Barking Spiders

Bassist groupies

Bass Hero

I've been there so can appreciate your disappointment. Way back in time I played in a Pigbag-early Thompson Twins type combo and there were as many in the band as there were punters but we had a good laff about it and got quite pally with them. From the perspective of punters who just want to go out with their mates for a chat, live music might be the last thing they want. I've often given pubs the swerve if they've got music acts on. It's the way things are going, lots of bands out there but a dwindling crowd base.

I dislike all bursts but especially tobacco sunburst and above all Les Paul's with SB finishes.. I have an abiding distaste for the Les Paul in SB though that's probably due to an association with bands I cant abide such as Led Zep and Guns n Roses.

Have a bit of D Train, the ace Paul Hardcastle remix. Takes me back to 80s clubbing

beat me to the punch there. Plus those for Bladerunner and the recent sequel, American Beauty, + 1 for Paris Texas, Southern Comfort, Streets of Fire.

A fair point and one which I've been mulling over as I look to offload several instruments including guitars, drums and other stuff. As with many others, the problem is deciding which to lose. I think I got into this position in the first place as none are all rounders i.e. good for fingerstyle, and slap and pick playing

Cant see any problem with that at all. Much rather that than ubertw@t Lame Gallagher with his head up towards the mic approach and just standing there snarling

I've got no academic training in music whatsoever I'm afraid so I've no useful advice here other than I know the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester has a very good reputation. Personally, I'd like to leave the UK and live in Slovenia, one of my favourite countries. I currently have Lake Bled wallpaper on my computer

Probably my #1 album evah! And i have over 900 CDs. Then if it's basslines you're talking the classic one is

Maybe if the punters get bored they should be allowed to set fire to the instruments?

The most boring gig I ever saw outside of a pub was G3 (Satriani, Vai, Fripp) at the NIA in Brum. Sure they had the chops but they generated all the excitement of a sunday morning sermon. I've seen plenty boring gigs inside of a pub too. Competant musicianship and decent playlists was never the problem. Lack of presence and communication with the punters most certainly was.

That is a beaut for sure and I'd like to have one like that m'self yet I'm unlikely to as while I still love playing bass and other instruments I don't enjoy gigs anymore -other than a few summer festivals - and nowadays only really enjoy listening to stuff labelled as electronica where there isn't much call for bass. So it makes sense for me to sell off most of my instruments and just keep an acoustic guitar, one electric , one bass and a basic drum skit. I'll be tough picking which to sell but straight thinking calls for it

or you can store them at different places and then it doesnt look so bad. I have some at my gaff and the rest at my girlfriend's . She actually likes them being there and says I should hang them on her living room wall.

anything that goes, sometimes a mix of three fingers, plectrum, thumb only and a bit of slap n pop in the same song. Some lines should only be played with a pick like the ones on all those early Stranglers toons otherwise they sound a bit limp

There are those basslines that may sound challenging , e.g. fast chromatic runs or high speed slap but can be nailed without too much hassle. Then there are those that on the face of it may not appear too much of a problem but on closer inspection are bluddy tricky. One such is What Is Hip by Tower of Power which I starting working on for the first time last night. Scott Devine has a vid on this and even he admits he found it a bit of a bvgger to nail. The nub of it is playing 16ths while muting the notes with the middle or ring finger on the fretting hand while keeping a steady rhythm going with the plucking hand, leading with the index finger while accenting the odd notes...I think. Anyone here tried this line or what others do you reckon are tougher than they first appear?

I have a Vintage V940FL. Small body but the bubinga wood makes it deceptively heavy. Lovely little instrument . IMO Vintage are very underrated

Unlined fretlesses just look the coolest of any guitars and you can still make them sound as funky as f**k What's not to like?.

Love 4 string basses. No buts here. I've tried 5 stringers but they just don't do it for me with slap n pop and double thumbing . I often like to dig in hard and play aggressive fingerstyle but I need the space 4 stringers give

Not this time, now that the way younger people mainly chose to listen to music has changed.

I dont think even the most die hard Rush fans could say they've ever been considered cool or fashionable, so it is quite strange seeing young kids covering their stuff, as it might've have been if they decided to have played a set of material by The Enid or Barclay James Harvest. Not bad just unexpected

I love my Cort GB74 and recommend any others in the GB or Artisan ranges. Very easy action, especially for fast finger style , excellent for slapping too.

fear ye not, you'll probably be quite surprised at how quickly your can progress . Scott Devine does this beginners stuff well. To my ears and many others slap is meant for funk and it should be used to propel dance rhythms. Slapping at high speed without swing doesn't cut the mustard if the ladies can't shake their booties to it.

all too true too many kids trying to slap their thumbs too bvggery while totally forgetting about working on getting a slinking groove going.