Conan

[quote name='Marvin' post='1292284' date='Jul 4 2011, 03:22 PM']Kim Deal. You're a man of exquisite taste. And I mean that sincerely.[/quote] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPy_57z4_w"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPy_57z4_w[/url]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1292288' date='Jul 4 2011, 03:24 PM']Already posted here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=144335"]good vibrations[/url] [/quote]

[quote name='Marvin' post='1292284' date='Jul 4 2011, 03:22 PM']Am I jealous of slappers? No. I just don't bother listening to it much, it doesn't do a lot for me. The occasional slap or pop can add a little spice, but continuous string bashing gets annoying.[/quote] Slap was originally (I believe) invented as a rhythmic technique. However, if I had one criticism of the Clutterbucks of this world it would be that they make little attempt to integrate melody or harmony into their "slap" playing. THis is what makes it impressive in small doses but ultimately unfulfilling to listen to. Marcus Miller is far more melodic, and even Wooten almost plays tunes on slap bass. But the crucial element of "taste" is sometimes missing, even from these admirable virtuosi. I don't really get jealous of musicians. Wherever they have got to, if they got there through talent and sheer hard work, good luck to them. If they just happen to have the right face in the right place at the right time, but limited talent - good luck to them. Life's too short to say "Life's too short". But it is. Too short, that is.

[quote name='BottomE' post='1292149' date='Jul 4 2011, 01:20 PM']Would you bother changing the neck?[/quote] On mine, no. The neck is the best bit of it! To be honest, the neck is the crux of any bass. Anything else can be modded/improved/replaced, but if the neck is rubbish bin the bass and get something else IMO.

Every time I post a video on here, it turns out that it's already been posted many times and I feel a fool. Anyway, this drummer is clearly at the wrong gig..... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpoanOlb3-w&feature=player_embedded#at=33"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpoanOlb3-w..._embedded#at=33[/url]

I bought a Squier Affinity P bass from Tom1946 on here for less than you paid. Granted, it is a cheaper model. I plays very nicely indeed! The only bit that really lets it down is the pickup. I've ordered a GFS replacement so it will be interesting to hear how much of a difference it makes. Having said that, it is certainly "good enough" for most applications that I would put it to!

Loving the coloured stickers on the keyboards!

Tasteful playing... but the track is a total snooze-fest IMO. And I [i]like[/i] that kind of music!

[quote name='ficelles' post='1288503' date='Jul 1 2011, 01:58 AM']I want to sound like a bastardised chimaera - is there a book/cd?ficelles[/quote] I'm sure that if Skank put his mind to it....

[quote name='JTUK' post='1287778' date='Jun 30 2011, 02:26 PM']we talk to the bride and groom direct and they know exactly what we will do.[/quote] Sadly though, despite what they would like to think, the B&G rarely speak for the rest of the audience in terms of musical taste. I've done a few wedding gigs. Some were brilliant and others were absolutely awful. In all cases we were booked directly by the about-to-be-wedded couple...

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1287725' date='Jun 30 2011, 01:57 PM']'Someone Else's Omelette'... that's the name of the band btw [/quote] Cool name!

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1287710' date='Jun 30 2011, 01:49 PM']I'm on Jollies, so I suggested John. [/quote] I like your thinking! Who's the band BTW?

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='1287485' date='Jun 30 2011, 11:29 AM']They are dead canny and easy going. Wish I'd known you'd done it previously, I'd have picked your brains. [/quote] Or volunteered Michael for the gig!

He is obviously extremely intelligent, and he is a phenomenal bass player - but a lot of his stuff leaves me cold. If he played that material but with a guitar round his neck, would he be so well regarded here? I doubt it.

Apart from notable exceptions like Pino and Tony Franklin, there seems to be a tendency in rock music to get the fretless out only for ballads. It sounds good, but then I think people get into a bit of a rut and only associate fretless with slower numbers. Many players (IME) who do not play much fretless tend to overdo the slides and mwah. Maybe they think that is what is expected? I personally find it a bit dull and derivative. Also, because there are so few mainstream bassists who are known for their fretless playing, anyone who is new to the instrument tends to want to sound like either Pino or Jaco or some bastardised chimaera. I love fretless when played well. I can't play it well, so I tend not too! Gimme John Giblin's tone and ability and I would though!

What's the difference between "no" and "not tried"?

[quote name='deepbass5' post='1285907' date='Jun 28 2011, 11:46 PM']Interesting Alex commented on Reggae, as the only person i can understand how they play and sing at the same time is Sting. Early Police bass lines his vocal style sits in the gaps. So maybe start there at it may get easier ?[/quote] Which is pretty much how it works in the blues and many musical genres that stem from it. Most of the singers play guitar or keys and they alternate a sung line with a played line (mini-solo!). So in effect they are playing for half the song and singing the other half. As bass and drums are playing throughout the entire song it is much harder to sing at the same time - especially allowing for syncopation on either the vocals or the bass... I can do it and have done it, but it takes a lot of work and as others have said I always feel that both the bass part and the vocal part have to be compromised to accommodate the other. Unless you are Geddy Lee of course.

If everything about a particular bass pleases you, except the actual sound, then why not upgrade the pups? A decent set of replacement pups can cost less than fifty quid (especially if you buy used). If the upgrade leaves you feeling less than satisfied you can use the pups for something else or sell them on. If it makes your favourite bass just that little bit better, it's a win-win situation! I don't think many people replace pups to improve the re-sale value of an instrument, but to try to get something out of that instrument that they perceive to be missing. Some cheap basses can play really well, and the component that makes the most difference to upgrade (barring the neck of course) tends to be the pickups and electronics. Go for it, I say!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1279352' date='Jun 23 2011, 08:45 AM']I have big bass and drums and a bleed for the rest.[/quote] Me too (if memory serves - it's been a while since I did a gig with full PA support and monitors!). Sometimes I like some prominent vocals too if I'm doing backing vocals. I like to have some bass so I can compare the "out front" sound with my own backline monitoring.