risingson

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1337420404' post='1659578'] One thing to bear in mind this is one of few amps I'd really suggest to actually go somewhere and try. Great bit of kit but the feel of the sound it produces is different to anything else out there. I had the RH750 and I felt the bass and my playing was chocked somehow, which is evident why now, so I sold it a brought a second LMTube..... [/quote] I'd agree, however, the universal problem with trying amps in store is the unfaithful reproduction of a live environment. It's kind of like buying drums, you're never allowed to smack the hell out of them in the store, and even if you were you'd never know what they'd sound like room to room, venue to venue etc. The compression on the RH750 goes quite a bit to 'choking' the attack of the bass if not used sparingly, but other than that I've found that since the swap from my Eden rig to TC, my playing (sound, I guess) feels sharper and more focused. Certainly though, you'd be right to advise checking out any product out before purchase. I understand that for some, the TC stuff might be a marmite thing. For me, I bloody love it.

I'll put my vote in for the TC Electronics RH750 plus a combination of the RS212's or 210's. They are completely joyous amps and cabs, very capable of keeping up with a loud band (although address that first before you spend a fortune on a rig!) and focused low mids that really help cut in a band situation. It can keep up with the 'modern' sounding thing too what with the 'tweetertone' control. I'm delighted with mine and would be happy to recommend it to anyone. Best of all - really lightweight.

I'd second BRX's opinion that the Lo-Riders didn't feel noticeably 'stiffer' than their Hi-Beams, for example. They seemed to die a bit quicker too.

Yes... they're too expensive! I've played pretty much all the strings there is to play over the years. DR's are great. However the price of them is just crazy, and I've played plenty of other brands of strings that do just the same thing at a far more affordable price. Having said that, all strings are expensive right now.

Playing much lighter and letting your amp do all the work is where it's at, plus a decent setup on your bass will mean that you're not fighting your instrument which is always counterproductive for faster playing and will eventually cause problems.

If you're an established and confident bass player then you will probably find guitar comes a bit easier to you. I personally am much more of an acoustic player than I am an electric player, but I love both in equal measure. Do it!

It was Nathan Watts on the majority of Jackson 5 stuff and definitely him on 'Let's Get Serious' (Stevie Wonder wrote the song, sang the middle 8). IMO Nathan is a vastly underrated slap player, very distinct style.

Yeh I got the 'site may be harmful to your computer' when trying to access through Google. Reported it to mods, have no idea whether the issue has been sorted etc.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1336948883' post='1653215']The fact is Paul doesn't play a 5 very much live these days. Possibly more for recording. [/quote] Paul is a really nice guy and incredibly personable. He won't have meant it quite as literally as has been construed, he's obviously just talking from his own viewpoint rather than making a broad speculation. And he does seem to go through plenty of basses! F-Bass, Stingray 5's, Alleva Coppolos and more recently a Fodera NYC 5 have all featured in his list of 5'ers over the past few years. You always see him come back to his 60's Fender Jazz though.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1337016403' post='1654089'] Why would you drop tune a fiver for Eb? One of it's plus points is the ability to play in Eb without retuning. [/quote] I was rather thinking the same thing! Unless for whatever reason you really needed a low Bb, then it would almost be a total impracticability. All you would need is to get used to getting around with that extra string without relying to heavily on open positions.

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1336649716' post='1648850'] Your bridge saddles would suggest otherwise. [/quote] You've caught me out Steve! My old jazz was different, it was a total dog of a bass

I met Paul a while back and he told me that his Alleva Coppolo was an exception to this but that in the whole he agreed. I don't agree though. Not typically a 5 string player but I've tried a number of 5 strings where this hasn't been the case, including a particularly excellent Elrick I tried yesterday here in Geneva. I guess maybe my opinion might be different if I had extensive experience of playing 5's though.

I'm a big fan of Warp, particularly the Boards of Canada. Squarepusher's stuff is best I think when the bass is sunk in the mix, I'm not mad on the bass playing itself but the sum of the parts is brilliant. Much prefer his older stuff, him and Aphex never cease to amaze me with their music.

There's a lot of stuff that dictates whether or not you 'take care' of your gear, I think what it usually comes down to is the type of music you play, the image you wish to project and finally, just the kind of person you are. Me, I like my gear relatively clean looking, that's just the kind of person I am.

You know I'm a big fan of these BB. Not particularly well known even in the U.S but they are killer basses, and the guys in Rudy's are really helpful.

You know I'm a big fan of these BB. Not particularly well known even in the U.S but they are killer basses, and the guys in R

RIP, huge Beastie Boys fan, I knew he had been ill but I didn't see it coming.

[quote name='MuckedUpFunkies' timestamp='1336082636' post='1640804'] I assumed so I'm just wondering if zoning out (even if not completely) might help the groove feel more fluid though? I know from experience that a group of over concentrating performers has the potential to create a rigid feel which can ruin a song IMO. I suppose the potential to make serious mistakes outweighs the feel of a piece of music? [/quote] It's like riding a bike, isn't it, once you've learnt how to ride there's not always a conscious stream of what your body should and shouldn't be doing in order to keep you balanced and propel you forward. It becomes second nature. If you practice hard enough and are inherently musical then you can afford to keep concentration on what you're doing to a minimum whilst maintaining a bass part that heightens the feel for the rest of your band and the audience.

[quote name='MuckedUpFunkies' timestamp='1336081014' post='1640762']So my question is do you ever zone out during live performances and what are the results? [/quote] Usually disastrous!! I think its fine when you're sat at home playing along to something, the original Watermelon Man from the Headhunters' album does have that slow paced repeating groove that it can be easy to zone out with. Live though I need to be on the ball, otherwise the ball might get dropped! It gets so much harder when you've played a song a thousand times over because you get complacent. I always try and stay alert to the pulse of a tune, not so that the music feels stiff, but so that I know what's going on etc. I know what you mean with the zoning out thing though, and I do do it... I hate getting interrupted when I'm practicing for this reason because I feel like my own little musical space has gotten broken into! That's when you know you're feeling music as opposed to actively concentrating.

One of those rare occasions that I'm blown away by the sheer complexity of technique and breadth of musical understanding from a bass player. Anthony Jackson hits the nail on the head with an impossible bass part that always reminds me of who I think is probably one of the best bass players of all time. Check it out, even if the music isn't your thing, it's really just a showcase of how far someone has been able to push the envelope of bass whilst retaining such a strong musical identity. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GkNoC6nUx4&feature=related

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1336071641' post='1640578'] ...featuring my mate Pete on the fiddle. He's probably the best there is right now, and he's got the world at his feet. The jammy get. The other guitarist is Rufus Miller, Dominic's young'un. [/quote] Congratulations to your friend, that's a great gig! I might have thought that a bit of nepotism might have played a part in that younger lad's appearance. Not that he shouldn't be there either though, clearly he was keeping up and he's definitely from the right stock... Dominic Miller is an unreal guitar player.

Cool stuff, Vinnie is great. Who's the lad on acoustic to the right? A relation of Sting or Dominic Miller's perhaps? Seems very young!

Not nearly as much as you'd think. Sure if you compare it to a documentary about the Beatles perhaps, it's not going to garner the same level of interest. But plenty of people are aware of Jaco Pastorius and the music that he made. Not just bass players, but a wide cross-section of people interested in music.

[quote name='horrorshowbass' timestamp='1335798271' post='1636165'] sweet! just out of interest Grand Wazoo, what didnt you like bout the book? [/quote] I don't know about GW and why he didn't like the book, but Bill Milkowski apparently took quite a lot of liberties in describing Jaco, a number of half-truths and inaccuracies according to the Pastorius family. Luckily I think the main film consultants are the family themselves which should shed a bit more light on his personality from those who knew him best.