Marvin

I'll be 40 at the end of the month. Most of the people I've been playing with over the last year have all been in their very early 20's (some in their late teens) and didn't give a hoot I was in some cases old enough to be their Dad. I haven't got a mojo either. After we had kids it's like any attempt to move convincingly in time with any music disappeared.

I picked up, what looked like a very tatty, Yamaha RBX something or other in a practice room several months ago. It was brilliant. Really sweet to play. Saw someone playing a TRB recently, that sounded and looked

Lots of advice I've taken on board, thanks. I suppose a break would be good. Frustratingly I've only been playing 3 years and I'm getting to the point I've done my bit of networking and, only a few, but I'm getting asked to do little side projects. I'll have to work out something...or other.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1358958207' post='1947654'] So what's the problem then? There's no law that says you have to play bass. Edit: re-reading my comment, I should point out that I'm not having a dig. I haven't played football since I was at school but that's only because I don't want to so it doesn't bother me at all. Seriously, don't worry about it, just chill and do stuff you do want to do instead. [/quote] Didn't read it that way anyway Cheers

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1358957491' post='1947632'] Put it away until you[i] do[/i] want to play. [/quote] That's what concerns me, it could be a long time before I'd want to. [quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1358957531' post='1947633'] Try and listen to some different music. Bass player music maybe if you dont already. Something to amaze and inspire you to be better. I find 'bands' increasingly tedious lately and am always looking for great players rather than great bands. Maybe, dunno. Either that or sod off [/quote] Saw an amazing band over the weekend. It may have had the opposite effect of inspiring. [quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1358957539' post='1947634'] SAD syndrome? Serious, not piss-take. [/quote] Certainly a strong possibility,

Due to various things going on I haven't touched my basses in about 2 months. Plugged one in today...and I can't play. Not a thing. No rhythm, no nothing. And what's more, I don't want to play. I've no interest in bass or bands. It's all completely gone.

[quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1358872930' post='1946365'] TheRev, Thanks for the Talk Talk link - I do actually have the Spirit of Eden album. I was a bit of a fan... until this album. Loved the previous two. Guess this would now be known as [b]Pre-Post-Rock[/b] [/quote] It probably already exists, unfortunately. Post-rock!? Please save me from the ever expanding music genre explosion. Probably made up by some music journo. Heaven help us.

You were never going to buy one, but if in the future you think "I'd quite like a Citroen", sit down and take a deep breath and then think about what just entered your head. It would be a pointless exercise to buy said car because you won't get to use it. For the majority of its existence it'll be in the garage workshop probably being repaired for the umpteenth time for a fault that just can't be fixed.

[quote name='GazWills' timestamp='1358873126' post='1946371'] Jeff Ament will be 50 in march and still looks very cool with his lull Sig t-bird bass... 50 is the new 30 [/quote] Pearl Jam fan and I like Jeff Ament's playing, however, he has never been or looked cool. It's just one of those things I'm afraid [b] If I had a spare couple of grand...[size=3]I'd buy a reliable car [/size][/b]

You can't get bored playing a great song

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1358881046' post='1946535'] Beethoven's 5th took 4 years to get down... [/quote] It tells

I did have just one bass...but now I've got 2. There are definite reasons why I've got 2, I just can't remember them.

Is it still panto season???

The bass player I heard using an Ashdown Little Giant 1000w the other night certainly didn't sound wooly or muddy. My mate, who uses a little EB180, doesn't sound wooly either. He gets a very nice slap tone. Having heard other people use them, I certainly wouldn't be put off the brand.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1358787192' post='1944984'] FWIW from the other end, as a guitar player, I have occasionally been stuck playing with bassists who want all the frequencies for themselves. Even my super tinny old Vox V-15 with a telecaster jammed on the bridge pickup needed to be cranked all the way up to "ear-bleeding death volume" to get round mr roundwound Ibanez Trace Elliot rig and his zingy massiveness. Some of you probably know who this guy is, he is also one of my oldest and dearest friends, and has a killer tone. But you will not get over his bass with EQ alone. [/quote] Has he got a blue/white 5 string Ibanez (a rather fetching paint job)? Does the gentleman in question sometimes don a rather fine goatee? Has he been known to play um...Maybe Naked...in the past?

I tried a couple of Ibanez SR's in a shop several months ago and, despite loving the SR I have, wasn't overly impressed with some of the QC on the ones I tried on that day. The set ups were both very iffy, my 300 was good out of the box. The routing for the control cavity cover was generous to say the least. The finish on the frets on one was awful. And there was a buzzing on one that when you plucked a string the buzz came from behind where you had fretted. (couldn't work out what that was). Generally the feel of both was was neither at all good. They're mass produced, it happens.

Unfortunately there are a plentiful supply of people in bands who don't have access to the combined knowledge on this site, so they merrily go on their way finding a sound they like in the comfort of their own home, mix it with the rest of the band...mush. Main problem I've encountered is when a guitarist has too much low in their sound. It tends to leave nowhere to go. In the two (failed ) projects I worked with last year, I had the same 'sound' in both and it worked. Didn't really touch the bass eq, my combo has a semi-parametric mid eq thingy and I ramped that up max at around 450hz and didn't touch the treble. I could be heard, but I didn't 'cut through' in the sense that it sat uncomfortably in the mix. Always seems that a lot of bands don't work on the overall eq mix, just volume.

Not the faintest idea as my playing sounds nothing like the music I listen to.

Drummer in the band I was in last year always had to have a few to 'settle his nerves'. Claimed he'd play better for it. He was wrong, he was sh*t sober and sh*t after a few.

No sound you say. Have you tried turning the volume up?

None. Gig last night, I made not one mistake, but then I wasn't playing.

Gear is nice. However, having watched a brilliant bass player last night it's only practice that'll get me where I want to go. The guy I saw last night has had the same bass for 15years and it's not his gear that is impressive. Anyway, I plug into my main amp and then my practice combo, I always sound the same, so gear is just that, gear.

Matt Brooks. He's in Willie and the Bandits and he's an absolutely incredible bass player, just stunning.

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1358531834' post='1941046'] Korn. [/quote] Had one of their sausages once, awful!

[quote name='Bassection' timestamp='1358522170' post='1940786'] I can't say I've ever heard him before, but I have to ask.. [b]Does he actually play his bass at gigs?[/b] It just seems like a prop at this one.. [/quote] It'd be slightly off if he didn't, considering he's accused Tom Chapman who replaced him in New Order, of miming to tapes of his (Hook's) bass lines.