TrevorR

You think Scott's got problems!

All great advice and I'd totally endorse Grangur's advice. People, professional, pleasant. And pretty, if you can bring the drummer's gf along probably won't hurt. No one has said it because it's so obvious so I'll say it anyway... you say you don't have a following. If you get that first, foot in the door gig yes you do and yes you must. That's the time to badger all your family, friends, workmates, neighbours to come along and support you. If the landlord sees loads of new faces in the bar and his takings are up, even if only marginally, then it all helps. Prioritise that first gig and probably the second one too. Beg, cajole, sell it to them if necessary. It'll only be a few and far between to start with so don't feel you're imposing too much. Plus they get a nice night out, a drink and get to see Cousin Nick playing his bass/take the mickey out of you a work on Monday about you being the next Bonio etc... You get a rent-a-crowd. Win-win

What about this... http://www.richtonemusic.co.uk/products/quiklok_ql322_t-rex_table_top_keyboard_speaker_stand.asp?gclid=Cj0KEQiAzsvEBRDEluzk96e4rqABEiQAezEOoI4vXHCJsPhqahUa9MuilowVzpazrFZmXMjf14BkzLgaAvd18P8HAQ http://www.gear4music.com/Keyboards-and-Pianos/Quiklok-QL-322-Micro-X-Keyboard-Stand/4AJ?origin=product-ads&campaign=PLA+Shop+-+GENERIC&adgroup=GENERIC&medium=vertical_search&network=google&merchant_id=1279443&product_id=5563d1&product_country=GB&product_partition_id=127213017439&gclid=Cj0KEQiAzsvEBRDEluzk96e4rqABEiQAezEOoNn8E4ay3jXv7rJmpMa4_TCowLvrWDJENolH5y4L-DYaAjcr8P8HAQ

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1485964236' post='3228080'] (@ fellow grandads - We all know rap is just the fashionable name for good old cockney rabbit don't we?) [/quote] Gertcha!

Hey all, random one. Was chatting online to Rob Burns, erstwhile bass guru for Guitarist magazine back in the 80s and early 90s. He I said looking to source an interview with John Wetton he did in Guitarist Magazine back in 1987. Does anyone have a copy that they could scan and pass on to me and I'll pass on to Rob. Thanks very much all. Cheers.

I posted a while back about finding out that the bassist on the tunes from Frozen which Trev Jr has on in the car on repeat was actually the great Abraham Laboriel Sr - which explains the sublime bass playing which is there to be found on Love Is An Open Door if you can bear to listen past the layers of Disney cheese. As it is, Abe Sr seems to be becoming a bit of a "go to" bassist for Disney/Pixar having done some sterling work on the Michael Giacchino sound tracks for Zootropolis/topic and many others of his scores. Anyway, fast forward a few months and the choir which Jr sings in. Is due to perform as part of a concert which includes the whole of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Of course for a six year old the best way to learn the tunes is to have them on a loop in the car. So it was time to download a copy of Joseph for the iPod. Of course, it's a musical I grew up with and have sung myself numerous times as a kid so a bit of a nostalgia fest as well. Anyway, having checked out the three million different versions I eliminated the various Donny Osmond and Jason Donovan recordings on the basis of annoying drama school vocalists and vomit inducing cheesy arrangements (and given we're talking Lloyd-Webber here that's saying something - a certain level of cheesy vom was already anticipated and being allowed for). Then I came across the original 1974 studio recording which was the one I had on a horribly stretchy cassette as a kid. Download done. Anyway, listening through I was amazed at the really great bass playing on the album. Solid, funky, inventive, out-there... and with a great tone. I doubt I ever actually heard the bass on my crappy little portable cassette player back in 1979. Anyway, a few minutes on Allmusic and Discogs.com shows that the bass player is none than the late John "Johnny Gus" Gustafson of Big 3, Merseybeats, Roxy Music and Ian Gillan Band fame. No wonder the bass playing sounded a bit special. He's long been one of my favourite bass players. Result! Not only that, thinking about the date of the album he's probably playing the hand made P bass that Ian Waller made for him before he set up Electric Wood and Wal Bases. This was the bass that Gustafson used on Roxy's Siren album and Love Is The Drug. No wonder the bass playing sounded a bit special. I guess that's the lot of a jobbing Session player and when you dig behind the surface of some cheesy old hit with surprisingly good bass or guitar playing you'll often find names like Mo, Herbie, Big Jim, Clem, Jimmy, John Paul or Rick. Or indeed, Gus.

Yes, definitely get along to some of the topper bass emporiums and try a range of different models by different makers. Where are you based? If you can get along to a Bass Bash somewhere near you there will likely be a huge range of unusual and custom basses in the "show and tell" rooms. The range of basses at the last SE Bass Bash was astonishing. You could also start thinking about what you really love in a bass... must be passive/love the flexibility of XYZ active circuit... ...coffee table or understated... ...rosewood, ebony or maple... ...Jazz, P or soapbars... ...two a side or four a side... ...4, 5, 6, 8 strings... ...narrow nut/baseball bat... ...balsa wood or boat anchor... At least then you might start narrowing down options to a theoretical spec (which of course could be blown out of the water when you try a chalk and cheese bass but fall in love with it). That's all part of the fun of a custom build. And when you've done all that just come to your senses and order a Wal. [i][[b]NB[/b] this last statement may not be entirely unbiased][/i]

So very sad to hear this. Such a great bass player. Playing along to those first two Asia albums in the early 80s was a huge part of my teaching myself to play the bass. Loved his tone, loved his voice, love his playing... a real loss to the prog and bass playing community. RIP John.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1485803696' post='3226862'] We always just tell them, "We'll do it at the end". It keeps them there all night and we then just apologise and say the Landlord says we have to finish. [/quote] Our singer used to say, "We'll learn that one for next time..." which at a wedding gig is a funny thing to say. No one ever spotted the irony. Speaking of irony, I was always astounded at the number of times we got asked for Easy by th e Commodores as a first dance considering the lyrics are (paraphrase) "I've grown to hate your guts and I can't stand you. Still, one more shag and by the time you wake up tomorrow I'll have cleared the house out and you'll never see me again, you witch."

Band line up... drums, bass, sax, acoustic/electric guitar. All male. First set covering Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Fratellis, David Gray, Kinks, Oasis, Beatles etc... "Do you do anything by the Human League."

In the wedding band Brown Eyed Girl always seemed to do the trick and get folks up and dancing.

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1485631788' post='3225506'] I'm glad that I seem to be in good company when it comes to being bemused by reviews that only consist of slap playing. When I was looking for a pedal to do a particular distorted sound it was impossible to use YouTube reviews - not just from people recording reviews at home but even the manufactures themselves seemed to be think the only way to play a bass is to slap it. Thankfully Darkglass eventually posted a review of the B3K that started with a brief intro played with a pick. I knew it was the sound I'd been looking for, although the rest of the review descended into sub-RHCP slapping that just sounded awful through a distortion pedal ... [/quote] Had a similar but different problem when I was looking for my Tech 21VTDI. I wanted it as an preamp/amp/speaker-sim DI for classic mostly clean sounds when going amp free. Pretty much all the demos... "This is the VTDI, it emulates a classic SVT or Flip Top direct into the desk. So let's see what it does... [turns all knobs to 11 and plays 2 mins of CRRRZZZZZ-CCHHHNNNNN-GGGGGRRRRRRRGGGGG-KKKLLLAAANNNNGGGG]". Sigh... Thankfully now that I'm thinking about a Bass Soul Foor a good proportion of the videos out there do seem to cover mild overdrive too... Phew.

Was reading the PRS Kestrel thread over on the BG forum and decided to check it out on the PRS website. There are some demo videos which, for me exemplify what folks should be aiming for in instrument demos... each only 1 1/2 mins or so but tells you all you need... A short intro to the features on the bass... http://youtu.be/yUXhAN_mQAU http://youtu.be/6cRxTNvl3Bc A short trio demo showing a few different playing styles with accompanying info on the bass settings... http://youtu.be/yuVUxXsKJF4 http://youtu.be/YzFHpo44RPk

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1485511614' post='3224443'] [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11964995"]A great story, but entirely made up as a publicity stunt, which obviously worked extremely well as people are still believing it[/url] And even if it had been true, any sensible court would never have upheld the claim, as 4' 33" is not a silent piece. Admittedly no music is performed by the musicians for the duration of the piece, but it's actually all about the ambient sounds in the venue when there is no music playing on stage. Mike Batt's "One Minute Silence" is a track on a CD and therefore it will be complete silence. [/quote] Aaaaah, but as a fan of Mark Ellen's late lamented HORA (Hoary Old Rock Anecdote) on the original version of the Word magazine podcast I'm rarely one to let common sense and facts get in the way of a cracking rock 'n' roll yarn!

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1485618867' post='3225366'] i don't think its good to dismiss a technique. Not all bass players use there ego when there playing slap. "Slap doesn't tell you anything about the sound of the bass, other than how it sounds when it's slapped" isn't that the point.? [/quote] To be fair, the OP was describing the all too common demos that go... "Hey there, today I'm going to demo the Blender Guatemalan Standard Jazcision Deluxe bass. I'll put it through its paces and show you a few of the things it's capable of... Here we go... [cue three solid minutes of thwakketa-splakketa-whakketa-splang] Well , there you go. I think that shows just what a great sounding and versatile bass the new Jazcision is..." [quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1485618888' post='3225368'] ...however the only people I've come across who don't like slap are bass players (many of whom haven't even bothered to learn to play it) and guitarists who object to a bass being anything but a low pitched background rumble... [/quote] There is a bit of chicken and egg thing going on here though, isn't there. I can slap to only the most rudimentary of standards and, as it is a style that I've never aspired to play, it's a technique I've never prioritised learning. The players I listen to most either don't slap or use it only as a very rare texture. So while I admire MK's skill, L42 is one of those "I'll get the Greatest Hits album" bands and I've never been called upon to play one of their songs in a band context. I like funk and funky playing but have gravitated more to listening finger style players (much as I enjoy Bootsy, Larry Graham and others). Has this left a gaping hole in my skill set? Absolutely. Am I motivated to close that gap at the expense of other playing? Nope.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1485539449' post='3224823'] But there's a lot of truth in that comparison - you both demonstrate the gear comprehensively, not yourselves. Curious as to what the complaints are about... [/quote] I'll bet that the complaints are about lack of shred, which of course just demonstrates the complete lack of understanding in the complainants of what demoing a bass is all about. Dan's reviews give me what I want to know about a bass. I was just watching his SB1000 reissue demo earlier on.* It's like when I try out a bass in a shop. You'd be amazed the odd looks I get as I slowly and deliberately try out each and every note on the fretboard listening for chokes, buzzes and dead spots and then play a short bass line snippet with different tone and pickup settings (most likely Dancing in the Moonlight, a couple from the folk band I played in in the 1990's and, bizarrely The Theme from Deep Space Nine - which are just ones that happen to fall nicely under my fingers). I may not have shown off my mad skillz but I do know how the bass sounds, if it has Sony issues and if it's for me. * Plus he just comes across as such a nice guy in them!

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1485542578' post='3224855'] My life with active basses at 10'45" [/quote] Hmmmm... from the man who plans a "show you all my basses video" and doesn't make sure all his basses have all the right number of strings on. I think that tells you a lot. Inherent design flaw/user error...? The debate continues...

I use the Tech 21 Sansamp VTDI to go amp free and in-ear. I'm using it as an amp/speaker emulator to get a clean but ampy tone and I really like it. However, as BassBod says, I suspect that most decent quality preamp/DI/emulator will do a decent job - even if they all have their own character.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1485378356' post='3223572'] This version of California Dreaming - the original is great, but always sounded sunny and happy, hiding the true melancholy of the lyrics. Here, Phillips age and fragility (he died before the album could be released) really shows through. Once those Mexican BV's kick in I'm gone! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDcaydHVliM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDcaydHVliM[/url] [/quote] Myke, guessing that you'll find this version moving in a rather different way... was in the studio audience when this was recorded. Still leaves me with a huge grin today! http://youtu.be/Kh9bGj09Ua0

Agree with most suggestions so far. A few more not yet mentioned... Sweet Caroline (end of evening drunken singalong) Rock Around The Clock Crazy Crazy little thing called love Lady Marmalade Angels/Hey Jude (end of evening drunken smooch and singalong) It Must Be Love Long train runnin'

I use the Air Turn Manos. Quite robust and clamps to the mic stand. Only complaint is that the x-axis swivel is a little less firm than it might be. Overall works well, though with my increasingly ancient and weighty iPad 4

I think that the USP is that it can not only tap line level signals but also speaker level signals. So, if you have a PA monitoring system that that doesn't use powered monitors but sends speaker level monitor signals from a power amp then you can take an in-ear signal from that. If you're only ever talking about line level signals and looking to blend in extra bass then a mini-mixer of some sort is the (easier and cheaper) way to go.

Interesting that they also offer one of ACG's models as a special offer. I guess its a new guitar industry business model that we may see more of in future, direct sourcing from the far East.

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1485205462' post='3222149'] I can completely relate to this; my Wal custom was the best sounding bass that I have ever owned - but also one of the heaviest and uncomfortable to play. I would however love another one though ...just to confirm or negate my original findings [/quote] Oooooh, beware. Paul is making some beautiful Wals and choosing woods which are both resonant and featherlight. There was one at the Bass Bash - a 5 string which I accused him of making from balsa wood. Played and sounded great too. You have been warned!

[quote name='skb558' timestamp='1485195042' post='3221995'] I hope TrevorR doesn't see this [/quote] Don't worry, I'm not (too) traumatised! I'm more than aware that some folks won't love Wals as much as I do. I can even (sorta) understand that position. After all I have literally never played a Warwick neck that I could abide but unaccountably some other folks seem to like them! I'm just thinking of the chap who bought the bass for £350 in 2000 and something. When I bought my Mk 1 Custom in 1992 for £500 I was getting an absolute bargain. In the early 2000s the second hand price was starting to approach a grand. No, I'm not dismayed that w/w sold the Wal bass, I'm stunned that he sold it for a half of or a third of what he could have sold it for!!!! One day soon after the millennium some lucky bassist got themselves a PROPER bargain!!!