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Showing content with the highest reputation on 22/01/19 in Posts
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Slap bass. I know it comes up on occasion... But what the flip is it with youtube and instagram bassists and the slappidy bappidy clippedy boing noises?! Argh!! I'm totally after things about tone, amp settings, nice playing tips, just nice playing full stop but everything on there seems to be some noodle with a bass in their armpit and their thumb flapping back and forth like they're having a very localised seizure... Seriously, is there any popular, recent, fun or interesting music that uses it? I've noticed the odd bit of clonking here and there on some Bruno-Mars-esque stuff but mostly no, because we want to hear, y'know, notes, not the sound of stainless steel rattling and thwacking. It makes me want to use a pick just to annoy them....10 points
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I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I bloody love slap bass as much as any other style and I’m all for seeing it included in demos5 points
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I enjoyed it. Watched it on the night and would still be watching it now if all of the people mentioned so far in the thread had been included in the programme. Not sure what people actually expect from a one hour programme.5 points
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In my two originals bands we're constantly suggesting to others what they could play. Sometimes it sounds good, sometimes it doesn't, and while the player has the most important input, anybody can chime in if they have an idea. Why not?5 points
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5 points
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Yes!!! Its not clever to make a bass sound like a ukulele!! Its not even clever to make a ukulele sound like a ukulele!!4 points
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Its like 'shredding' in guitar demos... Nobody does that anymore, its the pulling wheelies of playing an instrument..! The sole purpose of it is to show that you can... I like Scott Devine too - but he's got a real habit of playing jazzy sounding licks with harmonics at the moment.. And on that really ugly brown bass with the centre stripe. That he wears stuck up his nose.. I may be in an intolerant mood though..4 points
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Just about every review you see on Youtube of a bass, has some plonker slapping all over it. There is a time and a place for it. The mid-eighties!4 points
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Used to do this but got a new singer in who was called Gordon and, you guessed it, his wife was Julie. He wasn't keen.....4 points
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3 points
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NOW SOLD And soon to be dropped in London. You like a P bass, but still, you want MORE ? Up for grabs is this Vantage VP710B, made in the Matsumoku factory in June 1980. I'll give more details and add better quality pictures asap. All original (not sure about the truss rod cover as it is blank, but looks original) The body has some dings and scratches, the neck is in excellent condition, frets are fine too. PLEASE NOTE that the nut is loose when you take the strings off, it would need a little glue, but works absolutely fine. 3 way selector, 2 volumes and 2 tones. The neck pickup for the D & G strings is roughly where the Reverse P of the Yamaha BBs is located, which sounds sweet. Not too heavy (less than 4.3kg, I'll double check) Located in Northern France by the ports. Shipping is not a problem, I have a sturdy chipboard box, and would cost £25 to £40 I guess. Please check my feedback, no worries. Sorry for the low quality pics, but this is an impulsive sale.3 points
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I was in U.K. Chili Peppers for more than 3 years. It was such fun playing Flea, really challenging and a right laugh. I’m now in Fu Fighters playing loads and loads of festivals in front of some canny large crowds and it’s the best! Not as difficult as playing Flea but as a band and experience it’s as close as I’ll ever get to the ‘real thing’. A real buzz! I know some people look down on tribute acts but I’m not arsed, it’s epic 🤘3 points
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3 points
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I put together most of the below basses, all high spec by factory built comparison models (Fender etc), for around or under the O/Ps budget. Most are Warmoth or Allparts necks/bodies, which are generally a step up from standard Fender quality (IMO of course). All are outstanding players and solid as a rock. You'll see a theme......3 points
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there's probably a thread on a guitarists forum about this bloke who's never happy and gets through his guitarists at a rapid rate, just because they learned a different version of the cover he wanted to do3 points
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No, you're right it's silly. It's not showing off the bass, it's the bassist showing off.3 points
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3 points
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I’ve always wondered why so many bassists use slap in demos etc when it appears to be such a little used technique in the real (recording and public performance) world? It’s a bit like a demo for a lawn mower showing how well it can be used to carry the shopping home. I suspect however that it is a convention so hard-wired into our collective consciousness, that even if we are never going to use it, deep down we need to know whether a prospective purchase is good for slap. Just in case.3 points
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Well, just watched the first two of these and have to say like a few others, preferred the drum one. I think essentially the difference between the two is the influence of the presenter. In Stuart Copeland, you have someone who has lived and breathed music and drums from a very early age and has worked at the highest levels both in terms of sales/ popularity and all round musical credibility. In Tina Weymouth, you have someone who was handed a bass at the age of 24 and told to learn it. I'm not belittling her talent here- she has sustained a music biz career for many years so she's obviously doing something right- but more pointing out that her musical experiences seem to me to be much more limited than the likes of Copeland and I think the choices of who/ what to feature reflected that. A programme about bass that misses out Squire, Entwhistle, JPJ? No Stanley Clarke, Jaco, Mick Karnes, Pino? No Larry Graham/ Louis Johnson? No Tony Levin/ Lee sklar? But wastes a few minutes on Dizee Rascal...mmm? On the plus side, she was very personable and had a nice easy way in front of the camera - just needed a more widely informed editorial direction. Anyone know who's doing the guitar one? Hopefully someone like Dave Grohl.3 points
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I'd be straight to Jon Shuker...I've got my next build spec all ready and waiting 🙂 I'd also agree with Ped, though - you need to be sure of exactly what you want a luthier to build for you, or be equally confident that you'll keep it anyway: I'll keep the Shuker I had made for my 50th forever, because it was paid for (in part) by all my friends and family. Happily, it's also a great bass for me, and gets used nearly every gig 🙂3 points
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I'm far too fickle to assume i'll keep what ever i'd order from a custom luthier, and the depreciation on them is shocking (and the marketplace is flooded with boutique customs currently). I'd get a couple of £1500 ones instead, if not 3 x 2nd hand good ones.3 points
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I’ve been really lucky with JMB, current singer was obtained through there 2 years ago - we had a decent band together but all wanted different things, he and I quit on the same day. Knowing I was busy with family (the biggest reason for me quitting), he’s spent the last year sorting a (quite frankly astonishing) guitarist and a really great drummer - he then said, “ready when you are”. And it’s coming together nicely. Sometimes you have to sift through the shite to get to the good bits.3 points
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3 points
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Personally I wouldn’t go for a custom build unless you know exactly what you want - even then, there are so many factors that make a bass sound great I don’t know if I could say for definite what would work with what when I’m paying for it. Not easy to sell either. That’s why I’d go for something that I can try first.3 points
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There are many reasons to play your own thing, and they're not all bad: Because the whole band has completely rearranged the song in a different style, and truly made it their own. Great! If no-one ever did this, musical history would be stagnant. Because the original part is full of variations and was probably improvised, and you're not in a warts-and-all tribute band. And none of those variations are prominent hooks that people will miss. No problem! The only people who'll notice are other bass players 😉 Because the band has had to rearrange the song to work with the instrumentation that you have, and so you're pretending to be a synthesizer or a piano player's left hand. Or there was no bass part to begin with, so you've made up something that fits the style. Okay! Because, as an amateur, you don't have the ability to play it "right" yet - but you're working on it. Fine! Because you're tone-deaf and you genuinely can't tell that you've got it wrong. Understandable! But perhaps music isn't the right hobby for you 😅 Because you think the original part is boring to play, and your own entertainment is more important to you than the audience's. It depends! Do you have taste and restraint, and have you come up with something that is sympathetic and doesn't trample over the song? Hint: Slap bass is never the correct answer! Because you know it's wrong, but you're too lazy to learn it and "the punters won't know the difference". Questionable! Kinda feels like you're insulting both the audience and the original artist 🤨 Because you've just learned how to slap / tap / sweep pick / etc. and you are determined to shoehorn it in wherever possible. Nope! I think that's why this is such a contentious topic whenever it comes up - folks assume we're all talking about the same thing, and some of them take it personally. I don't think anyone's got a problem with cutting down a long song, or repeating bits of a very short one, or making up an ending for something that fades out on the record. That's just practical.3 points
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I answered an ad by a singer on the Norwich Musicians Network looking to form a band. I was the first to reply and she promised more details. So a day later I get a playlist of about 100 songs from every conceivable genre, plus she wanted to know if I would be available for international touring. I pointed out we hadn't even had our first pub gig. For some reason this generated a tsunami of outrage at my negativity.3 points
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THIS IS NOW SOLD. THANKS FOR LOOKING. AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ENQUIRIES. This is the removable neck Kolstein Busetto travel bass that previously belonged to stalwart BassChat member Clarky. I have owned it since 2013 and have decided to part company with it through lack of use. I'm not a collector of instruments and prefer to move them on if I'm not playing them. Kolstein are advertising these basses at $6500, so I think my bass represents a bargain, especially if you consider postage and customs charges of having one sent to you in the UK. I reckon you'd be paying well over £6500 by the end of the process. The Busetto is in very good condition and rather attractive with its hat-peg tuners, ebony fingerboard etc. The Kolstein Busetto travel basses are fully carved instruments and definitely a cut above the usual offerings. I do not really think of this as an EUB, but more as an acoustic double bass with a small body. I have only ever used this bass acoustically while playing with the Tim Kliphuis Trio, and can vouch for its acoustic tone and surprisingly good volume in a band setting. I realise that this probably isn't going to be most people's playing situation (especially if drums are in the equation), so I intend selling it with a pickup of some sort. A selection of pick-ups are available here to try with the bass. I know that at least one of the various options I have here works well with the bass through my GK combo, so I'm sure it won't be a problem. I have made some adjustments over the last few years to improve playability a little and to accommodate the gut strings that are my playing preference. The instrument is currently strung with gut, but I intend putting something more 'usual' on now that it's to be sold. Probably Pirastro Obligatos or Thomastiks of some sort. If you are a gut player and would like to try the instrument out, please let me know and I'll keep things as they are. There is a flight case that accommodates the instrument (and its padded gig bag) when the neck is removed. This is an original Kolstein composite material case. It doesn't look like the cases currently showing on the Kolstein website, but is a much simpler shape, almost rectangular and with no bridge 'bulge'. I'm having a massive clear out of all sorts of stuff at Percy Towers, so have decided to extend the process to many of my instruments and bass gear. Aside from the Kolstein, I am going to advertise a Hybrid Tineo wood Czech Ease bass, a couple of double basses (big old East German plywood, and a Japanese 5/8 size bass), my old Ampeg Baby Bass and some bass guitars. I will post a few more individual adverts for these items soon, so you can see what else is on offer. I am in Edinburgh, which I'm aware may not be very convenient for many of you, but we do have excellent communications to the city, particularly via rail and air. I am happy to collect prospective buyers from the airport or station. If anyone wants to have the bass sent to them, I am happy to look into courier costs. In the recent past, I have used a local courier who specialises in transporting artworks and porcelain. He understands my concerns regarding the gentle handling of musical instruments, even when in good quality cases, and we have never had any problems. I am happy to undertake sending this bass overseas. Please ask for a quote.2 points
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May be old news to some of you but came across this when trying to find a way to rack mount my bass head. It's an EA iAmp800 and although it is rack mountable (2U high), I didn't get the rack ears with it. Contacted EA but as it's discontinued, they couldn't provide me with rack ears. First of all, bought 1U a rack shelf and bodged it to fit. After a few weeks of gigging, it started to come loose. Then I bought a Mesa Boogie PH212 combo (with no head), which has a 2 unit rack space built in, with the intention of integrating my amp into it. While looking for a 2U rack shelf, I came across this ingenious solution transporting non-rack mountable equipment in a rack. I think it's mainly for computer equipment but it seems to work. The only proviso is that whatever you want to rack mount must be obviously be narrower than 19" , will fit into a 1, 2, 3 or 4U height and has a flat bottom, so it can be held by the brackets. Edit: a word of warning: it adds a few millimetres of height. Before, the amp only just fit a 2U rack case when i bodged it before but now it doesn't. Luckily, I have a 3U and 4U rack cases. Anyway, enough talking: cue the gratuitous pic fest.2 points
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And only £99.99 Postage!!! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Squier-Vintage-Modified-VM-Precision-Bass/123604204257?hash=item1cc7627ae1:g:IGQAAOSwqkRcRKrb:rk:1:pf:0 And a case to go with it https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-ABS-Moulded-Bass-Case-for-Jazz-or-Precision-1980s/123604258491?hash=item1cc7634ebb:g:2XwAAOSw~odcRLbx:rk:7:pf:0 Also only £99.99 Postage!!!2 points
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This ^^^^. After years of (occasionally) trying to bang out "forget me nots" (in private of course), I'm now trying to develop my own distinct fusion style, by shamelessly copying Jerry Preston. 😁 How could anybody not LOVE the first 30 seconds of this?: "Forget me nots" is still a disaster. 😪2 points
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The Empress is a nice pedal, I used to own one. The Q/Strip has two bands of sweepable midrange, two shelving EQ's, high and low pass filters and a 4.7 MegOhm input impedance. The Empress gives you three adjustable parametric EQ's with adjustable Q's for each, a 30dB foot switchable boost, 1MegOhm input as well as a 3 way input pad. Our unit was designed to be like an old vintage channel strip and uses Mosfet circuitry. I'm not sure about the Empress topology but it's a well made unit. It depends on your needs. We go with a medium Q as that seems to work the best for most musical instrument applications. A wide Q can be a bit too subtle. The narrow Q is useful for fixing things like a specific frequency node or feedback etc. The HPF can be helpful as well for low end stage rumble or problematic low frequencies. The LPF in conjunction with one of the midrange bands can be used as an analog speaker sim. In the end it's always best to try both side by side if feasible, but I think I've covered the differences and similarities.2 points
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2 points
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Up our way there are venues that specialise in having soul/funk discos, I would rather go to one of them anytime over watching a crap live band.2 points
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Playing an old (very!) classic. The drummer and I were both deps for these guys. For those that care about such things I was playing a 50-year-old P-bass with flats through a Little Mark and Barefaced Super Compact. Cheers, Graham2 points
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Just finished up mixing and doing the video for the latest band promo video... We took a bit of a risk on this one... because we love the song - and to be fair, everybody else seems to also... but it's a song that I've never heard any other band do live. Always a tricky one when trying to figure out what will work on the promo front. The jury is out on this one... The whole ethos of this band was to do modern dance and pop songs but giving them that definitely live vibe. This definitely remains one of our faves to play live and always seems to get people on to the dancefloor when we kick off a set with it. What are your forgotten gems that your band plays, to get away from the normal GeFF (Generic Function Fodder)?2 points
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2 points
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2 points
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2 points
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Good old Mick! Still doing the business at least once every week. Although he is looking increasingly frail and like he hasn’t seen daylight for years.2 points
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It's an all white GB Spitfire with the sound to light LED package (although they were static in this case cos they can be a bit much at times!).2 points
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You will have to forgive me here as I have played guitars for forty (now that is depressing!) years and bass since Christmas Day, but as I understand it, you lot call those wrong notes "chromatic passing notes". Hmmm... a feature then, not a bug!2 points
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This +1. When my experience of JMB looked like continuing to be 100% knobs I decided never again. And before I became one by osmosis. What really defeats me is the purpose of Bandmix. I can't see how it works if you're a music-Ian looking for a band, and indeed have had not a call in single call in several years, not even a tentative one. The best bet in my experience is getting stuck into a good jam scene, getting known and accepted there and being quite good at what you do.2 points
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2 points
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Don't know if you're there already, but there's a FB group "Helix for bassists". https://www.facebook.com/groups/145604946038429/?ref=share And there's a guy (Jon Willis) that posts a lot of videos with Yamaha dual output basses. And he shares all the information to build his patches. Have a look there, I'm sure there's goodies for you!2 points
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2 points
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So when do the "civilians" in the audience ever comprehend anything the bass player does? I did have a lovely moment last summer after a festival gig when a very elderly lady came up to me, put her hand on my arm, smiled and said "Thank you - the bass drives the band, you know!" 🙂2 points
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Jilted John always goes down a storm especially the ' Gordon is a Moron bit'2 points
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Your best off getting a band together with your mates , I have met some great people from jmb,but unfortunately I've met all the pink torpedo heads as well 😕2 points
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2 points
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Bad luck @ahpook... ...I've just replied to your ad! (can I bring my kazoo to the audition?)2 points
