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leroybasslines
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Everything posted by leroybasslines
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Mystery solved.
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This dude just released a version which is definitely more accurate than mine. He nails the bit I struggled with in the solo section. Very impressive, fair play - I’ve never seen him on YouTube before but he’s a player! Still, I’m happy to have been the first geek to do a version of the full tune on four string. And I reckon I do the Meshuggah bit tighter and harder than him because I can guarantee that listen to more Meshuggah than he does…🤘
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Thanks man! I’m jealous that you get to start your crazy Knower journey from scratch now…
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I don’t know that…is it a band or a tune?
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Very, very much recommended! Their latest has some incredible bass action throughout.
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Afternoon all! When Knower Forever came out on Bandcamp it absolutely blew my mind. I’ve loved them for years but this record went to the next level. One song in particular stood out for me - Do Hot Girls Like Chords. I obsessively tried to work it out by ear from the record - no easy task given the amount of stuff going on - two keyboards, bass and guitar doing all kinds of stuff sorta/kinda in unison. I knew they’d recorded it live so I thought it would be interesting to compare what I’d worked out by ear with what Sam Wilkes was actually doing when I could see the YouTube video. Needless to say, as soon as I saw it I had to go back to the drawing board. Wilkes is a brilliant player and although Mononeon gets a lot of the attention for his performances on the record, Sam’s stuff is absolutely incredible. Anyway, I did a YouTube cover mainly to give myself a target to aim for and a bit of accountability to help me keep working at it. Have a look and let me know what you think - I’m currently able to play the verse chromatic riff right about 80% of the time on a good day which I’m ok with, but any tips on how in god’s name to play Wilkes’ fill out of the solo section will be most gratefully received. Anyone else enjoy trying to learn stuff way out of their comfort zone, obsessing to the point where you neglect family, personal hygiene etc? ✊
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Up for very reluctant sale is my Stentor Conservatoire 3/4 sized double bass. As the PJB combo you can see I’m the pics has just died and I need a replacement, and my 13 year dalliance in upright bass has resulted in tendinitis due to my lack of effort at learning proper technique, I need to sell this ASAP. I’m open to sensible offers! I purchased this bass in 2009 from a young lady who was upgrading to an instrument more suitable for a professional orchestral player. She played classical music so the bass is set up for arco playing - it has Spiro Weichs on it now but the action is perhaps a touch higher than most jazz/folk players would go for. I just got used to it and liked the big sound! The Conservatoire is a fantastic instrument for the price with a fully carved body. This one has a lovely big, warm sound. I’ve gigged this bass a lot and it has a few cosmetic scuffs. However, in the interests of full disclosure there are a couple of key things that I want to point out… 1) On the VERY FIRST GIG that I played it, I laid it down carefully on the stage only for a punter to kick it over onto its bridge. This caused a serious crack in the back of the bass near the sound post. I thought it was a goner, but the geniuses at Bristol Violins performed key hole surgery and used small patches to fix the crack. It’s been absolutely stable for 13 years and it’s almost invisible on the outside. 2) There is also a small crack in the heel of the neck that was present when I bought it. Again, thus has been completely stable and hasn’t expanded in the 13 years I’ve owned it. 3) Finally, the end pin is a bit sticky and I sometimes need to use pliers to get it out. I’ll throw the pliers in for free! Other than that, it’s been a totally reliable workhorse of an instrument for me for over a decade. Also included in the price are the installed David Gage Realist pickup which works brilliantly, the French style bow which I’ve barely used, the stand and a Will & Tom soft case which is tatty and well-used but does a job. I’ve tried to explain as best I can and get photos of the details, but if you have any questions please do get in touch! Collection only (obviously!) and feel free to come and have a look and a play if you’re genuinely interested. You can hear me playing the bass here: And see it and hear it here: And, it case you’re still interested, also here: Cheers, Liam -
Thanks everyone. I think you're all right - time to move onto something new. I did speak to a tech local to me and he said he wouldn't be able to help much. Thanks for all the suggestions...time to hit the shops!
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Hi there. You know when you plug in your amp for a bit of a play and after 5 mins smoke starts pouring out of it and you decide that, all things considered, it’s probably best to turn it off and not turn it on again? Yeah, that. It’s a PJB Suitcase, the original model. I’ve had it for a good 15 years and it’s worked hard - loads of gigging - so I’m not surprised that it’s feeling it’s age. I now need to decide whether to repair or go for a new amp. I’ve just finished reading a thread on here where a basschatter had a serious headache dealing with PJB and Selectron, their UK distributor. I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with PJB and Selectron and had any tips? Or advice on whether to stick or twist with the Suitcase? I’ve got a busy summer of gigs coming up so time is a factor. Any wisdom most gratefully received! Thanks, Liam
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I've got a Lakland Skyline 55-60 into which I put my J Retro which was on a Fender Jazz. It fits pretty close but not exactly - the scratch plate and the bell plate don't exactly line up. It's close enough for me to not be bothered, but some might be driven crazy by it! Depends on your tolerance for such things. I *think* the J Retros that used to be an option on the Skylines have a slightly different bell plate or scratch plate to make them fit. If you're thinking of adding something like a J Retro, I'd say go for it - it'll be close enough and pretty easy to cheat it. Just took some pics for reference. It's pretty hard to tell from any kind of distance but close in you can see that they don't quite fit.
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Listening to Street Life now, and it's definitely a Fender Precision - the P 'woody' sound is pretty upfront - and I'm guessing flats. I'd like to echo those on this thread that have emphasised practising and technique over the equipment though. A Precision-style bass with flats will have a sound, but so much of the sound on that record is to down to how Wilton Felder plays. To me, it sounds like he's playing quite hard, digging in to get the sound of the strings on the fretboard with big attack. However, he uses his left hand really well to mute strings, let them ring and vary note length. For me though, the biggest thing is his natural sense of timing, how he plays with the drum pattern. He's really listening to the hi-hat and locking in with the pushes as well as the more usual kick-drum/bass combo. Sometimes he's playing quite ahead of the beat too, especially in the solo sections which gives the whole thing a light, uplifiting feel with a lot of forward momentum. I'd also agree that this tone is more of a disco, late 70s funk vibe; when most people talk about a vintage tone they're talking about Motown, James Jamerson, Bob Babbitt etc which is quite a different vibe. Again though, it's down to their playing technique and approach more than anything: they're pretty much all playing Fender Precisions with flats but it all sounds different because of HOW more than WHAT they're playing. Hell, Steve Harris plays a Fender P strung with flats but I think we could all agree that he sounds a bit different to Felder and Jamerson. I've tried and failed to find video clips of Wilton Felder playing bass (he's usually on sax live) but I'd recommend just listening to as much of his playing as you can if it's his sound that you like. I Want You Back is the obvious next step in the Felder canon. Try and work out what he's doing and the choices he's making and just try stuff playing along until you sound similar, but make sure your really listening. Gear is great and helpful, but you'll be amazed what you can do with what you've got just by thinking about your hands and being a super-critical listener. And don't forget how much of your sound comes from your left hand! I'm rambling now, sorry. Good luck!
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Ha! I used to beak loads as a lad when I used to hammer it, but it’s almost unheard of now. These had been on this particular bass for years - I tend to put them on, play them in and leave them there forever. The E string just went under the slightest of touches: it was its time. I just feel sad to be losing the set - they’re like old friends!
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Picked up my bass for a play earlier and with the very first note the E string broke. Immediately, the darkness descended as I realised I’ll have to change them. Am I the only person out there who feels genuine grief at losing a set of strings? I mean, we’ve been through so much together...it took so long to play them in...they were almost a part of me. And now I’ve got to raise a new set up from scratch. 😢
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The stuff on travel expenses etc on that doc is really useful. Thanks!
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Thanks guys. As I said, I usually ask in the region of £200 for a wedding depending on the circumstances - it looks like that's about right! I don't want to under or over charge really...it's good to know what others are doing. Out of interest, if you are lucky enough to be paid to do recording sessions are the rates similar? As an aside, I saw a seminar with Michael League where he said that there are three things to consider when deciding whether to take a gig or not: Money - will you be paid well (or at all!) Music - will it be interesting or challenging for you on a purely musical level Friends - will doing the gig help a friend out or is it with someone you just enjoy hanging out with He said if it ticks one box, then you should consider taking it but don't do those gigs too often or you'll go crazy. Two ticks is a good gig and you should definitely take it. Three ticks and you should take the gig and allow one to prize it from the grasp of your cold, dead hands. If I'm honest, I do pretty well in 2 and 3 and 1 is improving. Pretty unusual to get all 3 though; I think it's happened maybe once or twice in my career!
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Hi everyone! Not sure if this is the right forum for this so do move it if it’s more appropriately placed elsewhere! I’m getting quite a few function gigs of various types at the moment, some with bands I’ve played with before, some as a dep. One of the first questions I get asked is how much I usually get paid. Truth is, I’ve no idea what I should be asking! Back in the day it used to be £100 per musician for a wedding (forgetting expenses etc - just the music part), but that’s going back many years. Nowadays I usually ask for £200 depending on the gig and how much I want it! So, I was wondering if we could put our Britishness aside for a mo and discuss what we ask for as a fee as a bassist for a live gig or a recording session? Obviously, it will vary very much depending on the gig, reputation of a band etc, but it would be very helpful and interesting to compare what we’re asking. If I’m being out of order, please forgive me: I’m a nosy bugger. Feel free to ignore. Cheers!
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We're in Bristol! Thanks for the info - some really useful stuff!
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Some close-ups of the neck heel repair...
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So, with the help of our fellow basschatter Burns-bass and some stuff on vintagehofner.co.uk, I’m guessing this is a 1960 Hofner 500/5. Most of it looks original too. The neck repair is probably to treat a fairly common problem and it will need attention again to tidy it up and make sure it’s good. Any other Hofner buffs out there that can shed any light on this instrument?
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Hello! A friend of mine works for a charity that teaches music in prisons and supports ex-prisoners after release. They occasionally get gear donated to them from benefactors, some of it very useable, some of it interesting but less suited to their needs. They’ve been donated this lovely Hofner 500/5 bit it’s probably too fragile and unusual for learning rock sings in prison etc. It looks great but it’s seen better days and looks to have undergone some pretty serious surgery on the neck heel. My mate generally comes to me for bass advice but, whilst I’m very much at home in Fender Land, I admit I’ve no idea about Hofner, semi-acoustics and the like. It looks reasonably old, but it seems to my uneducated eye that Hofners look old when they leave the factory! All I know is that these are the model Stuart Sutcliffe in the Beatles before he left. There’s a label inside the body behind the F hole that has this written on it: ”Hofner foreign. No. 706 BASS 500/5 Model This master class guitar is covered by the guarantee supplied” Other than that, no markings or numbers anywhere else - I’m loathe to start pulling the electronics out on a bass that’s not mine but I can if it’ll help find out more. It plays well but has a few dings and scratches - the neck surgery scars being the most worrisome. Yes, I know it’s got the wrong scale length strings on it! My mate assumed it was short scale, but it’s a bit bigger than that Anyone got any idea of age, desirability, value etc. If it’s worth something it’ll be better for the charity to sell it and invest in stuff that is more robust and straight forward for beginners, if you know what I mean. Any wisdom, information or pointers would be most gratefully received! Thanks, Liam
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I’ll have it! DM coming... -
Just bought a set of used Spiro Weichs from Dave. No problems at all, a flexible and honest seller. Top marks! Liam
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Just wanted to chip in to say that these basses are great for getting started on double bass! Having been an electric-bass player all my life, I bought a used Stentor to experiment with upright and add a few strings to my bow. 8 years and I'm still playing it! The right balance of quality and affordability for me and I can gig it in seedy bars and clubs without being utterly terrified of scratches and dings etc. If you're thinking about making the jump into playing grown up bass, this instrument would be a great shout. GLWTS. -
SOLD - Used Thomastik Spirocore Weich
leroybasslines replied to EssentialTension's topic in EUBs & Double Basses For Sale
Thanks guys! Those mittels have colluded with my poor technique to play havoc with my tendons. I'm about to PM you, EssentialTension. An apt username, btw.
