Mykesbass

Interesting pickups. Great work. Oh, and nice vintage sewing machine 😎

Just added a bit of rock to my list - Ramble On. This could keep me busy until lockdown is over!

You want a good job on Ray Charles do you know the John Mayer Trio album with Pino and Steve Jordan?

Working on three at the moment, purely to get into the habit of learning parts and to improve my chops. Added to the Narada Michael Warden track I posted earlier, I'm also working on Too Hard to Handle - Duck Dunn original - can finally remember it between session (did put up a lack of memory thread, as this has been a big issue for me), and Gil Scot Heron's The Bottle. Need to add another two tomorrow to start really building up my knowledge base!

What @Lozz196 says. I've only had limited experience with Mark Bass, but there is an inherent warmth/dullness (according to your take on it) built in. It really isn't down to it being lightweight, as there is a world of difference between many of the lightweight brands. So many on here love the Tonehammer. Me, I couldn't get a decent sound out of it! Try out as many as you can (yes, I know, not the easiest thing to do even without lockdown) and have some fun doing it!

Some lovely old school tone from Bob Babbitt:

Did you see the great BBC 4 series by his brother Stewart?

Me I guess. I played guitar first, and then, aged 12 had a year of double bass lessons. Was obvious I was neither going to get a double bass, nor my dad get a car in which he could transport me and it around, so slipped back to guitar for another 28 years. When I opened my short lived guitar shop, despite not stocking a large number of basses I did gravitate towards playing them in quiet moments. A regular customer came in with a drummer and heard me playing and asked if I'd like to be the house bassist at their jam night. Said yes, and been solidly a bass player ever since.

When lockdown is over and if he still has it I'd be happy to pick up if you wanted to arrange a courier.

I'm still very much pencil and paper, and to be honest, I think that will be enough for now, gotting down some key notation. Thanks again.

Yes, been doing this with Hard to Handle, and I know when playing in a band it is muscle memory that works for me (I'd stand there thinking how the hell does this one go, and then the first note and I'd be on it). Also, what are your thoughts - should I work on say 3 or 4 songs over that week/2 week period, or learn one at a time? Thanks.

I've decided to use this time to properly learn some parts. Not something I usually do, as none of my recent bands have played strict covers. So far, I've found the actual picking up of parts quite easy - first two Narada Michael Warden's I Shoulda Loved Ya, and the proper Duck Dunn part for Too Hard to Handle. My BIG problem is, having learnt a part, if I go back to it say 4 hours later I have completely forgotten it. Does anyone have any tips - aide memoirs or techniques to speed up the memorising of lines?

Well said. I have dipped in and tried a few. Usually love Tiny Desk Concerts, but finding this one a hard listen purely down to the sound of the drums. They usually get the sound much better.

Do you play this with a pick?

My Shuker is incedibly stable. Don't even need to tune it! (Seriously, I have often gone to tune it just because that's what you do before playing, and it is always spot on). Neck has never moved, even with a change of string tension. As for sound, I'm afraid I'm in the "it's all in the pickups/fingers" camp. The SHuker construction is as @Jus Lukin describes.

Another fine excerpt Michael!

That has really given me the needle. Fabulous looking build @Andyjr1515

Was that a G&L Tribute band? I'll get my coat...

AllMusic Guide says he did.

Looks like he's reading the part? Certainly enjoying himself! Great part played very nicely, thanks for posting.

Bit of an unfair stereotype there, but I'll take it as the fun it was meant to be. Plenty of character in all music - guitar solo in Carpenters Goodbye to Love, America from West Side Story, Dionne Warwick's voice to name but three. Oh, and it was Guinness or 14.5% Shiraz (probably why I don't drink anymore 😀)

If you get this moved to the build thread the folks there will have lots of great advice. Will need to ask a mod to move it for you. (I know some of them don't venture into general discussion).

Don't worry - MoR is much maligned, but there's some wonderful music to be had in the genre. Bacharach & David, Dusty Springfield. Mind you, I am a sucker for arrangements, and it seems that's where all the best ones are.

Doris Day, Karen Carpenter, Haircut 100 - you have some absolutely top drawer guilty pleasures, and I salute you for them 😎

Hope it wasn't this one: Bought off Ebay as a project. I did a lot of restoration to it but ended up parting it out.