Frank Blank

I was once working a Glastonbury and was making my way through the crowd when someone from my home town bumped into me and pleaded to go backstage to use the loos as the ones audienceside were atrocious, I explained that they were just as bad backstage the only difference being that Chris Evans might be in the queue.

Just because a) I’m watching TOTP reruns and b) because Leigh Gorman doesn’t get mentioned on here often, it at all (I think) and he’s a great player...

That’s quality.

Thanks Ped.

I cannot see the write a public message on your own feed... box either..?

It does if you are wearing tights..

I was lucky enough to purchase a Rob Allen Mouse from the marketplace here and those basses are strung with La Bella 760n strings so they were my first introduction to nylon tape wounds, I liked them so much I had them put on my Squier Jaguar when I had it set up. I'm a convert.

I was once at Nomis Studios with Killing Joke (just ligging at a rehearsal, not playing or anything) when I popped off to the loo, mid pish I realised the urinal to my left was occupied by John Taylor and at the urinal to the right was Andy Taylor, a thoroughly 80s toilet experience, there.

Just sold a Taylor Mini Bass to Pete, an absolute gentleman, a pleasure to deal with.

I think with Battles it is very much a love/hate thing, I have played this track to several people who I thought would dig it but really didn't.

I saw them perform it live not long after the Later performance, I thought the building was going to collapse.

The TC PolyTune clip on is around £42 but if you buy the TC UniTune clip on its around £29 so you save yourself a tenner plus by not having the inaccurate and flaky PolyTune function which is pretty useless on bass (and guitar tbh).

Absolutely. I tried several before I finally got on with one, I was beginning to think it was me subconsciously rejecting tutors because I didn't want to confront my bad bass playing but in the end I found an excellent tutor and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. This is the important thing, if you put yourself through the ringer with study and theory and aren't enjoying it then there is no point. Playing bass should be a pleasure and if learning theory isn't adding to that pleasure then don't do it. There are plenty of superb, innovative bass players out there who haven't got a clue about such things. Mick Karn for instance didn't know a thing about theory, I once read an interview where he said he knew the open strings were EADG but that was it, he couldn't tell you where a C was, in fact when his band (Japan) rehearsed he would often turn up late and the band had already begun jamming a new song, Mick Karn would look at the title of the song and come up with a bass line to it that the title inspired in him, then sometimes the rest of the band would change the song to fit around his bass line, which sounds like a huge faff but they did this because this untutored player, who didn't know a C from a kipper, wrote exquisite, unique bass lines.

That’s knot an option.

I've been playing for thirty years and never learnt any theory whatsoever until a few months back when I started lessons. I am now doing the same as you, learning scales and arpeggios. These have been available in a variety of forms for years, obviously, but I think, personally, I need the motivation of a teacher otherwise I feel kinda overwhelmed by the amount there is to learn potentially. Also my teacher allows me to decide what direction the lessons take and I'm finding I'm applying it in my writing. I can wholeheartedly recommend being taught regardless of how long you've been playing, it's been a real eye opener for me.

*waves*

I have moved to short scales mainly because of small hands but the weight was also a serious factor. I’m a large chap and the shorter scales look ridiculous when I play them, I feel the best way to deal with this is not to give a 5h1t.

I’ve jus put La Bellas on my Squier Jaguar and they are great.

Amp Hum Help is a great song title, perhaps by Bow Wow Wow.

As always I see it as my duty to suggest a middle way between full scale acoustic basses and ukulele basses in the shape of the Taylor GS Mini-e Bass, II've got one and it's a gem. I have noticed a lot more companies making these lately, Stagg, Ibanez, Ortega, Guild...

@BreadBin is absolutely correct, B L A C K... ...do not displease us. 😈

It rather pleases me too!