chris_b

Others may not have a need for sustain and might be wondering why anyone would think it is a good idea, but I've needed long notes in slow songs where I wanted them to sound strong for the duration. For sustain read slow decay. 2 bars was just an example, I've had basses that would struggle to be heard after 1 bar because the note died away too quickly. Long sustain might not be a regular requirement but as I said, a bass that can sustain well usually sounds great on the short notes too. I had to play Boys Of Summer in a band and I was happy my bass held those long notes, with a good tone, for most of the 4 bars. Most players won't notice what levels of sustain they have, which is fine. I just disagree with people who don't need it telling me I don't either!!

No one needs sustain, until you do. What do you do for the other bar and a half when you're asked to play a song where a note that should hang on for 2 bars dies out in 2 beats? My take is that a good sustain is sign of a well made bass. IME a bass that sustains well is going to sound better on all the notes, even the short ones. Using sustain is another useful technique. A bass that leaves me hanging for that bar and a half is no use to me.

Last night I watched a BBC4 retrospective (off the hard drive) on Toots and the Maytals. I just love that guy. They interviewed a lot of people who worked with him over the years and mostly they described the guy who coined the term Reggae as a Soul singer. Even his own band said that. Tonight I'm watching the Toots at Glasto program.

Many years ago I played with a singer songwriter who was also a great pianist, good guitarist and top quality bassist. I suggested he take the bass on one of his songs, because he played it way better than I did. He said he preferred what I played because it was different to what he would play and he wanted that difference. A confidence boosting comment that really helped me out at a time when I was feeling a little fragile.

Didn't we have a thread a year or so ago, where someone didn't like the way the grain fell on the 2 body pieces of a naturally finished bass? I guess wood goes further if you make something out of multiple smaller pieces. That matters to some people and no to others. There's a great bass out there for everyone, you just got to keep looking. It's good that the OP has found that bass.

Seems to me the OP just doesn't like the look of that bass. Which is fine. IMO there is no reasonable way to extrapolate that dislike out and start questioning the quality and build of a manufacturers whole output. Lakland is a quality act, but we are talking about a manufacturing process and in QC things can slip through the net. You can even order a bass and not like the look of it when it arrives. Is that covered by QC? The OP is happy now, ironically, with a bass from a company that historically has had serious QC issues.

I've played in several bands with bassists who had moved to other instruments. I replaced the bass player when he moved to front the band as a singer. I also played with a guitar and keys playing singer who was a far better bass player than I'll ever be. I was in a band once where we had 3 bassists and a drummer. Both guitarists were bassists in a previous life and both were very good at it. That was a good band.

I reckon the rehearsal was earlier, where all the mistakes and ideas that didn't work were ironed out. The video was them dotting the I's and crossing the T's for the cameras and as has already been said, it was being filmed so no one was "off-duty".

I think his hearing's top end is shot. He needs to reduce the treble and add more balance in his sound.

I have regularly played with musicians who I considered/knew were better than me. Being inspired by the guys you're playing with is the fun part of a gig. That doesn't intimidate me, but taking notice and raising your game, trying to climb on their shoulders, is what makes you a better player.

I spent 2015-18 with 2 SC's. Then 2019 with an SM and SC. In 2020 I was going to be using an SM and BB2. I guess that'll have to wait until next year. You are right, unbeatable sound.

My bass was an SR5 and the cabs were EV loaded, but I had the same rig as you!! It really was a great sound. Sold the SR for a Lakland and was very happy for about 10 years, until those RR cabs (about 90lbs each) wrecked my back!!

Rocco playing one of the best shuffle bass lines I've heard. . . . . .

I had dealings with Westside when I had problems with my Mesa 400+, about 20 years ago. It all went through the Bass Centre in Wapping, but Westside were absolutely fine and responded well to all the communications. As I remember all the decisions were taken in California and Westside did the work. I was a cash buyer and The Bass Centre wanted to give me a discount, but Mesa would let them. I don't buy that Westside are the "baddies" here.

She's a trained musician. Not my thing, but an exceptionally talented lady.

Very sad news. But with his health issues, not really unexpected. About 20 years ago, Rocco was the first person I saw using crowd funding, when he was trying to fund a liver transplant. A few years ago ToP were touring in Holland and Rocco was hospitalised (something that happened more than once) and they had to do 2 shows without a bass player!!! That's why they replaced him on the road. Listen to the Bump City album. Blew my brain when I heard that for the first time.

Back in the day, I only recorded live once.The record/management company had sponsored a festival and put all their acts on. We all got one track and we were pretty disappointed to discover they had used our studio version instead and added a rather tacky applause track! We recorded a gig about 10 years ago and took the data files to a studio to tidy it up. We only kept the bass, keys and drums. Much to our amusement, the guitar and vocals were so bad they had to be re-recorded! On that occasion, the audience was very real.

Most of my favourite albums are live. From The Band's Rock Of Ages, several from Little Feat, inc Waiting For Columbus, Delbert McClinton's Live From Austin and Live from Bergen, Keb Mo, Edgar Winter, BB King, Bonnie Raitt the list is a long one. They all benefit from that something that a live performance brings.

Sam, that's good news.

Armchair experts have existed since before there were armchairs. The problem and danger these days is their nonsense can reach millions.

I'm always blown away by Nathan East's tone on this track. . . . . . And Reggie McBride's tone and playing on this. . . . . And anything by Bob Babbitt. . . . .

My Sadowsky jazz bass has a huge sound. I don't know how anyone could make one of those sound dull, thin or lifeless. Then again, you know if you have both Jazz volume pickups on full they scoop the mids. Maybe that's the problem you are hearing. I always have the neck pickup on full and the bridge pickup rolled off about 20%.

If there is moulding or tge case is shaped inside then you might have problems, but gig bags don't usually have that. I just look for an internal length of around 49". That'll fit any of my basses. My 35" Scale PJ5 is 47" long and fits a Mono Vertigo with room to spare.

If I'm carrying my bass I use a Mono Vertigo or a Harvest leather gig bag. If someone else is carrying my bass I put it in a hard case.

My Dad did buy me a set of golf clubs, even though I'd never expressed any interest at all. I played a couple of times, and the lowest round I managed was 149 249!! Whoever said golf spoils a good walk was spot on. correction to score!!