ubit

Only a fretless player can possibly know what this is as fretted players like moi only know the dead on note as in precision. I bow to your expertise in said field that you can muck about to cure boredom. Obviously my ear could tell if a note wasn't quite on the mark but if I tried to play fretless I would be like Les Dawson on acid.

I am jealous as flip to hear about all your gigs as my job has curtailed my gigging. I can't plan ahead as I never know when I will be away or back.

Every time I go into Guitar Guitar in Glasgow I am amazed as to how quiet it always is. As soon as I start looking someone is over trying to get me to try something. I'm just looking must be a dagger into their hearts as they see yet another sale going down the drain. I really feel for these guys as they need sales to keep their jobs and it must be a long boring day if no one comes in. I suspect that online sales are what keep them going.

I did contact them recently about selling gear but their offers were derisory. I did say I realise that you are a business but I am not giving this gear away for that.

39 minutes ago, Graham said:

Not great last night, we had a dep guitarist, who whilst good, had only a couple of days to learn the set and unfortunately it showed.

 

Nice guy, good player, but it was a bit rough round the edges last night.

I always refused to do things unless they were rehearsed to the hilt. My mate the guitarist was always wanting to play new songs after one rehearsal but I am the bass player and singer so I had to learn two parts and then put them together. Not as easy as just learning the guitar part. We used to argue and on the few occasions when I gave in, we always mucked up. I had to almost fall out with him to stop us doing songs sometimes.

Look out for open mic nights.

7 hours ago, Mickeyboro said:

Their new album (first for many years) is exceptional. 

I'm going to see them in October. Looking forward that.

We haven't played for years and I was getting out of practice. Last summer during lock down I started noodling with the basses and Logic Pro. I was actually playing the best I had ever played. Since then I have not had so much time and I went in a couple of days ago and I couldn't remember anything.

If I ever go into a music shop and they say do you want to try something I am like nah, I know I will freeze and won't remember a thing. My jamming ability has gone through lack of practise.

If it's a Fender then it has to be tobacco burst. Same with Les Pauls although I do love a deep blue LP. Everything else, black!

Welcome mate. Lots of decent folk on here who are only too happy to help you on your bass journey.

What bass do you have?

37 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I can count on the fingers of one hand the musicals I actually like. I’m not a fan. 

I was the same until a few years ago I took the Mrs and my Mother to see The Miserables. When it started and they were mime digging the road I was "get me out of here". By the end of it I was out of my seat applauding the lot. That was me hooked.

29 minutes ago, tegs07 said:

A good old fashioned phone call is still the best method of resolving disputes and complications IMO. To many issues are compounded with hasty texts and tweets that can’t be retracted or the tone or context understood.

A phone call usually needs an email confirmation so it all boils down to email again. I can set up an out of office reply on my email. Why can't a small business?

2 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

I didn’t know about this until I watched a documentary on sky arts one night, really interesting program, it’s worth watching 🙂

I saw that years ago. I suppose if you dig deep enough into any artists personal life you are going to find stuff that normal people put up with. When you add extreme artistic talent to that you usually get someone who is very vulnerable underneath. No one can stand massive fame without getting some kind of backlash along the way. Unless you are Dave Grohl. That man is so down to Earth it's untrue!

14 minutes ago, ezbass said:

the reverence they are held in escapes me.

Probably because they were the biggest selling act of the time and since then their songs have taken on an almost legendary status. Movies have used their songs and there has been stage shows too. I didn't like them at the time but even I have realised what they did for music.

It doesn't matter how small your business is. It's easy to set up an out of office reply to emails if you are on holiday or similar. No, this says to me unprofessional or uncaring.

Just now, Reggaebass said:

Rivers of Babylon, top tune ☝️

Ma Baker!!!

6 minutes ago, Skybone said:

No Rutger this time around though.

Time to die I suppose.

They were one of those bands that I hated at the time, although I fancied the blonde bird something rotten, but later realised that I knew every song and loved them. As Reggaebass said some of the bass lines were incredible.

Boney M fall into this category too

I have used my SVT 2 Pro for years without any issues at all. In fact just the other day I forgot to switch it off after mucking about for a bit. I noticed 24 hours later. Not a problem. Still works a treat.

23 minutes ago, Russ said:

You had to wear those up high. I think it was the rules at the time.

Plus, tucking the bass into your armpit mitigates neck dive.

I saw a band back in the 80's playing locally and the bass player was resting his chin on his bass. I vowed to wear mine low from then on.

2 minutes ago, Russ said:

And untuck that T-shirt! 

Not to mention lower your bass to below belt level

Another area that annoys me is the fact that some people tell others that they are in an original band and use that as some kind of badge of superiority over cover band members. Sometimes it is a total accident of  location that can decide whether you meet a singer or guitarist who is just that something extra and can write decent tunes that get noticed. Other times decent musicians are lost in the mire of mediocrity.

It can be a chance meeting with a guitarist or bass player who writes great songs that can carry drummers and other bass players on the road to fame. 

Look at some famous bands and look at the rhythm section and see if they are all incredible musicians or just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

2 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

I understand. I'm terrible with phone calls and confrontation! At the age of 42 I am on a low priority list to see if I may have ASD- and it would explain so, so many things.

Im the same. I can never think of something quick enough to say to people. Mrs Ubit is amazing on the phone. She just knows what to say at the right time. Theres no issues with me apart from being dim witted. I think of something smart about half an hour after the situation.

9 minutes ago, Daz39 said:

Speed River - The Tragically Hip

 

I love a bit of the Hip. Have you watched the documentary of their last tour on Netflix? Brilliant and also very sad.

On a lighter note....

On 30/08/2021 at 21:22, Bunion said:

How about a nice Ampeg SVT either a full tube amp or an SVP pro pre amp

lovely tube creaminess and depth when clean 

5 mid settings for adding or scooping mids (slap it like it’s a pert bottom on a French hooker) 

That nice ampeg fat bass sound to add a bit fullness and if you want a bit of distortion just crank up the gain and drive those tubes. 
plus none can pick it up and run off with it so security and peace of mind. 

This is what I have. I can second everything in the above statement. Especially the anti theft feature with it weighing the same as a large sheep!

21 minutes ago, kendall said:

Hey Mands.  I had the 1980's equivalent of what you are looking to purchase when I was 15 years old.  It was awful, badly set up and the amp was useless. But...... I loved it, because it was my first bass.  I learnt the basics on it, learnt how to change strings, tune it, set it up etc. I also posed in the mirror practicing stage moves that I never actually had the balls to do. I covered it in stickers and used it at an audition for my first band.  I got the gig, and after about 10 months of unfaithful service I upgraded it.  It still lives in my mothers attic (so she tells me).

 

I had the Hondo II from my mothers catalogue. As you say it was terrible. The action was about half an inch high, the hardware was all sharp edges, it was just awful. How I stuck with it and actually gigged with it is amazing. I remember the pole pieces in the pickup fell inside the housing and I had a job sticking them so that I could hear the thing. If anyone can push. the boat out just a little bit, it makes such a difference.