thebrig

I've just watched the video again a couple more times, not to check out the legs of course, but to see whether the song will grow on me. Unfortunately, it still does nothing for me!

I think you should put them on the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/forum/21-for-sale-other-musically-related-stuff/"]For sale: Other musically related stuff[/url] section, and watch the scramble for them!

Heard it for the first time just now, and if my band insisted on doing this, my gear would be packed up, and I would be out the door in a flash! I know it's rather shallow of me, but there's only one [b]JJ[/b] for me, and he play's great bass, mind you, she does have better legs though!

Whilst this is not the hardest song to play, I do find it difficult to follow the structure of the tune. It's [b]Soft Eyed Woman[/b] by the Dutch band [b]Alquin[/b] in 1973, and I had never heard it before until now, and I have to admit that I do find it a little bit bland, so it's hard to get it to stick in my head, when trying to learn it by ear. But hey! the band want to do it, so I was hoping that maybe someone out there, had the the music or tabs that I could have a look at. Cheers.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1328198406' post='1523507'] Good evening, thebrig... It seems that your main problem is the lack of experience in shaping the sound of your gear to obtain what you desire. Although there is a fair bit of good advice in the replies above, I suspect that a helping hand (or ear...) may be more efficient, in your case. Do you have a bass-playing chum who could guide you..? If not is there anyone reasonably local to Herts on this forum who could devote an evening or two to go through the motions (I'd love to help, but I'm in France..!). If no-one here could volunteer, maybe a local music shop could recommend a player..? Essentially, one needs to have a starting point (normally everything 'flat', then listen...), and adjust to fit the bill. One has to have had some experience to be able to identify what's 'missing' (or too much...), but once the ears have been 'locked in' to the essential points, it's not that hard (assuming decent gear, perhaps...). It doesn't sound as if the playing is any problem to you (congratulations..!); simply being able to use the knobs and buttons to adapt the sound to the event, be it at home, pub, hall or open air. I woundn't want to presume too much, but I would have thought that a knowledgable BC'er not far from you could be worth a cuppa (or pint...)? Any takers, folks..? [/quote] I do have a mate who has been playing bass for many years, although he has never been to one of my gigs yet, but I know for sure that he will be more than willing to help me out if he can, and I have just found out that our new vocalist's missus, did the sound for him during his solo singing career, so at least now, I will have someone out front advising me whether it's cutting through or not. Thanks for the help, and thanks to [u]everyone[/u] who has chipped in with advice, it's much appreciated.

I do practise a lot, usually at least 2/3 hours each day, and as I've been off work for the past 3 months following an operation, I am now spending nearly all day on the bass. I do work at it, because being a 'late starter', I know I have a lot of catching up to do. [i][b]I know that I will never be up there with the best[/b][/i], but three of the guys in my current band, have been playing for an average of [i][b]35 years each[/b][/i], at pro and semi-pro level, and they have complimented me on my playing, so I can't be too bad! although I certainly wont get complacent, because I know I could get better. I totally agree with the comments about practising more, and as Gary Player once said, "the more I practise, the better, or 'luckier' you get". One thing puzzles me though, some people are saying you don't need pedals etc., but there are thousands of threads on hear singing the praises of compressors, pre-amps/EQ's and all sorts of accessories, so are we all just being sucked in to believing they will help improve the sound. Yes, I know that great players will sound good on just about any old bass and amp, and I'm sure there are some great bass players hear on BassChat. If you are one of those top level players, the chances are, you will be playing top-notch venues for decent money, and will have sound engineers and bass technicians to advise you. But there are also quite a few like myself, who play to a reasonable standard, at local venues purely for fun and enjoyment, but don't have the expertise to get the most from our gear, and we normally have to set up everything ourselves, and then ask the missus what we sound like. Thanks for input so far BC'ers

Maybe I should have said in my OP, that I have only been playing seriously for around three or four years, and the reason I have so many, is because I had a big interest in guitars/basses, so started collecting them rather than playing them. I could play a few chords, but I never thought that I would be good enough to actually play in a band. That was, until I was asked to make up the numbers in a one-off band, to entertain friends and family for fun, and it just took off from there. Since then, I have spent two years gigging with a function band, but I left them six months ago to put together a rock/blues band which is now complete. I don't really have much knowledge of tone shaping etc.. other than just plugging in and twiddling around a bit, I think that maybe my biggest problem is that I can get the sound I want at home at low volume, but when gigging/rehearsing, I don't seem to cut through the mix as well as I would like. I have had over thirty instruments in the last ten years, but I have whittled it down now, and I might get rid of a few more and just concentrate on playing. The [b]Ibanez SR1200[/b] is a very versatile bass, that plays beautifully, and I know the [b]Genz Benz[/b] is up to it too, so I think it's just my inexperience/inability to tweak everything correctly.

Should I whittle down my bass collection, and spend the proceeds on perfecting my sound? Just take a look at my gear list, and you can see that I have far too much stuff, and although they are all very nice basses, I could sell a few, and have a fair bit to spend on accessories etc, to improve the sound with the basses that I do actually gig with. The one I use all the time is my [b]Ibanez SR1200 Premium[/b], and the [b]Ibanez SR500[/b] is very similar to play, so it makes a great back-up bass. The [b]'DarkeHorse' Precision[/b], [b]Jazz[/b] and [b]Black Satin[/b], are my own creations and will probably stay with me forever. I never use the [b]Ibanez SR 505[/b], and the [b]Warwick Corvette[/b] is too heavy for my ailing back, even though it is a fantastic bass to play, and it sounds amazing. I also have loads of effect pedals that have hardly been out of the house, because despite all the hype, they are virtually useless IMO. I reckon I could get between £800 and £1,000 for the two basses, which are both in [b]'as new'[/b] condition, plus whatever I could pick up for all the accessories I have, but never use. If I do go down this route, I have it in mind to buy an [b]Sadowsky outboard bass preamp [/b]to start with, so can you guys out there in 'BC land', give me some advice on what else I can do to improve my sound? I know sound and tone is very subjective, and is a personal thing, but what I'm after it a very tight 'thumpy' sound with plenty of bottom, as we play a lot of classic/modern rock. I know the Genz Benz is a great rig, because I have heard other players using it to great affect, but I have always struggled to get the sound I want, regardless of the equipment I use, maybe it's just me, but any advice would be welcome. Cheers.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1327582307' post='1513656'] I think they'll be getting a bit past it by now... [/quote] So are most of the punters we play to, so I'm sure they wont mind!............

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1327566749' post='1513315'] You will go mad trying to get the studio sound, in the early days he had the amps loud when recording. Even JJ never [i]quite[/i] got that original sound again. Listen to a few live recordings too but dont underestimate the wonderful 'dirty' sound of his bass. Even though he digs in the playing is always fast and very clean. [/quote] That's a great suggestion! So I searched for a live version and started listening intently, but after a couple minutes I couldn't concentrate properly, any ideas why this happened? Here's the video I watched: Edit: I've now listened to lot's of 'live' versions, and I think that I am probably closer the the 'studio' sound, than what JJ gets when he is playing live. All I need to do now, is to do that great 'riff' justice!!! Anyone know where I can hire those dancers for when we do eventually play it live?

Thanks for all the tips so far, not sure about the pitchfork and kicking in the cones on my lovely Genz Benz though!

I have finally persuaded my band to do Nice 'n' Sleazy, I know how to play it, but I am struggling to get JJ's tone right. Normally, I'm not too worried about perfecting tones when doing covers, but for this one, I feel I need to get as close to it as possible, to do it justice. I have a [b]Darkehorse precision[/b] with a [b]maple board[/b] and[b] Thumper [/b]pup, a [b]Warwick Corvette[/b] and a Ibanez [b]SR1200[/b] to choose from in the way of basses. For the amp, I have a [b]Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0[/b] going through [b]Genz Benz 1x12 & 2x10 cabs[/b]. As far as effects go, I have the following: [b]Line6 Pod X3 Live[/b] [b]Ashdown Lomenzo Bass Hyper-Drive[/b] [b]Dodd Stereo Flanger[/b] [b]Digitech Bass Multi Voice Chorus[/b] [b]Boss Super Octave OC-3[/b] [b]Boss Compression/Sustainer CS-3[/b] [b]Marshall Guv'nor GV-2[/b] [b]Zoom B2 Multi-Effects[/b] All tips and advice would be very welcome! Cheers in advance.

[quote name='Mylkinut' timestamp='1327416062' post='1510851'] Always wondered about these - when you guys say they're better than you'd expect for £60, how good actually are they? I can live without 'Fender' on the headstock if I can have ten Ryders for the same money One for every room in the house, some more in the car (front and back seats) and one in the garden [/quote][quote name='Mylkinut' timestamp='1327416062' post='1510851'] Always wondered about these - when you guys say they're better than you'd expect for £60, how good actually are they? I can live without 'Fender' on the headstock if I can have ten Ryders for the same money One for every room in the house, some more in the car (front and back seats) and one in the garden [/quote] All I will say is, that the bass player was tucked away at the back of the stage, behind guitarists etc, so it was a while before I actually saw it, and I can honestly say that it sounded great to me, before I realised it was "only" a £60 bass. I asked him about it, and told him that lots of people were snapping them up on BassChat, especially with a view to modding them, but he said his was straight out of the box, and played brilliantly, with a very good neck.

[quote name='MB1' timestamp='1327414018' post='1510791'] MB1. I've seen Sue Ryder P before! she's always leaving the door open! Coat Collected! [/quote][quote name='MB1' timestamp='1327414018' post='1510791'] MB1. I've seen Sue Ryder P before! she's always leaving the door open! Coat Collected! [/quote]

After reading all about Sue Ryder basses on here, I finally got to see and hear one live last night! It was at the weekly jam night that I often go to, and usually, the house band's bass player normally has a Fender Precision, but last night he had a different Precision, and from a distance, I was not sure what it was, but then I spotted the 'R' on the scratch plate, and realised that it was a Sue Ryder Precision. I have to say that it sounded really good, far better than you expect of a bass costing £60. I asked him about it, and he said he loved it, and that it plays and sounds great, and if it does get damaged when passing it around amongst the the jammers who don't bring their own basses along, then at least it is only £60 worth of bass, rather than a £1000+ one that has been knocked up. It was an un-modded, straight-out-of-the-box bass. Definitely worth considering as a back-up bass!

We know a really good Swedish band, who come over once a year to do a couple local gigs, the bass player normally use's a US Fender Precision, but on the last trip he had a Vintage Precision, and guess what? [b]It sounded just like a Precision![/b]

[quote name='mononick' timestamp='1326416682' post='1497110'] i played an ibanez sr premium today,, the neck was amazing! one of the most comfortable basses i have ever played and with the nordy pickups it sounded great... i have GAS! and before this i have never liked ibanez [/quote][quote name='mononick' timestamp='1326416682' post='1497110'] i played an ibanez sr premium today,, the neck was amazing! one of the most comfortable basses i have ever played and with the nordy pickups it sounded great... i have GAS! and before this i have never liked ibanez [/quote] If you look at my gear list, you will see that I have quite a few Ibanez basses, and my pride and joy, is my SR1200 Premium. I picked it up on ebay for £500 and it was only two weeks old, definitely the best £500 I have ever spent. I have tried many high-end basses over the years, Fenders, Musicman etc, but as soon as I latched on to the SR range, I was hooked. Due to back and shoulder problems, I had to find a lighter bass, and the SR's are just about the lightest, and best balanced basses around. So inadvertently, my back and shoulder problems helped me discover my dream bass. I actually started off with a SR500 which I picked up for £250 which is also a great bass, I then got a SR505 which does't feel like a 5-string at all, as it's so easy to play, and then I decided to treat myself and get the Premium model, it plays and sounds amazing, and is very versatile. Obviously, what we are looking for in a bass is a personal thing, but I would certainly recommend that you go back to where you tried that premium, and give it another going over, you won't be disappointed!

Ibanez SR range have got to be the fastest out there, I have had quite a few Jazz's with 38mm nut widths, but nothing compares to an Ibanez SR!

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1326198770' post='1493584'] I'd explain to him how it isn't possible the current key with your bass and see if either the singer can take it up two tones or, if it is so crucial to your drummer that you do it as per the original he supplies a new, correctly set up bass for the job! In other words, flatly refuse but seem like you aren't! [/quote] It's not crucial by our drummer that we play it, it was just a suggestion, and I don't mind the song, but it's just the tuning that is creating the problem.

[quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1326202811' post='1493696'] why not use the 5 string? The notes are there. [/quote][quote name='JakeBrownBass' timestamp='1326202811' post='1493696'] why not use the 5 string? The notes are there. [/quote] I've got it set up to high C

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1326202565' post='1493687'] I totally agree. Is it really worth all the hastle for just one song...really? Singers are quick enough to ask the band to change the key of a song if it doesn't fit in their range. Not that easy for the guitar and bass players to do on command if you have to tune the strings down or have an extra instrument just to play that one song. It's pointless. I am sure he can live with himself if you skip that song. It is a good song though! [/quote][quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1326202565' post='1493687'] I totally agree. Is it really worth all the hastle for just one song...really? Singers are quick enough to ask the band to change the key of a song if it doesn't fit in their range. Not that easy for the guitar and bass players to do on command if you have to tune the strings down or have an extra instrument just to play that one song. It's pointless. I am sure he can live with himself if you skip that song. It is a good song though! [/quote] Great point! I don't think that I am ever going to use this tuning for anything else,except this one song. If we were embarking on a 'world tour', and this song was crucial to our performance, then yes, I would be more than happy to have a bass specially set-up for the purpose, but I'm sure we can find an alternative number for our forthcoming tour, of the 'Dog & Duck, quickly followed by the 'Builder's Arms'.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1326200325' post='1493637'] Short of getting custom strings or transposing the bassline you're a little bit stuck here I'm afraid. Why not do a 'version' of the track and alter it a bit to suit your bands style while you're at it? Although I'm sure I've played this in the past and it wasn't that far down tuned... odd [/quote][quote name='charic' timestamp='1326200325' post='1493637'] Short of getting custom strings or transposing the bassline you're a little bit stuck here I'm afraid. Why not do a 'version' of the track and alter it a bit to suit your bands style while you're at it? Although I'm sure I've played this in the past and it wasn't that far down tuned... odd [/quote] Unfortunately, it definitely is a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]C F Bb Eb tuning, and you really do need that low C 'thump' on the open string to make it work.[/font][/color]