tauzero

Like Jennifer, I have a 6-string Grind. I had a play of assorted 5-string basses at PMT and found the Grind 5 was the most playable. I would like it active for preference so I might put an Artec preamp into it at some point.

[quote name='dbass' post='1062265' date='Dec 18 2010, 09:28 AM']Also - what is quite interesting to know - the Planet waves have those sprung jacks that "hold" them in your bass...after many chats with Warwick owners this actually buggers the inside of the jack socket up by applying unnecessary pressure. Happened to my FNA Jazzman and Thumb.[/quote] One was supplied with my Variax guitar. The guitar kept cutting out. When I put a reasonable quality stereo J-J lead (for the phantom power) in its place, the problem went away.

[quote name='dmccombe7' post='1066007' date='Dec 21 2010, 06:39 PM']Something I'll need to look at is strap locks but not sure where to start ? Any advice there would be great. I have a Warwick Thumb NT, Overwater Progress 6 string fretless, Fender Jazz.[/quote] Didn't your Thumb come with Schaller straplocks on? I use the Boston Schaller clones (they have two nuts on the strap bit so less prone to that bit coming off the strap). I get mine from [url="http://www.dangleberrymusic.co.uk/c-52-guitar-straplocks.aspx"]Dangleberry Music[/url] - all my basses and guitars have them.

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1066367' date='Dec 22 2010, 02:15 AM']One other thing is that I pretty much don't know any other musicians my age. I never did music at school plus I'm shy when put on the spot like if I had to do an audition. Also Irvine ( where I stay ) doesn't do jam nights as far as I know.[/quote] Skank has responded well to this. As he says, age doesn't matter - I'd been gigging for ten years before the other members of one of my bands were born. And although I did music at school, it was violin, and it's a bugger getting a bass under your chin.

[quote name='noelk27' post='1065260' date='Dec 20 2010, 10:54 PM']If this plays anything like the guitar version my mate was using late 70s/early 80s it's best avoided. Truly horrendous.[/quote] That would account for it being under the bed for 35-40 years.

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1065397' date='Dec 21 2010, 09:09 AM']It's funny, whenever I read these threads, the common theme seems to be "I don't need the lower notes". It's not just about the lower notes, it's about increasing the ease of reaching notes without shooting off down the fretboard... e.g. the availability of hitting an F on the B at the 6th fret rather than going down to the 1st fret on the E string. As stated, it also makes transposition on the fly a hell of a lot easier.[/quote] The fact that there are so many who don't get it is quite handy, as it means there's all those basses for sale where the advert starts "I've tried 5-string and it's not for me". I do drop down to the bottom D occasionally, but generally as a passing note in a fill (probably a pentatonic widdle when I'm playing A), or, of course, in "Run to you" or "Summer of 69". I keep my options open - I tend to play 4-string with the ceilidh band, I play 5-string with one covers band and the originals band, and 6-string with the other covers band. Helps keep my brain active.

Bass God. A man can dream...

Playing with others, as has been said. And try to play with as wide a variety of bands as you can - I started playing with a ceilidh band a little while ago and it's actually taught me quite a bit. I've been playing for 35 years but still learning. Walking bass lines - there's rules for constructing them, eg. [url="http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-591737.html"]here[/url], which should help, but the key point is to listen to them.

[quote name='casapete' post='1062442' date='Dec 18 2010, 01:35 PM']Mmmm.. I thought 'D' too, but sounds (to me anyway) like the guitarist plays the solos as if it's in 'G'??? When we play it we always do a big rall and finish on the 'D' though![/quote] That means you're finishing the song with the wrong chord...

Currently not using effects with either covers band but do with the originals band (Korg AX3000B, mainly chorus and octave). I think I'll be using the Korg with one of the covers bands though.

Rule of thumb - the final chord of the song is the key that it's in. See "'i' after 'e' except after 'c'".

I hope that Ricky is going to get a nice psychedelic refin to go with the scratchplate.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1061202' date='Dec 17 2010, 12:41 AM']I used it at every gig for over a year and then went back to the old jazz for some reason. I still use the Ash sometimes, but I've become a bit paranoid about playing out of tune because the intonation is difficult on such a small scale. But it's got the tone for me and it's fun to play, ideally I'd like something between my great heavy jazz bass and the Ashbory.[/quote] What about that new solid Kala U-Bass? Pahoehoehoe strings (just right for Christmas) and (I assume) available fretted. Buggerall information available though.

[quote name='icastle' post='1058551' date='Dec 14 2010, 02:08 PM']Out of interest - do you find the demand for barndances is still pretty seasonal or is it pretty much spread over the year now?[/quote] Pretty much spread over the year. We've got one on the 23rd and another one next February (and one next October too), and there'll be our regular one in summer too. Of course, almost none are in barns (just the regular summer one). We're doing far fewer general admittance ones though, it's almost entirely birthdays or weddings.

[quote name='redstriper' post='1059007' date='Dec 14 2010, 09:16 PM']I'm still looking for the perfect lightweight bass with a heavy dub tone and still playing the old jazz bass until I find one.[/quote] You don't want to use your Ashbory?

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1059453' date='Dec 15 2010, 12:28 PM']But I'm also listing it on Basschat for another £100 on top again.[/quote] Is that like 100% extra free?

Not getting many gigs at the moment (basically because both covers bands are in the process of taking off, and barn dance enquiries are at a trickle). I do enjoy the vast majority - with the old club band, there were some places where I really just wanted to finish and get the money, and others where I really got quite a buzz (even playing music I wasn't that keen on). Both covers bands now consist of enthusiastic members, which helps a lot.

Bass Collection - I sold mine precisely because it was so light, I'd got used to a Thumb and before that a Precision and I never felt comfortable with something so featherweight. Hohner Jack might also be worth a look - a bit heavier than a B2A but because it's got a proper body, the neck positioning is better.

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1043639' date='Dec 1 2010, 12:07 PM']IMO playing near the bridge doesn't give you more treble, it just cuts some bass to give you more of a mid-punch than a low-thump.[/quote] It shifts the balance between fundamental and harmonics towards the harmonics.

Dammit, I did mean to add some sort of constructive comment too. As someone who has every now and again had a half-hearted stab at learning standard notation but never managed it, it strikes me that the subject matter is obviously orientated towards notation as that's the way to explain how the chord tones fit together, but that pragmatism also says that tab would be of use. The biggest weakness of tab is the poor facility to express rhythmic content and a book on chord tones is presumably going to have little rhythmic content, the significant part is the structure of the chords.

[quote name='icastle' post='1057464' date='Dec 13 2010, 04:16 PM']That is [b]so[/b] mean. Right you b*ggers - who's been putting ants on Johnston's sheet music? [/quote] Isn't that how Stockhausen composed?