project_c

Do illegal raves in the early 90s qualify as festivals? They definitely looked and felt like festivals. But with even more unwashed sweaty people than your usual festival.

Not condoning the use of illicit substances in any way, but purely as a scientific experiment while at Glastonbury, why not use the opportunity to buy a big bag of bitter tasting powder from a friendly local youth, and spend the evening pulling funny faces and making friends with everyone in one of the electronic music tents? It should give you an interesting insight into what kind of experience music without guitars is capable of providing. Those repetitive beats and wobbly basslines can be a lot of fun, and they're fine without any guitars. Ultimately it's experiencing music that is important, not so much what it's played on. People will always be into music, but not necessarily guitars. Guitars sound dated to many people, even to people my age (40s), and it's hard to squeeze any new sounds out of them, it's all been done. Anything that sounds genuinely new involves digital effects, but then you end up sounding like guitars trying to imitate synths. Like the whole 'dubstep using bass guitars' thing, which is cheesy and it never sounds as legit as actual dubstep. It's like playing thrash metal on a violin. You can kind of do it but it's never going to be quite right. The key thing is that guitars have a diminishing role in music. They're appropriate for some things, but there's a whole bunch of mainstream genres now which do not have a blues heritage, and for those genres guitars are not needed at all.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1498294498' post='3323657'] Last time I looked, it was the Washington Post that was dying slowly ... [/quote] Yes, the Washington Post, those evil spreaders of fake news. Don't believe a word they say, they are funded by satanic pizza worshippers from Mexico. There is clearly a decline in the numbers of young people getting into playing electric guitar and it's only partly down to a lack of role models. Music and subculture has less social relevance now than it did a generation ago. Young people have other ways to entertain themselves. 40 years ago a teenager had fewer options. Also the music industry is dying, but whatever is left of it consists of many artists who don't get involved with guitars. 40 years ago, if you wanted to play music you had to learn to play an instrument. Now, if you're young and into music, there's many other options, and most of them don't involve electric guitars. The fact that your average guitar fan looks like a grandad probably also doesn't help. The last thing you need as a teenager is to be associated with anything that old people do. It's just the world changing, as it always does. Fender and Gibson will be tiny custom shops for niche audiences within a couple of generations. The current situation will change gradually, but steadily, as boomers start to dwindle in numbers over the next handful of years. Electric guitars will carry on, but they will be collected by a small core following and for most people they'll be remembered with fondness, a bit like film photography.

+1 on DR's, they last a long time for me and I kill strings fast. Also DR HiBeams in particular sound pretty good even when they're dead, I kept a set on my J for a good couple of years. (I like dead strings for the stuff i play but some sound better than others, dead nickels usually sound bad.) Also watch Scott's advice on avoiding dead strings on Youtube, if you're getting one dead string you might find his advice useful.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1496521604' post='3312123'] I never thought of that but that's a good idea and probably the cheapest option in an odd way, you could sell the P-Jazz or part it out. [/quote] Yeah, the jazz neck would be going on a P body which is currently wearing a '78 fretless maple neck, if I swap them it might just make a really good companion for a Jazz bass. It's not a massive P neck, 41mm nut. Notice how GAS is turning what I thought was a quick £200 purchase into a convoluted and expensive shopping extravaganza costing nearly a grand, and I 'accidentally' end up with a whole new bass.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1496487627' post='3311832'] Could you just pick up a second hand jazz neck from somewhere? [/quote] I did have that thought, but the choices are either a USA one for nearly £600 (don't be fooled by the price on Strings Direct, they don't actually have that in stock and probably never will again at that price), a mex one for half that, or something like allparts / unbranded. So if I go down that last route, at least Limelight gives me the nitro / rolled edges option. But I have no experience with Allparts / Mighty Mite, so I'm wondering how they compare to USA Fender necks, if they're not great I might as well buy a used USA Jazz, because it costs nearly the same as a new USA neck & tuning machines.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1496476491' post='3311695'] I thought they were just built from off the shelf parts, mighty mite and allparts etc? [/quote] Not sure, I know they do additional work on the necks they buy (rolled edges, nitro etc), but i'm not sure where the necks originate from.

Very tempting.

I want to get a Jazz neck for one of my Precisions, Limelight seems like a better option than a USA Fender right now, how do their necks compare to USA Fender necks? Are they as good? Or closer to MIJ? MIM? They look great, and I love all the relics they do, although I'd just be looking for a vintage-ish tint unmolested maple neck with rolled edges. Wondering about stability, weight, playability etc.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1496312821' post='3310391'] interesting, thanks! I've heard "comping" a lot in studios, meaning to compile a performance out of several slices of audio, or to compile a "doubled vocal" from two or more takes etc. [/quote] In the case of this band I really just mean 'providing suitable accompaniment while others take a solo', i.e. just playing the chords with a bit of subtlety and in time, and in the right place. Some pianists occasionally forget that they are part of the rhythm section and need to contribute to the song beyond their own solo. Bass solos sound particularly sparse without melodic accompaniment, which is great if that's what you're going for, but not great if it just happens because the pianist isn't paying attention.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1496242323' post='3309857'] Are you playing real book standards? I don't see why you'd rehearse those tbh. It's improvised, so the idea is that they're not played the same each time anyway. I play a whole lot of that stuff, if there's anything unfamiliar on the set list then I run through it a few times at home. This is what I suggest your guys do too. [/quote] Yeah, they are just standards for the most part, and I know what you're saying, it should be straightforward, but with this group it isn't. For me, learning a standard means learning the melody, understanding the song structure and working out solo ideas based on the melody and structure, and then applying it in a group setting so it fits in with the general feel of the whole thing. For others in the band it just means reading whatever is written in the real book, and then using whatever chops you can think of to knock out a solo, and then drinking booze until the end of the song. Without rehearsal, things like comping and communication are completely left out of the equation, as are things like trading fours and all the other small things that can make the difference between a lukewarm recital and a proper performance. Not everyone will have practiced the material properly in their own time, and even if they have, they will have studied different versions of the same song - sometimes in different keys - so we need to practice as a group to make sure we're all on the same page. [quote name='jrixn1' timestamp='1496243690' post='3309878'] I don't think you need more group rehearsals - I think you need fewer! What I mean is: if people are continually getting lost in standards, or can't keep consistent time, they must do some individual practice. It is a waste of time to have a group rehearsal otherwise - particularly for you, if you are the strongest member of the group. They could use tools like iReal Pro (or Band-in-a-Box, Aebersold tapes, etc). Do you guys go to jam sessions (individually)? Playing with unknowns/randoms is a really great way to learn how to truly listen to, react to, and interact with other musicians. What is your set of 15 songs, out of interest? [/quote] I'm definitely not the strongest member of the group, but I can't rely on the rest of the rhythm section for reliable comping so I have the responsibility of keeping it together, which means I'm probably more aware of the problems than the others. So for example, the pianist has terrible timing and his comping is not great, and he gets lost a lot. I personally think this is something that is best learnt through practice with other musicians, because getting lost is never a problem with backing tracks. (It's not impossible to learn it individually - the way I do it is I just turn off everything except the click in iRealPro, and run through the melody, then a few choruses of walking, then a solo, then fours - but I don't think anyone else bothers to do this). A backing track can often fool you into thinking you know a song a lot better than you actually do. I think as you say fundamentally it comes down to people not practicing in their own time, but the only way I can spot that is if we rehearse and it becomes apparent, otherwise it just happens during the gig. The band has some very experienced players as well as some who are less experienced, but it's not always the less experienced ones that are messing up, in fact they tend to be more nervous about playing so they will have spent more time preparing. Set list is stuff like Blue in Green, All Blues, Song For My Father, Recordame, So What, Beatrice, Stolen Moments, Solar, Whisper Not, All the Things, Yardbird Suite, etc, lots of the 'usual' standards with a couple of less common ones thrown in. [quote name='peteb' timestamp='1496244987' post='3309896'] So you're playing the same set with a limited repertoire in a genre that is based on an improvisational format where presumably you will never play a song the same twice and you want to rehearse weekly to play one gig a month?? I'm afraid that I'm with your bandmates on the one... [/quote] Yeah, but like I said, that only works if everyone knows the basis of the songs to improvise over, or is at a skill level where they can at least blag it. Otherwise it's just 'free jazz'. (in the same way as a 5 year old with a crayon is an 'abstract expressionist').

[quote name='Monkey Steve' timestamp='1496239344' post='3309818'] I have been in bands with certain members who didn't like rehearsing. As a rule of thumb they generally: 1. massively over-estimated their own abilities (Dunning-Kruger and all that) - they don't need to rehearse because they're great; 2. massively under-estimate how poorly the band are received - it's jazz, what are a few bum notes if everybody's enjoying themselves? In fairness this can be a difference in perception between you and the rest of the band - they may be getting feedback from the punters that they don't care if you stuffed up the set (which was certainly true in an old punk band of mine - as long as you hit the choruses on time and in tune nobody cared if anybody made a mess of the riffs under the verse or played the solos out of tune). To those arguing that a gigging band shouldn't need to rehearse the same songs over and over again, I'd refer you back to the OP where he's explaining that the problem is that they can't play the set properly to begin with. How can practicing the songs possibly make the situation worse? [/quote] Yeah, all of this. The band sounds ok, especially after a few drinks, but generally various members (not me) lose their place, get sketchy with their timing and sound messy. And the 15 song set list is only as it is, because it's really hard to convince them to learn anything new to add to the list, especially as that would require more rehearsals. So it's the same songs over and over again, played not very well for the most part. Im not saying the gigs aren't fun, but I think the band sounds shabby. On top of this we have a gig booked somewhere new and a bit more 'proper' in August (nothing fancy, but not just a bar full of random posh drunk people), and already people are saying they can only make one rehearsal tops beforehand. I'm tempted to say i'm pulling out unless we are properly rehearsed.

I know, there are plenty of rehearsal rooms which are reasonable, I played in one the other day that was £8 an hour, so I also think it's a poor excuse. I think the problem is that they see gigs as a fun night out, and they see rehearsals as a chore because we have use that time to iron out all the problem bits. Also the 'jazz spontaneity' thing is great, but 1. it only works if you really do know the tunes inside out, and 2. you can navigate though them without getting lost, and 3. you are able to interact with the rest of the band rather than just bash out a solo and sit down. For me jazz is good when the band is connected, otherwise it's just a bunch of unrelated solos. And generally that connection comes from playing together a lot and getting to know each other. It's definitely an issue, I keep dropping hints but it's not working so I think I'll need to be a bit more firm with them.

I play a monthly jazz gig in a bar with a group of people who can't be bothered to rehearse, they just want to do the gigs. We have maybe 1 rehearsal every couple of months, where we run through the same 15 songs, and don't really practice properly as a group, we just run through the set and go home. So of course the band sounds sloppy. Reasons for not rehearsing are that everyone is busy with work, we all live miles away from each other and they don't like paying for expensive rehearsal spaces in the areas we can all get to (i.e. central London). So do I stay with this band? It can be fun, and we all get on, but if the band sounds crap in front of an audience (which it often does) I want nothing to do with it. Or is it unreasonable to expect everyone to commit to regular practice?

I haven't used Reason since version 2 (I got the first version as soon as it came out way back in 99? 98? something like that, and I used it for years, it ran flawlessly on one of those garish plastic iMacs), but I know that this is what we all wanted back then. It's always been the best DAW for electronic music, especially for people who used to work on outboard stuff, it's the only one that doesn't feel like a chore to use. There's something really laborious about the way most DAWs are laid out, they kill the creative process, and Reason does the opposite. I'm sure this is going to win over a lot of Logic / Cubase etc users. Makes me want to dig out my old sample collection and start making beats again..

Don't even know where to begin with this one: https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/bass-guitar-for-sale/1243860066

I have the Seymour Duncan one, i rarely turn it off. It's a pretty natural sounding compressor so it doesn't sound like a special effect or plugin, but it sounds really good, it can give you subtle compression, or a nicely boosted and focused signal, or a really hyped tone, depending on the settings. The preset suggestions it comes with are a good way to get to grips with it.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1496015410' post='3308150'] Given that much of my family come from there, and as such as a kid had to visit the place very often, I agree entirely. [/quote] I also spent much of my youth in se london, and thought it was the most depressing place on earth. i've ended up having to move back there recently and it's not the same anymore, it's changed a lot. Crystal Palace is posh, and even Penge has become unaffordable. Can you believe it? Penge. Still looks like hell though..

Love the yellow. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but I love that colour on a bass, especially with the cream covers and guard.

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1495791345' post='3306585'] Perhaps the biggest problem I've found with the 70's basses is the inconsistency in the builds. Some play and sound great, but a large proportion don't. That effect is more evident in the 70's range than for any other Fender era. A lot of it, I think, has to do with the Ash bodies. It sounds a lot different to Alder and in a lot of cases, it seems like any old bit of wood was used, whether it was resonant or or not. If the luck of the draw determines it, you can end up with a bass that is a tonne-weight whilst sounding utterly dead abd flat. [/quote] This certainly fits in with my experience over the past few days, all the other 70s Fenders I tried for comparison sounded and felt like crap. Average at best.

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1495630679' post='3305433'] Spot on, that's why I mentioned mojo when talking about my mates CS Jazz in my first post. I've played 8-10 different CS Jazzes through my headphone set up at home in the past three years, that bass has all the characteristics you mentioned and yet on spec it's not that different to many of the others. A friend of mine techs for Dave Swift, he told me about a time Dave got a Fender 5 string and loved it so much he ordered more, only to find they were nothing like the one he loved. They swapped pickups to see if that was it, but it must have been the specific pieces of wood (not the mojo ) [/quote] If that's true, it's not very good news for my bank account. I think I need a second opinion on this bass, I need to find a jazz bass expert in east london to take a look at it objectively and tell me whether it's as good as i think it is, or if i'm just being fooled by some slightly odd pickups.

[quote name='bakerster135' timestamp='1495620158' post='3305298'] You generally get a clearer, fatter sound from them IME, though taps/clicks/other sympathetic sounds that playing generates tend to be emphasised somewhat...The classic test is to put the guitar through a reverb or echo pedal, and shout into the pickup(s). If you can clearly hear your voice in the trail or repeats, you've got microphonics going on! [/quote] Yeah I think I knew about the clicks, but not the clear fat sound. Definitely no clicks going on with those pickups but the sound is crazy, it sounds almost like it's already amplified even though it's going straight into a dry headphone amp. Also out of curiosity i tried another similar bass today, a 76, and it sounded nothing like this bass, it just sounded like any other jazz, so I think there is definitely something different about this one.