Mykesbass

Well that has set the bar extremely high

[quote name='gelfin' timestamp='1452773720' post='2953292'] [b] Budokan[/b] [/quote] Dylan? Sadao Watanabe? Cheap Trick?

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1452770010' post='2953220'] Thank you Mykesbass, I've got a lot to learn. [/quote] I like playing in Bb. Years of playing rhythm guitar in a big band got me used to it, and was why I chose a 5 string bass, as that makes Eb a whole lot easier.

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1452766652' post='2953179'] Can anyone tell me why they seem to play mostly in the key of [b]B[/b][b]b?[/b] [/quote] Quite simply, brass and woodwind instruments are not in concert pitch (c) - most brass and tenor sax are tuned to Bb, so when they play in the key of C for them the rest of us are in Bb. Just to make things worse, alto sax is tuned to Eb, so when they play a C we have to play Eb. C is the most common key as it has no flats of sharps (black notes on the piano), so is the easiest key to read music in.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1452695539' post='2952517'] Same here. For years I wondered what all the fuss was about. Learnt a track from Nashville Skyline for a recent audition and immediately understood the huge talent involved, where before I saw nothing. Still, better late than never, eh? I've only been in the dark for about 50 years, so no harm done. This band are of a genre I know very little about, so I really hope I get the gig! It's all new to me! [/quote] Glad it was only about 47 years in the dark for me How I missed out on Blood on the Tracks and Highway 61 Revisited for so long I'll never know! I will say to those who have cited Dylan on this thread as a blindspot, it is well worth getting stuck in with someone who knows and loves the stuff - it really helped me, hearing alternate versions, like Live @ Budokan version of It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding.

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1452671211' post='2952154'] Just to clarify things a bit further, my original post held no malice. I haven't willfully avoided listening to David Bowie in my life - I am neutral on his music. I don't know much about him or any of the songs other than the really really popular mainstream ones. A similar thing happened with Bob Dylan, then one day I heard one of his songs in a film and it connected with at that time, from then on I became a fan. Maybe because my parents were not big Dylan or Bowie fans then I missed out on that from being young (I'm 40 now). Most of my knowledge of the greats is derived from what was on in the house when growing up and then my own musical tastes and how they have changed and grown over the years. The reason why I mention this is because I hope that this doesn't turn into another Blue vs Anyone who doesn't like the greats thread. I am in no way ignorant of musical history, I just haven't listened to everything, I'm working on it though. [/quote] Your OP was perfectly reasonable and refreshingly honest, and hopefully will make for an interesting thread.

I did have a massive blindspot with Bob Dylan, only really knowing the tracks played on radio. Joined a band that played a huge range of his stuff and I'm now a big fan. I also know very little from the last ten years.

Impossible to choose, but listening to Let's Dance today I had forgotten how much I liked Cat People (Putting Out The Fire). Was sad to hear that Bowie had gone off that album, and yes, it was very 80's, but I still love it.

Near me but I'm broke

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1452614040' post='2951672'] I don't agree with the first bit Chris (although I don't know what your age is). I think a lot of the signature market is older folk wanting to own the gear of their idols. This may be more the case with guitars rather than basses, as I know a few years back Gibson were definitely targeting older, wealthier customers with guitars that would be hung on a wall. Which of course brings us on to your second point...!! [/quote] [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1452613954' post='2951668'] I suppose if endorsements didn't sell gear then manufacturers wouldn't bother producing them. A friend of the current mrs discreet's teenage daughter asked me to recommend a bass for her to begin playing on, I recommended a Squier VM. The girl demanded (and got) a sparkly silver Mikey Way signature, so there you go. [/quote] [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1452614028' post='2951671'] Yo. . . . you just proved my point. [/quote] OK, not in every case then

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1452613516' post='2951662'] The market for endorsed gear is aimed at those about 40 years younger than me. And. . . . dare I say more gullible. Who still believes that you'll look or sound like your favourite players if you use the same gear? [/quote] I don't agree with the first bit Chris (although I don't know what your age is). I think a lot of the signature market is older folk wanting to own the gear of their idols. This may be more the case with guitars rather than basses, as I know a few years back Gibson were definitely targeting older, wealthier customers with guitars that would be hung on a wall. Which of course brings us on to your second point...!!

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1452612477' post='2951652'] PS Ace thread by the way, enjoying it immensely. [/quote] Are you allowed to say that about your own thread But yes, quite an eye opener.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1452610266' post='2951608'] Those charts don't give you sales figures though... [/quote] No, but can give you an idea of popularity, and to give a little perspective, when I first looked at the Steve Harris bass, Andertons show that they are holding stock of 8 units. Now I would have thought that a store like that would run a lean operation, so they must be expecting those to sell pretty quickly. I know that gives no way of calculating Thomann sales, but does suggest to me that it is a pretty healthy market (far bigger than I expected when I first weighed in on the thread)!

[quote name='Muppet' timestamp='1452610151' post='2951607'] Is there a difference between endorser and signature model, in that the former is a user of a product whereas the latter is a version of a product with someone's name on it (that they may, or more than likely may not, use) ? [/quote] Yes. String manufacturers will help out people at quite an early stage, knowing that these are the players more likely to actively promote their strings. I know a couple of guitarists who have very low profiles but have string endorsement deals.

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1452609719' post='2951599'] I'm beginning to think endorsements are on the whole, a waste of time! [/quote] For who? Not the manufacturers. If you check those charts I've just posted, Thomann's sales volumes are amazing. My pal used to manage GAK, and they couldn't hold a candle to Thomann, who were selling nearly as much Fender and Gibson gear as the whole of the UK.

Here's a better version of the chart - Nate Mendel P outselling the US Standard P!! [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/topseller_GF_4_string_p_basses.html"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/topseller_GF_4_string_p_basses.html[/url]

Interesting thread EBS_freak, you've got me researching now. Thought of Steve Harris, and then remembered Thomann do a sales rank. Here is there P Bass sales ranking, so it looks like these signature models do sell well - [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/cat_rank.html?ar=355172&sid=95fb154e4a4f36e2bdbbe6a1994d2386"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/cat_rank.html?ar=355172&sid=95fb154e4a4f36e2bdbbe6a1994d2386[/url]

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1452608894' post='2951574'] Certainly the Deep Impact. I wouldn't like to say re: his signature Status - I wouldn't have thought so. I don't think I've ever seen anybody apart from CW with one. The same certainly can't be said about the Kingbass! [/quote] Signs of a few signature Status basses having been bought - a quick look at the Statii forum (not the easiest to browse), and certainly, for a low level production, high cost bass, some people have been buying them. Sure, not the high levels of your OP

I'd have thought Chris Wolstenholme has been responsible for a few sales - although not sure if they would be of endorsement/signature items.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1452120683' post='2946806'] Will the EHX Bass Soul Food get close to this kind of sound, or should I be looking elsewhere? Its really hard to find demos of this kind of sound, 99% of youtube demos are people running way more gain than I want to. [/quote] I thought EHX own demo was pretty good - goes through a whole range of tones including one with gain on zero: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMt1qhQkqd4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMt1qhQkqd4[/url]

[quote name='HazBeen' timestamp='1452298026' post='2948775'] To me it is like Rolls Royce bringing out an MPV. $4000 for a P, not in a million years. But that is me, there will most certainly be a market for it. [/quote] Reminds me of the Aston Martin Cygnet. At least Mercedes re-badged the Smart Car.

Always liked the look of those. I look forward to a full review!

[quote name='6feet7' timestamp='1452253484' post='2948043'] I'm near Uckfield. Brightons fine but Worthing and Horsham a bit far for regular stuff. I was in an originals band playing anything from indie to pop to rock but I'm a classic blues/rock lover really - root, 5th and octave (though I can't get enough of Rammstein at the moment . [/quote] Then check this out: [url="https://www.facebook.com/Blues-Sundays-613703558712008/?fref=photo"]https://www.facebook.com/Blues-Sundays-613703558712008/?fref=photo[/url] really friendly bunch, and a great way to meet potential band mates!

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1452179008' post='2947311'] Doesn't really count as an audition but.. I was bored and out on a business trip south of the Mason Dixon Line a few years ago and dropped into the local Sam Ash for a look see. They had an old Kalamazoo bass in so I had to try it, so noodled away on a 12 bar followed by an 8 bar. A long haired, bearded hulk of a guitarist guy cruised over and offered me a job in his band. I was very flattered and explained that I was British and only here for a couple of days. After a couple of "shee-its" and "goddamms" he offered me a go off his king sized spliff and asked if I could hang around for an hour so's his bass player could come over to learn the licks I'd just played. The bass man arrived 10 minutes later. The guitarist grabbed him by the beard, pulled out what looked like a mini baseball bat and said to me "Play!. In a quaking jelly terror I managed to stagger through 12 bars. The guitarist then shouted in his bass mans ear "Did you hear what he didn't play? Did you hear the space, m*****fkr?" "That's how you gotta play from now on, y'hear?" I have never left a music shop, trembling, so fast in my life. I hid out in my hotel room and the factory for the rest of the visit and was never so glad to suffer TSA security just to leave and go home. [/quote] Great story Jazzneck, and of course, he was absolutely right

Whereabouts in Sussex, and what music do you like? There's quite a friendly blues jam scene, with many of the same faces turning up at the Ranelagh (Brighton), Alexandra (Worthing), and Malt Shovel (Horsham).