gaz66

Hi, I bought that case but there's an identical one on Reverb https://reverb.com/uk/item/50329953-burns-bass-case These cases are for the re-issue Burns Bison. If you have an original it'll fit with some tweaking. Cheers G

Here's my 1973 Fender Jazz. My first proper instrument bought in 1983 and it was mint. It's done every gig I've ever played. The finish cracked badly after I left it in a tour bus overnight in Finland at minus 20. It's been re-fretted 3 times and had to have new pickups after the originals died. They are now Lollars. Apart from that it's all original! I still have the chrome covers but lost the pick guard and case somewhere along the way.

1963 Burns Black Bison. In the words of Nigel Tufnel, "How much more black could this be? And the answer is none. None more black."

I wouldn't get too hung up on trying to do a minute or more of 16's at 95 or 105 bpm. It's great practice but realistically you probably only need 30 seconds of constant 16's before there'll be an 8th note or rest to give you a breather. I'd agree with just playing the actual line at a tempo you're comfortable with and then gradually increase the bpm. It's a better way to get the feel for it. There's a program called Transcribe that enables you to slow down tracks by whatever amount you like and you can then play along and over time work your speed up by small increments.

Ha Ha , I was thinking exactly that myself as I was writing it. dmccombe7 - The pickups are now Lollars. The original Fender Jazz ones died one after the other but were covered in some resin and beyond repair. I think the Lollars are better than the originals.

I think it's totally possible to get by with just one bass if it's a good one. Every gig I have ever done has been on the same bass and after over 35 years and more than 2000 gigs it's still going. It's been re-fretted 3 times, had a new nut, new pick ups and occasionally new strings. This may seem odd for a professional player but I don't think I even had a back up bass for about 6 years of solid touring. Looking back on it I probably should have had a spare but at the time it didn't bother me. Some of the gigs were pretty big but luckily nothing ever went wrong with the bass. Amps have failed but there's always a DI. I did get a second bass eventually and in the past few years picked up a few others so I now have 7 but I only gig with the same one.

I think it is a P bass and I know what you mean about the light entertainment stuff ! But I imagine for a forty something session musician in the 1980's the Ronnie Hazlehurst gig was a nice steady earner. A gig for life or at least until the death of the bandleader! Shame they didn't do The Two Ronnies theme, that's properly funky.

Yes, "Melody Nelson" is definitely Dave Richmond. There was a transcription of the track "Cargo Culte" in a bass mag a few years back and Herbie Flowers [ who was usually credited for it ] is quoted saying "I have a well worn copy of the original recording...I can tell his sound and style a mile away. It's him all the way on this masterpiece. " Dave is also on some great Scott Walker solo LP's. The track "The old man's back again" is particularly brilliant. As is his playing on the Labi Siffre recording "It must be love." Nothing sounds like that Burns Bison with a Pick! I think he is one of the greatest UK bass players and not rated enough these days.

Don't forget the great Dave Richmond and his Burns Bison. His tracks Heavy lead and Nightwatch in particular. He's on loads of KPM and Bruton library stuff as a composer and player and the bass always sounds amazing.

I have a 4001c64 and I wouldn't call the neck thin, width wise it's sort of like a precision but a bit shallower. I prefer Jazz necks and I always struggle getting used to it when I pick it up but the sound makes it worth the effort. The old 60's 4001's and c64, v63 and CS have a horseshoe pickup and cap whereas the 4003 has a high gain with push pull cap switching. The toaster is also in a slightly different position. I suppose it depends what sound you're looking for. If you're after a McCartney vibe you'll want the c or v series.

Thanks guys, The Sound Stylistics could make a comeback if we get 'round to writing that difficult third album. Its a great band live but there's 11 of us and the gigs are hard to come by with a band that big.

Ha ha , I do remember that. Stella and an orange to help the hangover.

Check out Dave's playing on the Remember My Song LP by Labri Siffre. The Vulture in particular is amazing.

Haven't heard that in a while! That was my take on Carol Kaye who's on the original Lalo Schiffrin version. We actually recorded it as a performance in the studio and it was quite a blow!

try this http://www.carolkaye.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22

Also try the Carol Kaye DVD, it's got some useful stuff on playing up and down strokes and a few good exercises. She goes into a bit of detail on how to hold the pick and achieve a big sound. I also just received the Bobby Vega DVD and he's great but it's more useful for inspiration and showing you what is possible. Regarding picks, I struggled for a while and tried loads of different kinds until the jazz guitarist Nigel Price put me onto the ones he uses. They are dunlop 2mm gator and I finally felt comfortable with it. I'd never considered using a pick that thick !

Misrule's mate is correct, you'll need to fill in the certificates of eligibility, send them to japan, get them back and then go to the Japanese embassy and drop the certificates, application forms and passports off for about 4/5 working days. I took my 11 piece band there a year ago and visa costs from the embassy were about 20 or 25 quid each. I think £425 a head at the promoters end for the entertainment visa is highly unlikely. Don't go on a tourist visa if you can avoid it, they are very efficient over there and you may be sent straight home. If you do go, bear in mind its very expensive so the promoter must provide everything..... prices can go up to £18 a pint !

Very nice choices! A bit of Johnny hammond from the Gears LP would fit in too. " Funky Bass " - I haven't listened to that since I recorded it about 15 years ago, it brings back a few memories.

I bought a 4001c64 a few months back and the rick rounds lasted about a minute before I put the TI flats on, wound up the mutes, switched in the toaster and hit the plectrum.

Hi Jim, I agree with the previous poster with regard to contacting BAPAM. I have recently been to see 2 doctors there to help with my arm and hand problems and found them to be very good. You will see the top specialists in their field and will get a better insight into your problem and hopefully a solution. I've seen many physio's over the years and never really got to the root of my pain but after seeing the doctors at BAPAM I at least now know why I have a problem and what it is. The service is free and there's more info on the site www.bapam.org.uk. I can also recommend checking out Katherine Butler at www.londonhandtherapy.co.uk. She works very closely with Prof Rodney Grahame at BAPAM and is a musician herself and a specialist in musicians hand problems. My injury is the result of over 20 years intense professional gigging and studio work and she has advised changing technique and devised specific exercises which hopefully will help. Unfortunately she is not free but if you are referred from BAPAM you get a slight discount. I don't think you'll find an overnight solution but the people at BAPAM will really try to help and hopefully keep you playing. Good luck Gary

Thanks Guys, I'll try and upload some pics of the gear in the near future. Cheers

Hi, this is a great forum and I hope I can add to it. Been playing bass for 25 Years and 20 as a pro. Most of my playing career spent with JTQ [ James Taylor Quartet ] from 1990-2007 and various other artists in the jazz funk and pop areas. Gear wise I have a 72 Fender Jazz and recently added a '66 precision .Amps are a Ampeg B15R and an old Hartke 7000 for gigs. Only ever really use Mutron pedals, the M3 and the octaver, but rarely. I wish there were forums like this when I started, I think there's a lot of good advice here and hopefully I can offer some of mine from time to time. Cheers Gary