NickD

Genius! Week 1 - Broadcast interview with Peter Hook & bang on about his signature model. Week 2 - Lose remaining bass custom.

I had a couple of Roland cables from Dave. Described as like new, and they were indeed. Easy, pleasant communication throughout, posted the next day and at my door shortly after. Thanks Dave!

I loved Thomann, but they've not been the source of bargains they were since the (obviously unrelated to anything) demise of Sterling that started in 2016. In a pinch, for little things I'll use G4M, GAK, or Andertons, and I've not experienced any customer service issues. For Drum stuff I find Drumshack in Sarf London great. Bass-wise, I reckon I've stockpiled enough to get me through until we're using the Euro, or I can escape, whichever comes first. For the inevitable GAS attacks it's the Basschat Marketplace all the way.

Ah well, I guess they do have a Christmassy effect.... My first thought was 'Jesus Christ'!🤣

Or you could take it just one little step further.....

That's brilliant.... again!😎

I'm not up for covers at the moment, writing, refining and recording is where it's at for me in terms of enjoyment.... Plus I don't like crowds, and playing originals tends to discourage people gathering. 🤣 But! We auditioned loads of guitarists a while ago, and while we saw some blazing players, the only one of them who learned the tunes properly, and had any idea of how to play in a band context had only ever played in cover bands. There's a method and a discipline that comes from it.

Having said that.... I'm not sure asking bass players if there's too much bass is the wisest idea! 🤣

I think it needs that kind of bass to move it along. It's totally appropriate to me, and I daresay it could have stood for a little more without a problem.

There's little wrong with the current crop of 5 string jazzes, but you're looking at 18-19mm spacing, as with a 4 string. That's my preference anyway, but basses I've not got on with because the spacing is tighter, would probably be closer to what you're looking for neck-wise. Ibanez SR are 16.5, and the necks feel fast and skinny, Warwicks are the same as standard (except the broadnecks), but adjustable to about 17mm at a push. Spectors come in about 17mm too.

I found it hard to choose this month, but that was a great tune, congratulations! 😎

Thanks all... I'll take a look at these after work!

I'm a fan of the Tascam GB-10, just because of it's flexibility. It's tiny, pretty easy on batteries, pitch change, tempo change, tuner, overdubbing onto tracks, etc. The effects aren't particularly great, better on guitar, but I use it for playing along with tunes mostly, or recording rough takes on acoustic recordings to send back to collaborators for feedback, so I don't really use them. I mostly do what I do at the computer nowadays, but as a portable, all in one solution it's great.

I'd appreciate any recommendations for the above. I'm throwing demos at my drummer at an alarming rate at the minute, straight out of Cubase in WAV, with a click put on and any drum tracks I've cobbled together removed. These are then downloaded to the Ipad, auxed in to an electronic kit and used to develop drum parts. What we're after is an app in which we can either open or upload the tracks, and vary the tempo without changing pitch, so they can be slowed down to get the parts together, then worked up to tempo as you would learning a part against just a metronome. Free is good, but paid is fine for something good. Ease of use is the most important thing here. Ideally it would work with wav files, but I guess I could run the tracks through an online converter for other formats if neccessary. Thanks in advance! 😊

I'd echo that. Seeing as I'm sat WFH next to it, this is the Mrs kit, set up pretty much as her acoustic kit, so she can move seamlessly between the two.

Sorry to hear that. Here's hoping for the best. My brother works in a pattern shop and over the years there has been a number of hideous accidents, usually involving mangled hands, most of which had a much better outcome than the initial carnage suggested. He himself had to have tendons reconnected after an incident the left his fingers curled uselessly into the palm of his hand. That didn't look good for a while, but after the surgery and a period of recovery (ie, doing what he was told), everything is largely back to normal, with no significant loss of function or strength. He's a climber, so finger strength is important, and he still kicks my a$$ when we climb together.

You did post the track though.... Like a Duane Eddy bass part at the beginning.... but then it went!

It was nice to be able to turn it up, so to speak. Our walls are paper thin so any demo stuff I do at home is practically at whisper level, and sounds crap. I think that was part of my apprehension. Getting into the studio and being able to go for it a bit... well it wasn't perfect, but it was 10 times better than I'd expected it to be from the demos. I've started practicing in the car on the way back from dropping the Mrs off in the mornings. I must look like a loon.

Thanks Phil, I'll take a look!

Odd, It worked for me the first time, in the browser, but now I'm getting the same error!

I can imagine it's pretty critical when you're doing something at a 'Sting' level too. I did scour the internet for do and don't lists before the first session, and took it really easy. Water throughout the day and tuna salad at lunch. Even then, my voice was fecked by the end of the day... Luckily the last track required some distortion on the voice anyway, or I wouldn't have got away with that one. I think it's fair to say I was terrified the couple of days preceding it, but I find I'm now really impatient for the next one (which due do all the postponements at the studio isn't until the 3rd week in Jan), and I hope that's a good sign.

Actually, while I'm obviously joking, that is an issue... When you're not used to singing, if it doesn't come naturally to you, there's a nervousness, almost an embarrassment, that totally closes your throat. Even just in front of a friendly, supportive producer, and one bandmate, there was a hesitancy, that manifested itself in a physical way until I got into it and relaxed. Back in the mists of time, I probably had something similar with bass too, but that was less exposed.

Only if you promise not to laugh! 🤣

That's what I'm going for. Trying to get something across, to communicate... to compensate a bit for my ignorance.🤣 A lot of my favourite singers aren't what you'd call great singers, but there's something special there. Of course I do love to listen to great voices too, but still there's got to be more than just that (like Sting for example, who seems to have it all). Hopefully, through the recording process I can develop, and find a sound that's ours, I plan on lots of harmonies so I won't be completely naked. Given everything else I have on, lessons aren't really an option atm... I just need to find one teacher on YouTube that doesn't make we want to punch them!