EssentialTension

[quote name='Rich44' post='706860' date='Jan 9 2010, 06:29 PM']I'm mixed handed (not ambidextrous but do different things predominately with certain hands), but its often struck me how odd how "right handed" playing requires the most dexterity and precision (arguably that is) from the left hand? One would assume due its increased usage the right hand would be more suitable for fretboard playing? And if playing guitar (a dual handed activity) does improve the coordination/dexterity and muscle memory in both hands, could any right handed person learn left-handed, or vice versa? Would you gain anything from practicing both ways?[/quote] I wouldn't underestimate the dexterity needed in the right-hand (of a right-handed player). However, anyone can learn either way around. After all, classically trained violinists all play right-handed instruments - and it's not only the violinists. But if people want or feel the need to play left-handed that's fine with me.

[quote name='Tinman' post='706825' date='Jan 9 2010, 05:56 PM']There's nothing much wrong with the Behringer PA kit, used it for ages, until our singer decided to connect it up wrong and fry a power amp. It would be perfect for what you're after and reasonably priced too.[/quote] OK, thanks. I will look at them.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='706796' date='Jan 9 2010, 05:39 PM']How many channels do you actually need, Dave? Your list of uses seems to suggest that an 8-channel desk (plus a power amp) will do you, but is that right? What about bells'n'whistles? Do you need or use multiple FX and/or compression, etc.?[/quote] On FX/compression we've been using reverb but not anything else, I think. (I feel this is not my field really but the others are even less competent than me.) However I guess a mixer/amp with some multi FX/compression would be useful. Eight channels ought to suffice even if (as we hope to) we add another instrument but I always like to see some headroom in these things if possible. We are not a loud band so the PA is not going to be miking/DIing the backline at all.

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='706771' date='Jan 9 2010, 05:21 PM']If you want to continue using your existing speakers and monitors, you could go for an amp and a small desk - probably cost you less than £400, especially if you went down the Behringer route. You could spend the lot on a pair of Mackie powered speakers and something like a little Peavey PV10 desk, but you woud need an amp to run your monitors (unless they are powered).[/quote] Thanks John. This is the kind of possibilites I want to hear. The monitors are unpowered. Perhaps wrongly, I'm slightly dubious about the Behringer route. Let's hear some more please.

[quote]...The fretboard has detached itself ...[/quote] [quote name='Ou7shined' post='706765' date='Jan 9 2010, 05:17 PM']In at least 4 pieces? Is this one of those cases of spontaneous bass self-annihilation you here about?[/quote] Well, it's what we in the business call auto-defretting. It's rare but one sometimes comes across it, especially on a loft bass as rare as this one. Although I'd agree that in excess of four pieces is uncommon.

[quote name='funkygreega' post='706747' date='Jan 9 2010, 05:01 PM']Best - Bass Gallery Worst (and by a clear mile) - GAK[/quote] You see I would have put GAK as best because that's my experience. So I'm not sure what we are really going to learn from this thread except that most places (if not all) can mess up at least sometimes so that someone is going to put them as worst because that was the experience they had.

The singer's PA mixer amp has given up the ghost so we're looking for a replacement for pubs and other small venues. Line up has been drums (small kit, often brushes, not usually miked), bass through backline, acoustic guitar/mandolin/ukulele through backline, acoustic guitar through PA, four vocal mikes (one of those doubling for harmonica). We have two Peavey 300 watt 8 ohms main speakers and two Carlsboro 100 watt 8 ohms monitors and maximum of £700 to spend - although ideally we have other plans for £250 of that. What can anyone suggest as a sensible way forward?

No.

I'm a big blues fan and I'd certainly support the comments about its importance to modern popular song forms. However, I think one of the reasons that blues has got a bad name - a boring name perhaps - is because, since the British blues boom of the late '60s, your average pub blues band or pub blues jam has a strong tendency to repeat the same old songs in the same old arrangement. So pub blues has increasingly less and less reference back to, say, Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf, to Skip James or Robert Johnson, but instead merely repeats the way, say, Fleetwood Mac or Savoy Brown or whoever did it. There are standard arrangements of a limited list of blues songs such that the tradition has a tendency to petrification. I don't mean to over-generalize because I know there are plaenty of both traditionalist and creative blues musicians around but I hope people might get my point.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='706674' date='Jan 9 2010, 03:47 PM']Just so long as it's only four pieces ... I'd have been concerned if it had been, maybe, seven or something. [/quote] Ah, but when he finds the other three pieces it will be seven ... what will you do then Jack?

Stop worrying folks because: [quote]THE FRETBOARD HAS BEEN FOUND - see new photos 9 and 10. It is in 4 pieces and I would estimate it is is 70% there, so should be useful as a pattern.[/quote]

Guitar version here: [url="http://www.theguitarcollection.org.uk/gallery8/tuxedo.html"]http://www.theguitarcollection.org.uk/gallery8/tuxedo.html[/url]

[quote name='basshead56' post='705898' date='Jan 8 2010, 07:20 PM']Had a similar idea re pickups and the dean, though mine would be the cabbie! Thanks Dave, And Happy Belated Birthday! [/quote] Ah, thanks very much.

[quote name='basshead56' post='705772' date='Jan 8 2010, 05:23 PM']Really? That´s strange. The two I´ve played (one cabbie, one seafoam green) sounded great. Both were run through an Ampeg SVT 200T and 4x10HLF. Both sounded exactly the same, though the green one had a bit more Hum with the tone on full whack. Perhaps anything sounds good with that Ampeg! I really want the cabbie bass though! Didn´t know they were guitar pickups. Interesting.[/quote] Maybe I was playing a duff one - it was sunburst. I love the seafoam finish. I recall reading at another bass chat place (maybe TB) about someone who had replaced the pickups with TV Jones bass pickups and another who replaced them with some custom made jobs. IIRC, both said that the stock pickups were guitar pickups. And an interesting review here at BC saying something similar: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1308"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1308[/url] I'd still really like one in seafoam with TV Jones Thundertrons like this:

[quote name='ahpook' post='705838' date='Jan 8 2010, 06:15 PM']ah, of course...a lot of it's been poured into old wounds... [/quote] ...yet again...

[quote name='basshead56' post='705524' date='Jan 8 2010, 02:30 PM']Dean Stylist (Cabbie version)[/quote] I played one of those (although not the Cabbie finish) and thought the sound was very poor. I've since been led to believe thay have six-string guitar pickups.

[quote name='ahpook' post='705685' date='Jan 8 2010, 04:26 PM']it's friday...maybe we should all chip in and get some more beers. oh, and a few pinches of salt - i reckon some people could do with them [/quote] Unfortunately there's a shortage of salt at the moment.

There are medium (i.e. 32") scale MIJ Fender Jazz and Precision but I never heard of a JV Squier version.

[quote name='thunderbird13' post='704019' date='Jan 7 2010, 12:24 PM']Did Visconti play bass on The man who sold the World - some fantastic bass playing on that[/quote] Yes, according to Visconti's book [i]Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy[/i].

[quote name='William James Easton' post='703786' date='Jan 7 2010, 07:01 AM']Brian Wilson was very underrated.[/quote] 'Many of the bass parts on Beach Boys recordings were played by Carol Kaye.' Discuss. However, even if she did play them I would guess that Wilson's input was important. So +1.

[quote name='SteveK' post='703883' date='Jan 7 2010, 10:19 AM']Okay, no sniggering though [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3Usn3mFgI"]Embarrassing clip[/url][/quote] OK, definitely no sniggering here but I have to say nice dancing. Mind you, that note, reminded me of my own fretless playing. Spicy.

[quote name='SteveK' post='703850' date='Jan 7 2010, 09:45 AM']I wouldn't argue that I'm reminded of a record that I played on in 1981, which, incidentally, made number 6 (IIRC) in t'charts. There's a line in the chorus, octaves played from root, Maj 3rd, 5th. One time I accidentally played a b5. Went back in to the control room to apologize for my goof, and [i]could I do it again[/i]. Producer said it was perfect (?) and I should do it again, and [i]this time[/i] play the b5 every time... Who was I to argue with Tony Visconti.[/quote] Steve, you should reveal what the song was so we can decide whether we agree with Visconti. Also, we could ask John Taylor what he thought of it.

Not only 'RARE' but also 'WOW !!!'.

Underrated as a bass player and has his own (large) sofa: