bassist_lewis

Its like rain dripping on a tin roof. At least he's having fun

Hello DB-ers

I've been playing DB for about 9 months and i'm looking for some slightly easier strings to play, any suggestions? (my upright is electric so they have to be metal)
L

this is me and the jamiroquai band I was in jamming in ireland last year.
thom (guitar) was going nuts with the shreddies

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HEEDlZxBo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93HEEDlZxBo[/url]

L

not quite the right section but its vaguley applicable.

currently I have a nice Roland fp4 digital piano, it has some good sounds, weighted keys and its just nice to play and occasionally record with.

BUT

I haven't played piano seriously in 4 or 5 years, all i've used it for since is recording bits for uni work, the metronome and the odd plinkety-plonk. Seeing as I've graduated, there are smaller and more portable metronomes out there and I don't do gigs on keys i'm thinking about selling it.

This would take me a few steps closer to my purchase of a 6 string and free up some space (I'm aiming to move to London and I hear space is mighty expensive down there!).

HOWEVER

I know how important it is to expand your musical experience with other instruments, so would I be giving up a valuable musical resource?

any thoughts basschatters?

If you want the best of both, why not use a decent pedal? I may be completely wrong and I haven't fully tested this theory but I think that using a decent solid state amp for clean sounds then using a pedal for vintage sounds would be the ideal: valve amps are typically heavy as f**k, S.S. amps are usually quite light, as are pedals. something like the EBS valvedrive, EHX hot tubes or even the Ibanez TS9B.

anyone tried this?

[quote name='tomlyne' post='112180' date='Jan 2 2008, 12:32 PM']I think PJB has addressed the real issues about the placement of bass sound and how to work it on stage and in a playing situation. I let the soundpeople worry about front of house and I concentrate on a full, beautiful sound for playing with. The PJB Flightcase has the extra power and deep bass to make you feel it, and standing next to a powerful drummer, it will not let you down. It has speakers on the front and the top with acoustic bass tubes designed to send the long bass waves out the front. The manual tells you to put the amp on the floor. If you stick it on a chair next to your ear, like we've all done with the little amps, the Flightcase will not work properly. It needs the floor, and possibly a wall right behind it; or even better, in a corner, because it uses these surfaces to support and project the bass frequencies. But having said that, you can plonk it down anywhere and just start playing and you will love the sound.[/quote]

same goes for the suitcase, I had mine about 2 feet away from the wall for about 18 months, it sounded fine but when I moved it back against the wall it totally changed the sound, suddenly the low bass come out perfectly without being boomy or muffled. I agree its great for small gigs (currently using in a venue that seats 40ish and its perfect for that at 3/4 volume) but i also used it on some big corporate gigs (200ish) last christmas and it worked well as a monitor. there's no real need for massive rigs anymore, it just ends going through the PA, there's an article in this or the previous months BGM about big rigs at festivals. I think PJB and TC electronic have the right idea about a small and great sounding rig that plays into your ears.

I tried out the new Ibanez TS9B last weke and it has a great overdriven sound, think the bass on 'Do I Do' or 'Uptight'. Its very responsive too, check out the review in Bass Guitar Magazine. I also tried out the Aguilar bass overdrive (but TBH its more of a distortion), and though i'd never use it, it was very good at what it did: very bright (can be rolled off with the presence knob though) and lots of hi-mids. its a metal/punk/industrial sound.
Depends what your after, find someone whose sound you like and find out what they use

[quote name='uncle psychosis' post='1342219' date='Aug 16 2011, 06:21 PM']It might sound a bit morbid but that kind of thing is worth putting in your will---if your loved ones are going to have to "deal with" all your gear after you're gone then a "this is what this stuff is and this is what its worth" document could come in very handy, especially if you have anything odd/rare/valuable.[/quote]

my friend's dad has around 30 guitars (among them 5 or 6 high end les pauls) and he's given strict instructions not to sell them when he dies. My friend is a drummer...

I've played in varying sized bands. sometimes it works sometimes its more hassle than its worth. i play in a 4 piece doing originals and i works to have singer/guitarist, guitar, bass and drum. I've also done things in 10+ piece bands, one was a jamiroquai tribute and it didn't work because its nearly impossible to coordinate everyone, there was practically no money so no-one really cared enough to bother and the band leader is a tool of the highest order. The other one was a 60s tribute and that worked really well because we were all getting decent money, though the band leader was a bit disorganised.

different strokes for different folks

[quote name='janmaat' post='1340145' date='Aug 14 2011, 10:49 PM']it took guitars quite a while to "settle" at six strings - tell that your guitar guy. Besides, most
guitarists hardly use all their strings, and 7 string guitars are wicked and far too rare.

more strings are harder to keep quiet and the instrument becomes a bit heavier to carry, that's all I can see really.

how about pianos? church organs?

it is just so absurd how fixed rock people are on gear. ever noticed if a viola has four or five
strings? does anybody notice 4 or 5 strings on a double bass? anybody bothered for the brand of violins?
all crap in my opinion: the music matters thats all. as long as you play it to play it, not to wave it round,
its all good. And if people say something critical, they are just envious.[/quote]

interestingly I played with a fiddle player who used a 6 string violin (F C G D A E, I think), sounded really good through a mesa-boogie amp.

[quote name='d-basser' post='1339626' date='Aug 14 2011, 02:14 PM']I love having a 6 string, as you say offers a lot more versatility, particularly if your singer is prone to switching keys for songs. Get the odd weird comments but most folk think it is pretty cool and some how makes me a better bassist (little do they know). That said I have just finished putting together a precision copy for one of my bands because 6 string really doesn't look right for folk punk. I would go for it though mate, what bass was it you where thinking of getting?[/quote]

Its more that I play covers with so many singers (8 I think) so I have to play the same songs in a load of different keys, good for my playing/ears though. I'm looking at the Clover XP15.6 as I've got the 4 string and want the same tone and feel.

[url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Clover_Bass_Guitars_Xpression_at_Bassdirect.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_sp...Bassdirect.html[/url]

cheers for the support, guys!

the drummer/singer in question are good friends of mine which is why I'm considering their opinion at all. I don't tap (I think Kevin Glasgow does enough tapping for everyone!) but I play quite a broad spectrum of stuff, from classical to fusion to pop to funk, and my thinking is a 6 string allows me to do all that without switching instruments.

I'll remember to count the drummer's kit pieces next time i play with him! (and don't most guitars have 6 strings...)

I currently play a very very nice 4 string which I wouldn't sell for love nor money (well, perhaps money) but I'm thinking about buying the 6 string version.
My thinking is that it allows me to play almost 2 and half octaves in one position, I'll never be at a loss for notes, and that when singers transpose down (eg don't stop believing) I can play it nearer the original pitch.

However, there is a lot of hostility to this idea. last night the singer said to me "I'm glad you don't play that 5 string pish, nae ******* point in them things, they should be ******* outlawed" and a while back the drummer told me "don't bother with a 6 string, they're for pretentious *****".

now I shouldn't be influenced by other people's opinions but lets face it, we're social animals.

Any thoughts?

[quote name='Soliloquy' post='1269011' date='Jun 14 2011, 06:38 PM']My new beautiful new Calibas 6 string. The serial number suggests that it's a 1988 model.

It off to John tomorrow for a set up and service.[/quote]

holy s**t! thats one of the most beautiful basses I've ever seen! whats the low B like on that?

On the subject of shorter scale has anyone ever tried a 30-32" scale 5/6 string? I'm curious coz I find 34" a bit of a stretch towards the nut (I reckon its contributed to my sprained wrist) and was thinking of having a shorter scale one built.
Any advice?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='953352' date='Sep 12 2010, 09:45 AM']Every post here is looking at it as a session pro and not made comments as a band member so I will add,Bullshit.We lost a couple of years of good London gigs because we had never played there before and no venues would give us a slot then we just lied and said we had and got in at the Bull and Gate after that first one it was no longer a lie and got more London gigs where it is all still at.The better gigs made us practice more and so on but by then we were too old for the indie market and we had still not done enough to be fair but maybe if we had got in earlier the rest would of followed?

Dont let anyone elses failures hold back your dreams and try to be as confident as possible but +1 if you cant play then your out of it either way![/quote]

I agree that a one off lie with no repercussions is good if it gets your foot in the door but one of my band leaders (i won't say which one) tends to "omit and embellish" certain information, how much we're getting paid, what we're playing at a particular gig etc. and its VERY VERY ANNOYING.

[quote name='phil.i.stein' post='982831' date='Oct 9 2010, 07:06 PM']welcome.

you must be good if you play in a jamiroquai tribute !

do you wear a silly hat ?

[/quote]

nah, but the front man does, he even has the one with the metal spikes, but don't touch it!!!

I did my first string of wedding gigs this summer and I'm curious about one thing: as much as i agree with playing all the old stuff (i once played a birthday where all songs released post 1985 were prohibited), why are wedding bands so afraid to play anything from the last 10 years? the 90s i understand, it was either thumping house or plodding indie, but i find 'sex on fire' and 'mr brightside' get everyone up, and black horse and the cherry tree always gets a few ladies dancing . i think my question is what test does a new song have to pass before it gets added to the list?

hi everyone, I'm 21 and i've been playing for about 8 years now. i decided i should make more contact with bass players, seeing as there's only ever one per band!
Currently i play weddings (and the odd extravagant birthday) with a contemporary/ceilidh band, a jamiroquai tribute, a 60s tribute and a singer/songwriter (Craig Souter if you're interested).
I mainly play a Clover XP15 4 string (courtesy of Mark Stickly of bass direct) but i also have a Lakland 5 string and a Cort 4 string which I've put flatwounds on to get a thicker, more vintage sound. I play all my basses through a Phil Jones Suitcase amplifier.
Too much information?
cheers
Lewis