Krysbass

[quote name='Boy Thunder' post='100616' date='Dec 7 2007, 01:08 AM']To be honest... John_the_bass... ^^^^^ up there... helped me unload it from my van then we went to the pub... I've not checked it at all yet.... I'll give it a thrang in the morning and if all goes well then I'll be well happy... If not then it'll be straight back to the shop and my ashdown will take its place at the gig... Embers still glowing.... [/quote] Hope your new 715X is OK. The basic 715 happens to be fairly near the top of a shortlist of combos I'm currently GASing for. I have to say that story has moved it a little higher. There are a few manufacturers whose products have a worse reputation for going wrong than Trace Elliott, but I guess it's how far they'll go to put matters right that counts.

[quote name='largo' post='100864' date='Dec 7 2007, 02:18 PM']I've been looking at the Phil Jones Bass Flightcase for just this, pricey though ![/quote] The PJB Flightcase actually isn't much bigger than the Line 6 110 I'm currently using and I've been considering it myself as a possible replacement for this, for use in both rehearsals and gigs as it has more power and can still be hooked up to the pa. The fact that 2 of the 4 speakers are angled upwards would certainly get round having to put my Line 6 on top of a bar stool so I can hear myself over the rest of the band! My only concern is that its 4 x 5" speakers in the PJB Flightcase only have about the same combined surface area as the 1x10" speaker in the Line 6, so I'm wondering how much low-end it would actually deliver on its own before running out of steam?

I have the Line 6 studio 110 and am using it in our weekly rehearsals where it initially got a few envious comments from our guitarists since it's smaller and more portable than their combos! I need to hear myself clearly (or my playing goes to pieces) and to do this I perch the Line 6 on top of a bar stool angled upwards. However, I also found that in "Clean" mode (my preferred sound) I had to roll off quite a bit of bass to stop the speaker "pharting" itself into oblivion at the required volume (over 2 guitarists an electronic drum kit and a vocalist). To get the low end back again, I hooked it up to the pa. Have to add that I'm currently looking to buy a more powerful amp for gigs, but the Line 6 will continue to be used for rehearsals. It depends how important it is that you hear what you're playing, but I'd guess that anything rated at 30 watts or less is going to struggle, unless the rest of the band can turn down.

Thanks for that advice - I was wondering whether to take the trouble to track down a 715 to try it out and still might do that - I have to admit; there is some of that "old time's sake" thing going on with me there. In the meantime, I've also spotted the Eden Nemesis NC115, which, (as with the Trace) features built-in compression and weighs in at just 19kg - so I might give that a try too. I'm a bit limited on budget I guess, but I want to get something that I'm going to be happy with long term. I was thinking along the lines of a mini-rig too for a while centred around an Ashdown Superfly and small cab(s) - possibly DIY built. However, I'm a bit dubious now about the Superfly and Ashdown gear in general having read reports of some persistent faults, although it looks like Ashdown's customer service tends to score high in putting matters right.

Been rehearsing with a covers band for a few weeks now and whilst I'm getting by OK with my Line 6 Lowdown Studio 110 in rehearsals, it looks like I'm going to have to get something with a bit more grunt for gigs. I tried out an Ashdown EB180-15, liked the sound and considered going for the MAG 300watt version until I clocked the new Trace Elliot 715 combo. I've always thought about treating myself to some TE gear, but never too seriously until now. I like the features in the new 715 - particularly the 7-band graphic, tweeter, built-in compression and the relatively portable cabinet size. However, as the only reviews I've been able to track down seem to be for the older 715 which has a larger cabinet and probably pre-dates Peavey's current ownership of TE, I'd be Interested to hear any views on the current 715 or any suggestions for alternatives within the same budget (up to £550).

[quote name='Boy Thunder' post='93897' date='Nov 24 2007, 08:16 PM']That Westone III is a beauty...lovely guitar I have loads of them... my ambition is to own at least one of each model... I have recently acquired a Thunder III in the fretless version.. Still trying to get to grips with it though as I've been used to fretted basses for so long.. I think my pride is a Thunder II heelless in Pearl... Don't see too many of them around... I've been a fan of Westones since the early 90s. Are you on the westone forum? If, by any miracle, you choose to sell it then I'd be happy to give it a loving home.... Anyway... enjoy it.... Peace[/quote] Thanks for the compliment - it's good to hear from another Westone devotee. I'm on the Westone forum too. I must admit, I've thought about selling the Thunder III a few times, but I've never been able to find anything to replace it, up to the same standard in materials and build quality, that doesn't cost 3 or 4 times the money I'd get for the Thunder III. Have to say that I enjoy the rarity value these days, since there's nothing new out there that looks like a Westone Thunder. No offence to anyone; but visually it can't be mistaken for a copy of anything else, so it's probably going to stay with me for the forseeable future. It's my main bass in the band I've recently joined, so hopefully its retirement is some way off yet.

MB1. You didnt go with the Westone then! George Anderson JR was, and still is Shakataks long time bassist and a long time Jaydee user(got together with John Diggins to create the Jaydee studio model the G.A),dont know anything about Henry depping though! [/quote] For a few minutes, I thought about jacking in bass totally after seeing Henry Thomas play. Mark King nearly had the same effect on me, so getting myself a half-decent bass was my attempt to make sure I stuck with it, which maybe goes to prove that GAS can be useful. Re. Shakatak, looks like I was fed some duff info there - have to say that I saw Shakatak live around 1981 and I don't recall it being HT doing the bass then either. That wraps that mystery up then.

[quote name='Rich' post='91229' date='Nov 20 2007, 08:24 AM']Yup exactly, it's all practice... can be daunting at first but you soon get used to it. The real challenge comes when you've got a complex bass part with a totally different vocal line. I don't know how Mark King does it, it's easily the most impressive aspect of his playing. More difficult than singing and playing, is talking and playing. Try it some time, just carry out a normal coversation while you play. Impossible! [/quote] +1. My son asked me a simple question requiring just a "Yes" or "No" answer the other day while I was practicing over a backing track. The result was a bass-related train-wreck I'm ashamed to say.

I still have the rock and funk episodes of Rockschool on VHS. Rockschool also did a tour of live shows and having seen/heard Henry giving it loads on his Westone Thunder III, the decision on what bass I had to have was an easy one.

Having played on/off since the 80's I only decided to make the effort to learn some theory in the last couple of years. I've found the following contain some really useful stuff which have definitely helped my playing... "100 Tips for Bass Guitar" and "Giants of Bass" - both by Stuart Clayton. The latter makes a really good read as well, if you want some background and an essential discography on some iconic players. "101 Bass tips" and "Fingerboard Harmony for Bass" both by Gary Willis are also worth a try.

I guess a problem on basses could be that the extra self-tuning hardware on the headstock would make the bass even more neck-heavy, when neck-dive seems to be a trait of many bass designs already? Besides, I'd rather put whatever my budget is into the best bass I could afford, without this added extra. Just another thing to go wrong and probably (sod's law being what it is) right in the middle of a gig.

Back when I first picked up bass in the early 1980's, I learned to play specific songs by ear and avoided any sort of scales or music theory. It was before t'internet and I couldn't find any bass-related books to learn that sort of stuff from in any bookshops I tried. Problem was that I could play the songs I had learned but my fretboard knowledge was lousy and I couldn't improvise much if things went off-script. As a sort of "born-again bassist" a year or 2 ago, I used t'internet to get hold of a few good bass books. Since going through these and regularly practicing scales, modes etc as warm-up exercises I can only say that my playing has improved massively.

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='83139' date='Nov 3 2007, 02:52 PM']Everyone seems to have missed the most important point about using open strings - the more open strings you use, the more time you have to wave your hand in the air making rock/metal symbols! [/quote] +1 ...and of course being able to take a quick swig from the bottle/glass strategically placed nearby. It's good to be the bass player.

This issue came up with me the other day at a rehearsal with the covers band I just joined. One of the songs we do is Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck in the middle", (not my choice) for which I was fluently and accurately doing my stuff using open strings. Our lead guitarist, who is also a bassist in another band and a professional muso of some experience, proceeded to demonstrate the same line minus any open strings. I have to say I was impressed and later at home tried to do this, but only to find I was getting myself tied in knots and liable to do my fretting hand some permanent damage! The way I see it is that if you can play whatever line you need to with the desired phrasing using open strings, then why not? I'm just a "Weekend Warrior" bassist going with the path of least resistance to cope with a song I don't especially like, so the end really justifies the means.

Showing my age here perhaps, but it was "The Chain" - Fleetwood Mac, played on my secondhand plywood bodied short-scale Precision copy (on which I'd had to manually rewind the pickup myself in order to get it to work). Since confession is supposed to be good for the soul, I'll also admit that next was the contents of Status Quo's "12 Gold Bars" album. Thankfully, both my bass hardware and repertoire have moved on a bit from then.

[quote name='Jimbo' post='78979' date='Oct 24 2007, 05:12 PM'][url="http://www.bassguitarmagazine.com/"]Bass Guitar Magazine[/url][/quote] +1 to that - I will definitely be renewing my subscription on this one. There's "Guitar & Bass" magazine too, but I just terminated my subscription after just over a year, as I felt (as is often the case with the lot in life of bassists generally) that bass was very much the poor relation in terms of the amount of page space dedicated to it in this magazine. Case in point was a recent article entitled "100 greatest guitar moments" where the invention of the electric bass guitar or the numerous technical advances since didn't figure anywhere!

[quote name='sk8' post='78265' date='Oct 23 2007, 01:33 PM']anyone seen these or had a play yet? seem to be really well placed for a hybrid amp[/quote] I was just about to ask the same question after seeing these mentioned in the current issue of Bass Guitar magazine. Checking out the web, the prices seem really variable (anything from £279 to over £400 for the MB4210 depending on where you look). The MB4210's spec looks really good - especially if you tend to switch between clean and classic tones, but I wonder how well it stacks up against the Ashdown MAG C210 T300?

[quote name='Musky' post='75494' date='Oct 17 2007, 11:03 AM']I used to absolutely love Andy Fraser. The bass solo on the live version of Mr. Big was the only bass solo I've ever heard that - IMHO - actually worked as part of a song, and not sounded like fret w*nkery that the song could live happily without.[/quote] The Mr Big solo is a firm favourite of mine - I frequently borrow bits of it for warm-up exercises or mindless noodling. I’ve always really liked the tone he got on this (particularly the studio version) – anyone know what gear he used?

Unfortunately for us bass players, he keeps the info on the gear he's used to the last chapter, as he didn't want to put non-muso's off, and this is probably less detailed than most of us would like. However, I have to say I enjoyed this book so much that I'm reading it again. Humorous high point for me was the Womack & Womack gig, but there's plenty of other great stuff along the way.

Gun's version of "Word Up" was slightly better than Cameo's, (IMHO of course) though Cameo's was still good. Having said that, I always enjoy watching the smug grin on the guitarist's face when I see Cameo's TOTP appearance, presumably as he thinks to himself that he doesn't have to get the bus home wearing that piece of cricketing attire. Edit: on the other hand, one cover that's definitely worse than the original is Mariah Carey's version of "Without You". Does she ever just hold a note? Sounds like someone let a ferret get loose just before she recorded it.

After practicing relentlessly, and maybe even religiously in every spare moment for the last 3 weeks in readiness for an audition with a covers band, I turned up at the rehearsal studio as arranged last night only to find someone had double-booked our slot. We adjourned for a "getting-to-know-each-other" session at the nearest pub instead and seemed to get along OK, but I’m still so fired up and ready to play that not being allowed to show ‘em what I can do is tearing me up. I’m well short on enthusiasm for work today. Waiting for a new audition date, which I suspect is going to be another couple of weeks off. I guess some of you must have had similar frustration before – how did you deal with it?

Have to say that there are a few design and hardware similarities to some of the early-mid 80's Matsumoku basses, especially Westone, but this might just be coincidence. Whoever made it, it's a nice looking bass and as with many Japanese guitars of that era, you'd probably have to pay several times what you paid for it to find a new bass of comparable quality in materials and workmanship.

[quote name='jacko' post='68157' date='Oct 1 2007, 02:18 PM']Good call. I'd recommend having a go at 'April' from the product album.[/quote] Likewise, a good call - the great thing about "April" is that it's essentially a fretless solo with some ambient sound effects in the background. Sounds great on it's own, maybe with a touch of chorus and reverb.

A few good fretless lines, not overly demanding, but they sound good just the same IMHO..... Black Velvet - Alannah Myles Feel Like makin Love - Bad Company Can't Get enough of your Love - Bad Company. Brand X are worth a listen for some more challenging fretless - particularly the Product and Unorthodox Behaviour albums.

To those who cannot fathom why many of us are content to restrict our playing to within the 4 walls of our homes, you only need to read the more scathing comments on this thread to see one possible reason why. If I was a newbie bassist about to take the plunge and join my first band, I'd probably be re-appraising the idea on the strength of the less charitable comments we've seen here.