skej21

I'd stick with my jazz. It's the bass I learnt to play on and has sentimental value beyond the value of every fodera put together. No contest for me. Ps shouldn't there be a poll?

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1327719232' post='1515939'] what about his tone do you not like.. im not disagreeing with you im just interested in opinions... is it the active jazz, or just a jazz bass..? [/quote] It tends to be very trebly and in your face in active mode and in passive mode, it's so lifeless it just sounds like a cheap jazz with really dead strings. It also seems to lack the growl you expect from a jazz and doesn't have that little bit extra when you want to dig in... Just not to my taste at all...

Must admit I agree with cd_david. Great player and technically/musically I think he is awesome, I just find his tone is not quite right. Also played one or two of his signature basses and found them to be quite bad when it came to flexibility of tone, particularly in passive mode.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1327582430' post='1513659'] Buy second hand and save yourself even more! [/quote] The price increase also tends to push up the value of second hand instruments slightly. It is insane that the new American Select Jazz Bass retails for around £1800 when you could buy a second hand vintage Fender for not much more!

Just had word through at work yesterday that Fender are increasing some of their prices again (as they do once a year). Only a small number of products required an increase, but from previous experience it's likely that other product prices will soon follow suit and have an increase too. It also seems that they will not be waiting for the end of the financial year as they sometimes do and the increase looks to be around 10-15%. So, a small heads up for the BC community... If you're thinking of buying Fender in the near future, do it quick and save yourself some money!

I accept defeat. This is clearly just another thread that will continue to descend into cyclic arguments about the conflicting philosophies of bass playing. I'm off to actually play the bass instead... Let's just hope it's tasteful playing

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1327533878' post='1513166'] I don't think technical ability is any more or less quantifiable than taste. [/quote] It is. You can either execute a technique or you can't. There's nothing subjective about it really.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1327532793' post='1513142'] So should musicians should be 'quantifiable'? Why do so many 'musicians' seem to WANT to be 'quantifiable'? [/quote] Musicians should definitely NOT be quantifiable. But when you have a limited knowledge of the intricate elements of music, such as feel, dynamics, taste etc it is easy to simply appreciate the elements that are obvious and quantifiable, ie technique, speed of playing etc. Im not saying its right, just easy for beginners with a limited knowledge and others who rate technical ability as the highest element of music for appreciation.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1327532094' post='1513127'] All of which can be executed with TASTE. [/quote] The problem is, technical ability is quantifiable... 'taste' is highly subjective. (although I agree that I would much rather see the latter over the former... But good luck trying define it!)

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1327530724' post='1513100'] Why can't we value TASTE over technique? Is it because we think it requires no tangible effort? [/quote] It's because we all have an opinion... Which is different. Some people value 'tasteful' playing, some enjoy technical displays, others prefer complex chord sequences and others like a straight forward rock song. If we all valued music/musicians in the same way we'd live in a very boring world... Or North Korea.

If the bass line is the bit in the song that people know, play it. If not, do your own thing! Part of going to see a live act is that you want to see how that group works together and their musical chemistry. That might mean seeing how they compose new material or cover classics, but the point is to see how the individual musicians handle their craft as musicians and performers and bring their individuality to the music. If punters can't appreciate musicianship and want to hear it exactly like the record, they should go and see a tribute band or sit in the house in the dark and listen to the recording IMO.

I have students who come to me all the time complaining that they get sore wrists or can't play quickly at the bottom of the neck or have issues with cramp and fatigue. Then they get the idea that they'll get a teacher to sort it out, turn up for a lesson and get their bass out. 99% of them then proceed to get their bass out and I ask them to put the strap on and stand up. Surprise surprise, they have the bass practically around their ankles and wonder why they have problems. Either that, or they practice sitting down without the strap taking the weight of the bass, meaning they alter their technique (for the worse!) because the bass is slipping into odd angles or they're responsible for taking the weight of the neck and trying to practice. I simply suggest that it's a good idea to ensure you avoid such pitfalls. Both of the aforementioned problems can be solved by simply adjusting your strap so that it holds your bass in a sitting 'on your knee' position whether your sitting down or not. This then means your muscles are being worked the same way when you sit down to practice AND when you're gigging.

Rocking my Overwater Cont. J 5 with The Mitch Laddie Trio in Essex... Kindly allowed to use the house bassist's Markbass rig (who told me he was a fellow basschatter but he couldn't remember his member name!) If it was you, a big thanks once again

[quote name='Jag_Bassist' timestamp='1327015201' post='1505407'] Hi guys im looking to mic up my bass amp for home studio use as i heard it sounds better for distorted tones compared to a D.I. [/quote] In my opinion, you should never rely on one source for your sound. Ideally, you should record a signal from a microphone AND a D.I. and then mix the two together. This will also give you more options in terms of processing after you've recorded. You'll also find that if you use a dynamic mic to record your cab sound (like an AKG D112) you will lose some definition because of the lack of sensitivity in dynamic mic diaphragms, so having the option to mix in a more defined signal (the D.I. signal) then you have more flexibility. The sound you want has to be good quality at the input stage. As the saying goes; 'you can't polish a turd'

Thought the track was quality mate... REALLY good infact. However, you've asked for all comments and feedback and I'm not going to repeat the good bits again, despite agreeing with them fully. I would say however, your singer totally spoils it for me. Not the singing, but the unprofessional attitude she appears to have. Using her phone (even if it is for lyrics) makes it look like she's not interested (and she should know the lyrics, you guys all know the music!) and then during the guitar solo, she's stood with her hands in her pockets looking bored out of her mind. There's probably a story that fully justifies this but it doesnt come across in the video. Whilst the music is great, seeing that (as a potential client) would put me RIGHT off booking your band for a wedding. If she can be that uninterested and ill-prepared when making a video in the studio with her band, she isnt going to give a sh!t about making the client's day special.

[quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1326627556' post='1499597'] I've got another 2 videos to put up but they're not quite in the same vain as this one. More for getting bookings at weddings. [/quote] Thought the track was quality mate, but your singer totally spoils it for me. Not the singing, but the unprofessional attitude she appears to have. Using her phone (even if it is for lyrics) makes it look like she's not interested (and she should know the lyrics, you guys all know the music!) and then during the guitar solo, she's stood with her hands in her pockets looking bored out of her mind. There's probably a story that fully justifies this, but all I'm gonna say is that whilst the music is great, seeing that (as a potential client) would put me RIGHT off booking your band for a wedding. If she can be that uninterested and ill-prepared when making a video in the studio with her band, she isnt going to give a sh!t about making the client's day special.

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1326100161' post='1492122'] Love the bass sound..... pretty spot on.... My only criticism is the timing is a bit all over the place.... other than that great stuff [/quote] A couple of dropped notes too, but all in all, pretty decent. Play to a click, it'll help you all with your timing.

The piece Wooten is playing in the video in the OP is a snippet from a live version of this - [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve37F3Ee9Ow[/media] You might not change your opinion of whether you like it or not, but it's only fair that you see it in a decent quality. The video you posted initially is bloody awful and would make any bassist sound sh!t IMO. Level playing field for basing your opinion

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1325816460' post='1488356'] this is lurvly.. anyone know the price point on these? [/quote] Roughly £1899 RRP

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1325799565' post='1488108'] +1, its a recession, they will make a sale if they cut the price a little bit. Better than nothing! [/quote] Unless it's a Fender. The cost price of Fender products is insanely high. A mate bought a Fender Mustang I amp at cost from his work for £76... the shop were selling it for £89! To compare, he was telling me that his shop were selling a Gibson SG for £999 and the cost price for him was £550!

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1322936104' post='1457545'] I would not say i know him - although i did meet him a few times. I used to spend a lot of time [quite a while back] up in Newcastle. Used to stay with a Guitarist called Paul Carr. So had many drink ups with a lot of the guys that were at Newcastle collage at the time - usually in 'Rockshots' and the 'Broken Doll' Garry [/quote] Yeah, he was a good laugh was Ken. Had many a funny story to tell, so I imagine your pub trips were 'interesting'

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1322935483' post='1457539'] Hey Matt - any relation to Ken Potter ? Garry [/quote] None at all, but I was lucky enough to have lessons with him whilst at college. In fact, he was my first bass tutor How do you know him?

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1322934276' post='1457529'] Not in Fame. West Side story - Maybe Garry [/quote] Is West Side Story not a musical these days?!

[quote name='nobody's prefect' timestamp='1322876882' post='1457023'] What are the most important lessons musical theatre can teach you that are hard to come by without doint it? [/quote] 1) That written bass lines are not easy to predict, because they've probably been written by someone who has no idea about bass. 2) Stupid time/key signatures WILL appear and you WILL sh!t yourself... expect it and when it happens, keep calm and carry on