Frank Blank

This is so interesting, hearing how other folk use their alt.rigs.

I’m with @Greg Edwards69, both rig wise and geographically! I don’t use amp modelling at all. I run into a Fishman pre for tone shaping then straight into a QRC K12.2 and live I DI out the back of the QRC. I’m thinking about a helix but really I wouldn’t use a fraction of its functionality. Because I use acoustic basses what I want is the tone of the bass itself so as little in the signal chain for me as possible, which is now making me wonder why I posted this on an Amp Modelling thread, ahem... *shuts up*

22 minutes ago, 4000 said:

No, absolutely didn’t come across that you were still that way, was just making a general point. *salutes right back*. 😁

As you were soldier...

9 minutes ago, 4000 said:

I’ve never really had much time for any sort of “musical orthodoxy”, probably because my dad was/is what I refer to a a “Jazz fascist”, in that he views almost all non-Jazz as crap and I grew up not being able to play music at home (although did hear stuff on the radio) unless it had been vetted; the first I was allowed to play was ABBA. Of course it wasn’t all bad as I was exposed to most of the great jazz artists literally from birth (probably before!).

Yes, I went from a musically broad minded 15 year old to a ‘Punk fascist’ almost overnight. I can remember slagging people off for listening to bands I hadn’t even listened to!

12 minutes ago, 4000 said:

So I decided pretty early that if I liked something, it didn’t matter what it was. As such I’ll happily switch between Yes, The Damned, Manowar, Tangerine Dream, ABBA, Count Basie, Johnny Cash, Stravinsky, First Aid Kit and Sandy Denny etc etc without blinking an eye.

As I did in private but in public I was a bit of a silly curmudgeon.

13 minutes ago, 4000 said:

So far as I’m concerned there are only 2 types of music, music you like and music you don’t. If you don’t like it, that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. Just move on to something you do like.

I hope I didn’t appear as if I am still that way? I did write that ...the silly orthodoxy wore off with age... but anyway, yessir *salutes*

7 minutes ago, 4000 said:

Next thread! 😉

Indeed so but Fragile is my favourite Yes album simply because that was the first Yes album played to me by my brother. My favourite track however is Sound Chaser from Relayer. I’ve only recently been remembering how influential Chris Squire has been, I loved his playing, as did my brother, that mad metallic tone and the distinctive Rickenbacker. He was important also as something to kick back against when Punk happened as I would listen to the incredible virtuosity of Yes and think I’d never play music or be in a band but then Punk happened and that was my music rather than the hand-me-down prog from my brother. Obviously Punk made lots of us suddenly realise we could play, form bands, gob at each other and suddenly all that widdly-woo prog indulgence was sneered at by the new Punk orthodoxy. I still listened to Yes, Genesis, Steely Dan but in private! Thank lord the silly orthodoxy wore off with age and now I listen to Crass alongside Yes, Genesis alongside Sleaford Mods. I’m rambling... 

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

 These are doubtless the same youth who have a number of ‘sleeps’ until their ‘holibobs’. No so much evolving as dumbing down.

Old man rant over.  

Ha ha, obviously I disagree about slang as an evolution of (a part) of language being a dumbing down as such and, slang aside, they were perfectly erudite and reasonably intelligent young gentlemen. I suspect they might cut your throat for an ‘enry. Equally, as a old man who enjoys a good rant, why not.

1 hour ago, Jus Lukin said:

Personally I love the flexibility of language, written and spoken, and that while they all convey a slightly different connotation, Films, Movies, Flicks, and Pics are essentially interchangeable terms. So, I put it to your good and honourable selves that on the matter of linguistic pretentions, I ain't got none.

Absolutely (if I can briefly derail it further) this flexibility is vital to the development and indeed survival of a language. I like that there are extensive formal linguistic rules but that is balanced by the rich and deep rabbit warren of slang. I referred to the police as Five-O the other day and was tutted at by a youth, “Feds?” I offered, more tutting. I was informed that the current nomenclature round these parts is Po-Po. Not in my yard, flatfoot or rozzers... innit.

Frank Blank’s Idiotic Facts #2

Having just looked up the words Movie and Film (in its cinematographic sense) it turns out that the first recorded use of the term movie was in 1909 and the first recorded use of the word film, in this sense...

A representation of a story or event recorded on film or, in later use, in digital form, and shown as moving images in a cinema or (latterly) on television, video, the internet, etc.; a motion picture, a movie.

...was in 1905.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway...

...oh.

Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (2017) - a documentary about the Bataclan shootings and the after affects on the band, a difficult watch but an excellent documentary.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot (1986) - interviews with fans outside a Judas Priest concert, much, much better than it sounds.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008) - funny and heartwarming.

Lemmy (2010) - a documentary about the guv’nor, full of his sardonic yet incisive wisdom, what a dude.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) - another tough watch, you will have to decide if he’s a bona fire genius or an exploited madman. Intensely interesting but challenging in several ways.

Stop Making Sense (1984) - imho the best concert film ever made, Talking Heads at their absolute best, funky as f***.

Oil City Confidential (2009) - Essex innit, Julien Temple’s documentary about Dr Feelgood.

One More Time With Feeling (2016) - another tough watch (I’m seeing a pattern) Nick Cave recording his first album after the death of his son, painful but superb.

19 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

How do you add someone's tag like you've done.

Type the @ symbol and the user’s tag and a drop down will appear to select the use like this...

I only ever wore my own band’s t-shirts in the sack.

8 hours ago, tauzero said:

A few years ago, I got kicked out of a band which had started to pick up some momentum because another bassist who was a friend of the lead guitarist and drummer saw them getting more successful and said he wanted to be the bassist. I thought that he was a sh!t and the lead guitarist and drummer were sh!ts too. Eventually I forgave everyone, but I can understand the distinction and sympathise with your drummer mate's POV.

I’ve now put myself in your shoes and reverted to option #1.

Just now, Born 2B Mild said:

I've enjoyed owning and performing with A4, A5 A8 and A12, as well as a superb Shifter 5 bass.

I have a feeling I might still have another Godin one day

My A4 will be up for sale once @Jabba_the_gut finishes my bass.

47 minutes ago, Born 2B Mild said:

I had one of those. Sold it about two years ago. Godin make damn good instruments. 

I have the A4 fretted bass, an Inuk and now a Godin A12, can’t fault them.

Although not bass related I was once taking photos of a telegraph pole when a gentleman walked up to me, he stopped and watched as I took a pic, “I can see you are a man of interests” he noted and continued his walk. I rather liked that.

@Born 2B Mild & @pete.young

Tried the Ozark out today, a really beautiful instrument but had my head turned by a Godin 12 string, which was my next try out so went for that.

Welcome.

*waves* let me know if you find the perfect bass, 40yr search over here!

41 minutes ago, Clarky said:

Michael League demo'ing the same model as yours, Essential Tension

 

Turn everything else down and that bass up ffs.

14 hours ago, razor5cl said:

I actually had my eye on those Aerodynes! Specifically the more expensive one without the finish cracks.

That’s the one I’m going to look at!

Can I just recommend the excellent documentary Air Guitar Nation (2006).

A Space Elliot for air amplification I think.

Aerodynes get a rough press and its undeserved in my opinion. In fact there are two second hand Aerodynes at Bass Direct at the moment which is one of the reasons I’m organising a trip up there soon so I can try them out. I used to own one but sold it on here, one of the basses I regret selling. They are light, look good and sound excellent in my humble opinion... Damn I wish I hadn’t sold it!

1 hour ago, pete.young said:

Lovely. If you and Frank Blank aren't able to come to an arrangement, please let me know. In the meantime, here's John Doyle demonstrating exactly what you can do with one of these:

 

I am trying one out tomorrow so will let you know.