Stub Mandrel

1 hour ago, martthebass said:

I hope you’re being ironicalistic on that...just about to bring that into the Glam set and I feel my fingers are gonna melt by the end.....

Indeed! It's easy for THEM, the whole thing is driven by Dee Murray's bassline, which I can't claim to be duplicating!

There is a Nickelback version which as far as I can see removes virtually any need to move your left-hand...

The best thing about this thread is the ingenuity in the silly names 🙂

1 hour ago, Skinnyman said:

I've played in a 3 piece band where there's a lot of "space" and the bass has to cover some of the melodies or fills that were played by keys or strings on the original. I've also played in a five piece where the guitarist and keyboard player are filling the musical canvas and i have to rein it back to simple, supportive bass lines.

I've had two rehearsals now, it's evident everyone has spent a good deal of time learning their parts. A few times I've made (to me) major errors like playing the chorus and verse riffs the wrong way round or missing out a big fill because I lost track of where we were.

None of them has noticed, which is a bit depressing as it means they haven't noticed all the bits a I got right.

Plus they all love Saturday Night's Allright for Fighting because it's so simple... 😲

I like!

This is where Seasiock Steve will head if he ever needs and upgrade. 🙂

The manifesto:

KRAPPY GUITARS--Krapmeister Kevin Siebold
relays the philosophy that guides our efforts:

Our instruments are built for frugal people
who aren't very concerned with regard to
quality, construction, materials, or safety.

The instruments are crafted from whatever
we find suitable. Pedigree of wood is not
a priority for us. We might get it from
a local hardware store, or use some old
shipping crates, or skids. Who knows??!!

If you are intrigued enough to purchase,
we will provide you with a complete history
for your instrument. The history might be
akin to this:

Wood:  leftover 2x4 from a construction site.
Strings:  used about 3 years ago on an old guitar.
Pickups:  some buncha crap we snagged from some guy.
Electronics:  whatever we can scrounge up!

Our warranty:  There is no warranty, expressed or
implied. We fully acknowledge our product is crap, and
your purchase signifies that you have entered into an
agreement to buy a product that is lacking in quality,
contains poor materials, and is worthy of much abuse
and destruction. We will in no way provide any
customer service, so don't even waste your time!!!
 

This is the cure - just mod your bass like this gem off eBay...

8 minutes ago, bazzbass said:

Things I like in a studio? GUITAR HANGERS ON THE WALLS FFS

+1

PM returned. Would fill a genuine gap and I have curiously dislocated memories of noodling on one of these in the 80s. I must have known someone with one, but who....

1 hour ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I would definitely want to. Would so look the part in my 80’s band 😀. 

You need Kajagoogoo hair to pull that off...

16 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

What I would really like to see in a rehearsal/recording studio complex?

More than one teaspoon.

A toilet cystern with a flush mechanism that actually functions in some way.

Doorways wide enough to carry a bass cab into the rehearsal space without having to do the Ickey Shuffle.

A sofa that doesn't swallow you entirely when you sit down on it.

A stage floor that doesn't feel like it's going to cave in.

After last tuesday? ... speaker leads for supplied the guitar head/cabs...

3 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Just tell me it's like a boat anchor or it's terribly flawed in some way. PLEASE.

One terrible flaw... the led dot markers are like puttng go faster stripes on a Ferrari.

Mitch and Noel 🙂

I remember these from many, many year's ago they always seemed 'nice'

Sorely tempted. Does it have to go quickly or could a modest deposit secure for collection in a month or two?

Have to be careful as it isn't confirmed yet... but I've got tickets to see a gig with my brothers later in the year.

Last night the guitar tech saw my brother's band play and asked them if they would play the support 🙂

Vinegar will work but it might go pink if overdone.

Dilute citric acid/lemon juice in an ultrasonic tank would be gentler.

Or good old Brasso!

(P.S. tempted, but I needs to be sensible...)

2 hours ago, Ricky 4000 said:

Arrived today!

Colour and dimensions look OK compared to my "Vintage Brand" J neck...

Unfortunately, there's a crack through the fretboard (of the new neck, not the old one)... 😕

Lots of the 'bargains' on eBay are QC rejects.

Nothing gets thrown out in China, just passed down the line until someone can make a profit out of it.

This explains why you can often apparently get top gear at huge savings, in many cases the fails are cosmetic but I'd worry about that crack.

1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said:

It didn't do Edwina Curry any harm...

Discovering his affair was a bit like when you realised what your parents must have done to become your parents...

Do not underestimate Dave Pegg and Gerry Conway.

Currently both in Fairport Convention, listen to Jethro Tull's Broadsword and the Beast for a tour-de-force that proves less can be more in the rhythm section.

Peggy has done some pretty amazing stuff with Dave Mattacks as well.

16 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

It makes perfect sense to me - do you understand the concept of what is "diatonic"?

Indeed, but while I see how the stave allows you to build chords, for example, because each adjacent pair of lines or spaces is a third apart my brain insists this is merely a convention that creates a meaningless inconsistency where you can't tell what type of chord it actually is.

Actually, to me, the fact that the stave is inherently diatonic and suited to penny whistles and perhaps even pianos, it seems illogical to force it on a totally chromatic instrument like a bass.

14 minutes ago, paul_c2 said:

When you do read it, you don't normally associate the position of the blobs with note names though - you instinctively miss out the intermediate step and associate the position of the blobs with the position of your fingers on the fretboard.

I understand that, and I'm sure that's one reason why all the mnemonics in the world make no differnence.

Perhaps its that I find tab more logical. I can't relate to the fact the difference between two lines on a stave might be one or two semitones; it makes some sense for a piano, but none for anything else - to me at least!

1 hour ago, wal4string said:

Written notes are not difficult to learn.  If you learnt all the notes on all 4 strings there is a total of 48,

Which I have  no difficulty finding my way around, athough I prefer to think in terms of intervals than specific notes. Ask me to play a common scale in a common key and I might think for a second first but I won't struggle.

I'm B***d if I can learn those 9 positions on the treble clef though. Rhythm is not so hard for me, which is why I think I have a built in block stopping me learning the notes.

11 minutes ago, owen said:

More than I need. 

Anyone with a leopoard-skin double bass who claims that is probably telling the truth...

1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said:

Keep the belt... Just wear your undercrackers on the outside.

But then I can only play John Major Scales.

49 minutes ago, cetera said:

Stanley Dee (Steely Dan tribute)

Brilliant name!

I recently thought up 'The Mauve' and 'Green Dayglo'.

17 hours ago, TKenrick said:

If standard notation is a problem - for whatever reason - and you really want to improve as a musician then kick the TAB habit for good and focus on playing by ear.

As someone who spends most of their time reading and writing music, I'd say that being able to hear things is exponentially more valuable than being able to read. Developing good ears is a long and gruelling pursuit, but the benefits are huge.

In my defense I say my ear is good - I reckon there errors in a lot of, if not most, tabs but they certainly speed things up and make great mnemonics when learning.

I'd also say just because people don't read notation it doesn't mean they can't understand musical theory at least to a level appropriate to what they play. There's a lick I'm struggling with and I know it's because its in a harmonic minor scale and my brain just changes it unless I really concentrate - so at least I know why I'm getting it wrong 😜

Got p'd off on tuesday when the lid fell off my 'really useful box' covering the studio floor in pedals

I now have a huge pedalboard case - spotted on the 'bay, and only 5 minutes from the practice studios so bought within an hour yesterday evening!

Now off to screwfix for velcro...

Hmm. Looks like there might be some spaces to fill...