Chris2112

Mike Anthony is a rock solid groove machine. He kept Van Halen locked down in a pretty impressive sense. Funnily enough, Eddie Van Halen tried to get Jeff Berlin to join at one point but Jeff refused because the band were in to some things that he wasn't (though he has never elucidated on that statement). That would have been a wild set up. Adam Clayton on the other hand has always struck me as a talentless sort. His lines could literally be ghost recorded by any pub-band bassist going and you'd never know. The fact that U2 have made themselves multi-millionaires on the back of their tuneless stadium rock is nothing to do with their unskilled musicianship, rather an indication of the general public's appetite for anodyne rubbish.

I remarked to a friend a few weeks ago, that Trujillo has been Metallica's bassist for nearly as long as Jason Newsted was, and yet I still think of him as the new guy!

I was moaning about this to my brother the other day, those damn spam PM's! They fool me into thinking I have friends.

[quote name='Sharkfinger' timestamp='1507281626' post='3384420'] A guitarist who I think is almost criminally overlooked is Alex Lifeson from Rush. Maybe because his band-mates tower over most of their peers, Alex is not recognised as towering over most of his. Or maybe that although an amazingly articulate and melodic player, he's not as showy and widdly as some. His playing on Hemispheres in particular comes to mind. [/quote] Exactly my thoughts. I'd also nominate Michel Cusson of UZEB. His phrasing and tone are superb. Again, I think Michel is overshadowed at least in reputation by Alain Caron, who is known for his exceptional ability. However, as a unit they are quite incredible.

Those P basses sound absolutely dreadful. He's been playing nothing but P basses for a couple of weeks now. You're right in saying he has gone 'full YouTube'. It seems like his channel is focused more and more on naff rubbish. A definite attempt to 'dumb down'. I used to really enjoy his output.

I bought a Pedulla Pentabuzz from Lukasz which came yesterday. A top class seller. Everything went smoothly (my first time using PayPal too). Having done plenty of deals and trades over Basschat, I can confidently say that this is how I like them done. Thanks, Lukasz!

[quote name='geoham' timestamp='1507232970' post='3384170'] I think this is the kind of response I was hoping for! The Squier VM gets a lot of love, but I can’t help but feel it isn’t worth double the HB. Then again... it always is a game of diminishing returns with music gear! [/quote] I used to have a Squier VM fretless and I thought it was very good for a budget instrument. It had a level of fit and finish that other manufacturer's around that price point just can't compete with. I had a Classic Vibe jazz after the VM and that was even better. There are proper Fender basses that could have done with the CV bridge! That said, shortly after owning the Squier I ended up with a Fender Jaco Pastorius fretless jazz which was on another level entirely.

The heaviest I've ever had was a Thumb 5 string Broad Neck. That was a heavy old beast that could tire the shoulder. By comparison, I've owned a Thumb BO 4 and played plenty of BO 5's and depsite being heavy, the ergonomics work well to hide the weight when standing. I used to hear a lot of talk about neck diving Thumbs but when held properly (on a strap, with the bass held above the belt line) they balance really well.

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1506871991' post='3381652'] Tony McAlpine. These days he's Vai's rythym guitarist. [/quote] T-Mac is on tour with his band at the moment, he has just released a new record. He hasn't played with Vai in a while but he was a serious addition to that band. Not only is he a wizard on the keys, but his immense talent on the guitar was always exciting to watch, especially when he traded licks with Steve. I agree though, many people at Vai's live shows might not have realised he is regarded as a master in guitar circles. Alex Lifeson is one I would nominate. He always vied with Neil and Geddy for accolades but was criminally overlooked. I suppose that, Neil's drumming was so far ahead of anyone else in the rock field that he was almost playing like a fusion drummer at times. Geddy brought the bass to the forefront of a rockband like never before, furthering what Chris Squire started. Hell, Geddy even won an award from a keyboard magazine for being the most improved player. Meanwhile, Alex continued being the best band player in rock and missing out on all the magazine awards. However, he is instantly identifiable and brought so much to Rush. My favourite Lifeson stuff is from the 80's, when he was using loads of chords to add colour and doing beautiful solos.

I'd rather be the worst player in a great band than the best player in a crap band. It's no good being brilliant if everyone else is dump. The music is a team effort, after all. If I got sacked and replaced, well, at least I would have tried.

I've always felt as though the whole thing has been on borrowed time since the late 90's when Neil's wife and daughter died. Neil was effectively done then and the band were forced to confront the reality that Rush could have been finished. Luckily, that wasn't the case and Neil came back after a period of personal healing and carried on, but I always had the sense after that that the end of Rush would be signalled by Neil calling it a day. They made some great music afterwards and I was able to see them live twice, on the Snakes and Arrows and Time Machine tours.

Bass Direct do alright for getting some stunning used SR's through the door. I bought my SR3006ESOL from them in 2015. It was the realisation of a longstanding dream of mine. I had picked up the Ibanez catalogue as a young lad in 2003 and dreamed of owning one. It was the top spec SR bass of it's year and my heart ached with longing. It's a very special instrument to me now.

It's not cheaper, but the Modulus Flea bass is the ultimate iteration of the Stingray, for my tastes. It's like a Stingray+.

I've always thought of them as the nicest guys in rock. I suppose being great friends is what has allowed them to go on so long, and all work together to write the music.

One thing that irritates me is that in all of this, Luc Havan essentially walked away from battering a man to death. I'm well aware that Jaco was a handful in his later years but on the accounts given from the night he was beaten so badly he never recovered, the pummelling he received seems totally disproprtionate with his actions. We'll never know the truth, and without access to a patholigist's report we can't say for certain, but the injuries inflicted on him suggest he took a good beating and not just one good punch. Luc Havan now runs a realtor business in Florida. He has been involved with restaurants, he has a son and a daughter. I wonder if they know the truth? He's easily traceable as some sleuths have done some work online to track him down and their steps are easily followed. I would have been less irritated by this if he had shown any remorse but an interview attributed from recent times suggest an attitude of utter contempt for his crime. A great musical hero and a father of four kids, beaten to death like a piece of street trash. That'll never feel right.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1506066338' post='3376162'] I'd like to hear someone record some of Jacos work but with a different tone , like on a warm P bass etc [/quote] I think it would sound pretty dump on a warm P bass. They just don't have the quick attack and decay for the faster, staccato grooves or the singing midrange for the more expressive passages. In any event, Jaco was a wizard. His role in turning the bass into a serious voice in jazz music can't be underestimated. Whilst I will contend that there were better players around at the time, in my view, Jaco was uniquely positioned to make a massive impact. Weather Report were a huge band by fusion standards. His work with Joni Mitchell was sublime too. If you're after a little Jaco gem, I would recommend 'Dara Factor One' from the self titled 1981 Weather Report album. It's a cut from a jam the band had in the studio with serious groove and wonderful improvisation. It's Jaco at his finest, when he most encapsulated the role of a bassist; providing an intuitive support to the harmony, rhythm and even melody of the band. Just magic.

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1505820047' post='3374515'] I agree, sounds better, lower action sounds "choked" as discreet says, no idea if there's any truth in it [/quote] If lower action sounds choked, it's too low or the player is too heavy handed. Action can be tweaked down to nearly impossibly low heights that preserve a stunning fundamental, provided the frets are dressed well enough to cope. High action can work well on cheap or poorly made instruments, because it doesn't require such a good balance of setup in terms of neck relief, fret height, pick up height, saddle heights etc.

I love the gated reverb sound of some 80's records, it created a tremendous punch alongside very clean, glassy synth tones. However, it's particular to that kind of music and it's resurrection in bland pop sh*te today gives me no cause for celebration. Still, it heralded a sea change in recording as many drums sounded like cardboard boxes and margerine tubs on record before then, particularly in the rock sector.

What an absolute beauty.

Stewart Copeland is a great drummer and I loved his work with Stanley Clark on the Animal Logic records. However, the band he made his fame with, The Police, are absolutely sh*t.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1504957053' post='3368552'] A J and a P have unique and different strengths. IMO they sound better not trying to sound like each other. [/quote] Indeed. A Jazz just doesn't sound like a P bass and never will, the difference is in the split vs single coil. Even with the neck pickup running on solo, with the tone rolled back and some compression, I still find the Jazz to sound more open abd dynamic. The Precision sound, as one will note, is quite heavy with low mids but loses some of the high frequency voice of the Jazz single coil. In a live setting, stepping off centre of the amp can turn a P bass tone to mush. That's why they're easy to mix. Whilst they'll never sound the same, a Jazz can do a good enough impression to fool anyone but another bassist. The Precision can't do the same impression of a Jazz.

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1503173603' post='3356275'] I agree the barts are good. Thats why other makes like Cort use them and you get a lot for your money. I think that they are a victim of their own success as people want to move on to try and improve their sound. The custom barts and eq in the Prestige basses are fantastic. Trends may have moved on but that doesn't detract from barts IMHO. [/quote] Bartolini are still the name in pickups, IMO. Bill Bartolini has been there from the start of the boutique bass scene and his pickups are truly incredible. His pickups are still the standard for a great many custom builders. New fads in pickups will come and go but Barts will always be Barts. My SR3006ESOL has Barts and a Bartolini circuit. That naturally dark, middy sound that Bart are known for really works in that bass.

It was certainly a strange one but then any show where the host is trying to have a conversation with you, in a foreign language, via an in-ear translator is going to be stiff. The host's singing was awful though.