bassist_lewis

So these days, as I've heard many a more experienced gentleman claim, music is a bit simpler and the bass lines aren't as good, and back in the 60s, 70s and 80s (people aren't quite nostalgic about the 90s yet) bass lines were - or could be - more interesting and a more prominent part of the song. Yet, these days there seem to be legions of bass players shredding through changes and slapping the s@@t out of there basses, and back in said nostalgic decades there seem to have only been a few such monster players. Now, I'm only 24 so maybe it's just how it seems looking back now... but why is it that in an era where music is predominantly dead simple and focused entirely on the singer there are lots of super techy shreddy bass players, and back when basslines were more prominent and generally more interesting there were comparatively few mental slippers? Discuss slappers... not into slippers...

Reverb and groove are completely unrelated. Ignorant singer bulls@&t

That's what I like about the 5, once on a gig the singer called Living on a Prayer, then a moment later said, in D, I jumped straight in. Ignoring the fact that the song is actually in G starting on Em, this would have been a total headf##k on a 4 drop tuning... but I love playing my 4!! I need something as comfortable as my 4 but with a low B, the only solution I can think of is a 5 string shorty like a callowhill OBS or MPB, or a custom build.

I have a 5 string - a good one too, a Lakland Darryl Jones - which I use for functions and for reading gigs when they come my way (musicals love low B strings apparently). However, I much prefer a 4 string (feel, sound) so have been thinking about ditching the 5 and getting a Hipshot Xtender with the double stop lever (I'd have it to D and C). Would I be limiting myself or making life unnecessarily difficult, given that I sometimes play with unfamiliar singers and occasionally sit in the pit? If this has been discussed already (I'd be surprised if it hasn't) please post a link. L

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1384255141' post='2274423'] "White Wedding"---as much as I like it---is an [i]interesting[/i] choice for a wedding. See also "every breath you take" and "The One I Love". [/quote] On that note we play Go Your Own Way at most of our wedding gigs these days, we we're a little nature for awhile but it goes down a storm every time, regardless of the fact that it's about a break up, and a well publicised one at that.

Not a good experience at nice n sleazy's last time, the whole selling tickets for our first ever gig in Glasgow where we have no following thing grinded our gears, the usual paradox. The box is a good shout though, our keyboard player spoke to them when we played nice n sleazy's but never followed it up.

Looking at smaller venues tbh, we're most definately not indie rock in the slightest at all ever. I've emailed 13th note and (I think) pivo pivo to no response. We're just happy to gig, having people there is a bonus!

Can any Glasgow based BCers tell me which venues to contact about gigs? One of my bands is looking to start gigging there but I don't know what venues to start with (maybe leave the O2 Academy for next year ), the kind that put on anyone. we're an eclectic mix of DnB, jazz, funk, punk, rock, reggae and electronica.

If ur going to use it onstage I highly recommend getting the Hercules iPad stand and it attaches to most mic stands. If I'm not singing I take the head off a music stand and attach it to that. http://www.stringbusters.com/Ko-Bespoke/productlist.asp?cat=1/BITS%20-%20PIECES/BITS%20-%20PIECES%20GADGETS

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382719411' post='2255955'] I have a Mono M80 which is a great case, but not a very good gig bag. I find it uncomfortable to wear for on longer journeys (anything over 5 minutes). Other less expensive (and unfortunately also less robust) cases are far more pleasant to wear. IMO if you are not going to actually use it as a gig bag (and wear it on your back for more than just the trip between your vehicle and the venue) then it's a bit pointless as a Hiscox Lite Flight case is cheaper and only marginally larger and heavier. [/quote] I do a mix of everything: walking a few miles with it on my back, driving, on the bus, in the back of a van. Think that rules out the mono, so now its between the Harvest and the Reunion Blues :S

Damn, also a very impressive list of endorsers! I can 't find any UK prices - retailers but one doesn't have a website and the other is GB Guitars which doesn't have them on the site. They're almost twice what I was wanting to spend in Euros so probably won't be buying one in the near future. Thanks though

I've been using a protec contego for over a year but a few weeks ago the zip broke. Luckily Protec has a 5 year warranty for parts so I contacted Thomann who paid for return postage and replaced it with a new one which looked to be a slight improvement anyway (heavier zippers, different rubber feet, firmer looking attachments). But the first time I took it out of the house last night the strap stitching came out rendering the right strap useless. Immediately emailed Thomann who repeated their excellent customer service. however I'm very disappointed with Protec, there's lots of people who swear but them on here and mine was great up until last month (apart from having such great storage that it was often too laden with my crap). So I'm on the lookout for a new case. I'm considering either a Reunion Blues Continental (they've been around a long time and are used by Damian Erskine and Justin Meldahl-Johnson - very trustworthy endorsement IMO) or a Mono (either Vertigo or M80). Only about £20 difference in price so I'm asking if anyone has experience of either. Cheers!

[quote name='eude' timestamp='1381310952' post='2237229'] I spoke to a guy at length who has a Nordstrand 6 string 30" Bass with a low B, a one off. He said that the break angle at the nut was the most important thing, so the headstock angle on his bass was steeper than normal, the construction was also through neck with a lot of Ebony in the neck to keep the wood under the "speaking length" of the string as stuff as possible. [/quote] I've seen the MPBs, very interesting. How steep is the headstock angle on an ACG ?

http://www.callowhillbass.com Short scale 5 string bass with a low B. The builder (Tim Cloonan) claims that the B string is excellent (slight bias) as does its co-designer, ex-Roots bassist, Owen Biddle. Somewhere on FB Tim Cloonan puts it down to the break angles at the nut and bridge. Kind of related is the subject of Inharmonicity, which is where the harmonics of a note are not an exact integer of the fundamental (eg non-tuned percussion is made of a lot of inharmonicity). Inharmonicity increases proportionally to string diameter (not quite as simple as that but as much as I understood) and is inversely proportional to string length. So getting a heavier gauge B string to compensate for a shorter scale will actually increase inharmonicity :0 in moderation it adds warmth to a sound... but I haven't a clue how much is too much :S Still, someone believes it can be done

The angle isn't drastic, Lakland's have a small metal bar just behind the nut that the strings go under before reaching the pegs. Interestingly, Tim Cloonan who builds CallowHill basses purposefully makes a sharp angle at the nut and bridge of the OBS series (30" scale 5s and 6s). He claims it improves the B string significantly.

It was the first thing I tweaked. I got it to the point just before the magnets start causing that ring modulation sound. The other 4 strings sound fine. Could it be the pick-ups? I think they're stock lakland ones

The Letts has a 34" scale so that's not it (kind if confirmed what believed before that scale length is only one of many factors) When I've used tapercores before I've hated the weird upper overtone stuff that happens. I've tweaked the set-up quite a bit (apart from the truss rod) particularly the B string bridge saddle. I'll probably end up throwing rounds on it and seeng if that brings the B back

So I have 2 basses with B string: a Letts fretless 6 and a Lakland Darryl Jones, both currently strung with LaBella flats. Having gigged both through the same rig (though only once in the same venue) and consistently the Lakland's B string is weak sounding - it's muffled and, if plucked once, it quickly drops in volume - while the Letts' B is clear, audible, and with good sustain. Even more annoyingly, Lakland's B makes the amp clip, something the Letts does not do. I'm playing GB Streamliner into a BF midget and hassled Alex about it, he explained it can just be the nature of low Bs and can be helped by plucking differently, using back PU. But the Letts is fine! What the hell is going on?!

Wedding in Glasgow last night, had a proper stage which was nice - had a hollow wooden one a few weeks back which destroyed my bass sound. What was nicer was having the proper line-up all present, for the last few gigs we've had stand in drummers and I was away last weekend so it was nice having everyone n the same page knowing all the songs. Also, I swore that the guy who joined the bride for the first dance was not the guy in the middle of the circle during Loch Lomond at the end of the night - both positions normally taken by the groom. What did I miss?! And another with massive dreads nearly set himself on fire from the candles onstage

Callowhill OBS Another Barefaced Midget The latter is probably more likely...

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1377959532' post='2194111'] Every time I've played in a band with more than one guitarist, they have been excellent at arranging the guitars so that they complimented each other in both note choices and sounds. Those are the sorts of musicians that you want. [/quote] This all the way, if you have 2 guitarists they have to be exceptionally good musicians and good at communicating with each other, otherwise you end with a crunchy mess. Or at least one of them does so they can work around the other one (though in that situation you'd be as well ditching the ignorant one!) IME only rock/metal bands want 2 guitars (I purposely didn't write 'need' coz loads of rock/metal bands only have 1) for the extra noise while every other genre is happy with 1 (though Lettuce have 2 but they run rings around a lot of musicians).

[quote name='Raymondo' timestamp='1377896071' post='2193465'] +1 from me! The guy that plays for Bedford Falls at the Barony inn (and most other bands that play there it seems!) is awesome. I was told he played with the proclaimers in the early days? can't remember his name unfortunately ....probably because I have usually had one or two beers when i go there ;-) but he sure does take some beating. [/quote] I've never been there but I was thinking of Dougie Coulter (bass guitar) who plays for the Mike Kearney Ka-Tet at Jazzbar on Wednesdays (think he does a few other nights too) and Ed Kelly (double bass) who does various trios and quartets. Both excellent and therefore inspirational players. There's also Aki, he normally plays guitar but he's a hell of a bass player too!

Does it have to guys in famous bands? There's a couple of local guys in Edinburgh that are incredible players, easily up there with the big names.

... you may

Just came across this article on notreble.com and thought I'd share it, very interesting to hear how it really works. http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2013/08/28/life-as-a-working-bassist-where-does-the-money-come-from/