chris_b

Willie Weeks has be a favourite player of mine since, like so many people, I first heard him soloing with Donny Hathaway. I've just listened back to this track he did for the Pointer Sisters, in the 70's. I was blown away (again) by the bounce and liveliness of the bass lines. It just sounds like happy bass playing to me. Enjoy.

I'm using a laptop with windows 8.? and Firefox, condensed doesn't work.

In the past I have been seen parked up on the side of the A3 checking in the back of the car in case I forgot to put the bass back in the case etc!! I did leave the PA amp behind once! That never happens now because, apart from my backup bass, the gear I gig with never comes out of the cases, boxes and bags at home.

. . . . . . and me!!!!!

I don't dig in. I try to utilise the least amount of effort when I'm playing. So the action is low-ish. My eyesight isn't good enough to see if it's 2, 3, 4 mm or more.

This. The stock bridges are OK. Before you go changing anything because of what other people have said, check that you actually have a problem with your bass that a new bridge would remedy.

Like every thing Fender did, the BBOT is perfectly functional. So were solid tyres on the first cars and propellers on the first planes. Evolution is never a bad thing.

Constructive? Judging by the opening post the thread has fallen at the first hurdle!!

But really, I guess I'm in the 60's Soul, R&B, Funk ball park, with a modern Nathan East-ish twist, but I've never thought "I'd like to sound like xxx". Let players influence you but stop short of copying them. Always find your own sound. I've spent my life trying to pick up all the best lines other players play. If you have a good filter you'll absorb all the licks and they'll come out sounding like you.

I'm trying to sound like Al Krow, but I always end up sounding like Carol Kaye, Bootsy and bloody John Paul Jones!!

Keep safe, because when it comes there is no turning back the clock. Back trouble is forever.

Many years ago I tried to sell on Gumtree but the only people who got in touch were Nigerian lottery employees trying to give me my winnings. Since 2007 I've bought one bass from Ebay and everything else has been through Basschat.

You want as much signal going into the amp as possible. When there is an active/passive or padded option, I always choose the loudest. If you get clipping either adjust the volume on the bass and amp to get the right level.

There was nothing repairable or salvageable when my Framus finally died, so it went to the dump. Same for my Vox Foundation with a blown 118 cab. Six months of advertising it didn't even get 1 phone call. So to the dump it went.

The DB210 weighs 59lbs and the DB115 weighs 71lbs! The weight of all the gear I take to my loudest gigs doesn't even add up to 59lbs!

PJB sounds good. . . . not my sound but it's very good gear. And yes, I've downsized my Bergantino 112 and 212 cabs to 2 Barefaced 112's. I'd suggest you keep the TH500 (great amps) and replace your cabs with a Barefaced Super Compact (21lbs) or a Two10 (28lbs). Lighter, louder and IMO better tone.

I've been fired twice so the band leader could get his mate in. The drummer I'm playing with tonight was fired, from a band we both played in, for exactly the same reason. Some band leaders will stick with you even if you're shagging their wife and other will sell you down the river at the slightest excuse. That's the life we live in bands. That's why you need to network so you can quickly bounce back and stick two fingers up at these guys.

Thanks.

. . . . and they would have been very happy to make you one. I bet it would have sounded excellent.

ps Out of interest what does it weigh?

If you are playing bass then you have a use. It's not a 4 or 5 string, it's a bass. Full of notes that will work on every song you want to play.

Very good basses. You get a lot for the money. I found my Lakland, my first 35" scale, to be the easiest bass to play.

For a "cocktail" gig I'd get a good 112 and use the 150 watt amp. When I do a gig like that I use half of my big rig.

There was a sister video where he played these basses without the track. You could hear minor differences, but that's my previous point. We turn ourselves inside out over small differences in sound and some think they are on a quest for the "perfect" sound. When you hear a mashup like this you realise that good is good enough and the focus should be on what we are playing rather than the tools.

The Skatalites used double bass to good effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bLVdKbPHHY