bassbiscuits

Bruce Springsteen's If I Should a Fall Behind, Billy Joel's Goodnight Saigon and Johnny Cash's Hurt all do me in.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1458151528' post='3005166'] We have just been offered a support slot for Mark Morris (he of Bluetones fame) this Friday in Leicester, I am really excited as the song "If" by the Bluetones has to be one of my all time favourite basslines I'm all excited now [/quote] Cool - whereabouts are you playing? I did a support slot in The Donkey in Leicester last Saturday for a headliner called Marc O'Reilly. Hadn't heard of him before but honestly it was stunning music. Turned into an amazing night out.

What an epic night out I've just had. Depping on bass for an originals band for only my second gig with them, a support slot which went amazingly well - in a proper music venue too where the audience actually listen to what you're playing. And the headliners were frankly stunning - chap called Marc O'Reilly and his band from Ireland. Could feel the knots in my mind loosen from hearing them play. A grand night out.

My 'the one' is really 'my two' main basses, but I've had one of them for 22 years and one for 10 years, so I think they're both fairly permanent.

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1457441276' post='2998548'] I've just thought of another claim to fame! I'm on the same forum as one of my heroes - Neil Murray - sorted now. Now I just need him to post saying how great my playing is and 30 years work will all seem worthwhile [/quote] Tiny claim to fame alert! I made Neil Murray a cup of tea once when I worked at Roland back in the late 1990s. I said something like: "You're Neil Murray, aren't you?" to which he replied: "I'm an older, fatter version of him." I thought that was a pretty cool answer!

Poor chap. Can't be an easy decision to have to step down from the career that's been his life for the last 36 years. But he's been brilliant and given us all some amazing memories. What a band. We salute you. Speaking as a lifelong AC/DC fan tho I do think its time for them to call it a day. With only Angus left and Cliff the only other long-serving member, I'd like to see them stop rather than drag it out. You've already given music fans a lifetime of great albums and stunning live gigs, so you've got nothing left to prove to us. Thanks for it all. It's been a blast. And get well soon Brian.

I agree if you've found the right one/ones for you then you know it, and the others aren't really going to get used anyway however good they are so you'll probably end up flogging them. Saying that, i'd be in no rush to sell them unless i needed to for financial reasons, as tastes/situations change and you might be glad of them being available. Cool that you've found the right bass tho - feels great doesn't it? I think I might have finally slimmed mine down to just three basses, but three that are near perfect for what I want. It's taken 30 years but its been a fun trip...

I had a Charvel model 1B donkeys years ago and it was a great bass. Really loud and punchy and played great. I also had a silver series squier P a year later and personally i'd say the charvel was better build and sound, tho the squier was cool and looked a bit more trad obviously! Both good basses tho.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1456438539' post='2989145'] It's all poppycock, just play the damn bass [/quote] At the end of the day, yes this^^^

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1456422692' post='2988918'] I mostly use a pick when gigging and not had any breakdown of the coating on the Elixirs. One of the sets has probably done a dozen or so gigs now and still no sign of wear. [/quote] Cheers Garymac - might be worth me trying them then.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1456417219' post='2988841'] Not one that got away because I could never have afforded it at the time, but there was a burl maple top Sei sixer in an advert from a copy of bassist magazine I got when I was at school (14 or 15 years old). I literally became obsessed with it, I cut the ad out and carried it around with me for about six months... even tried to get the school to give me a grant to buy it... I was desperate for it, first time I'd really really GASsed for a bass. ...of course in true GAS fashion by the time I did actually have the money to buy decent gear I wanted something else and the Sei was long forgotten. [/quote] I loved all that part of being a kid tho! I remember I had flyers for basses all over my walls - things like Westone and Washburn which just seemed like cool, exotic, beautifully contoured wondrous things. Not really the same now I'm in my 40s with internet access eh...

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1456414591' post='2988803'] A while ago I read about a guy who was blasting his intruments with sound and/or vibration to simulate decades of being played. ( cant 't remember where, it might even have been on here). Apparently it realigned the wood molecules to give the instrument that special vintage flavour or some such jiggery pokery. Snake oil anyone? [/quote] Don't some makers do that now, i.e. vibration treating the bodies to simulate string vibrations thru the body?

I just killed my set of Daddario Nickels in two gigs - they sound like old dead flat wounds now. Pretty gutted really. I've ordered some Rotosounds which i've had better luck with before now. Maybe Elixirs are the way forward tho - how are they with plectrums tho? I've heard somewhere they start to peel if you cane them hard.

For me older - but not necessarily vintage - instruments do feel and play better, up to a point. I assume its factors such as described above; the wood settling, the stiffness of a new instrument subsiding, and then all sorts of semi-mythic factors like the wood drying out in older nitro-finished instruments. I say 'up to a point' because age doesn't make a bad bass good, and with the ageing and 'played in' feel also can come less welcome things like crackly pots, worn or rusting hardware, worn down frets, chewed up screw threads etc. All my current basses are secondhand (between eight and 46 years old), and feel to me a lot more comfortable than stiff new ones I've owned along the way.

[color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] I wondered who else has been left gutted after missing out on a dream purchase.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] My story from a couple of years back involved a local musician whose friend was selling off a load of old shop stock and studio gear, among which was listed simply "Fender jazz bass". [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] A quick phone call later to the seller, and the guy had described what was an mid 1970s jazz bass, in near mint nick, which had been used occasionally round his studio.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] I’m being a bit vague on details as I’m mindful that someone out there actually did buy this, but the price was about half of what I’ve seen similar items go for here currently.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] I assured him I’d be on it, ran across town to bank and withdrew the money, dashed back to work to get the afternoon booked off and rang him to confirm I was on the way (about an hour away).[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] He said: “Ooh hang on, a chap has just come around to try it. I’ll give you a ring back if he decides he doesn’t want it, to save you a wasted journey….”[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] Needless to say, he wanted it. [/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] The seller rang back with the bad news, and he was actually a cool bloke who was very sympathetic, so no hard feelings at all.[/font][/color] [color=#000000][font=Calibri, sans-serif] Bummer tho.[/font][/color]

YOB gets me 1974, which isn't a particularly classic year for basses, but I'd like a jazz bass from that year to go with my similar aged P. Or a custom shop P or J. That would make me a happy man, tho in truth I have enough basses for my needs already.

I bought a Fender P bass about 10 years ago now, that had been hanging in a shop secondhand for ages. So long in fact that I'd bought an sold a Yamaha and a MIJ jazz while trying to get the right sound, before paying this one any attention. The strings on it were so clothy and old that I had no idea whether it was any good or not, but eventually persuaded the shop guys to restring it and give it a clean before I popped back the following day with some cash. That clean up and restring transformed the bass completely - now it just sang, was loud, lovely and resonant. I bought it and it's been my main bass more or less ever since. To think how long they'd had it on sale rather than spend half an hour making it presentable. Personally it turned out in my favour, but weird attitude to have.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1456051938' post='2984776'] Aside from the obvious about being in a band and doing gis with your mates, I can`t really put it into words why I actually enjoy playing the bass so much. I just love it. Whereas with guitar, although I can play it decently enough, I just don`t feel at home on it, with bass I just feel like I`m "me". [/quote] Exactly this! I play both bass and guitar to a good standard, but whereas I feel like I'm having to play guitar, with bass it just feels entirely natural and sounds like me. Bass is also the best instrument ever to play live - its loud and satisfying and provides all the meat and movement in a song, and it doesn't go out of tune like guitars yay! I've played bass for three quarters of my life now and it's a huge part of how I am, how I think and my role in life if that doesn't sound too dramatic. I find it very therapeutic and good company too. I only wish I'd bothered studying music at school instead of dropping it, not knowing then what a constant factor in my life it would be!

All things being equal, definitely a USA over a Mexican any time. The USA will hold its resale value over the MIM, which regardless of the value of any upgrades, will always still be a MIM bass. Not that there's anything wrong with MIM basses at all, but in my experience USA Fenders are generally a few notches above, with pickups and hardware that will be great from the outset. As previously mentioned, don't rule out secondhand tho (either a Mex or a USA). At least then if you decide you've chosen badly, you'll be able to sell without losing a great deal of cash. Good luck with it all tho - some great basses to be explored!