chris_b

My rigs are always over spec'd. I used to run 2 Two10's with an 700 watt amp. As loud as you could want and bomb proof when playing a 5 string bass.

The first "pro" bass I bought, and the only one I could afford at the time, was a very used Gibson EB0. It was awful. The tone sounded like a goose farting in a fog. I used it on 1 gig and that was 1 too many. The next day I borrowed a Danelectro Long Horn and as soon as I scraped the cash together the EB0 was replaced by a fabulous Fender Precision, which I still have.

Really? I prefer Max Bennett's lines. They serve the song better. It's always the Jaco show, which is fine, but if I'm listening to Joni Mitchelll (who I like a lot) I want to hear the songs, rather than clever bass lines.

Fantastic basses. I briefly owned the 4 string version. Wish I'd found a 5 string. I'd still be playing it.

Several drummers I know take an extra bass drum pedal, second snare, extra cymbals and of course a variety of sticks. That doesn't always save them. Last year one turned up without a snare stand, one forgot his carpet and many years ago one turned up with the wrong traps case and none of the stands fitted the drums!

The OP was asking if he should use pedals or play more to fill out the sound when an instrument is missing. The point is you can add something, but you don't have to. For all the reasons given, just because there was 2 guitars on the record doesn't mean there has to be 2 guitars on the gig. I've spent years playing Soul records in bands that didn't have a brass section. The Ronettes, Crystals etc didn't gig with a Phil Spector Wall Of Sound. The dynamics of live sound means that an empty sound is better than a band trying to fill up every gap. Take Hotel California, the drum and bass line is so powerful you don't need most of the guitar lines on the record. They are there because there are 3 guitarists in the band and a 4th on the gigs but while only having 1 guitar might affect the arrangement, it wouldn't affect the song. I saw several Robben Ford gigs when he had the trio, and own live albums, and never saw Roscoe Beck tapping. I don't know when that happened.

Guys, stop racking your brains for ways to thicken up your sound in a solo. If the bass sounds thin in a solo then it'll sound thin for the rest of the song, and that's bad. Get a tone that works for the whole song, from the intro to the coda. If you think you have to fill in all the "holes" you're thinking is wrong. When a solo starts you stay locked with the drummer. Whatever the lead instruments are doing is irrelevant to you, and if they are having sound problems it's not your job to fill in. You can't anyway, you're on the wrong instrument. A good solo is about dynamics so many guitarists will drop out for a bar or two at the start. The solo will then build. If the bass or drums start filling in the gaps there are no dynamics and the whole section is a mess. If your bass line is good for the verse then it's good for the solo.

I've never broken a string but I'm carrying my last 3 sets in my accessories bag. And many years ago I had a drummer knock over my P bass. Fortunately there was no damage, but after that I put my basses back in the gig bags whenever they were not being played. I bought 2 Mono Vertigo's to make that easier.

Funk isn't a technique. It's about the groove and about syncopation. In all styles of music there are good and bad examples, but start by getting your definitions right.

. . . and timing. The best players have perfect timing, 100% of the time.

My wife has 12 dolls houses of varying sizes dotted around the house. I have no problem with them and she doesn’t mention my 5 basses, 4 amps and 5 cabs and assorted bags and boxes.

That's not a Fender logo. My guess is it's a replacement neck.

I find gear that works for me and I keep it, but nothing is permanent. There is no sentimentality here, if I find something better then I'll upgrade.

If you're not "100% on board" with the sound of your amp, why still own it? Replace the amp before you think about buying anything else.

If you type in a search for top London session bass players, you won't recognise most of the names, but Ian King, Phil Mulford, Steve Pearce, Julian Crampton should be somewhere on the list. Also have a look for Overwater endorses.

Just imagine what North Korea, Putin or Trump could do with a weaponized AI. For every good use there will be 100 bad uses. There is no good outcome here.

It's no surprise that the Overwater sounds that good.

I have 2 One10's and a third is my backup plan, if I need to go lighter than my SC/SM.

Everyone is talking like AI is a pile of crap. These are baby steps. You're going to eat your words in 20 years.

Imagine the difference between the Montgolfier brothers and NASA. Give AI time and it will sort out the wrinkles. What it is now is nothing like what it could/will become.

It was all my fault. I discovered pretty quickly that I couldn't play it!! I wasn't accurate enough and my pitch went out the window. I couldn't put the frets back in, and couldn't afford another bass, so I was stuck. The band just laughed but I didn't!! About 10 years ago I bought a lined Rob Allen MB2. . . . a fabulous bass, but I still sucked! I admire those who can make fretless work, but I need frets.

I de-fretted my Framus bass when I was in my school band. I have no idea what I was trying to achieve. That was the most stupid bass related thing I have done so far.

I never liked playing open strings, so for me switching to a 5 string bass made playing easier. Later I worked out that the B string meant I could move my hand less. I prefer to have the same geography under my fingers so I don't switch basses. I haven't played 4 string since the 90's. Several myths that are just silly: 5 string basses weigh more (my lightest 5 weighs 3kg/6lbs 6oz), there are 4 and 5 string songs (of course there aren't), muting the 5th string is an issue (we all learnt how to mute 4 strings when we started, how is 1 more a problem?), a 5 string is only about 5 lower notes (not true) and Jaco only needed 4 (there are photos of him playing a 5 string bass). It's all about choice. A 5er is about added flexibility, playing in different positions and increasing your note choices.

Just listened to the soundtrack. It's all pretty straightforward. Any competent player should nail this. I'm surprised they are still looking. I'd love to do it, but my reading isn't up to this level and I fail (by many decades) the age requirement!!