chris_b

[quote name='obbm' timestamp='1472640028' post='3122795'] Is anyone bringing a 5-string Sadowsky, NYC or Metro? I have a yearning to try one. [/quote] I'll be second in the queue.

In the pro world image is everything in many genres. I know a bass player who was fired because the new manager thought he was too ugly and a guitarist who was fired because he was "too fat". The bass player had character and the guitarist did wobble a bit in the solo's. Both were fantastic players but they failed the physical. It has been like this since forever.

All I'd say is, don't bother about "collections". One great bass will cost the same as several good basses, but will play and sound much, much better. For me it would be a toss up between a P bass, a Jazz bass and a Lakland. I'd try Fenders but I'd also be looking at all the other makes on the market and I'd be tracking the BC classifieds, because you'll get a much better deal on a better bass. Don't worry about small hands/big necks. If your technique is good then you don't have to worry about this. I would definitely check out 5 string basses and I'd leave fretless for another day.

I'm in the house band for a jam, so I hear my rig from out in the room every time. It does help to affirm (or not) my gear buying choices. Also I've seen cheap basses sound better than expensive basses, very good but busy players overplaying and not sounding as good as average simple players, and I'm always surprised how many players come to a jam and actually don't listen to what's going on around them. But the bass gear always sounds good.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1472551532' post='3121976'] FWIW, you'll not find me knocking Lakland. I've got a lot of respect for them. [/quote] I'm not pointing a finger at anyone. [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1472551962' post='3121980'] Does anybody know if Dan has had any luck gaining a similar sort of success with D Lakin basses? [/quote] With Lakland Dan Lakin created a gap and filled it with a great product. He also had Hugh McFarland designing the basses. Two things he doesn't have now. He would probably disagree, but it seems D Lakin basses are more of a hobby for him.

I play in bands that have a band leader. A guy who has his vision and wants to lead and run his own band. Very few of them are dictatorial to the point that you can't make suggestions but somebody else does have a veto and will make the final decision. That's fine, if they can produce the goods, which is a good set, a conveyor belt of good gigs and an audience. Most of the guys I play with do all of that. I'm good at what I do, but I'm not a hustler, I need someone else to do that but they need guys like me to do what I do. The bands I play with are not a bunch of mates having fun, but we are all playing good music with good people and we're gigging and earning. All important ingredients for me as a bass player. Getting back on topic. . . . you could probably put together an ad for what I do that would be equally as prescriptive as the ones Bub5 is complaining about.

Lakland is a small operation punching way above their weight. I believe they make some 300 US basses a year and about 3000 Skylines. They have a positive reputation because they make good basses. Good to the point that top players in various genres choose to play them. It's been a few years since we had a Lakland knocking thread. . . . so one was due.

Bother. . . !

Hey Lozz.. . . . . I hope you're bringing this rig to the S E Bass Bash? Please.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1472467868' post='3121263'] A lot of time, people give up on 5s because they have the wrong mindset from the start. We tend to think too much, instead of just letting go and playing, we're looking at the bass as a 4 string with an extra string. It's not that, it's a 5 string. I play most of my lines starting at the 5th fret on the B string, so that's my low E note, low F I would play at the 6th fret etc. Bb at the 1st fret on the A string I'd play at the 6th fret on the E string. If I have to play anything high up on the G string, then it's all there under my fingers. Scale length in my opinion makes little or no difference. I gave up on 4 string basses about 20 years ago, I've since played a myriad of basses, some 34", some 35", even a friends 33" scale 6 string. Again we're thinking too much about the instrument. It just requires a slight alteration of finger pressure to adjust across the strings. One of my students has an Ibanez 6 string that cost him something like £500 brand new, it's an amazing instrument, cost doesn't really factor in to it too much. A well designed bass is just that. Ibanez and Yamaha make some amazing 'budget' instruments. We tend to be quite lazy, and also tend to play patterns, get away from playing patterns, and play notes. Know what the notes are in the lines you're playing. I bought my first 5 string on one Saturday, and used it the following Friday. I'd mentally bought it weeks previously, and had just visualised playing lines on it. It made the whole process a lot easier. Plus I was playing notes on it, not just patterns. [/quote] I wish we had a like button. This is exactly right.

I hope you all did the dance moves.

The only time I've played with an electronic kit the player didn't have proper monitoring and I was straining to hear him from the PA speakers. That was a very poor stage sound. It's left me with an ambivalence towards electric drum kits. This is one of those "if it ain't broke. . . . " subjects for me. I love the physicality of a well played traditional kit right beside me. I used to play with a very loud guitarist who insisted that my amp was equally loud. I used 6 10's and had FOH in that band. I was happy with a level coming back through the monitors, but he wanted to [i]feel[/i] the bass behind him. I've just done my first gig with the drummer to the side of the stage facing me and now I get it. The feel (the Oomph) of the bass drum pointing right at me gave a huge boost to my playing.

These sorts of ads were common in the Melody Maker in the 60's. And so I guess every decade since. It seems to be a general requirement that bands need like minded members so this type of ad is one way of achieving that. Bands always have specific requirements and for some that includes appearance and attitude. I'd like to know that I'm going to fail the physical before I drive 60 miles for the audition. I just did a gig yesterday where they dictated the shoes. Black ones. . . and trousers etc. . . . it was a wedding and the dress code requirement was entirely appropriate for that gig.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1472357006' post='3120531'] Many big successful groups still have gear onstage. [/quote] Many of the bands that don't have gear on stage, ZZ Top, U2 etc have the amps by the side of the stage, being operated by their sound crew.

There's not much room in many pubs these days but 20 years ago Steve Waller used to gig with two drummers, although one was playing percussion.

This is one of my, so far, unfulfilled dreams. I'd love to play with 2 drummers. The Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Allman Brothers Band and the Doobie Brothers all sound great with 2 drummers so it can be done.

How about an email to Paul Herman at Wal for a replacement?

[quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1472206145' post='3119399'] just fiddle with stuff until you get a sound you like [/quote] +10

When it comes to the internet I never cease to be surprised by the absolute self confidence of the immature, inexperienced and logically challenged.

I'm tempted to say that, like there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing, there's no such thing as too loud - just inappropriate gear. If your amp can't be heard, get a bigger amp and/or cab. If you can't hear your vocals, get monitors or IEM's. If your ears are ringing, get custom earplugs. You can't say 350 watts [i]should[/i] be OK. Either it is or it isn't. If it isn't you need more. Of course you could always fire the loud ones or leave. I been in many bands trying to rein in bloody guitarists by not joining in the volume wars. It usually had no effect other than I was told that the audience couldn't hear the bass. I was always playing in good bands with good players and didn't want to leave so I joined up and went as loud. The bottom line is, if the gig tells you you're too loud, you're too loud. If they don't then you're not. You might want to play at a quieter level, but that's a different issue. Leaving is always an option but IMO there would have to be another, more important, reason other than being "too loud" for me to leave a band.

At 16 my favourite band was John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, with Eric Clapton.

Where does Oomph start and end, then?

IMO it's not the size of the kit or the make that is the difference but the player. If your guy doesn't like rods he'll have to play sticks quieter. If he can't do that then, sorry, he's not as good as you think.

If you find a really great bass that needs you to adapt your technique in order to play it then why not. So far I haven't found a bass that is that good. All my great sounding basses are 18-19mm and there are a lot of even better basses out there with the same string spacing so that's what I require in a bass.