leftybassman392

"When I'm calling yooouuuuu Hoo hoo hooooooooo Hoo hoo hooooooooo."

Wadda y'all wanna know buddy?

As for me, I was a guitarist first. Got my first instrument (a crappy acoustic with the 2 bass strings missing) when I was 12. My dad tuned it to an open major chord (I'd like to say it was an E, but, er, I can't). I was hooked. From that day to this I've never been without a guitar of some description in my possession - 46 years and counting! Although I've owned and used basses for nearly 20 years, it wasn't until 6 or 7 years ago that I started taking it properly seriously. It's probably fair to say that despite having worked really hard at my bass playing in recent years, to the point where I didn't feel out of place in my last outfit (playing 'modern' Jazz - Mike Stern, Guthrie Govan, etc.), I still love to just sit and doodle around on one of my guitars - it's sort of a security blanket that helps me to realise in moments of self-doubt that there is something I'm good at. In fact it's so ingrained in my thinking that my bass technique is actually an extension of my guitar technique (except that I don't use picks). Edit: I almost forgot - about a year ago I started on Banjo...... and it's coming along nicely, thanks for asking. Despite the Deliverance associations, it's actually quite a technical instrument that makes great demands of your picking hand in particular. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1325797811' post='1488050'] As you can see from the other thread I play guitar as well as bass. However for most of the 80s I was in an all synth band. This is me on stage in 1986 with my customised Yamaha KX5 MIDI controller which I used to play a Casio CZ5000 synth. [/quote] Nice hair!

[quote name='geoffbassist' timestamp='1325788038' post='1487786'] Sure that's fair comment. It's all about where you draw the line. Obviously no one wants something none music related. I think double bass and bass guitar are similar enough. I don't think that guitar is. There other subjects that lie closely like PA, music tech, backing vocals etc.... I think they are best placed in off topic. [/quote] As others have pointed out, it would simply be a subforum that you never visit. Not sure I understand the problem. There seem to be enough people keen on the idea to at least consider it, surely.

[quote name='Huwberry' timestamp='1325783988' post='1487671'] I'll be teaching guitar and ukulele to primary school kids as of Monday, so I hope the resources in this thread come in handy. Will try to write up my experiences at some point! [/quote] There's a quality that will stand you in good stead - patience. The more the better. Also, be organised. Kids work best if they're clear about what they should be doing. Are you doing it privately or through a Local Authority Music Service?

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1325779524' post='1487560'] Waiting for further input from other moderators, but it looks like the most effective thing to do would be to open a subforum and if it gets really popular we can always migrate it to a dedicated site. [/quote] Nice one. Would be good if it could happen...

...and then of course there's the Gibson 335 and it's sisters, that have a solid block of maple running the entire length of the body, with a width of (I think) around 4 inches. That has a gorgeous tone.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1325762625' post='1487143'] I am starting to think the naysayers have an image in their heads that all guitarists are at the front of stage swinging a Strat or LP and going rilly rilly ree without a though for the rest of the band. We are not all like this, some of us play classical, flamenco, folk, synth, or approach electric guitar in a completely different way to how most people might imagine. [/quote] Quite! To which I would add and reiterate that some of us work extremely hard to develop our playing skills, not so that we can show off but so that we can make a better musical contribution. One of the benefits of being able to do both to a decent standard is that you get a broader perspective of what others are trying to do, and talk to them as equals. That, surely, is a situation any musician should want. Come to think of it, I've changed my mind - it would be nice to see a guitarists' subforum along the lines others have outlined.

One of the marks of a properly professional musical approach is that you show some respect for your fellow musicians. Instance the number of people on here who routinely use the term 'guitard'. Many will no doubt protest that it isn't really intended as an insult, or that they don't really mean anything by it. Really? So it's ok to demean guitar players as long as you don't really mean anything by it? Is that how it works? As a relatively (i.e. last 5 years or so) bass convert and former lead guitarist who worked f***ing hard to get as good as I did, I'm constantly dismayed by the level of snobbery on the part of some members. [/Rant]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1325713877' post='1486628'] I'd say bass players are probably a bit more pedantic and anal about stuff. You're mostly very concerned about technique and musical theory, while most guitarists work on the principle that scales are for fish and why can't we just jam together instead of worrying about that flattened 5th. I'm not sure it would necessarily bring a lot to *basschat* though it might help a few people. IMO I don't think there are enough guitarists, and particularly guitar noobs, to [s]mock[/s] have questions answered. [/quote] Ouch! Actually, I suspect I said it mainly because as a guitarist I used to be incredibly anal and was good at spotting it in others - I used to really go for the technical aspects of the instrument. These days, with my thought focussed on the bass, I tend not to worry about such stuff anything like as much. I do know what you mean though - I used to cruise around the Theory and Technique section a lot (I even wrote a series of articles about the Ancient Greeks - God Help Me), but these days I hardly go there because the same old stuff keeps going round and being dissected in ever-more-minute detail. Boring! (For the record, this is being stated as a personal opinion. If you like Th.&Te. then you'll have a different opinion. That's how it works.)

The topic of issues affecting how an instrument sounds has been discussed at great length, Here: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/73234-tonewoods/"]http://basschat.co.u...3234-tonewoods/[/url] Life's probably too short to wade through the whole thing (and TBH at times it did get a bit petty), but a lot of the early posts contain some interesting opinions.

Hmmm. As a former guitarist AND former tutor I should want this. In truth I'm not sure I do. I'd agree that some of the folks inhabiting guitar sites can be a bit anal, but when all's said this is actually a bass site. I once raised (with others) the idea of a Lefty subforum. To be fair to the mods they did give it serious consideration (which is more than I could say at the time about some of my fellow BC'ers - you know who you are ), but again came down against (we do have our own thread on the For Sale forum though - woohoo! ) I hope you'll forgive me if this all feels a bit familiar.

[quote name='AndyBob09' timestamp='1325606164' post='1485031'] Her kids are aged 11 and 9. I was thinking for the first few lessons I taught them G, C, Em and they've got "I Gotta Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas or D, C, G and they have Sweet Home Alabama. I'm not really sure what 11 and 9 year olds are in to these days! But yes, you're right, the basic theory is the same and they'll need to know note names, string names etc. Once they've got a few chords under their belts, I was thinking of starting them on Rockschool. [/quote] Word of warning - you might be surprised how long it may take them to learn the chords unless you simplify them somewhat. Very common problem with teaching guitar/bass is that you've been doing it a while so you're inclined to see these as 'basic' chords. I doubt the students will see it that way. To actually play a full 'C' chord, you need to simultaneously control the movements of three fingers of one hand in such a way that they don't get in each other's way. Then with your other hand you'll be asked to hold this weird looking piece of plastic, and move it across the strings (but not all of them) so that you hear a total of 5 separate notes - assuming your other hand hasn't gone south in the meantime. Not trying to put you off - just making sure you know what could be involved in teaching someone to play a guitar. School-based tutors routinely teach kids that age on Spanish guitars, and get them to organise their hands gradually over a period of time. It's not universal, and there are always exceptions for a variety of reasons, but that's how it's usually done. Oh, and one other thing - don't try to push them too hard too quickly, or you'll kill off their interest altogether. I think your timescale for these events should be quite a lot longer than you seem to feel. Rockschool Grade 1 after a few weeks? I don't think so. (In any case, you'll need to take them through the Debut Grade first - which, surprise surprise, consists mainly of single note melodies plus a few VERY simple chord progressions.)

Broadly speaking, it would need to be something you really wanted that wasn't available over here or from European sources like Thomann. If you're after a specific instrument, (for example somebody's pristine '55 Telebass), best is to pay what it costs and then worry about it afterwards. Otherwise, it's not as easy to save money as it used to be. Almost makes me wish George Junior was still on the throne.

Ooooooh!

First Bass: Ibanez SR300 'Go To' Bass: 2003 Sei Original headless 5 'Your' Bass: As above

[quote name='Mr Bassman' timestamp='1325338450' post='1482255'] I've fond memories of visits to Electric Wood. When I took my first 5 string in for a free m.o.t. as Pete called it, he asked if there were any problems with the bass. I told him the only problem was some lacquer wear from my thumb nail, could anything be done? He replied "yeah, we'll have to chop your f...ing thumb off!" R.I.P. [/quote] Ha!Ha!Ha! I can just hear him saying that!

A genuinely lovely man and a horribly sad loss to the world of the bass guitar. I had the good fortune to meet him on a number of occasions, and I too got treated to the joys of the snooker club! I do remember though that he was a very heavy smoker, and the last time I saw him (which would have been around 2006 - 7) he didn't look a well man then. This is sad news indeed.

Try this link: [url="http://www.trevorandthea.eclipse.co.uk/history1.html"]http://www.trevorand...k/history1.html[/url] If you read the last paragraph and interpolate a bit, it looks like the electronics were established in around 1978. If you then follow the '80's link at the bottom of the page you get some info about transitional instruments like the one you're interested in.

I've used Strings Direct and Stringbusters and can recommend both highly. If you're prepared to buy bulk (10+ assorted guitar/bass sets at Strings Direct last time I looked) you get an even better deal, and I have a feeling p&p is free as well - may not be these days though. 10 sets was no prob for me as I could shift unused stock onto students for a small profit, but you'd have to decide for yourself if it's worth your while for an extra few percent.

Just in case you'd forgotten guys, some of us haven't. Watch this space.

[quote name='Immo' timestamp='1325095154' post='1479826'] Oh, damn! Well, my mum and grandpa also had food poisoning, but AFTER the Christmas - you know, the common virus, '[i]foodabsortium [/i][i]waytoomuchus[/i]' Hope you'll be OK! [/quote] Thanks. Just for the record I do have a P-Bass..... sort of. If you click the following link it's the one second bottom of the page (and very nice it is too, thanks for asking ) [url="http://regenerateguitarworks.com/?page_id=498"]http://regenerategui...om/?page_id=498[/url] As it happens I own the orange beauty below it as well, but it's a J clone so it doesn't count.

[quote name='Immo' timestamp='1325090389' post='1479735'] That's why I don't understand why Lefty's so feisty. It's like being mad for not finding pork chops in vegetable store. [/quote] If you must know it's because I had food poisoning over most of the Christmas period , and now it turns out I have a rather nasty urinary infection . Take no notice. Doc tells me I'll be much better in a few days, and that extreme grumpiness is a common symptom of this condition in older men.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1324935612' post='1478645'] Sorry can't help the [b]dislexia[/b]... [/quote] Further pedant alert: I assume you mean [b]dyslexia[/b]? As to the question, well I didn't vote because I didn't find an option that said 'None - I don't like Precision basses'. Which, for me at least, makes any question that might be there irrelevant. Tips to the OP (in case it isn't already blindingly obvious): 1. Even if it seems too obvious to say it, ask the question anyway. The purpose of a poll is to get an answer to a question. 2. If you can, try to include a 'get out' or 'spoiler' option for the small number of poor benighted suckers who don't adhere to your world view of (in this case) the bass guitar. [/Pedantry]