Chris2112

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.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1504028969' post='3362239'] IMO (of course) I really wanted CA to be a great return to form, but I was disappointed. The mix is fussy, and the songs are flabby. [/quote] To my shame, I bought Clockwork Angels and gave it a run through, half-heartedly listening but with nothing really grabbing me. That said, I thought Snakes and Arrows was pretty tremendous and I'm glad I got that one when it was released. I didn't think the Rush of the 90's was up to all that much as they reflected the trend for alt-rock. Just as rock music lost it's inspiration over that period, so did Rush. That said, the string of classic albums from Signals through Hold Your Fire (with Presto and RTB being strong efforts) were unlikely to ever be matched. I can still remember being a 16 year old in the basement of Virgin Music on Northumberland Street in the Toon listening to 'Afterimage' from Grace Under Pressure on the sampler headphones and being absolutely overwhelmed. Here, finally, was a rock band with melody and song writing! I've been in love with their music ever since.

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1503867703' post='3361266'] Fan service? Were they giving away music and touring for free? [/quote] They weren't, but they're made men a million times over. I doubt by the time you're in your sixties you're motivated by adding another Ferarri to your collection or another wing to your mansion. However, they have consistently pummelled out the 'hits' for years, but there were many who just wanted to hear 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Spirit of radio' again, and Rush duly obliged when most rockers would have packed in long ago. They've been tremendously dedicated to their fans.

I would really welcome Geddy and Alex carrying on making music. If they have the passion for it, great! Lord knows, they've done enough fan service touring all over the world for decades. I'd love to hear them doing something fresh. I love Rush (my favourite band by a long shot) but if they want to try something new, they should. Neil Peart owes nothing, having come back from immense personal tragedy to carry on with Rush. It seems that drumming is the most arduous of instruments to play as the years go by and good health must come first. I recall reading that Phil Collins barely plays the drums at all these days, as just a few minutes at the kit leaves him in agony with back pain from that hunched position he plays in. Similarly, you can't go full throttle in the toms for fifty years without some wear on the arms (even accounting for all the effort Neil put into learning a new grip style in the 90's).

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1503443165' post='3358369'] Couldn't be more different . 1- Michael Manring - the book of flame 2 - Steve Lawson - grace and gratitude 3 - Anthony Jackson - anything! 4 - John Patitucci - line by line 5 - Jonas Hellborg - silent life [/quote] Not a bad list. Hellborg and Manring are great, though I thought his music was better before it became all about altered tunings and millions of harmonics. Anthony Jackson, what more can I say? Pattituci also did some great work with Chick Corea. I'd say: 1) Jeff Berlin - any of his records but Pump It! is a great place to start. 2) UZEB - Between the lines 3) Stuart Hamm - Show me what you can do 4) Rush - Hold your fire 5) Jaco Pastorius - Shadows and Light

I bought my Cort Rithimic Jeff Berlin signature bass from Neil Murray, of Whitesnake and Black Sabbath fame. In a twist of fate, I later learned that Neil had played in Bill Bruford's band covering Jeff Berlin's parts! I've also since talked to Jeff about the Rithimic bass since we are in agreement thay it's an incredible instrument.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1502918038' post='3354428'] It's funny that so many people have asked me over the years if I use 'TVR paint'. I guess that's where most people are familiar with seeing these 'flip-paints'. Maybe TVR would like to bring one or two round for a test drive so we can compare! [/quote] Yes, I first thought of a TVR, then an MG ZT and then a Nissan Micra, all seen in flip paint at one time! It's a beauty!

Great story, thanks for sharing! It's very interesting to hear a really detailed account of owning one of these instruments that have long since become part of British bass folklore. Dig the bass out and get us some pictures, we would love to see it!

Very simple for me, a Cort Rithimic running through a TC Electronic Corona chorus pedal into a Markbass Jeff Berlin CMD151P combo. Chorus typically set to a fast speed with low depth, mid level and tone. I may get a compressor one day, they're very useful for ensemble playing.

This thread feels like being stuck in a timewarp back to the internet of fifteen years ago. A bassist playing a melody, whatever next!? Threads about ERB bashing will be along in a year or two... I love bassists who take the bass away from root/fifth stuff at the first position but this just didn't grab me. The music was a bit flat and lacking in the sort of harmonic content I like. It came off as a fairly long, repetitive effort. But I could listen to a bassist blow over changes for 8 minutes to something more interesting.

Does anyone have any Coronoa toneprints they really like? I've loaded the Nathan East preset onto mine and I love it, it's very subtle and musical with a lot of depth and quality. It really brings out a different sound to the basic chorus mode. I also love the method of beaming toneprints to the pedal! Great fun.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1501924966' post='3348227'] If you are having fun and enjoying yourself..best of luck to you. It will certainly help with ear training. However, while there is no doubt that scales are important, IMO it would be more beneficial to concentrate on chord tones, as this is what the bassist plays 90% of the time. Learn how chords are derived from scales and how to harmonise the major scale. This, IMO would be better than playing modes, which are generally left until the basics are under the belt. Check out this lesson from "Studybass". https://www.studybass.com/lessons/bass-chord-patterns/chord-tones-are-primary/ [/quote] I would also recommend the OP look into learning chord tones as it'll give you a full system of familiarity with the notes on the fretboard, as well as an understandable way of applying what you learn to music. Scales are great fun, but knowing how and where to apply something other than a major or minor scale can be tricky. But, most importantly, keep experimenting and find out what appeal to your ear.

Don't pigeonhole your bass choices for what you 'think' a genre demands, especially if you're basing that decision on looks. Country in particular is massive in the US and consequently attracts some top class players with top class gear, so even something boutique will fit the bill if it performs adequately.

'Bass drum' is a bloody misnomer. I like bass drums that are small and sound tight and poppy, they should 'thud' with a very quick decay rather than 'boom' in the dreadful, floppy sounding way so many do now. Live sound is often dreadful for a variety of reasons, but sadly I get the impression that a lot of sound engineers create a bad mix and then try to mask the dreadful tone by banging the volume right up until you end up with an ear-splitting mush. That's what I got when I saw Big Country at the O2 in Newcastle a couple of years ago. Deafeningly loud; a dreadful mess of booming bass and drums and piercing high end. Mike Peters' vocal mix was awful too, and he was frequently howling out of tune because the mix was so poor. Sad to see such a great band struggling with a crap mix like that. Half the time, if you didn't know the songs, you wouldn't have known what the bloody hell was going on.

[quote name='The59Sound' timestamp='1492416792' post='3279973'] I would definitely say it's for the 'new school' breed of bass players. No Fenders, no Ampegs/Oranges. [/quote] You can get that old crap anywhere! I bought a used TC Electronic Corona from BD last week. Arrived the next day, great service. I had tried to contact them by phone over Thursday lunchtime but they must have been out to lunch. I would love to go to the shop one day but it's a bloody long trip!