Count Bassy

I have the Tascam MP BT1 am generally pretty happy with it. However I have found that the headphones used with it make a tremendous difference, and which is best depends on what you're trying to do. For actually playing I use some closed cup Sennheisers which I think cost about £30, so nothing posh, but give a lovely rich and smooth sound (not muddy). However, if I'm listening to a track to try and hear the original bass line then find a cheaper pair actually works better - the bass is a bit crisper rather than rich, and it just makes it easier to hear what's going on. By the way, do other BT1 users have the problem of the screen going very dark and 'liney' if you leave it on charge for a long time?

[quote name='leschirons' post='1015848' date='Nov 7 2010, 10:54 PM']It looked like Chris Stainton on piano. Could be wrong, but if it was, that is a man with serious and respected track record. Maybe he was also just bored out of his brains.[/quote] Maybe he was pissed off having Jules Holland foisted upon him!!! (have you all sensed that I don't like Jules Holland yet? Actually I quite like the music he does, it's just him that pisses me off)

[quote name='steantval' post='1015811' date='Nov 7 2010, 10:12 PM']The Whistle Test was very much like Later in that most of the shows had a mixture of very goods acts and some real sh*te ones.[/quote] Yes, but it didn't have Jules Holland in it!!!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1014178' date='Nov 6 2010, 12:39 PM']I thought it sounded a bit ungrateful....tbh I don't think he should have said some of those things they way they came across... he should have just inquired about the use and learnt from it. I am glad it came off, but I agree about being selective about lending gear..[/quote] That's the trouble with the written word, you loose the nuances of the spoken word. You could be right, or I could, although the OP heard it first hand and was a bit miffed by it, so it's probably you (who's right).

Following my quip about Whistle Test I ended up catching most of later last night and find myself disagreeing with most of the comments here. I thought Clapton's stuff was good - all of it, helped by the wonderful Henry Spinetti on sticks. You can't expect him to be doing the same stuff in the same way as he was 30 years ago! - who of us does that? Bellowhead, on the otherhand, I found a bit irritating. IMO they could loose half their head count and still sound as good. Can't help but thing there's a lot of 'because we can' rather than 'because it sounds good'. And the singer is just irritating. I say this with some reluctance because I know one of them a bit (not bussomed pals or anything) IMO the main problem with Later is Jules Holland - what a twat.

Crez, That Kingbass looks like my perfect bass, headless 32" scale, 16.5mm spacing .... but I suspect a bit expensive for me, both in terms of absolute £s, but also in what is justified for my level and frequency of playing. Mind you if I sold everything else ..... Only other problem is that people would expect greater things from it than I could deliver!

As I read it the bloke wasn't critisising your gear, just talking about it. He said he wasn't really a bassist, so may just have been genuinely curious. As for the foam under the strings the point is that he 'nearly pulled it out' - he didn't actually pull it out (and if he had I guess it would have easily gone back in). I'm all for lending gear in these situations, provided its not just someone being lazy or a cheapskate. 'Do as you'd be done by' etc. Perhaps I've been lucky, but none of my gear has ever been damaged when lent out to anybody. If it had I might think differently.

I have two Fender Urge Mk1s, a Westone quantum and a Thorne Mk 1 (built it myself when 17). All 32 " and love them all. 32" is really comfortable. They all sound quite different (Even the two urges (one Mex, one MIA)), so its hard to say if there is a general '32" sound, or whther its more to do with the choice of strings and pickups etc. Sadly I'm getting into 5 strings and you don't seem able to get a 5 string 32" at a sensible price (by which I mean sub £600), so I'm currrently torn, using the 5 stringers mostly, but using the four stringers when I need that bit of extra span. If someone made one (in that range) I'd have a fretted and a fretless and I'd be set up for life. Landing do a 32" five string, but £1500 is too much, especially for a bass that you've not been able to try out, and the same goes for custom jobs. Ah well, there you go.

Bring back The Whistle Test!!!!

I've just had a weeks holiday in 'Wells Next The Sea' (well, it is when the tides in), and had a day in Norwich. Is it just me or is this place a haven for Muso's? Where we parked we came across the East Anglian Drum Centre within 50 yards, and this was followed by a music shop of some kind about every 20 yards for the rest of the street, must have been about 10 shops in all, half of which had some bass content! Personally I've never seen such a cluster of music shops. Anyway, managed to try out a second hand Vintage five string (having looked at their website, possibly a V1005SP)in Crack Converters. Actually very impressed with this (playing through a G&K Combo), but I thought they were charging too much for it given its condition (£360 IIRC) Also in another shop tried a G&L MIA L2500 (£1200?), through a cheapish Ampeg combo. I really wanted to like this, but I found that for all its pickups and switches the range of tones available was a bit dissapointing. To be fair to it I did not have the manual so was flicking switches and turning knobs fairly randomly, so may have missed some great tones along the way. Also the action was set considerably higher than I, and I suspect 90% of people, would have wanted it. Why, when the staff in these shops have nothing to do a lot of the time, do they not sit down and set some of there instruments up a bit better? In the same shop also tried a MM Sterling 5 string (£600), through the same combo. Again, really wanted to like it, but it failed to excite me tonally, and the action was again rather high (but not as high as the G&L). Also saw, but didn't have time to try a couple of Yamahas, and several Corts, along with the usual crop of Fenders and Fender clones. So, a very interesting day, but saw nothing that made me want to sell my Ibanez SR505. PS: My wife was also happy as one of the shops was a real piano shop. Mmm - starting prices at around £7000 - puts our instruments' costs into perspective doesn't it! Thankfully she's already got one.

Sweet talker, with the Richard Thompson sound track, Or the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='997859' date='Oct 23 2010, 10:49 AM']Mustang Sally isn't an easy bass line - everybody just tells you it is!![/quote] Mustang Sally is probably the one that I thought I knew best (and thought was relatively easy). However I've just spent an hour with my teacher going over the subtleties of the bass line (Commitments version), so I'd agree with you there. Not a vast number of notes, but subtle timing in many places. JTUK mentioned age of the band in reference to the set list. Well the guitarist is 60, Keyboardist (is this a word?) is 53, Drummer about 50. As far as I know they've al been playing all their adult lives, and served their time in numerous bands. I'm 53, but have only been trying to play seriously for about 4 years, and probably played a total of 10 or 12 gigs, so you can perhaps understand my trepidation, - this would be stepping up a league (or 2) for me! Thanks for all your comments. It's heartening to know that a lot of it is to do with getting on together etc, rather than playing ability!!! - gives me a fighting chance at least.

[quote name='hitchy64' post='997482' date='Oct 22 2010, 08:04 PM']I totally agree with the above Dude. Just stay relaxed and be cool, they'r not hard numbers to play. Enjoy and let us know how ya get on [/quote] Yeah I realise that they're not technically too difficult, although I've not played any of them before. I think my main worry is that nerves will get the better of me and I become a gibbering pool of sweat. I've never been in the situation of having to make music with someone I've only just met before.

Well, I'm starting to feel a bit nervous. I've had a response to an ad on JoinMyBand, and have arranged to meet, with instruments, the other potential band members in a week or two. Now the few bands I've been in previously have all started from scratch and sort of developed organically, and although this meeting is not being called an audition (more a get together to see if we gel) that's what it effectively is, and, as such, is my first. In the ad and speaking to them I've been fairly honest about my level of ability, and limited experience. However I hope that I've also put over my enthusiasm and willingness to work hard as well, and they still want to meet me! Anyway they've given me a few tunes to work on: Take Me To The River ..................Based around the Al Green original 6345-789....................................Probably based on the Ry Cooder version Bring it On Home To Me................Based on the Sam Cooke's original Heard it through the Grapevine......Based on yhe Marvin Gaye version, but with Creedence and Roger Chapman influences and, wait for it......... Mustang Sally Yes, I know, but I like it and have never played it before. The guitarist says that it probably wouldn't be in the set list, but it's a good one to jam around with - which it is. Oh, yes, they want backing vocals as well. I've been working on these anyway but am still at the stage where either the singing or the playing can go a bit odd if I try to do both (again I have been honest about this with them). I'm on holiday in a cottage, with bass, next week, so if anyone has any useful words or tips, either in general auditioning terms (how to stay cool etc), or specific to the songs, then I'd be interested to hear them. Thanks in advance. Edit --PS: I tried to space the song list out with speces, but they seem to get stripped out - hence all the dots above.

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='994687' date='Oct 20 2010, 12:38 PM']Its the same on Sadowsky's i love it! I've never loosened my strings to do it though...........have i been doing it wrong ? haha [/quote] I tend to just pull the head back slightly to take the strain off the rod a bit while I adjust it, seems to work.

[quote name='Wil' post='996141' date='Oct 21 2010, 04:52 PM']I do wish they'd put some nicer looking headstocks on their basses, mind.[/quote] Personally I really like the headstocks, compact and do the job they've got to do. I don't like classic Fender headstocks on a bass - way too big for what they do although they too do what they have to do. One of the features of the Urge Mk1 I have is a more compact headstock and Grover type tuners - much nicer than the classic ones. I have a GXB 35 which I love (currently awaiting new pickup and preamp), and on the basis of that bought a SR505 as well, which I also love. Both superb basses for the money and, partly due the name on the headstock, can be had quite cheaply second hand (The SR505 was only £200!) I only wish they'd do a 32"

[quote name='TheRockinRoadie' post='977636' date='Oct 4 2010, 08:48 PM']Right this is REALLY annoying for me, i had 3 MB4210s blow up on me, and then my MBC115 cab blew the crossover, in the space of 3 weeks. Marshall did NOTHING and couldnt care less.[/quote] Your experience of Marshall service seems so different to other peoples, I just wonder if you were in direct contact with them or going through a distributor?

The 7215 Cab is now back on Ebay with £100 starting bid, no reserve,

I don't think I would [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZyaOlrb7E...feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZyaOlrb7E...feature=related[/url] Snuck it in there.This should be a compulsory link in all threads!

[quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='975103' date='Oct 2 2010, 04:27 PM']Fenella feilding.[/quote] You just made it worth my reading to the end of the thread!

As in the title and description really. A 'serious' ampliflier (alright only 200W continuous, but 2000W peak) 'serious' cab not getting £200? Is this due to hard times? the rise of light weight kit? The general downer some people have on Marshall bass kit? It being collect only in Weston Super Mare? Any other ideas? Please note that I am not and have no connection with, the seller. Just curious because if I'd not just got myself a DBS 7400, and it wasn't in Weston Super Mare I would probably have bid for it myself.

[quote name='Phil Starr' post='970309' date='Sep 28 2010, 07:56 AM']I'd back Bill on this one. I use copydex because I've always used it but the dust cap is a rigid fix and if cyanoacrylate is good enough for Eminence...[/quote] But is it good enough? The OPs problem of movement between the cone and the dome suggests that the original glue might not be up to it.

[quote name='civictiger' post='967036' date='Sep 24 2010, 07:06 PM']I would also look into getting a Marshall 7215, but they are so rare I wouldnt know where to START to look for one![/quote] There's one on E-bay right now being sold with a DBS7200 head. £200, no bids, reserve not met. 4 days left. [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180566696587&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...e=STRK:MEWAX:IT[/url]

Realising, whilst on stage, that you have no idea where you are in a song, and that you've been playing all the wrong notes (and I don't mean the right notes in the wrong order).

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='968104' date='Sep 26 2010, 02:28 AM']Unfortunately I don't have an input jack on any of my basses. All of mine have output jacks. Doh.[/quote] I was only having a dig because of their insistence on calling it an input jack when it's not. It actually looks quite a useful tool and avoids having to take covers off if you're in a rush.