leonshelley01

More than happy with my Marshall MB amp. Gives me the headroom I need and the tone I want, plus being 2 channel with a blend facility, very versatile as well.

Breed - Nirvana - Nice and simple, learnt in five minutes.

Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath - Majority of the song in about ten minutes, but the bloody middle section has me pulling my hair out!

[quote name='neepheid' post='269305' date='Aug 25 2008, 09:27 AM']Unless you can get the official word from whoever made it, it would be very difficult to tell what the finish is. To be honest, I'd remove all the hardware, sand down the face of the headstock to the bare wood and start from scratch.[/quote]

Thats the way I've done it in the past as it just looks better in the long run.

I saw them last year with Rob and was pretty impressed. He fills the role well, a nice mix of Cliff style histronics and Jason's rock steady playing. My real fear is that he will not be allowed to contribute to the writing, which is where Metallica have been lacking in recent years. Cliff was the musically knowledgable one who allowed Hetfields great riffs to flow into each other. Once the songs simplified on the Black Album, Jason kept them tight (lets face it, there probably isn't a looser drummer than Lars!).

But the lack of a decent bass player or bass line on St Anger made it a mess, coupled with the fact the guy producing the album was involved in the writing and bass playing didn't help. There wasn't anyone with a little distance between themselves and the band saying "hold on, that just doesn't work/it's too long/sort that f**king snare drum out!" St Anger came across as a mish-mash of ideas not fully thought out bolted together. Load and Reload were not thrash, or even heavy metal, but at least the majority of songs flowed and were fully realised.

Metallica are between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Older fans like myself want a Ride/Master/Justice style album with the old complexity, speed, and tightness again. A lot of the younger audience will want a straight ahead metal album like the Black Album. Some people actually liked St Anger! So where do the band pitch the new stuff? Either way someone is going to be disappointed. I just hope it won't be me!

I mostly stick to major and minor pentatonics, but understanding scales even if you don't play/practice them is imprtant in order to understand chords and more importantly for bassists, the triads under those chords.

To make life easier however, most guitarists only ever write songs in E or A min!

For bedroom practise a metronome is invaluable. Personally, I use a Zoom B2 as it has built in drum patterns so it is easier to practise emphasis on certain beats and different styles.

I agree practising with other musicians would be better, but unfortunately, I can't fit a drummer in my room!

I sort of miss the Satellite P Bass I started on. I changed the pickup for a DiMarzio, and it sounded great but the neck was like a bargepole, so I let it go. My sister has now had it for the last 16 years and has still not changed the strings. Sounds quite Jameson now! (I think I'll phone her to see if she's still using it).

The reason I bought a Jazz!

As long as you know your material, you'll be fine. The most important thing is to enjoy it!

The man himself!

Sounds like a really good course. Might have to consider it myself for next year!

[quote name='aceuggy' post='261886' date='Aug 13 2008, 08:22 PM']Woah! If I press the E string at the first and last frets it touches all the frets all the way along the neck!! [/quote]

You definitely need to put some relief in that neck then!

Is the fret buzzing just certain frets or over most of the board? If it most of it, just raise the saddles slightly. I still get some fretbuzz from my MIM Jazz, but as I doesn't come through the amp, I can live with it. By the way, nice looking bass!

I have just got rid of two basses in an effort to streamline. I had an Ibanez SR300 and a GSR200 that just sat there gathering dust. Whilst I would love to open a Museum of Stringed Instruments in my house, I cannot justify the expense or the room for equipment I don't use at least occasionally, and the CSA seem to agree!

Had the same problem myself in the past. We had a "band meeting" (few beers) and exited those who were unreliable and replaced them. Whilst the new guitarist is not as good, he turns up every week, is enthusiatic and learns the songs before rehearsal. So maybe we don't sound as good as we used to, but at least we are now gigging regularly again!

The Precision is called "Bob", and as the Jazz is just that bit classier, it's called "Robert".

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='259719' date='Aug 11 2008, 09:08 AM']I can't quite see in the pics, but did you attach the bridge cover with screws? Ie., did you actually drill holes in a brand new bass??? If so, you're a braver man than me! [/quote]

It is screwed but it was already on when I got it, so I asked about it in the shop, and they said that was how it arrived from the distributor. As you say, it's not shown on the website, so who knows!

[quote name='SJA' post='259774' date='Aug 11 2008, 10:54 AM']is there a skunk stripe on the rosewood board P and J?[/quote]

Nope, standard one piece maple neck with no skunk strip or "wings" for the headstock. Very comfortable to play as well.

Not just a fake, but a poor one at that. Ibanez "Fenders" of that era were well made, but that one has some of the cheapest hardware I have ever seen.

Some of ours:

Walking The Dog - The Stooges
Foxy Lady - Jimi Hendrix
Pretty Vacant - The Sex Pistols
Under The Bridge - RHCP
The Ballad of Chasey Laine - The Bloodhound Gang
Basket Case - Green Day
Children Of The Revolution - T. Rex
Black Night - Deep Purple
Hash Pipe - Weezer
Kids In America - Kim Wilde
Heart Of Glass - Blondie
For Whom The Bell Tolls - Metallica
War Pigs - Black Sabbath

Cliff Burton RIP.....laid back, hair spinning while playing the best metal bass ever (apologies to Mr. Harris).

Some virtuoso musicians do leave me a little cold. Whilst I respect them and wish I had their technique, being "flash" for the sake of it is just a bit tedious. It is especially bad with guitarists, some of whom seem to think trem arm abuse and high "widdle" rate compensate for feel and whether it evens fits in the song.

Couple of hours a week with one band, not currently gigging, so more for a laugh/socialising, justifying owning loads of gear and learning material than anything else.

Three hours a week with the other band, now gigging and starting to write our own material, so a bit more intensive. I try to break it up a bit with cigarette breaks however!

Pictures as promised. I had to use the shop's photo's as my camera is playing up, but this is the actual bass I bought. Needless to say I have now removed the cheesy sticker!

Keep the chrome bridge but get those chrome knobs with the black pearl tops to match.

"I think it is a fantastic colour, and not at all girly." Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

I shall get a photo up this evening.