PaulWarning

Maybe it's just a fashion thing, if you're taking up bass you tend to be influenced by your contemporaries, so if there's a lot of pick players about chances are you'll start playing with a pick, as I did, till the music fashion changes. I don't know whether there's more finger players about now or not, but if there is it could be something to do with modern recording fashion of having a clicky bass drum and the bass filling in underneath it. You tend to get a deeper bass with fingers

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1375293401' post='2159427'] It did surprise me just how many pro players actually used a pick live [/quote] Once read somewhere that some session bassist use fingers when recording and picks when playing live, don't know if it's true but it does kinda make sense

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1375266634' post='2158956'] must be tough though? [/quote] lol, he's not actually playing it though, perhaps it's the floppy wrist that does it

ah the old pick versus fingers debate again eh, I play with a pick because, 1. My favourite bass players use a pick, JJ Burnell, Paul Simonon even Macca 2. It gives you more attack and definition. 3. It looks a lot cooler, always think bass players who use their fingers and have the bass up round their necks look like geeks. just my opinion of course, and I play in a punk band where using a pick is almost compulsory

I always get Mark D Phillips to file down my nut (or zero fret), he's the expert

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1375084889' post='2156391'] Fender Precision Fender Precision Fender Precision Fender Precision Fender Precision I think that should cover all potential requirements. [/quote]

Gary Pucket's Young Girl is seriously dodgy as well

once saw a very good Hendrix tribute, he played a lefty strat upside, amused me no end when I saw it

[quote name='genendeddie' timestamp='1373550677' post='2138945'] Seriously only 1 mention for J.J .....Bear Cage ..Peaches .. No More Heroes x [/quote] have to say, much as I love JJ's playing, No More Heroes is a horrible bassline, IMO of course

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373533624' post='2138624'] Ramones were never a punk band - just a fast rock band with short songs. If any US band can get any credit for stirring future punk imaginations I guess the New York Dolls could have an honourable mention. Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers were pretty much adopted as punks because they spent so much time over here. The reast of the US bands that tagged along coined the horrible 'new wave' epithet so beloved of Radio 1 and BBC DJ's when they were forced to play things they so obviously detested. Post '79 most genuine punk bands had floundered and/or turned into cheap parodies of themselves. The Americans were merely copping a style of music. Saying that punk lives on is a bit like saying genuine Mod or Ska or Rock 'n' Roll is still with us. Sure, there are bands playing this type of music but they are just copyists not the 'real thing'. I don't have anything against them (I, unashamedly, play in a covers band) I just can't accept that they are 'punk' bands. Maybe you had to 'live the life' in the late '70's to understand it. [/quote] Everybody has their own opinions of course, but for me punk was born out of the prog rock scene, complete anti prog rock if you like and nobody, but nobody strips down rock and roll to the core basics like the Ramones did, that's why for me, if anybody 'invented' punk they did

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1373530978' post='2138573'] There are no American punk bands. . . [/quote] if you're being serious, the Ramones, they practically invented it

[quote name='brucew' timestamp='1373489694' post='2138304'] . . Most of The Rezilos, especially 'Top of the pops' . . [/quote] Hell yes, I'd forgotten about that one. A lot of the early punk bands were actually good musicians who'd played in bands for a few years before punk but were there to 'jump on the bandwagon' as it were, all this "they couldn't play" was largely a load of bollocks, in the very early days anyway

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1373326111' post='2136351'] Exactly, which is why I said I have an issue with the drums more than the bass. I friendly chat with the sound man works for me, I want the bass at the bottom and the kick drum above it. It's so important. [/quote] I prefer it the other way on

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1373095706' post='2133600'] the bass was mostly an indistinct rumbly sound. . [/quote] Goes back to the fashion of having the bass drum all clicky, something's got to fill the bottom end, seems arse about face to me, that should be the bass drums job

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1373013453' post='2132689'] Funnily enough I have more of an issue with drum sounds than bass. [/quote] I've noticed more and more the latest fashion for having the kick drum really loud and clicky, it may be ok for metal heads but for a old school punk band? I don't think so. Back to the OP I use a zoom 506II and always make sure it's in the chain before the DI, that way I have a bit of a chance of 'my sound' fighting it's way through to FOH

most punters enjoy a good sing a long when they've had a few drinks, so I guess lyrics are important in that respect, even if its just la la la lala la for about 5 minutes, can't stand Hey Jude myself, we do do 500 miles though Fa Da Da Da, nice and simple, it's got to be when there's pissed up backing vocals involved

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1372682306' post='2128443'] Not really, no. Melody, harmony and rhythm is most important, to me anyway. [/quote] Usually for me too, but occasionally the lyrics will strike home, bad lyrics can ruin the song though, like the Beatles 'She a Woman' the rhyme presents and peasant annoys me intensely. I'm quite particular about the lyrics in my own songs though. I can quite happily sing along to a song without having a clue what its about.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1372349553' post='2124714'] On a fretted instrument the intonation adjustment is there to compensate for the fact that you are also stretching the string slightly every time you fret it. [/quote] I thought it was because the fatter the string the further away from the saddle it vibrated, that's why as a rule the saddle are further back on the E string than the G string

[quote name='muttley' timestamp='1372347428' post='2124678'] Borrow a fretless bass for a while, then reflect on how lucky you are [/quote] Maybe I'm a bit tone deaf but I really can't tell if a basses intonation is a bit out, if it was that important fretless bass would be in trouble wouldn't they? Guitars are different because you're playing chords

for when you're in danger of disappearing up your own arse by being to busy, or you've just started playing bass Dee Dee Ramone, 1st Ramones LP, the bass and guitar are left and right in the mix, and Alan Lancaster any Quo album up to but not including Rocking All Over the World

Been playing in a band for 8 years now, and I've never broken a string, although I do change them from time to time, I'm down to about once a year now, that's with about 30 2 hour gigs and a band practice about every other week, last time I changed them (DR neons) I couldn't tell any difference, so the next change will probably be even longer, I play punk with a pick btw

personally I think somebody's playing style is more to do with the rhythm they put into a bass line, that note a little bit late that one a little bit early, a bit like a singers phrasing really. Plus we all have our favourite patterns on the finger board, well I do anyway.

I used to think my backup bass was good, a MIJ Hondo professional, my main bass is a MIA P, I compared them a few months ago and found out why I bought the P, still I've never needed the backup but don't want to tempt fate by not taking it, Using a Marshall MB 4210 combo (great sounding amps but not the most reliable) I also use a Carlsboro Bass Beasty as an extention 1 x 15 cab, so if the Marshall packs up I've got a backup amp. Just hope my back stands up to the punishment

the original name for my first band was the Dead Presleys, some local Teds made it pretty plain there might be a bit of disruption at any future gigs unless we changed it, we did

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1371049750' post='2109130'] What a pretentious twat. [/quote] absolutely, he's made a living on the back of punk