they'll sell squillions of em to people looking for a shortcut to becoming a guitar god :-D

[quote name='redstriper' timestamp='1341447305' post='1719360'] Sorry if this has already been suggested, but I would love you to do the following: Get a selection of Jazz basses in for review - high and low end Fenders, along with both cheap and expensive copies, like Squiers, Faridas, Laklands and Sadowskys. Then let reviewers compare them blindfold........ and no cheating! Then you could do the same with Precisions [/quote] +1

The Ashdown is used for the upright, that's the constant over the years. As far as I remember, the others are effectively used as different rigs for different sounds. His pedal board/signal chain is very complex too. If you look at the one Marshall it has "2x10's" where the logo should be - anyone know how he runs his heads/cabs now? I've seen six shows on this Euro tour so far with two to go and I must say its the best Jeff's ever sounded. His sound is really nice and cuts through well whereas in the past it had a tendency to be slightly muddy. The Lull he uses on Rearviewmirror sounds epic during the reprise section. I love JA; one of all time favourites :-) Also, is that a Lull guitar that Mike is using on some songs? Has the same look as Jeff's basses.