chris_b

I went to a bass clinic at GAK with Nathan East and he said, always play what's right for the song, but the best guys "leave something on the table". So put in a memorable lick or few notes that will make the bass line special and stand out. That's where your musical understanding and superior technical skill can be best used.

You got it. In his dreams. Going on 45, with a heavy right foot! I had a fuel meter on my last car and coming down a gear at lower speeds was way more fuel efficient. Not very rock and roll, but what do you expect from a Volvo driver! At least I don't wear a hat, well, not yet!!

If you are thinking about "back friendly" gear you should do whatever it takes to keep future back issues at bay. So you're not using the trolley you already own, and you're carrying 2 cabs at the same time, and you don't own lightweight cabs! My first thoughts would be to use the trolley, only carry one cab at a time, buy the lightest cab I could find, which wouldn't be a 212, and I would do all of 3 them. I use 1 or 2 112's (at 21lbs each) and if using both I put them on a trolley. I have a bad back, a suspected herniated disc. I wish I had this rig 15 years ago then I would still be fit and healthy.

My friend let me drive his Porsche 928. I admit I drove it like I drive all my cars. When I was trying to change up into 5th at about 40, he finally commented, "Dear boy, we should be in 2nd at this point!" So it seems different cars require different driving skills. Who knew. I played several Fodera basses on visits to Bass Gear. They were the best basses I've picked up. Their sound and authority of tone was stunning. The comparison to my bass was Charles Hawtrey to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Appropriate as my musical life has mirrored a Carry On film on so many occasions. I've just noticed my Mike Lull PJ5's replacement would cost $5100!!

"A little stiff" doesn't sound like a problem to me. My uneducated guess would be that lubricating the tuners could cause them to slip.

I'm good enough to play any bass, cos I say so. You can be one of the Fodera crowd, Precision crowd, Yamaha crowd etc etc. Only 2 things matter, can you afford it and does it make you happy.

If both volume controls are on full a jazz bass will sound a little anaemic. Back one of the volume controls off about 10% (I back the bridge pick up off) and the sound gets beefier.

Only if there was no bottom to start with. The guitar shouldn't be providing the "bottom end" anyway so when the rhythm parts stop and the solo begins, the mids and top, ie guitar frequencies, should be the only thing that changes. I have only seen Geddy Lee briefly, but long enough to know that I'm not a fan of his style. The big trios from back in the day, Cream, ZZ Top, Jeff Beck Group, Hendrix and even Led Zep, none of them "filled" up the sound with bass when the guitarist started soloing. If the bass needs to fill out the sound during solos then something is fundamentally wrong with the sound of the band in the first place.

No you don't. You can stretch out if you have something to say, but playing more or changing your sound just to fill out the sound is not a good thing to do.

Fitting the strap lock is a one-time job. Given the benefits it's hardly an onerous task. I leave the strap on and there is no chance of of the locks touching the bass let alone scratching it.

All I see is the occasional meter in a pub or club, nothing as posh as some of you. We all duly turned down when our cover band met a meter for the first time, and I thought we played much better. I was in a minority, but I thought it was one of our best gigs. The last metered gig I did was ruined because the drummer insisted on playing at his "normal" volume, which tripped the meter every couple of songs. It's a shame because he is a very good pro drummer, and a selfish silly billy, as it turns out.

If the venue wants the bands and promoters to have PLI it's because the venues insurance only covers the venue's liability, and won't cover any cases arising from the bands or promoters. Basically if they don't insure bands and promoters their insurance is cheaper.

Use a straplock. My Dunlop straplocks hold the strap about 1/2" away from the body of the bass. Or else, if there's enough room, a felt washer between the strap and the bass might help.

All other things being equal, I'm not sure how a bass can change from fantastic to "a lack of bottom" depending on the band. Is the guitarist messing with your frequencies? Are you equating the emptier sound of a trio with this problem?

I have nothing against busy players, only players who overplay or show off. A few years ago an American bassist told me I was a "meat and potatoes" player. I'd never heard that expression before but I guess he's right. I place myself in the same ballpark as John McVie, Willie Weeks, Dave Bronze and Duck Dunn, with a smattering of Nathan East. Sometimes my confidence is high, very often it's nowhere to be seen!! I've learnt to live with that. Simple isn't always appreciated, but it is what most people want. I serve the song, the band and the groove and leave the histrionics to others.

The best sounding Jazz bass I've owned is my Sadowsky Metro. I also briefly owned a Mike Lull Jazz and a Fender American Standard. Both sounded good with plenty of low end, but were sold soon after the Metro arrived. The Metro has a balance pot which I dial back so the neck pickup is 100% and the bridge 90%. I have no problem being heard or getting the tone I want, which includes a ton of low end. I used it in a blues rock trio tonight and it sounded huge as usual.

Generalisations like this will always be inaccurate.

Say Yes every time. Without a doubt. Then you can put together your side project which can be a self-indulgent as you want.

I don't know. Does Daryl Jones playing with the Stones count? IMO playing simple lines or 16ths on the root isn't playing beneath your ability as long as you are playing to the song. You can be the best player ever but if you're not playing to the song you're doing it wrong. Checkout James Jamerson playing Dancing In The Street and Larry Graham playing Everyday People. I see young bassists playing the pubs and clubs. They've just come out of Uni, with a music degree, and they can play stuff old guys like me couldn't even dream of, but put them in a band and they usually overplay. They can play that sh!t and nothing is going to stop them throwing in every last note they learned.

Don't over think this. There is no right or wrong way. Your technique needs to be effective but it's also a personal comfort thing. Some players anchor on the pickup and never move, others move the anchor between the pickup, E and A stings.

Err!! Jeans and Hawaiian shirts for me. About 5 years ago I played a gig in Stevenage and a punter came up and said, "I'm wearing this (loud) shirt in your honour". Apparently he was a regular at our weekly residency in Camden in the late 80's and was impressed by my shirts! So much so, he remembered me some 33 years later! So punters do notice the bass player, even if it's only for their dress sense.

I've had TI flats on my PJ for about 5 years. I love them. A few years ago, I did listen to some LaBella flats but the difference wasn't enough to make me want to change over.

Why would anyone in a regular cover band want to play every song note for note, or even try to get the same sound? What is the point of doing that? I dep with a guy who has a different arrangement to at least a couple of his original songs every time I play with him. Another band told me they liked that I played their songs differently to the regular guy. You want to play hits from the 60's, 70's and other decades? Do you even know if that's the original band playing? Many of those guys had to learn what the session guys came up with!

The gig was in Fleet, Hampshire. The keyboard player and me were set up and waiting. . . and waiting. . . and waiting! At ten to nine the drummer and bandleader turned up, flustered and annoyed. The band leader was driving the drummers estate car, because the drummer was banned. The band leader was a very bad driver. No lane discipline, drifting between lanes, speeding up and slowing down. Really bad driving. I had already refused to drive with him. I asked he drummer what happened and he said they got pulled over by the Police on the M3. Me, what for? Drummer, driving like a ****! Apparently the Police stopped them because they'd never seen anyone driving that badly that hadn't been blind drunk. They breathalysed him because they didn't believe the bandleader was sober.