Ashwood1985 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 (edited) Greeting fellow basseys! The name is ash (and yes, I was made in 1985: I have a terrible time coming up with a quirky username lol so I gave up and went for the more obvious!) Started playing bass at 13 on a '92 silver series MIJ Jazz Squire, writing some tunes/playing along with some of the more basic chillies tunes, etc. with a couple of pals from my youth. Saved up from my paper round and bought a Roland multi track recorder and started recording and mixing our compositions. Fell in love with the engineering/production so went on to do degree studies in Music Tech. while playing bass, teaching myself as I went along. Bought a 5 string Bass collection, then stretched to a Euro5 Spector, before hooking up with a great band with three fellas who, frankly, were above me head and shoulders musically. I heard there stuff online and for two days and nights sat and drilled their tunes out before going along for an audition/rehearsal. Had to really improve my game between each and every rehearsal in order to keep in the line up which is a testimony to the idea that there is no substitute to playing with people who are ahead of you musically to improve. The band played some pretty 'Prince'y '80s inspired own-material we deemed best describes as 'Stadium Funk Rock (withReggaeSauce!)' and I suppose my contributing flavour was probably somewhere between bootsey and sting! Played with the fellas while I finished my degree and started a commercial studio on a shoe string. In the studio my general composition skills up'd somewhat due to the amount of production and writing I was doing for unsigned clients who would just turn up with lyrics. This helped me think of my playing from the song's side (or producer's side for that matter) when playing a lot, tone and playing wise. That band came to a close and these days I am in a cross culture folk/rock/soulish outfit with an Indian Tabla, two steel string acoustics and me on bass (sometimes with a kick drum and elec guitar thrown in). Currently working on the album so will post a link when it's done! The vibe of the band's material resonates with who I am now as a person as well being more mature musically, progressing from the wilder years in the former outfit! In the project I jump between a Jazz with flats and a '08 Warwick Streamer 5 $$ (which I find has great playability for me: not an easy thing to find in my limited experience) fitted with a 3band Aguilar to give me my switchable mid boost. Despite the quite rootsey set up of the band, I mainly play the wick with them as I like the extra 'cut' through all that acoustic resonance of the ensemble can energise and drive the acoustic sound of the band while still having enough organic 'wood' in the tone (with p'ups always on single coil to keep the mud at bay) After 14 years of self teaching, I feel the gap where I never got myself a decent teacher and trained in theory much more deeply, as well as got my head more into influential bass players. In fact I am still very ignorant to a LOT of player out there who I know will be considered big names by many throughout these forums. So I am now very keen to build up knowledge of applied theory, approaching musical styles and becoming more intimate with other bass player's contributions' to this wonderfully expressive artform. And it is for these reasons (as well as drooling over the gear/market place ) that I have signed up to the forum. Plus I can only hope to be of some benefit to others in kind by way of any contributions. My involvement in this form has had an early pay out in that I have just snatched up an wonderfully restored Ibanez SR1000CT1 Factory Fretless ('87-'91) from eubassix after being on the look out for a reasonably priced fretless (my 1st), plus I've always loved the super-slim necks on SRs so two birds with one stone and I hope to cook up some tasty 'mwah'ing bird pie once it's in my palms! Sorry for the essay, Ash P.S. Beep if you dig Pino on Soul records! (Anthony Hamilton/D'angalo/etc.) My current main influence: he's a Super Squelchin' Groove Machine!!!!!! Edited May 25, 2012 by Ashwood1985 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Wecome. Those Silver series Squiers Jazzes were nice basses. I have one still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yepmop Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Welcome Ash "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][i] I feel the gap where I never got myself a decent teacher and trained in theory much more deeply[/i]" I know exactly where your coming from there, you're still young enough to correct that, don't leave it too late![/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Have fun [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color] Cheers Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hi Ash, Welcome to BC. That essay was a great read. best, bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Hi fellas, Sorry had to correct a typo (wrote at 2am!) where I said the warwick streamer is a '98. It's not it's an '08. Post corrected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1337908724' post='1667408'] Wecome. Those Silver series Squiers Jazzes were nice basses. I have one still. [/quote] Indeed!!! Mine is still sitting in my rack and doubled with the fact I was my first I don't think I'll ever let it go. (unless somehow it becomes worth c'razzyy monay! Even then: maybe!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 [quote name='yepmop' timestamp='1337927727' post='1667438'] Welcome Ash "[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][i] I feel the gap where I never got myself a decent teacher and trained in theory much more deeply[/i]" I know exactly where your coming from there, you're still young enough to correct that, don't leave it too late![/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Have fun [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] [/font][/color] Cheers Tony [/quote] Cheers tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashwood1985 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1337931638' post='1667486'] Hi Ash, Welcome to BC. That essay was a great read. best, bert [/quote] Lol glad you enjoyed bert, I generally have control of my mouth but my fingers can be feral once on a keyboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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