chris_b

The problem with this song is that there is no song. It's 10% song and 90% performance and the power of Lorraine Ellison's performance puts this song out of reach. IMO Bette Midler comes the closest. Almost but not quite.

I have more watts in my rig than my first 2 bands put together, (actually with my new 900 watt amp, that's probably the first 3 bands) but IME the more you turn the volume controls anti-clockwise the better the tone gets. Funny that! We played a gig on Saturday where we were asked to play "a bit quieter", because of neighbour problems. We turned down, got a good balance, had an enjoyable gig, the audience spent the night dancing and we did 3 encores. The pub owner was telling us afterwards that the rock bands (with their huge stacks of amps) on the previous 2 gigs had refused to turn down, causing him lots of problems. They've been fired and we've got 4 gigs there next year.

Duffy? That awful vibrato ruins the number.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1419179264' post='2637277'] He went on to state that to a bassist, the choice of bass was no more important than the choice of pen is to an author. [/quote] Some authors did choose their pens with care, but I still like that line. I wish I'd thought of it.

How good is your singer? The problem with this number is the power of Lorraine Ellison's performance. She's the only one I've heard that nails it. She's singing it, everyone else (including Sam Brown) shouts it.

Looks like a great bass. Put flats on and it'll sound even better. My Lull is one of the nicest basses I've owned.

I don't have GAS because I view bass gear as tools to do a job. I do have GAS for gigging. The more gigs the better but stuff is just stuff. When better or more appropriate gear comes along I'll check it out and if it really is an improvement I'll get one, but gear for gear's sake doesn't interest me.

What amp will you be using? IME I'd happily recommend 2 Bergantino AE112 cabs or 2 Barefaced Super Compacts. I used 2 AE112 cabs for nearly 7 years (loudly, with 5 string basses and lots of low mids dialed in) and they easily took over from my Epifani 410. I didn't miss the 410 at all. I'd recommend the CN212 but, at 46lbs, it's over your limit. IME it's worth extending your weight limit to include the CN212. Last week I saw 2 Super Compacts in use with a TC RH750. What a great sound that was. One of the best I've heard in recent years.

Larry Graham on bass on the Betty Davis track. For jazzier Funk check out: Oz Noy [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-b8XthEDYY"]https://www.youtube....h?v=l-b8XthEDYY[/url] Karl Denson [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwzkVttPe_M"]https://www.youtube....h?v=SwzkVttPe_M[/url] Lettuce [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPyLFw9bgyc"]https://www.youtube....h?v=DPyLFw9bgyc[/url] Galactic [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWSie_GSkE"]https://www.youtube....h?v=WWWSie_GSkE[/url] Dumpstaphunk [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcaqwiT-uCk"]https://www.youtube....h?v=gcaqwiT-uCk[/url]

Here comes some New Orleans funk. These guys are the Gold Standard in Funk........ [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hBtH2WNa1s[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSDyh36miqY[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvj6xA251eg[/media]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1418899134' post='2634545'] ....I would absolutely want to rehearse, but then again, I enjoy playing.... [/quote] So do I, but rehearsing a night of 12 bars isn't playing.

There are still guys putting out quality recordings, Keb Mo, Jon Cleary, for example. And anything produced by John Porter will be a top quality recording.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1418859944' post='2634303'] This is FUNK........... [/quote] Sigh.... [u]this[/u] is Funk. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwJH6SepXCQ[/media] and this [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jb86Kbxmqw[/media] and the original version [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDrBIRz2ImU[/media] There's so much more.....

..... and a rehearsal!!! I'd want double the money for doing the gig twice. I was asked to dep in a blues band in the Summer at a festival. I've known the singer for 20 years. They sent me a CD, all very simple 12 bars, then they came back with, "You've got to rehearse". What? For a bunch of 12 bars? I declined their offer and they got someone else. Their loss. Apparently the rhythm section didn't gel, even after a rehearsal, and the gig didn't go well. Oh dear!

Drop outs? You didn't try the [i]running around the garden [/i]routine did you?

This is where music stands come into their own.

There's no such thing as an untwistable guitar lead. Leads do last longer if you store them properly but if your problem is caused by your stage act (I'm jealous you've got so much energy!!), as already pointed out, your only solution is a wireless system.

One of the guys here did that several years ago. I recall he got the Zoot/Iceni/Purple-Chili guys, in Essex, to make a bass to the shape he specified.

What bass for Funk? A Stingray was good enough for Louis Johnson and Bernard Edwards, Rocco Prestia and Chuck Rainy played P type bass for a long time, Larry Graham and Bootsy used Jazz basses, Lakland have been used by the likes of Rodney Skeet Curtis and I think it was a BC Rich that Jerry Preston used when he was with Maceo Parker. Funk isn't a look, a bass or even a sound. I think you can get whatever bass you want and if you can play funk you'll be fine.

I couldn't dance to it. They keep changing the beat every 10 seconds!

One page about stands and eight pages of "no, it isn't" and "yes, it is". Just the usual.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1418727184' post='2632656'] ....I can't play gentle with high action something just makes me want to play full on.... [/quote] Controlling that has to come from you. You can play gently with a high action but you can't play hard with a low action, as you've found out. IMO, you have to change your style first and the bass can follow. If you really want the action low right now I'd suggest you just have to work through the "sounding bad" stage and it will come.

You don't need a low action to refine your playing. Low action is just another style of playing and as a technique is neither better or worse than any other style. The main thing about playing a low action is you have to have a lot of control. You probably need to develop that control first, then you can start dropping the strings. If you can't stop getting carried away or over excited when you play take the action back up. It won't stop you refining your technique and many very good players have used high action.

Most guitarists I play with use Fender combos and many of the older guys still have their Twins at home. Fortunately they don't often bring them out. Both guitarists in my cover band use 45w Fender Super Reverb 410 combos and both are too loud. Not quite Twin Reverb loud but IMO too loud for what we are doing. On the other hand they don't get told to turn down very often, so what do I know!!

Music stands for the brass and Sex On Fire! All good in my opinion. Great band.