leftybassman392

I have a very nice Gold Tone 5 stringer. I haven't picked it up for a couple of months now (although I keep meaning to). The first thing I found it useful to do was to forget most of what I'd learned about playing guitar for the last 45 years or so... Actually I'd been hoping somebody would start up a banjo thread to give me an incentive to start working on it again.

[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1326842442' post='1502820'] Yeah. The newer hifi sounding bass rigs seem not to do guitar well. [/quote] I managed to get a decent sound out of my PJB Briefcase with my Takamine classical. Lots of available eq on both guitar and amp definitely helped. As EH said though, it won't do it any harm but bass rigs are voiced for bass guitars so getting a decent sound with a 6 stringer is always going to be a challenge.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5VNa2stGkQ[/media] Robben Ford on guitar. Sound quality sucks, but hey! If you want something more recent, check out Lifecycle (2008) with Mike Stern on guitar (a lot of it comes up on the youtube link).

You could try here: [url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/[/url] They've been on Denmark Street for years. Downside is they'll want to see it in the flesh to do a proper valuation. Still, asking does no harm.

My memory's not what it was, but I seem to remember these (the Japanese ones anyway) as really top guitars, attracting favourable comparisons with the Les Pauls of the day (which, despite the name and the shape, they were more directly comparable to) for a lot less folding. Looks like you've bagged yourself a good one! It may even be worth your while to get it restored to something like it's original condition (doesn't look to be an expensive job....).

Just as a follow-up, it's actually quite a tough piece to really nail. I've heard a lot of people doing technically showy 'party piece' versions of it, but I think this performance comes closest I've heard to capturing the spirit of the original: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJn-9RIQgw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boJn-9RIQgw[/url] You could also dig out an original cello version on youtube. There's plenty of good ones but the Rostropovich is my personal favourite (although he does take it quite fast). When you can play it as well on bass as he does on cello you won't need your teacher anymore!

Yup. Bite the bullet time I'm afraid. (I assume you're referring to the Prelude, which is the one most people are talking about with this suite - there are actually 6 movements in all.) It's a lovely piece of music. I transcribed it once for two basses for one of my students so we could perform it as a duo at a school concert. Unfortunately the performance never happened, and the transcription seems to have got lost in the last house move. Shame. Edit: why not ask your teacher for some suitable stretching exercises?

I've already opened a Photobucket account and am uploading as we speak. Thanks for the tip though.

I'll give it a go. Ta.

According to the reply editor I've exceeded my upload limit. Can anybody tell me how I can find/liberate upload space? [sharedmedia=core:attachments:58246]

Time to put a few of mine up. First up is my '84 Gibson 335 dot. Bought around 5 years ago from Cheltenham Bluesman Michael Roach (who at the time was a good friend - we've since fallen out...). Quite possibly the best electric guitar I've ever owned. [attachment=96874:DSCN0377_239.JPG] [attachment=96875:DSCN0379_241.JPG] More to follow once I free up some upload space.

[b]PMT Birmingham[/b] 136 Lawley Middleway B4 7XX 0121 359 5056 It's on the A4540 ring road

It looks to be somewhere between the original Fender Electric XII: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Electric_XII"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Electric_XII[/url] and the somewhat later Stratocaster XII: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster_XII"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster_XII[/url] Does it have a date of manufacture?

Yup, should be no problem. When the time comes, valve amps are much heavier (mostly due to the weight of the extra transformers), but are invariably built using military grade components on sheet steel chassis so no issues there either. Just remember to check the valves are properly seated from time to time.

[quote name='Huwberry' timestamp='1325948336' post='1490232'] It's through a local authority. I'm taking over from a friend who had to give up his teaching work to take up a full-time job. It's all happened a bit quickly so I haven't had time to do much thorough prep, but I'll have something to work with on Monday at least! [/quote] Local authority is good. You'll get some backup, and schools (not necessarily teachers - some schools give this work to bursars or other admin staff) will usually be more helpful. Downside is that there's endless paperwork (which you'll have to do so you get paid). I'm guessing you've had some info from your friend about where he's got to with each of the students? Students themselves are unlikely to be a problem - if they've been having lessons a while they'll be used to the routine (although you may get the odd "...Mr. xxxxx didn't do it this way..."). I wouldn't worry about not being too well prepped at this stage. A good tactic first time you meet kids is to ask them upfront to play something they've been working on recently. It serves two very useful purposes: 1. kids go to lessons to play their instruments, and they won't thank you for rabbiting on at them; 2. you'll get a lot more information about what they're doing and how they're getting on than you'd get by just talking to them. One final point - all students are different, even at that age. Whatever you do, don't go in expecting to do the same routine with all of them. Take some time to get to know them a bit. It's a very rewarding job (not least because if you get it right at this early stage you've set them up for life), but it's hard work. Good luck and enjoy. I spent 13 years as a schoolteacher, followed by 15 as a tutor. If you want any further hints & tips, feel free to PM me.

[quote name='algmusic' timestamp='1325845447' post='1488534'] I play drums and bass and have professionally.. should we have a drum subgroup then, or a singer, saxsphone or other?? Keep it simple... Bass. If I want drums or other, I go there. I also like basschat for what it is, as most bassist unless they play professionally have the chance talk to other bassists. In a band you might get 2 guitarists or 2 singers or sax or horn players, singers.. but not bass [/quote] Too late.

Seem to be on a roll now... Just found the following on Youtube. Call me a cheesy old fart if you must, but this sounds pretty good to me... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_06O8XnJQo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_06O8XnJQo[/url]

Update: so far I seem to have found 'Dance, Dance, Dance' and 'Caroline, No' as songs featuring Baritone. It's actually quite hard to be sure, because the personnel listings don't seem to specify the Baritone as a specific instrument (the listing for DDD, for example, shows both Pohlman and Wilson on Bass Guitar...). If you're a Beach Boys fan then this could be an opportunity to blow the dust off your old record collection!

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1325848876' post='1488607'] Do you know what Beach Boys tracks Brian used a baritone on, out of curiosity? [/quote] Not off the top of my head (I never was a huge fan of the band at the time, but came across it the other day while doing some research). I'll look into it and get back to you.

May be the wrong kind of music, but Duane Eddy used a Baritone one several of his records, as did Brian Wilson (Beach Boys, if you need to ask).

I had a similar experience once in my guitar teaching days. He turned up with his Ibanez Jem and proceeded to play these amazing Steve Vai licks - absolutely flawless. I was on the point of saying 'Why do you need me?' when he told me he wanted to get some 'musical background' to what he was doing. I spent the next six months trying to teach him the fundamentals of melody and harmony, scales and arpeggios, and how they worked in the stuff he was playing, chord voicings, etc. etc. At the end of it all he understood it about as well as he had the day he first walked through my door. It was one of the stranger experiences I had as a teacher, and thinking about it again now I still don't understand how someone can be that good as a player (and he was...) without any apparent understanding of what it all meant.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1325805516' post='1488235'] Growing up in chelmsford the best night out was at the jazz club where Guthrie and he guys were kinda like the house band. It was great. I have a lovely 1987 Takamine EN10 and a Yamaha SG400 in need of being fixed up sat in my room currently. I can't really play them that well but it's fun to have, two might be two many guitars so one of them might eventually go. But fun to try and learn anyway [/quote] Yeah, one of the guitar players in the band used to go down to see him every week (Thursday nights IIRC). His brother (whose name escapes me right now I'm ashamed to say), is an awesome bass player in his own right. Doesn't he have Dave Kilminster in his band these days? As for the EN10, I've had one for years and it's an amazing instrument, just seems to deal with everything you throw at it. I love mine (battered as it is from use) to bits. When I bought it (£765), I chose it over a £1200 Fylde. Remarkable instrument and a real steal for what I paid for it.

Didn't Duane Eddy use a baritone guitar? Technically, you would think of it more as a guitar variant than a bass variant. All the chord shapes and scale patterns would be the same, for example.

And from me too.