louisthebass

TBH, I'd put your relationship first - if Mrs Flup is "the one", don't do anything to muck it up. It's difficult, especially as you're in a situation where the band is doing really well, but it's not the be all and end all in life. It's difficult for a female partner to be with a musician (unless the female partner has also been, or is in a band) as it is mainly unsocial hours, and there is a "trust aspect" involved as well. A lot of what Dadofsix says also applies.

I'm pro metronome - I use it for 99% of my practice routine. I think they do help in some way in terms of developing a good sense of time, especially when it comes to reading. Blinding technique by the way - I doubt I could get anywhere near that at 170bpm!

Cracking looking instrument!! Welcome to the wonderful world of 5 string bass .

I used to use Rotosound Starfire nickels years ago - the brightness on nickels doesn't seem to last as long as regular stainless steels, but they do have a nicer feel on the fingers.

A mate of mine tried to teach me to play guitar and form a band. I found the six stringed instrument a real struggle, so he suggested it would be "easier for me to play bass as it only had four strings". Bought a P-bass copy from Macari's for £95.00 in 1985 and never looked back.... I like those nice chunky strings....

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1424356173' post='2695486'] True, I do check back on threads I've started - but I have to say it has been so long since I've seen the last thread about BGM that I didn't know who had started it. If it has long gone I suspect members won't go looking for it specifically. Just a thought really. [/quote] I've had a look back at the thread in question, and Joel held his hands up to a lot of the printing errors that caused the bulk of the complaints, which is commendable on his part. However, looking at this thread in particular, it would appear that a number of the members on here who initially started buying the magazine over 10 years ago have been disappointed with how the magazine has turned out. I think it has gone downhill in the last couple of years and it's very sad to see that happen. Unfortunately the same thing has happened to Bass Player as well, and there is now a gap in the market for a really good quality Bass magazine. It would be good for Joel to come back on here and maybe readdress the direction of BGM?

[quote name='Old Man Riva' timestamp='1424192422' post='2693688'] Did you ever see Terraplane at all - drummer, guitarist and singer were all in the band (early 80s). Danny Bowes was phenomenal - very Marriott-esque.. [/quote] To be honest, I didn't, although I did see Thunder at Wembley Arena (possibly 1989 or 1990) when they were the support band for Heart - nearly 25 years ago (feeling old now....).

Slightly off topic, saw Chris & Harry play with "Bad Influence" a few times at The Windsor Castle in Carshalton - great rhythm section!! .

Where the "hand hanging off" is concerned - it sounds like there's a lot of tension and you may be "digging in" too hard. Try and keep your hand more relaxed, and you should be able to get through without a lot of fatigue. Playing with a lot of tension could lead to problems later on (RSI). In respect of alternate plucking (fingerstyle), it's just a matter of concentrating on getting it really clean - I've been using the exercises in this video and it's really helped me clean my fingerstyle up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHikLbUBCY4 Hope this helps?

Found this on YouTube - thought it was a really good insight from three L.A. studio bassists on how the industry and session bass playing has changed in the last 40 odd years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSJeXvCqgeo&index=2&list=WL Apologies if this has been posted before?

If I had to go for one, it would probably be "Sound Affects" by The Jam. Weller's songwriting was reaching it's peak in the band at that time, Foxton and Buckler provided a great foundation for everything to sit on. Classic track (apart from "That's Enertainment" and "Start") is "Man in the Corner Shop" - a song that Ray Davies, Steve Marriott or Pete Townshend would have been proud of if they'd written it.

Welcome aboard . +1 to what BassBunny said. All the Ed Friedland books are great, and Stuart Clayton has written a lot of great books too (Bassline Publishing). www.studybass.com is another great site too.

+1 to JapanAxe's quote... Have never had any major issues with any of the Yammy basses I've owned over the years. Their gear does exactly what it says on the tin and then some! I still have my TRB5 which is the longest I've ever had any bass.

I really like the "Jazz Era" Joni L.P's.. "Refuge of the Roads" from "Hejira" still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Joni's voice and acoustic guitar blend so well with JP's superbly phrased bass playing. That L.P. has got some classic songs on it that still stand today, "Amelia" and "Furry Sings the Blues" being just two.

Checked out some of the TLB videos on YouTube, Jennifer Young certainly can play . Very prog rock for anyone who's curious!! Agree with the Ida Nielsen comment too - she can groove too!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1423044682' post='2679843'] I've skipped a lot so as far as the OP goes.. I've met a few world class musicians and played with one or two, IMO, and I can say that musically I think they are on another planet. You wont get to where those guys have unless you have something Special.. Of course, some guys fluke a fantastic career but you don't get to 1st call status in a top muso town without being very decent indeed and that level and what it takes is not likely to be recognisable by most. So, you certainly learn from their skill levels and their inate musicality, plus if you delve deeper, you'll likely find a massive amount of practice and sacrifice... but that wont amount to that much unless they have something else...which the top guys have. Whatever is it, they have IT, IMO. [/quote] Good post that sums it up very nicely!

Another OBBM fan here!

[quote name='Aguycalledphil' timestamp='1422227118' post='2670196'] Hi, I'm a beginner bass player and I'm not able to stretch out my left hand to one finger per fret I see you can use a 1 - 2 - 4 method across 3 frets I'm not sure of the best way to practice this, could anyone provide a you tube link or practice book to buy on amazon or simple written advice of their experience Is it vital to be able to master one finger per fret? Are there any famous bass players that are unable to do one finger per fret? Would appreciate your help..Thanks [/quote] Ed Friedland's Electric Bass Complete Vols 1-3 covers the 1-2-4 fingering on Electric Bass. FWIW, it keeps the fretting hand much more relaxed (especially bearing in mind that fingers 3 & 4 share a tendon). I use it all the time and have never had an issue with it. If it feels comfy playing that way, use it .

A TH500 will fit in the front bottom pocket of an iGig 515 quite easily

Have been following this thread - what follows is just my 2p's worth: You can't really go wrong with some of the lessons on Scott Devine's site. He does a lot of work on the Major scale and the modes in his videos - it's really just a matter of looking through them and see what applies to what you're after. Another guy who has brought out some very good books in the last few years is Stuart Clayton - his "Scales & Modes" and "Reading Music" books are well worth the money - check out his Bassline Publishing website. After that, it's all about putting the hours in - if you can get together with like minded musicians to play with, that helps as well...

Have got one of the old ones that a good buddy of mine gave me for nothing a few years back, and it's still going strong. Has been invaluable for gigs where my gear needs to travel from the car into the venue. Wouldn't be without one now .

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1394929125' post='2396908'] Don't underestimate the quality of the Tanglewaters. A lot of people who own one of those and the British-made Overwaters tend to say there's not a lot between them. My Contemporary J4 is better than every MIM Fender I've played and most MIA Fender (there have been two MIAs that have been better sounding/playing). [/quote] Totally agree with this - the dividing line between the Tanglewaters and the custom jobs is very fine. I've got a custom made J5 and having tried out a Tanglewater version of it, it sounds very much like the custom. Yes, the Tanglewater is a bit heavier, but you're getting a great bass for the money IMO.

Have tried playing with a pick over the years - have never really got on with it as I just don't seem to be able to judge the distance between the strings. Just gave up and reverted back to fingers.....

Looking at your sig, I'd be looking at the iGig - they take a Jazz bass quite well, and offer a lot of protection. The only downside is that they can be heavy for a gig bag. The Mono Vertigo is a lighter bag that also offers a lot of protection, but for some reason, offset bodies don't seem to sit in them very well....

[quote name='Phil Adams' timestamp='1394096845' post='2387807'] Been watching the Band one lately, excellent. [/quote] I've seen that one a couple of times, along with the Steely Dan "Aja" one, it's my favourite .