skej21

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1389564810' post='2335656'] Like we're taught at uni, there's more to a career in music than just playing. You have to have a portfolio approach to it, earning money from teaching, writing/composing, journalism, production work, arranging, live sound, studio engineering, organising gigs or open mic's or jam nights, as well as playing live and doing sessions. You have to be versatile at what you do, and treat things like sight reading and harmony knowledge as a skill, not as the work of the devil. The internet has actually made things easier. I did some sessions on bass, and recorded synths for a band in Bristol before Christmas, without leaving the house. You can teach students via the internet too. Ultimately though, it's all music . [/quote] The most important thing you learn at uni is that your tutors preach this at you and when you leave you'll realise it's all total nonsense because there's only ONE rule that gets you a career in music; It's not what you know, it's who you know I've had friends who could put world famous professionals to shame but live with their parents trying to scrape together a living as a 'professional' musician (one/two functions a week) and I know guys who were nowhere near that standard (one who didn't even ever study music) who is now touring the world playing arenas to thousands, purely down to being friends with the 'right' people. It's entirely down to luck. If you're lucky enough to know the right person at the right time and get dragged along for the ride, good for you but thousands of hours in the practice room isn't going to get you the job, it just makes you ready for it if you're lucky enough to get the chance!

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1389554470' post='2335498'] Can you get the action down nice and low on the NM with the Badass? The one I tried the action was sky-high and there didn't seem to be much room left on the bridge. That's the problem when fender and the like slap these fancy-pants bridges on- they don't usually make any allowances for the fact they sit much higher up on the body. Maybe I had a bad one though- it wasn't overly light either, so it wasn't coming home with me that day. I would like to try a well set up, light example as they are being very well reviewed and they seem to tick all the boxes for me. Might be tempted to change out the SPB3 though. The relic job looked great as far as I was concerned and much better than my Road Worn precision. Subtle and believable wear. [/quote] I had a similar issue with mine regarding the bridge. I felt it was quite high but bought it, gave the neck a good tighten and adjusted the bridge and now it's playing like a dream. I like a RIDICULOUSLY low action on my jazzes and whilst my Mendel has a slightly higher than I'm normally used to, i let a friend play it he other day and he reckons it's too low for him (and he likes a medium action) so it's definitely possible to get it down if you want too. I also agree about the pickups. I've got an Aguilar AG4P-60 on the way to switch as I find the quarter pounder really aggressive and Id prefer a more thumpy, vintage tone so I'm switching it out. The bass itself is lovely though. Finish is superb, plays beautifully, feels comfy and just needs the pickups swapping and it'll be perfect for a super light (.35-.95!!) string jazz bass lover like me!

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1389390090' post='2333880'] How much wear is on the Nate Mendel precision? I like the look of them and from the pictures the relicing looks subtle. Am I right in thinking the controls knobs are 'aged'? I do like that particular look rather than shiny knobs! I don't mind subtle relicing on instruments but I personally would not want to buy a new instrument that looked like it was not looked after very well. However I have no issues with dings on guitars when I buy second hand, cause that's a sign they have been well played! Imagine if they did reliced cars brand new! A Ford focus with ripped seats, smokey interior, dings in the bodywork etc.. Is there a market? [/quote] I have a Nate Mendel and the relic job is described as 'light'. It's actually very subtle like you say and yes, the control knobs (and machine heads/hardware) is worn too along with the scratch plate. Stunning bass though!

We have a band leader who books all the gigs, owns all the PA gear/van, pays us (total fee split equally 5 ways between the four of us with the fifth going to a pot that covers communal costs such as insurance, van repairs/running and rehearsals) and most importantly calls the shots! We start with the same two songs and after that we have approx. 50 in the memory banks that can be called upon at any point. Leader is guitarist and lead vocals so more often than not, he'll start the next track by kicking off the vocal/guitar riff and we all come in at the right points. If not, he'll just turn and shout the name of the next song and whoever starts it off just goes for it. Makes us a fluid, reactive ensemble who can adapt what/when we play depending on the audience. Never use a set list as such.

Great mix and from a compositional point of view, it's laid out nicely with some cool musical devices. I am however in the 'not a fan of the rap' category. Just a bit too polite (rhythms and phrasing could've been more interesting and in context with the arrangement) and the tuning is just discomforting. I can't work out if the pitch of the rap is supposed to be atonal/dissonant or is just slightly out of tune and I think that uncertainty makes it difficult to listen to/enjoy. There's 'playing out' and there's just 'out' and (for me) l need the transparency of tonality and it to be clear whether things are intentionally out and that's not there in this, IMO! I think instrumentally though, it's clear that any tension is cleverly explored and creates an intriguing tonality that makes you want to be lead to the conclusion. I'd listen again and look forward to the next one too :-)

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1389295123' post='2332572'] Hate them with a passion.It's cheating. Put 30 years of wear and tear on it yourself. [/quote] Having a left-handed bass is cheating! Learn right-handed :-p

I wish my Fender Nate Mendel precision wasn't 'road worn'... I'd rather do it myself but it's the only precision with that neck profile (which i LOVE!) so I went for it. On the plus side, the relicing on the Mendels is VERY light and is pretty hard to spot, so it isn't as extreme as the 'road worn' series instruments or the heavy relic monstrosities on ebay!! On the whole, don't mind if it's only a little bit and a necessary evil (which in my case, it is) but as a concept it's a bit naff... It does make neck playability A LOT nicer when it's worn though ;-)

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1389166595' post='2330714'] Isn't that what bedrooms and Youtube are for? [/quote] Or chat roulette?

Get on over to the 'aguilar amplification owners' page on Facebook. The Daves from Aguilar regularly comment and help people out and if not, you've got countless users of the same gear who can help/reassure you!

+1 for the TH500. Brilliant head and the next thing on my GAS hit list!

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1388597886' post='2323869'] I totally understand that they make pickups in all the sizes that sell best, but it really messes with my pseudo-OCD! Take EMG for example. I like their blade design active pickups such as the DC soap bar - but, I've a crazy pang to have an MM pickup put in one of my bass guitars that has a pair of DCs in already. My problem is that none of their MM pickups are the same size (length) as the DCs. Once installed, they will look untidy and unmatched. Delano again do a range of really nice pickups and I have a pair of SBC 'driver' soap bars in another bass that are the Bart P2 size. Again, looking at that bass instead - and having a pang for an MM sound - none of the MM size pickups they make as standard are the same length as the available soap bars. Am i too fussy?? I just like all my pickups to look even you see. Not too much to ask! I'd love to have custom pickups made, sure, but the one-off tooling would be costly. Thoughts? [/quote] Well if the hints coming from the Facebook page are anything to go by, it looks like Aguilar are releasing a soapbar MM style pickup, possibly at NAMM. Might be worth checking the dimensions and they could be another option to consider?

Unless Gareth was the one who logged in to the item listing and ended the auction, you don't really have an argument. It's the seller that you have the problem with because they are no longer willing to sell it for what you want to pay. Either pay what the seller wants or find another bass that is for sale at the amount you want to spend. To publicly blame Gareth for a decision that the seller made is unfair and more importantly unproven.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1388837701' post='2326596'] Actually I know the story of that one. It was picked up on gumtree by a basschatter for £150 (by another clueless seller) and put up for auction on ebay the very next day for £665. I don't know if he still has it or not as it's not listed on his profile any longer. [/quote] It's a scam, Jim but not as we know it!

[quote name='Wooks79' timestamp='1388834885' post='2326536'] Thing with this is, either way round, regardless of its 'worth'* if someones not happy, then they don't have to buy it/sell it? (*I put this next to worth, cos isnt anything only worth what someone is willing to pay at the time you sell? If I have a one off vinyl, that is so rare its 'worth' a million, but I don't want it, and I only get offered a thousand pounds, is that not good to me still? If I was happy to accept, I would be £1000 better off!) [/quote] The point is, you would know its a rare one off and would make a judgement on what it's worth based on that. If you had inherited a vinyl collection, took it to be valued and the valuer/buyer said 'it's all just average stuff, I'll give you £100 for the lot' knowing that there was in fact a rare one off vinyl in your collection worth £1000, he's essentially scamming you, knowing you'll base your decision on what YOU think it's worth and what you'd be RELATIVELY happy with. IF the same valuer said 'you've got a £1000 vinyl in here!' your expectation would immediately change, and rightly so. Buying an item from a clueless seller on ebay who is selling on behalf of a friend (therefore having no knowledge of what they are selling) whilst knowing its true value but trying to take advantage is up to you and your moral compass. However, you can't complain if someone with different morals then informs the seller and they change the expectations of what they want for it (however accurate their new idea of its value is) as that's the seller's right.

[quote name='Wooks79' timestamp='1388833900' post='2326523'] Also, considering I kind of pointed the conversation in this direction, I would rather it moved away from pointing at gjones in this instance, and was more about the actual idea of people getting involved in sales threads/ebay/gumtree etc. when they have no interest in buying themselves, and may be giving good/bad advice, as that is what I feel is actually making an interesting conversation here, and I don't wanna see the thread get locked... Lets play nice, cos everyone whinges when a good thread get locked [/quote] Fair point. At the end of the day, I don't see any difference between knowingly offering less money for an item than I know it's worth (ie, knowingly ripping someone off) and someone trying to sell me something that's worth less than they ask (knowingly ripping me off). Sites like ebay just offer an environment in which people can take advantage of others, in both directions. If they have a 'report' button to allow ANYONE to inform ebay of a seller who is trying to scam someone, surely it's just as acceptable for ANYONE to inform a seller to offer them similar protection in the sale of the item?

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1388833223' post='2326506'] Personally I am saddened to see the flack Gareth is taking here. He *did the right thing* and acted with altruism. Something, it seems, that is not acceptable with the greedy folks these days. A reflection of how society is going down the tubes, maybe. Every man for himself and sod everyone else. [/quote] My point exactly. If I found a rare bass in a shop or for sale by another (knowledgable) basschatter i'd expect to pay a FAIR price but some people are just out to get whatever they can at everyone's expense but their own and then have the nerve to complain when the victim gets wise. Very sad.

This raises some interesting opinions I must say! People are VERY quick to judge a seller if it's deemed that they might be trying to scam buyers on ebay (exploiting a potential buyer's ignorance of an item by selling it as something it isn't) but some members think it's more than acceptable for the reverse to happen (exploiting a seller's ignorance of an item by buying it as something it isn't!) IMO, gjones has simply informed the seller of what they have, giving them the chance to make their own judgement on what they should ask for it and avoid a more knowledgable buyer trying to take advantage. If they come to the wrong conclusion through their research and price themselves out of a sale, that is nobodies fault but their own. It's funny that taking advantage of someone's lack of knowledgable (which is really why sites like ebay are so popular!) is so acceptable if you're benefiting but not if you're on the receiving end! It's a crazy world.

[quote name='geofio' timestamp='1388704948' post='2325233'] nice i got the 75 pj re issue and the neck is wonderful on that bass.beats any of the american basses around at the moment. sheer class. and i am a £1000 poorer too but well worth the dosh. [/quote] Personally, I think the Japanese Fender stock is often better than the US standard stuff which is why they're so difficult to get hold of (and why Fender restrict the exportation of them as they undercut the US standard models for price/quality). This is another example of that. For less notes than a US (bog)standard Jazz, the detail and style makes that a real stunner!

I played the sunburst TC6 that they had in Coda music and it was unbelievable. Go and try one out as they're worth every penny!

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1388787869' post='2326192'] Bakithi Kumalo… http://youtu.be/nAgd9Ijw6WI [/quote] What an absolute legend. Boy in the bubble is just perfect. 100,000,000 bassists could try and put a track down for that and none of then would play something better suited IMO.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1388785833' post='2326159'] Probably my favourite bass player. Here's a great clip of him player solo. Don't bother watching if you don't like solo bass or his bass has too many strings . [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zPyauaJpWQ&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zPyauaJpWQ&feature=related[/url] [/quote] Absolutely fantastic (both the playing and your choice of thread title!)

[quote name='bassmachine2112' timestamp='1388775548' post='2325993'] [sub]Sideboard with to many strings[/sub] [/quote] Sideboard with TOO many strings :-p Sly insults from those who cannot spell correctly will not be accepted :-)

Owning two sig basses, I actually feel mixed about them. In principle, I find the idea of owning a replica of someone else's bass odd (unless you're in a tribute band or a HUGE fan!) so I went for the whole 'go in and try as many as possible and buy the one that is best!' idea. Both times that turned out to be the signature model. There isn't a jazz bass I've played with a neck quite like the Geddy. For me, I loved it and wouldn't have had that profile on a standard production model. Similarly, I went for the Nate Mendel precision because the neck profile is so different to the other standard precision neck profiles and the addition of the bad ass bridge, quarter pounder and nitro finish swung it. I suppose the feel and sound rather than the signature on the headstock made the decision for me.