skej21

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1330595814' post='1559843'] Commitment. That's all it takes. if its good enough for Gary Willis etc, its good enough for me. Everything else seems like chasing rainbows. [/quote] I agree with the first bit, it is about commitment and sticking with something and seeing it through. However, picking something to try based on other players is tricky and saying 'if it's good enough for X player then it's good enough for me' doesn't take into account the cynical nature of the business. Best example I can give us Mark King throwing his signature all over the expensive Ashdown Sig Head and then still sticking with his Trace for gigs. Players endorse and use gear for the money or because they get it free/cheap, which is totally different to me picking a bass to play. Would Wooten still play an expensive Fodera if he was just your average bedroom player with a normal, average salary job? Probably not. All I'm saying is, maybe a bit of experimentation is needed with instruments to find what you like if you don't have the cash to just splash out and buy all the gear your hero has. Plus, as we all know, its bloody good fun searching for 'the one' and makes it all the more special when you find it

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1330595015' post='1559827'] my singer said "You had no idea that was Herman Li and the keyboard player from Dragonforce did you". [/quote] To be fair, I would have been worse in that situation. A friend showed me a YouTube clip of Dragonforce ages ago where the guitarists are discussing an 'A major arpeggio with an added note' only to realise 5 mins later in the video that it's an Amaj7 arpeggio. I genuinely thought it was some kind of Spinal Tap comedy p!ss take. I would have ended up commending them for being such a great comedy band (and probably ended up with a punch) totally by accident!

Good for you mate. I've been through exactly the same thing and I am also GAS free now. There are two basses left that I want to own one day, but that can wait a decade or two

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1330554110' post='1559482'] I found the 62 and the Geddy very different basses. What are your thoughts. [/quote] I would have to agree. My Geddy is the bass I learnt to play on, so it's my reference for feel, quality and sound. It's like my third arm and I know it inside out/ back to front. However, I chose this because I wanted a jazz that I could fit with flats and had a rosewood fingerboard. I actively searched for jazz that I intended to contrast the Geddy (sound wise) and it certainly does that, whilst keeping the feel and quality of a Japanese Fender which I love because it's what I consider to be comfortable. Truly awesome bass and it's a definate keeper.

It's one tortoiseshell scratchplate away from perfection! Now I just need to find one (without paying Fender the ridiculous RRP price for the specific '62 RI scratchplate at £60!)

[quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1330548978' post='1559340'] You actually play it? Perhaps I should put the laptop down and have a go at that myself! Just jealous [/quote] I practice 2 hours everyday except Thursday, without fail. However, new bass means intensive practice, just to get to know it

Well, the combination of my research and John's obvious experience in picking out great quality examples of Japanese Fenders has resulted in me being matched up with a truly perfect bass (for me!) Couldn't be happier and would recommend John very highly to any other basschatter. Off to play it... Again! Totalling about 20 hours of playing since it arrived on monday

Hopefully he'll see the 'Blur' (@ the Brits) thread and let Albarn read it and sort that mess out! P.s. Great to have another iconic bass player joining the ranks... Prepare for a scrabble when he starts posting in the 'for sale' section!

Just got rid of last 5 string and have always found myself having one, then moving it on... Personally, I found it quite useful in a few situations (like drop tuning and for reading) but if I'm entirely honest with myself, in these situations 'quite useful' translates as 'accommodates my laziness'... In other words, I don't NEED a 5 string to read music or play the odd drop tune song, but a 5er took the effort out of tuning down or shifting position more often. That's why I've decided to stick with four strings for good, because I felt like this form of laziness was starting to affect my playing (found this when I had to do a reading gig on a four string for the first time in ages and there were one too many 'panic' moments when lots of shifting was involved!) I totally understand that it might not be the case with everyone, but it definitely is with me.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1330290984' post='1555368'] How can you say a 56 P-Bass is ugly when you play a Status Kingbass Artist? [/quote] You're right... with opinions like that, he's clearly lost his head! I'll get my coat!

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1330281028' post='1555104'] Disagree! Feast your eyes on this [/quote] My plan worked! I was hoping people would attempt to prove me wrong with some quality bass porn!

[quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1330000267' post='1551067'] P/J - all pros, no cons. [/quote] Except that they look hideous....

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1330177360' post='1553745'] Pickguard looks a bit too shiny, going over it with wire wool will take the shine off and cover it in tiny scratches. [b]But take it off the bass first or your pickups will forever be covered in iron filings![/b] [/quote] Or you can use a brilo pad! Does the same job but you don't get iron filings everywhere

It's getting delivered to work, so might have to wait until lunch break to try it out... Super excited and on paper should be perfect for me.

Basement Jaxx - Red Alert! Total tune and loads of room for flashy slap bassing!

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1329945710' post='1550285'] 2.28 - 2.32 is my favourite bass lick in this vid. It's a beautiful phrase over the music and a lovely way to come out of the solo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjVGJ3YFDc8 [/quote] People are entitled to their musical opinion but damn, that chick can play!

Banks don't tend to do serious set up work for bass. Basic stuff like restrings and minor adjustments but if you're looking for anything beyond that then look for someone with experience of bass setups.

Just have to vent my excitement as the Missus is not interested at all! You can also feel free to not be interested lol. After months of admiring and years of narrowing down what I like in a bass, I think I might have finally found THE bass for me... So I bought it last night! 2006/7 Non-Export CIJ Fender '62 Reissue Jazz Bass from John at Far East Guitars. The man clearly knows his stuff and after emailing to enquire of its availability at 2pm yesterday, it took less than a couple of hours to complete payment and have the bass posted this morning for arrival (before noon) on Monday morning. I can't wait to get my hands on it! I can't remember ever being this excited about a new instrument I'm just chuffed that I've finally made a purchase based on research and trial & error, so hopefully my extensively informed decision will pay off and it'll be a keeper!

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1329990227' post='1550782'] Can you compare Alex James to Nathan east? Workmanlike? [/quote] Good point. Surely describing a bassist who has played a handful of gigs in the last decade and spends most of his time eating cheese as 'workman-like' is a tad insulting to pretty much every working musician out there!

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1329934502' post='1550040'] It's a free sex competition. You just have to go and f*** yourself. :-( [/quote] And so the sound of slap bass was born.

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1329771837' post='1547178'] This is why I never go to see bands at the local boozers.... [/quote] And this is why I never worry about bills... Because although I don't always enjoy playing those gigs, it puts money in my pocket and that's the reason I joined a covers/club band...

Nope. Usually end up thinking 'I can't believe you lot are stupid enough to pay us to come and play songs you already heard 10000000000000000 times before, that are piss easy to play and let us come back every other month and pay us to play the same set again!'

Just heard through the grapevine that Chris May will soon be unveiling a new range of basses (thanks to the success of the tanglewaters/aspiration series) known as the Inspiration series. Apparently theyre going to bridge the gap between the £800 mark at the top of the aspiration series and the full Overwater price range. Whispers are that the range will be around the £1200-1500 mark. Anyone heard anything of this? Can any confirm or offer additional details?

Whilst I try to keep some original lines the same for authenticity, i can also understand why some bassists choose to do something totally different... It's hard to be creative and push things forward if you stick close to the original all the time. We as musicians also seem quite hypocritical about covers. If a covers band move away from the original it's seen as a sin, but if an established act decides to do a totally different cover of a song, everyone raves about how great it is. Why can't a covers band have that freedom too?