Kirky

If you're anywhere near Harrogate you're welcome to try mine. Personally I can't really say what the "GK" sound is - the 4 band eq they have is very versatile and I can get any tone I need from my GKs. I don't find the single 'gain' knob a problem, however I tend to gig with my Fusion 550 and use this as a backup, so can't really comment that much.

My normal way of learning a song is to work out the overall structure first - I listen to the song without an instrument in my hand and right down the chord structure (eg I / / / | IV / / / | V / / / | II / Iv / | etc). At this stage I don't even know what key it's in (which I find useful as the bandleader may decide to do it in a different key anyway). Having done that I'll listen to the bass part - here it's useful, as everyone else has said, to understand intervals and major and minor scales (for the music I play I don't need or want to know about modes). Singing along is good too at this stage. I might write stuff down at this stage in notation (I'll have ascertained the key at that stage, either by playing along or looking it up) - but only if it's particularly complicated. And finally I'll play along - usually I'm not a million miles away. I have been know to learn a song and turn up to practice and actually play it for the first time at rehearsal - usually with a reasonably close result. Of course it all depends on the type and complexity of the music. One advantage of my method is that if the bandleader changes key, or changes the song structure, its easy for me to adapt.

My bass (and amp and cab). It's a Mex Fender Active Deluxe Special (I think) but I've converted it to passive and swapped the gold anodised guard for a red tort (courtesy jhamler of this forum).

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1467365948' post='3083094'] I've got nothing this weekend, so if anyone in the Newcastle area would like to borrow the R-400, let me know... [/quote] Fancy a trip down to the Blues Bar at Harrogate tonight?

Motor City Blue are at the Blues Bar in Harrogate tomorrow night (Friday 1st July) from around 9:30. We're a blues/soul band, nothing too heavy. I'll be sporting my GK Fusion 550 and TKS S212.

I usually get reasonably positive comments about my bass playing. But i went into very small mens' room at then end of one gig and accidentally knocked a guy at the urinal when I opened the door. Naturally I apologised. He replied "what are you apologising for?". I explained I'd opened the door too quickly. He then said "I thought you were apologising for your singing". Fair comment imo.

Singles first. Rank (the live album) is pretty impressive.

Cleft, tonight at the Brudenell. Then The Melvins on Monday. Parquet Courts was last night.

Finger-style for me. Every now and them I give picks a go (I'm also a guitarist using picks and fingers) and it never feels or sounds right to me. Surprisingly (to me anyway) I get more attack using fingers.

Very similar to my setup - GK Fusion 550 and a TKS S212. Very happy with mine.

Tav Falco is in the Games Room I believe.

Congratulations Alex. What a success story!

Television, Thursday. Next week, Tav Falco. Week after, Parquet Courts. Might try to fit in The Chills in June too.

My blues/soul combo playing a new venue for us, The White Swan in Otley tonight from 9pm. The great thing about Otley is if you don't like us there's someone else playing just up the road at the Junction, and plenty of other great pubs to visit. But why wouldn't you like us!?!?

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1463219876' post='3049620'] The guitar riff sounds like a blatant lift from this [url="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gD4PJW4R1ec"]https://m.youtube.co...h?v=gD4PJW4R1ec[/url] [/quote] Yep, Squid Lord. And only the boring bit!

Eagulls this Friday night at the Brudenell. Tough call, because The Fall are playing in Leeds on the same night, exactly 29 years to the day since I first saw them...but I'm taking my son to Eagulls, and they've been excellent the 2 times I've seen them.

Mine's black with oxblood cloth too - love it.

The jam night is more of an open mic night really. The guy who runs it is generally happy to let you use his bass, so you wouldn't need to bring one, but they tend to have prepared acts on, rather than ad hoc/on the night combinations. Closer to where you're staying, [url="http://www.wharfchambers.org/event/the-benniesbear-tradethrowing-stuffselmer-thurmathe-no-marks/"]Wharf Chambers [/url]has a punk gig on the Monday night

How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore is breathtaking. B-side of 1999 I think. So may other great records to choose from as well.

Its a train or bus ride, but the Blues Bar in Harrogate has a good jam night on Monday nights.

My little blues/soul combo are doing our thing at the Woolpack in Esholt tonight. Yes, that's the Woolpack where they originally filmed Emmerdale. Flat caps compulsory.

I have a Lovepedal Tremolo which sounds great and has a tap function. The only problem is that the Tap function is 'real time' and doesn't have a doubling or tripling setting - seems a bit pointless really. I hope I've explained that well. As it happens it doesn't matter to me as I'm happy to use it without that Tap option.

There's something in the Times today (Letters) about someone who has invented a remedy for blisters using surgical tape.