Marvin

My action is probably quite high. However, I borrowed a bass last year and the action was so high the previous owner must have been William Tell and he used it to take pot shots at apples. It was near impossible to play.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='899552' date='Jul 19 2010, 10:53 PM']Maybe one of the mods is currently going through gender reassignment surgery and it was a bit too close to the bone. No pun intended.[/quote] Sniggers some more.

[quote name='Clarky' post='899505' date='Jul 19 2010, 10:23 PM']Perfectly harmless, valid discussion point and no antagonism. Looks strange that it was closed???[/quote] I thought it odd as well. Did someones finger inadvertently slip causing a mistaken deletion?

[quote name='bubinga5' post='899410' date='Jul 19 2010, 08:58 PM']...when you say myth do you mean the one about Marvin pulling him out of a bar a he was pie eyed?[/quote] I did no such thing! I recently bought a Motown comp and his lines and playing are just it. I always thought he was up there, but when you listen he just takes the music somewhere else. Just for an ounce of his talent I'd.....well I don't know really but I would. I also liked Babbit as well.

In a similar vein, one standard tuning the other drop tuned. It's looks unprofessional to change tuning during a set.

Should I cancel the lesson I've just arranged for Tuesday evening with a tutor? He was saying that he goes through all that theory stuff, but if it's all a load of codswallop then perhaps I shouldn't bother.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='898350' date='Jul 18 2010, 08:24 PM']Yes, I believe, as a rule, in C, the augmented 5th would be G# and, as my son said to me only the other day, 'augmented 5ths are awesome'. [/quote] I was thinking more anodyne or mix-amitosis or whatever they are

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='898334' date='Jul 18 2010, 07:55 PM']Wouldn't it be better to say that certain scales in certain keys have certain notes? Not certain notes but [i]any[/i] of the twelve notes occurs in any and every key and the note would then be named as an interval in relation to the key note e.g. in the key of C, Db would be a minor second, D would be major second, Eb would minor third, etc., up to B would be major seventh. So certain keys don't have certain notes, all keys have all the notes. Or am I getting it wrong and I need to learn more theory? Edited for inability to follow rules of spelling.[/quote] Is that when you start calling them those funny other names, when you start knoblin' about with minor 2nds and augmented 5ths? All though I think I might be wrong.

Thanks for your posts ET and Bloodaxe. I've played around a bit and, yes you guessed it my strap is back up where it was, the thread title may look a little silly now However I also looked at the angle of the neck and adjusted the position of the body in relation to my body slightly and I think I may have found a comfortable position that hopefully will see me make some improvements in my playing. I've also got to stop practising sat on the sofa, it's not good.

Sorry to hear the band tour wasn't a good experience, and I mean that genuinely. I bought your band's album (yes, I bought it not downloaded it for free off some ropey website) and absolutely love it. I really liked the tone of your bass on that recording and the playing's OK . If you need the money then you might not have a choice. However, from what I heard you don't lack ability and would be a shame to give up altogether. I'd try and keep as much as you can and especially the gear you most covet. All the best mate.

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='897459' date='Jul 17 2010, 05:59 PM']I like my strap adjusted so that the bass is in roughly the same place standing as it is when I am sitting down but sitting up straight and the bass is resting on my thigh.[/quote] This is what I've been adhering to for the last 6 months since I've started practising properly. However, I find my plucking hand feels restricted and hunched up. With the longer strap it feels much easier, especially for using 'floating thumb' to mute, that's probably just me. I've played a little more since posting this thread and must admit to being a little concerned about the reach of my fretting hand though. It is restricted and a little choppier. I may have to find a compromise height. It's OK at the moment as I'm not playing anything particularly taxing but I should imagine anything above plodding pop music may get awkward for me.

I was practising this afternoon (that's everyday this week, I'm ever so proud ) and by chance slackened off my strap a bit to make a little longer and my playing improved, well a bit. My fretting hand works better but aches more, so I'm a bit stuck. My plucking hand is markedly improved though, previously I felt all hunched up. So I'm a bit sort of perplexed as to whether to keep it lower or persevere with a more text book height. It certainly feels better lower and I could play the piece better, but my hand ached after.

[quote name='derrenleepoole' post='896847' date='Jul 16 2010, 08:42 PM']Well, 300 watts is a good overall rating that will do for almost any gig situation. If the gig is louder you use the amp as a backline and DI, if is quieter just turn down. Why have amps under that power rating? Good question... but the possible answer is not everyone needs that type of power. If you're an experienced enough player, you'll know what can and cannot work for you. So in this regard a pro amp like a Phil Jones Flightcase or Briefcase makes sense. Some players value, or require professional sound quality over volume, and where volume is concerned it's nothing that a house PA can't handle. I don't need a loud amp because I play with musicians who are competent enough not to play a stupid volumes, not everyone can or will do this. Yet I still have a 500 watt combo. Why, because it gives me headroom when needed. However, it's worth noting that power is nothing unless it can move air. So a 500 watt combo like mine will struggle against a 200 watt head with a 4x10 cab.[/quote] That's really pinpointed a number of things for me, thanks Derren. A lot of the venues around my way are quite small, and bands can't be too loud anyway. A bassist in a band I know gigs with a Laney ProLinebacker 100 combo and says it's perfectly adequate. Knowing what will and won't work, as you say, seems to be the key.

I'm beginning to change my mind after Big Red's post in particular but also Bubinga and thisname. Perhaps it's style, like I said in my last post I'd get p1ss bored playing stuff I don't like. But unlike Doddy I'm not trying to sustain a career, it's simply a hobby for me.

As a general rule of thumb, if a member asks about purchasing an amp for gigging purposes then they generally get the reply that 300w is the minimum they should be looking at. So why then are there so many combos, in particular, rated below and some well below the 300w rating? There are for example quite a few around the 100 to 150w mark. If this is under powered for gigging what would you use it for? They'd be too big for home practice. Or is it that you don't always need 300w? I see quite a few older amps and combos especially old Peavey TNT's and TKO's that kick out about 150w that the owner says has been well gigged and could knock a house down. I'm getting confused. Please help my frazzled brain.

I'd definitely aim for versatility. To be able to be placed in nearly any band setting and do the bassists job, of making others sound better (than they actually are ). However, due to my limited ability I'm probably stylistic, but I'd like to aim toward the other, maybe. Ironically I seem to have more feel for music that I don't generally listen to. [quote name='bubinga5' post='896782' date='Jul 16 2010, 07:19 PM']i have always had a certain style...i could never be a session guy as i just dont enjoy playing music other than what im passionate about...i just dont dig it...i can play rock, reggae, but i cant be enthusiastic about it...maybe i need to grow up...[/quote] There's nothing wrong with liking what you like and not wishing to play other genres. Despite being one of the worlds worst Bass players, a friend of mine keeps badgering me to start a band with him. Apart from lacking confidence in my ability, I'm also put off by the thought of playing music that, at best I'm ambivalent about and worst I down right hate, combine that with playing in venues that I don't want to be in. The combination of the two put me right off.

Can I just ask that people stop posting pictures of the Squire Jag. My next purchase has to be an amp and I don't want to get distracted go out get the Jag and have nothing to play it through. [quote name='BurritoBass' post='896784' date='Jul 16 2010, 07:21 PM']Fender have always had a wide range and Squier have really got back in the game over the last couple of years. The MIM's have got better since the price hike and I am sure there is room for all. There's just a lot more choice for players these days and that is no bad thing[/quote] I entirely agree.

To have all the talent of Jaco or Marcus Miller. I'm not big fans of theirs but if you're going to have talent you may as well wish for as much as you can get.

King Kurt -Wreck a party rock.

[quote name='dougie' post='892065' date='Jul 11 2010, 04:40 PM']Havnt been playing long but decided im gonna start from scratch,i can play bits of songs n stuff but think i should be better than i am,anyone any suggestions what i should be aiming to master first and set targets that would help me?[/quote] [quote name='dougie' post='893573' date='Jul 13 2010, 11:44 AM']Cheers for the replies guys all good advice and yea thats why i persevere.....it is fun ,i love the Ibanez(cheers again Bassassin)...wife reckons im weird cos i keep lookin at it even when im not playing....its my new baby [/quote] You sound in a very similar situation to me, especially staring at your bass . I've been playing for approx a year (I owned a bass in my late teens but realise now that I never really knew how to play it ) and also find it difficult to figure where I should be in terms of what I should know - I can barely play a song without fluffing it at some point . Six months ago I decided to stop learning songs from tab sites because that seemed to be getting me no where, I was trying to play stuff that was simply beyond my level. Since then I've now gone back to basics, learning the notes on the fretboard and starting with simple theory and also attempting to start reading (reading is very difficult, it can take me half an hour to work out 4 bars sometimes, very embarrassing). I'm finding that by using and learning theory I am beginning to understand what I'm playing and that other elements of learning, ie rhythm, ears etc spring out of that. A lot depends on how much practice you put in of course as to where you should expect yourself to be after x amount of time. I've found that using theory and reading has made the other stuff easier to understand and make more sense. I'm not saying I've improved massively but I do feel I'm making progress. If none of that makes sense just remember what GonzoBass posted "Have fun"

Although I've never even touched one let alone played one I still don't want one. They look OK, but I just don't want one, but neither do I want a Fender. There are other basses out there that catch my eye and imagination more than a T-bird. Although I would have a Gibson EB-3, for some reason.

[quote name='fdavidso' post='893147' date='Jul 12 2010, 08:34 PM']So Im not that weird I read on some forum that Fender Rumble series were not good; mind you, I have read that every amp under £5000 is either fantastic or rubbish. I guess one just has to go and try them out, but limited stock in this neck of the woods. FR looks solid enough. Might be another option. Hartke A70 looked a bit cheap and tacky close up, maybe the Hydrive is a bit more classy?[/quote] Us weirdo's must stick together.

[quote name='Rich' post='893632' date='Jul 13 2010, 12:44 PM']No matter how good the player and how fabulous his kit is, when it comes to a live gig the bass sound FOH is only as good as the PA system and the engineer behind the desk. If Chris W's bass really is lacking in oomph, then all I can say is it's the first un-oomphy Status I've heard. Mine is oomphier than an oomph-monster swimming in a lake of oomph. [size=1][u][b]Do I win a prize for Most Gratuitous Over-Use Of The Word 'Oomph'..?[/b][/u][/size][/quote] I don't know, personally I think you got the balance just right. Oomph.!!!!!!

[quote name='CraigPlaysBass' post='893030' date='Jul 12 2010, 06:13 PM']+1 [/quote] I feel much better knowing there's someone else out there like me.

It's certainly not a dumb question. You sound as if you are in exactly the same boat as me, limited space, limited budget so generally need an all singing all dancing combo. I also practice when the kids are in bed so headphones and cd input is a must. I've recently considered the Hartke Hydrive 112c, but at £450 it's obviously a tad expensive (as to is the Promethean from Ibanez at £500+ , but it is nice). On asking about the Hydrive the A100 was suggested to me here. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=93232&hl=Marvin"]Hartke Hydrive 112c thread[/url] I think you can them for a little over £250, and although a little over budget the 100w may sound small, but as in the thread and the reviews I've read it really does pack a punch. The Fender Rumble 100 is also damned loud, apparently. I visited a shop near me a couple months ago and the guy had one in there. I asked how loud it was, and he replied that someone tried it out the previous week and the sound 'thumped me in the chest' it was that loud. The owner was actually stood outside the shop have a sneaky fag at the time. Only setback is is that they aren't the smallest amps in the world. EDIT: must admit the choice is limited and can be frustrating.