mikel

Hey, If you don't have the time to enjoy any pursuit then knock it on the head till you have. Its music, is supposed to be enjoyed not endured.

Well quite, but playing mid range or beginner gear does not prevent you from giving 100% or sounding good.

To another bassist possibly not, but I bet my house the regular gig goer would not notice a thing. To most a bass sound is just that, as long as its not too loud.

Not really bothered who presents it, I watch it for the Music. Sadly the down to earth, witty, intelligent Marc Radcliffe cant present everything.

I heard the "Its all in the fingers" back in the day and took it to mean that a great player, using a cheapo bass,would make it sound way, way better than the average person playing the same instrument.

Point 2. For me the difference between "Decent" gear and top of the range megga bucks stuff is so small I don't notice it, more so in a band mix. Also, If the person using the top of the range stuff uses strings or a tone you are not keen on then subjectively its not as good as the mid range gear I use that has the sound I like and want.

Well quite, but I do feel calling someone out because they like the look of someone of the opposite or even the same sex is a little over the top. No lewd or defamatory words or phrases were used. If people did not find the opposite sex attractive the human race would have died out long ago. A bit of common sense perhaps. I remember my wife drooling over Sting for years and it had little to do with his bass playing.

Thanks for the info.

On another note. Back in the day of 100 watt valve amps and 4 x 12 cabs. Was the whole 100 watts only available with two 4 x 12s hooked up, or was it simply louder through moving more air using two cabs?

Yep but there is a huge difference between "Holding the groove" and playing a solo. I find that traditional solo instruments mostly interpret the song in a melodic and appropriate way, whereas lots of drummers and bassists simply try to get every lick and trick they know into a "Solo" and play as fast as possible so they can say "Look how good I am"

I wont buy pretty much anything without seeing and touching it. Call me an old luddite but it prevents disappointment, and I enjoy shopping for stuff.

Nice, but for £550 list I would expect them to make me a cup of tea and plump my cushions before I sit down to listen.

For me it always meant playing as a unit, leaving space for each other and making each other sound good. Its about the micro timing that makes a groove great rather than simply functional.

/\ This. Unless its an instrumental act the singer is key. I have seen some stunning pub bands, and some mediocre pro touring acts, so doing it simply for the love of music does not mean the musicians will not be high quality. I go to see a band and be entertained and the singer front person is a huge part of that, If they cant put the melody and lyrics over then what the rest of the band is doing is largely wasted. I am a bassist and a drummer but I never go to check out said musicians, I go to see the band.

At the Dog and Duck the bassist will usually set the bass and amp to a tone they like, and not touch it all night. As long as the rhythm secion is tight the audience dont care one little bit.

50? Its a number. I have played more gigs with better musicians, with less ego, than ever before. Our keys player is 71 and the best I have ever played with, he is first to turn up for rehearsals and he lives the furthest away. Life is good at 66 and I no longer have to work for the man so more time to devote to music.

If you don't play it then sell it, instruments need to be played not stuck on on a wall.

Not at all, its personal choice. I love the whole experience of a vinyl album. The artwork, being able to read the information without having to resort to a magnifying glass, the musical journey through the whole recorded work, in the order it was intended. A bit like watching a film or reading a book from beginning to end, suspending reality.

All physical product, vinyl and CD. I never got the "Background music" thing. If I am listening to music then I am immersed in it totally so I listen to a whole album, not selected tracks.

I love music, have since I started playing when I was 12, but I also have a life. Family, friends and other interests. The secret? Learn to compartmentalise. Give 100% to what you are doing during the time you have available to do it. Having said that, all the guy is doing is playing what someone else has already recorded. Time consuming to learn but hardly ground breaking.

When kids started getting into music to make money, rather than to make music.

Who cares? Its music. If it moves you on any emotional level then it good, for you.

Another can of worms right there. Would that mean nothing but the sound of the string vibrating? If not it must take into consideration the "Sound" of the materials used in the body and neck, and also the bridge and first fret or nut. Then the influence of the type of wiring used and the pots and circuits. For me its what the materials, hardware and circuits "add" to the sound that make an instrument unique, and If I feel its just right for me then its the best.

Well quite, but I don't play with a "Pick" so the body needs no protection from said implement, so its a scratch plate, to prevent scratches. They didnt invent the Tomato but they still invented a new name for them. So I will stick with the British term scratch plate.

Scratch-plate. Pick-guard is yet another Americanism. I never play with a pick (I hate that term, its a plec, as in plectrum) so It would also be impossible for me to have a pick-guard.