risingson

I was made to watch this last night by by girlfriend, also last week's episode too. I had to leave the room a couple of times to avoid me spouting off about the lack of quality of essentially all of the acts and what they'd been made to dress up in, but that Jahmene guy really can't hold a note. Considering the show will have some of the best vocal coaches in the industry working for them, they could have at least done something about his catastrophic pitching, after all he's at least got a bit of a voice to work with.

Sounds really cool, Lee Sklar playing obviously helps of course! Is it just me or does he have a tendency to endorse everything under the sun nowadays??

Strange, I've replied to your post, but above the post I was replying to

Pretty much the sole reason I picked up the bass instead of guitar was because I thought it was infinitely cooler than the latter. I had the choice of either, ease of play or relegation didn't even come into it. I now play both regularly.

Interesting, cheers although I'm sure I've played basses that were swamp ash that very very heavy, but who knows! It's easy to get lost in semantics with instrument specs, what's important at the end of it is how good the thing sounds and plays.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1354198668' post='1883436'] My interest is more than just academic in so much as I am looking at buying a Jazz Bass and am weighing up my options regarding body woods . The problem is one of weight as well as tone as I dont like very heavy basses , and if I go for a bass made of swamp ash there is more of a chance of ending up with a bass that is lighter in weight , but alder is what I am most familiar with and I know it gives a good all -round tone , generally speaking . I like my basses to have a bit of heft to the sound , and a lot of modern basses sound a bit too polite for my tastes nowadays , and whereas I know that there are many factors ( pickuops ect . ) that can influence the complexion of the final sound , the wood is surely where it starts . Get that choice right and you have hopefully got half a chance of ending up with a decent sounding bass . So my conservative side says alder , but ash would be lighter and might sound just as good or better . I've got to make my mind up soon , so I welcome anybodys input on what I should choose and why . My main cocnern is whether lightweight ash will sound as powerful and as forthright as alder in the midrange . [/quote] I'm not sure about ash being the lighter option. My old Lakland DJ 4 had an ash body and was nice and light, but my current bass (a Stingray 5) is weighty. Very weighty, and whilst I'm aware that this is a Stingray trait I've also owned another ash P-Bass that again had a very heavy body. It might well be luck of the draw, a case of trying out a few instruments. Whilst I'm saying that ash sounds like this and that, I'm more keen on just using my ears to judge what sounds good. Fairly certain I've played alder basses that sound aggressive as well as ones that sounded mellow, pickups, preamps, build quality, a lot of stuff to take on board. One thing I am confident about is that the weight of an instrument to my ears indicates little if anything at all to with what it's going to sound like. [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1354203370' post='1883550'] When I had my Sei bass made I wasn't really bothered what woods Martin used so long as they looked nice and the bass ended up sounding how I wanted. [/quote] +1, this is the framework I'd work to when getting a new instrument.

Too many threads on whether or not body wood makes a difference, that's not I'm sure what the OP had in mind. It's getting boring. Personally I think I hear a difference in body woods, although what do I know! I prefer ash bodied jazz basses, they do seem to have a bit less of a low-mid that you get with alder IMEO (in my ears's opinion). Prefer alder in P-Basses. I've owned both and both are great.

Looks like a lovely bass, I've never played a bad Sandberg and I'd love to own one. Congrats!

They're both amazing but it's Page for me. I don't care how sloppy Page is perceived to be (silly criticism, as we all know technique ain't all that), his playing is (for me at least) very soulful and very powerful. Beck doesn't do it for me in that respect. I mean come on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4v-_p5dU34

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1353930796' post='1879775'] Trouble is, MM never plays Jazz. He plays [i]a[/i] Jazz, but I have not heard any Jazz being played by him for decades I think the new DG at the BBC should resign over this (and take his £300K bonus with him....) [/quote] It'd be fair to assume that the guy is a 'jazz' player, semantics aside and even if he hasn't turned his hand to the genre as such for a decade or two. He did have the lofty title of Miles's bass player after all. Not a great fan of his music or playing, but I do hope he makes a speedy recovery and it's really sad about the driver. The dangers of bus travel around that area seem to be getting highlighted again and again nowadays.

+1 to Thomastiks being a better choice if the tension of the Chromes (or most other flats) isn't for you. Whilst they are a bit pricier than almost all other strings it's worth keeping in mind that unless you're keen on the sound of the strings fresh out the pack, flatwounds 'last' longer due to there being much less of a groove in the string windings for the dead skin and grime to get under, plus IMO flats tend to get better with time. Like a good wine! Must admit I do tend to struggle moving from my bass strung with rounds to the one strung with flats. A gig or two down the line and you'll be fine.

Interesting stuff! It was was an interesting bass part to pick as well, that almost quantised feel that Wolstenholme get being played by an actual machine, quite odd. Word of warning, don't make the same mistake I did and scroll to the comments, some people out there are real idiots!

Not seen the gig, but Jerry Meehan is an awesome player.

Really nice

[quote name='goblin' timestamp='1353530061' post='1875760'] yeah I noticed there were some 2nd / 3rd years playing it whilst I was in first playing it, kinda set the bar really With regards to Sledgehammer, it depends how you look at it, as you've got to get the right feel and sound as well - not as easy as some would have you believe. Anyone can play the notes, but it's how you play them that also matters. [/quote] I suppose what I meant was that if you thought the Ian Jury tune and the Stevie stuff was easy in terms of 'feel', then Sledgehammer is going to be a piece of piss, as great a bass line as Tony Levin played. Not saying don't play it, but maybe get out of your comfort zone, play something that you'll feel at the end has truly upped your game as opposed to something that you're mildly to very comfortable with.

Not that is consider it to be less off a bass line at all but the first two tunes you mentioned are far more challenging a play through than Sledgehammer IMO! Think outside the box, every year someone will play Sir Duke or Master Blaster for their performance module, your lecturers will appreciate a break with something a bit left field. Tried any Anthony Jackson parts?

Don't like them on Jazz basses, look pretty cool over the neck only but they really restrict me. I think they look incredible on P-Basses but once again, they totally restrict me, I move around too much from song to song for it to even be worth considering keeping trays on. I'd leave the bridge on only at the P if I didn't palm mute so much.

Really loved Foals's new tune. Larry's great and all but his playing has never interested me, even if Sly and the Family Stone did.

Thanks very much, tuned in by accident in the car the other night but missed most of it!

Steve Jordan destroying it! Doesn't really get much better.

Shoreline Gold P-Bass for me, straight up mid 60's style reissue! I'd take a stacked-knob Jazz whilst I was there too, probably sonic blue or surf/seafoam green with a rosewood board, pretty 60's affair again except with an ash body.

Happy with my band and even the times when I'm not... they're four brothers and also happen to be my cousins, so we've all got to go the the same family do's at Xmas.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352934835' post='1869669'] He spends as long warming up for gigs as he does playing at them. Also, he has a guy that massages his arms, and has had for years. [/quote] Interesting stuff, didn't know that. But I can't imagine he will have that the hand masseuse in the earlier days, i.e the times he had to full the gaping holes in his thumb with superglue and tape up.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1352881109' post='1868650'] flea. his right hand technique is shockingly rough. listen to any RHCP bass master track. [/quote] He actually amazes me that he didn't develop CT a long time ago, god knows he must have had some problems over the years.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1352848114' post='1868507'] Its a great line, any idea who played it? [/quote] Could well have been Lenny himself, he's known to play all the instruments on many of his tracks and he's a supremely talented bass player!