Doctor J

3CD version of Control Denied sitting in the letterbox when I got home from work, so I'm working through the three discs right now.

Does this one still work after you take it out of the store?

Just play along to AC/DC - you'll soon build up endurance and consistency without having to get too fruity with the left hand allowing you to focus on getting your plucking in order. I tend to play ring-middle-index-ring-middle-index etc. It takes a while to get it sounding smooth and starting each bar on a different finger is a bit unusual at first but with a bit of persistence you'll be grand.

Signature bass doesn't mean it's his actual bass, just that he's happy he's being paid enough to appear in ads with it and for his signature to be on it.

Debt Valley, Tipperary

It isn't a big enough market here to specialise, plus it'll always be cheaper to order from abroad. X-music in Ballymount in Dublin probably have the largest selection but it's still the usual brands, unfortunately, though they do have some EBS pedals so they might be able to get some amplification too if you grovel hard enough.

I am insanely jealous! I remember Chris Holmes always used to play one of them. Not everyone's cup of tea but, hey, if they don't mind being wrong then you shouldn't feel bad on their behalf!

Once it stops being fun, move on.

I'm quite partial to the classic P and J styles, J in particular. Have to say though, I picked up a Godlyke last year and it's the most comfortable body I've ever played, standing and sitting.

I'd like to get hold of a Yamaha BB2024X but the bank practically insist I pay the mortgage instead.

It's not a Surveyor. It is, however, a 400 Series Jazz bass, probably one of the finest Jazz basses you're ever going to lay your hands on. Well done, that's a serious instrument you've got there. Doesn't look like the original scratchplate though, it doesn't follow the shape of the body around the lower horn. Still, that's a major score, they're seriously top quality basses.

I would say ebony, going on how it relects light, the last pic especially. The b&w pic too, the way the moisture is sitting on the fretboard also leads me to believe it's ebony.

It's an alder body too, which Fender never released with just a clear coat. Plus, it's not a thick, glossy finish. Plus, it would have aged to a nice yellow if it did have said finish. Whatever this bass is, it ain't what he claims it is. Edit -> Actually, having looked at the headstock, that should be almost orange after this many years. The lack of finish is a big concern. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't a Fender at all.

That's a very tasty bass, Simon, congratulations. [quote name='simon1964' post='994620' date='Oct 20 2010, 11:52 AM']They do have some amazing stuff on their website. 1951 Precision, serial number 14 appeal to anyone?![/quote] Not if the G string ain't going to be over the frets

That's as ugly as sin. Just doesn't do it for me at all. Interesting reverse double P thang going on, but even that's a bit fugly too.

The metric system strikes again

I used to have it as low as it could go and I used 95 gauge strings too. Nowadays, it's a bit higher still probably lower than 95% of others and I'm using 110s, like to keep the relief minimal, keep the neck very straight. I like to have it clean when I play soft, but still give me a bit of grind when I dig in. 12mm action would make me cry though, it really would

It's bad, but not in the Michael Jackson way, it's proper bad. Real bad.

Over here the protocol (on the originals circuit) is generally that the headlining band provides the backline (drum shells and cabs) and you bring your own head. No head, no gig. I bring my head, my own IEC cable, my own speaker cable, make sure I treat the other guy's cab better than I treat my own. On a guitar playing gig recently the band before us had a Marshall head fail during their soundcheck and asked for a loan. Given the circumstances, I said ok and loaned the guy my brand new €1500 Fryette head, partly so I could get to hear it out front. He didn't mess around with anything, played his set, all well and good, but then didn't bother to even say "thanks" afterwards... just really sucked the good feeling out of what I thought was a fairly noble gesture on my part. Next time, ask my balls. As for the O.P.'s situation, if it's the promoter who wants it to cover one of his line-ups and isn't prepared to cover damages, then tough sh*t to him, end of story. I'd have no issue at all in telling him where to go. If he can find the money to hire the venue, then he can find the money to hire backline too.

Ahhh, art.

It's all about momentum. And hip movement.

[quote name='TimR' post='989242' date='Oct 15 2010, 02:32 PM']As I understand it only the lyrics and melody are copyrightable. If you're only coming up with a bass line are you actually performing your own material?[/quote] No, didn't Queen sue the bejesus out of Vanilla Ice for the Under Pressure bassline? Chic also insisted on getting paid for Rappers Delight.

In the current band I write all the music and I'm happy for the singer to do whatever he feels best over that. Unfortunately I'm playing guitar though. When I was putting the band together a few years ago, I just didn't want to be in a band with a real guitarist ever again. Now we've a guitarist playing bass I record a load of stuff at home where I write and play everything, even do the words and vocals, drums, everything. In my last bass playing gig I wrote a lot and contributed a lot too, never saw the point in sitting back and waiting to accompany something, get stuck in!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='988364' date='Oct 14 2010, 07:58 PM']Not sure if I already said this previously, as this thread is so long, but I play covers at gigs. But when I play for my own practise and enjoment, I play my own riffs.[/quote] I'm the other way around, I usually play along to other band's tunes to keep my chops up when fluting around at home, but for gigs I've always played originals. I just love the creative effort, the buzz of living or dying by the power of the music you create from nothing. I did sub in a mate's blues band for what turned out to be a few years, but I hadn't actually heard most of the songs before I started gigging with them, it really was a last minute thing and got thrown into the deep end. It was ok, but when it was time to refresh the set a little, they always looked at someone else's tunes rather than writing their own, which was at odds with my instincts. Even with my current band (where I'm playing g****r, sadly) the lads have mentioned prospective covers "to help win the crowd over" and my reaction is if we need to drop one of our own songs for someone else's then we need to write better songs. We did record a Celtic Frost cover a few years ago for a compilation album but we've never played it since. I think originals involves more thankless graft and substantially less pay, but I wouldn't have it any other way.