PaulWarning

sometimes you have to fight your corner, causes upsets at the time but in the long run they'll listen to you more, if it doesn't work you've lost nothing you were quitting anyway. Was watching a programme on BBC4 the other night about bands falling apart, someone said "the trouble is bands never ever talk to each other about what's pissing them off" and it's true

must admit I sort of admire people who haven't got that very human trait of seeking approval from others, mind you I'm not as bad as some people, at least I don't spend all my time posting on facebook, just on here

AAAPITAWYDKWTM (aren't acronyms a pain in the arse when you don't know what they mean)

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1444385759' post='2882743'] Yes you are. I love the creative process of writing and recording, I always have. I have no illusions about making it (I haven't since my mid 20s), I simply enjoy it for what it is. I am looking at getting an original band together again at some point in the future, but even if that never happens, I will continue writing and recording for my own pleasure. [/quote]fair enough, but the fact you still have a dream of playing your songs with a band means you do want other people to hear your songs

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1444383348' post='2882700'] +1 I did the covers/function type band thing for a couple of years while I was at Uni in the 90s as an easy way of making some extra cash. It was for me, in terms of playing, a piece of piss (we did soul/funk type stuff - the hardest thing I had to play was probably Stevie's 'I Wish'...) It was occasionally fun, but I wouldn't want to do it for the rest of my life and in fact I haven't since. I see loads of local musicians who are contemporaries of mine who used to write, record and play their own stuff, but now just do covers in pub bands. Personally, I see that as 'taking the easy option'. [/quote]the reason you write and record your own compositions is the dream of 'making it' or at least someone else recording your work, I can't believe there's much satisfaction in writing and recording songs that no one else is going to hear,(maybe I'm wrong on that one) as you get on in years it slowly dawns on you that it's a young man's game and you've missed the boat,so, you either give up or start doing covers so you can keep gigging, I choose the later. A generalisation I know, but I've heard that scenario more than a few times, oh, I still write about one song a year, so I haven't given up completely, I bore people at open mics :-)

I exclusively use a Fender Precision, great for punk, but there would be no other Bass manufacturers if they suited everybody, each to their own, 5 pages of pointlessness really

some people just can't get past the nerves issue, it's so bad they don't enjoy gigging, and if you don't enjoy it what's the point? John Lydon said on Piers, is anybody in the whole world smarmier than me, Morgan the other week he throws up before every gig, apparently Barbara Streisand has big trouble with nerves

I like most bass tones, (slap being the exception) when I can actually hear it properly, which, sadly. is not the case on a lot of recordings, most of the recommendations on here are where the bass is prominent in the mix, especially JJ Burnels

yeah, I forgot that, if you make a f*** up don't laugh about it, gives the game away, most people won't even notice, I tried for ages to stop out half wit guitarist and drummer laughing when we made a mistake, never managed it

[quote name='anaxcrosswords' timestamp='1444245958' post='2881593'] Well, it’s been an extremely difficult decision, but for me it’s come to an end today. I’ve been playing, writing, recording and gigging for 30+ years, but as a mature (53) bassist it’s been impossible to find musicians who want to do anything other than ‘classic’ (for that, read ‘dead’) material, and the only way I’m going to explore the music I like is to join a band of teenagers; that’s not going to happen. I’ll probably be wistful for a while, but when I was about 14 I knew I was going to be a cryptic crossword setter and that aspect of my life is stronger and busier than ever. While it was fun and often very satisfying, music was a bit of a distraction, so now is the time to kiss it goodbye. There’s now just the small matter of rather a lot of gear to sell off. [/quote]I didn't start playing bass in a band till I was 53, started off with original stuff too, we later decided to start playing covers because we wanted more gigs, but we still play some original stuff in our set and still come up with the odd new song, shouldn't sell all your gear off, give it a few months and you might find what you're looking for, I did

you'll be as nervous as hell, and make mistakes because you're all tensed up, in spite of what's been said, perhaps tongue in cheek, alcohol will make it worse,IMO, a pint but no more I'd say say, rehearse rehearse and rehearse, one of the best bits of advice I've ever read on here was "Don't practice till you get it right practice till you don't get it wrong" or something like that. When you're up there you'll be thinking "Why did I ever get into this" and when you get off you be thinking "Can't wait for the next one" good luck

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1444223967' post='2881302'] I can afford it and it pleases me to have a small selection of basses to choose from. Justify it? No. [/quote]that's fair enough, it's all about getting pleasure in any way we can [quote name='Les' timestamp='1444226093' post='2881329'] quick head count before I voted and I realised I have more guitars than basses [/quote]guitars don't count, I have 2, at the risk of upsetting other basschatters I can sort of understand guitarists needing more than one guitar, they snap strings a lot easier for a start and have different tunings (more so than bassists I would imagine) and even I can tell the difference between a telecaster and a Gibson Les Paul. I know basses sound different but it's not nearly as obvious as guitars IMO Having said that I was at a small festival in the summer standing outside the tent, and I said "That sounds like a Rik" and it was that doesn't mean it sound good btw

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1444218650' post='2881205'] Nine working, plus two in bits. [/quote]ok call it 10 then

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1444218200' post='2881190'] We did one of these a couple of months back... I have two currently; one fretted and one fretless [/quote]did we? must have missed it, ah well it's given time for some bassists to buy another half a dozen or so

whoever voted for 10 or more can you resubmit? I'v had to edit the poll for people who've 'only' got 10

why do people need so many basses or guitars for that matter? our guitarist has 13 and several bassists on here seem quite a few. Is it a collecting thing or have you just not found the right one or perhaps you think they sound different enough to justify it? me, I've just got a MIA P which I use all the time and an old Hondo as a back up, which I've never needed

reminds me of the great speaker/connect cable debate in the world of HiFi. The cynic in me tends to believe that charge someone enough money for something and they'll convince themselves they've not been ripped off, but, like I said I'm a cynic, and one with hearing damage as well

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1444042903' post='2879645'] Ishibashi shipping costs are entirely dependent upon the size and weight of the item being shipped. For example the Yamaha BJ5B which was big and heavy cost 18000¥ while the much smaller and lighter Fernades Pie-Zo was 12000¥. I don't have any problem buying guitars or basses without playing them first. All my current favourite instruments were bought on-line. The last time I did spend any time with a bass before paying for it I ended up selling it 6 months later. I suppose if you are buying something mass produced in great numbers with well-documented variations in quality between examples then it makes sense to play it first but for anything more specialised, I feel completely safe buying without trying. [/quote]being a lefty I always buy without trying, also I think you can't decide whether a bass is ok till you've tried it a few times in a band situation, but I kinda like the option of returning it if it's not right in some way

not sure I'd fancy buying an unseen bass, with zero chance of returning it if it's not right, that's why I don't buy from the USA either

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1444040464' post='2879612'] Compromise is the name of the game for many. [/quote]absolutely, I use a Fender Rumble these days because of the weight but I perefer the sound of the Trace Elliot head, with a 4 x 10 and 1 x 15 stack at our rehearsal studio, but I'm buggered if I'm going to cart that lot around, or at least I would but buggered if I tried it

I've just gone wireless, how does that stack up? Amps and cabs do effect your tone, but if you're going through a PA it can't make that much difference can it? as for the bass not making much difference, the old computer analogy springs to mind "rubbish in, rubbish out"

don't forget about VAT and import duty if you buy from Japan, I looked at it once, I found that the savings weren't that great when everything was totted up, you need to do the maths first, plus if anything goes wrong you're more or less on your own

for quite a few years I thought my Hondo Professional II was very good, even when I had a Stingray and MIM Jazz, kept going back to it, when I got a MIA P it stayed in it's case for a while, when I got it out again I have to admit it didn't sound as good after all, it's still my back up but I've never needed it, what I'm saying is you can get comfortable with certain sounding bass, nothing wrong with that but it could explain why.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1443888678' post='2878519'] Sideman or not unless it's the star of the band any member can be replaced relatively easy. Blue [/quote]replaced but it won't be the same, if you're just a covers band it doesn't matter, but for a band who've had success with their own material they will never be the same if original members are replaced, look at Status Quo and UK Subs to name but two, both replaced the drummer and bass player, considered by many to be the least important members of the band and neither were ever the same again IMO of course, it's happened with other bands as well, suggestions anyone?

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1443866510' post='2878260'] This is why punk happened! [/quote]the number of times I've said that