EssentialTension

Title says it all. Anyway, I'm playing a lined fretless Jazz bass and no problem there except I'm more of a P bass kind of guy and so is the band I'm using it with. Almost all the fretless P basses seem to be unlined, whereas it appears that J basses are much more often lined. So what are the options for getting a lined fretless P? And if you feel the need you can tell me just to get an unlined P but that's not what I'm asking. Nonetheless [u]all[/u] advice happily received, with thanks.

Here we go:

[quote name='LWTAIT' post='466715' date='Apr 19 2009, 01:43 PM']and the whole ERB thing was a joke, i won't even play a 5 string, never mind an ERB.[/quote] Good. Me too. [quote name='LWTAIT' post='466715' date='Apr 19 2009, 01:43 PM']oh, and please don't call me LW call me Tait, thats what most of people call me. I might get the mods to change my username to Tait sometime, it's easier to say for a start.[/quote] Tait it is, you can call me ET or Dave or 'Oi, you'.

[quote name='LWTAIT' post='466673' date='Apr 19 2009, 12:33 PM']I've never read that before. The Sex Pistols were just the first example that popped into my head, I didn't mean it as an attack on them in particular. And, yeah, Glen Matlock's a pretty good bass player, I'll admit.[/quote] I didn't mean to be criticising your point LW. To be honest I'd always assumed the Pistols couldn't really play and that Spedding didn't just produce it but also played the guitar parts in the studio, with other session guys. I found the quotation when I was trying to establish that he did play the guitar parts. It looks like I was wrong. [quote name='LWTAIT' post='466673' date='Apr 19 2009, 12:33 PM']Old people, eh. If theyre not moaning about ERB's then they're doing their "youth of today" speech.[/quote] Not all of us, I'm 57. Most of the moans about 'youth of today' that I've heard in this and other threads I've been hearing ever since I was a teenager. They were wrong then and they are wrong now (IMNSHO). Mind you, I don't quite get the ERB thing - however old the person playing it is.

[quote name='lee650' post='466541' date='Apr 19 2009, 08:37 AM']And a more deserving chap, i couldnt have gone too really glad your giving it the use i didnt - cheers - lee[/quote] You're too kind, many people are more deserving than me.

Chris Spedding who produced the first Sex Pistols demo thought they could play (minus Sid). He claims his demos were remixed to make it sound as if they couldn't play: Quote: Spedding explains, They are not the same mixes that I did. Dave Goodman, the other producer besides Chris Thomas, went in and re-did them and added a lot of echo to them and added stuff to them. So they'd been marketed as the Spedding tapes, but they are not really my mixes. The mixes I did sound better. I'm quite proud of the Sex Pistols demos, especially when compared to their other later recordings. On my demos you can hear everything quite clearly - the bass and drums are really audible plus you can actually hear what the rhythm and lead guitars are doing. Part of why they (McLaren and the Pistols) didn't like my demo was that because I like R&B, I highlighted their rhythm tracks with a big bass drum and bass aound, particularly because Matlock had some intensely played bass runs. They wanted a guitar soup. I think that whenever you've got an interesting rhythm section like that, a band sounds like they can actually play, and since that was the whole point of my demo - to prove they could play - that's what I pushed. When you have a guitar soup, which is what the demo they recorded later sounds like, you have to face the fact that someone's trying to cover up the fact that they can't play. And that's what McLaren wanted people to think that they couldn't play, that was just an idea, a way of making all this anarchy stuff happen. [url="http://www.chrisspedding.com/session/sp/sp.htm"]Source here[/url] Unquote

[quote name='funkypenguin' post='466489' date='Apr 19 2009, 01:48 AM']Its my opinion (and ONLY an opinion) that many young musicians dont practice enough and dont push themselves.[/quote] And when in history was that not true.

[quote name='lee650' post='464562' date='Apr 16 2009, 11:37 PM']Thats really gorgeous Kev!![/quote] Agreed, congrats to you Kev. [quote name='lee650' post='464562' date='Apr 16 2009, 11:37 PM']Starting to regret selling my WAV now i miss it, oh well ill have to get a CRM5 in the future - enjoy[/quote] But Lee I'm very grateful that you sold it to me!!

[quote name='LWTAIT' post='466247' date='Apr 18 2009, 05:15 PM']sorry, but if we don't have cars and are taking gear to a gig, and have willing parent's, doesn't it make sense for our parent's to take us to the gig? and if our parents know what they're doing, why shouldn't they help out? what's the point in getting the bus then walking 6 miles or whatever else you claim you used to do, when my dad's perfectly willing to take me? and how often do you honestly see the kid doing nothing at all, just standing around looking vaguely interested? i've never seen it, the teenagers tend to do something, even if its just learning how to do it for the future. another thing i'd like to add is how do you lot who are saying "kids only want to be as good as they need to be to get a record deal", know that thats what the kids want? if you came to see me at a gig, you'd probably think i only want to be as good as i have to be to get a record deal, but thats part of being in a band - playing as a band, giving each other room to do what they want, it's not a competition to see who can look most skilled on stage, its about playing songs. songs, not bass solos. if you saw me practising, i can play a lot more and a lot flashier than i do when im on stage, but that doesn't sound right. also, how many of you oldies play in bands where you write music that is both enjoyable to listen to, and is complicated or different? i thought not, the public don't want to listen to a bunch of oldies playing wierd scales that don't quite sound right. they want to listen to catchy rythms o songs that make them feel something. and my last point is that i could easily name a few bands that were terrible when you old people were young, the sex pistols are the first that srping to mind (i just wanna say that i mean terrible as instrumentalists, i actually quite like the sex pistols' music). are you really telling me that music today is even more basic and has lower standards than those of the sex pistols?[/quote] And +1 on that.

[quote name='captain black' post='449161' date='Mar 30 2009, 01:41 AM']I've noticed a proliferation in the numbers of 'Dads Bands' around at the minute. You can see them all over. They're young. Their dads ferry them to 'gigs' and set the gear up for them while they stand around looking vaguely interested. They spend the whole night playing power chords learnt from Tab off the internet while adoring jailbait looks on. The dads stand at the back nodding all the way through and then pack up the gear at the end. The upshot? It's all done for them! They haven't had to do it for themselves. As a kid I had to bus 6 miles to practices then carry my amp and bass about a mile (stopping for many rests) so that by the time I got there I could hardly play. When you learnt your favourite songs you had to LISTEN to the Record ...NO REALLY LISTEN and work out what was going on. You learnt the subtleties. You learnt your trade. You couldn't just google it. So I think your answer lies in the fact that the future generation of bands are missing out on the 'serving your time' part. Also the standard of affordable guitars and basses you learnt on back then, or should I say Planks (hondo etc.), was pretty poor in comparison to what young 'uns have today (not that Dad hasn't bought them a Les Paul anyway). Anyway....Rant over. Ps. Apologies to anyone who helps out with their son's band but you get my point.[/quote] I don't get your point. I help out my son (aged 15) in many ways including helping him with buying equipment or lending him equipment (and he makes his own contribution to that when he can), driving him and his equipment to practices and gigs (and he often takes the bus), paying for his guitar lessons (on the proviso that he is practising and doing his grade exams) and sometimes singing and keyboard lessons too. I don't, however, set up his gear; he doesn't spend the whole night playing power chords learnt from tab off the internet; for him the girls are not 'jailbait' - as you insultingly call them - because they are the same age as he is; I don't stand at the back nodding; I don't pack up the gear at the end. And anyway, I think he'd prefer it if I wasn't there at all as my presence cramps his style and embarrasses him - so I tend to keep out of the way as best I can if I have to be hanging around. And I tell you what - it is not all done for him. He does do it himself. It is true that he has opportunites that many kids don't have (and maybe you didn't have and I certainly didn't have) but it's also true that he hassles for gigs himself, he learns songs himself, he writes songs himself, he practises himself, he turns up for band practices, he's doing well in his GCSEs in Music and Music Technology, and even though he has a father and teachers, he does it himself, like young people do. Now, as for listening to records, he doesn't do much of that because the whole of our family music collection is computerised so it's mp3s. However, although he will use tab sometimes (if he can find one that's actually correct), he uses notation too, and he will and does listen to actual music and then tells me where the tab is wrong or even, sometimes, how I am playing it incorrectly. He does listen and his ear is better than mine. He is learning the subtleties, he is learning what he hopes will be his trade - YOU CAN'T JUST GOOGLE IT - he is serving his time. You're correct that the quality of instruments, especially guitars and basses has improved dramatically. But my first bass (I was 22) was a nine-years-old Hofner Artist that cost me more than a week's wages then. It was nowhere near as good as what you'd get for more than a week's wages now. But, really, you can't blame the young people of today for the improvements in guitar manufacture. But I don't want you to think this is just about my son, because it's about many young musicians. I go to the concerts at his school (which is an ordinary state secondary although with a specialism in music) and the breadth and depth of talent is extraordinary. Not just in pop and rock but in classical, latin, jazz, gospel, rap, drum & bass, choral, etc. And at the out-of-school gigs he does, there's are lots of talented players and singers. Sure, there are less talented kids too but when was that any different? Never. And anyway I really cannot see how you think carrying your amp a mile makes someone a better musician than someone who is fortunate enough to get a lift. YOU CAN'T JUST GOOGLE IT. Rant over.

[quote name='escholl' post='463745' date='Apr 16 2009, 10:40 AM']i remember when all this were fields, mind you...[/quote] Fields? You were lucky. We only had uncleared forests.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='458064' date='Apr 9 2009, 08:09 AM']They're NOT in the UK, but I've had a couple of plates for my Laklands from Jeannie's in the States. They're good and the prices are reasonable too. You can usually find them through eBay as well as Google.[/quote] I believe Jeannie's actually make the pickguards for Lakland.

Last year I spent on equipment roughly the amount I earnt from gigs plus the amount I raised by selling other equipment. So I'd say no, my equipment is not better than I am.

I'm using a Fender Fretless Jazz into a Radial Bassbone channel 2 (with EQ) and an NS WAV 4 EUB through a K&K preamp (with EQ) in to channel 1 of the Bassbone. I keep the EQ pretty much flat, just adjust for anything odd in the acoustics of the room, but this setup makes it very easy to swap instruments with no change in volume by simply kicking one switch. However, I guess the Bassbone is probably not the cheapest way of doing this.

[quote name='bassbloke' post='462392' date='Apr 14 2009, 07:08 PM']The body on the US deluxe jazz is quite a lot smaller than a standard jazz.[/quote] [quote name='warwickhunt' post='462396' date='Apr 14 2009, 07:14 PM']Smaller... I'll do some research but would you know if it was significantly lighter? I need to keep the weight sub 9lb. [/quote] I don't know about the US Deluxe Jazz but my US Deluxe Precision (smaller than the standard P) is 8lbs 5oz.

[b]What [/b]made you the bassist you are today? [i]Not caring about any one genre but wanting to play the bass part whatever the genre.[/i] [b]Who [/b]do you think had the biggest influences on how you play now? [i]Every bass player I've ever heard - mind you, sometimes it would be 'Don't do that'. [/i] [b]Where [/b]do you think you want to go from here? [i]Double bass.[/i] [b]Why [/b]do you think you want to go there? [i]I'm making progress on the EUB.[/i] [b]Do you believe[/b] you have a "personality" on the bass? [i]I always sound like me.[/i] [b]Specialist question:[/b] [b]What [/b]is it you love about that 1971 P-Bass? [i]The flatwound strings.[/i]

[quote name='Spoombung' post='461064' date='Apr 13 2009, 10:35 AM'][b]you have to ring a bell on a closed door - like a sex shop[/b].[/quote] I've heard that too.

yes, he's excellent.

[quote name='casapete' post='455619' date='Apr 6 2009, 04:11 PM']Spot on. Lots of soul/Motown songs are examples of this - play them too fast and the wonderful basslines lose all their meaning/relevance to the song etc. So often I have to adjust the line accordingly. Stuff with a 16's feel seems to get drummers off on one! And songs played in 8's really suffer from being too fast! Maybe we should compile a list of tunes that suffer the most from excess speed (!) - will kick off with a few obvious ones from my experience with covers bands - Honky Tonk Woman Everybody needs somebody (Blues Bros) The Best Living on a prayer Mustang Sally Chelsea dagger Like a virgin My girl Sunshine of your love Smoke on the water Signed sealed delivered Summer of 69 etc etc.......[/quote] Anything and everything by Chuck Berry.

[quote name='SteveK' post='454640' date='Apr 5 2009, 01:21 PM']Mostly it's down to "nerves". Before counting in think about what you are doing,[i]relax[/i] for a few seconds, don't just rush in. Think of the key part of the song, the riff, the chorus melody etc, and hum a couple of bars to yourself and [i]then[/i] count. Sometimes it may be a little fast or sometimes a little slow but you should be "in the ball park". Steve EDIT: casapete, I know that you weren't after advice, but the tip may be of use to someone.[/quote] +1. I'd say that's very good advice - but it only works if you have some grasp of the correct tempo in the first place.

[quote name='casapete' post='454600' date='Apr 5 2009, 12:25 PM']Anyway, why do most bands play covers so much faster than the original versions? Okay, I know that live most of the original bands probably increase the tempos a tad, but cover bands always seem to be off like f**k!! IMHO the majority of great rock songs are written with specific tempos/keys in mind, and altering them just ruins it! Classic example is the Stones 'Honky Tonk Woman' - grooves like hell at the original speed,turns into crap when played too fast.[/quote] I have constantly griped about this in several bands (and sometimes get support from others). Over and over again I say 'It's too fast, it's got no dance, it's just running off, no feel'. Sometimes, if I'm copying the original bassline which for a standard tune I might well do, I have to say 'I can't play this line that fast' and then before I'm accused of being not good enough to play it 'that fast' I have to point out that the line was not written to be played that fast and if the song was going to be that fast it would have had a different bassline. If you are going to play a song at a faster (or slower) tempo you won't necessarily use the same line at that altered tempo, it may need a different line. Am I right?

I have one and it's very good but it won't power everything. For example I have an Electro-Harmonix Black Finger compressor which has it's own 12volt AC adaptor. If you've got pedals with their own adaptors just look to see what power they are giving and if it's AC or DC - it will be on the adaptor somewhere. The Brick has seven 9v DC outputs and three 18v DC outputs and can deliver up to 1000 milliamps. Most pedals use about 30 milliamps.

[quote name='BassMunkee' post='445964' date='Mar 26 2009, 01:30 PM']TED PARSONS - Swans, Prong, Killing Joke, Godflesh, Jesu, etc... If you want metronomic timing, this man is your man. He's a fekkin machine. [/quote] I read somewhere that Duck Dunn was asked if he ever played with a drum machine and he said 'Yeah, Al Jackson'.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='444493' date='Mar 24 2009, 11:15 PM']BTW, I don't have a problem with shifts in tempo - as long as it's planned and deliberate, rather than accidental or alcohol / adrenaline induced.[/quote] +1 on that. I play with one drummer whose timekeeping is extremely good. However, there are times when he'll speed up (i.e. speed the band up) if in his estimate the tempo is too slow (or slow it down is he thinks it's too fast). In other words he can keep a strict tempo but he takes control of the tempo and makes sure it's the correct tempo - usually when the singer or guitarist have started too slow or too fast. So, he sometimes speeds up but when does he's in control. He's extremely easy and reliable to play with. Most other drummers I play with have a tendency to speed up with excitement at least sometimes. As a bassist, the question I always ask myself about a drummer is 'does he (or she) know where the 'one' is at least as well as I do?'. The answer ought to be 'yes'.

Steve sold me a Radial Bassbone on behalf of a friend of his. All was neat, tidy, smooth and fast. Highly recommended.