Geek99

I didn't get one.

I have a few subjects that I work on in rotation, I have to split them as I have little time so have to find time to practise when I can. 1. metronome - practising playing along with it, and subdividing beats. 2. left hand dexterity - getting those smaller fingers to move independently. 3. keys - I play though all the major scales in circle of fifths rotation, and all over the neck. I start as low as I can (even if I go out of mode) and then go up and across all the strings getting to the highest note in that key on the fretboard. Blues scales and minor scales are coming shortly. This is to fix the scales, and fretboard map in my head rather than learn a box. 4. some pages, usually one, from my current book (bass styles by stuart clayton) 5. Jamming to drum machine pattern for a few minutes (so I listen to drum sounds, not just clicks) I do any two of these each time I practise. Little and often works best, I find. Edit - I fully endorse NJE's book recommendation - its that book which made me play a given scales all the way up and across the nexk rather than just in a box -also recommend Bass Guitar for Dummies.

He wears glasses, and he isnt my boss. I was clocked-off at the time so I'm okay on that one. Apparently their last two bass players left due to other commitments. they've done a few gigs, I'm still learning and havent done any! I think it may all be a bit "root-and-fifth" to start with.

I've just started a new job, in my first week now. I was just reading basschat, and had read down about as far as the login box when one of my new colleagues swooped from about 15 feet away and asked if I play bass and want to try out for their band. Wierd feeling!

i find the Zoom b2.1u does everything I want, to be honest, plus it has a drum machine, metronome and tuner. I wouldnt go back to individual effects now.

Rutger Gunnarson was pretty good on Summer Night City, although Abba really isnt my thing. I'd like to add Kirsty Newton who plays bass for Mitch Benn, and of course second/third/etc John Taylor, if I end sounding a quarter as good as him, I'd be happy.

does anyone have a link for SX - I do like their 70s look jazz. Do they actually sound like the real thing?

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='238422' date='Jul 13 2008, 11:39 AM']That story is truly the stuff of urban myths! Hope they get a bundle for it. Be interesting to know what the legal position on it is though, is it theirs to sell?[/quote] I have a degree in Law, although I'm not too hot on conveyancing specifically. I [i]think[/i] the position is that when he bought the house, he also bought any remaining contents also that the owner didnt take with them. Its probably "been abandoned" given the length of time. Given the high value, the original owner (if he could absolutely prove that it was his; bill of sale, photos of him playing it in the garden etc) could make a case for its recovery and restitution to him, but since he chose to leave it there/forgot about it/was too wasted to notice then or since he'd probably have to compensate the current owner of the house to a fair extent. EDIT: I looked it up in my notes, I was right in my initial thoughts

yes, very nice - that part about 40 seconds in where he moves up to the 10th fret - THATS the sound I was asking about - sort of a quacking, rasping sound. He doesnt seem to be doing any short slides up to the notes (as a previous poster quite reasonably suggested) even though it does look like he's using a lined fretless.

I'm hankering for a Squier VMJ, but will probably wait until I go tot he US next.

thanks for the link, I will read that. Not suite sure my meagre skills are up to fretless at the moment.

I have one ( a £60 cheapie with "Spider" on the headstock). I know this is below the price range you quoted and accept its limitations. Its loud enough un-amped to practice with, but thats all. There is little adjustment, beyond filling down the nut or the bridge if the action is uncomfortable, there is no intonation adjustment. The pre-amp has presence, volume, treblle, mid, bass and whilst that is good, the string to string balance isnt great. You can really hear any finger noise through it. It is good for picking up and practising, and I suppose that there is some marginal benefit in working your fingers harder to play as the action is a little higher . I'd echo the above posts and say get an electric that sounds a bit acoustic.

[quote name='Mikey D' post='245540' date='Jul 22 2008, 05:11 PM']The riff is actually a part played forward and a section attached to it which the tape had been reversed as said in teh above mentioned clasic albums program. It was put in supposedly because it was Bakhiti's birthday. However, I don't believe its the same forward section reversed, as the notes/rhythms are different. Apart from the great playing from Bakhiti (and it being fretless with minimal vibrato), I suppose the only thing that makes the sound is the EQ'ing and compression. What a bass sound though.[/quote] I wasnt thinking about [i]that[/i] song in particular (it was one that kept going on about "having diamonds on the soles of your feet"), I was thinking more generally about African bands like The Bhundu Boys and so on, who do all seem to get that same sort of sound. I should have been more clear, it was just that hearing the Gracelands tracks set me off on this train of thought. I hadnt considered that it might have been a fretless, or a defretted instrument. I just really like the sound and wondered if I could get it. Thanks for all the input though I may experiment with the defret setting on my Zoom.

I'm jsut curious about this - I was listening to a the radio when a Paul Simon track from Gracelands was played - you know the ones with the jangly African guitars (that sound like a Strat) and that nice sinuous, thumping bass sound. Does anyone know how to achieve that bass sound? Is it in a particular instrument line, or particular amps? Or is it done with Eq and effects? Obviously there is also a certain amount of finger input by the player too, but I'm ignoring that for now. thoughts?

[quote name='cheddatom' post='244443' date='Jul 21 2008, 02:24 PM']I find that very strange. Maybe time for a format![/quote] yes, just got a 64 bit machine that I need to put XP on, so may try again. It'll get a new windows disk (being x64) so may work better as the drivers and stuff will all be more up to date)

As someone who is still somewhat p1sspoor but ws a lot worse, I have some sympathy - it wasnt till I went back to basics and worked hard on my timing, posture, left hand positioning and scalar knowledge that I started to sound even halfway reasonable. You'll do better with a tutor than by trying to do it yourself as I did.

yes, even after re-reading the leaflet, de-installing it completely, re-installing it,. and making sure it all was set up same as the documentation, and reading various forums, it still didnt work. I therefore gave up as recording was only a novelty anyway.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='241839' date='Jul 17 2008, 03:56 PM']geek99 - what are your issues? My Zoom worked fine with cubase, but I already had it installed.[/quote] Mainly due to the codecs and latency through them. I'm working in IT and pc support, so I'm fairly handy, but I couldnt sort them out. SOme XP setups just work striaght off the bat.

I've got one - the standard patches are usable, I particularly like C6 and D1 - the DeFret works quite well, as does the octaver but to be hoinest I only really use the comp/lim, NR, reverb and bass amp modellers. The drum machine and basic metronome included are good enough for practice. The tuner works well enough, even on 5 string. Its been robust and nothing has gone wrong. I agree that an Aux input would be nice. Only thing I never got to work properly was Cubase on Windows Xp, and that seems to be a bit of an old chestnut for many, and is probably Windows XP at fault not he Zoom. I'd buy another one.

I remember reading the original brochure for them (a scarily long time ago) but I recall I decided against as I didnt like the headstock and the Marlin models had a cool fish inlay at the 12th fret. Here ends the nostalgia segment....

Can someone tell me how different the Squier standard jazz and VM jazz actually are? There does seem to be a a large price difference. I like the look on the VM more, but I'm not sure look alone is worth the differential.

[quote name='Machines' post='240649' date='Jul 16 2008, 09:51 AM']Guilty. I really fancy a Squier Telebass or the 50's Precision. I'd probably be lame and change the logo though..[/quote] what, you mean, scrape the squier one off? Can you buy the fender decals?

I found this an interesting thread as I am looking into buying a jazz bass and have been wondering whether it was worth paying the extra for a real Fender, or whether the Squier was up to the mark. I'd like to ask BudgetBassist (as he's in my neck of the woods) if he knows a local music shop that he trusts?

I take your point about Pots, I have read about people changing the capacitors and so on. What did you put in place of the existing 500k pots? Would good quality ones from Maplin do, or are there particular spec for instrument pots? Did you also change the capacitor? ( i did read somewhere that changing the pot value also implied a change of capacitor to maintain or improve the tone). It seems to me that a Squier VMJ may be the way to go. Can I presume that "they're all a bit different and some are better than others" or are they fairly consistent.? It sounds like the higher end ones (ie the fenders) are a bit variable.I'll look out for the two piece body though.

Interesting as the 70s black scratchplate & natural look is one that I like. What is "a Squier 70's VMJs", is it a "Vintage Modified Jazz", whivh I think I've seen online.(GAK and bass centre)? I ask as a store on the Orange Blossom Trail in Florida had exactly the one that you show at a good price ($279), and I cant seem to find a music store in my area that has any Fender/Squier [i]jazz[/i] basses. Precisions seem to be commonplace, and cheap Jazz copies can be found although neither is what I'm looking for. Reading through the posts above, the Squiers do seem reasonably well thought-of. which is interersting for the budget end of Fender's output. I'm happy to buy the cheap end provided the workmanship is good enough and the sound is fairly close or can be made more so, say with a pickup change. I dont gig, or record, so its just kind of a hobby. I cant really justify spending nearly a thousand on an expensive version of something.