AndyTravis

This looks ace. Absolutely lovely looking bass

Well...let me tell you. 😉

Thanks to this thread, I’ve spent all day listening to Whitesnake

I’d do some measurements first. I fitted a Tele neck to a P body a few years ago. I can’t remember how I did it now. Thing I squared the heel pocket.

Well. Yes. But someone with the skills and tools to reshape a headstock wouldn’t struggle to adjust

Oh, jazz width. Sorry

https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Fender-1951-Precision-Bass-Neck/art-BAS0010486-000?campaign=GShopping/GB&ProgramUUID=5G_AqJarZwoAAAFl0FZyjI8V&gclid=CjwKCAjw1K75BRAEEiwAd41h1LL1hRLjyBMzhTXy2HTOxyYYnW6fz4pSvKFWKyCbWUh6Xy79t9yJJRoCM18QAvD_BwE

Well, yes to both - sounds awful but the drummer and I really get on, have similar ideas and approaches. The singer will do things like “send the track over without drums” and then record a really OTT drum take from his electronic kit over the idea. Again - the ideas/demos he’s done this over are ones I’ve sent as a part of this batch. But now they don’t “grab” him - ? At rehearsals, he’ll pick up a guitar, the bass or sit behind the drums and do the “it’s easy this” routine. Very uncomfortable. When I was explaining all the shenanigans to Mrs T last night, it was actually a long list Of complaints to consider.

No, I was being a tit. It’s basically what he’s getting at. ”we need a slow one” ”a faster one” talking about “feel” I just booked my head over this a fair bit yesterday and @PatrickJ was a big help - as was a chilled vino once the kids were in bed.

@PatrickJ I’ve sent you them

Wouldn’t want to put you through it mate. Nor put myself on the chopping board even more so😂 I don’t know if I’ve explained myself particularly well, I feel some posters on the thread see me as some mad Richie Blackmore control freak, Some think I’m onto a loser with the singer...and some think I’m just not very good 😂 And Mike was due to Audition on Monday. when singer told him rehearsal room wasn’t open - he didn’t reply and hasn’t replied since.

Believe me when I say everything is a communication issue with the bloke. how he wants the songwriting to work... ”Like what I'm saying is we plan a song (bpm, feel, structure, progressions) then pick riffs/ideas from the ones you sent.” “Or are you thinking pick a few that you've already done to turn into full songs as-is?” So my point about them being ideas to move forward with? He then disagrees with me on this and tells me that sending ideas over to work from won’t work. I really don’t get him. “I fancy a song at 112bpm...so write something”

I can sing and play but I hate doing it. Hate my own voice and i prefer someone else doing it.

@PatrickJ won’t let me reply underneath. Thanks for that comment- didn’t think it was the strongest idea, but having just listened to it again - wouldn’t take much to sort. Just trying different things - the bass is too busy at points. I might get the kids to bed and reimagine it.

I’ve been talking with the drummer. He’s into the ideas and has seen them for what they are. He wants to pursue them. The songs since day one have been based upon my output as a starting point - can’t be that bad. The guitarist moving to the midlands has killed it a bit. the singer was the sticking point before guitarist left. He’s got a decent enough voice, but came to us from a covers background where the songs are already written and there’s little other than reinterpretation to learn as such. I’m sort of sat looking at things and deciding what to do with myself. someones got to write something if we’re to move forward. And I get the impression that Mr Singer isn’t going to be doing it...like I say; he’s had all the opportunity I’ve had to get ideas to us.

As I’ve said these weren’t all sent out at once. he’s had ruck loads of time to listen, say yes or no, and work on it. i sent all 24 again with the note - “you’ve already had 22 of these for months; to save you searching I’ve put them in one place” I also named them so they could say “Bobby’s balls” is ok or whatever. I can’t breathe for the lad. He said upon announcement that we should be doing something “you can do guitar as well trav...”

I think in all honesty, if when the tracks were sent out individually since March I would’ve had decent feedback, I could’ve done more/less on the songs. But if someone says “yeah I like that” in March/April/May/June then replies in August with “none of that grabs me” - it’s a pain in the crack. Feel I’ve wasted my time

Nice bloke, just very Alpha male. Doesn’t sit well with me sometimes. Not my way.

“Creatively I'm thinking I've got a different idea of what I want then you guys. If we're going in different directions then that's just how it is and part of life.” Sounds like he’s one foot out of the door. This sounds like his opportunity.

He’s the “change the chorus after months of rehearsal while in the recording studio” kind of guy.

Cheers guys - nice “both sides of the fence” comments. 24 in total - these have been sent across the course of lockdown. ”I like that” “nice that one” Then as the process with guitarists has stalled, and scheduled meet ups have been cancelled due to restrictions...he’s announced we need to get moving and putting stuff out there. I re-sent everything I’d produced since March as a new folder... so they’d already had them in 1’s and 2’s - this was just so they were easy to find. Some are solid ideas we’ve played in a room together - none were presented as “almost finished” and certainly any drum patterns or guitar parts were dropped in for flavour/to give an idea of desired pace/feel. I will say Mr Singer has a habit of commenting on stuff without any constructive input. I’ve got more from the last 10 posts than the last 20 messages from him.

But he’s not going to do anything other than sing...

@Dad3353 I appreciate the reply, realistically these things are all just “sketches” etc to come back to and resolve/improve/develop. Generally speaking - I’ll noodle and have a “oh I like that” moment - I record it and come back to it when the kids aren’t hanging off me. Its sort of equivalent to humming a melody into a dictaphone - the upload in question was more to point out I need to practice playing guitar; as you rightly point out my guitar playing (while adequate) is bland. I think what caused me a headache was the “great riffs” followed by “nothing grabs me” if he’d said “the idea (insert working title) has a strong riff, or the feel is good - just needs fleshing out and the bassline is too busy at the start...” would’ve been constructive.

So as documented elsewhere on these hallowed pages, we’re struggling with guitarists. I play guitar enough to get by, and I’ve always been the main (musical) songwriter for the band - I send riffs, the guys put their parts on the track, we rehearse/develop and record the full song. So in the interests of moving forward I sent 24 ideas over to the band. Some bass/drums, some with guitar as well, some with keys parts too. This is usually down to wether or not something needs more or if I have enough time. The singer has just said “nothing grabs me, the riffs are all great, but they sound like you’ve already developed them...” I simply put some stuff together so I wasn’t sending 24 (40 second) snippets of bass playing. I’m really frustrated. Drummer gets what I’ve done and says he wants to work through the 24 ideas. Our singer rarely has anything prepared, is the main lyricist - but plays a bit of guitar and keys (not proficiently). In the two years of the band, he’s offered 3 “songs” which were really dirgy blues songs which never progressed past a jam in the rehearsal room. He’s basically saying “we need to craft the songs, make better chord progressions...” It’s almost like a language barrier. “Better Chord progressions” is like saying “make it good-er” - I’m not even sure his terminology is correct (I don’t think he means chord progressions) - and he’s totally missed the point that we’ll “craft” from what’s been presented. No real answers needed, wanted to vent as I’ve bitten my lip all morning. Annoyed that out of the two of us he’s equally capable of sharing ideas and recording demos - and has delivered nothing. Yet he’s picking holes in what I’ve sent. Just off to boil my head.