Wil

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1354714340' post='1889455'] prepare yourself for people not liking you lovingly crafted music as much as you do, but of course they won't say that to your face [/quote] Honestly, this keeps me awake at night...

Thanks BRX. Yes we're going to get some CDs pressed for gigging, and some shirts. A nice chap from Japan has done us some fantastic artwork using traditional Japanese calligraphy (there is a loose Japanese theme going through the record) which should look great as an album cover/on shirts. It's interesting what you say about needing a PR agency in order for people to even listen to the album - bit depressing but I suppose with so many artists out there it's to be expected. Has anyone here used a PR agency before for this sort of thing (any recommendations for agencies to use/avoid)?

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1354710185' post='1889366'] Make it your foremost thought if you want to sell anything and build a fanbase. People connect with what they see more than what they hear initially, if they can [b]connect with your vibe and personalities[/b], you have a chance. [/quote] We're so screwed Personally, I'd be made up if we got some good reviews... I've always idealised bands who were at their peak in the studio, so the whole "letting the album tour for you" thing appeals a lot to me. We will starting booking gigs in the new year though and try and get out of Bristol a bit.

Cool, thanks for the advice all. I forgot to mention also, we formed the band after starting work on the album for the purposes of recording it and subsequently gigging it, so we're going to need to build a fanbase from scratch... In fact, gigging is a bit of an afterthought for us really.

Hello! My band Shogun ([url="http://www.facebook.com/#!/ShogunMusicUK"]http://www.facebook.com/#!/ShogunMusicUK[/url]) have spent the last year writing and recording an album of original material at a local studio. Radiohead-y/Pixies kinda stuff but fairly diverse with it. We've spent a great deal of time crafting the songs (I got to score parts for a cellist and provide keys in addition to my guitaring which makes me very happy!) and we think it's going to be worth pushing out there. What we're unclear on, however, is what to do next. After we have the finished product in our hands (which we've self financed), mixed and mastered, what do we need to do to get it out there? I was thinking that technically we're our own label at the moment, and I'm loathe to hand over rights to our music to anyone else, so we'd like to do what we can ourselves. We'll be requesting mixes of the tracks sans vocals also so we can try and get some of the music featured in commercials etc too. So, I was thinking it's worth sending digital copies off for review with various magazines such as Pitchfork, Classic Rock etc, and maybe sending some choice tracks to local/online radio. I think we need to get ISRC (?) codes for the music, and I've heard it's worth joining the PRS for the purposes of royalties. Unsure whether we would need to register the band as a company in order to sell our music ourselves though, and unsure where to look with regards to getting music out there for use in commercials/TV/film... Any advice appreciated

I've tried to on a few occasions, with a fretless Warwick Streamer Jazzman and a mongrel Fretless P, but I felt they both lacked the attack of a fretted bass and got lost in the mix, so I went back to fretted after a while - definately prefer fretted (I switched the neck on the P eventually and enjoyed it again). All depends on if you and the band like the sound for your music though at the end of the day. I do like Juan Alderete's use of fretless in louder stuff, though, I think because he has a sound where the low mids are providing a lot of the punch and the band mix allows for it. In my bands I've always relied on a bit of fret noise to cut through.

Having been both a guitarist and bassist in many different bands, I try to be even handed these days. You may have many different instruments and players of said instruments in your band, but at the end of the day there are only two kinds of people. People you can get along with and make music with, and people who drive you f*cking crazy.

Bassists - they want the moon on a stick.

Sounds like you've recently joined his band? In which case, I'd learn the songs the way he wants, and if you're not prepared to do that then find another band or start your own. Not all bands work as a democracy IMO, and if you're not calling the shots sometimes it's best to just go with the flow, particularly if you've just joined.

I should say, I think this was my bass, and although I was unable to fix it, I never took it to a luthier to have it assessed so it might be possible - who knows. It was quite heavily bowed though and would need to be replaned at the least I would have thought. I didn't think it was worth it as I've played Mocks without plywood necks that felt/sounded better to me anyway.

I dont know what it is about Danos, but I've never heard a bad tone come out of one.

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1337851862' post='1666279'] [b]Please remember that in the Bar and Grill, you must review the piece posted before yours when posting[/b] [/quote]

But... The time I spend learning to do that is time I could spend doing something fun! I forgot to mention I can sight read piano, self taught again. I used the skill to learn some Tom Waits tunes. When I wanted to learn to play some Gershwin preludes I did it by ear and enjoyed the process far more, so that was that.

It does the trick. If I were doing the same thing for one of the regular members of the band I'd usually just sing/play the part and it'd be up to them to work it out, which again, works fine for our needs (we're playing alt rock so it's not rocket science. It's more about the dynamics and how each part works together than any complex individual parts).

I think it really depends on your circumstances. I play by myself and in an originals band, and never have to play anything without having loads of time to learn it by ear first, so I've never needed it. I can read bass clef but never learned the bass or guitar fingerboard (at the time I was playing cello). Besides learning some classical pieces from sheet music I've never used the skill, and I'm very rusty. Some people say it's essential for communicating with other musicians but there are other ways to do it. We've got a classically trained cellist in for some sessions on the album we're recording, and in the rehearsals to learn the parts I just sing what I want her to play, find the note on my guitar, stomp on my tuner to find out what the note is if I'm not sure, and she jots it down for her own reference.

Incredible output really, although I do wonder how much of case of quantity over quality it is. Some of his work is just beautiful, the melodic stuff on side one of Lumpy Gravy for instance, but he could certainly get a bit self indulgent. Can't complain though, considering all the good stuff he made.

It's good to see some footage and info on the early incarnations of the Mothers (my favourite period I think). They look more normal on film than I imagined from listening to the records!

That's my next 15 mins sorted Edit - 4 parts, next hour then, hooray!

I find that I might pick up my guitar once or twice a week, outside of rehearsals/gigs (which are bi weekly and a few a year, respectively). I very much enjoy it when I do, and can sit for hours playing whatever pops into my head, but I have to be in the right mood. I find these days I do more practicing in my head than I do with an instrument in my hands.

I love the smell of WD40 in the morning... No, really, I do.

Frets done: Sanded the board to a 15" radius beforehand and pre-bent the fretwire by hand before tapping/pressing in place, but wasn't particularly consistent with the pre-bend and some of the frets have sprung up slightly at the edges. Had enough for today though so I'll deal with those later...

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1351271567' post='1849594'] i think aerodynes sound great. although i generally don't agree with basswood bodies. [/quote] I think the main problem with Aerodynes, IMO, is that they're pig ugly Speaking of pig ugly: I really can't abide the marriage of heated towel rail and guitar.

Very nicely played. Nice to see a band making the effort to use live strings, too.

Good find. I picked up a pair of F clamps big enough for clamping a body blank in Aldi the other day for £12, you really do find some useful stuff in there!

I'm already contemplating a semi hollow for the next one It's definately been a learning experience so far, but an enjoyable one. My (sadly recently departed) grandad used to say you can do anything you put your mind to, and these days that's my motto too