risingson

Pino Palladino said "as you get older your tone knob creeps down and your right hand goes further up the neck". Enjoy bass playing for what it is, simplifying doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your enjoyment of the instrument. I know you'll be well aware already but warm up before gigs as well, it makes all the difference having your hand muscles ready to play quicker paced stuff.

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='1338426' date='Aug 13 2011, 08:47 AM']Anyone else get this ??????[/quote] No, although in the unlikely event of this happening I'd reharmonize stuff and make it very difficult for the offender to continue to copy me! Jesting aside, my keyboardist will join his left hand with what I'm doing occasionally if what I'm playing is very riff-based. Stuff like this is fine and you should never get too annoyed at someone trying to help you fill out the low end with different kind of voicing like keys or organ if the song calls for it. But if it is a result of lack of spacial awareness then it's all down to lack of musicianship, and you should be letting that person know that them doubling what you're playing sounds ridiculous and that they're stepping on your toes... and ultimately making it harder to fulfill your role in the band.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1333665' date='Aug 9 2011, 03:01 PM']Key artists A Tribe Called Quest Brand New Heavies Brooklyn Funk Essentials Corduroy Count Basic D*Note Digable Planets DJ Krush Erik Truffaz Erykah Badu Funki Porcini Gang Starr Gilles Peterson Groove Collective Incognito James Taylor Quartet Jamiroquai Jazzanova Kruder & Dorfmeister Liquid Soul Ronny Jordan Stereo MCs St. Germain Thievery Corporation United Future Organization Urban Species US3 VASSY Young Disciples Azymuth The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Bird Blazzaj Blue Six Bonobo The Cat Empire Clazziquai Directions In Groove DJ Cam DJ Greyboy Dodge City Productions Dreamlin Drizabone D'Sound DZihan & Kamien Elektrotwist Fat Freddy's Drop Five Point Plan Freak Power Four 80 East Greyboy Allstars Gota Yashiki Heavyshift Jaga Jazzist Jazzhole Jazztronik Jestofunk Kanda, Kodža i Nebojša Koop Kyoto Jazz Massive Liquid Soul Luke Vibert [7] Los Amigos Invisibles Marius Kahan Mark Farina Medeski, Martin, and Wood Melvin Sparks Mojack Moloko Moodymann Mondo Grosso Monday Michiru Mr. Scruff Muki Noel McKoy Nicola Conte Nujabes Omar Lye-Fook OutKast Paolo Achenza Trio Paul Moran Phil Davis Praful Reuben Wilson rad. RJD2 Skalpel Smoke City Snowboy Soulive Swing Out Sister S-Tone Inc. The Cinematic Orchestra Wax Tailor Xploding Plastix[/quote] Wow, a lot of these guys couldn't be further away from what is collectively known as acid-jazz, I don't know where you got the list from but it ain't really right! A Tribe Called Quest were a Brooklyn NYC hip-hop collective, Erykah Badu was part of the Neo-Soul/Soulquarian group of musicians also based mostly in New York, Bonobo is a recent electronic artist on the Ninja Tune label (which did have some acid jazz artists on it but Bonobo isn't one of them), The Cinematic Orchestra are Manchester based down tempo jazz, The Cat Empire are from Australia... etc! I could go on, and whilst a lot of the artists on the list may have influenced/been influenced by acid jazz as a genre, the list isn't indicative of artists usually associated with the movement. [/pedantic]

[quote name='mike257' post='1337746' date='Aug 12 2011, 03:11 PM']The guy I bought my Sandberg off (the most excellent Mr Cougar, who I haven't seen on here in a long time... wonder where he went?) thought the coil tap switch was the active/passive, and got a right shock when I text him to let him know I'd found the push pull pot that actually did it![/quote] I thought the same when I tried their HJ model! Also in passive mode doesn't one of the EQ knobs become your passive tone?

I'll send you my home address if you don't mind so that you can ship this bass to me right away beautiful. Absolutely lovely.

Been listening to these guys ever since they started out and have seen 'em a few times, DJ sets and band. They're good!

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1332257' date='Aug 8 2011, 03:41 PM']I just don't get this gear thing. A bass is a bass. If I turn up and the bass player has a Fender I don't give a rat's a***. If he has a Ken Smith I may think 'ugly f****** bass' but I still don't give a rat's a***. [b]Its the music that matters.[/b][/quote] Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you! This is the problem with many gear-nuts, they think there are rules to what you can play and what you can't. There aren't. And to a large extent, the gear you'll end up using (whether it's a £10 bass or a £10,000 pound bass) will go by unnoticed both sonically and aesthetically.

[quote name='tiredolddog' post='1330367' date='Aug 6 2011, 09:27 PM']Was listening to Fort Knox Five 'reminted' most of the afternoon - now I'm listening to the Simon Bolivar Orchestra do the proms. Astonishing.[/quote] Love Fort Knox Five, great hip hop!

[quote name='ficelles' post='1331611' date='Aug 8 2011, 01:09 AM']Still not found a set of flats I like, they are all too high tension for me especially the G. Any low tension set recommendations? ficelles[/quote] Thomastik's are a lower tension, but often for this reason don't have the same cred as the La Bellas do for example. They're easier on necks as well.

I used flats on my old P and they were wonderful. Don't like them for rock as much but for hip-hop and R&B they're amazing.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1331299' date='Aug 7 2011, 07:48 PM']You seem to be missing the point I'm making, which is, as I often say, [i]different vinegar strokes for different folks[/i]. If you play in an Indie band a Fodera will be wasted on you. If you're playing Mustang Sally at the Dog and Bollock, you're not going to need an Alembic Series II. So it's always best to choose whats best for you, and what suits you. Of course, that is not always going to suit my tastes...but then its not my bass and I'm not the one playing it. That said, risingson, I know how you like to throw yourself on the pyre and take issue with everything I say so I expect you to miss my point entirely. Indeed, if you understood it how would you ever complain? [/quote] Not true at all Chris, it's just that the comments you make always male you appear like you have a big chip on your shoulder on certain issues. The point here being that you should be able to play whatever bass you want, regardless of genre or the band you're in. You're assumption that an Alembic would be ill-suited to a pub band is just a testament to this. Who in your mind sets these kinds of rules? Play what you want, if you think a boutique bass is suitable for your band then buy an Alembic.

Because I thought it was going to be easy to play! I got asked by some friends at school to join their band, one of them was getting a guitar, the other was getting drums. I play guitar as well but I've got much more of an affinity for bass, it's a much more powerful instrument.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1331204' date='Aug 7 2011, 06:43 PM']We're in the grip of indie rock and the pub-banger scene is huge in the UK which often equates to tatty gear. As far as I can tell, the studio scene in the US is better and there is a massive Gospel scene too where boutique basses are par for the course. Not to mention a livelier fusion scene too.[/quote] I'm not sure what this comment is meant to mean? There are indie bands and bar-bands on both sides of the pond that favour Fender and more vintage gear. The problem has less to do with this stupid and tired 'tatty gear' argument and more to do with the fact that you're unable to accept that for some people, that's the kind of gear that suits their music the best and can be the most functional for what they're doing.

[quote name='JTUK' post='1331105' date='Aug 7 2011, 05:37 PM']Nope, not forgetting that at all... but there is a huge differnce between different in taste and just god-damn-haven't-a-clue awful. I'm talking about the latter in this regard.[/quote] One man's meat is another man's poison etc. I'm not at all keen on John Entwhistle's tone but it was thoroughly unique, there's no contesting it.

Congrats on the new bass! Get familiar with what the instrument does, what it sounds like, how you approach playing it. Make it an aim to learn a simple tune so you can feel happy with yourself that you know something on your new instrument, there's no beating the feeling of pride in nailing that first ever song on bass. I'd recommend buying some instructional material as well. Also, have a look on Youtube for beginner lessons and tips. A quick search brought me to this guy [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koZpFObCSis&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koZpFObCSis...;feature=relmfu[/url] who seems to have the right idea about the basics of bass. Good luck with it all.

[quote name='arthurhenry' post='1330862' date='Aug 7 2011, 12:41 PM']Probably dry solder joints. A simple job for a repair man, but might take a while to find the joints in need of repair, which could add to the cost.[/quote] +1, take it for a checkup and a resoldering, shouldn't be massively expensive if you take it to the right store.

[quote name='dan2112' post='1330554' date='Aug 7 2011, 01:22 AM']+1 (had my eyes more on him than John Mayer!!!)....though probably wouldn't cost much to do a bitsa bass?[/quote] He's cooler than John Mayer IMO and is less prone to saying stupid things! Both sickeningly good guitarists though. On the bass front, possibly not, but they tend to charge through the roof for stuff like this.

[quote name='dan2112' post='1330337' date='Aug 6 2011, 08:52 PM']When I saw John Mayer live, his guitarist was using a tele version of that bass. Looked very cool [attachment=86436:23715_14...839502_n.jpg][/quote] David Ryan Harris... amazing player. I like the bass more than anything Fender have put out recently, but i get the feeling I won't be so forthcoming with the price of it.

[quote name='ossie' post='1329412' date='Aug 6 2011, 12:01 AM']I often wonder why Jaco used a Jazz Bass when he could probably have had anything he wanted. At the top of his game, I would imagine that any manufacturer would have given anything for him to be seen with their gear.[/quote] They tried to give him all sorts, he was the biggest bass player on the planet. He had two Jaydees made for him shortly before his death as well. But Jaco carved out a sound for himself, which love it or hate it was definitely a distinct sound and that sound had a lot to do with his Jazz basses. You've got to hand it to him, he was a man who knew what worked for him and never got caught up taking on every endorsement deal under the sun. As for Jeff Berlin, technically brilliant but that's it as far as I'm concerned. He just loves riding the waves of controversy and has a big chip on his shoulder. My guess is that he's always felt that he's been in the shadow of bigger players, and the way he talks about music is just stupid, almost like he's got no clue at times what point he's trying to make.

[quote name='chardbass' post='1329898' date='Aug 6 2011, 01:47 PM']I can remember being blown away by AJ's lines and some of those ridiculous, out-there fills and figures on Naughty and Whatcha but feeling (slightly) relieved to read that he was allowed the time to re-compose and re-record all of his lines (not sure which ones tho)[/quote] All of them I think! Arif Mardin must have been mad for letting him do it, but if you're that passionate about a project then why not. It's still mind-blowing bass playing though, so intense and harmonically interesting.

Steve Ferrone was on kit for most of What Cha Gonna Do For Me and Naughty, as was Anthony Jackson on bass... as far as I'm concerned some of the most amazing bass put down on record. Will Lee filled in on a few tunes as well I think.

Why not? There's no rules set in stone with anything, maybe you could make it a 'thing' people start doing.

[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' post='1327866' date='Aug 4 2011, 10:00 PM']Marcus doesn't have high standards of tone, you say? It doesn't take much effort for you to get a better tone than him, you say?? Go and dig out "The Nightfly" by Donald Fagen, have a listen to "Maxine" and "The Goodbye Look" and reconsider those statements. Then post something you played on that demonstrates how you get a better tone.[/quote] Quite. Marcus's slap tone isn't my thing, but I can't help thinking this might be because so many single slap bass players have ripped his sound off and I've just got tired of hearing it. On the other hand, you simply cannot deny his adaptability to so many musical situations and his extraordinary skill as a bass player. You just do not get work with the biggest names in New York City without being that adaptable.

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1327680' date='Aug 4 2011, 07:41 PM']Marcus Miller has played a jazz bass as his main bass for years...reason to suspect he doesn't have the highest standards of tone...confirmed when you listen to him![/quote] Ahh, MM's lack of standards! That explains why he's one of the most recorded and revered bass players of all time I suppose.