SumOne

Ah no, my poor search skills. Any mods reading this, can this thread be merged with that or deleted?

I'm a proud new owner of an MTD to show off and can't see an MTD owners thread, so here it starts! MTD Kingston Andrew Gouche AG5. Here it is in the wild: It plays very nicely, I'm impressed. The neck and fretboard are real standout features - probably the best of any 5 string I've owned, good feel and low action. Only thing I might change is I think some smoked nickel knobs would go well on it. ....and I realise that 4.1kg for a 5 string is relatively lightweight, but as it is all relative and I've owned a 3.4kg Ibanez EHB this now feels a bit heavy. I might get used to it, but once you've gone superlight it's difficult to go back!

I got my first MTD about a week ago - a Kingston AG5, it is really good. I think we're in need of an MTD thread in the 'Bass Guitars' section.

Went to a Mad Professor gig last night, live dubbing. Was a good show also with Joe Ariwa and Ariwa vocalists Abel Miller and I Jah. And a highlight for me was a new mix of this:

Perhaps opposite to what others have said earlier in this thread but in my head at least I've found it simplest to just learn the interval sequence of the major scale - but really learn it off by heart with all finger positions and playing right up/down over multiple octaves, jumping strings etc. Basically apply that 'Ionian' of the chart to a bass fretboard. Then it is just a case of where you start/finish to play all the modes. It clicked with me that the 'Aeolian' is the minor scale shapes, so instead of 'I need to learn the major and minor scales/shapes' (which I did first) I realised I could have just really learned the major inside-out and but started/finished on the 6th note, and the same applies for all of the others, for a long time I found it confusing to think 'to learn Dorian I need to remmeber to play a major scale with flat 3rd and flat 7th', much simpler to just play the major scale intervals - but start/finish on the 2nd note. Saying that though, I don't think this technique of basically learning as shapes on a fretboard works if changing instruments, or changing bass tuning to drop D etc.

I bought a bass from Steff and all was good.

Yes, I have learnt them - but for me so far that has been pointless and I think it's potentially a bit of a barrier for some people, from the outside it looks like it adds technical complexity. People gets scared off when basically modes are relatively simple 'play the major scale notes but starting on the 2nd' etc. I don't know about others, but I've been in quite a few bands and not once had anyone said anything remotely like 'play the intro as two bars of F Lydian and then two more in D Dorian before vamping on B Locrian'. ...... perhaps that is the done thing for certain types of music though.

Each to their own, but I like the simple side of the theory that the modes are just 'major, but starting on the 2nd, 3rd 'etc. the Greek naming and way it is often presented (like earlier in this thread!) just confuse it for me. Perhaps I don't know enough anout it and am exposing my ignorance here - but as far as I can tell, learn the major scale shapes across all strings, up and down, starting on different fingers etc. really learn it by heart (I remember some SBL lesson saying this and it stuck with me - suprisingly few bass players can flawlesley play a major scale on one string, or using open strings, or jumping from the E string to D string etc) . And then you have it really, just instead of where you were starting on the '1' of a major scale start/finish on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc. and get used to doing the 'shapes' from those starting points. I Don't Play Loud Music After Lunch The limitation to this is I only know how to play the modes when playing the shapes on the Bass, it'd take a lot of thought for me to translate that to other instruments or written notation.

Another one on the 'Reggae Fever Oldies, Vol 1' compilation: Prince George 'Babylon Kingdom Fall' 🔥

We do a silent test that everyone is going through the mixer/laptop and in ears are working, and individually do a quick loud test of backline things (E.g. just playing a few bass notes at volume). Then we basically go straight into our first song but it is one where instruments gradually start playing one by one and the lead singer stands out front checking the levels via a laptop interface, we go around for a while if he needs to adjust things, then he starts singing and adjusts vocal levels if needed. The upside is punters don't have to put up with a lot of '1 2 1 2 check check' stuff. Downside is it is a bit a a damp squib of a set starting.

The Blue Bells (AKA The Black Arks) are new to me but what I've heard is great. Quite a few of their tunes are on a compilation 'Reggae Fever Oldies, vol 1' (which is a lot better than it sounds!)

Ours has the region's most handsome and talented bass player.

I had similar problems with the Boss Waza Air, I can't remember exactly what now but it wasn't just automatic if the phone had connected to other devices in the meantime. My Sony headphones almost do the opposite, they automatically turn themselves on - I start a Teams call using my Laptop speakers and it somehow turns on the headphones that are on standby (and not on my head), my JBL bluetooth speakers have their own idiosyncrasies when connecting two of them, my car bluetooth does some very annoying auto play things and seems random about which phone it decids to connect to. So as long as the Bluetooth actually works I give these things a bit of a free pass as it just seems the way it is with Blutooth to have slightly odd ways of connecting to different devices. These Positive Grid headphones are now on my shopping list, seem to be sold out everywhere though.

Need one of these: We're always asking our lead guitarist to turn down (and drummer to slow down.....and I do like a drink!). It just seems to come with the territory that lead guitarists generally want to be the loudest thing, they need reining in - so giving them control of the mix is probably best avoided.

Snowflake Patrol

Full glass of ice, 1 part rum (got to be the good stuff though) 2 parts ginger, all parts reggae. Sunshine is quite important. Thanks to this thread this one is new to me for the essentials reggae part:

Bit unfair to quote that though when a subsequent post was. "Positive Grid responded to me with some suggestions, the last of which was a factory reset. Did a factory reset and was able to pair with the phone. Then had another go at pairing with one tablet, making sure that the phone bluetooth was off, and it succeeded"

Hopefully the connectivity issues aren't a deal breaker as I had the Waza Air and miss them (although they also has some connection issues) but the Waza were always pricey and only seem to be going up in price. £399 seems the going rate now vs £55 for my Nux mighty plug - £345 extra basically so I can not have a headphone cable is a cost I can't justify to myself. But these positive grid ones at £189 I could just about justify.

I sold a pedal to Matt, and all was good.

Pete Bruntnell and the Cousins feat. Robbie Macintosh. They played a small pub, it wasn't a well advertised or particularly well attended, they are great musicians though and I think were playing it due to a local connection and general love of playing.