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Dad3353

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Posts posted by Dad3353

    Jazz Standards

    in Theory and Technique

    Posted

    Good morning, all...

    I hesitate to contribute here (after all, I'm only a drummer; what would I know..?), but I somewhat disagree with some of the above posts.
    I have been playing (modest...) bass and guitar for many years, and have been patiently working through all sorts of genres over the years. I prefer the term 'swing', in fact, when referring to these standards ('jazz', as Bilbo points out, is a rather delicate soubriquet...), but when all is said and done, a good tune is a good tune. The compositional 'rules' which come into play in this idiom are an excellent grounding for backing or improvising. What may be stale old clichés to a harded 'pro' can be refreshing to a younger, or less experienced audience. Mozart, Beethoven and all are still being, not only performed, but studied and renewed with interpretations unthought of in past generations. My particular example would be 'Misty', for which I have probably 3 dozen different transcriptions. The version from our friend Major Minor for solo bass, which he kindly wrote out for us all, stands very highly on any scale of merit, imho, and I would not call it out-dated, or 'old hat'.
    I'm certainly not 'married' to 'jazz' (swing, bebop; whatever it's called...), I appreciate quite a wide gamit of material (60's Dead and Airplane, Pentangle, Magma, Gojira, Joni Mitchell, Rimsky Korsakov... the list is far too long...), but I would rather encourage our OP in his exploration of these standards (who knows..? He may well turn out a new definitive 'Autumn Leaves'..!), whilst not neglecting other musical domains. I don't believe that one becomes 'stale' with these, but quite the reverse.
    Just my (humble...) tuppence worth...

    2x10 for metal gigs?

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted · Edited by Dad3353

    Good evening, ironderby, and welcome to the forum...
    It's not a question of your repertoire as much as the size of venues you'll be playing, and whether you (the bass...) play clean with headroom or disto.
    In a bar/pub, if the drummer is too loud, it won't help having full stacks for the bass/guitars. In a medium concert hall/theatre, with no PA for backline, you'll be a bit 'tight'. Open air, PA for the backline, you'll need to hear your own stack,or have excellent monitors (side, wedges, in-ear...).
    A second 2x10 will give you perhaps the best flexibility, but if you're doing much in the way of festivals etc., consider having double that.
    You need the watts for the clean headroom, not for the sound volume. The cabs do that.
    I play (drums...) in a loud rock covers band; the bass rig is a Hiwatt DR203 and either Ampeg 4x10 or Fender Bassman 2x15. Outdoors it's fine; indoors the Fender would be overkill if we turned the wick up more than we do. The Ampeg does it all (but I would like to add a 1x15 sometimes, outdoors...).
    Hope this helps...

    Stupid question

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    Good evening, Huwberry, and welcome to the forum.
    Nothing (too...) stupid about the question. The O/Ps from your amp are in parallel, so there is no difference in daisy-chaining or running seperate cables from the amp (with a jack/speakon converter...). The only downside to chaining would be total silence if the unique cable becomes unplugged, but little risk, normally.
    Hope this helps.

    Help a clueless newbie choose a bass combo

    in Amps and Cabs

    Posted

    [quote name='CBbass' post='1339275' date='Aug 14 2011, 04:28 AM']Hey,

    I'm going to start playing bass at home, I play guitar but at the moment I get far more enjoyment playing my friends bass. I also have a pretty decent budget. I don't know much at all about amps, I will be buying used and will have a budget of £800. I want an all around decent combo, good for recording/home use. The bass I'm getting will be either an l2000 or MM stingray/sterling. I play any genre really but mostly rock/grungy stuff. When I see the huge amount of watts bass amps use compared to guitars and the speaker combinations I don't know where to begin...

    Cheers.[/quote]
    Good evening, CBbass...
    You don't need, or want, high power for home/recording. I would recommend a new Ampeg BA115, 100w, 15" + peizo, which will take out your windows if you open it up (as will most 100w+ bass amps...). They can be found second-hand, but if you have the budget for it, buy new, and get a guarantee, for smething like £300-350.
    If there is a music store near by, it would be preferable to go along and try out a few amps; there is a difference between 12", 15", 2x10" speakers, and modelisation may interest you (Roland Cube...).
    Just my opinion, of course, but I think you're way over budget for bedroom, or even garage practice, for a beginner. That's a very confortable position to be in. You don't need to spend it all (at least, not right now...). Later on, when you've a bit more experience, and joining a band, you will appreciate having a bit more to put towards a stadium-sized rig. You'll still be enjoying your Ampeg, though.
    Hope this helps...

    Playing something alien to your style

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Good evening, Mykesbass...
    It's called 'freedom'; in certain styles, the bass is not contained in a 'traditional' rock role of only underpinning (important though that may be...).
    The 'kings' in this realm would be Jack Casady and Phil Lesh; here is a short extract from Wiki on Lesh...
    [quote]Lesh had never played bass before joining the band, which meant he learned "on the job", but it also meant he had no preconceived attitudes about the instrument's traditional "rhythm section" role. Indeed, he has said that his playing style was influenced more by Bach counterpoint than by rock or soul bass players (although one can also hear the fluidity and power of a jazz bassist such as Charles Mingus or Jimmy Garrison in Lesh's work, along with stylistic allusions to fellow San Francisco psychedelic-era bassist Jack Casady).[/quote]
    If you have the chord sequence down pat, try 'noodling' around the chords to find runs or melodies that can fit in. It is recommended to highlight the 'important' notes, just the same, and there is a good deal of taste involved in keeping, or leaving out, anything that you find.
    Mark Andes, of 'Spirit' fame (listen to '12 dreams of Dr. Sardonicus'..?) is another inspiration in this genre.
    Of course, the other band members have to be playing in this same vein to allow room.
    Hope this helps...

    One more frenchie

    in Introductions

    Posted

    Salut, Tony, et bienvenu au forum...
    Il y a quelques francophones ici, mais anglais est 'de rigueur' en général (sauf exception comme ici..!). T'es en quel coin..? Je suis en Basse Normandie (d'où le '33, 53'...) depuis plus de 30 ans maintenant; j'ai l'impression des fois de commencer à comprendre..!
    Pour Henry...
    Bravo, pas mal. Un petit remarque, tout de même; le mot 'terrible' est un 'faux ami' qui, en France, veut dire plutôt 'damned good', voire 'excellent' (comme 'Ecoute-moi cette basse, elle est terrible..!'...). 5 ans..? Pas assez. Comme je dis souvent, les premiers 40 ans sont les pires, aprés quoi ça s'arrange un (petit..) peu..!
    Apologies to all the others; 'Google' this, and you'll find that it probably wasn't worth the effort...

    Loop switcher pedals

    in Effects

    Posted

    So, another cheapskate, huh..,
    Listen up; when you're using cables like these for your pub gigs, you don't skimp on pedal switch boxes, OK..? Don't compromise your tone with the cheap copies, or home-made sh*t. Use the real deal (we all do, here...), you'll never regret it...
    [attachment=86335:Most_Exp...uit_Cabl.JPG]

    Sound City B120 MKIV restoration

    in Build Diaries

    Posted

    Fascinating read, Mr. Foxen. Nearly there, but, as my ol' dad would say: it's the last mile that's the longest. Makes me glad I have a Hiwatt, though.

    OT, but whilst I'm here...
    Later, when I can spare the ressources (early next year..?), we'll have a little chat about Hiwatt cabs, perhaps...

    TO GO: Unwanted Mars Bar

    in Completed Items

    Posted

    I can only see one end in the photo, does it really have the other end (was fitted as standard, sometimes 'go missing', and hard to replace...). Just checking; looks interesting (pity about the colour; I would have preferred natural maple, but b*ggars can't be choosers, right..?).

    PS: I assume that the hard case is included, of course..?

    Replacement for SM58?

    in Accessories and Misc

    Posted

    Good evening, Oggy...
    Nothing wrong with a good SM58, but as an alternative I would suggest AKG D5 (we use only these now, the Shures have been relegated to spare/backup...). Even better, if your singer is worth the difference... AKG C5. Very nice live, brings out the best in a good voice. It won't help a 'crow' much, though, and shouldn't be 'Daltreyed' (whirled around the stage by its lead, for the youngsters...).
    Just my tuppence worth, ymmv.
    Hope this helps.

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