Dr.Dave
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Different strokes for different folks but my approach has always been the same. I would never write a song on bass. A song , to me , is melody plus lyrics and for that reason I've developed every song I've ever written by strumming chords on a guitar whilst singing the tune. I suppose a keyboard instrument would do just as well. Once I've knocked the song into shape like that - I take off the writing hat and put on the bass players hat thinking about how , as a bass player , I can best support and enrich the song - hopefully others I'm playing with will approach their parts the same way.
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Of course - why would you not? You don't avoid having a screwdriver in your tool box because you already have a hammer.
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I'll tell you what you should do with that bass............... absolutely bugger all - excellent work. Class.
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How many of us own only one bass ??? Probably not enough of us !!!!!
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Rod and I practised a few moves for the ZZ trib band in his garden but we felt like a couple of merchants and stopped ! I'm naturally a mover - with bass in hand my legs do their own thing whether it be wandering about the stage or dancing around. If my hands don't have a note to play they're waving around somewhere etc. I'm happy about that as I could never be one of those bass players who skulks motionless by the drum kit like they're apologising for being there. I'm always saying this but I set out to be an entertainer and becoming a halfway decent musician was a massive step towards that goal. Other folk are of different persuasion and consider their musical skils of highest , if not sole , importance. Fair play to them. I guess I'm saying that what you do on stage is likely to be influenced mainly by what sort of musician you wish to be. For anyone who finds moving about buggers up their playing but still want to - well , doing anything differently is likely to affect your playing when you're not used to doing it , so the solution is to keep doing it. I suppose too that dancing about a lot is far more difficult for a player who's yet to reach a certain level of competence , for those guys more practise and more playing will see you right. When your hands begin to do what your brain tells them without going through a mental middle man (hope that makes sense) you relax a lot more and stage movement becomes more natural.
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Does anyone know what McVie's Strings were?
Dr.Dave replied to Telebass's topic in Accessories and Misc
[quote name='Delberthot' post='1271016' date='Jun 16 2011, 08:58 AM'](he always did look a bit sweaty on stage)[/quote] Pissed. I don't know what strings he used but that's for certain. -
Why are there so many Fenders/MM basses for sale???
Dr.Dave replied to TheGreek's topic in General Discussion
I think that Basschat gets us thinking more too - making us aware of what's out there - tempting us to try different instruments. I've largely gone back to being a Fender die hard after a spell with more boutique basses. They don't have to cost the earth , they have a (allbeit basic) sound that I find pleasing , folk are used to hearing , there's bugger all to go wrong and even if it did I can fix it easily. As a gigging player it's all I want really. I like to have something simple and reliable so I can crack on with being an entertainer rather than a technician/collector. -
[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1263444' date='Jun 9 2011, 11:35 PM']That is one talent. But producing incredibly complicated music that's original and distinctive is also a talent! [/quote] True - but , unless you're bloody careful , a self indulgent and pretty pointless one. Play what you should , not merely what you can. I put that business back in my toy box years ago.
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My 73 Precision. I've had it 33 years. Every knock on it is from a gig we did together. I've a story I could tell you about every part on it but , to pick one , the nut was made for me from a brass bog door lock by my late Dad 25 years ago. How could I ever replace that. It's not even properly insured. What's the point. If it got nicked I wouldn't even attempt to replace it. If It snapped in half at least I'd still have the bits. The Shuker , the other Fenders etc etc. You could chop them up for firewood by comparison.
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What's the best bit of kit you've ever bought?
Dr.Dave replied to Len_derby's topic in General Discussion
I play loads of gigs and have done for years so things that improve that experience are my faves. The mic stand mounted drink sholder is a must for me that I've mentioned before. It's not just a pose- I 100% guarantee that if you don't have one then - one day sonner or later - your drink is going to be put on the top of your amp. Low frequency shaky shaky -goodbye amp at best , goodbye bass player at worst and it's your own fault. -
Update - We had another gig yesterday too - it was sore as hell so I did the only thing I could think to do and superglued the wound shut. Worked in Vietnam - worked in 'The Tank' , South Elmsall too !! Mind you , it looks a bugger today - like I've got some dreadful flaky skin complaint.
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You know how you're watching 'you've been framed'and from a combination of the situation in front of you and the fact that you know disaster is about to strike you can tell what's about to happen. You sit there screaming 'dickhead' at the screen because said disaster happening is so obvious. So........... just before gig time last ightour guitar player asked me to see if I could fix his drooping mic stand clip - so I went and got a screwdriver , which amounted to a screwdriver attatchment on a very sharp penknife................... can you see where this is going yet???!!!!!! If you could mark on the pad of your left hand little finger the exact place where you actually finger the string - that's the bit that was pissing blood for 2 hrs. Bloody painful , I can tell you.
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[quote name='gary mac' post='1151812' date='Mar 6 2011, 07:44 PM']I was cringing reading this waiting for the details of damage. Glad it was a happy ending.[/quote] It's def. why I take a reish to most gigs rather than my treasured 73. Small stages in pubs are never ideal. There are always hazzards and problems and on top of that there's drinking involved (by enthusiastic audience members even if the band are tee total). I'm sure your average H and S officer would never allow it. The Hop is a particular bug bare of mine. OK - some pubs were never built to house four or five people with drum kits and backline etc but the Hop is only a couple of years old and live music from bands was not just desirable - it's a requirement of their licence. Still they have leg traps on one side of the stage , a cut out on the other that I've stumbled off several times , it's two small and there's a 4ft high metal railing round one side. Somebody actually designed that , and designed it in full knowledge of what it would be used for. Even worse - somebody with even greater knowledge of what it would be used for accepted that design , and one of the joint owners is a musician himself. I'd like to meet these people and ask them what the f**k they were thinking about. I hate bad design.
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At the end of a cracker at The Hop , Wakefield I laid my Blueflower 54P reish on top of my rak bag as I always do and went back to the front of the stage to soak the glory up etc............. caught my foot in the lead - bass fell from about 5ft onto a combination of wooden stage and metal railing. Result......... not a scratch. Nothing. Didn't even go out of tune.
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[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1110203' date='Jan 31 2011, 09:34 PM']Its either the coolest bass I have ever seen or the worst I really cant decide? But if I had a use for it I would love it, Its awesome man! [/quote] My thoughts exactly - I never figured out which myself , but I did have a def. use for it. -
[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='1110039' date='Jan 31 2011, 08:27 PM']No more ZZ Doc?[/quote] The trib band's still going but I tend to use the slab body precision for it these days - mostly because we often do Doc B as our own support and I can take less basses.
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My guitary mate has sold his explorer so this is now def. for sale as per the original ad.
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Bump for this one then. Sorry but I missed Phil-osopher10's reply. I suppose if smeone were t do all the hard work arranging couriers etc I'd pack it up ready for collection - I'd do my best but it's a risk I reckon. If anything went wrong the carrier would blame my packing and the insurance would count for jack sh*t , of that I'm sure. Price - £220. -
Simon's not been around here too long , unlike an old lag like me , so you might find the following useful as he's just bought my Status 3000. When he says he'll do something , he does it When he says he'll pay you - he pays you He lets you know when things will happen - and confirms when they actually do happen. Which makes Simon an absolute pleasure to deal with and I woudn't hesitate for a second should I have the chance to deal with him again. Thanks , mate - glad you're happy with the S3000 and hope it brings you and your audience as much joy as it has me and mne.
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Some folk love these - some hate them. I quite liked mine , then grew to hate it , these days we have a friendly relationship based on mutual respect but there's def. no love !! Anyway - our guitar player reckons he's flogging his Gibbo Ex. Guitar. We got them for the trib band. If his is going , mine is too - so this is really a strong feeler for mine. I'm aware there are those about the forums who don't care for feelers but this does have a price - £180 - which is what I paid for it from Cash Converters down the road. Picture by scrolling down this thread , though if anyone's really interested I'll post some decent ones. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=603&hl=Dr.Dave"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=603&hl=Dr.Dave[/url] It will come in an Explorer GUITAR gig bag with a walking sock round the head because it sticks out of the top. 'Twat' - you may say. Fair enough , but it's travelled thousands if miles and earned me thousands of pounds like that without so much as a scratch so I couldn't care less what you think. It's in pretty good nick overall - not pristine - but it wasn't whan I got it. Everything works fine. I moved the strap pin so it balances better and filled the hole. I put the dice knobs on but you can have the originals if you wish. It's a stage prop for me - nothing more - so I bought it to look the part. It sounds great and it plays fine. So - there's a very good chance this will be for sale and I'll know for def by Thursday. It will be strictly collection only. Wakefield , M1 J39 plus 2 easy miles. If you'd like to buy it should that opportunity arise - PM me.
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It's worked for me - in both directions - very well on many occassions. I expect half the community is writing something similar as I type - so I respectfully suggest you wind your neck in toot suite.
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Selling one of these [url="http://www.ampeg.com/products/bassamp/ba115t/index.html"]http://www.ampeg.com/products/bassamp/ba115t/index.html[/url] In a nutshell - a 1x15 kickback combo with horn , a tube pre-amp and a name to show off about. I'm not sure if you can still buy this version with the tube pre-amp. What I do know is it cost a fair few quid more than the BA115 ordinary version which is currently £312 from Dolphin , though probably cheaper if you look around which I couldn't be bothered to. Anyway - you dont want an ordinary one do you - my mate knows a bloke who says having an ordinary one when you could have the tube pre-amp version makes your willy smaller by up to 3 inches , and that's true that is. So - £220 to you , chief , and I'm cutting me arm off. Collection only from Wakefield , please. It's not that bloody far unless you're one of these shandy drinkers that gets vertigo anywhere North of Newport Pagnell services. M1 , J39. Straight on towards the city and turn left into my car park 2 miles later. Piece of piss. Kettle's on and I'm in all day cos I work from home. Will I ship it ? , I hear you cry. 'Sod that for a game of soldiers' is my grumpy retort. So - here's the actual one which has left this room only a few times since purchase from new a couple of years back. Maybe even not that long , can't remember. Funnily enough the Enfield 2 band 1858 pattern Musket is for sale too , obsolete calibre so no license required - PM me about that - and you can have the Tom Clancy book for nowt once I've read it , though it's a bit scabby because I dropped it in the bath.
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Well - the deal is done and the Status is now sold. As I'd said , the remaining bass (being the Shuker) is withdrawn from sale. Thanks for all your PM's , interest and the odd private knob gag !!! One or two of you asked if I were giving up playing as I've sold a couple of basses recently and not been posting as much. Nope - gigging as much as ever but spending a lot of time on my narrowboat where the joys of the interweb are available to me but I choose not to use them!! I shall try to make a greater effort to talk utter bollocks on the forums in the future. -
I'm sure you were just using a fairly common expression - but I haven't 'ended up' playing bass at all. It was a deliberate and considered choice based on two things. I heard an amazing sound listening to Slade records , it turned out to be Jim Lea's 'lead' bass playing and I wanted some of it. Secondly I had several friends learning guitar who were more advanced than I , I figured I could make my own niche by learning a different instrument. That turned out to be a good move as I was making music in bands long before any of them. I set out to make music. Playing bass was , and is , just a part of that and , for me , will always remain a tactic in an overall strategy.
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YOU'RE embarrassed ???!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to have to ring Madame Soixante Neuf and tell her to take the belt sander out of the microwave - how do you think I feel !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No worries matey - the rest of you are back in the hunt then , and may be worth telling you that - on my bathroom scales - the bass weighs somewhere around 4.5 kgs which I think is around 10 lbs in proper money.