Burns-bass

I’m not really up on what he’s said or his views on practise. None of that stuff interests me to be honest. He just seems like the angry old man from the Simpsons shaking his fist at the sky. Fingers crossed he finds peace.

The guy is bonkers and just seems angry at the world for not venerating him as a genius. But he can’t half play. It seems sad that he’s become embittered given he’s had a stellar career. It’s just that the bass pyrotechnics stuff isn’t as popular as it once was and he’s arguably been eclipsed by the next generation who are a little more tasteful. If you’re reading this Jeff, I’d go for a beer with you.

That made me smile too.

It’s all good. We’re in a world where someone will refuse to buy a bass because the string spacing is 1mm out, so precision definitely matters. I’ve owned lots and lots of vintage basses and the strings would rarely bisect the poles perfectly yet people now pay £20,000 for the same basses. Maybe the misalignment is where the magic is! The longer I play bass the less worried I am about all this stuff. I played the Royal Albert Hall once with a £350 jazz bass and that was fine.

There was a story Jeff Berlin tells about listening to the Jaco record. Jeff said it his brother “I can play all that, it’s not that hard.” To which his brother replied, “yes, but could you write it?” I’m paraphrasing a bit but the essence is the same. Coming up with this stuff is the hard bit, there are plenty of others in the world who can play it.

In extremis, obviously, but for most purposes it’s not relevant. This was a contextual point. I’m talking a few mm here (from the pictures) but not the sizeable deviation you’d get from a severely misaligned pickup or a string bend, for example. Pedantry appreciated but I’d say the pickups here were the least of the owner’s worries.

The right DB amplifier will depend on a lot of factors, including: Your bass and its specific characteristics What pickup you're using What type of music you're playing Whether you're going through the PA (and need the amp just for stage volume) If you're using a HPF or pre-amp Your budget What kind of sound you want (hi-fi replication for jazz, or a more aggressive tone for blues etc.) How picky you are (I'm not picky, other people are) I use Barefaced cabinets and have settled on an EBS amp as it provided both the quality of sound and the character I want for bluegrass. For other music, it wouldn't be appropriate or suitable. I also have a Trace Elliot Elf as a back up, but this is just a small amp I can stick in a case.

Will update when the book arrives. I don’t really play straight ahead jazz but I believe I can apply the concepts to music that I do play. Excited to join in.

Most of the auditions I've done I've taken the time to chart out songs and stick it on the floor in front of me (even if I don't need it). As well as providing a useful memory aid, it shows you've taken the time to learn the songs. People in bands are people and they want you to do well. Always worth having a chat about any potentially tricky bits. I remember a band wanting me to play "Crazt Little Thing" in Bb on double bass (preposterous). I warned them it might suck and they all laughed and in the end it was fine. I still hate the song though, they can't take that from me!

I’ve got some Amazon credit so I’ve bought Vol 1.

I’ve got my hands full with the classical stuff but I’d be interested in this. Can you link to the book (s) and let me know how you’d start such a group.

Bravo

The relationship of the strings to the poles on the pickups is utterly irrelevant to the sound.

I was watching this yesterday. Classic of Series 1. Those crafty little Binars!

This is brutally put but I agree

Agreed. I have a Pedulla fretless 6 string, which is about as bonkers as you can get. I have never played it live, but I have been asked to do so in a Blue Note jazz band...

What a lovely story.

I gave up playing for the best part of 10 years. Was the best thing I ever did. I took up loads of other hobbies and then came back to it again when I wanted to.

I guess it depends what practice is. I remember reading Rufus Reid saying if you’re not pushing yourself you’re not learning. While we’re all different I struggle to see how you can practice anything meaningfully for hours on end, as it really affects the brain. I work in a creative job and I struggle to practice more than 30-60 minutes a day. But that’s structured practice. I manage more hours of noodling, but that’s not what I’d consider real practice. Mostly I’m happy I could play pretty much anything I wanted if I could be bothered to put the effort in. But I can’t be bothered.

Yes this is it. A 5 string is about economy of effort. You can basically play 90% of songs in one position.

Personally I’ve found eBay to be the easiest place to sell but I know others have found it challenging sometimes…

I literally said this! Totally agree.