josie

I know a lot of peeps here do de-fret basses, but (serious question, I'm still new to all this!) wouldn't it be better to start with a purpose-built fretless? As I understand it the fretboard on a fretless needs to have a harder surface than on a fretted bass, because it has to stand up to more abrasion from contact with vibrating strings.

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1479048543' post='3173512'] Yesss! Finally! You're the answer to my dreams, desires and lusts! Let's meet soon, baby! BTW, the person holding you isn't too shabby either! I like her. [/quote] If you're nice to her she might let you play me

All the above - a drum machine is great for working on solid rhythm, and I find I can keep working on something simple for half an hour, when without it I would have given up after 10 minutes. YouTube to play along with (but choose carefully, don't try to copy basslines that are too complex). I sometimes record my teacher's guitar line for a song we're working on and practice with that between lessons. My usual duo partner, who has little time for meeting up to practice together, sometimes records his guitar and vocal and emails it over for me to work with - that way I have plenty of time to develop something that works with his exact interpretation of a song. The material for the Registry of Guitar Teachers bass grades comes with good audio and a structure for getting the most of it, even if you don't want to enter any of the exams. The exams are also a great source of structured learning and motivation - everything in the syllabus is there because it will make you a better player. But you'll need a RGT-registered teacher. http://www.rgt.org/index.php Hope this helps.

The December edition of Bass Guitar Magazine (hit my doormat this morning) has a review of the last South East Bash and it sounds pretty impressive, with a lot of useful detail about how it's set up and what goes on. I can't commit to significant time organising, but I can ask a couple of peeps I know in the Mcr / Sk music network if any of the top bass players they work with would be willing to come and give a master-class or generally hang out, if that would be welcome. (Of course some of the people I'm thinking of might be among us...) ps see the reviews of SEB here if you haven't already: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/270435-south-west-bass-bash-yes-a-real-one-sunday-18th-october/"]http://basschat.co.u...y-18th-october/[/url]

[attachment=231956:MMW_SL.jpg] At Aynsley Lister's guitar tuition weekend in September. I'm the one in the middle (perhaps obviously). More importantly you can get a glimpse of my gorgeous Jazz Aerodyne

As a blues fan, I love the huge range of vocal melody lines, overall instrumental textures, tempos, and moods that are all best anchored by a basic 12-bar I-IV-V bassline. (Comes in useful in a jam, too ) My originals mostly have melody lines that just play with a pentatonic scale. The lyrics tend to be quite detailed, and need a melody that will be somewhat familiar, or at least comfortable, so as not to compete with them for attention.

Bass player, or anyone? For me, Carmine Rojas on bass, Snowy White on lead guitar. (And I had a ticket for CR at Holmfirth last month and then couldn't go - (&^%*^%$*^%)

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1478737095' post='3171373'] don't want to hijack the thread, but if you were to pick one, who would you say was the 'best' in the band? [/quote] Gilmour is the one who stands out for me too. I saw Roger Waters at the Mcr Arena several years back, and he had a second lead guitar player with him who was way better. I only found out years later it was Snowy White. Very high on my list of people to see live again if I ever get the chance.

I'd love to come, depend on public transport so would need a lift (especially if I'm going to bring my favourite toys ) So ribbet can I bag your spare seat please? Do you have space for two bass guitars?

"Learning to Fly" was my theme song for years - for the lyrics, not the sound, which chugs along a bit. For me it nails the daring and overcoming of terror to achieve a dream. Close to the bone. "Time" - again the lyrics are almost unbearably true - how did Waters at 28 when he wrote it, understand so well how it feels when one is 60? It is going to be played at my funeral, in the Gilmour "Live at Gdansk" version - that guitar solo is again almost unbearably poignant. I can only listen to it once a year at most, headphones clamped on and weeping.

To make a comparison with baroque and classical music, the cello is the bass instrument and plays the role you'd expect in a symphony or string quartet. And Bach's solo cello suites are utterly melodic and intricate and beautiful.

I've looked for this in the FAQs and tried a search (I do rtfm when I can ) - default member titles are assigned by level of activity, is setting one's own something one earns at a certain default level, or does one pm an appropriate moderator? Or... I'd really like to be "Actually a cat".

Just this: http://timber-tones.co.uk/sun-tones-mixed-tin-of-4-guitar-picks-2634-p.asp I'm not allowing myself any more bass guitars until I can play my new fretless respectably. Don't let me start thinking about a new amp though.

Similar to any job interview in many ways. I've never auditioned ("my band" took me on with open arms as soon as they knew I owned a bass, that's how bad we are ) but I've twice lost out on jobs I really wanted. Both times I was given clear and honest answers which I respected, and both times I got a better job soon after. Thinking about it, there have been some others, but I had decided I didn't want them before they decided they didn't want me. No point getting the chance to work / play with people you wouldn't enjoy working / playing with.

I dislike any five headstock with 4 - 1 tuning pegs - it makes the fifth string look like an afterthought that hasn't been properly integrated. AfIk any Jazz 5 does this, except the Jazz Plus, which has a longer headstock and smaller keys to fit all five on top. (Correct me if I'm wrong, please.) The elegant 5 headstocks imho are all 3 - 2, and make a strong visual point of the centre (A) string coming to the top of the headstock. I'll try to sort out some pics to show this, the only one I can easily show is the header on my Twitter account: https://twitter.com/MaryMcGeeWood

There are some good suggestions here: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/292669-how-did-you-learn-to-play-bass/ There's no real substitute for a good teacher though imho, for continuing encouragement and guidance. My teacher has often said he prefers working with his older students (some in their 70s) to the youngsters - that we tend to have more patience and stronger motivation. So much so that he is planning to start small-group courses specifically for our age group. I was 59 when I first picked up a bass guitar, please tell her she's not alone

Another easy option would be a Wordpress site - technically a blog, but doesn't have to look like one. Here's a somewhat neglected example from one of my other lives: https://boxofrainuk.wordpress.com/

The songs that I keep going back to, that really hit deep, that I can't listen too very often, usually have strong lyrics that speak to me, good overall musicianship and clear balanced production. At the next level down, songs I enjoy listening to with less intensity, I'm drawn to those where the bass comes through well in the mix. It doesn't have to be a flashy bassline though - it has to play its backbone-of-the-band role well. The more I learn to play, the more I understand what I'm listening to and appreciate it. Agree as above though that after a while focusing on any one instrument it can be hard to hear the whole. I sometimes make a conscious effort to back off the bassline and listen to the band. Probably even more true watching a good live band - I try to make sure I have a good view of the bass player, and sometimes hardly notice anyone else on stage. I did pay attention to Joe Bonamassa when I saw him with Carmine Rojas, but that was exceptional.

Thanks guys! GMR have sadly gone out of business, so it will have to be the specialist shop route. I imagine they'd quote for free what they'd offer to pay me for them, but charge for an insurance valuation, which would be what they would expect to sell them on for. Probably worth paying a bit for the second, just in case it were ever needed. I've posted pics of a couple on Twitter, which I guess would be some sort of evidence.

[quote name='Burns-bass' timestamp='1477867877' post='3164991'] The next was I wanted a jazz and Precision pick up config. I realised the only way to get this was to have two basses, so it turns out my perfect bass was actually two! [/quote] There are some J/P configs around - like my Jazz Aerodyne - although you'll have to hunt for one.

Hoping for advice on insurance valuations for bass guitars. If you have a new bass, I guess some photographs and the sales receipt would do, or for a vintage Fender that's quoted in those annual books of typical prices, that would be fair evidence. My problem is that GMRs are too rare and little-known, and too seldom come up for sale, for my three to have any obvious reference point. And all three cost me a half to a quarter of what they're "worth" in terms of replacing with comparable build and tone quality, or original price and current condition. Are there specialist valuers? Has anyone else found a good answer to this? Any advice welcome.

Much as said above - all mine are second hand and and have minor chips and scratches, mostly at the back and edges where they're not visible when I'm playing anyway, and while I do take very good care of them, another odd little knock in the line of duty wouldn't bother me too much. Anything conspicuous would upset me though. The latest is immaculate and (for now at least) the littlest dint would really hurt. Otoh she's far too beautiful to live shut up in a case. Matthew Crawford (philosopher and restorer of vintage motorcyles) tells the story of a friend taking delivery of a gleaming new bike, and immediately picking up a handful of gravel and throwing it at the petrol tank, to the horror of his assembled friends. When asked why, he said "I can ride it now and not worry about it". However I absolutely do not get deliberately "relic'd" basses, any more than I get factory-ripped jeans or "shabby chic" furniture. YMMV. There's a related question, buying a bass you haven't seen, as to how honest the photographs are. I was impressed by Fanny's House in Nashville - the photos of my Jazz Aerodyne on their web page pointed out all the little nicks and scratches and actually made it look worse than it is. I did go in and play it before buying it, and had to hunt for some of the dings they had shown.

The standard repertoire for "my band" (joke - we just *rse about together and would never let anyone hear us - and we call it our "abbatoir", because we murder them all) I know the root notes by heart and decorate differently every time - sometimes horribly, but nobody minds. So far I've only played for an audience OM and always from well-practiced memory. Trying to keep track of where I am in any kind of written notation at the same time as listening to where anyone else is would be a disaster. My usual duo partner has a habit of throwing things at me on short notice (Friday for Tuesday) - he'll send me over a recording of how he's doing it and I work with that over the weekend until it's rock solid. But completely in short-term memory - if I tried to play the same songs a week later they'd be gone. Looking back at my gig-log, there are songs there that I can't even remember learning or playing. If / when I'm ever in a gig-able band I'll get the whole set solid. There's too much else going on, playing live - locking in and responding to how the rest of the band is developing the song - I can't afford to be needing a prop for which note to hit next.

I'm very lucky in that I'm unlikely to have space or money problems to force me to sell any of mine. I do feel a bit guilty about my two new GMRs, bought from Lucasz (of this parish) for prices which I told him were stupid, but he wouldn't take more. I'm sure he'll regret parting with them. But I adore them both and they're named in my will as going to my two musician sons.