Count Bassy

"Sixteen Tons" - because A: the bass line is easy, and easy to play while singing (I can do it, so it must be) B: the bass line is the overriding theme/feel to the song, even in the Ernie Ford version. "Sitting on Top of the world" in a Howlin Wolf style also works, because A: the bass line is easy, and easy to play while singing (I can do it, so it must be) B: The song feel works with sparse instrumentation.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1334061837' post='1610272'] Once enough people get up then the band takes a back seat... and the band needs to avoid a trendancy to be too handy so as not to put newbie people off. Resist the temptation to be the clique that keeps everyone from embracing the idea. [/quote] This. House band needs to be there to fill in if it gets quiet, give support where its wanted, and to stay out of the way when it's not wanted (and to have slot of there own commensurate with everyone else's slot) Try very hard to share the available time evenly. I go to one open mike (Mostly singing rather than playing) and there a few people who push themselves forward all the time and monopolise it, and I know of a couple of decent acts that have given up coming because they don't get a go. Managing one must be very difficult and I wouldn't want to try it myself. I guess "firm but polite" is required when people have had their share of the time. The one I go to is is run by a lovely bloke, but he tends not to be firm enough. Probably best to set the ground rules from day one, even put them up somewhere, so everyone knows what they are.

[quote name='spike' timestamp='1332433619' post='1588354'] This is the one you need Bilbo, very reasonably priced too [url="http://www.sax.co.uk/acatalog/Selmer-Series-III-Soprano--125th-Anniversary---Solid-Sterling-Silver-226135846.html"]http://www.sax.co.uk...-226135846.html[/url] [/quote] For £6k I'd have thought they'd have includes a case at least.

The body may be gone, but the spirit and legend will live on.

UDATE: I have now fitted these strings (delayed because of a gig and didn't want to mess around before that). The thick part is about 1/3 of the way round the post and it hasn't snapped (yet). I like the sound as well. As well as the over tone change the D and A strings sound a lot 'thicker' than the previous strings (D'addario nickel rounds), which I guess is what you'd expect with half flats. Also the B string sounds a lot smoother. With the previous strings it was OK down to the D, but below there was quite a noticable change in tone, getting a bit clanky. The new strings keep the same tone right down to the Open B. Not sure whether this is directly due to being half flats, due to the increased tension, or simply due to being a different manufacturer. Previously had to play with the top band of the amp EQ right down, and the treble on the SR505 right down to get a sound I liked. With these strings it now suits me with the treble around neutral, and I can adjust it either way if I need to. I can't see me wanting anything brighter than these strings with the treble (on the bass) right up. If I was being super fussy I'd say that I'd prefer the B and E strings to be slightly brighter than they are, while leaving A,D & G as they are. £25 well spent!

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1332333921' post='1586742'] Those recessed locks have some advantages, but also a few practical disadvantages: 1) It's going to take a bit of woodwork to put those recessed locks into a bass, 2) You can't use any other strap on that bass unless it's fitted with Dunlop straplocks, 3) If you sell it, it's likely to be an issue for many buyers, 4) It will slightly change the balance on the bass. For many basses that won't be a problem, but many old Warwicks have flush-mounted Dunlops, and for some of their designs neck-dive is a real concern, and I suspect the Dunlops exacerbate it. (Although it may be that if both buttons are flush-mounted then they cancel out). [/quote] I use Dunlops but have shied away from the recessed ones for your reasons 1-3. I'd doubt that reason 4 is significant, as you say yourself, they'd probably balance out. I have had absolutely no problem with Dunlops, just need a spot of WD40 now and then to stop them squeaking. What Dunlop could do with making is some sort of adapter that would fit into a recessed fitting but end in a button so a standard strap can be fitted (patent applied for).

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1332281491' post='1586197'] Anyone want to dispute or add to this list: D'Addario (Fender) DR Dunlop Elixir Ernie Ball Gallistrings GHS (Lakland, Overwater?) La Bella (Sadowsky) Mapes Newtone Picato (Overwater?) Pyramid Rotosound Status Thomastik [/quote] I just bought some Status hotwire 'ground wounds' and the packaging said 'Designed by status and made in the UK' - or something similar (packets at home - I'm at work), which suggests that do not actually make them themselves.

From what's been said above Newtone also need to be on the list

Alternatively just man up!

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1331902610' post='1580644'] and I am not comfortable singing with a fake voice. [/quote] I used to be the same, with the result that I sang in a louder version of my normal speaking voice and the result, although in tune, was pretty harsh and horrible. I was having some lessons for the purposes of doing some backing vocals and my teacher was saying try this and that, but I said the very same thing as you say, that I felt uncomfortable (and a bit of a poser) singing in a 'put on' voice. He made a very good point though: When you play an instrument, such as a bass, you try out different basses, you try different amps & cabs, you experiment with different strings and with EQ settings, and sometimes go through pedals, until you get a sound you like. Well (he said), your voice is exactly the same . It is an instrument, so play around with it until you get a sound you like, it is still [b]your[/b] voice. The only difference is that the controls are inside your head and body. The idea does take some getting used to, and it initially feels a bit weird hearing a different voice coming out of you. In my case I have got a lot quieter and more mellow, and I now do a bit of singing at a local open mic and it seems to go down well. Also, don't think that you have just one voice - you'd adjust you bass settings for a different song, so don't be afraid of doing the same with your voice - it's still your voice. Believe me, having changed my singing voice is a lot less embarrassing, than if I hadn't.

Just heard from Rob (with apologies for the delay due to the bass show). He seems to think it shouldn't be a problem. I'll try it and let you know. Ze Count.

I'm afraid that 'Comfortably Numb' and 'Wish you were here' will forever be "Uncomfortably Dull" and "Wish I was somewhere else" in my book.

Following on from an earlier post about flats/half flats etc. I went ahead and bought some Status half rounds fro my Ibanez SR505. I haven't fitted them yet, however, because if I do the full thickness of the B string (0.135") is going to wind on to the tuning post by 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. (The B tuning post is only about 50mm from the nut on this bass) I've E-mailed Status ( a few days ago) asking if they think this will cause problems, but haven't heard back yet, and I was thinking of fitting them this weekend. Anyone here have any thoughts on this? Is this going to cause problems? Unfortunately the medium scale version won't reach the nut! Thanks in advance Ze count.

AFAIK: If it's a solid state amp than having a speaker of higher ohms than the amps rated minimum will not in itself damage the speaker or the amplifier. It will just sound quieter than you might expect, as the amp will not be putting out its full power. Having an amp outputting more watts at the speakers ohms than the speaker can handle, or where the speaker impedance is below the amplifiers stated minimum, can/will start to cause problems/damage.

I went to the same school as Simon Kirke. Had I gone there from the first form then it would have been at the same time, but I only moved there for the fourth form, by which time he'd left.

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][b][url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=1534003"][/url]neepheid, on 10 February 2012 - 11:23 AM, said:[/b][/size] [size=3]I tried D'Addario XL half rounds once - I really didn't like them. [b]I found them sticky when sliding[/b]. Has probably put me off wasting any money on this avenue in the future, so the only way I'll do any further experimenting is if I play a bass which already has them fitted.[/size][/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I know what you mean but give them a week of playing and the sharp edges of the grinding wear off and they go nice and smooth. As an analogy I think of flats like sliding your finger over plastic and groungs as sliding your fingers over paper. [/font][/color] ----------------------------------- Me too, exactly the same experience here. Felt really rough at first, but either the roughness went within a week, or I got used to it. In my own mind I sort of imagined that the grinding process had left lots of little burrs on it. It certainly felt like that. Not using any half rounds or flats at the moment, but thinking about it seriously (but probably not d'addarios)..

I've dabbled with five strings over the last couple of years, and am now going over to them more. This is mainly for practical reasons - there are certain songs the current band do that need to go below E (Skunk Anansie's 'Weak', 'Are you going to go my way' etc), and swapping basses mid rehearsal was pissing me (and, I think, the others) off. I find that I now tend to play in E off the B string 5th fret, so as someone said earlier, if someone suddenly wants it in Eb, D etc, it's easy. Also, even when playing in E, even if off the E string itself, its really nice to be able to put a few run ups to the E in now and then. I have an Ibanez SR505 and GWB35, and the string spacing is narrow, but I like that. If you don't like narrow spacing then there are fivers around with 19mm spacing. Having said all that my 'Favourite' instrument is still my Fender Urge Mk1 (4 string 32" scale), but that is probably because I like the scale length, and its just a beautiful instrument to play, not because it is a four string.. (what I really want is a fan fretted five string where the G sting is 32" - or a 32" five string where the B still sounds good) You may need to adjust your technique a bit, but ultimately there's nothing you can do on a four string that you can't do on a five string, but the opposite is not true. As someone else said, Just try to remember that that bottom string is now a B and not an E (it does take some getting used to).

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1328576455' post='1529564'] If one defines the sound engineer's job as bringing up the volume of the vocals and possibly keyboards & drums to balance with the bass & guitar then he's doing his job. Some sound engineers *know* that they must have total control and are the only people capable of deciding exactly what the mix should be, while others will work with a band to help them get the best performance in the way that they want. It can be hard to trust a sound engineer to not sod sound up or bury your instrument. PA could well be about amping up low volume elements in order to get balance, if that's how the band wants it to be, but the band should always have control of their sound even if they delegate it to the engineer. It is also necessary sometimes to have substantial volume on stage in order for various speakers to be working properly. There's a story related by Alvin Lee from 10 Years After where, when they were recording their first album they were required to turn down by the sound engineer (wasn't having any of that nonsense like they had with Clapton). As a result he said his guitar was so clean it sounded more like a banjo on the record. [/quote] I fundamentally disagree with some of this. The band can only know what the balance sounds like from where each individual is stood on the stage They are not in a position to know what it sounds like to the audience, which is what is important. A classic example being the guitarist (or even bassist) with his speakers pointing at his knees thinks he's too quiet while the audience are being deafened. The band should be able to dictate the sound they want, but they need to do this via a sound engineer that they trust to get that sound. If everything is going through the PA to some extent then the sound engineer can do something about it based on the sound where he is, which is generally somewhere in the audience rather than on stage. If the bass and guitar don't go through the PA, and are fundamentally out of balance then the sound engineer is f***ed. Of course they can do this by asking the bassist or guitar to turn it down it bit and if that person will do that then that's fine, but a guitarist turn himself down ???? - come on now! I agree that the sound engineer shouldn't be messing with individual tones, and that people need to hear what they are playing (but that's what foldback is for isn't it), but fundamental front of stage balance needs to be done from a pair of ears in the house, not on the stage. Putting everything through the PA allows the band to have the sound they want on stage, and the audience to have the sound that the band want them to hear as well. Zee Count.

[quote name='Skybone' timestamp='1327426674' post='1511059'] When will house Sound "Engineers" learn that the PA is for vocals, and maybe the drums. Bass and guitar amps can fill the space adequately enough ta very much. [/quote] So how is the sound engineer going to do his job when he hasn't got basic volume control on all the instruments? PA is not amping up low volume elements, it's about control and balance.

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1328523297' post='1528328'] My favourite all time 2x12 is the Aguilar DB212. My next cabinet will be 100% a Genz cabinet! [/quote] This does not compute

Hello chaps (& Chapesses), A few weeks ago I put up a post about "furry strings" giving me a really dead tone on my Ibanez SR505. I ended up fitting some D'addario Nickels (which I love on my Fender Urge Mk1), which appeared to solve the problem, but two weeks further on and I'm finding these just too 'Zingy' on this bass. Adjusting various EQs helps a bit, but can start to make them sound dull again. (Perhaps I need a "Zinginator" version of the 'Thumpinator' recently discussed on these pages). So what's the solution.... new bass, new pick-ups, different strings? Different strings is going to be the cheapest, so I'll try that first, but I've little experience of flats/half rounds, so I was wondering what you all thought. The current Nickels are .135 - 05. I guess that if I went to the same gauge in flats/half rounds then they'd be higher tension due their being heavier, so what sort of gauge should I be looking at for flats/half rounds (adjusting the rod isn't a problem). I'd love to buy loads of strings and try them out, but that's just too expensive, so any suggestions as to a good starting point would be appreciated. I play blues and soul sort of things with my fingers. No slapping/popping and no picking. I realise that the Ibanez is probably not the ideal instrument for this sort of music, but there are many things I like about it (slim neck, narrow string spacing etc.), and it was cheap, so changing the bass would be very much a last resort !! Thanks in advance chaps. The Count.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1328027428' post='1520531'] She's not as sh*t as Sandi thom was at least. [/quote] I saw Sandi Thom at the Rhythm Festival last year and was full of cynicism, but was actually pleasantly surprised. Did some really good Bluesey stuff, which apparently is were she's at at the moment (Well 6 months ago).

I've no idea about his slap ideas, but he doesn't seem to take himself too seriously, and I found it quite entertaining. Good for him!

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1327525765' post='1513005'] If I specifically go out to watch a band then I expect to be entertained. If I wanted to hear an exact copy of an original then I'd have stayed at home and listened to the CD. I find it interesting to hear 'new takes' on familiar tunes, sometimes they work a treat, and sometimes they don't, but isn't learning how to recognise that difference what makes us better musicians..? [/quote] Exactly! Even if it is the original band - I saw 10cc a couple of years ago - brilliant - my on;y complain was that it was too much like the CD!

[quote name='skampino' timestamp='1327111706' post='1506692'] I've looked at youtube vids but can't seem to get the slapping technique. Most don't tell you where you should rest your arm and whether the hand should hover or rest on the body. It seems everyone plays slightly different with some teaching you to directly hit the string and others saying you should hit the bottom part of the string and end up with thumb on next string down. then there's those who say your thumb should be pointing upwards and others saying it should be perpendicular. It confused me as whatever method I tried either my fingers hit the body or my palm touched the strings. I decided to have lessons so a tutor could tell me what I'm missing or doing wrong. Last thing I want is to develop bad habits. It's harder to unlearn something than learn from scratch. I doubt I will play slap much but I'd like to have the option of doing so and welcome a new challenge. [/quote] U-tube is a great resource, but it's no substitute for a real teacher who can see what you're doing wrong, and can answer specific questions. A real teacher (for me at least) also gives more incentive to practise what you've learn't before the next lesson!