stingrayPete1977

[quote name='jgmh315' timestamp='1417201006' post='2618223'] I always liked Billy Sheehans answer to that question. [/quote] That is fine if you are either Billy Sheehan or you only want to play what he plays, playing Eb on the 6th fret of the A string IMO sounds rubbish if the song is not suitable, Valerie for example.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1417199976' post='2618203'] oh I see... I thought you were suggestiong they sounded particularly amazing on a Tuesday [/quote] He had a BBQ in the summer with most of his friends being hippy musos too the night revolves around a jam session, I can confirm it sounded just as amazing on a Saturday night too

The studio I practice in on a tuesday belongs to our guitarist, he is a music teacher and a great bassist/guitarist/drummer, he has an SR505, a Danelectro (?) and a Warwick Thumb BO 4 string, if I go straight from work or on my motorbike I use the SR, I really like it and would happily use one for every gig forever really

[quote name='Bobthedog' timestamp='1417131684' post='2617482'] Pete, have you booked tickets for their UK tour? I am furious that I cannot get to any of the accessible venues. (all standing only too it seems). Details under their videos. [/quote] I will try and go to one, I have had a lot of treats already from santa so I am struggling to blag it at the moment! Robyn

I think rather than alter how they are run I have just accepted they are not for me, you need to realise for those guys/gals "schlappin da shid" out of a Statii all day is 'their gig' IMO. So me telling them to stop is the same as people telling me to stop during my gigs (which they sometimes do, lol). It is a shame but there you go, I have moved along

[quote name='kulabula' timestamp='1417198190' post='2618173'] Wow, that's a lot of advice chaps. After a lot of debate, I'm going for it!! Both feet. I'm gonna get an SR 605 , and do this thing!! [/quote] Cool Great bass too, I play an SR505 most tuesdays for a few hours, its a cracking bass

[quote name='goingdownslow' timestamp='1417166981' post='2617633'] I have regularly seen the fifth string being used only as a thumb rest. [/quote] I have been on a gig where I can see the resident 'expert' telling his mates that I am not playing the B string, nothing but a thumb rest etc etc etc what they dont know is that the songs where I do not use it even for fretted E for example are songs that I sometimes play on Double Bass, I purposefully do not use the B string on any of those many songs to save facing the restriction of four strings on my DB or EUB the next night/week whenever.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1417168954' post='2617665'] The first gig offered thing only works if all the gigs are the same standard.... You can't expect a 'touring pro' to keep your gig free at the Dog and Duck if he is committed/contracted to another unit. You have to reasonable and also fair... If you want these people in your band..and you should, IMO.. then the diary and availability of other options is paramount. So, there will always be a pecking order in this scenario. The ability to keep a diary does indeed avoid a lot of hassle though... [/quote] Unless you really are that good (by you I mean anyone reading this in general rather than you as such JT) then dropping a gig for a better gig will get you sacked fairly quickly IME, if the band is made up of a consistent set of members as a lot of the bassist's here probably are then the rest of that band would rather have a slightly less brilliant bassist that wont drop them in the poop last minute. I have only pulled out of one confirmed gig as my brother anounced he was getting married that day and wanted our band at the time, the others were finding it hard to grasp that we either did my brothers gig or no gig (or at least not with me) at first!

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1417189194' post='2618019'] Sadly I don't read, wish I did. Reading would be unaceptable in all 3 of these performance scenario's anyway. Although I'm sure I'll have some notes taped to my monitor for the first few gigs. As to your 1st question I'll have to let you know in January [/quote] One thing I have found since learning to read (not sight read either, I am really slow at it) is that you dont need to have a stand in front of you and sit on a stool for it to be useful, I can 'see' the awkward runs or rhytyms in a song to some extent, I imagine those who do it well can almost see the whole song in dots!

I feel quite limited on a four now and I'm not a showy player, worth it for the Eb alone IMO.

First come first served and no pulling out from one band because another one offers you a better gig, it's the only way

[quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1417124989' post='2617376'] Ha I see what you did there... [/quote] lol (You have a text btw)

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1417093434' post='2617015'] When I first started playing bass I didn't actually own one. The band I was in (with 3 other school friends) was a recording band only, so I would work out the bass parts on the guitar and then use a borrowed bass when we came to record the songs. There were two people in my year at school who had basses I could use - one was a Woolies special that was vaguely Moserite shaped, and the other was a home-made contraption created by someone who had once seen a photograph of a P-bass. Both were horrible to play and sounded completely dead. I bought my first bass - a Burns Sonic - while I was at University in 1981. It cost £60 including the original hard case and the shop threw in a Fender strap. What I really wanted was an Ibanez or an Aria Pro II, but both were way over my budget. The affordable alternatives were Grant or Columbus copies of P or J Basses, however the Burns looked so much more interesting looking, and actually played and sounded far better. The bass had been heavily modified by the previous owner(s) and I had to buy new machine heads, a bridge and replace all the electrics apart from the pickups to get it into a proper useable condition. It was my main bass all through the 80s until I bought my first 5-string in 1989. I still own it and it gets the occasional use in the studio when I need that particular sound. In many ways through it's strengths and weaknesses it shaped both my playing and my tastes in instruments - I can't imagine being the same bassist if I'd decided to get one of those Columbus or Grant copies instead. [IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n249/BigRedX/DSC01541-2.jpg[/IMG] [/quote] I was similar in that I actually played bass way before owning one, I used a Rose SG bass copy from 1989 until buying my Peavey in 93, the Rose was awful, really heavy, dodgy weak looking neck joint, muddy neck pickup only, a very accurate copy you could say!

I'm addicted to modern jukebox! There is a new one I had been meaning to link, blue christmas duelling double bass.

I have a five pound note and a kidney here if thats any good to you?

The slap at these shows has stopped me going completely, with MK on the bill I would be taking earplugs for all his 'fan's' efforts! The last one I attended in manchester gave me the worst headache ever mainly coming from the rig of a prominent member here ALL DAY, awful. I suggested on the appropriate thread to the organiser that a baton could be passed every 10 mins from stand to stand, only the stand with the baton can make a noise, headphones could be used at all times and if two batons went around the two main areas it would only be about 20 or 30 mins before the baton came back,plenty of time to discuss the basses and feel them unplugged etc. Anyone serious about dropping 3 to 4 grand on a custom build should be visiting the builders in person anyway rather than basing it on hearing it amongst that din!

I'm all about the jazz bass these days!

Shawshank redemption is all I'm saying about the shoe thing, if you have seen it you will get it, if you haven't why haven't you?!

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1417081753' post='2616826'] Personally I think you should make efforts to learn both at the same time. Spend some time on each - learning note locations shows you that scales aren't just a box shape, learning scales will show you how to fit in with chords . [/quote] I agree with this. Someone mentioned a whole tone being a two fret shift before but I decided not to confuse matters

So a posh venue books a covers band that specialise in Indie covers, blur, oasis etc based on previous bookings of the band and videos on a Web site yet they need to wear shoes because the audience are going to?

Im saying nothing......

My first bass was funded by selling my Ibanez Ex 160 guitar (failed guitarist you see) so it was actually a good one really, a new 1993 Peavey Foundation, sold it a few years ago as I stopped using it when I bought a Bass Collection SB320 in 1997

I dont think the band should dress overly smart for black tie gigs if thats not your usual style, you are the entertainment not a guest. I always wear trainers too, black ones if its a posh gig, lol

Im not a theory expert but the this picture might help explain a little bit regarding your conundrum, knowing every note on every fret by name will help a lot with the page visible on the left, learn to read the dots and learn all your notes on the board and you can play anything really but on the other hand the ability to read the chart on the right will be more useful for quickly learning a song whilst adding your own vibe/style to it, you could learn notes only and play along to that chart using root notes only and it would sound ok, learn some scales and the fun begins as you can add 5ths, maj or min 3rds, the various appropriate 7ths for the right chords etc and loads of stuff im still learning! [URL=http://s997.photobucket.com/user/stingraypete/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-11/20141126_203822_zpscjgngmbi.jpg.html][IMG]http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af100/stingraypete/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-11/20141126_203822_zpscjgngmbi.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I can cover staffs for collecting it back, I'm sure we can relay it back between us? Im a spiteful bastard so if it were mine I'd always rather get it back and smash it to bits before letting someone have it for half the price because of new dubious marks