leschirons

For some reason, if I see My girl on a setlist, I will always start to play Stand by me. Done it for years. It just happens (and the other way round)

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1321635033' post='1441526'] Oh this is such a good thread and the humour is as it should be . Slap and fingers are as valid as each other its just how and when you use them. You speak through your instrument. Your communicating, expressing etc etc. Its your voice. How hard it is depends on what level you want to achieve. To my ears that ratio should be 99.9% for fingers to 0.1% slap. Oh and now I suppose the fashion is for a small sig is it? Grrrrr suppose Ill have to start selling some basses. [color=#ff0000][size=6]WOMEN FOR SALE. GET YOUR WOMEN HERE WHILE THEIR HOT[/size][/color].................. A [/quote] You gave ALL your basses names ?

At one point, I was in 5 bands at the same time here. Funnily enough, the one that I wanted to be in the most, was the one that never really gigged and is currently falling to bits due to loss of keyboard player and everyone being too fussy about what we played and how we played it as we'd all been searching for "the" band that was going to satisfy us all in every department. As I've got older, I've decided to not just say yes all the time. I know I'm lucky to have all these opportunities to play as I would only pitch myself at average ability but it still has to be fun, musically satisfying and, whilst playing with people who's company I enjoy. Seems the hardest thing to do is to marry up all these requirements. Obviously a fair few of you manage to achieve this but I don't seem to. Best I can muster is that I do enjoy the company of those I do play with. The other points seem to be missing.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1321563140' post='1440789'] Ideally £200-250 tops unless there's something unmissable for a little more! [/quote] Although not the lightest stuff, the old Peavey 75-80 watt TK combos are great value for money. Usually about £100 (or less) Tough as old boots and reliable with quite a nice pallet of tones

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1321443677' post='1439106'] Actually I should have said - its not the B string that gives me the problem - its A, D and G !! [/quote] Oh, them three/, just cut them off. Proper answer, stick with the 5.

According to all the photographic evidence, when I'm playing a root and octave, my middle finger sticks right up straight and it looks like I'm deliberately giving everyone the "finger"

Well, it can, and does happen. I found this in John Entwistle's loft. Anybody interested at £4,000?

Just bought an Ampeg BA15 from Russ. Very easy to deal with. Nice guy.

[quote name='Yoda' timestamp='1320184536' post='1423612'] A question... I went to see Alice Cooper in London last weekend. Never seen him before & only remember a few of his oldies such as 'Schools Out'. So, with that tune in mind & the bass line pretty much committed to memory (if not yet being able to master it)...I have to say that I was a little surprised to feel trouser-flapping bass about 2 octaves lower than what I was expecting. I was trying to watch the bass player intently initially to see if I could get a few tips as to what he was doing, but the few glimpses I got made me wonder if he was in fact playing the instrument at all. His playing didn't appear to produce [i]any[/i] of the notes I was expecting! So...what actually does happen at these gigs. What was the bassist doing...what's the magic? It's been some years since I last went to a concert, and things appear to have moved on a bit... TIA [/quote]Just a quick follow on from this thread. My mate (a bass player) just got back from seeing Alice Cooper here in France and has just mailed me to say that 2 Precisions were used (possibly tuned differently) but as far as he could tell, all the bass was live with fingers seemingly in the right places for what was happening.

Bloody hell. There's a Battle of the bands each year in this region and a guitarist suggested we make up a little fun trio to enter for a laugh. Expected to be home and tucked up by 11.pm. Decided to play some fun crap (Jumping Jack Flash, Highway to Hell and Rock & Roll) ended up in the final 2 song play off (expenses paid at this point so a bonus) Thought Pretty vacant would lose it for us as it was mainly a middle aged audience and we could all get home in time for cocoa. We won and had to play out the end of the night. Now have this trophy and 1st prize dosh!!

[quote name='Benplaysbass' timestamp='1320488140' post='1427400'] John with the Tele is one of the younger ones at 67, but its a bloody good laugh playing with them. [/quote] Bugger, he just looks 40 years younger then. Looks like you had a great time.

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1320486144' post='1427375'] nice bass! i hope you managed to shoehorn in the phrase 'when you do your widdly bit in the solo' [/quote] Being French, I don't think he'd get the underlying sarcasm of "widdly"

Me at the guitar festival last Saturday trying to convince the guitarist in the trio that as we're surrounded by hundreds of other good guitarists, it'll sound a bit better if we drag a few up to guest. My tactfull way of saying it sounds thin when he's soloing on certain numbers

[quote name='Benplaysbass' timestamp='1320416431' post='1426627'] Played at a Halloween dinner dance on sunday, some very strange gigs we play out here. Me and the good woman waiting for the punters to finish eating............... And playing a spot of music with some old dudes.............. [/quote] I resent that, he's 40 years younger than me.

[quote name='bass_by_name' timestamp='1320419330' post='1426685'] Its always bad to lose a specialist bass retailer. Sad news. [/quote] This +1

[quote name='Yoda' timestamp='1320354924' post='1425880'] That actually does add up. The village pub I used to frequent was in Goldhanger (The Chequers), some 6-7 miles from Maldon. So if she/he/they lived nearby...etc, etc...not completely outside the realms of possibility. [/quote] Probably moved on by now but she used to live in Great Waltham (or Little Waltham) it was difficult to tell where one finished and the other started.

[quote name='Yoda' timestamp='1320259587' post='1424557'] Never been keen on any of her stuff apart from her first 3 singles (schoolboy crush) 48 Crash is my favourite and still cuts it with me today for pure energy! I used to frequent a village pub years ago in east coast Essex. They had a cover band that played there every Tuesday night ('Pray') which was always a crowd puller from the surrounding countryside. Rumour has it (allegedly) that Suzi Q used to pop in on occasions...alas I was never there when she was (very early 80's). I'd have loved to have met her! Made a nice story back then...I've no idea whether it was actually true or not...perhaps just a little rumour put out to fill the pub... [/quote] Her ex (Len Tuckey) used to play in Maldon with Bill Legend and I believe, the bassplayer from Eddie and the hot-rods (The White Swan I think) Don't know if that's what you're thinking about. Think she'd turn up there occaisionally. Met her a few times for various reasons over the years and she always comes across as a nice balanced individual who's not up her own backside. My mate Glenn took over her bass duties a while back when she was touring with a broken arm.

[quote name='phatkat' timestamp='1320348296' post='1425746'] Im in an odd place at the moment as well, I didnt start playing anything seriously till I was 40, I had played guitar for years before ever playing in a band but soon moved to bass because the usual... lack of a bass player. Soon got to love it. I've played in a few bands for fun for years doing the odd gig, problem now is that we have changed singer/guitarist for the umpteenth time and this guy has been there and done that... my problem is that without a proper grounding in bass and lack of technique, im finding it quite hard to keep up with new material. Dont get me wrong, i'm really loving the pressure but dont want to hold these guys back... would lessons benefit a set in his ways 56yr old? G... [/quote] Re your last line of the reply, yes they would. None of us stop learning and improving, if we have a mind to do so. Go for it.

Just an after-thought but I heard a mate make a fabulous job on fretless of the Floyd's Coming back to life, basically playing the vocal melody line and adding some bass harmony lower down.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpnho5zBvaM&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpnho5zBvaM&feature=related[/url] Try Dune Tune. Very pleasant to listen to, bit old hat, but still nice.

[quote name='Gilby' timestamp='1320269347' post='1424724'] I recently bought the rush documentary DVD and was really surprised that Neil Peart decided he needed lessons despite being in the band for twenty years! (this was in 1994, he would of been 42). Just goes to show that despite being rated as one of the best in the game there is always improvements to be made. (if you watch earlier/later performances you can see a big difference in his actual style of playing). [/quote] Never knew that. I wonder who someone like Neil Peart actually goes to for lessons!!

Had an idea it may have been, perfect for this version. Thanks.

That's really nice. Yup, she plays that beatifully. Any idea who played guitar?

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1320187450' post='1423667'] I often feel exactly the same. I go to a gig, watch someone 15 years younger pull off an effortless gig with some amazing playing and making me feel like a bit of a faker, despite playing 2-3 gigs a week and having more dep offers than I could ever fit into the 52 weeks in a year. Then I remember just how far I've come in my 20+ years of playing, how the busiest bassists are the guys who keep it simple and get the job done, how I'm playing much more and much better and in more diverse styles that I ever have before. If that doesn't work, I try to remember how may people have come up to me at the end of a gig to compliment the band, my playing, or both. The chances are that the player who impessed me would be impressed by my gigs - you know your stuff better than anyone so you see the minor flaws in your playing whereas an audience member (bassist or regular normal person) just sees the song. It's good to be humbled occasionally and it's good to be able to recognise and work on the weaker points of your playing but don't beat yourself up about it. I bet if he guy you watched came to one of your gigs, he'd be impressed by your playing. It's all relative. [/quote] You've made some really relavent points here and it's easy to forget what you have accomplished in the years of playing but it's no excuse for me to have sat back and been lazy which is what's happened

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1320185607' post='1423632'] I think really it's hats off to you for recognising this. Sometimes it takes a jolt and a reality check for us get the push to improve. It might feel a bit uncomfortable, but you wouldn't really want to be one of those smug gits who think they've got it all nailed would you? I'm sure you're being hyper-critical of yourself too. A last thought. Those classy and subtle basslines he was playing. Have you considered that maybe he didn't compose them? [/quote] Unfortunately, I was (albeit not a smug git, that's not me) turning into someone who thought that they had it nailed but now realise that I was possibly getting gigs as I sing sans French accent or have a rehearsal studio in the barn. Of course, your quite possibly dead right about his basslines not being his but they were all executed to a standard that made me really look at my own ability (or lack of) Thing is, I've found it very easy to become the greatest bassplayer around where 98% of the population are cows and sheep. I really believe no-one can improve unless they are a bit critical of their own ability. Yes, you can go overboard but I don't think I have. It's been a good, overdue kick up the backside. Moreso because it wasn't Victor Wooten or Marcus Miller that I'd been watching. Just some guy that had bothered put the hours in.