Chris2112

Always liked that bass. I hated the band but Tye got a good sound out of it. Apparently he was/is a massive Primus fan and had honed his chops in a band playing their songs! It looks surprisingly crude now that custom, handmade instruments are everywhere but I bet it still plays like [i]buttah![/i]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1362959942' post='2006872'] Regarding the Rush clip, what you have to remember is as it`s live, Ged is playing bass, singing and possibly triggering keyboard effects via footswitches at the same time. Wish I was that sloppy [/quote] And listening back to the whole thing via monitors. Whilst dancing about the stage. Compare it to their studio records, which are very tight. It's easier to be bang on time in a comfortable studio. I don't think the live record is any worse for the timing though.

It sounds as though they are moving further and further away from Carpenter's massive riffing style of olden days, or am I just missing the great tracks? The last Deftones track that had me thinking 'wow' was [i]Hexagram[/i]!

The 6 string in the middle is beautiful. Talk about GAS!

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1362518232' post='2000777'] OMFG!! That's gotta piss Chris2112 off a bit hasn't it? Or perhaps not. [/quote] Not really. The late 90's was the absolute wilderness for any decent 80's outfit. Recent enough to remember firsthand, not yet distant enough to get nostalgic over (irrespective of whether the songs were good or not). Andy did the smart thing, finding himself at a musical impasse as the frontman of a 70's/80's electro rock outfit. He used his means to create a dire pop band, pull the strings and cream the profits. When the time was right for OMD to come back, they came back. Mind you, a cursory glance at the lyrics for 'New Babies, New Toys' should leave you in no doubt as to what he thinks of these naff pop acts, even if he has lined his pockets off the back of one.

No, because pop songs have to be sh*t to be a hit these days. I am too good for that sort of thing.

[quote name='juliusmonk' timestamp='1361709452' post='1989498'] Mark King is awesome. Contrary to a previous poster, for me the Jaydee tone was a bit 'raw', and I prefer the Alembic and Kingbass tone. [/quote] I always preferred his Status and Alembic sounds. I think the Status sound was the best though. When I had my Series II I played Level 42 tunes on it all day.

Who reads NME though? Do they still do a print version?

I've not played one of those stale, smoke smelling basses in years now. Thank God. But I do recall when 'for sale' adverts made a point of noting that a bass hadn't been played in a smoky environment. It may be harder to get a gig these days, but it's far more pleasant doing do because you're not having to smell that muck when you're playing.

One benefit of the smoking ban now has been that when you buy a used bass, it probably won't stink of smoke. I've had one or two second hand basses in the past that reeked of Febreeze and stale smoke. Not pleasant!

I don't think 24hr drinking has really had an impact on live music. True 24hr establishments are rare and don't cater for the sorts who would go to see a live band at 20:00hrs. Late licencing has had an effect, mainly because as you say, people are now heading out for a drink at 22:00hrs or later. But I don't think these sorts of drinkers are the ones who would go to live music pubs anyway. Live music has definitely taken a hit in recent years, but licencing hours aren't solely to blame and 24hr drinking definitely isn't.

Hardly hanging off his arse though, is it? Still above the belt line (and remembering that Thumbs were smaller and lighter in those days too, thus easier to manage without neck dive). If you've ever seen a JD Thumb in the flesh, they are pretty petite compared to say, a modern NT 6!

Not a big deal, to be honest. I went to a 5 string fairly early on. My first decent bass was an Ibanez BTB405QM. 35" scale, a wide, flat neck and stiff strings were all new to me. After a couple of days of hitting the B when I was looking for the E string when I was slapping, I had eased right into it. I went off 5 strings for years, preferring 4 and 6 strings. That was silly, I'm quite happy playing 4, 5 or 6 string basses these days.

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1360859159' post='1977554'] An observation on my new (used) thumb BO4. I have read so much about the odd ergonomics and poor balance of thumbs that I was not expecting too much of it. However, this thing doesn't weigh a ton, balances just fine on a thin strap and the reach to the 1st fret feels much the same as a J or P bass. The neck is also narrow and playable. [/quote] I've owned two Thumbs, a 4 string BO and my current Broadneck 5 string. Neither have had neck dive issues, mainly because I play them high-ish on the chest, like they were supposed to be played. Hence why they have that 'bowl back' cut on them. Also, I've never had a problem with the necks on them. Even my broadneck is very manageable, because it's relatively thin front to back, but with some width to let you right dig in and work your left hand. They suit some players, some players never get on with them. If you're one of those players who likes to wear his bass round his ankles, forget the Thumb. For everyone else, just play and enjoy. Nothing else sounds like a Thumb. It is one of [i]the [/i]bass sounds.

Saw that video a few years back, when it was new, I suppose. The kid plays like a badass and has a great sound. Strange we never seemed to hear anything more of him, though I suppose like a few child prodigies he may have just gotten bored with his talent! Either that, or he is at school doing his exams!

For sheer wow factor, [i]Classical Thump[/i] is hard to beat. Because it looks fantastic and sounds amazing. I tend to find that even in the opening few bars, when you are hitting the open strings and hammering on the melody notes, even without double thumbing, makes most people get up and look. It has so much class, mainly because it's not just 'look at me' stuff, it's a beautiful tune.

[quote name='GuyR' timestamp='1361051225' post='1980520'] "If this bass could only talk" has spellbinding playing throughout, particularly on " working man" and "Tradition", along with cameos from Allan Holdsworth and Stewart Copeland. [/quote] Superb record, easily one of his best. It was pretty well received at the time, IIRC, and then it seemed to fade into obscurity for a bit behind some of his 70's stuff. But in terms of quality and consistency, it's right up there. Consistency is a big issue when you're listening to Stanley, he admits himself he often goes a while without producing a great record and he is man enough to look back and admit not everything he has done is stellar. Like the Clarke/Duke Project records. Instantly switch-offable fuzak, and Stan is one of my all time favourites! His best record, I reckon, and the best place to start with Stan, is [i]The Toys Of Men. [/i]It is absolutely superb stuff, top drawer music. It shows everything that Stan does, from bombastic fusion epics, to cool mood pieces on upright and acoustic basses, to funky, driving slap tunes. The production is top class and the cast list is as good as it gets. Truly, the stars had aligned for Stanley there! It still blows me away to listen to now. Often overlooked, but also quite amazing, the Animal Logic records. It's not typical Stan stuff, and he was slated for making those records, unfairly so I think. Some of the lyrics are a little cheesy, but as far as great songs and musicianship goes, they are great albums. Intelligent pop music made by musicians for musicians. They were moderately popular in the states at the time too because Stewart Copeland was playing the drums. Sadly they only made two albums, but they are great. Stanley wasn't giving it his lightning fast Return To Forever tricks, but he was playing in the pocket with some amazing lines.

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1360850358' post='1977346'] Id rather thave one good instrument than a couple of "OK" ones from the main big brands. [/quote] Of course, it's just that most 'OK' brand guitars will make a PRS sound positively lacklustre (as would an objective listener, I suspect). Take something from the top end of a brand like Ibanez, Charvel, Vigier etc etc and that will show you what a good guitar sounds like!