Leaderboard

Last night my blues band played the town's Art Centre. This may not sound a particularly big deal but for me it was one off the bucket list. The venue isn't big, but it has a good reputation and has had some very good artists and bands play there...the likes of John Martyn (obviously when he was alive), Andy Fairweather Low is there again soon. The first time I went so see a band was at this venue, I was in my teens and went to see a band called the Cult Maniax, ironically last night, my first time playing there, our guitarist was in the Cult Maniax. This was a ticket event, we didn't sell all tickets but the venue were very pleased with the turnout, I think we out sold a much better known blues band a few weeks ago. It was a great gig. When we finished the first song we received a massive cheer. I think this really spurred us on and gave us confidence to not just play the songs but to entertain as well...if you get my drift. Post gig I had people come up to me and say how good they thought it was, never had that before. This was the first time the band had played an established venue having to sell tickets (we usually play pubs) and we were all really chuffed with how it went.

I feel like I'm in a really obvious game within the Crystal Maze now, wearing an ill fitting jump suit, knowing full well that everybody at home behind the tele is shouting at me, "What a Richard!, just freaking listen and get it already you ****!".

I'm a big fan of WRs Heavy Weather but for me Percy Jones with Brand X top the fretless bill (I've got the 4 CD set Nuclear Burn so can't decipher which album is best!).

Brand snobbery and much competition I reckon . Used and owned a few Laney rigs over the years , never had a bad sound . A bass player local to me uses a Laney rig ( DPseries ) and sounds enormous Like the look of the newer Nexus , just think its so competive at the pricing and maybe they lack an endorsee or 2 . Must remember where I left / put / stored / my RB9 too …hmmm Gary

.

put the guitar together today just a mock-up to make sure everything fitted and I was pleasantly surprized that it all fitted ok, the pups were a bit tight and I think I will need a little shim in the neck pocket or sand a bit of the bottom depends on how lazy I feel, I will take it apart tomorrow and try to get a coat of lacquer on it. got to put another hanger on the wall now.

It was! Good high-energy stuff and good audience. Really sorry I had to leave early, but you don't want to be on the last bus out of Stockport on a Saturday night 😞 Hoping to get my band to one of your Sunday afternoon open mics soon.

I always wanted to release an album that not only was it not recorded at A=440 but each individual track was off by a different amount. And then to mess with people's minds even more the tunings of the individual tracks would also be different depending on the format - CD, Vinyl, iTunes download, Amazon download, Spotify stream etc.

Whether you're a fan or not, check out June Lee's transcriptions of JC's stuff. Amazing works of scholarship & musicality.

Just for the anecdote... More years ago than I care to remember (even if I could ...), I was an active member of the organising team for our local summer festival (Les Trois Elephants; look it up..?). Ideas for a 'theme' were always in discussion over the winter hiatus; one suggestion I made seemed to strike a note with the others. I had contacts, from a previous job, with purveyors of second-hand pianos in the North of England. They had (and still have...) entire floors of a very large building, heaving with pianos of all sorts, many of which have no value as instruments (wooden frames, you see...), to be had for a song and a penny. My idea was to bring over to France a Tautliner full of pianos (about fifty or so...), build a pyramid as part of the festival decor, and, at a suitable moment, set it alight. Stuffed with adequate preparation (ping-pong balls stuck in the strings, rubber bands, a bit of pyrotechnics...), the blaze would 'play' itself; it was to be recorded, both from outside and from a couple of sacrificial mic's inside. The budget was accorded (modest enough; the truck cost more than the joannas...), and a few days before the festival, they were delivered. That's when it all went wrong. Seeing these pianos, half of the team, and more onlookers once they heard the news, decided that these 'instruments' were in too good a state, and would grace their homes. Once a distribution of the better looking furniture (for that's what they're classed as, really...) had taken place, there were so few pianos left, it was not worth piling 'em up..! The remaining pieces were scattered around the festival site as ornaments, but the Biggest Blaze of Pianos in the World did not take place. A shame, really, as I could otherwise have played you the resulting cacophony. I'd especially ordered (and paid extra for...) a player piano, which was to be the summit of the edifice, playing away by itself until things go too hot. Never mind; at least I tried. The festival was, despite not having this show-piece, a great success, and for several more years since, including this year.

Cracking build Andy, first class. Len must be chuffed.

Just finished the Proms show. Absolutely incredible, great pacing with amazing dynamics, harmonically and rhythmically complex whilst also being beautifully sparse in places. Normally i’d take unbridge at people saying he plays it safe.....far from it, as mentioned, the harmony and rhythms that weave their way through his songs and arrangements are definitely not ‘safe’.......that said, they are safe because he’s utterly in control, nothing is an accident, everything is constructed perfectly! Yet he still manages to create the magic that other artists only sometimes stumble on by being ‘on the edge’. If there were a couple of low-lights, it was Every Little Thing She Does and All Night Long, boring choices, but lots of amazing ideas within them to unpack and learn from! Yeah, amazing on the whole. Hideaway (song number 2) was a particular highlight! Wish I could have been there! Si

I think if you're wearing the dress and wig most people will know who you are supposed to be. If you get time you could draw on some sailor tattoos as well.

Two more jobs - soldering the wires and fitting the strap buttons. However, took the advantage of a little bit of cloud (not often in the UK we say THAT!) to take the arty-farty shots - taking photos in full sunlight is not an easy thing to do! Before those shots (and forgive the self-indulgence!), someone asked me why I've started scooping the back. Two reasons that can be seen in these two shots: It takes out a LOT of weight. Just look at how much wood has been removed - and this is a relatively thick body this time: It allows a superslim transition of the neck to the body. Again, this one has been made a little deeper (this one is 30mm at its minimum - my last build was 25mm where the body was basically the same thickness as the neck!) but still retains those pleasing lines at the transition. I've also left the transition relatively modest starting with a taper just past the 13th fret - I can always get the surform out if, after he's had a proper play with it, @Len_derby wants it slimmer further up Anyway, enough of the technicals - here are the fancy shots: As always, many thanks for sticking with yet another tortuous thread and for your kind words and encouragement - always HUGELY appreciated Andy

It is a pleasure to be here. I would like to invite people to share thoughts and invite you all to get to know me. Sending you my best regards, Jeff

Just reported a Ricky and a Lakland D Jones being sold by Queen Mother 5

Doesn’t look very popular to me.

I liked what you did there...the Bass and the play on words..

Met with Dan today to purchase his Sandberg bass. My first purchase off the forum and what a great experience it was too. Dan is an absolute gentleman and met me as arranged, on time and his Comms were great through the whole process. The bass is fantastic and I am one very satisfied customer. Thumbs up to a great seller! 😃

I keep looking at the one at Andy Baxter’s... http://andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=1367

Did you look it up after you read it?

Then my work here would be done!

Last night, we played at the Remedy Bar and Brewhouse in Stockport. A great and very hospitable little venue with a good listening crowd. We went down really well and a number of people asked us when we will be back. It will be next year, as they only have bands on once a year, as there are so many bands trying to play there. That makes it difficult to build up any following there. Nice to see Josie from on here pop in to watch our first half. The stage area is more cramped than it used to be, as they have moved bands near to the entrance to the bar, from the other side of the building. I think their neighbours have been kicking up about noise. Still manageable, though. A good night.

Blimey - I'll have to put the Rascal Mervyn-Lyte you built for me on a diet!! Congrats on another beautiful creation.

Microtonal stuff I can actually get with a bit more... for example, check out Mononeon's take on it. - but again, a fine line between music, muzak and complete out of tune BS.

This talk of microtonal stuff might persuade me that my rubbish attempts at fretless were actually materclasses in progressive modern musical style...!

What a great discussion my only insight would be that I get where Lennies composition entry style comes from , they have a style that is supposed to sound like they do 😎 Where as mine just end up sounding like they do

Don’t care how it sounds - I just want to see the video..

No, it's tiny, I don't think you could get anything that thick through it

Just added the strap buttons and I'm relieved pleased to say that it balances upright and level. On the knee it's fine too. So, just got to swop that pesky blend pot when it arrives and do the final wipe over with micro-web and it's ready to pass across

It took me years to finally part with my 70's 4001. I loved and hated it in equal measure. When I did eventually sell it, all I experienced was a great sense of relief. Like that crazy nutty erotic girlfriend that you know is no good for you but still you hang on for the ride.

I'd never really tried Henry and His Cow... Having dived in a bit seems like the sort of thing I'd really like bits of, and really hate other bits of. I think they're very like Magma - though I think I prefer the Frenchies! It's all a bit drones and repetition though I find the fireworks bits of Magma more exciting - though they're very far from improvised, in fact probably prog! You sound like my dad! 😉 But getting into this type of odd music is basically a question of finding something that speaks to you a bit, then you're no longer quite so resistant to the next lot of weirdness, then it's a slippery slope to Zorn's Noisecore... Bit like becoming immune to violence through watching video nasties! Here's my favourite bit of free improve, featuring Jamaaladeen Tacuma on bass, Calvin Weston on drums (i.e. Prime Time's rhythm section) with Derek Bailey freaking out on guitar:

What's your take on this? Do you enjoy the first video more... or this one?

A few years ago we were on holiday in Locarno, Switzerland and a stage was erected in the town square. As dusk fell the music started and I found myself at a free open air concert by Al Jarraeu!

Awesome. I'm starting to get the itch again. I must be firm. Get rid of those wretched stickers though!

Maybe they just need biasing, and a smoke refill..? ...

I'm confident that the Ducati engine makes a more pleasant sound than that pair, lol

Soldered the electrics but reckon I've put in the wrong type of blend pot. I seem to remember doing that once before. Trouble is, pinning down the correct pot type from even the most reputable guitar and bass suppliers seems to be a too difficult ask. And searching on google is a bit akin to asking on a astro-physics forum for a quick layman's explanation of the space-time continuum Anyway, ordered two more types - one of them must be the right one. By the time that's fitted next week, the finish will be hard enough for the final micro-web flattening. Next weekend latest, I reckon, Neil

I’ve tried it. Well now. It sounds really rather different to my 51P partscaster. Far more open, lots more snarl and much more in the mids. It’s not as spaced as a Precision - much less of that piano like quality and far more growl in the mids. Then there’s the hollow nature - it’s got some the air and hollow thump you get from a hollow body but still has plenty of sustain (centre block no doubt). Compared to my precisions it doesn’t sound like a Precision. But it’s not 100% Ric - it’s like a bag of Ric flavoured crisps - sort of Pricisionbacker if you like. However, it sits so well in the mix when I play along to stuff - far more presence and up front sound due to those highlighted mids. Interesting. Have tried flats and roundwounds - rounds seem to accentuate the Ric side more, flats the P side. I have an idea for sound samples so bear with me..

I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard, anyone claiming to enjoy it in the other thread is just trying to make themselves out to be different.

Haha! I'd love to hear him testing mic's too! He certainly is 'possessed by the music'. I'd like to hear the bassists other work as well. We all get something different out of sonic experiences. Especially this kind of avant-garde or free-jazz. This sort of thing can really test people and challenge their definitions of art, as it seems to have done for you. It can drive them genuinely insane as well. I personally love it for that, its very punk! His vocalisations are just that. Vocalisations. This doesn't limit him to specific words, harmony or rhythm. It could be considered quite dissonant. But interestingly, I saw a Rick Beato video recently where he discussed the idea of 'immunity to dissonance'. If you hear a dissonance or musical oddity enough you acclimatise to it and it is no longer dissonant or odd to you, just another fascinating harmony. 7/8 is 'odd' time, but we all got used to it. It's not strange anymore. Immunity to dissonance, while utterly alien at first, is central to this performance I feel. I found it was interesting to listen to with my 'soundscape head' on. The beginning brought the image of someone working with wood outdoors to my minds eye. I'll readily concede that it's not musical in the classical sense of the word. It's not Trane, Ornette Coleman or Sun Ra, but it does have a certain something. I once went to an enjoyable free-jazz/avant-garde gig which closely resembled this but used prepared piano, drums, bari-sax and electronics in addition to voice and bass. I found it made a refreshing change from the usual diatonic harmony and evenly divided rhythmic content. When I was younger, I remember feeling the way that you feel about this, but for all Jazz. The music was unpredictable (which I took to be bad at the time) and harmonically beyond my understanding. So, like a typical monkey I interpreted that which was unknown to be bad and avoided it. As I have matured, this has obviously and quite necessarily changed. For me, this performance clearly demonstrated the difference between improvisation in a conventional jazz idiom (where we expect the usual cliches of approach notes, time on the ride cymbal, walking bass, extended harmony etc.) and improvisation in a free setting such as this, where any sound can be interpreted musically. John Cage had alot to say about this. He held that all sounds/silences are musical, it is the listener and their ability to hear the sounds as such which varies. Don't actively listen to it I say, just be part of the thing. This is what I would call "inhabiting a sound-space" or passive attention. Very meditative if you're into that stuff. Similar to when you put on a record while doing some chores. The tune simply accompanies you as you go about, you're neither ignoring nor focusing on it. Performances like this are highly introspective, interpretive and, as with all music like this, requires completely different priorities from the listener. If everybody walks away from the performance with the same thing, then this music has definitely failed. Think about abstract expressionist art. It doesn't ask you to recognise use of forms from reality in the work (in this case the parallel would be use of conventional musical laws in the piece). The point is not to say: 'Look how well they depicted this scene or that tree.' or 'Look how well the bass outlines harmony x or rhythm y'. Nothing so literal. Rather, the purpose is personal, unique from hearing to hearing and often difficult or impossible to convey with words. P.S. The little "Ooo." from Minton at the end made me laugh.

You're welcome of course. Really though, I'm sure I speak for lots of folk when I say thank you for sharing your craft with us all. I will watch with interest to see where you go from here. I wish Len many happy years of ownership of this beauty. With a bit of luck I'll see and hear it in performance soon. (Been trying to catch Len with the Daz Kelly Trio for a while but plans keep getting scuppered)

Great post. For me "Masques" by Brand X is tops. Percy Jones playing is hugely expansive, influential and undoubtedly had a meaningful affect upon Mick Karns development. ... I wouldn't disagree with any of the other opinions offered thus far. Jaco was obviously a monster on "Heavy Weather" by Weather Report.

Ha! It certainly does! :)

Keyboardists too. So they stand there giving the audience a preview of many of the songs the band will be playing in the gig. Letting the cat out of the bag like that is a big no no IMHO. If they really need to have some last minute practice on any gig songs; they should use headphones.

I've never understood this. Guitarists are even worse for it. The best bit of advice I ever had - set up, plug in, tune up, play a couple of notes to make sure it works, PUT IT DOWN!!

We played for a Harley Davidson event some years ago. Did I mention that we‘re a 70s disco band? Under the circumstances it went as well as could be expected. The guys stayed outside at the bar and one or two of the women even danced.

Just said to my mate, no idea why they’ve not done a mexi version of this for £750/£800 they’d sell a whole truckload of them. £1600+ is getting a bass made by someone else money.