chris_b

A set of Dunlop Super Bright strings and a medium high action would be a good start.

As a bass player, I'm not even a household name in my own house.

Earlier this year I had a guy come up to me on a gig and ask where the blue bass was! I haven't gigged that bass in 4 years!! So, some [i]do[/i] know about us, but . . . . most people couldn't tell you if there was a bass part on their favourite record. Bass players who are household names? You've got to be kidding! Some of the names in this thread even [i]I[/i] don't know.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1449971422' post='2928519'] Yes, and in at least one case I got asked to join the band (but declined). [/quote] That's a good job done. Always try to do a better job than the guy you're depping for.

Only one question. . . is the Lakin better than the bass you're currently playing? If the answer is yes then you've got to count up your pennies.

Good man. That many different musical environments will make you a better, more rounded and experienced player. Did you get asked back? That's the acid test.

More Ed Friedland comparisons. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNTN-9SAUQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMNTN-9SAUQ[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJUz1oajXo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoJUz1oajXo[/url]

I agree, that's why I'm using Barefaced Super Compacts these days. Only 21lbs each.

Hands down the best, Spanish Moon by Little Feat. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dXxZNsg8ew"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dXxZNsg8ew[/url] Also contains the best drum fill in rock, at approx 20 secs.

I've got 2 112's and I generally use both but where only one cab is needed I still set up both cabs and just plug in the top one. Call me old fashioned but IMO a stack looks much better than a lonely cab on a stand!

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1449756274' post='2926536'] Wasn't Macca influenced by Jamerson... [/quote] He says he was. I haven't been on the Macca thread yet. I guess I'll give it a miss!

You need better stage lighting.

I've met so many of those!!!!

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1449729400' post='2926283'] I'm a guitar tech and I've seen PRS guitars come back off a tour in Oz with split headstocks and the bassists Warwick had a huge gauge down the back. That's mainly because they were in old Scott Dixon cases and handlers just chuck things around. Also whilst on a load out I've had to run after someone who decided to pickup a £3k Framus and run. [/quote] In that case I'd get a couple of good used Fender US Std P basses, some sturdy flight cases and and out board pre amp, like the Sadowsky or Sansamp, to get the sound you want.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1449745135' post='2926389'] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And at the end if the day why would I post negative opinions about any of these bass players. [/font][/color] [/quote] IMO, understanding the world these guys inhabited give you a better idea about them, their personality, playing and legacy. Finding out what their work mates thought is more interesting than all the blind praise. If you've been influenced by a bass player it's a dead cert that they were influenced by JJ. No one gets to that point by being anything less than a genius at their craft. JJ almost single handedly altered the role of a bass player for everyone. Pre JJ we had root/5 and dum-de-dum bass lines. Post JJ the sky was the limit, and that makes him by far the most influential bass player yet Still, you wouldn't want to be living next door to most geniuses. As a species they seem to very difficult people to get along with.

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1449699747' post='2926182'] So I'm looking for something that is a great bass but is easily replaced if it gets stolen, broken etc.[/quote] What kind of places are you planning on playing? Buy a Mike Lull P bass and take care of it.

It seems Jamerson was even having trouble finding work at Motown. According to one of the engineers Bob Babbitt was doing more sessions than Jamerson, "By 1970 Bob Babbitt was doing more than half of the sessions simply because he was more willing to leave his ego at the door." http://bobolhsson.com/bob-says/on-motown/

Normally those time scales would be about right, but these days production is in the hundreds of thousands of instruments a year so future prices have no chance of rising significantly.

It's all there in black and white. See what I did?

As long as the cabs have been designed to go together they will sound fine. I used a Mesa Boogie 210 and 115 EV rig for years. It was a great sound but very heavy. A few years later I had 2 Berg AE210's and that was my favourite. I would keep the 2 210's. I don't see the Ashdown 115 being a better sounding cab than their 210.

It would be helpful if the post could be replaced by a one liner to say that "the post has been removed because it breached the rules". Just disappearing the post isn't really the most helpful course of action.

If you're looking for a bass to gig then don't get a vintage anything. Get the one that plays the best and sounds how you want it to sound and you don't mind getting knocked over on a tight stage. I've seen videos of top US session players talking about their gear and they will aim to take about 6 basses to a session and let the producer choose. They all seem to include a late 50's or early 60's P bass with very old flats. That kind of detail gets noticed on a recording session but won't notice much anywhere else. Several long time Fender players switched to gigging with Lakland basses, Duck Dunn, George Porter Jr, David Hood etc. That would be my direction of thought. If you just have to own an old bass just be aware that Leo Fender could put out a turkey and regularly did. There are a lot of myths around Fender basses old and new, so don't believe any "experts" on the internet. There have been good and bad Fenders in all eras. For investment purposes just buy the oldest, cleanest Fender bass you can find, put it under the bed, because it's an investment, and start looking for that Lakland.

I'm currently playing about half a dozen but at some stage have played 21 of this "top 50" list. These numbers always go down well with audiences. Which is the whole point in a covers band.

Everyone can do without a bad drummer, but IMO nothing can beat being in a band with a good one. 99% of the drummers I've played with over the last 30 years have been good and a pleasure to play with.

One band briefly played Springsteen's Santa Clause Is Coming To Town and another played Chuck Berry's Run Run Rudolph. Apart from those I've never played any Christmas songs.