bassbora

ahhh the good old stretch in PoT. I just knew this was the problem when I read the title. No help we can give you just practice practice practice and try to make the stretch. Took me years to make that stretch sound good. Just to comment on few of the things here. Why bother with this piece?? Well I have taught it to my students it in the past and the same did a teacher of mine. I think it is technically challenging but also stretches your imagination on what you can play on bass. It is a beautiful composition and not just one of these solo pieces to show the rest of bass players how fab you are (well maybe a little).

I usually dont comment much here but I thought I might. Changing from 4 to 5 is different for us all. Different size of hands and all that. I had been playing for 7 years or so when I finally bought my first and only 5 string. It suited me perfectly. I have been playing that bass for 14 years or so now. No its not SR5 but a Warwick Thumb NT. I will never buy another 4 string. I sold my SR4 because of it missing that crucial B string. Like someone said I found that you play less up and down the neck and more vertical. I have to say I never found it a problem slapping on a 5 string. When I bought a 6 string I found it more of a transition than changing from 4 to 5. What I would suggest is go to a shop and try out as many 5ers as you can. You can read all the advise but a 5 might not suit you at all and the hipshot extender might be more for you. If a shop is not an option you might find a very cheap 5er on here and could try that out.

[quote name='wal4string' post='1083567' date='Jan 9 2011, 08:40 PM']From the Alanis Morissete album Jagged Little Pill.[/quote] Thanks for that. When ever in the past I wanted to convince folk how a bassline could make a song I played them this song. Never failed to convert people to the greatness of bass.

Hi there Dont want to sound a bit harsh but I dont see that there was any question regarding gear, let alone cabs. But anyway, I replied to a post few days ago with similar question, I think the title is 'starting again' have a read through that and see if the replies from me and the other guys here on the forum are maybe also helpful to you. If not let us know and I can maybe then reply specifically to your thread with some different ideas. Cheers

My first good bass was a RBX1000. Bought in 93. The headstock was 4 in a row instead of 2 on both sides if you know what I mean. Light as anything but it was lacking a bit sound wise so I got a Sadowsky outboard preamp and it sounded like a lot more expensive instrument. I never come across these basses anywhere. Has anyone of you Yamaha guys ever seen one or tried one??? Traded mine in 10 years ago for a fretless Stingray which I never really used. Should have stuck with the Yamaha. Great basses though and I always wanted trb5pii they looked amazing back in the day.

And just after I sent in my reply I see that someone (sorry cant remember the username) has posted ramble on transcription. So I am not the only one suggesting JPJ. Also I forgot to mention you will find stuff Nate Watts has done with Stevie Wonder. Someone recently had on here Do I Do which is a good start and try to find Master Blaster.

Well here are some suggestions and its only something has suited me. I had three different teachers back in the day when I was starting out and they all kind of went for the same approach material wise when teaching. Because this was a Uni level studies I went to separate theory classes (basic theory, ear training, jazz chord progression and improvisation). All these classes did not have books mostly jazz charts and a lot of info provided on black board but if you are wanting this kind of information as well I could also suggest some books which have been very helpful for me. All teachers had classical music. Bach is very popular in this case and you should be able to find books on Amazon called Bach for bass or something like that. Bach stuff is really good for technique. These are often pieces of music written for other instruments such as cello or trombone so will give you good work out. One of the guys used Latin rhythms which was great for working on timing. Possibles are Funkifying the Clave: Afro-Cuban Grooves for Bass and Drums but you could look for Latin Bass on Amazon. Also loads of stuff you can find on the Internet (Google is the bassist's best friend). For theory and jazz I have found the books by Ed Friedland really good and have few of them myself which I have used for my students. But here are the biggies and remember this is only my personal view and has suited me because I loved the music. Its the three Js. For rock John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin is brilliant. I love the music you might not but try to nail songs such as Good times, bad times Ramble on and Lemon Song. This will really be good for you reading as well. One of my teachers got these back in the day to get me some more rock and not just all the jazz he was feeding me. Jaco is the groove and tone monster for me. When I heard him play for the first time I was so blown away and inspired. You might not like him so I would check out stuff on youtube before buying. But here are the books The Essential Jaco Pastorius and Jaco Pastorius: The Greatest Jazz - Fusion Bass Player. Both JPJ and Jaco have tab which I hate but what I did back in the day was photocopy the song I was playing and cutting the music off and gluing on another page. But here is the best advise I can give and that is James Jamerson. Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson. This book is highly recommended to any serious bassist. No tab here so this is for sight reading. I was not into Motown at all before one of my teachers introduced me to this book. Songs are at all levels here but you should be able to start out with the simpler songs and move on to the more complicated stuff. I still come back to this book when I am trying out stuff and I have used it for teaching and one of my students actually bought the book he liked it so much. The material in this book will stretch you rhythm wise and reading wise. This book along with the JPJ stuff brought me leaps forward as a bass player. I have also always gone back to Red Hot Chili Peppers and then specially The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik. Flea plays brilliantly on this album and you will actually find similarities with Jamerson in some of the lines. You might also want to check out Rocco Prestia (I have not looked into that myself so I dont know if those books are good or not) But you can also find transcriptions online of many great songs. All kinds of material is available here on basschat as well and people are all willing to share their experiences and what has worked for them and what has not. What worked for me might not work for you so these are just my thoughts but I hope it helps you in some way.

Check with WarwickHunt here on the forum. He has posted few times about exactly this topic and is the expert on all Warwick related matters .

Did you find any information? I see no one replied to you and was wandering if you still needed some ideas. I've been playing for around 20 years and have taught bass as well to a fairly high level. What kind of music are you interested in? Do you read music or is it just tab? What do you want to get out of studying? The last one question is probably the most important. If you are doing this just for your own entertainment but also to improve but you are not planning to become a virtuoso or professional I would find music that I enjoy and is challenging and therefore will improve me as a player. If you are wanting to take this to a high level then I would work on reading (that skill will enable you to tackle more complicated music and open so many doors) and theory. These are just some quick thoughts but I could recommend books if you tell me what level you are at with reading (tab) or theory. I'm also sure that most users here have different ideas for you as well.

I have 2 Warwicks. Both Thumb NT 89. 5 st fretted and 6 fretless. I have tried few other Warwicks and always liked them. I have tried and owned many other brands (Fenders, Yamaha, Musicman Sadowsky and so on) but there was always something about the Warwick I loved. I have to say it was just a chance I ended with Thumb. It was the 5 string (used) when I was changing from 4 string to 5 string and I guess if it would have been a Streamer I would have bought that and kept. I can understand all the things many people dont like about Thumbs. I dont find it neck heavy, I use a wide leather strap and I dont find it too long a reach to the first fret (I am 6,1 so tall enough not to find it difficult) but I have seen shorter people finding it uncomfortable and can see why they would not like the Thumb. But for me the look of wood, the craftmanship and tone was always the thing which did it for me. I dont have enough spare cash to splash out and buy more but I would love to have more of them (streamer 1 and 2 and I love the FNA Jazzman 5 with J MM config). And I am also too attachted to the two of mine to sell them to try out another types. I had Yamaha RBX 1000 (was the flagship of the RBX line in the early '90s if anyone remembers) and it always felt fairly good. But I have always compared the Thumb and the Yamaha to cars. It was like driving a mid priced Japanees car and switching to a German car (911). It was such a difference in instruments. Anyway cant remember what the question or purpose of this tread was originally but I hope I have not added just random nonsense.

[quote name='Kongo' post='866322' date='Jun 13 2010, 07:56 PM']+1 on the strap! With suede backing it both stops the bass moving AND with the width u cannot feel the weight, and I dont have the best spine in the world. 3-4" should do.[/quote] another +1 to that I have both Thumb 5 and 6 NT and with a wide leather strap with suede back no neck dive what so ever. I even strapped them on just to make sure I was not taking rubbish.

How old is the bass? If not sure you can see it from the serial number. I have both a 5 and 6 string Thumb 89 and they have EMG and Barts. They both have just bass and treble (no mids) so yours sounds a like a newer model. So I dont know if the following is applicable for yours or not. The Thumbs with Barts used to have Bart preamp (almost sure about that) and in the control cavity you could change some frequency settings in there. Its just a small pot you change with a screw driver. But maybe this is just something to change the mids and since your bass has 3 band Eq it wont have this option. Maybe worth a look inside it. I have read somewhere that this minor change can drastically change the sound of the bass. Never changed mine since I have always been happy with the sound.

Whats your budget? Do you have any fav shapes (Fender/Stingray etc) or pickup config (P or JJ)?

[quote name='M-Bass-M' post='850543' date='May 28 2010, 06:56 PM']You know what, I did see that Warwick and was very tempted! As you say, it looks like a great price, but I think for me it's the wrong time. I'm pretty sure that there's a Squire VMJ fretless at my local music shop, and possibly a Vintage, so I may see if I can try them out with a view to seeing whether a budget fretless cuts it for me personally. I have to admit that there seems to be something special about a Ray fretless - I think I've officially fallen in love with [url="http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=4111"]this[/url]! Bit out of my price range, but if a second hand one came available... While we're on the subject of fretless, my experience is that there seem to be more 5-string than 4-string fretless basses. Why the love for the fretless low B string? Also, what views do people have on fretboard woods? My preconception is that rosewood is better than either Maple or Graphite, on account of it having a warmer tone. Finally, many of you have recommended Jazz style basses - be they Fender, Vintage, or otherwise. Now I can't help but think that the Jazz suffers from the Jaco effect, and that other style basses are equally suited (if not more) to fretless. For those of you who have played both Jazz and non-Jazz fretless basses, what are your thoughts? Does the Jazz win out?[/quote] Sorry for the late reply but I just wanted to answer your question about 5 string. I have been playing 5 string for around 14 years or so. I found the range just more flexible and I played more vertically rather than horizontally. I also have been playing Thumbs and they are 26 frets. I used to play quite a lot of jazz and I found that range would suit both for walking bass lines and then to be able to solo up in higher register. I had always wanted to see how a fretless Thumb 6 would be in that setting and to me its just perfect. I know its all just personal preferences but it just suited my style of playing so well. And playing a 6 string enhanced the vertical playing even further (more string crossing though) and gave me more options for solos as well. With a 6th string, the tone can be is very singing like so it does not sound like a bass at all and more like a wind instrument to my ears. Sorry for the rant but hope it answeres some of your questions and gives you possibly some more options to think about when you choose your fretless.

What is your budget? I seem to be replying to every thread on this board today recommending Warwicks. Thumb and Streamer Stage 1 or 2 are great. They are not going for too much used. They might be outwith your budget I dont know. When I bought my 5 string I looked around for a used bass because I felt I could get a better instrument for my budget than buying a new one of lesser quality for the same amount. There are loads of good basses for sale on this forum so you might find a bargin here. But I would just keep my mind open, read reviews, try as many as you can in shops and make the final decision on that. You might also want to think about if you dont like the bass how easy will it be to resell it. If you be something not so main stream you might find it more difficult to sell. Hope this helps at all reading it back feels like its not really answering anything.

You should be able to find a used Warwick Thumb or Streamer stage 1 for that price. I have both 5 and 6 string Thumb and I personally love them to bits. Some people find them heavy and maybe not everybodies taste but a Streamer Stage1 should be up there as well.

I could not resist to add to this thread. Have you maybe considered a Warwick? Did you see the Streamer going here and its now on Ebay for £700. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=87914"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=87914[/url] I dont know this guy at all but I have been playing Warwick Thumbs for 15 years or so and I can not recommend Warwicks highly enough. I listened to the sound clip the guy put on and this bass sounds lovely. I think the price for that Warwick is a steal and if it was a 5 or 6 string I would have bought it myself. I used to have a 4 string Stingray. Lovely instruments but since I was hooked on the Thumb body shape that Stingray never had a chance also I prefer 5 and 6 strings. But if you are still thinking about buying a bass for up to £800 you can get some serious instruments here on the forum. I would be quite interested to hear what you will go for in the end. Cheers

Well funny to see this song here. Brings back the memories. Bought the cd back in '90 as a teen and rocked out to it. I have to say I think this transcription is all wrong. The notes might be right (cant be bothered to check but I did plug the bass and dug out the cd) but the tab is all out of place. Also the indication that this song has one note sharp is on the wrong line (sorry cant remember all the theory names for this) but this is indicating that this song is in G (1*#) which should be the F# but it does not indicate F. But anyway. Warrant tuned down 1/2 step on this album (cant comment on any other since I only bought this one) like so many bands do. From that time I can mention Guns N Roses and Alice in Chains to name but 2 big ones. There is no low D in this song so the lowest note is the open E (Eb) when you tune down 1/2 step. I would forget this tab and tune the bass down and just use your ears. Good practice if you like. Hope this makes sense but I felt like i had to comment on one of the old songs I used to rock out to as a teen. And also I would just echo what the two guys recommending reading say. I have been playing 20 years and learning to read is the best thing I did. You can learn more difficult songs easily. Thats how I got Jaco and Jamerson nailed. Can not recommend reading enough. Cheers

[quote name='JPS' post='828579' date='May 5 2010, 04:02 PM']Have children and a poorly paid job. Has done the trick for me.[/quote] One of the best replies I have seen ever. So true

[quote name='Silent Fly' post='787477' date='Mar 26 2010, 11:02 PM']It might be one of transistors that doesn't work as it should or a capacitor that is at the end of its lifetime. I'll be happy to have a look for you if you want. Please feel free to send me an email (the address is in my signature).[/quote] Thanks for the offer. I might look into fixing it in the next few months so I might get in touch then. Cheers

I have an old Sadowsky outboard preamp which I bought in '95. I stopped using it probably 10 - 12 years ago after buying a Warwick which I felt didn't need the preamp. I recently plugged it in and it was not amazingly sounding like it was before but had kind of buzzing sound. Does anyone have any idea what might be the problem? I have in the passed fired off one or two questions to Sadowsky and got a quick reply from Roger himself so maybe I should just be doing that but I thought I might see if anyone has come across similar problem with effects or preamps which have been lying around unused for few years. And yes I did put in a new battery. Cheers