silverfoxnik

Absolutely fascinating!! (he said in a Mr Spock like voice...)

[quote name='Merton' post='375802' date='Jan 10 2009, 12:11 AM']The extra knob is standing in front of it playing a Status bass [/quote] So how does it sound then Mert?

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='375942' date='Jan 10 2009, 09:49 AM']Just a query... I've been offered a Fender Mark King Signature Jazz (#02 of 42) with sims laser leds as a trade for one of my basses. What're these worth (especially in a depressed market?) Rich.[/quote] I wouldn't have thought they were worth much because MK is so indelibly etched in people's minds as using/endorsing Staus & JD basses....

[quote name='nig' post='375871' date='Jan 10 2009, 02:01 AM']If its a cover song, sometimes just playing it in the car and to yourself until you get to know the song/ arrangement from a listner view point and once familiar with the tune you can go back with a more subconcious feel for the song and jam along with it finding meters and passes and keys etc then hone the finer points. I never use tab, playing by ear has been my chosen style to roughly learn a song then put my own interpretation on it. regards, nig.[/quote] +1 That's been my approach in the main with a little bit of help from TABs if I feel I need it.. It's been said a lot of times on Basschat before but there's really nothing better than playing along to lots of different music to improve your playing and your ability to grasp different playing styles.. As for songs that leave me stumped, there are too many to mention probably but after two years off trying and some brilliant help from mr_russ, I still struggle with 'Loves Foolosophy'. It's partly my own ineptitude and partly because I hate everything JK has ever written and recorded so much that I can't bear to listen to it even to practice... Not a very professional attitude I know but thankfully, we've dropped it from the set now, much to my relief! Hope you're well by the way, nig!

[quote name='johnnylager' post='375060' date='Jan 9 2009, 01:21 PM']Recently got a lend of the fabled Demitriades 1x15 with which to annoy me council scum neighbours and Nik organised a spur of the moment micro-bash with him, Walman & me, saving me from the indignity of wasting the courier charge on Wayne's BC 5'er! Nice one fella![/quote] Happy to help out John and the very least I could do after your free contribution of the control knobs for my Fender Jazz 5 and your help at the SE Bash back in September.. So how's the Hartke helping your 'fostering more neighbourly love project' then?

[quote name='Tee' post='374868' date='Jan 9 2009, 10:32 AM']Dave Allen of 'Gang of Four'. Check out "Entertainment"[/quote] +1 I loved that album but lost my vinyl copy years ago.. Time to check out YouTube and Limewire I think...

[quote name='BassManKev' post='375285' date='Jan 9 2009, 03:33 PM']multi effect pedals in general, alot of boutique pedal snobs wouldnt even consider buyin digital multi effects, but some are in fact fantastic, the best value one imo is the zoom b2.1u, fantastic for the money. and from what iv heard from Ped the V-Bass is brilliant![/quote] +1 Isn't Basschat the most underated piece of Bass Kit.. And it's free!

[quote name='AM1' post='375646' date='Jan 9 2009, 09:08 PM']It is growingly increasingly obvious that it is not just absolute beginners, whom will benefit from a new players/beginners section. Expediting a beginner's forum here can only be of benefit to those persons, as well as many more experienced players and will strengthen the community, by facilitating pupil/mentor relationships and encouraging interaction. A beginner's section is undoubtedly something that needs to be an integral part of the forum. A number of people have volunteered to assist in the mentoring/moderating capacity and I am certainly prepared to contribute as many resources and reviews as possible since I am on the learning curve. It will save others so much time in locating valuable information and I would like to share the benefit of my research, to assist others.[/quote] +1 There's some very interesting stuff being talked about in this discussion, so if that is any indication of how stimulating and interesting a Beginner's Forum could be, then I think it can only be a good thing..

[quote name='AM1' post='374640' date='Jan 8 2009, 11:41 PM']Hi Nik I meant to respond to your excellent first post on the topic, but you beat me to it with another excellent contribution. To set up another forum is a simple administrative task and achievable quickly. To run it, the adminstrative overhead is small, however the moderation overhead may be a different matter. With the right positive attitude, a well-managed beginner's section will enhance the forum significantly and I would be happy to kick it off by adding my reviews of some beginner bass books I am currently working through. I have emailed the authors and afforded them the opportunity in the first instance, to see any reviews, prior to publication. If enough people contribute this kind of material, eventually it should be possible to create a directory of reviews, which will undoubtedly make matters easier for the average beginner, picking up the instrument for the first time, who may not have the resources for private lessons and finds themselves faced with a vast array of bass learning books. Regards AM[/quote] Ok - so the real challenge would be to moderate it... In the world I work in (Voluntary Community Sector), mentoring plays a valuable role in helping people new to a situation gain the skills and confidence they need to progress, whether they're new to a job or a school, a charity etc, etc.. and as a rule, it works really well. One definition of mentoring is: [i]"Mentoring is to support and encourage people to manage their own learning in order that they may maximise their potential, develop their skills, improve their performance and become the person they want to be." [/i] It's also about allowing the new person to explore new ideas in confidence.. So if your idea were to become a reality, then perhaps more established members could contribute to a Beginners Forum in a sort of mentoring capacity, leaving plenty of space for beginners to interact at a level that's comfortable for them but being there to help if needed? Just a thought....

[quote name='alexclaber' post='371876' date='Jan 6 2009, 12:18 PM']Tried in it band practice last night using preshape 1 on the U5 to even out the current midrange hump. Hands down the best live bass sound I have ever heard and incredibly consistent around the room. I did think that The Compact was so good that The Big One might be a lot of extra cost and a fair bit more size for little improvement but it is truly in another league to every other bass cab I have ever used. Depth, fatness, growl, punch, thickness, clarity, the lot! Am dead chuffed. Alex[/quote] Alex - are you aware that barefacedBass.com has already been name-checked on the 'Walbassesnaturally' group on Yahoo? Some guy in the states was asking for recommendations from forum members for great lightweight cabs, and you were mentioned...

[quote name='Merton' post='374111' date='Jan 8 2009, 03:01 PM']Just to prove to Alex that I'm able to avoid the telephone better than he, I thought I'd better post here! Alex very kindly dropped off the Big One at work today and we had a lovely lunch talking all things bass. This cab is unbelievably light. Bigger than a Trace 1153 but astonishingly light in comparison, it almost feels lighter than my LH500 in its flightcase We were, at first, slightly concerned it wouldn't fit in the boot of my car (04 Ford Focus hatchback) but it does with consummate ease (picture proof later!) At present the cab has 2 strap handles; Alex went through his ideas for wheels and placement of a third strap handle. Wheels are definitely a luxury rather than a necessity, this cab is so easy to pick up and with the third handle there will be a multitude of carrying options. That said, the wheels will provide that extra transportability (is that a word? it is now!) The crossover is still the original design; Alex has plans for finishing the new design and fitting it soon, plus a great idea for an L-pad style switch in the middle port - easier to switch in and out from the front than leaning over to the back! Well, that's about all I can say for now. I cannot wait to get this plugged in and hear it; the rehearsals and gig next week wll be awesome fun![/quote] Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this next week Mert!!

They look very good together Rob! Also agree that you need a Jazz in that collection to finish it off

[quote name='Dmanlamius' post='374268' date='Jan 8 2009, 05:48 PM']I think it's a great idea. That Wiki...I was advised to stick all my lessons up there, but it's a bit hard to understand, and no-one would give me any advice on it. I've seen some great musical snobbery on this forum (most likely from people that don't have the right or accolades to be snobs . My thoughts are on confidence. I've noticed many questions ignored. I've noticed many people made to look like they are "wasting peoples time" when asking questions as well. On a whole, this is a good forum and people are friendly and willing to help. But one act of arrogance and snobbery of one person alone can knock someones confidence enough for them to not bother with the instrument. Those people that see fit to stick their noses up wouldn't bother visiting a beginners forum, would they? It would keep those that would sincerely like to help beginners in one central place. Those people that are annoyed by questions, don't need to be anywhere near that part. I've had plenty of mails from people, asking me questions because they are a little un-confident to post, or they "don't want to look stupid". I think that a beginners forum would become a great resource where they could all bounce ideas and learning off of each other. Those that feel a little more confident in their ability could still visit the rest of the forums, and happily gain information like they were before. Think of it as a nest, before they move on...[/quote] +1 I think there would be much more traffic in a Beginners Forum than there currently is on some of the other Forums that we already have here, especially as the site is growing rapidly with new and inexperienced players joining all the time. When I first started playing as a kid back in the '70s, it took me years to find things out, which was so frustrating! So whenever I tell people about what's so great about Basschat, I point out that it is a fabulous and wonderful resource that offers short-cuts to learning just about everything there is to learn about being a bass player and about basses and gear. Which is great... .. But IMO, there has been a change in the atmosphere over the last 6-9 months or so and I do believe that in some respects, Basschat isn't quite as friendly or as open as it was during the first year or so. And if I was a new person to the site, I think I might find that quite intimidating or off-putting, especially if I was a little unsure of either my own confidence or what kind of reaction I might get from other more established members. And in those circumstances, I think I would naturally gravitate towards a Beginners Forum until I felt a bit more confident and a bit more established. Out of interest, what would it actually take to set it up and run it?

[quote name='Beedster' post='373778' date='Jan 8 2009, 06:58 AM']FYI I fell so in love with the fretless that I have now bought a fretted Jazz (and it's a real beaut, pics to follow). This means I have to go back through Basschat and revise about 400 posts or appear to be a complete idiot Nik, you were right all along! C[/quote] Well, that's a first! Look forward to seeing some pics soon...

[quote name='AM1' post='373579' date='Jan 7 2009, 10:08 PM']For Mods...any chance of setting up a beginner forum section? I have found that there are a multitude of bass books for beginners, I would like to review a few that I have found excellent and useful. A beginner's forum will enable new people to instantly find that type of information. Also, a dedicated section will save us beginners bombarding the same poor peeps with idiot level questions Cheers AM[/quote] Not a bad idea at all....

It's getting really 'Grumpy Old bass-playing Men' around here, regardless of everyone's age.. Love it !

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='367694' date='Jan 1 2009, 01:16 PM']Harking back to one of my earlier posts [What constitutes a build diary?], I think this project truly encompasses the spirit of a home build, by someone who has the tools, knowledge and ability to do the job. This is exactly what I was trying to get over in my original post. Al has built [himself] a great looking bass, on a reasonably tight budget and for all the right reasons. It looks great. Well done. P[/quote] +1 Really fabulous work and thanks for sharing it!

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='373389' date='Jan 7 2009, 07:11 PM']I collected my ACG Harlot from Alan in Moffat today. It’s my 2nd Harlot, my 1st being a 5 string. I’m a late starter into the world of playing bass and a 4 string makes life easier for me and it does all I need and more besides. I tried playing a 5 but it didn't work out. I love the type S single cut style of the Harlot and carried it over to the 4. This is the 1st single cut 4 that Alan has created. Zigmondo now owns the 5. I’d 1st like to stress that Alan’s creations are 1st and foremost working tools (I know that Alan would agree here), instruments for the creation of the low end. These basses are designed 1st and foremost to be used. Design wise he dares to be different and if you ask him to make you a Jazz he’s likely to point you back in the direction from which you came. I personally love the flowing lines and perfect balance that both my ACG’s have had. I also like to be a bit different. I’m not a disciple of the ‘tone wood’ gospel and I think that bass/amp/string etc. manufacture has more than its fair share of b*llshit in a b*llshit laden world. I do think you have a choice, use any functional wood and paint it or use something that has its own unique ascetics, lacquer it and celebrate its beauty. I don’t understand any of this ‘coffee table’ comment crap either, each to their own (I have both and appreciate them all), this bass is a ergonomic delight being tiny and light, has a superbly comfortable asymmetric neck and just about the lowest action I’ve ever experienced. Alan carefully chooses his pickups that are made entirely to his specification with magnet type and windings to suit positions on the instrument and to complement his double low pass filter pre amp. This is another example of Alan’s commitment to instruments that provide a huge variety of real world tones. The tonal range is so wide that these basses can’t imo be categorised in terms of tone at all. So having stressed the fact that ACG’s are not simply exotic wood artefacts but are remarkable musical instruments that celebrate a natural phenomenon in a quite unique way and that having a say in the crafting of such an instrument is a real pleasure here’s some photos of my new bass. I can’t wait to let it loose in anger. Peter[/quote] The woods and the build quality look exceptional Peter - congratulations! Very nicely worded post too if I may say so...