xilddx

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1411503075' post='2560229'] Really? I should have. Blue [/quote]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411503537' post='2560239'] I have received a PM in respect of my post about 'cultural differences': No sooner said than done: [/quote] The first one is to a drummer though.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1411502482' post='2560220'] That appreciative punter at a gig is fine and I feel it's part of my job to have that chat and as I said in my original post, I'm surprised and thankful. But the guy at Star Bucks I am not sure about him. Blue [/quote] You didn't say anything about any of this in your original post.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1411500621' post='2560181'] It's funny, because in some ways Blue and Xildxx seem as alike as two peas in a pod; firstly in their fervent embrace of music as a central component of their existence and secondly as pleasant, modest, self-deprecating chaps with whom I'd cheerfully hoist a beer or two. Where they may perhaps vary - as might many of us - is their perception of the Terpsikhorean art as it might engage or mobilise others. One's own position may colour one's views yet it is there are certain objectively measurable states. For example, a tragic minority of humanity is (figuratively) deaf to music - I instance the good lady wife, whose sole reaction to anything I've ever played was to assume a blank expression and observe 'But it all sounds the same', except on the occasion that I first deployed the EHX B9 Organ Machine pedal when she howled with appreciative laughter. Not that I love her any the less, of course. Others profess to be music lovers yet scrutiny reveals otherwise. For example: a majority of women aged over 25 who claim to 'like' music are merely adherents of Abba and / or the oeuvre of Mr Mick 'Simply Red' Hucknall. Any other artist provokes bouts of projectile vomiting. Then there are those who 'know their music'; more often than not they are white middle-aged men who do not play an instrument but can reel off a list of Mr Brian Jones' daily activities from 1961 to 1968 or expound at length on the specific harmonic plangencies of The Incredible String Band's output while a tear trickles down their corrugated cheek. All of this diversity of engagement with so simple a form while never laying fingertip to string. Frankly, it is a miracle. And it could be so much worse. A good friend is a confirmed apiarist (bee-keeper in normal terms). He confides that most 'civilians' reactions on learning of his passion is to ask him:[list=1] [*]Is it difficult? [*]Do you get stung a lot? [*]Have you any honey to spare? [*]I must be going now. [/list] Such is his lot. We should give thanks for ours. [/quote]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1411499704' post='2560150'] Yes, grab a beer from the Phrygian and relax. [/quote] Oh man, you didn't need the 'and' ! Top pun nevertheless

[quote name='leftybassman392' timestamp='1411498607' post='2560127'] I'm much too nice to actually say this, but I frequent a forum where there are a lot of people who take pride in 'telling it like it is' (no, not BC! ) and I rather suspect that one or two of those people would be using words like 'precious' and 'pompous' by now. As I said though, I wouldn't say that because I do share your passion. At one time or another I have[list] [*]played in numerous bands across a range of styles and a variety of instruments; [*]owned my own recording studio (albeit a small one) that I used to record my own music, my bands' music, and the music of a range of people from friends to total strangers; [*]performed in bands playing everything from cocktail jazz to hairy-arsed punk; [*]taught others to do various combinations of the above, ranging in aptitude from massively skillful and hugely talented to the exact opposite of the aforementioned. [/list] However, it has never occurred to me to criticise people for turning up to one of may gigs and engaging me in musical conversation, even if they clearly don't know a Phrygian scale from a fridge-freezer. If I could offer a bit of old-fart advice, I'd suggest that you might want to lighten up a bit. [/quote] Word.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1411495788' post='2560096'] Or it could be they grew up in culturally and or musically deprived environment and have never had any real connection to the arts. I grew up financially deprived, but I don't patronize the wealthy, rich or the well off. For me, music started and hit me at a young age (4 or 5 years old). I distinctly remember being in my high chair (baby chair) in the kitchen where my Mom would have the Black radio station on and we were all grooving to Ray Charles in the late 50s. My point,I just needed to vent about being patronized. Blue [/quote] So the real problem is that perfectly nice people talk to you, and YOU feel patronised because you don't understand where they are coming from and make assumptions about them. Then you judge them as ignorant and patronising because they are not on your musical 'level. Perhaps it's actually YOU being patronising. That's not a nice way to be. You say you have no hobbies, no family, no other real interests. So let me ask you, what on earth are you saying through your music? Most of the great musicians I know and know of, a few of whom I've had the great pleasure of playing with, can hold conversations on a wide variety of subjects, and have wide interests, they have strong opinions about things OTHER than music. Music is almost never discussed in the pub or at the dinner table. Their music is the channelling of their energies. If their energies are only music and f***ing, their music will most likely be two dimensional. Most of the great musicians obsessed with music have interests and passions outside of music and sex, that where the music comes from. How would you feel if you went and said hello to your bass hero if you have one, how would you feel if she went off and moaned about the sh*t and dumb questions these amateur musicians come out with. What if you read that on a bass forum somewhere? How would that make you feel?

[quote name='Vinny' timestamp='1411482304' post='2559907'] I was thinking of getting a Sandberg decal put on this, do you think it looks the part? [url="http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/vinnybassist/soundcheck_zps94d87c5e.jpg"]http://i920.photobuc...zps94d87c5e.jpg[/url] [/quote] Top man!

Well done mate, will give it a listen later. Nice piece of music that. You have a very lovely bass tone.

I think we should be careful judging people and how they like their music. Music is for all, in whatever form they want it. If they get a kick out of One Direction but don't dig Gil Scott Heron, or love operatic arias but can't understand how anyone can enjoy Peters and Lee, that's cool, and it's fine with me. Why judge them because they don't 'get' Weather Report or Opeth? Try starting a thread on Hip Hop on here and you'll get the same sh*t. 'Wha wha wha, it's crap, it ain't music, them rappers can't even sing, it aint f***ing music, there's no skill' etc etc. And it's bullshit because they only know about the hip hop they hear about in the news and on mainstream music channels, they don't know about the political rappers, the rappers that want to have a positive influence rather than rap about hos and $$ , the underground hip hop scene - they are ignorant, and yet they are musicians. All of us 'don't get' certain other art forms, judging that 'modern art' is crap compared to the Renaissance, that Michelin starred restaurants can't beat beans on toast, taking the piss out of Damian Hirst from their magnolia homes with the avocado bathroom suite while lauding Banksy. This is a musicians forum, where a thread about cats or a thread for word association will get a thousand posts, and the members who post their music in the recording section get two or three responses. A forum with over 30,000 members that has a monthly composition competition that attracts about 36 votes. We are all deeply ignorant of most things, so don't get too self-indulgent about people not understanding your music.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1411409785' post='2559279'] This is reassuring. I will be gigging a cheap bass (Squier VMPJ) in the near future, purely as I currently lack the cheddar to acquire a quality bass. Going by what I'm reading, maybe I should hang on to the Squier and pour the money into a good amp instead. [/quote] I regularly gig the active Squier Jag I won in the SE Bass Bash. I swapped the neck for a cheap Mighty Mite ebonol fretless, put Hipshot lollipop tuners on it, swapped the bridge for a Hipshot. It's a great sounding and playing bass, and it packs a mighty wallop for the dub tones I need, I don't even use the active boosts on it either, it rarely needs it, they are all set on their centre detents. Proud to play it anywhere. Looks f***ing cool too.

IME the main issues on a cheapy bass are not with sound and playability, it's things like poor quality tuners and noisy electronics, dodgy jack sockets, cheap components that can affect its reliability and tuning.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1411405536' post='2559214'] He was wrong. [/quote] Seconded.

Let us face it. The weakest part of the signal chain is the player. sh*t player + amazing bass & rig = sh*t bass. Amazing player + sh*t bass & rig = amazing bass.

[quote name='Uberkate' timestamp='1411148369' post='2557016'] Hola, I'm looking to upgrade some of the hardware on my new(old) strat and was wondering if the saddles that you can buy from Allparts etc. are the same/interchangeable for both trem and hardtail bridges? Just the little saddle parts, not the overall unit. Afaik I'd need to check the spacing too? [/quote] I would think they would, most standard Strat tailpieces are the same. But may I recommend you replace them with Graphtech saddles? They are brilliant.

Here you go, they did this last night https://soundcloud.com/kudaushe-matimba/makomo

One of the bands she's in, 'Harare', supported London Zulu tonight. The band were brilliant, really great musicians, awesome music, awesome Zimbabwean dance vibes. Anyway, Abi was ace, cracking bassist, sheer musical intelligence and taste going on, superb timing, but with so much electricity, lovely hypnotic bass lines played with panache. Rich warm tone too. A great gig, lovely night! Abi digs a bit of Basschat apparently. Abi, it was lovely to meet you and hear your music. [url="http://www.abibailey.com"]http://www.abibailey.com[/url]

It means the price drop before the next final price drop.

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1410885652' post='2554339'] If you insist on living in the red light district you've only got yourself to blame if you here people playing with horns... [/quote] Ahh, the ol' bone flute eh?

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1410883799' post='2554300'] Maybe I live in a place where the houses are far enough apart from each other to mitigate the noise, unlike London where they stack 'em high and everyone shares their lving space with 100 other people!! [/quote]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1410870078' post='2554054'] Try "Indo Jazz Fusion" by John Mayer and Joe Harriot for a take from the 60s and Bada Boom by Ranjit Barot for more modern fusion. [/quote] Thanks for those, I'll check em out too. I listened to Shakti but was not really into it. I thought it was a bit cheesy, a John McLaughlin pseudo-spiritual vanity project.

Bilbo lives in a place where windows are rare, East Anglia I live in London, I hear mostly drummers practicing, but sometimes guitars, and occasionally horns.

Why would a kid WANT to play an instrument these days? That's the first question. Anyway, kids DO play them http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29117849 Lots of instruments are playable with headphones now, technology has improved. So you can practice til your heart's content without being an anti social ***t

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1410861207' post='2553888'] You can't smell an mp3. [/quote] So why do so many people say they are sh*t?

I've done, and will continue to do, charity gigs when asked. But I know some of them are a bit crap and don't actually make much money and the promoter gets f***ed. But I've done a few pretty big ones and they've made thousands of quid for charities. I don't think one can have a personal 'policy' about doing charity gigs. It's a balance init. Big known band, big draw and money for charity. Small local band, you have to happy in your role as a bit of extra entertainment for the punters, almost none of whom will remember you or buy your album once they've gone home.