Muzz

Well, he's never dropped the ball yet, and he knows he'd never hear the end of the 'ATGNI syndrome' if he did... I know what you mean about the basics, though. No one can say I'm not basic...

Noooo, that's why I was so surprised about the reaction - I originally said [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1444899905' post='2887053'] It's all about degrees, but if I'm following Never Too Much with Folsom Prison Blues, I at least have a twitch of the tone knobs... [/quote] Yep, on the bass I'll hoick the treble and scoop the mids a bit (or just use both pickups), or cut the treble, etc, etc, and just play it differently with me hands... The keyboards are a different thing entirely - he does like to play around, mostly because he can, and it justifies him having the Mac onstage...

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1444910390' post='2887208'] And yeah, I do sound like me most of the time, but when I dial in a Marcus sound and slap Never Too Much, or mute it down and play root fifths for a country song, I don't sound like me. [/quote] Which is exactly what I was saying...for the iconic stuff...I never touch the amp, but I have EQ on the bass...it's not hard... Apparently that approach is amusing.

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1444919367' post='2887354'] Yes. It's the equivalent of actors over-acting. You can't quite put your finger on it but it's not a natural thing. [/quote] So you'd turn to a friend in the audience at a function gig and say "It's not very...natural, is it?"

Yep, the actor thing's a good analogy: I think if you turned up on a huge budget shoot and said "I see from the script it's a gritty tale of life in the Mississippi Bayou , but I only do Welsh. I sound like me whatever I try, I'm not Matthew McConnaheyheyhey, you know. And besides, no-one'll notice." you'd be, like our least favourite internet drummer, at the wrong gig...

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1444913763' post='2887256'] The problem is that often you can sound like you're trying too hard. Does your singer do impressions? [/quote] Trying too hard? Really? I've never had any feedback from the function band which said "We hired them for our function, they were great, but they sounded like they were trying too hard." The singers don't do impressions, that pretty much wouldn't be possible given the range of music we play, but they put a lot of effort into fronting the band, which is more important.

Wow. I must remember that excuse for the next time I can't be bothered learning a line... "I know I'm only playing the roots...who do you think I am? Bob Babbitt? No-one's going to notice..." For the record, when we play a song, we make sure the keys sound as like the original as possible, and they do...it's all done with computers nowadays, you know, and it's not very hard... We had a dep guitarist who just used the same sound for all the songs, same for Guns and Roses as for a Johnny Cash song. It sounded crap. We spoke to him about it, and although to his credit he didn't try and laugh it off or attempt to assume any sort of moral high ground about it, he didn't get a second call. And yeah, I do sound like me most of the time, but when I dial in a Marcus sound and slap Never Too Much, or mute it down and play root fifths for a country song, I don't sound like me. How close I sound to Marcus, for example, is open to debate, but it's different and it's closer than sounding like me. Maybe my standards are too high.

Actually, why not?

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1444898114' post='2887031'] I always try my best whether it's a £50 pub gig or a £300 corporate function. Why wouldn't you? I hate being unprepared and I hate letting people down. [/quote] This, but more because I hate letting myself down. Folk won't remember the short notice, or the lack of communication, they'll remember the hapless bassist. And by 'folk', I don't mean the punters, obviously: they won't remember there was a bassist there at all... EDIT: Yeah, time permitting, of course. I'm in the fortunate position wherein I pay my mortgage from other sources than playing music, so I can pick and choose what gigs I take, and I'll turn down anything I don't think I can do justice to. I was offered a very short-notice blues gig a while ago which I turned down because not only do I not enjoy blues, I know I'm not well enough versed in it as a genre (because I don't like it) to bring anything other than muddled winging, which no-one would have appreciated. Possibly. I know I wouldn't have... As a side note, I notice no-one's given any attention to listening to the tone used in certain songs...if you want to produce a convincing performance of a song, then at least an attempt to recreate the tone of the original (if it's at all iconic or distinct) is pretty important, which does require a listen. Punters might not care about our core bass tone, but they'll appreciate when a song played by the band sounds like the one they're familiar with. It's all about degrees, but if I'm following Never Too Much with Folsom Prison Blues, I at least have a twitch of the tone knobs...

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1444888907' post='2886943'] I have to agree. It is pleasant. However, if it was played on a guitar or piano it would just be boring, [/quote] That's it: it's interesting to us (to a point) because it's played on a bass, and this is a bassist's forum, but to 99% of listeners it doesn't matter. If the video would have been a guitarist playing the same thing, I'm sure the response would've been a lot more 'meh'. From the point of view of the piece as music, the bass as the lead instrument is the pointless bit. The tone is pretty 'bedroom noodle' for me, too.

Would have sounded the same played on a guitar, with a similar tone. Pleasant noodling, but ultimately pointless on a bass.

[quote name='Cameronj279' timestamp='1444473630' post='2883488'] The strings on the Dingwall will always die quicker sadly since Elixirs won't fit! [/quote] Just a quick note on this: I contacted Elixir about this very issue (they have extra long Nanoweb nickel but not stainless), and their response was that they had no plans for extra long stainless nanowebs, which is a real shame. To the OP, I have three basses which look very different (Dingwall, Shuker and Thunderland), but they sound very similar because they all have split-coil pickups and East U-Retros*, so I just pick whichever two I fancy on a whim for the night. Full-mix-of-styles weddings and small stages I won't use the Thunderland (it's a loooong bass), but rockier pub gigs I will. * And they have different woods in their construction...but let's not go there again

Blimey, that's good.

[quote name='rogerstodge' timestamp='1444160480' post='2880818'] This is the best bass tone I've ever heard although this is live, actual song starts about 1m 30s in [media]http://youtu.be/4wsd-vRaVHE[/media] [/quote] This.

Yup, the last two gigs we've gone on after the match - last nights was the LCCC Gala Dinner, so no-one was really bothered anyway, it was the awards which took up the time... Can't see the Uruguay match being any competition now...

Y'see, the problem with the statement, completely aside from its' abrasiveness, is it doesn't work. Every single person I've met whom I'd classify as a 'timewaster', has no idea that that's what they are, because self-delusion is part of the package...

I've owned (and gigged fairly extensively) a TC Classic 450, a RH450, LMIIs and IIIs, and the MB combo/extension, and I've never even considered reliability - they just work.

Rocky?...

Everyone's tying themselves up to justify choices here - this topic needs about as much justification as one entitled "BC bass colour obsession - why can't you all just like red?"

I'd guess there'd be much less "You can't kill me...look in your heart" and much more "I hate you, Butler", or they'd actually tell you who you were going to see...

I'll switch mid-gig between Shuker and Dingwall without a thought - it really is that little of an issue. I put an East U-Retro in my ABZ4, and it's basically completed (for me) an already superb bass. I'd have more Dingwalls if I played a 5.

Oooo, be careful what you wish for: I had a B20-8 back in the day, and it had the most vicious neck dive I've ever experienced (and I like Thunderbirds), plus a very strange triangular neck profile. And the break angle to the higher register strings used to snap em every now and then... To the OP, it really depends on what you want to spend: I had a Dean which was pretty nice for the money, tho the EMG HZs aren't the greatest, but at least you'll get an idea if it's gonna be a thing for you or a passing fad. I've had three or four 8s and 12s - I keep buying them, and realise months later I'm not really using them, so I sell them again. Then I fancy another...