blue

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1462177646' post='3040743'] Ronnie Lane? If that's right then in Small Faces times he plays finger style on at least some of the videos I've seen. Mind you there's a lot of miming. A lot od the early material has quite a soft sound too which could either be down to the gear or indicating fingerstyle. My guess is he'd have used both? A bit of a hero as a songwriter and a lovely man. A sad loss. [/quote] I was referring to Ronnie Wood. Blue

[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1462202484' post='3041050'] I've read that Charlie Watts’ first musical love is big band jazz and that he only drums for the Stones to pay his bills [/quote] Yeah, and he's been able to pay his bills for over 50 years. Twice the age of most of you. Blue

[quote name='Lw.' timestamp='1462201913' post='3041044'] As ever with music; if you don't like the current situation (be that live scene, original or covers bands), start your own. Write the songs you want to play, curate your own covers playlist or organise the gigs. Hard work but means you get what you want. [/quote] Still depends on what you want to do. If you want to gig and make money, your really going to have to start a band that has commercial appeal and can get consistent work. Starting a band and writing your own songs would be limited at best. If there's no originals scene then people are probably not going to be interested in hearing your songd. Blue

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1462223376' post='3041312'] I genuinely thought this thread was going to be about volume issues! Living in London, I'm not really in a good place to offer advice about Cheltenham. But I do agree that serious frustration warrants a serious response, and there's none more serious than starting the band you want to be in. I've done it. Once. Maybe one day I'll try again. If nothing else, I guarantee you a fund of funny but true stories to regale your musician friends with for the rest of your life. Advertising for members for a new band is a bit like starring in your own sitcom. Don't ask me how I know. [/quote] I think the starting your own band thing is not for everyone. One of the biggest problems is as a start up, you have nothing to offer except risk.The risk of wasting sombodies and your time. I know there are exceptions. Blue

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1462199850' post='3041020'] Its the first time i have. Ive got to be honest I'm a frustrated bass player, Partly because of where i live. The band i just turned down plays covers of Oasis etc, it couldn't be further from what i like to play. What is up with this country.? No cosmopolitan ways, in boring country towns.?!!! I think its just the inherent music culture in small gloucestershire towns. Me and the wife getting the f*** out of here. [/quote] Yeah, location has a huge impact on opportunities to play at the local and regional level. As you know,this is about work,decent paying work, a business for me. Even in the fairly large metro area I'm in, if my band were to fold, I'd be sunk. Opportunities for bands with a book of business are not advertised the public. 99.9% of the opportunities for bass guitarist are for originals bands with little to no work, start ups ,and for fun basement bands. Blue

Did Ronnie Wood play bass with a pick back in the day. I'm thinking he probably did. Blue

For my style of playing execution of the line ,riffs and licks are more accurately defined with a pic. Plus people think I'm a guitarist. Lol 😃😃 Blue

Why I Play With A Pick Ok,guys,let's hear your reasoning. No hatin. Blue

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1462007056' post='3039478'] The shop where I work has various teaching and practice rooms for hire. A woman brought in a group of boys to use the practice room because they were going to form a band. They were all about 10 years old. As I set up the drum kit for them it became apparent that most of them hadn't played an instrument before. I was asked if they could borrow a bass guitar and when I returned with the instrument I said "Ok who's in charge?" , one boy replied "that will be joe , he's gone to get some drum sticks". "No , I meant who's playing bass? If you play bass you're in charge!" The boy said "Wow , that's me!" and took the bass. As I left I heard him say "Right , let's have a rule -nobody plays anything unless I say so....." [/quote] 10 year's old,that's an ideal age to get into playing music. I think I was 11 or 12. At that age you don't over think anything. It's as simple as "I'm going to play this thing" and you just do it. Blue

[quote name='hairychris' timestamp='1461925964' post='3038757'] Aye, saw that yesterday. It's a fun couple of interviews. Vernon's guitar rig is insane. [/quote] I know, no way could I deal with a set up like that, I don't have that kind of aptitude. Blue

I have show Friday night. I take a solo in an old Buddy Miles song "Them Changes" I plan on soloing around the Purple Rain structure. Blue

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1460274813' post='3024147'] Hello! Yeah - a few things about 5 strings. Firstly, they really aren't practical on the short scale version. The tension on the strings is probably too low and the Low B would sound like noise, which leaves high C as your other option. I've started looking into the possibility of a 5 string 34" Scale Version, and yes it would require a lot of prototyping. For starters I'd probably have to change the bridge plate, because it doesn't come in a 5 string version. So it'd be a very different spec. The other thing that gives me pause is that as a small company having a lot of stock variation means having to hold a lot more stock. So if I do it at all, it'll be in a limited colour choice - which is what I'm doing on the fretless shorty that I'm busy prototyping. Ultimately - if there's enough demand for something - I will do it. So make sure to let me know if there's something you're interested in. Laters [/quote] I'm an older 60-70s Ney York style bass guitarist. We don't play 5 strings. Blue

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1460830478' post='3029224'] Got to agree with Mr Dog, above. In my local, people used to tip the bar staff on the understanding that they got the tips, when it emerged that the landlord (no names, but anyone who knows me will know which Australian I mean!) was in the habit of taking the contents of the tip jar for himself, everyone stopped tipping. [/quote] Good Blue

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1460824511' post='3029149'] I really don't see any problem with it. You agreed a fee & I presume got paid it. How the bar manager finds that cash is up to him, pay at the door, a few pence on a pint, pass round a hat. Isn't that called business? [/quote] I do. Depends on the bands business model. We don't want people to have to pay to see us. We're a bar band. We're established with a solid book of business so we can be picky about gigs. We would never play anywhere where they passed around a hat. We won't play places that have a cover charge either. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1461366435' post='3034159'] Yes. My Grandad was saying that in the 60s "This is an old 40s number.", My Dad was saying that in the 80s. "This is an old 60s number.", I'm saying it to my kids now "This is an old 80s number". Nothing is new in pop. [/quote] No, not really,not new for me. But I would suspect everything seems new to a 12 year old. Which is pretty close to when I started listening to music. Blue

[quote name='Left Foot' timestamp='1461369793' post='3034178'] Im quite disappointed with how much milage Basschat has found from being bitter over this. Its really not that bad or even worthy of much hostility. The guy noodled with a farty tone at a sports event - where people get drunk and shout obscenities, its no big deal. Do you really need to use this as an opportunity to reflect on the bassists craft, really basschat. All we need is a bass rendition of starspangled banner and BC turns into little old lady doris nags over the fence. Saying he bombed as a statement, jeeeeeze, I doubt he cares, I almost respect the performance even more knowing how its offended tone precious bassists, lol. I mean, people paid to watch man netball, not listen to him, he knew that. BTW, im not a flea fan, just think it wasnt so bad and it fit for the occasion. [/quote] When I see sn artist the caliber of Flea, I expect to be turned on, not disappointed. Hey, it happens no big deal. Personally the whole idea of The Star Spangled Banner and a bass solo escapes me Blue

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1461362150' post='3034132'] Only if you stop listening I make a conscious effort to listen to atleast one band I haven't heard before a week [/quote] Don't get me wrong, If I'm not gigging I'm always out checking out new, local, regional, national and international bands. It just that nothing hits me the way the bands of my generation did. Blue

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1461280149' post='3033379'] Strummer, like it, I see what you did there. [/quote] Yeah,I'm not sure I spelled his last name correctly.I'll check it. Blue

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1461314780' post='3033528'] of course another consideration is as you get older the hearing goes, usually the treble, so what you think it sounds like and what it actually does may not be the same thing, I know when I got my hearing aids I it took me a year before I accepted that I really was missing that much treble, even now I set my sound with the hearing aids in then take them out to put ear plugs in (which cuts even more treble) and it takes a lot of willpower to stop messing about with the EQ [/quote] Now that you mention It, that could very well be the major part of this problem. Even people voices sound muffled to me now. Blue

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1461308896' post='3033440'] What is your gigging rig at the moment Blue? [/quote] I have several amps, however I've been gigging with my GK combo with one 15 and a horn. The horn is always off, I don't think our board likes it. And there's my pedals, I don't know if that could be part of my oroblem. Blue

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1461331694' post='3033778'] I remember when my dad stopped playing in bands. Around the 90s I suppose. We were playing a Sunday afternoon jazz set (he and I will play anything) and he said he didn't want to end up stuck playing music to people in old folks homes.[/quote] For my generation I think playing music to seniors in assisted living facilities would be pretty cool. Blue

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1461324966' post='3033680'] Sounds like my idea of hell 80s onwards for me, although I'm really liking the musical turnout from bands in recent years to be honest so I guess I like being stuck where I am?! Though there are a few bands I wouldn't mind dropping back in time to see! [/quote] A lot of great music came out the 80s & 90s. A lot of what's consider new is not new to me. It's what happens after you hit a certain age. Blue

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1461335109' post='3033818'] It's probably best to wait until the autopsy has been performed... [/quote] Agreed Blue

Congrats, that's pretty good if you got the offer so soon. It took me 3 auditions and several weeks before I got an offer from my band. Good Luck Blue

I'm good on tone, my fingers provide that. However, I struggle with my sound at every gig. I can never get a proper balance of good low end bottom and high end presence to cut through the mix. I've even turned the bass all the way off on my amp and I still hear that mushy undefined low end and not enough treble. Years ago when I had an old school SVT I never had this problem. Blue