Earbrass

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1468937088' post='3094476'] They were not any good for metal. [/quote] [quote name='blue' timestamp='1469041803' post='3095354'] If your a metal guy why would you audition for a band that wasn't into metal? [/quote] Blue, I'm afraid we can't explain all this site's many memes to you - we simply don't have the TIM.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1469005894' post='3094958'] Maybe a USB MIDI breath controller ? Just the job for any VSTi wind instruments, regarding performance, expression and controlling Midi cc#'s. [/quote] You're absolutely right, that would be a better way to go, but I've never played any wind instruments and as it is I'm struggling to achieve adequacy on the curious and varied collection of instruments I already have, so I will resist the temptation. PS apologies for the thread drift!

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1468082578' post='3088522'] I'm just gonna leave this here. [url="http://epipes.co.uk/products.html"]http://epipes.co.uk/products.html[/url] [/quote] [size=4]Seriously tempted by this - not for the highland pipe sounds (definitely not my cup of tea), but for the [color=#000000][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Uilleann, Border and Smallpipes. I'd have to play them from a keyboard though, and that's not going to be ideal. If it was half the price, or if it included Swedish and German pipes, I'd go for it in an instant.[/font][/color][/size] [color=#000000][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]<edited to fix random font variations>[/font][/color]

I have a carbon-fibre bow for my nyckelharpa, made by the good folks at Incredibow. They do them for basses too. The hairs are synthetic and you don't "untension" them when not in use (and they don't seem to break like the natural ones do). It has a different, glassier tone compared with my traditional wooden one. I like them both, but on balance I usually find it easier to get a good tone with the wood and hair one.

They're no good for metal.

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1467801097' post='3086320'] Looks nice without the scratchplate. [/quote] +1. I'm not usually given to bass GAS, but I am a sucker for yellow......

Bass guitar is just one instrument that I play. There have been periods in my life when I would have regarded it as my primary instrument, mostly when playing bass in a band, but these days it has slipped down the pecking order. I would probably say it was my 4th instrument, after keys, nyckelharpa and melodeon.

[quote name='sellisnba' timestamp='1465656323' post='3070006'] Just wondered how people battle the dreaded GAS. For some reason I've got it in my head that I want a squier CV 50s p bass. I don't need it, don't really have the room for it can't really justify it but I'm ready to pull the trigger on the thomann website. Very annoying and it doesn't help when the missus says it's fine! [/quote] My usual rule is: wait a month. If you still really want it, get it. If you're lusting after something else by then, it was never meant to be.

[quote name='DaveFry' timestamp='1464990154' post='3064563'] Hmm, ... here comes a twopenneth : You can play and read percussion , play and learning to read bass , so how about taking up ( wait for it )........ vibraphone ? Understanding melody and harmony would compliment your rhythm and bass knowledge . Vibes is an unusual instrument nowadays and you already would intuit half the technique , the rest would grow with learning harmony and melody at your own pace . Just experiment with a harmony/melody instrument ,(even ukulele!) , till you find your own sound . - Plan B : get an upright . [/quote] I'd also vote for taking up a new instrument just for the hell of it - whatever tickles your fancy. It may lead you to some unexpected places.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1465312954' post='3067029'] No hanging out, except for when were on our 15 minute breaks. Blue [/quote] Well, that's what they tell [i]you..... [/i]

Värttinä, Thursday night at King's Place, London. Front row seats. Can't wait.

Terve Eerosmith. Mitä kuulu? :-)

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1464474296' post='3059764'] Retired when I was 60 years old. [/quote] No, you just swapped one form of wage slavery for another which you find more palatable. Glad it's working out for you though.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1464349865' post='3058710']This member also believes there should be a video of him twiddling the knobs with close-ups front and rear. [/quote] Each to his own, but I'll pass on that one.

Les (of Crème Brûlée) says: [attachment=220073:s2_les.jpg] "It's a sh*t business......they'll learn"

I think the value of an instrument should be determined by its feel, sound and build quality. If people are prepared to pay extra for the cachet of owning an instrument of a certain brand, in the expectation that they will be able to recoup that dividend when they resell because others will similarly value the brand, then that's their lookout imho. It's all marketing b/s, and we are fools if we buy into it. But then my only bass is a Peavey Milestone I got from Cash Converters for £50, so what do I know?

How about one of these (having looked at your sig)? [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Musicals-Definitive-Illustrated-Story-DK/dp/0241214564/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464192055&sr=1-2&keywords=musical+theatre"]https://www.amazon.c...musical+theatre[/url] [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broadway-Musicals-Show---Show-Stanley/dp/1480385476/ref=sr_1_27?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464192159&sr=1-27&keywords=musical+theatre"]https://www.amazon.c...musical+theatre[/url] [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geniuses-American-Musical-Theatre-Composers/dp/1423462750/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464192211&sr=1-3&keywords=musical+theatre+for+musicians"]https://www.amazon.c...e+for+musicians[/url]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1463834011' post='3054426'] If you're a God praising person, I'm surprised at you using the term "Blimey". The origin of this is from "God, blind me". Isn't this taking the Lord's name in vain? Sorry, but I know my poor old Mum would have been deeply offended. [/quote] Where did she stand on "devil's dumplings"? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krgUVduKFL4[/media]

Still trying to get my head round the fact that nostalgia for old websites is a Thing now. But then again, I had to fill in the date on an online form the other day and found myself starting the year with '19' ...

Did somebody say "mattress" to Mr. Lambert?

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1463475064' post='3051554'] Milton Keynes - does it work for ANYONE? [/quote] [quote name='Wikipedia'][b]Tesseract[/b][color=#252525][font=sans-serif] (often stylized as [/font][/color][b]TesseracT[/b][color=#252525][font=sans-serif]) is a British [/font][/color][url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_metal"]progressive metal[/url][color=#252525][font=sans-serif] band from [/font][/color][url="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Keynes"]Milton Keynes[/url][/quote] apparently it does! [quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1463474462' post='3051550'] Since I live in south east London [/quote] Hey, I live in South East London! We should totally form a nordic-folk-grunge-prog-metal-fusion bass & nyckelharpa duo. I think the world is ready.

[quote name='YouMa' timestamp='1463441474' post='3051437'] ... the bass bloke from caravan.... [/quote] Well, that's fame for you.

I recall Bilbo making very similar complaints on these august pages not long ago with respect to jazz. The reasons are similar in both cases - the music is harder to play, so there are fewer people capable of it, and the audiences are smaller, so the opportunities to gig are fewer. Then again, if you think you have a hard time of it, try being a fan of nordic folk music... [Edit to add, before someone takes offence, that I'm not denying that there are very highly skilled musicians playing the more popular forms of music, it's just that those forms are also open to those of more modest abilities in a way that jazz and prog aren't]

I never watch the songs, but I quite enjoy watching the voting. My recipe for improving it would be: 1) Restrict entrants to European countries 2) Require all songs to be sung in (one of) the indigenous languages of the country 3) Real instruments and performances only: no miming, no backing tracks, no use of samples 4) All entries must be versions of traditional songs from the country. I think the result could be a genuine celebration of the rich musical culture of Europe, would help to preserve that culture from the ravages of ghastly homogenized all-pervasive trans-atlantic "pop", and would be much appreciated by me and the other seven people who would tune in to watch.

I remember a "klezmer heavy metal" band, with comedians Jim Tavare on bass and Al Murray on drums, called Guns and Moses, if that counts.