Cat Burrito

I've predominately been a bass straight into amp kind of player but I have a post punk / 80s alternative band at the moment where I am having lots of fun with different effects on the bass (& drum machines, samples - things I haven't really used before). Never say never.

A nicely worded tribute to a fine contributor of our online community. He'll be missed.

Proper job!

I had a Verythin when they first came out and have had the long scale Verythin since 2016. It's done numerous UK tours and gone across Europe a couple of times too. I appreciate we're all different but I found it pretty well balanced and had no issue. I don't remember the short scale original being a problem but that could be that I have just conveniently forgotten. Out of interest, why do you want to move the strap button? Is it a comfort thing or are you getting neck dive?

I was conscious of this when I bought my Sterling recently. I think as woods can vary so much, the only safe option is to get the seller / shop to weigh it (interestingly at my time of buying sellers weren't putting weights on listings - & I could see why!) or to try in person. I stumbled across one ultra lightweight bass and some really heavyweights that were the same model. I emailed / rang some of the big online companies like GAK and Guitar Guitar - all of whom were happy to weigh the stock basses to confirm.

Just some random bass facts the casual listener might not know (& I am sure a few of you DO know this) - Michael Dempsey played on the first album. (Personal view) The bass playing on that album is great, much busier than Gallop's BUT Robert Smith wanted much simpler parts. That album sounds more like somewhere between Buzzcocks and Elvis Costello! Incidentally, the playing being too fussy was the same reason why they lost the keyboard player (Matthieu Hartley) on the second album, Seventeen Seconds. He was too jazzy, apparently. When Gallop first left he was replaced by Phil Thornalley. Phil was actually a producer more than a bassist. He played the upright bass on Lovecats, something he'd never done. If you look closely at the footage you can see the tape on the neck to let him know where the notes are. The Cure have had a few stand in bass players for the odd show, TV appearance and tour - these include Steve Severin (Siouxsie and The Banshees) and Gallop's own son. The song Primary is performed exclusively on basses with just the drum kit and the vocal for accompaniment. Robert Smith uses a lot of six string bass all over the albums too. And just as an aside - as mentioned, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th albums are the gloomy period. A lot of it is really quite pop (Inbetween Days, Lovecats, Just Like Heaven). I appreciate a lot of people are commenting on how they either don't like or struggle with the band (hey, no band is for everyone!). Personally I spent most of Lockdown revisiting them and really rediscovered the bass.

Worth mentioning that It and are only doing this finish on the 50s Crush, at present.

Ah! The subtlety was lost on me in the typing! Pretty much my view too, as it happens.

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2019 (check the interview footage on YouTube for the coolest ever interview), still filling stadiums around the world and 2 new albums (admittedly one Robert Smith solo) recorded for release. In my mind they should be heralded as a national treasure and spoken about in the same tones as David Bowie. Guess they just must be operating under your radar.

I think we have a winner! @JapanAxe has kindly agreed to have a look. I am the least amp savvy person (beyond knowing about my tone preferences) so it's a nice little reminder of what a great community we have here on Basschat!

Love mine! I had the original, sold it, regretted it and rebought one for a few UK tours in 2019. Welcome to the club.

I have a 6yr old fairly immaculate looking Ampeg BA108 and it was used fairly extensively for the first 4yrs. I bought a similar Orange one to replace it and it was upstairs in storage (in a padded cover) for 18 months. A few months ago I started rehearsing in a summerhouse with a guitarist friend (no other musicians so not pushed past 3 on the volume). I came to rehearse yesterday and it was completely dead. We swapped out the kettle lead and changed plug sockets and it appears to have just died. It was fine last time and hadn't been moved. I appreciate it's difficult to analysis kit you haven't seen or heard but is this worth investigating in terms of repair? Or should I cut my losses. I have other practice amps and actually the bass sounded fine through our small PA (for practice purposes). I am just fearful that this could be an expensive repair of an inexpensive piece of kit. My experience of Ampeg's lower range is that it tends not to last. Just wondered if anyone else had any views.

I did wonder if he was just drunkenly posting on Facebook - that's where it came from, his personal page - The Cure haven't made an announcement (yet). The alternative view is that they are all older, things change and perhaps it's time to move on. Bill Wyman seemed happier once he left The Stones. I am a massive fan of Simon and he was a major early influence. Whether he stays or goes, I hope they work it out.

I bought Appetite the week it came out and watched as G 'n' R shaped my generation. Since then I have marvelled at how they have gotten worse with every release. I guess when you start on such a high, where do you go? (where do you go now?) I clicked the link, played the song. It's okay. To damn it with faint praise, it's alright but I wouldn't buy it. I enjoyed the autobiographies and usually click any news stories about the original band members but I think my fan club membership metaphorically expired in the late 80s.

1) I know all my bandmates well enough to know they are vaccinated but we weren't specifically asking each other. It's more for general ribbing / banter "you got jabbed early Grandad", "Moderna? You posho!" "Flying economy class with the AZ jab" etc 2) No, but asking people to be sensible. A lot of us are regularly tested through work so regular testing is going on, usually within 48hrs of a rehearsal / studio time, if not on the actual evening itself. 3) Own mics, avoiding kit shares and just trying to be respectful of everyone's level of Covid compliance.

The whole point of punk was that it supposedly ripped up the rules. It's surprising how many rules there are about who is punk, how you have to look, how you have to sound, how you have to dress etc! In the 90s I was in a punky band and the producer suggested I do some slap bass in the chorus of a song. I tried it and it worked a treat. Coming from a punk rock background, I went on to play 15yrs on the Americana / Country circuit. I think this is far more punk than spending 35yrs trying to sound like GBH.

In 31yrs of playing original band stuff, I'm yet to fail an audition. Certainly get in the right area with the part, as a minimum capture the essence of what was originally played. But often overlooked is showing up on time, being amenable, seeming keen and just generally coming across like someone they'd want to be in a band with - it all really goes a long way. Good luck with the audition.

I upped my practice massively during the lockdowns and have kept it up. First rehearsal, and I played the worst I have played in years. I hadn't played standing up enough!

My first show in over six months was Friday night in Camden. It's only my 3rd since March 2020 & I found the other two fairly soulless affairs, compared to my manic 2019 calendar. This one was great fun. We were a little ramshackle in places (by our standards) but delivered a fairly decent 45 minute performance.

My cousin was born and raised in Houston, Texas. In '83 Eliminator came out and it was also her first trip over to see the UK family. As a 10yr old boy she introduced me to a couple of bands, one of whom was ZZ Top. Eliminator had just come out and they were yet to break in the UK - certainly my family hadn't heard of them, not that we were any sort of barometer of cool. I played that album to death and bought the earlier records and some of the later ones subsequently. When we took her to get her returning flight, we bumped into one of the band at the airport (I couldn't tell you if it was Billy or Dusty - I was 10 and it was the first celebrity I'd seen in person). My cousin shared the flight with the band and met them for photos / autographs afterwards. Being a three piece I was fascinated that one was credited with bass guitar and one was credited with lead guitar. It was probably through them that I learnt the difference. Years later Dusty sent himself up beautifully in King of the Hill. I always thought they were classy guys. Maybe not a band that stayed at the forefront of my tastes but certainly one who helped steer and shape things for me. RIP Dusty.

The other approach is to say "If anyone wants a fag, the loo or another pint, now's the time as we'd like to do one of our own". A line that works equally well when introducing a track that the keyboard player sings lead on.

Channelling the version of me that played in an 80s Sixth Form Goth band, I love this! I've made the switch permanently. 😎

I have a ukulele bass that looks like this. Great fun and plugged in, it is truly fantastic. The E is a bit buzzy but on a short scale that is to be expected and thankfully the buzz doesn't amplify.

I've predominately played original stuff over the last 34yrs but done a handful of covers bands. My favourite covers bands do one or two originals just to show that we can and I like that. If a band naturally develops that way, fine, but otherwise 2 or 3 is plenty. Simply put your options are you either role with the general flow or you walk. If I find myself out of thinking with the general band view, I go rather than continuing to be the one person arguing. if it isn't a big problem, put up with it.

Either way, it's nice to see young artists who don't rely on Autotune And the studio engineer that can work wonders.... This is what the internet was invented for.