oldslapper

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1211378' date='Apr 26 2011, 01:58 AM']Ah well fair's fair, I'm sure I can shift a case. [/quote] sounded like a good plan, but then zach offered his case and he's only 45mins away. I'm sure you'll shift a case no probs. John

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1210717' date='Apr 25 2011, 11:06 AM']SRSLY?[/quote] Totally! I was laughing very hard at that point.....childish I know, but it was quite sweet really, no hint of irony?? Anyway, I did enjoy the programme. Jive talking was a great tune and I was fascinated by the bass line at the time.

I will soon be down to just one double bass and no EUBs. What I have left is not spectacular, but it's a 40 year old ply that sounds great to my neanderthal ears and it is transported in it's original cover. I would like to give it a bit more protection, so had thought about getting one of the gear4music foam cases that come up now and again Ebay, but they are very rarely over this way (South West). Also, I don't seem to be able to locate a supplier of hard cases that aren't £600 flightcases. So the question is, has anyone got a case they'd be happy to sell me, or do you have advice on what else I should consider. I notice that many retailers sell gig bags that seem a lot of money, but do they offer protection? As this should probably be in the wanted section, I will post there too. Thanks for any help, or comments, you can offer. John

Yes indeed welcome to another Dorset bass player. I'm thinking about organising another bash this year, so keep your eyes on the general bass discussion threads for details. Last years' was in Shaftesbury, and we had folk from Somerset, Bristol and Wiltshire there too, with a drums/bass/ulien pipe improv jam at the end.....we don't do normal down byere' Hope to see you sometime soon. John

[quote name='BassBus' post='1209009' date='Apr 23 2011, 10:47 AM']Every company, no matter how large or small, is going to have a glitch in supply from time to time. In my experience Amazon is no exception to that either. I have ordered many sets from Status and I think only once had to wait more than a few days. Status only has Dawn to handle the despatch of all goods and is very efficient at it too. They have bent over backwards for me once in the past so I will naturally defend them. Rob and his team make the best basses as well.[/quote] Rob has been very helpful with information on Status basses I have owned in the past. Dawn was very polite and pleasant when I called 2 weeks after not receiving the strings. I'm sure everyone is lovely and I know there basses are top notch. But it has held up the new build by 2-3 weeks, and I gave the maker a definite time scale. Fortunately another supplier have provided strings and it looks like I'll get the bass before the tour, but no thanks to Status. My OP was to inquire whether 2 weeks was normal. It clearly isn't. Maybe I was unlucky, but no communication from Status during the process is poor.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1204925' date='Apr 19 2011, 04:47 PM']Nor do I, as an absolute, but I do believe that those who do read and learn theory have a stronger work ethic and are good role models. So I advocate accordingly.[/quote] Tell that to the poor sods at St Paul's cathedral school.

Bilbo, I would never say to my reading student don't bother to read again, he is in his late 40's and came to me saying exactly that "I wish I had learned to play with others, but I find it difficult". All new students are immediately introduced to basic notation, particularly the young. As for working with your client group, I too work with same groups facilitating music workshops in prisons. What do they learn? Very little reading, unless they specifically want or need to. But they do learn to play an instrument, team work, listening to one another, accepting and embracing other genre's of music, performance, recording, patience, working to deadlines, rehearsal &, very importantly, consequences of not working hard at all these things, not only on themselves, but on the group. All through the medium of music. Recidivism rates are very low for those who engage in these projects. I would say that sets people up for life wouldn't you? And very little reading involved. I don't buy this notion that those who do not read or learn theory, or do not wish to, are lazy and bad role models..?? Sorry to OP, as this has strayed off topic. I will crawl back from whence I came.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1204525' date='Apr 19 2011, 10:32 AM']I think a lot of the stuff about reading depends on repertoire. I can readily see hown many people would never really see the benefits of reading because they rarely stray out of their comfort zone of covers and popular tunes that everyone knows. If you gig a lot with many different bands, most of which don't play the more common material we all know, then the benfits of being able to read become more apparent. Over the next week or so, I have played five different set lists with three different drummers, three different sax players, two keyboard players, three singers, two guitar players and a percussionist. I could not remember that much material if I tried so I make my notes on the charts and nail the gig. Couldn't do it without the dots. even if its only the breaks etc.[/quote] That's a good point about repertoire. I think there's more of a peripatetic approach within the jazz community and you are more likely to be playing different gigs with different musicians, using different keys, arrangements, etc, so at the very least reading charts is a must, at least that's been my experience over past 2 years. However, the only gig I have ever been presented with dots outside of "jazz" was last autumn. I was depping and the MD shoved the bass line in front of me 10 mins before kick off, so reading was useful. That's in 30 years of playing for money. But, I have never played shows/pits, and never will. However, I think that's rather a disappointing statement to say that playing covers/popular tunes is within peoples comfort zone, implying a sense of laziness. That's not the case for everyone Bilbo. For some, reading would not make some "popular" bass lines any easier to learn. The notes do not drop off the page and onto the bass by osmosis. There's still the need to translate onto the fingerboard through technique, listening to yours and other band members parts. I have 1 student who came to me recently, he's a good reader, but finds it difficult to play in bands as he has little aural awareness of others around him, so he steams ahead without listening. We've put the dots aside, and he is learning to listen. Boys and girls, music is a language...some can read and write but cannot speak but shout, some cannot read and write but speak like the angels. Reading/theory knowledge is very useful, but not the law.