BottomE

Trapped GAS for me. Lusting for a Lakland Skyline 44-01. Had one, sold it and now i regret it. Don't need it but will get rid of a bass to acquire this one so Mrs BottomE will not stress (if i tell her).

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1451937544' post='2944836'] I'd say he isn't working it very hard then..so presumably 5 a year suits him. It also depends whether he is 'worth' his £150 too. [/quote] He just wants the cream. His pursuit of which has meant he's missed out on some lovely cheeses. I mean a band that might want to use him are going to have to turn down £100 a night gigs unless they are prepared to pay him more than themselves.

There's a guy round here (singer) who said that hes not prepared to perform for less than £150 a night, says its not worth his while. Gets about 5 gigs a year.

Have you seen the audio test where a guy literally sticks some PuPs/electrics to a block of scrap wood and then attaches a bass neck? He then records some open strings. He then records a well known brand of bass. Listening side by side Its almost impossible to tell the difference. My point is that this video showed that the wood made feck all difference to the sound in this scenario. On the flipside there are loads of players who like flats and sponge under the strings by the bridge to achieve the sound you say you are getting from your bass.

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1451924937' post='2944641'] You could try this before taking them off and boiling them in water (which I have done, with the plastic ball ends and you do get a bit of life back, the plastic doesn't melt but it can become brittle - note I also added some white vinegar too). [/quote] Quite impressive. Gotta love a bit of MarloweDK. Nice post - thanks. Now, if slapping the sh*t out of my strings makes them brighter should i do the same to my kids...

Indeed very large bargain. Had a Sansamp and t'was very good. From memory the Sansamp cost over £200 at the time and that was second-hand so...

[quote name='grumpyguts' timestamp='1451728026' post='2942738'] However.. Trying to get For Once In My Life sorted; currently more than my brain can take. [/quote] haha - been there! Now i can play it in my sleep. I get a lot of mileage out of running through the song internally. Before i go to sleep i run through the song in my head and visualise myself playing it. Works for me. In 2 bands with about 5 hours worth of material stored up in my head and believe me, i have a terrible memory for everything else but this seems to be effective.

Having the theory definitely helps. For example, knowing what notes are in a scale/chord and transferring this to a keyboard is relatively straightforward. Playing bass however is no practical help to playing the keyboard. With software, however, you can loop a particular piece of music until you get it right.

You need people with the same motivation whatever purpose the band has. I understand where you are coming from but I've hit snags with this in the past. Mainly, i wanted good quality players to be able to create something to be proud of. Trying to get them all at rehearsals with no solid gig prospects in the bag is tough. All the good guys were busy. Not saying that you have to have great players to write good material. Depends on your "vision" i guess.

Great gig. Fed lovely pie and mash (small portion for me). Free bar though we are all driving. 2 x 1 hour sets. As we knew the clientele the set had to be adjusted and ended up playing Johnny B Good which they loved. We often gig as a 5 piece but keys couldn't do it last night. The sound was fantastic - not loud but clear and full. Reminded us that we need to tell the keys player to reign it in a bit. It was an excellent room for a live band with just the right amount of soft furnishings to soak up any harshness. The downside - like a demented fool i locked my car keys in the boot of my car! Just waiting for my bro in law to pick me up to go and collect it! Happy New Year x

2015 was a good year. Many gigs and some nice deps. For 2016: [list] [*]trim the herd - too many basses. Like to reduce this from 7 basses to 3 [*]experiment with my pedals - have (as in the sig) a Sadowsky PreAmp and EBSMulticomp that are never used due to me being too lazy to plug the leads in at a gig [*]do some more jam nights - just to meet other musos [*]be a nicer person (ok thats not bass related) [/list] Happy new year to you all x

As long as the bass is in a case and away from moisture the strings should maintain their brightness. It is an issue though isn't it when you have a herd of basses and want to replace say, 7 sets of strings. £210 approx for my fav strings! Makes you think.

Thats encouraging.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1451494552' post='2940975'] Me neither. Had to look it up, and I don't exactly live a sheltered life.. [/quote] Am a fan and i can't remember! Same for Seven Nation Army. Soz x

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1451496060' post='2940996'] yeah my band tried that, but the guitar sound is so distinctive it soon turned into a no no, if you can't do it properly don't embarrass yourself by doing it poorly [/quote] Really good point. Knowing when something doesn't work is a very good quality to have in a band. About 50% of the tunes we take to a rehearsal never get past that stage. Of the 50% that do, many of them are culled if they don't work in the set and/or for the audience.

Are there any pro players who endorse this? Not that this is a guarantee of quality - just want to hear one using synth in a live situation.

[quote name='Stu-khag' timestamp='1451432216' post='2940516'] I watched a making of rumours doc on fleetwood mac a little while back on the train and was gear watching as you do and saw all manner of boutique basses in the shots of mcvie (alembics etc.) and then the bit of him playing the chain (like in this vid) is on a hamer cruise bass- the same model I had sold the previous day for very little money. if only I had known I could have bumped up the price a bit! [/quote] One of these. Its the best Jazz bass i have ever owned and i've had a few...I'd say it probably is one of the the most recognisable bass lines recorded. So is this

Yeah, get a guitar. Got a little Strat recently for recording projects and having fun with it. As others have said it has musical benefits (also got a midi keyboard too). It all helps

Depends on the money. I'll happily play anything for the correct reimbursement. If the band is getting well paid gigs then i wouldn't care. If its a start up band there are so many great tunes to choose from i'd focus on that. Why bands have to mimic other set lists is beyond me but hey its a free country. In the end you need tunes conducive to any prospective landlord/agent/audience. Been in bands in the past who have chosen "cool" tracks that they think will impress other musicians and guess what - normal punters don't give a stuff. Nothing wrong with being a musical whore. Mustang Sally sucks though.

Does anyone have a link to this being used in a band situation? All the demos i can see show it with a solo bass which is not how it will end up being used. Like to see the synth especially.

What are the synth sounds like in terms of quality at gig volume? We do some tunes that were originally recorded with a synth bass part and have no idea if this is a credible option.

I love gigging too Blue. Not really bothered if there is a big crowd or not though obviously it makes it a little better if the shits kicking off. Its in my blood. After 30 years of gigging its just what i do. Also validates the collection of basses.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1451300209' post='2939337'] This is exactly what I was getting at. It takes a rythmn section particularly, but a band which is capable of a soul groove to get there. In my estimation the drummers or guitarists are more regularly the ones who 'don't get it'. It's the same with funk. There are many are some who can play it technically, far fewer who can create 'that' groove!! [/quote] As always the devil is in the detail. Many of these tunes have little nuances. Emphasis just before/after a beat, for example. Makes all the difference. When trying to explain this to the drummer he shrugs and says "come on we have 3 more tunes to learn - the punters won't notice". To a degree he is right but all the same my view is that if you are going to learn a tune - learn it properly, i.e. with the nuances.

Thanks. Lovely stuff. Bless her.

9 years in the same main band and 4 of us (out of 5) have been in it since the inception. Very business-like operation as none of us see each other socially. We've learned how each other operates - we all communicate. Flushed out all the potential hurdles early - money, # of gigs per week, rehearsals etc. Nothing is left to fester and any issues are dealt with in the open. There are no egos in this band which has been like a revelation. Already booked up for next year when we'll be celebrating 10 years together! Can't quite believe it.