Grassie

Evening all, thought I'd share my thoughts with you on this, it's not the usual "arrgghh! I want to kill the guitarist so I've quit!" kind of rant, more of a realization. I've been with this band (pubs/clubs, classic rock/pop covers) for just over two and a half years and it dawned on me toward the end of last year that I really didn't want to play that kind of music any more. Nothing wrong with it as such, but the stuff we have been playing is (for want of a better phrase) "old hat". Now, I'm no spring chicken (turned 40 this year), but songs like "Summer Of '69", "Are You Gonna Go My Way?", "Day Tripper", [i]plus many more classic hits from a bygone era[/i]... are stuff that, from my point of view, does not get my blood pumping, nor does it give me anything more to do (for the most part) than plodding eighth notes. So why did I join in the first place I hear you shout.... I've always loved playing - that's the simple answer, but my taste in music is quite varied. I love stuff by RHCP, Stone Temple Pilots, Faith No More, INXS, Level 42, Jamiroquai, Bernhoft, Depeche Mode, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy, Boards Of Canada, Goldfrapp, Mr Scruff, Stone Roses - I could go on, and sometimes do... but my tastes have resulted in me not being able to make my mind up about what it is I really want to do (and could do [i]well)[/i] in terms of playing the bass guitar in a live situation. Finding like-minded souls here on the Isle of Wight to work with is not happening (unless I suddenly find myself enraptured with the acoustic sounds of Donovan, Fairport Convention etc. cos everyone here seems to be on some flowered up folky love trip). I recently bought myself a stratocaster to try to widen my musical palette a little more in terms of playing instruments, but I'm now considering selling it and my recently modified VM Squier P/J bass to buy a 5 string bass of some quality so that I can concentrate on the instrument I fell in love with more than 20 years ago, and make some noise that is fulfilling both artistically and for the listener. At least that's what I [i]think [/i]I want to do. Or maybe I'll carry on making instrumental electronica, putting out on Bandcamp to have it routinely ignored by the global internet community (www.bonnevillemusic.bandcamp.com if any of you are slightly curious) as I have been doing for some time now. Who knows? I don't, that's for sure... Does anyone else have these issues? Surely I can't be the only one? Am I mad? What bass should I buy next? Should I go fretless? Should I flog the lot and take up painting instead? Nurse! The screens!

Status Streamline. I have no idea why. Perhaps its because they're unlike anything else out there. I quite fancy rocking one of those in my sh*te pub band, just to be a little perverse...

Oh my. I NEED one of these. 😁

We play AYGGMW, and it seems to go down quite well. I don't mind playing that, it bloody Highway to bloody Hell that bores the living $hit out of me. Eff all in the verses, so I have to stand there like a pork pie at a vegan wedding,then plodding quarter notes in the chorus. Hate it with a passion. Complete and utter rubbish.

I'm going, it will be my first. I'm not ashamed to say I'm looking forward to seeing Duran Duran. 😁

The New Mastersounds. 😁

[quote name='Bassman Sam' timestamp='1436925676' post='2822132'] I'm late to the party as usual. I want to do this to my MIM P. Could you PM me the details and the costs. Nice to hear that I can put some work KiOgon's way and have the kit I want. [/quote]PM'd 😊

I added a J to my VM Squier P bass last year. I had always played jazzes but a few years ago got serious unexplained GAS for a Precision, so I plumped for the Squier. Once I had replaced the rather rubbish Duncan Designed pickup (very low output from the G string) with a Tonerider, I really enjoyed that classic low end you get from a p-bass. But not long after that I realised I was missing that "bite" you get from a jazz pickup at the bridge, so I got a local tech to route a hole for one, but 5mm closer to the bridge than on a standard jazz bass and added a Tonerider jazz pickup. This, combined with a custom stack-knob wiring kit from KiOgon has given me the best of both worlds - I can have that thunder from the P pup, plus the crack of lightning from the J pup, all at once or on their own or however I want it really. 😊

Not a fan of Yes particularly, but I certainly recognise his influence on so many players. Yet another low end hero taken too soon - there's going to be one hell of a thunderstorm up there soon. RIP.

We're booked at V-Dub Island at the end of July - a weekend of all things Volkswagen, mainly classic vans and beetles. Quite literally a 2 minute walk from my house, so looking forward to strolling up the road with just my bass on my back and not having to worry about setting gear up... 😊

I see Reeves and Mortimer are members of BC now...

[quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1434973483' post='2804240'] Apparently , they were after Jeff Berlin who is awesome . Whether it would've worked is another thing [/quote]Oh god no! That would've been too much widdling, even for my ears! Plus Jeff's 'tache just wouldn't look right. Maybe if he had joined Toto...

What I want to know is, if Michael Anthony was/is as useless as EVH claims, why did he let him stay in his band for nearly 30 years? Why not get some hungry young hotshot in to replace him? I'm sure there must have been hundreds of bassists willing to sell their grandmothers in order to play in that band. I think I read something once where DLR claimed that EVH had auditioned Billy Sheehan behind MA's back, with a view to sacking him...

I have always admired EVH's playing, but I'm really disappointed with this interview. Does anyone actually believe anything he says anymore? Sammy's reaction says more to me about Michael Anthony than any anything Eddie has said, ever. MA is a great rock bassist IMO. Big influence on my early playing days.

This could go into "off topic" but as some of it concerns the slating of Michael Anthony I thought it might be of interest... http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/129781

Was supposed to be seeing FF/Iggy/Royal Blood at Wembley tomorrow, going to work instead... 😒

They're playing the Isle of Wight festival tomorrow night. Might have a look... 😊

My bass plays like batter.

Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses". I mean, I can elaborate if you want me to, but it's not really necessary is it...?

Been playing bass guitar for 20+ years, fancied a new challenge so bought a Mex strat last month. Loving it. 😁

I'll have a look, thanks for the advice.

Hi all, Bought a Mexican Stratocaster (the Sambora signature model) second hand a couple of weeks ago but it really needs setting up and I haven't got a truss rod tool to do the job. I have allen keys but I can't get them in the top of the truss rod properly so I want to buy a proper fender tool for the job, but I don't know what size to get. I assumed that they would all be the same size for strats but apparently they vary between models. Anyone have an idea of what one I need before I go and buy the wrong one? Cheerz all!

5 live or talksport, music is the last thing I want to listen to after 3 hours of playing.

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1428232088' post='2739320'] A Fodera bass [i]worth[/i] £11k? Sounds fine by me. [/quote] How much value will it lose once you drive it off the forecourt though...?