TimR

[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1384694005' post='2279505'] My Facebook page always throws up (sic) adverts for that kinda thing.. I think it's because I've not supplied Facebook with much more than the basic minimum information so either a)they're taking a wild guess at what a 50 year old bloke wants from the internet or b)Facebook is trying to bug me into divulging every facet of my life. [/quote] It's looking at cookies in your machine to see what other things you've searched for and what sites you've visited. Allegedly.

Thanks.

When playing a bass solo you should remember that the listener is expecting the bass to occupy a certain rhythmic space. If the guitarist can occupy that space then you get free reign to play a lead solo. If the guitarist drops out and looks at you, then you still have to cover that rhythmic space while providing some melody and at the same time keeping the chord progressions right. This doesn't necessarily mean stick to the riff with embellishments, but it is a hard skill to master. If we're planning a bass solo in one of our songs, I'll insist on the guitar playing a solid rhythm part.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1384503143' post='2277350'] For me it's the opposite, I love helping someone realise their vision. Obviously I have to love their vision and how they execute it. Contrarily, I want to write an album and put a band together to play it, but I don't want to be in the band. I want to be in the audience. [/quote] That's not the opposite. That's the same. Unless I'm mistaken. If we join a band that has the material written you are just playing an unknown cover. However, we've probably all been in different bands with different ideas of how covers should be played. If the band leader wants everyone to play exactly as the original recording you end up with the 'musos' leaving... If the band leader wants to make it you own (god I hate that term) then the musos have a great time and the perfectionists leave. The key is getting the balance right and that depends on the individuals in the band. Writing bass lines is one thing, asking the songwriter to alter the cord structure in the middle 8 and the rhythm in the chorus to give the song life is different. That's where I've had clashes with headstrong song writers who've slaved away in isolation on their 'baby'. I've also been involved in projects where the songwriter has presented his 'finished' song to us, we've played it perfectly first time, recorded it, all gone away and listened and learned it properly, only for him to turn up next week and change something. I don't mind that happening a few times but it gets wearing when you've worked on the same 'finished' song for two months and he is still making changes for it to be perfect before you can gig it.

"Bass is tough because a lot of the time the bass player is in the band just to make up the numbers. It’s always a nice surprise to find a bass player that can play solid and play for the song." I think he is referring to a lot of bass lines that are either root or doubling guitar. That's what he means by making up numbers. They're not bringing anything to the song.

I find it interesting that Thailand are adopting European standards and not (as I expected) US.

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1384348078' post='2275501'] I'm all for having creative input, I have no qualms with that at all, I profess to not being perfect. I encourage others to get involved and have an input because as a band we'd need to be able to be open and honest about the songs and everyone should be happy playing the songs. I've been in bands where I've been told just play roots and play common time on the beat and that's that! It's horrible just like you say! I just cannot believe how frustrating and hard it is to find like minded people. [/quote] How far do you get? Do you find musicians but they're put off after they hear your demo, or do people just not answer your ads, or do they answer and you decide they're not what you are after. I know when I auditioned for the band I'm in now they just couldn't find a decent bass player. They had 4 guys audition but they just didn't 'fit'.

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1384211559' post='2274177'] I've got a catalogue of around 25-30 songs, all finished and written, only changes that will be made are if the guitarists can't play the lead parts then I'll find a new guitarist and the melody and key, I'm more open to having singers change things with my songs, especially if they have a good voice and good ideas. Guitarists are ten a penny so they're easily replaceable it's the singers I have most trouble finding! Although it's been suggested that I look to take the lead vocals, it has never been my goal to sing, I'll do a harmony but won't take lead vocals, as I enjoy playing bass too much, even if I was playing a singing I'd rather only do the playing [/quote] If you are using this approach then you are going to have to pay your musicians. No one is going to play unknown 'covers' for free. You're allowing no creative input from 'the band'. I played in a project where the songwriter/keys dictated exactly what notes I played, what rhythms and tempo the drummer played at, how the singer sang. We never got to the gig stage because he had not written the parts In the way a bass player, drummer etc thinks and took no creative input from the rest of the musicians. It was fairly soul destroying for the rest of us playing stuff we knew wasn't right and knowing it could be so much better.

We had a long band meeting about replacing our singer. In the end we agreed the drummer would phone her in the morning and let her know. Next morning an email came out with all of us copied on. Git! I called her and spent half an hour on the phone with her. Some people are idiots. Turned out we were all fooled because the drummer just wanted to get his girlfriend into the band. I left soon after... I've been fired for 'not having long hair', when in reality it was to get someone's mate in (who then cut their hair short!) There's not a lot of honesty around during hiring and firing, it comes under personal taste and being tactful.

Yes. I get the same on tuba. Have to really push on ahead if I want the notes to be on top of the beat.

Fender twin inside a 2CV6? I thought it was a 12AX7EH inside a fender twin.

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1381293657' post='2237008'] Fret sensing still has problems, e.g. a note that is bent before it is plucked. The industrial radio bass has string tension sensors which may help here, but we're talking about a controller that costs thousands. If a bass is being played monophonically, then I still believe that it is feasible to have much better bass synth response by ditching the MIDI conversion and integrating the pitch/note detection much more deeply into the actual synth. And it should be possible in a small digital box into which you could plug in any bass, and which would cost £100-200. The downside is that without MIDI, you wouldn't be able to use the bass to control just any synth lying around, it'd just be the synth in the box, or synths with OSC. [/quote] That's what the Sonnus B2M, that the others above allude to, is. http://www.sonuus.com/products_b2m.html

Looks like that bar is run by the Sopranos. I can't see the capo there though.

I've always found that I can get 'my' sound from most basses. Some I have to concentrate really hard to get it, others I just play and the sound is there. So for me it's the player that's the most part of the sound and it depends on how 'he' wants the bass to sound. As an example, I can't get on with fenders, the neck size and weight of the bass are wrong. I can get the sound I want easily though. With Warwicks, the weight and neck shape are right but I really have to think about my playing to get the sound I'm after.

[quote name='Jonnyboy Rotten' timestamp='1381148226' post='2234910'] ..Stati? [/quote] Status' - plural of Status. Status's - belonging to status.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1381066059' post='2233898'] Since playing bass since the early 1800's , I've come to the realization that there are essentially 5 distinct bass guitar sounds -- ... [/quote] You have 200 years of experience of playing basses! Who are we to argue?

Make an imaginary line across the back of the room, about 2ft above the audiences heads. Smile and occasionally nod to different points along it.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1380104249' post='2220739'] A few more perspectives on gear cost ... ... [/quote] Good to know my house cost me nothing...

Cool. One last point. As more celebs sign the bass and it becomes more valuable we should become a bit more cautious security wise. God forbid it getting stolen! We're just handing this bass to some stranger off the Internet at a motorway services... When we did 'The Shirt', it went missing for about 6months. Turned out the guy lost his job, moved house and lost his Internet. Musicians!

It's just in my experience of fundraising it's pretty key to make sure that you're being honest about what you are doing, if the media spin it that's their problem. If we're getting stars to sign it to increase the value then that's fine. But they shouldn't be signing the book and we shouldn't be saying they're playing it during our speech. Are we trying to break a record, what is the guidance? I've not seen anything. If not then again it shouldn't be in the speech. Again what's the plan with the bass parts, it's starting not to be the battered old first bass that it was. Jim spoke to Guiness, it's his baby, we're just the foot soldiers. I'm not saying don't do these things, I'm saying think about them first and communicate them to us and the audiences please.

Nothing particular but I did say that Rhino had played it on stage, we were hoping to get a few more famous players playing it as well and make a world record. It's probably not so relevant to those of us who got involved early on. Maybe the fact that people have signed it implies they've played it. What have they written in the book? No gear, no song... Is someone keeping track of who has played it and who has just held it? For me the idea was it was someone's first beaten up old bass being handed round the community to raise some money. That's changed, but people have donated money believing that's what's happening. We've changed pickups, talked about replacing frets. These were 'character parts' of the bass I pointed out. I've got to go back and play that pub in a few months and people will ask me how the relay is going, how much we've made and how many people have played it. What should I say? Maybe the PR people need to send us an official speech... Maybe it's just me being precious. Lol.

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1380102237' post='2220710'] Guys, what you don't seem to realise is that in general we're not meeting these stars in a proper gigging environment. Even on those occasions when James went backstage to a show, he was only allowed in either before or after the show, and just for a very short time. [/quote] That's kind of my point. I don't mean to be disparaging in any way. There's a lot of effort and good will going in but isn't the point if the relay that it's getting played at gigs by as many bass players as possible. What are the terms of the guiness world record and how many players do we need? If someone has signed the book but not gigged it how do we stand. Lots of questions I know. I did a good two or three minute chat to an audience to get them to part with their money. It seems some of what I said may not have been the truth and what we're putting the papers isn't fully correct either. I may be over egging this but would rather see us break a record and raise money properly than by misleading people however unintentionally. Have we lost sight of the original idea?

Dear me. It's a bass. You just hold it up, show the sigs it's currently got, tell the story, plug it in, play a song while the tin is going round and collect the money. All getting very precious. I don't see any more people putting more money in the tin because it has 20sigs or 3. To my knowledge none of the big name players, apart from Rhino have actually played the thing at a gig. New pups and frets make no difference what so ever. It's got more value in the story to say its going round the country and celeb X from band Y is lined up to play it at Z gig soon. People might look out for it. We should be pushing for them to be playing it too.

Let the amp do the work. Turn it up and lighten right off the touch. Start slow and PRACTICE. There are no easy ways.

[quote name='stef030' timestamp='1379184669' post='2209655'] ... the same thing happened again,they was just not into practice ect, ... [/quote] What do you mean by this? Last night I played a mediocre gig. The drummer was frustrated at the singer and guitarist not keeping the gig flowing. I played lots of bum notes in tunes I know backwards, the guitarist got lost. However, at the end of every song the audience not only clapped but cheered. At the end of the gig we played two encores! We're too hard on ourselves.