chris_b

Last weekend I was working with a keyboard player who was fired by his 60's - 70's Top 40 band for asking too many questions about the money. Very few bands weren't being ripped off by their management back then.

To make it in a band. . . . easy. . . . meet the right people. . . . . just when they are looking for a guy like you. . . . . if you want to go the working musician route then learn to read, play like a demon with a technique to match. . . then meet the right people, etc

Anyone trying to play this has a bigger problem than the bass sound. . . . no Harvey Mason or Herbie Hancock. Most of the guys who put synth bass lines on their records back then actually tour with bass guitarists.

IMO foam sounds great in the studio, but I prefer all the dynamics I can get in the sound of my bass on a gig.

The head liners on the big 3 day festivals in the UK and Europe, that's the likes of Bruce Springsteen etc, are on something like £450,000 a show. There's a story that Billy Preston got $4000 a show with the Stones, which is the most they've ever paid anyone.

Hi, I'd listen to some of that before you buy. I love this music but the singles don't always represent the album tracks.

I was going to mention a bass beginning with G but thought I'd better not. . . . !

Another player to listen to is Nathan East, in Clapton's band for most of the last 30 years. Also Keb Mo always has the cream of the bass playing world on his records, like Reggie McBride, Stan Sargeant, Freddy Washington and Hutch Huntchinson.

What amp are you using?

I bought this as a 45 in the early 70's and only recently found out that Chuck is the bassist. . . one of the funkiest bass lines I've heard.

Chuck is THE man!! Check out his discography. . . . http://www.chuckrainey.jp/disc/

I'd be surprised if the head could only do 8 ohms. I think that amp will do the normal thing and go down to 4 ohms or 2 8 ohm cabs.

You've got a 1/4" jack and an old cannon output sockets. You can run 1 or 2 8 ohm cabs or 1 4 ohm cab. I'd run the 1st cab from the jack plug socket and daisy chain the 2nd cab from the 1st cab.

A brick and mortar shop will only stay in business if it is fronting a successful online shop.

The Markbass cab will sound like a Markbass cab. The BF will sound mostly like your bass and amp. The BF cab will sound like 2 Markbass cabs. If you like the Markbass sound then keep your MB cab and get a second one. IMO, as a BF player, the BF cab is a step forwards in tone and a big step up in volume.

As I said before, Fender aren't "churning" their designs because they want to, they have been forced into this in order to draw a line under their old under-performing selves and start afresh. I believe they now are lead by an ex Disney CEO who turned that brand around so they start the fight back from now. People who just want cheap basses have plenty of other options. Looks like the message is US Fenders will be competing with "better" basses. There are far fewer instruments being bought than 30 years ago so Fender has to target its market and start making products that will stand up. If they have learnt anything they will be improving the quality of their instruments. QC seemed to be one of the big complaints so get that right, add a couple of upgrades while you're at it, and they can start competing. Hopefully Fender can then step back from the brink. Of course the prices will go up, but if you get more bass for your money then that should be acceptable to enough bass players to make this work. Those who want something for nothing will have to look else where.

You've just described far too many of the non Fender players. Most of the Fender players I saw weren't "rumbling and inaudible". The guys I played with always demanded more than a "rumble" from me.

I couldn't tell what the tune was from all the screaming.

In the late 60's you could regularly see Lol Coxhill busking outside places like Harrods in Knightsbridge and in the West End. Sadly, there were very few pedestrians in the morning rush hour who were interested in unaccompanied free form jazz.

The TH500 seemed to have a more "vintage" sound. That's code for old fashioned. . . like me. Maybe that's why we got on so well!

I can understand that. Mesa does make brilliant bass gear. I try to ignore GAS. I just try to find stuff that works together then hope to forget about gear for as long as I can.

Guys, I wouldn't let me put you off buying a D800. I bought the D800 on a whim. There were such good write ups and reviews I thought it would be worth checking out. It was, but running both amps side by side at home and on gigs left me slightly preferring the more "vintage" flavour of the TH500. I don't have any negative thoughts about the D800 at all. The TH500 was an instant love affair and the honeymoon period lasted more than 4 years. I use it at home and I still gig it on occasion. Again, I bought the AG700 to check it out. I had very little idea what it sounded like before and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard it. It's like the TH500, but cleaner, slightly less "vintage", more punch, breadth of tone and more "oomph". I seem to be preferring my P bass through the TH500 and the Jazz through the AG700. The other feature that really interested my was the AG700 can run at 2.67 ohms. I've use 3 8 ohm cabs in the past (and might again) and I'm currently running 4 ohm and 8 ohm cabs together and separately. Both the TH500 and AG700 were lucky accidents. They appealed to me instantly. The D800 is equally good but just didn't hit the spot in the same way.

The PF fret board on my Sadowsky looks great.

Show me the new designs that Sadowsky and Lull make!

We've all had to put up with disinterest and apathy from our audiences. The problem is that, as performers, we should be making them look, listen and appreciate us. if we don't do that then we don't deserve to be noticed. This guy is not impressing anyone by sitting, hunched over in the street. He needs to get up and walk about. I'm impressed he's busking in a suit, shirt and tie. Did he pop out of the office for 10 mins in his lunch break for a bit of al fresco bass playing? If you want to be successful at busking you've got to be big, bold and interesting. Unfortunately, 'cos he seems like a reasonably good player, this guy is none of those.