scalpy

Had another listen to this. We hear some much live stuff that's meant to have a Motown vibe, and it's great when they do their Motown impression, but there's something so great about hearing the real thing. Especially the tiny bass break at 7:45. But throughout he's got the band by the balls, it's so taut. Wonderful.

Blackstar being the new UK distributor should help, they did a great job with a new amp line. Not sure about the Kiloton, the video demos haven't done much for me but they look cool as. Also not sure about G&L being more high profile, quite like mine being from a niche manufacturer. But then don't understand why they are more popular either!

Great way to start a Saturday. What a band, although the fade outs are a bit weird.

If you learn formally then remembering music is a bit like having to remember text. You may have read the latest fender brochure for example many times, but could you recite it? The part to hard to handle, if you're doing the Otis version sounds simple enough, plays ok but looks pretty intimidating. There's loads of syncopation and if you're not used to memorising tunes that would be a pretty hard place to start. Transposition for the brass family isn't as straight forward as it is on guitar type instruments. Brass players don't have the luxury of the geometric patterns we use, and will have to recall the scale, work out the degree, flip it into the new scale and then play. Guitar keys (E, A, D etc) also tend to a complete mare for brass players. Not only are they harder to read, they're a complete pig fingering and blowing wise. That's why jazzers prefer being in Bb etc. Transposes really nicely for horns- they'll be in C or G. Lastly, why do they leg it straight away? I've done many gigs as a bassist in soul bands and many as a trumpeter. Those charts are knackering and by the end of the second set the pain will be excruciating. I'd be off- ski if I was still doing it!

I've used two, both vintage models and would err on the side of caution. Both were studio bound, and maintained by the top guys in the industry, one was incredibly noisy and the other broke. I know that's anecdotal information but from the experience I was put right off them. I'm looking forward to third time lucky!

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1496563481' post='3312261'] I remember being shouted down for a luddite and a pedant when I suggested we should all learn to tune to each other.... Sadly for me, in the classical world they notice. They notice EVERYTHING. Down bow instead of an upbow, intonation, the works. I played Mahler's 1st symphony last year, which famously has a VERY exposed double bass solo. It's not very difficult, but it's scary as hell when you know 70 other musicians are listening, and depending on you not to spaff it. So I spaffed it. It wasn't great. In the bar afterwards I must have had 30 or 40 sympathetic "good effort" type comments and condescending smiles. Beam me up..... The worst of it was, the last time I'd played that solo was 35 years ago in the Albert Hall, and I smashed it. [/quote] I believe that's the one based on Frere Jacques, not like you can hide it from the punters if they didn't know either! Audiences may not notice the details of a performance but they certainly know if they're dancing or not. They might only talk about the singer but if they're dancing you're doing your job fine.

We're an 8 piece band soul type band. One woman the other week just get it through her head we didn't know The Cha Cha Slide and that we couldn't 'play it anyway.'

No problems with the face plate on mine, but it is the older Italian issue one. However, the volume pot does scratch. I think it may well be due to the pull-to-mute feature, which is the only bug bear with the design I have.

[quote name='Rocker' timestamp='1496171920' post='3309355'] If you drink real ale, a Bud or Heineken or similar tastes awful. If you want your instrument tuned properly, get yourself a decent tuner. You only buy a tuner every half dozen or more years so it's real cost is negligible and you can depend on it. [/quote] This! You can never be too in tune! I did a pick up gig a couple of years ago and a guest guitarist rocked up with a PRS, pedal board full of strymons and the like and an Engl combo and could he tune up without a pedal? 300 people watching him and it was 5 minutes of agony. If you're going to spend big money on a guitar and rig buy the best tuner (and leads) you can.

Discolexic- thank you Happy Jack. I cannot wait to get that on a student's report.

[quote name='Marc S' timestamp='1496219319' post='3309576'] Being in several bands, I've had those moments too - where you start playing a song with one band, and realise you're playing it in a key you play with a different band! Also started the wrong song once or twice too We've all done it mate - you are not alone, so don't worry lol [/quote] This is why our set list reads Johnny Bb Goode!

[quote name='haraszo' timestamp='1495774549' post='3306440'] Thanks! It's not for solo playing really. Objective was to be able to create whatever wierd sound I want and switch between extremes instantly so it's usable when playing live (that taken care of by es8) [/quote] Excellent, weird would appear easily possible! Must be quite a band!

whoops double post

[quote name='haraszo' timestamp='1495726843' post='3306179'] I've been watching your boards guys for a while finally mine is complete and I can share it with you! [/quote] That is mint, my compliments to the chef. Out of curiosity, is that for solo playing?

Funnily enough we decided we'd never do one venue on Monday. We had a wedding do, the drummer was the first to get there and was told if we went over 70db they'd pull the plug before he'd even managed to put a case on the floor. She didn't even say hello. Turns out it was 70db at the bar, so, what with a band full of scientists we checked the db at the bar with no music. Averaging 78db and peaking at 90 when somebody laughed. I asked where she wanted us to set up and was given short shrift. We have a hk elements pa, useful but it won't blow you over, the guitarist was using a 15w fender pro jnr barely on, drummer was just tickling the kit and we still had bar staff coming down all night glaring at us. In the end we turned it around and started telling the audience off anytime they clapped or started to sing along and got a reasonably good vibe going. I'm all for live music not being to loud but this was unrealistic. By the way, the venue was in the middle of nowhere and the only neighbour was the owner of the venue. And it was him insisting on the db limit!

This seems to go against the grain but I love instruments and gear that come with some provenance. There have been one or two opportunities for me in the past to play significant kit and I get a buzz out of knowing that somebody who had an imagination and ability greater than mine was able to make it do something that means something to a lot of people. I know if I played this bass I'd not unlock its potential like JJ could but it was a cog in the wheel of something really important and to me that's worth cherishing.

I told my dad Adam Ant was brilliant at the age of about 7 and he went listen to this- and gave me his Beatles and Stones collection, and then I thought Adam Ant sounded a bit wet in comparison. He followed it up with Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. So that with G'nR and Nirvana by the time I was a teen did it for me. Still love the buzz of finding new music too.

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1495364858' post='3303204'] yep blues funk or blunk I call it What Is and What Should Never Be is a great example of this. Just beautiful [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYzjH7DciiA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYzjH7DciiA[/url] [/quote] Fantastic, so much invention on a really disciplined track. And the tam-tam still sounds awesome even in the background.

The critical thing with rests is knowing which ones are on the beat. Photocopy the page you're learning. Use a pencil to mark with a small vertical line every note or rest that's on the beat and number it with the beat number above. If a note is on the half beat, mark it with a +. There's a great trick with semiquavers but I'd need to do a diagram. I'll try and do an example later for you. Whether they are notes or rests though you need to have a strong sense of pulse.

Work out one musical element you all need to work on- there's always something. I was a trumpet player when I studied and one MD was obsessed with everyone finishing notes together. Starting together is easy! Made a huge difference. My band are working on any tune in the set that has that straight up billie jean type beat. Is 2 and 4 even? Are we rushing onto one because it's accented? It doesn't take much to think about but everyone starts to feel happier when they feel the improvement.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnjw1JIy7XY G&L is basically a high output custom shop. You can get some off the shelf instruments, the lb100 I just got is a typical spec example. If you follow their Facebook page you get to know the common configurations, but for hand finished instruments, plekked and I believe more interesting than fenders they're great value. My asat and lb100 aren't leaving the stable!

Get a peak at Frampton's rig, looks amazing!

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1494447374' post='3296131'] Give it away by Flea, man he pushes on top of the beat. Works for him mind! [/quote] Was my recollection, just listened again and he's pretty tight......

Give it away by Flea, man he pushes on top of the beat. Works for him mind!

I'm thinking about a jhs colour box for this (and many other) application.