Sean

Stewart Copeland's drumming gives me goosebumps. A friend of mine was driving Stewart Copeland and Bill Bruford one night after they had played a show together in Brighton. Bill was dropped off at Gatwick and my friend then had to carry on with Stewart to Heathrow. Copeland talked and talked to my friend and at some point he managed to ask SC who he thought were the greatest rock drummers (SC had already listed all the Jazz, Latin and Big Band greats) and Copeland said, the man who just got out at Gatwick and Charlie Watts. On being asked about Keith Moon, apparently Copeland was very non-commital and didn't seem to have much to say (must have been a first)!

Bump.

I've been doing some more nosing at my two Spector 5s and notice that there's some flat sawn maple in the Euro neck whereas the NS5 seems to be all quarter sawn. A minor detail but definitely a point where the value engineering of the Euro can be seen.

In an extremely rushed attempt at getting five songs recorded in eight hours, including a break for a full cooked breakfast, we managed to make these noises and post them our website. All my bass parts were first take live with drums, keys and guitar (no time for reruns) and went direct into the desk dry. All vocals, backing vocals and overdubbed guitar and keys were done on the same day and so was the mixing. [url="http://www.amyandtheaviators.co.uk/Music.htm"]http://www.amyandtheaviators.co.uk/Music.htm[/url] The five are Let Me Entertain You (Spector NS5) Love Shack (Spector NS5) Walking on Sunshine (Lakland DJ4 with Aeros and Flats - plectrum) Take Me to the River (Lakland DJ4 with Aeros and Flats) She Will Be Loved (Lakland DJ4 with Aeros and Flats) The other five were recorded ages ago.

Here's my new rack; it's not yet complete as I'm waiting for a DHA preamp to go in the 1u blank space. It's got a Korg DTR2000, a Markbass LMK, a TC Electronic G-System, a wireless system. The rack was custom made so that it's only 300mm deep and the feet on the bottom locate into the recesses on the top of the Bergantino cabs. The one lid of the rack box is fitted with wheels and the other was made deeper than standard so that it can accomodate the foot controller for the G-System. The G-System controls the amp channels and can switch separate pedals in and out. The rack has racking at front and back so that I can add a light to the back in the future too. As you can see the covers make up a dolly for the whole rig making it easily maneuverable on stage. When I get to the venue, I just drop the covers off and have three leads to connect; one midi to the foot controller, one speaker cable and a single power cable, the instrument connects via wireless. Set up time has been eroded to a bare minimum. Next month I'll show you what it looks like with the all new DHA preamp unit.

Well, I was going to say, what a lovely pair of Spector five bangers, blah blah, Spectors, Spectors, blah, blah, EMG, Spectors... but that Warmoth P is absolutely stunning, Peter, it's stopped me in my tracks!

[quote name='lowdown' post='613206' date='Sep 30 2009, 07:32 PM']After the blues Form... I would also recommend learning 'I Got Rhythm' changes and form. It helps in movement, and does pop up from time to time in different disguises, The 'Flintstones Theme' being one you would know.[/quote] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMrv9aXOCnA"]Yabba Dabba Doo!![/url]

Hi Dancing Queen sorted now. If anyone has some sheet music for the above songs, I'd be more than grateful for a copy. Thanks Sean

[quote name='JBassist' post='571099' date='Aug 16 2009, 09:51 PM']slap bassists are a dyeing bread nowadays and im j/w about you guys[/quote] This woman knows all about [b]dyeing bread[/b]. She's rubbish at slapping bass though

[quote name='bottomfeed' post='610166' date='Sep 27 2009, 06:02 PM']Just saw the last [b]Later[/b] with Dizzee Rascal... nice to hear him with a 'proper' band rather than just a' bloke putting records on'.... What was that perspex bass with the blue lights, anyone know?[/quote] Dunno, I saw it on the night and thought it was one of those ghastly cheapo things off ebay.

[quote name='Tait' post='610171' date='Sep 27 2009, 06:07 PM']I GOT IN [/quote] Congrats. What's the crack then? Nice bunch of guys?

[quote name='Golchen' post='609541' date='Sep 26 2009, 08:01 PM']Van Halen live without a net[/quote] Isn't that just a video? Right Here, Right Now is a live CD that I have, not much better.

All of the hundreds of Pearl Jam official bootleg concerts are unretouched. What you heard at the gig is what you get on the recording.

I agonised over gold rings with black knobs or black rings with gold knobs, I think we both got it right for the respective woods ;-)

She's a beauty! Is that gold on black knobs, Peter?

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='605400' date='Sep 22 2009, 11:27 AM']No, I'm keeping the EMG's in place and will earth just the U-Retro. Sean is the man re this and his thread is here somewhere. Found it. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=52704&hl=Spector"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...&hl=Spector[/url] He hasn't created a bridge ground and I don't intent to unless it proves necessary due to noise. Peter[/quote] I haven't made a bridge ground and I get no noise. In fact it's a remarkably quiet bass. The cavity is copper lined and everything earths to this The maple wings make a heck of a difference when compared to say, the poplar/walnut/alder of my Euro, which has the same pups and a U-retro. The Euro is warmer and friendlier sounding whereas the NS is snarls and rasps a bit more and sounds slightly compressed, in fact I was happily slapping my way through It's Raining Men at a wedding at the weekend (please don't ask ) thinking that I couldn't remember putting the compressor on and it wasn't. [that sounded a bit Catherine Tate's WHAT AM I LIKE sketch] Anyway, IMO the maple is more hard sounding and cuts through better than the poplar/walnut/alder sandwich.

The bassist in Florence and the Machine was using one of these (with Lakland standard pickups) last night on Later... with Jools

Get one of [url="http://www.davehallamps.co.uk/Products,%20VT1-EQ%20Bass%20Drive.html"]these[/url] :wub: , stop worrying and move on to the next challenge. Nuff said. Oh, hang on... it's a headphone amp as well

[quote name='ezbass' post='602973' date='Sep 19 2009, 03:41 PM']The Korg AX3000G can be had for about £165 and their multi FX are pretty damn good.[/quote] I managed to fry my AX3000B three times, I think it just had too hot a signal going into it. Korg fixed it the first two times and the third time it was out of warranty and the repair price was more than a new one.

The TC Electronic G-System is amazing. Great quality effects (no amp modelling, no distortion) and midi-switching capability so that you can add pedals to your effects and pre-amps. Build quality is unbelievable and it looks like it was designed by Porsche. It's easy to programme from a PC/Mac and can be used on the floor or as part of rack system. It's not designed for bass specifically but other than a few of the pitch effects and tuning the B and E strings (you have to do it with harmonics) there are no issues and I use a Korg rack tuner anyway. Doesn't come cheap and it's not the easiest thing in the world to drive at first but once you get into it and you've read the manual, it's OK. If you're after quality of effects, ultimate versatility and bomb proof build this is the one.

I've been gigging two Spector 5 string basses for the last few months, one Euro 5LX (actually two because I changed from one to another but that's another story ) and an NS-5XL. Both of them are superb but the NS wins every time; they have the same neck, the same body shape, the electronics are the same (EMGs + U-Retro), the bridges are slightly different, the tuners are different (Euro - Schallers, NS - Gotoh), the NS has solid quilt maple wings, the Euro has Poplar/Walnut/Alder sandwich wings, the NS is a good 1.5 lb heavier and has an oiled finish next to the Euro's high gloss and the abalone inlays on the NS are prettier than the mother of pearl on the Euro. The finger board of the NS is cocobolo whereas the one on the Euro is some kind of rosewood, darker and less dramatically figured than the cocobolo one. None of these things sway it on their own, it's just that the NS is a slightly nicer bass. Both basses have the same strings and the same set up (or as near as I can get it the same) so comparison on feel is fair. The two sound very different, the Euro is warmer and rounder than the NS, which is harder and cutting, almost like it's got built in compression. My NS-5XL is easily the nicest instrument I've ever played, bass or otherwise and would be the last to leave the collection, it's the go-to bass I never had before. The Euro is used for backup and I have strapped it on for the last half hour of the last two gigs (2.5 hour +) to give my shoulder a rest. I have a Euro4 with a U-Retro in that is superb too and is a very different animal again, the signal is super-hot and the sound is amazing, it's My Bass Wants to Eat Your Mama and it's absolutely gagging to tickle some pre-amp valves :brow: :brow:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kotK9FNEYU&feature=related"]This [/url] is fun.

This is a selection from this forthcoming weekend's set list (half-cheese removed for sanity) LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU WALKING ON SUNSHINE IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ TAKE ME TO THE RIVER TEENAGE DIRTBAG I LOVE ROCK 'N ROLL TAKE YOUR MAMA OUT VALERIE HARD TO HANDLE DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC IT'S RAINING MEN NINE TO FIVE WE ARE FAMILY I KISSED A GIRL GO YOUR OWN WAY LIVIN' ON A PRAYER YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME JUMP SUMMER OF '69 LOVE SHACK