EssentialTension

[quote name='Spoombung' post='842984' date='May 20 2010, 12:02 PM']Funnily enough, the 'standard' two finger technique has quite a few flaws in itself - ie, crossing strings, upstrokes and limited dampening... and is far from ideal.[/quote] I find the biggest flaw with the two finger technique is that my middle finger never sounds exactly the same as my index finger - so, as long as the line allows it, I'll often use index finger only for consistency of tone.

[quote name='Lo.' post='844420' date='May 21 2010, 05:32 PM']Hi - I have many videos up on youtube showing the hook technique. It is definitely the best way to approach his lines. The floating thumb allows you to mute using the tip or side of the thumb. Because I normally use two fingers I have always struggled to rest my middle finger on the pickup cover like Jamerson did. The Motown tone is all about fat flatwounds, high action and bass bridge muting under the cover (on top of strings, not under them). There are also many heavily compressed/limited Jamerson recordings where the natural sound of his bass is given more attack by the limiter. Despite the the reduction in dynamic range the benefits of this were that you can hear lots of very fast lines that would be too low in volume if the limiter wasn't used - as Jamerson played faster, the notes were quieter, as his hook couldn't travel as far. Cheers. [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook"]http://www.youtube.com/user/jamersonshook[/url][/quote] Hey, Lo. I've been preparing for an audition with a soul/motown band next week and your videos have been very handy. So, thanks.

I've got an audition on Wednesday for a soul/motown band for which I've been learning about 20 songs. I've got most of them cracked well enough but with Bernard Edwards' line on Sister Sledge's [i]Thinking of You[/i] I'm feeling I haven't cracked the little (ghost note?) details properly. I ordered a copy of Stuart Clayton's [i]Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards: Funk & Disco Grooves[/i] from Bassline but no sign of it being sent to me yet. So, has anyone got some quality notation (or even tab) for [i]Thinking of You[/i] that they could email to me or post here? Thanks in advance. EDIT: I've just now been busking along to that again and I'm feeling much happier but still wouldn't mind seeing some notation if anyone has it.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='839197' date='May 16 2010, 08:22 PM']... the heel of the palm sat on the pickup cover, the fingers pulled against the tugbar (as it was known), and you plucked the strings with your thumb - that was the plan. It stayed that way until the early 1970s. Classic Vibes and other reissues usually recreate how it used to be. BTW, nice bass.[/quote] [quote name='slapthatbass' post='839288' date='May 16 2010, 09:33 PM']I have always wondered about that, but then why is it called a thumb rest, in that position shouldn't it be called a fingers rest, or a useless rest, or a Get in the way of slapping rest? I had an old Fender Jazz bass with the thumb rest in the correct position above the E string.[/quote] As I said above, it was commonly known as a tugbar. It wasn't known as a thumb rest until it actually became a thumb rest. Fender moved it above the E string in the 1970s. Personally, I'd rather have it in the tugbar position where it's completely out of the way and doesn't interfere with my playing.

[quote name='cameltoe' post='839168' date='May 16 2010, 07:54 PM']... move the thumb rest from underneath the strings, to above the pickup as I badly need a thumb anchor. (why oh why do they put them underneath the strings? what's the point?)[/quote] ... the heel of the palm sat on the pickup cover, the fingers pulled against the tugbar (as it was known), and you plucked the strings with your thumb - that was the plan. It stayed that way until the early 1970s. Classic Vibes and other reissues usually recreate how it used to be. BTW, nice bass.

[quote name='funkle' post='837882' date='May 15 2010, 08:08 AM']Is this going to be alder, or ash-bodied?[/quote] I don't know but my guess would be ash for the Skyline and either ash or alder for a US - like the other models.

[quote name='JTUK' post='837759' date='May 14 2010, 11:52 PM']As for the whole debate... does it matter that much to go to 10 pages..?[/quote] What matters is people saying you're sh*t if you don't rate MK above G*d.

[quote name='Johngh' post='837589' date='May 14 2010, 08:26 PM']I think the point that is being lost here is that Mr King, if you like him or not did do a lot to bring bass playing to the masses. I think you have to have been around at the time of Level 42's heyday to appreciate that. I was and I did ![/quote] I was around then too and had been for a long time ... and I didn't and don't appreciate it.

[quote name='Marvin' post='837497' date='May 14 2010, 06:59 PM']Skank is simply resting. So please, unless you feel it's just a lie down you need, stay around.[/quote] I am sitting back comfortably.

[quote name='Rettoglide1' post='837236' date='May 14 2010, 02:56 PM']Like i said b4 -If you've been playing for any amount of time or are any kind of decent musician you will know the Level 42's records are musically and technically superior to RHCH just by listening, or watching.[/quote] This is so sad and ridiculous I think I may do a Skank Delvar.

[quote name='peterG' post='836802' date='May 14 2010, 07:18 AM']he really changed the bassworld.[/quote] Not for me he didn't.

[quote name='peterG' post='836675' date='May 13 2010, 10:12 PM']It is a strange comparison. Flea is just a good bassplayer in one off the most popular bands but as a bassplayer he doesn't do anything special; he is just a very good bassplayer and his basslines are nice but nothing special. When i heard him first I did not understand the excitement. All the bassplayers in the 80's , including me, were already playing things like that. Mark King is a complete different story. I was not really in to him(I was into Marcus miller and Jaco) but he created a style that maybe already existed but not at that level. He really brought something new to the bassworld. And he made bass so popular.[b]Before him nobody wanted to play the bass,[/b] after him everybody including Flea wanted to play the bass. His style is a bit dated these days and nobody listens to him anymore but he is one of the most influencial bassplayers of all time. Flea will never reach that status. RHCP brought a new sound to the musicworld but not to the bassworld. Mark King did![/quote] Are you seriously saying that before Mark King nobody wanted to play bass? What a load of nonsense.

[quote name='Jamesemt' post='834364' date='May 11 2010, 04:24 PM']Thanks for all the replies - got a few days so I'll leave it and see what happens...[/quote] Don't burst it, regular surgical spirit, turn up the volume, play more lightly.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='832986' date='May 10 2010, 12:50 PM']What is this? A game of top trumps?[/quote] I already asked that on page one.

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='832569' date='May 9 2010, 09:11 PM']To me the Big Al looks exactly like it was designed in the late 50s/early 60s! It looks like it ought to be stuck to a Cadillac, and not in a good way IMHO. I guess YMMV...[/quote] It looks like a late 1950s design style-wise to me as well, which I'd say is good. Maybe like something from, say, Hagstrom.

[quote name='Rettoglide1' post='832353' date='May 9 2010, 04:56 PM']Im new here ... ...who on here has achieved as much as Mark? nobody!![/quote] Although being new is usually irrelevant, in this case if you are new then you can't possible know whether anybody here has achieved as much as Mark King. [quote name='Rettoglide1' post='832353' date='May 9 2010, 04:56 PM']LISTEN TO THE MUSIC.[/quote] I have - and I can't bear it. I'm not aggressive to King (or anyone I hope) but, for me, it's soul-less nonsense. Sorry, but that's what it does for me. Your experience may vary.

I was in a covers band. I played the band a song that I thought we might do and the vocalist said 'I don't know that song I'd have to learn it'. I said 'We'll all have to learn it, we do it all the time.' She said 'But I'll have to learn the words and the tune.'

[quote name='chriswilliams666' post='829066' date='May 5 2010, 10:24 PM']I work at a Former-Lakland Dealer. The distributor Headline (PRS) are no longer doing it, and looking at the Lakland site it says GuitarGuitar are the new distributor. And they have LOADS in stock![/quote] Ok I'm with you now. I didn't quite understand.

[quote name='chriswilliams666' post='829010' date='May 5 2010, 09:33 PM']It isn't different.[/quote] It is. Check the upper horn. DJ4: 44-75: [quote name='chriswilliams666' post='829010' date='May 5 2010, 09:33 PM']Although any news on a new UK distributor?[/quote] I don't there's any reason to think distribution will change. The former Chief Operations Officer (John Pirruccello) is now the Chief Executive Officer - so although Dan Lakin has gone I expect it's pretty much business as usual.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='828977' date='May 5 2010, 09:09 PM']I think it's a good idea to keep this bass in their catalogue! Is this officially released or incoming?[/quote] Not out yet, I think. I saw it at the LOG forum. US version first and Skyline later. 55-75 too. I can't quite see how it's different to the DJ.