EliasMooseblaster

Just an update, with apologies: owing to some less-than-ideal circumstances, we've had to cancel our appearance at the Oxford Foodies Festival this Sunday. Sorry to those of you who were interested in coming to see us. We'll keep you posted when we finally manage to get something else up that way!

What would these young oiks have played if you hadn't been good enough to leave your bass onstage? (And not been good enough not to give them a flea in their ear for grabbing your bass?)

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1408449598' post='2530212'] As long as you have the chops and don't look a bit sad, there is no reason to stop. [/quote] Yep, just compare and contrast how well, say, Pino is standing the test of time when compared with Gene Simmons...

[size=4]"THIS GUITAR WORKS FINE! IT HAS A COUPLE OF PAINT CHIPS ON THE REAR OF NECK AND ONE ON THE BOTTOM CORNER OF REAR BODY"[/size] [size=4]...how would you tell?[/size]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1408436425' post='2530027'] I really do think that listening to music is less important to kids today mainly because they have so much more to occupy themselves with. All of the lads aged between 18-25 that i worked with over the last 10 years had an interest in music but nowhere near the interest that i and my contemporaries had at that age. Gadgets to them are king. Queuing all night for a new iphone/ipad was not unusual. [/quote] I have shared a flat with a guy who admitted he "wasn't really interested in music" and just listened to "whatever's popular." Somebody on a different thread here coined a wonderful phrase of "music for people who aren't interested in music," to describe most of the current chart incumbents, that my former flatmate is now doubt listening to. Presumably such people must have existed in the past? There was certainly plenty of music marketed to people who would buy a s**te novelty single throughout the '60s - and as musicians, we come from an inherently different perspective. The question is to what extent things have changed...it's a bit of a hackneyed theory that popular music has become increasingly cosseted by the industry ("The Man"), but at the same time I'm having to go down increasingly obscure avenues to find new artists I genuinely enjoy. But then is that actually a result of artists being forced to toe a line laid down by "The Man," or is it down to me not knowing where to look and/or becoming increasingly cantankerous in my tastes?

Nice one, would be lovely to meet you!

A correction to my last post: it's now the [b]Stag and Hounds[/b] we'll be playing, though the date ([b]30th August)[/b] remains correct! And apparently it's free entry. Things are always better when they're free. There's even a facebook-event-thingy here now: https://www.facebook.com/events/898533250174072/

I've seen Clarky playing bass with All the Queen's Ravens ([url="http://allthequeensravens.bandcamp.com/"]http://allthequeensr...s.bandcamp.com/[/url]) and by curious coincidence, shared a bill with Happy Jack while he was playing for Dani Molino ([url="http://danimolino.com/"]http://danimolino.com/[/url]). Both were doing a sterling job on upright bass, which simply furthered my long-standing desire to learn upright bass! I seem to remember Clarky was playing his Ampeg bass which smelt of cheese, and Jack was playing a KK Baby Bass. [i]Incidentally, [/i](*cough cough*) I'll be playing at the Spice of Life (Central London / Soho), this Friday, with Cherry White, just on the off-chance anyone's hoping to tick another BC'er off their list. Better still we're supporting a prog/psychedelic band from Birmingham who sound pretty damn good - more info at [url="http://hotvox.co.uk/events/exploding-sound-machine-plus-support-0"]http://hotvox.co.uk/...-plus-support-0[/url]

I suppose I should probably report the results of my experimentation thus far: Bass --> Pitchblack+ --> TS-9B --> Big Muff --> Ashdown LB-30 seems to work well. I did take a bit of inspiration from the guitarist friend who gave me the muff, who uses his TS-9 to add some grit and boost to the sound, and then a Keeley distortion to thicken up the whole thing if he desires. Key differences being that the Muff is a much dirtier pedal than his Keeley, and my T-bird pickups are considerably hotter than his Strat pickups. So if I run the TS-9B and the Muff together, I get a truly immense amount of mid-focused filth that can drown out even Cherry White's guitarist. So the order probably isn't too important for the time being, as I can't see myself using them together very often! Good news is, though, the Muff gives me a very good approximation to the bass sound I ended up with on the recording for our last single http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n4I0qYrdXo ...that was my 'bird into an enormous Hughes&Kettner head via a Rat. And it's remarkable how close that little Ashdown sounds to the H&K when I kick in the fuzz!

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1407180712' post='2518146'] I meant mine goes into flight mode or I turn it off ("flight mode or off") - I wasn't 100% clear with that Sometimes I may want to grab a quick photo of he band set up on stage so I tend to use flight mode more often. [/quote] Or do what I do: take the precaution of having no friends, so the thing never rings while I'm on stage!

This is what I initially had in mind - the Tube Screamer's a great boost for soloing just for the way it pushes the mids, so I was thinking I could use a (relatively) clean sound from that and have the Muff before it in case I decide extra filth is necessary, and for when I need filth without the boost.

I've also kept the pedals to a minimum in my bass setup, but now one of my friends - a very generous complete b**t**d - has thrown a spanner in the works and given me a Bass Big Muff Pi. Things are still pretty simple: the Pi is only joining a Pitchblack Plus (tuner + A/B switch) and a TS-9B. My dilemma is: overdrive before fuzz, or fuzz before overdrive?

Well, that's stage lighting for you! But thank you, glad you like it!

[quote name='miles'tone' timestamp='1407164792' post='2517941'] Disclaimer... This vid does not contain any virtuoso bass playing at all. [/quote] Maybe not virtuoso, but that's some very solid bass playing, and her tone is to die for!

The promoters were sufficiently impressed last time they invited us back! [b]Hot Vox presents The Exploding Sound Machine at the Spice of Life[/b] with support from [b]Cherry White[/b] [b]Nick Varey's Bad Moon Band[/b] [b]Zulu Dynasty[/b] [b]Jonny Downie[/b] See [b][url="http://hotvox.co.uk/events/exploding-sound-machine-plus-support-0"]http://hotvox.co.uk/...-plus-support-0[/url][/b] for full details and tickets. As well as being treated to a half-hour of London's tastiest blues/classic rock, courtesy of yours truly, Exploding Sound Machine are a really marvellous-sounding prog/psychedelic outfit who will have travelled all the way from Brum to be there. Would be lovely to see some of you, partly because we've been pencilled in for "bigger and better things" if this one goes well - and partly just because you're all lovely. Links: ESM: [url="http://theexplodingsoundmachine.bandcamp.com/"]http://theexplodings...e.bandcamp.com/[/url] CW: [url="http://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/"]http://cherrywhite.bandcamp.com/[/url] NV'sBMB: [url="http://www.nickvareymusic.com/"]http://www.nickvareymusic.com/[/url] ZD: [url="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zulu-Dynasty/141023636097299?fref=ts"]https://www.facebook...6097299?fref=ts[/url] JD: [url="https://www.facebook.com/jonnydowniemusic?fref=ts"]https://www.facebook...iemusic?fref=ts[/url] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n4I0qYrdXo&feature=youtu.be[/media]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1407152246' post='2517762'] But women are still under-represented in the world of Bass ([b]although it seems not as rare as lead guitarists[/b] and drummers! :- ) , so it is lovely to see their achievements celebrated. [/quote] There does seem to be a growing army of ladies looking to rob Joe Bonamassa of his modern blues guitar crowd - personally I think Joanne Shaw Taylor and Samantha Fish are the current strongest contenders (links below), but Dani Wilde, Erja Lyytinen and Ana Popovic are not to be sniffed at either. [quote name='seashell' timestamp='1407152246' post='2517762'] ([size=3]I will also admit that the sight of an old gal with a bass does seem to have a dizzying effect on mature gentlemen. And sometimes younger gentlemen [b]But then all musicians are sexy, right?[/b][/size] ) [/quote] Yes. This latter assertion is scientific fact, I'm sure of it! JST: http://youtu.be/dr1kFy-Guko?list=UU3_kGBwx77oCxdOfya_HdHw SF: http://youtu.be/-M-VxlRBbcc Edit: links fixed...I think

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1407091103' post='2517252'] Seeing as a Peavey 410 is over 100lbs, this seriously must weigh the same as The Moon. If he sells it it could cause an inbalance in The Earths gravity. [/quote] At the risk of verging close to politics (sorry!)...an attempt to achieve Scottish Independence by accelerated tectonic shift?

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1406918322' post='2515943'] If your guitarists are up for it then Iron Maiden baselines should keep you on your toes too, left AND right hand workout! [/quote] Ooh, good idea, sir - I defy someone to tell me that [i]Run to the Hills [/i]and [i]Running Free [/i]wouldn't be crowd pleasers!

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1406977964' post='2516383'] They do, hubby was eyeing up a resonator last time we were there. [/quote] Funny you should say that, the last thing I bought from there was my resonator!

Sex on Fire. Not just because I find it dull; most guitarists do as well. If half the band finds it tedious to play (and I suspect the others did as well) then it's probably time to drop it from the set! But then, is the problem similar to Mustang Sally or Brown-Eyed Girl? I.e., it's not just because it's dull to play, it's also because there's demand for it at nearly every party or function.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1406972990' post='2516316'] Love the black Precision with maple/blocks. [/quote] +1 - almost caved a couple of years ago on the '60s P except I didn't like the "fiesta red" ( = pink) finish. That black one with the block inlays...I probably shouldn't be allowed in the same shop as one of them!

I think it was Laurence I dealt with the last couple of times I've been in there myself - very helpful feller, and the other staff have always been good as well. I thought it was a nice touch that he vaguely remembered me from previous visits. Thinking back, I've only ended buying a couple of more esoteric basses from them - the 8-string and the fretless - though god knows I've nearly pulled the trigger on several other specimens they've had in there!

If one were to reverse the strings on that little beauty a la Jimi Hendrix, would that make it a reverse-non-reverse 'bird? (Sorry, I'll get my coat. In the meantime, BA has indeed got one in the works - there's a thread on here which might elucidate http://basschat.co.uk/topic/222314-non-reverse-thunderbird-build/page__hl__thunderbird%20build)

The violinist in my old jazz band had a piezo fitted to the bridge of her violin. (May be worth getting this done professionally; I gather they're quite a bit easier to damage than the electric basses we chop and change so readily!) I will second what BotB has already said though: get him some kind of acoustic preamp or good DI box. Our violinist used to plug her piezo output into a nifty little Fishman EQ which clipped to her belt. Essential for keeping the scratchy higher frequencies out of the PA!

Hooking your thumb over the top of the neck makes more sense if you're a guitarist and have an unusual chord to get your hand round. E.g., try to play [i]Pinball Wizard[/i] using Pete Townshend's original chord shapes and you'll quickly resort to using your thumb! I'm sure there are occasions where I do the same on the bass (can't think when, just now) but it's not a technique I'd use regularly. Bear in mind it will limit your movement between different neck positions!