Earbrass

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='804332' date='Apr 12 2010, 10:41 PM']Yeah, that's a Milestone III, just like mine AFAIK the I is a J copy, the II is a P and the III is a hybrid of both.[/quote] I've got two Milestone IIIs, and they have a longer top horn (which makes them well balanced, given the light weight of the body). [attachment=47326:Ms3R.jpg] No idea what a II looks like, but I think the IV is the same as the III but with a single P pickup instead of the 2 J pickups of the III. Quite fancy a IV, just to see if there's any significant difference in tone. Great basses.

Kimbara Jazz Bass Copy (Natural) - weighed a ton in its hard case, I recall. Never again. + Some kind of "Marlboro" (?) combo that I already had for keyboard & guitar. No idea what they cost - this was back in the 1970's. Probably paid more for the bass back then than I did for either of my current basses. Can't remember what happened to them, but they are both long, long gone.

Bass: cost £50 Rig: weighs 30lb Together, they go "whump" or "clang" on demand. What more could I need?

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='791908' date='Mar 31 2010, 02:01 PM']Quick rule of thumb, if you don't like listening to the music, chances are you won't enjoy playing it.[/quote] On the other hand, playing a style of music that you've hitherto not enjoyed listening to can lead to you appreciating it more.

I think it depends on where you are in your bass-playing "career", for want of a better word. When you've got past the absolute beginner phase, and can play a bit, I think it's a good idea to play with anyone and everyone you can, regardless of style or genre, to improve the basic skills of listening to each other and playing together. It's great fun to make music in a group, even if it's not your favourite style. Plus, playing bass by yourself can be a bit boring after a while. If you're already playing regularly with other people, then I think it pays to be more choosey, and focus on the projects that you think will go places that interest you. Just my 2p.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='790811' date='Mar 30 2010, 05:12 PM']I don't care what other people think as long as I'm happy with my gear [/quote] You don't care what other people think, yet you list all of your expensive/"prestigious" gear in your sig. Hmmmm.

[quote name='The inglourious bass turd' post='785194' date='Mar 24 2010, 09:30 PM']Forget Expense Now Deliberate on Eventual Return[/quote] [b]T[/b]otally [b]R[/b]ock [b]A[/b]nd [b]C[/b]redible [b]E[/b]verywhere..... [b]E[/b]nsuing [b]L[/b]ong-term [b]L[/b]umbago [b]I[/b]s [b]O[/b]bviously [b]T[/b]orture

Forget Miller, Wooten, King and the rest, if you want great slap... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhJQp-q1Y1s"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhJQp-q1Y1s[/url]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='778914' date='Mar 18 2010, 05:55 PM']Name the knobs and sliders after varieties of seabird if that's what grabs you. S.P.[/quote] "Yeah, sounding ok, but you need a bit more gannet, and you want to scoop the petrels right out"

Sold Nik a Fostex digital recorder. Everything went smoothly, and Nik kept me updated at every step - top guy to deal with. Recommended.

[quote name='harmonicfish' post='771831' date='Mar 11 2010, 05:03 PM']Any recommendations for a cheap lightweight 210?[/quote] You might want to check out Beedster's recent thread [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=75821"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=75821[/url] from post #9 onwards, where the merits of the Ampeg SVT210AV are discussed. These are 26lb, handle 200W@8ohms and are currently about £260 new. [url="http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product.asp?id=8876"]http://www.soundslive.co.uk/product.asp?id=8876[/url]

They do a smaller one too: [url="http://www.dv247.com/pa-systems-and-live-sound/peavey-ipr-1600-530-watt-power-amplifier--62060"]http://www.dv247.com/pa-systems-and-live-s...mplifier--62060[/url] Someone on the net said the lightest one was 6.2lb - that should be this one I think??

A question for those using outboard pre-amps / mult-fx units plugged into the power-amp stage of their bass heads: why use a bass head? Wouldn't an ordinary PA power amp do the same job cheaper? Not trying to criticize anyone's choices, but genuinely wanting to know. I always thought the pre-amp in a bass head was the bit that gave the "character" to the sound, and was the bit you were paying the extra for. Is that nonsense?

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='760605' date='Mar 1 2010, 12:04 PM']I have succumbed to looking without playing a few times recently.[/quote] Very zen ... [quote name='Low End Bee' post='760605' date='Mar 1 2010, 12:04 PM']This has been the fault of some female audience members mainly.[/quote] ... or maybe not

[quote name='OldGit' post='759713' date='Feb 28 2010, 12:47 PM']Yeah I mean stage left ie when viewed from the dance floor I'm to the left of the drummer bass neck pointing his way.[/quote] That's stage right, not stage left. Wiki: The terms "stage left" and "stage right", respectively, denote the sides of the stage that are on the actor's left and right when the actor is facing the audience, while "house left" and "house right" are the reverse, denoting the sides of the stage as viewed by the audience.

[quote name='Higgie' post='756938' date='Feb 25 2010, 12:13 PM']I find it to be a very good way of working out the quality of the band also...Although sometimes I'm surprised, for better....and for worse occasionally [/quote] I think this is part of why I have an inverted snobbery when it comes to my gear - my aim on the whole is to use the cheapest stuff that will get the job done. I'd far rather someone see my cheapo "beginner's" bass, expect me to be pretty useless and then be surprised by my prowess than raise expectations with flashy gear only to disappoint them when I start to play. In reality, of course, the vast majority of people won't notice or care in the slightest what I use anyway. It's not just that, though - apart from a generally anti-consumerist mind-set, it's also the straightforward, non-inverted snobbery of looking down on any overt display of wealth or possessions as appallingly vulgar. (no disrespect to those pros / semi-pros whose "posh" gear is their livelihood) <edited to make myself sound slightly less of a prat >

"Gearstalker" - how a bad ventriloquist would describe Sherlock Holmes' hat. Yeah, I used to be one in my teens - not restricted to bass gear either; keyboards were a particular interest I seem to remember. Mind you, that was back in the 70's - being a gear-geek was a lot easier back then, as there was a lot less variety of gear to spot.

Another good idea is to choose some instrumental lines (they don't have to be basslines!) from music you like and try to transcribe them. This might sound like the very opposite of improvisation, but it will give you a great insight into how other musicians structure their lines / solos, which may give you ideas you can use in your own playing that you might not otherwise have thought of. Note that a lot of great improvisers/soloists (jazz and other) actually have a lot of stuff worked out in advance - they have a sort of internal "library of licks" from which they can select what suits the moment. Taking ideas from other instruments can be fruitful - eg I've used bits of jazz trumpet solos I've transcribed in basslines. The key thing is break away from your own playing habits - copying other people / other genres / other instruments can be a good way of doing this.

Don't use it myself, but in the right place it can be wonderful. Check out Hugh Hopper's silky smooth fuzz in Soft Machine. For a great example of bass changing from fuzz to straight, listen to the live version of Exiles on King Crimson's live "USA" album (John Wetton + P bass + Fuzz Face I believe).

Lavender oil is also very good for minor burns.

Sold Marco a Pandora PX4B. Good communications, no problems, pleasure doing business. Hope you have fun with it Marco!

In my experience a lot of people regard their gear, both basses and rigs, as status symbols, imagining that owning "desirable" gear somehow gives them a credibility they would otherwise lack. This is both tragic and stupid.

[quote name='discreet' post='749597' date='Feb 18 2010, 12:52 PM'] Excellent! Was it the Sally Army?[/quote] [quote name='exmando' post='749606' date='Feb 18 2010, 12:58 PM']That's the strange thing - no obvious external signs, it...just ... suddenly ... appeared[/quote] Maybe it was the Continuity Sally Army. They have notoriously refused to put all tambourines "beyond use".