EliasMooseblaster

And for bonus points: what's the best pedal tuner for metal? (Joking aside, need to look into getting one myself. Guitarist has been using a Korg for a few years - seems to be fairly rugged and easy to read on a dark stage!)

Yeah, that's a slightly scary statistic! Though I guess some people will pay a lot of money for some of those CS Fenders, which must help bring up their standing if you're measuring it by the amount of money these companies turn over. Does the original post give any indication as to who's in 3rd, 4th and 5th place? I'd be interested to see who's following directly behind Fender and Gibson (RIC? Yamaha?) - or who the Custom Shop could potentially bump off the 6th spot!

That certainly makes for interesting reading! One could argue that, comparing Roland and Yamaha, there's even more money to be made by dabbling in everything - I know Yamaha also make saxophones and pianos and so probably have a more varied catalogue even than Roland. But then another consideration is whether the figures in the table are just for sales of music and audio, or the company as a whole - e.g., Yamaha motorbikes...and do Roland still do anything computing-related these days?

[quote name='squire5' timestamp='1392117212' post='2364781'] In N.Ireland there are many folk duos about who insist in giving each song,or tune,the full works IE who wrote it,why they wrote it,what they were thinking about after they wrote it and tend to go a bit far. [/quote] This seems to be a commonly committed sin at open mic nights throughout London. Not everyone, but every so often - usually once a night - you'll get some lad with his acoustic guitar, dressed like every other bloody hipster in the place, prattling on about how this song is "really important" to him because he wrote it at some particular time in his life about which we have absolutely no knowledge, in a desperate attempt to appear "sensitive." And the song that follows is usually sh*te.

I rather hope that this will lead to somebody re-mastering Joanne Shaw Taylor's last studio album - and no doubt many others, but that's one example that sticks in my mind. It really grates when you have an album of great songs that is hard to appreciate because the guy right at the end of the chain decided to take the "EVERYTHING LOUDER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE" approach on a blues-rock album.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1391686628' post='2360109'] ah I see sorry didn't realise a blues pentatonic was minor... would that be I,II,bIII,V,bVI then? whats with the bV? surlely that clashes pretty badly with the chords underneath? I've only every played with modes, never bothered to use any pentatonics. [/quote] There seem to be two widely accepted "minor pentatonics." I think I, bIII, VI, V, bVII seems to be the most widely used - I only came across the I,II,bIII,V,bVI form recently. A popular "blues scale" is like the first example, but with the extra bV between the VI and V. (Yes, prepare to draw in breath sharply!) It fits surprisingly well if you're playing blues, but then in most blues the major/minor tonality is quite ambiguous as it is!

Both are correct - timmo's referring to the "minor pentatonic + added b5" (aka "the blues scale"), CamdenRob, your example is what's normally referred to as the "major pentatonic." Edit: just seen Timmo's follow up. The original "minor pentatonic" is just A, C, D, E, G, A - all of which are notes taken from the (natural) minor scale of A. The D# / Eb has simply worked its way in over the years as a popular "blue note," which is why the scale you cite in your OP is often referred to as the "blues scale." There may be a longer story behind its origins, but as far as I can gather it's just an extra note that jazz and blues players began to use to add colour to what they were playing. I'm sure it upsets no end of classically-trained theorists!

(NB I'm kidding myself that this is musically relevant enough to warrant posting in GD; Mods, if you beg to differ then I won't object to you moving it as you see fit!) Anyway, I have a little favour to ask you lot... As some of you know, Cherry White (aka That Band What I Play With) have appointed a new singer. We're trying to build up a bit of a buzz around said singer's identity via this medium: [url="https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/8526-who-is-cherry-white-s-singer"]https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/8526-who-is-cherry-white-s-singer[/url] What happens is, if you connect your FB/Twitter/Tumblr to this campaign, it allows us to post a single, short message to your feed/blog on the 1st March. You may get a couple of email updates from us, but otherwise there's no spam, no cost and no strange requests to sign up to other weird stuff. If any of you kind souls you could help us get to our goal of 100 supporters, that would be fantastic. (Because the message won't go out otherwise!) Thank you all most kindly in advance.

[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1391608948' post='2359136'] Managed to get this 2010 example for £750 inc. shipping [/quote] A bargain price to boot! I hope the two of you will be very happy together.

Yeah, me too. The Ox was, without a doubt, my favourite player, but I don't know how much I like the look of some of his more...erm, "exotic" instruments!

Peter Hook sig, perhaps? The actual choice of bass isn't as important as having a strap that hangs down to your ankles and gives you back problems within ten years of buying it.

This may answer your question! http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/bass/bass7174.html Just underneath the Thunderbird entry: [i]"Designed by Peter Cook* from a Gibson Thunderbird-style neck, with body in the form of a pole-axe, black and cream stringing, two Thunderbird pickups, two volume and one tone control, 34″ scale."[/i] *Presumably not [i]that[/i] Peter Cook...

[quote name='Samashton12' timestamp='1391093174' post='2353175'] Seen this before, doesn't seem very accurate to me [/quote] That was my first thought when I saw your OP...but I think that tab is also for the Leeds recording, and the Isolated Bass video is the IoW performance, if I'm not mistaken?

[quote name='DaytonaRik' timestamp='1391085717' post='2353038'] Well, patience and persistence paid off and yesterday I was rewarded with a near mint 2010 GibsonThunderbird IV for the princely sum of £750! Exited much! NBD is next Wed/Thu depending on delivery. This is worse than waiting for Christmas!!! [/quote] My hearty congratulations, and I hope the two of you will be very happy together! I got my 2011 'bird through the marketplace on here and I can honestly say it's the nicest bass I've ever owned - I seem to have been cured of any and all gas since last October!

BUT IS IT FLAT OR ROUND?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1391003787' post='2352136'] I bet he won't follow through (arf). It's an astute bit of publicity, nothing more. [/quote] I don't know, I can remember when "puerile digital arts community" b3ta.com ran a week of photoshopping Prince. The results were generally hilarious (provided you weren't Prince, I guess) but his legal team didn't like it one bit. A rather sheepish note went up a couple of days later to say that his legal team could probably sue them for more than their servers were worth, so could people stop posting humorously mangled pictures of Prince, please?

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1390912266' post='2351115'] Not really. It's a comment in the state of music. When venue owners are complaining that it's the bands that are the problem, the venues are the ones that should be exercising some sort of quality control. It's all well and good packing your venue with band A's 'fans' bussed in from out of town one week, but then you can't moan when the next week no one turns up to see band B. It's a short sighted business plan doomed from the start. Most 'hobby' musicians are very unorganised. [/quote] [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390912782' post='2351122'] Perhaps. So why does it seem to still be so prevalent? [/quote] I obviously won't be the first to point out that the problem cuts both ways - I've shared bills with plenty of juvenile bands who behaved like they were owed a living, and I've encountered several venue owners and promoters who don't see why they should pay for a band, when they can find plenty who will play for free. Unfortunately, a lot of bands need to put away the romantic side of things when off-stage and run things more like a business - bookings, promotion, sensible touring schedules, etc. For example, I've not been to a Dick Venom gig, but it's clear, when you compare their onstage image against BRX's posts on here, that they've struck the right balance between the two. When a venue owner asks why he should pay an 'originals' band for making some noise in his/her licensed space, perhaps the band needs to be able to answer, "You're hiring professional musicians. We'll set up, play and clear off on time with surgical precision, and do what we can to keep your punters entertained, and keep them drinking. If you want a free band, don't come crying to us when you get a bunch of stroppy, disorganised sixth-formers behaving like Axl Rose on your stage area." On the other hand, the promoter or venue owner needs to be firm about who they do and don't invite back - or even who they cut short. I've never forgotten a particularly stroppy bunch of kids at one gig who turned up late, borrowed bits of kits that they'd forgotten to bring, went to the bar instead of the stage when they were due to go on, and shouted abuse back at anyone who tried to hurry them along. In the end, it was the sound engineer who went and told them, "if you don't stop f**king around, you won't play at all." By this point the promoter in charge of the night was, of course, nowhere to be seen!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1390830930' post='2349960'] This is what Kit wrote, and I agree. [color=#333333]This would be a great list if it addressed that fact that the vast majority of bands playing small to medium venues do. not. get. paid...[/color] [/quote] I also think Kit is spot on with that one. The rest of his list is quite astute, judging by my own experience, but his first point - the idea of a band demanding a rider - is frankly alien to me. "You can get a hot meal, some water, and two drinks each"? I can't remember the last time I played a gig that came with that good a deal!

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1390654617' post='2347953'] Well this is the thing - the nut seems like it may need filed down. [/quote] Have a butcher's at these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOSCO-Nut-Slotting-Files-Bass-Guitar-/151153507703?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2331737d77 Best £65 I ever spent - it's amazing how much of a difference a little bit of nut filing can make to the playability. Oh, and best of luck with the truss rod - I've always been fearful of adjusting that one myself!

*salivates* I did own a CTM-15 head for all of 24 hours (I changed it for a LB30 so I'd be able to play at band volumes). It did sound bloody nice. And I have been thinking about a new practice amp; my beloved old Laney is starting to get a little senile. Excuse me, I think I need to go and get a towel...

I've stuck to 45-105 almost religiously, and Rotosound Swing Bass at that. I mean, there was that time when I ended up with a hybrid 45-100 set by mistake, though I can't say I noticed a great deal of difference. The only exception is the 8-string, where it all starts to get a bit strange...but then that's also my only short-scale (30") bass, so I guess it's a good point to throw convention straight out the window.

[quote name='Si600' timestamp='1390250050' post='2343217'] Some of you have said to get a hot pickup to better match the existing Fender standard P one. Er, what do you mean by that, and how do I tell whether it's hot enough? [/quote] Spit on it and see if it sizzles. Joking aside, hot = higher impedance = higher output. A lot of people have mentioned the J pickup sounding 'thin' compared to the P, but something a bit hotter should provide a fatter, slightly louder tone that won't be drowned out by the P pickup. A lot of manufacturers quote impedances for their pickups (or you can always find out for yourself, using a multimeter!), so try and choose one which will hold its own against your existing pickup. Worth bearing in mind that even on a Jazz bass, the bridge pickup has a slightly higher impedance than the neck pickup*. (*At least, I think that's the case, though I don't own a Jazz! Anyone who knows better, please correct me!)

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1390232655' post='2342903'] I have a Mike Lull PJ5 where he's done something a bit different ... the pan control doesn't pan [b]from [/b]the P-pickup [b]to [/b]the J-pickup, instead the P-pickup is always on and the pan control simply [b]adds [/b]progressively more of the J-pickup to the constant sound of the P-pickup. I have several PJ Precisions where the pan does what it normally does and I always just use the P-pickup, but this Mike Lull system genuinely adds something since it means I can play [i][b]simple-P[/b][/i] or [i][b]P-with-attitude[/b][/i]. What I can't do with the Lull is play [i]J-bridge-pickup[/i] only, but I've never liked that sound anyway. [/quote] Now that's a pretty clever idea! Not to play it down, mind, but couldn't you achieve the same with a common V/V/T arrangement, e.g., by leaving the P volume on '10' and just twiddling the J volume to your liking? Or is this to allow you to set your P/J blend as you want it and then adjust the overall volume? (Am I basically just answering my own question as I write this?)

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1390219442' post='2342648'] +1 I can also understand a time limit on trying a bass too. It must be frustrating to have a customer playing a bass for an hour, then say "nahh, I don't like it. " [/quote] I have to admit, I always feel guilty trying out a bass for a length of time and then not purchasing it. It doesn't help that, along Denmark St, the shop assistants will usually come and check on me after ten minutes to ask "how are you getting on?" Now, I'm well aware that they've come over in an attempt to secure a sale, but perhaps they've got the right idea. If I just don't like the bass particularly, they're happy to try and recommend another; they've been happy to let me compare and contrast two or three. I feel like I'm getting plenty of attention, even if the underlying message is that I should make a decision; but at least that way I'm not going to sit there noodling away for an hour, annoying the other customers, then prop an expensive instrument precariously against the stool and wander out without saying anything. [quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390227193' post='2342796'] Cheaper, better - it's all subjective isn't it? Perhaps you're seeing the demise of one aspect of the business (outright sales) and the rise of another (service and support)? Change doesn't mean all or nothing. I doubt this is a problem that only affects music shops though and, personally, I would say that local councils are a big part of the problem because of excessive business rates and restrictive and/or expensive parking charges. ... Those are the options available to consumers these days and it's quite clear which one they are increasingly choosing. So what do councils do when faced with high street shops struggling and going bust - yep, increase business rates and parking charges in a futile attempt to maintain their revenues. It's not too difficult to see which way the tide is turning. [/quote] Nail firmly on head with a laser-guided hammer. Back when my old flatmate and I were still brewing beer regularly, we used to visit a tiny brewery near Hoxton that also sold brewing supplies. We could have got the stuff cheaper online, but five minutes' conversation with one of the guys in the shop gave us enough invaluable advice that more than made up for any extra cost. Sadly, the council effectively drove them out of London. The parking fees on their street kept climbing until it was nigh-on-impossible to get their delivery lorries up to the door. We heard they'd relocated to Sussex and now only sold brewing supplies through mail order. A great loss to two students who just wanted to learn how to make a convincing pint of bitter.