cetera

I'm 36 years old and have been playing bass for 24 years.... I'm generally a straightforward groove rock player, but I love Motown & early 70's rock melodic bass playing. My influences include everyone from Peter Cetera (early Chicago), Tiran Porter (Doobie Brothers) & Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section)... to classics like Jamerson and McCartney.... to Guy Pratt and Bernard Edwards. All very useful for the covers & function bands! I'm mainly a pick player, but I use my digits for ballads, finger funk and Motown type stuff.... I can do basic slap, but I believe it's overused by too many people... I play 4-stringers exclusively. Tried a 5 for a while but couldn't justify having it for 5 extra notes (which I can get by tuning down or using an octaver). 6 strings and higher are for guitarists.... I love my Spectors... especially with the high mid boosted around 2K and plenty of solid low end (think Eddie Jackson of Queensryche). Been playing fretless (Wal & Pedulla) for the last 18 months and enjoying that too... Having been a player of 'active basses' for years I have recently acquired a passive Fender Geddy Lee Jazz which has fired up my GAS for another 70's Jazz (in white, with blocks & covers) and a P-Bass to put flats on... There's no end to my GAS.... only an end to wall space to hang them on

Reminds me of a joke I heard.... Guitarist returns from 'Berklee' (insert your choice of music school) scholarship and joins a local band. He's shown a couple of melodies for one of the songs and immediately announces "That can't be right....! That note there isn't within the chord and note structure of the key we're playing in!" The bassist replies "Yeah, but it [i]sounds[/i] good.... and that's what matters..." Guitarist: "But it breaks the rules...!" Bassist: "In that case, it's a jazz tune" Guitarist: "Jazz?!? Oh, OK, why didn't you say that in the first place...!"

As an aside..... the 'KISS' tribute band I'm in auditioned for a new 'Ace Frehley' (lead guitarist) a while ago... We had many applicants but the most interesting one was a 'technically amazing' guy who could play all the right notes, but had NO feel. It turned out he'd never done the 'covers' thing before.... and therefore hadn't learnt to study the cover songs in the correct way. He thought he was great. We thought he was a robot.....

[quote name='The Funk' post='48900' date='Aug 22 2007, 12:57 PM']I do originals but I'm definitely not of the opinion that people who play in covers bands / back other artists are not proper musicians. Most of the time, I've found it's the other way around! In an originals band you can play whatever you like - and you can write the songs around your limitations as a musician. In a covers band you just won't have that luxury. The other trouble with many originals bands is that their sound is just a carbon copy of whoever the current big act is. So I don't see how that's got anything to do with expressing your artistic vision - surely, that's expressing someone else's![/quote] Excellent point! I'm currently in two tribute bands and a function band.... and I dep for other function bands. Over the years I have done the 'originals' route to death including a moderately successful CD release in the GAS territories and Japan. (Btw, the GAS territories are Germany/Austria/Switzerland NOT Gear Acquisition Syndrome) Being in an originals band normally means writing your own bass part which, while artistically satisfying, does not make you any more of a 'musician'..... Being in a GOOD covers band/function band/Tribute band actually requires you to reproduce the basslines/style of the original players as authentically as possible. This is particularly true of a good 'Tribute' band.... For me, there's nothing worse than going to see a covers band who play poor, stripped down versions of classic songs where they just simplify the bassline to a 'plod' rather than playing the correct lines.... IMO, there is a 'discipline' to reproducing songs accurately.....

It's could be one of a few things.... Maybe your musical style doesn't appeal? Maybe people don't live locally? Maybe people are older....? Maybe it's not what people are looking for at this time? Don't take it personally

[quote name='TheRev' post='48804' date='Aug 22 2007, 11:18 AM']Why was everyone selling their Wal basses??? What was so bad about them that they had to be sold? Some people would eat their own grandmothers to own a Wal.[/quote] I think a lot of people (not everyone) sold them because they became 'unfashionable'. You know what it's like, one minute pointy headstock active beasts are in.... the next minute it's vintage Fenders..... and then it's active Fender copies.... Me, I bought mine just as they started to become 'cool' again and just as news of Pete Steven's problems began.... Not letting them go now!

So how much was it.... (including taxes etc)? And where from....?

Mmmm...... 'Skunkworks' loveliness!

[quote name='P-T-P' post='47648' date='Aug 20 2007, 12:05 PM']A '73 jazz, vintage white, black guard, maple bound neck and pearly inlays, had all the ashtrays etc. and was in 9.5/10 condition. It sang like a bird and played like a dream. And I, being still very wet behind the ears and not really thinking about what sounds good ahead of what looks good, part-ex'd it for a Status Energy 5 string.[/quote] Awwww man..... I'd be gutted too if I'd let that go!

Superb basses.... and amazing value for money. ^_^ The bolt-on 'Re-Bop' Spectors have a slightly more 'hi-fi Jazz' tone to them than the more 'ballsy' Euro thru neck basses. Should be ideal for a great fretless tone!

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='46490' date='Aug 16 2007, 03:53 PM']Judging by your avatar cetera - you must have an easy going missus, I mean how many women share their make up with their husbands? [/quote] Lol! I give her tips all the time....

[quote name='niceguyhomer' post='46475' date='Aug 16 2007, 03:26 PM']didn't appear to want to open the page for this Friday, which would have cleared the misunderstanding immediately.[/quote] Sounds like she got a different band in for less money or an event in paying her more money....

Had a classic this last weekend.... We're playing a wedding..... and the sound is DREADFUL. The room is all glass and wood and the sound is a mush of mids. Despite this, the gig was going well until we decided to play 'Livin La Vida Loca'. Trouble was the two keyboard players said it was in D (forgetting that as a band we tune down a semi-tone) and so we played the whole song with half of us a semi-tone out! The singer was like a rabbit caught in the headlights.... and the sound was so bad/communication between the band members so poor... that we couldn't work out who was playing it wrong or who should change....! Noone in the wedding party seemed to notice though.... good job it was at the 'pissed end' of the evening..!

[quote name='The Funk' post='46378' date='Aug 16 2007, 12:44 PM']"But you know I was a shallow letch - that's why we got together!" I wonder how well something like that would go down.[/quote] Who says I'm shallow?

[quote name='3V17C' post='46368' date='Aug 16 2007, 12:36 PM']the basses and related bits n bobs were mine and mine alone. (ok, so occasionally i might have told her something cost less than it actually did - anything for a quiet life).[/quote] I hear you!! [quote name='3V17C' post='46368' date='Aug 16 2007, 12:36 PM']basically I was playing bass/hoarding equipment long before I met her so she had to get used to the fact that it was all part of the package......[/quote] Exactly. Full disclosure..... My wife entered the relationship knowing the situation and she knows better than to try and 'change' me....

[quote name='The Burpster' post='46365' date='Aug 16 2007, 12:32 PM']We may not agree with how the other deals with financial decsions but unless it effects both of us we are free to do as we please with our OWN money and possesions. Any realationship should be based on openess and honesty...... We both have GAS but for different things....... I guess that isnt typical then....?[/quote] That sounds very familiar to me..... I'm completely with you.... Some great posts so far on this thread..... keep them coming!

I had that happen once.... except it was on the night. The landlord had changed and the new one had not honoured the old bookings. As a band we all turned up together on the night, loaded our gear in and when the landlord told us we weren't playing we refused to leave until we were all paid our travel/petrol expenses. The landlord threatened to call the police if we didn't leave.... so we invited him to do so. After a couple of minutes of umm-ing and ah-ing he decided it wasn't worth the hassle & gave us £60, so we loaded up the van and went for a beer 'on him' next door at his 'competitor' pub'!!

I've noticed a lot of posts with phrases such as "My wife told me I have to sell it", "She said I can't have this one till I sell that one", "I'm not allowed to buy it" etc etc Now, I don't mean to start a problem thread..... or to attack anyone..... and I don't mean to cause offence.....but I'm genuinely interested in how this can be? Does everyone just 'do as they're told'? Do you let your partner control your finances or is it 'anything for a quiet life'....?!? Speaking personally, I am married..... but I don't answer to anyone but myself. Never have/never will. After making sure all bills etc are paid my earnings (plus gig money) are mine and mine alone to spend how I want to.... and the same applies to my lady wife. Again, I mean NO offence with this post! What are others thoughts?

That's my next backline purchase..... A GBE750 with the Genz Benz Neox212T Cab !! How much did you pay and where from?

[quote name='G-bitch' post='45715' date='Aug 15 2007, 12:22 PM']If you get a used sansamp (about £100), you'll be wetting yourself with laughter when there is little discernable difference between your peavey rig and the other guys £1k plus Ampeg set-up. Your DI will probably sound better too.[/quote] +1 for that! Simply use a Sansamp BDDI for the tone..... and the power stage of the Peavey amp for the power and reliability. Win/Win situation...