dlloyd

(Obvious Floyd reference in there)

I was listening to a band called Man or Astroman? earlier... here's the track listing from the album: "Pathway to the Infinite" "Song of the Two-Mile Linear Particle Accelerator" Stanford University, Stanford California "Preparation Clont" "Curious Constructs of Stem-Like Devices Which Now Prepare Themselves to Be Thought of as Fingers" "Um Espectro Sem Escala" "Many Pieces of Large Fuzzy Mammals Gathered Together at a Rave and Schmoozing with a Brick" "Trapezoid" "Very Subtle Elevators" "Within One Universe There Are Millions" "Spectrograph Reading of the Varying Phantom Frequencies of Chronic, Incurable Tinnitus" "A Simple Text File" "Obligatory Part 2 Song in Which There Is No Presently Existing Part 1, Nor the Plans to Make One" "Multi-Variational Stimuli of Sub-Turgid Foci Covering Cross Evaluative Techniques for Cognitive Analysis of Hypersignificant Graph Peaks Following Those Intersubjective Modules Having Biodegradable Seepage"

I think the challenge you're really facing is to come up with a name that says "The Stranglers" to people who have only a passing familiarity with the band. It's got to be blunt as hell. "No More Zeroes" doesn't quite jump up and shout Stranglers to me.

Nice, I used to have a Le Voi acoustic... this is the first bass I've seen of his.

Don't waste your time experimenting too much... you can start off in almost the right place by just using logic. If you were to detune a seven string a whole step, you would have: A D G C F A D So all you're doing is eliminating the sixth string (D) I would buy a seven string set, heavy guage... 11, 15, 18, 28, 38, 48, 64 or something like that, throw away the 48 and string it up accordingly. You will probably have to file the nut for the 64, but I can guarantee you will have around about the same tension on the neck as you already do, so a quick trussrod tweak at the most. set intonation and you're pretty much on your way.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1490724071' post='3267435'] No, I guess saying 'cringeworthy' without further qualification is just not fair. I was referring to people who act as if their being in a band made them superior to most other mortals, that kind of thing most people grow out of by the time they're 15 So no, I certainly didn't mean a 'professional' attitude is cringeworthy. Not at all. My main band is 'fun'. At first it cost us more than it produced, now it produces more than it costs... but I could not quit my day job. I have played in other bands where the main objective was making money and at least a member depended on it to pay his bills in addition to some teaching work etc... I can see that as being 'work', even if it's fun. Fun or not has nothing to do with it being work. But if it provides only 5% of your income with the rest coming from a 'day job' and you talk about people interfering with it as interfering with your work, it just sounds a bit ridiculous. That's the kind of scenario I was alluding to. [/quote] Okay, I think we're broadly on the same wavelength. I think a better criterion for whether a band is a job or a hobby is whether HMRC would take an interest in you, were they to hear how much you earn from your hobby.

Fame by Bowie [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9kuNMdUq_0[/media]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1490697515' post='3267101'] You consider your band work too? I don't know anybody who has a day job that call their band 'work'. Yes, it may bring in extra cash which is great and all that, but calling it a job just seems a bit of... 'over-hype' to me. It may be for you, I don't know! It's just I was reading on TB about something a week or two ago and this kept coming with people talking about their band stuff as 'work' in a manner that didn't seem to fit their largely weekend warrior (and often just one weekend a month) reality. Nothing wrong with weekend warriors, at all, by the way. I just think that it sounds a little bit cringeworthy. [/quote] Good question. It's not my main earner. But it (plus other bands) is the main income for a couple of members of the band. I try to treat it with the same level of professionalism as I would treat my main job. I'm not sure why that would make you cringe. I enjoy my day job equally as much as I enjoy gigging... maybe it's that?

No, my other half never comes to see my band. She's never come to my work (daytime job) either.

The only serious audition I've had in recent years consisted of playing a gig with the band. I went to a number of originals auditions back in the day where the band was weirdly reminiscent of "Wild Stallyns" from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. A couple of mates who thought they'd be rock stars if only they could add a magical bass player and drummer... cue advert asking for players with "pro attitude/equipment" only for the guitarists to turn up with Squier Affinity strats and Marshall MG15 amps. At that point, it's really not worth unloading the equipment...

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1490186112' post='3262964'] Some respondents have set up a false dichotomy, interpreting my original post as suggesting that the choice is between "Sex On Fire" and obscure album tracks that send people running for the exit. I don't believe that that's true - I believe that it's possible to come up with a set list of songs that are recognisable and danceable, but also steering clear of the dozen songs that are played by 90% of covers bands. [/quote] Recognisable and danceable is one thing... what you want is a good proportion of songs that make the crowd go absolutely mental when they hear the intro. I'm always amazed at how much I enjoy playing songs I don't like when the dance floor is full.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1490183503' post='3262931'] Likewise! [/quote] I posted a video of Simon and Garfunkel... surely uncontroversial?

I thought I had posted in this thread... where has it gone?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8qE6WQmNus[/media]

He used an octave divider for some things... probably this.

Lots of things I don't want these days. I'm happy to play to a venue full of dancing people. It would be nice if it all started a bit earlier... playing til 1am is tiring these days. A few more quid at the end of the night would be nice... I can do without fame/notoriety/etc. Recordings... don't really care... I'd like to record our gigs though.

Joe Osborne [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGDt2skie84[/media] (can't actually hear any bass on my work computer... I'm guessing it's still there)

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1488287117' post='3247524'] K&K have a demo of their Definity pickup slipped under an ordinary tune-o-matic on a 335 type guitar; kksound.com/products/definity.php If you want a piezo sound out of your 335, that might be a lot less work than fitting a wooden bridge. Plus, there was one in the double bass section of the classifieds for a good price. [/quote] I use a K&K definity pickup on my selmer style guitar and it's really nice. Great tone.

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1489499307' post='3257424'] ... so next thing fender will have guild sue them for adopting the "not quite SG" shapes of Guilds a while back. [/quote] When was this? Fender owned Guild from 1995 to 2015

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1489516276' post='3257611'] I have a Hb seven string bass and a HB roundback acoustic electric guitar. They are both perfectly usable instruments. Yes they are cheap but for starter instruments, a million times better than the crap I started on in the 70s. [/quote] Golly... a 7 string bass as a starter instrument? lol

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1489249334' post='3255495'] Good point well made. [/quote] After two bottles of red, red wine, no less...

[quote name='casapete' timestamp='1489148854' post='3254748'] Never a UK hit, until the dreadful UB40 version (itself a cover of a cover by Tony Tribe) in 1983. Great song though. * Beaten to it ^^^^^^ [/quote] Never been a huge fan of UB40, but their version isn't that bad, is it? There was a bit of resentment towards them for taking old ska/rocksteady tunes and making them into hits, but they made quite a difference to the original artists... Lord Creator for example being homeless on the streets of Kingston when he got his royalty cheque from UB40 and being brought out of poverty... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvDZ8U-7A1A[/media]

Use this too... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Qras125bE[/media]

[code] 4/4 Gtr I S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |---|---------------------------------|-------------------------8-8------| |---|---3-1-1-------------------------|---3-1-1---------------6----------| |---|---------3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-1-----|---------3-3-1-1-3-6-8------------| |-1-|-----------------------------4-1-|-------------------------------1--| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E |---------------------------------|-------------------------8-8---| |---3-1-1-------------------------|---3-1-1---------------6-------| |---------3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-1-----|---------3-3-1-1-3-6-8---------| |-----------------------------4-1-|-------------------------------| E E Q E E E. S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |-----------------|---------------------------------| |-----------------|---3-1-1-------------------------| |-1-1----3-3------|---------3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-1-----| |---------------1-|-----------------------------4-1-| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |-------------------------8-8-----| |---3-1-1---------------6---------| |---------3-3-1-1-3-6-8---------8-| |---------------------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |---10-8-8---------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------10-10-8-8-6-6-----5-5---6-|---6---------------------6--------| |------------------------8-8---------|-----8-8-6-6-----6-6-8-8---8-6-4--| |------------------------------------|-------------8-8------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |-----4---3-3---------------------|---10-8-8----------------------------| |---6---6-----6-----3---4-6-6-----|----------10-10-8-8-6-6-----5-5------| |---------------4---------------8-|------------------------8-8-------8--| |---------------------------------|-------------------------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |---10-8-8---------------------------|----------------------------------| |----------10-10-8-8-6-6-----5-5---6-|---6---------------------6--------| |------------------------8-8---------|-----8-8-6-6-----6-6-8-8---8-6-4--| |------------------------------------|-------------8-8------------------| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E Q |-----4---3-3---------------------|--------------------------| |---6---6-----6-6-3-3-4-5-6-6-----|--------------------------| |-------------------------------6-|-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6-6---6-7--| |---------------------------------|-------------------8------| E E E E S S E E E S S E Q S S E Q E E E E E E E E S S E Q S S E Q |-------------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------| |---3---5-----7---5-|-----3--------3----|---3---5---7---5-|-----3--------3----| |-------------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------| |-1---3---5-5---3---|-1-1------1-1------|-1---3---5---3---|-1-1------1-1------| S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E S S E E E Q E E E. S |-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------| |-----3-----5-----6-----7-|-----8-----7-----6-----5-|-----------------| |-------------------------|-------------------------|-1-1----3-3------| |-1-1---3-3---4-4---5-5---|-6-6---5-5---4-4---3-3---|---------------1-| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |---------------------------------| |---3-1-1-------------------------| |---------3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-1-----| |-----------------------------4-1-| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S E E E Q E E E. S |-------------------------8-8---|------------------| |---3-1-1---------------6-------|------------------| |---------3-3-1-1-3-6-8---------|-1-1----3-3-------| |-------------------------------|---------------1--| S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S |---------------------------------|-------------------------8-8------| |---3-1-1-------------------------|---3-1-1---------------6----------| |---------3-3-1-1-3-3-1-1-3-1-----|---------3-3-1-1-3-6-8---------8--| |-----------------------------4-1-|----------------------------------| [/code] That's the intro, 1st verse and chorus... the rest repeats this general groove.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1488026051' post='3245122'] I wouldn't worry about messing up HMWYRS, even 'Norman' has a fight with it sometimes... I suppose the thing with it is, relax when your playing it and don't force it. Whoops, at around 00:48 [/quote] Haha! Yes, work it up with a metronome, section by section, only increasing the speed when you can play it relaxed at the slower speed. I copied the track to audacity, slowed it right down and transcribed it beat by beat, then took each phrase individually, looping them at reduced speed until I could play them smoothly.