TJ Spicer

My Eich T900 is way more portable than my BH250 ever was simply because it doesn't have the massive rubber feet. Maybe the 300 or 500s are an option?

 

Gorgeous!

Tom bought my Ashdown BTA 200. He paid immediately and I delivered it to him the next day. A lovely chap, and yet another great basschatter! 

1 minute ago, Woodinblack said:

Doesn't' that watch dig in? It looks uncomfortable!

I used to wear a metal Milanese loop band all the time, and that was occasionally noticeable for its dig-factor, but generally okay. This band gets most everyday wear now, mainly for not scratching up my laptop and being not too noticeable.

The first picture is where I end up on gigs when I’m on a jazz. You can clearly see it’s technically weaker, but the only way to make it comfortable. If I use the thumb behind technique (as in the P bass image) on the jazz it’s superemely uncomfortable after only a short while, but tonally sounds way better. 

I hope you find the answer!

4 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

I'm wondering if Woodinblack is on to something here and something has changed with my hands, be it age related. Just seems very weird that for years I've played a Jazz with no problem and now I find them less comfortable. Yet I can still play what I have always played but on a Precision which before was less comfortable for me. Maybe my fingers are less flexible and prefer to be more open and flatter that I get with a Precision neck.

You haven't changed where your thumb is when playing have you? I found the longer I played larger necks and uprights, the more I have my thumb behind the neck. Transitioning back to a smaller neck makes that thumb positioning feel uncomfortable to me. (And I'm in my early 20s!)

Not a fan of jazz bass necks - I've only kept one 4 string jazz which is my Sadowsky Metro. Went and found the biggest neck on a P bass I could that was fiesta red. Much bigger tone in a chunky neck too...

Hmmmm... They have the amps in the video, which would normally make me think, 'Ah, they didn't use those'. However I'm 95% sure they were what was used, and it sure sounds like Orange type distortion to me. Just a massive sounding album when it comes to the bottom end, and I think the guitar amp gives that little extra clarity as @Quilly mentioned. If I were playing this kind of music all the time, that's the tone I would be aiming for - with plenty of valves! 
 

9 minutes ago, Quilly said:

 

I recently relieved a guitarist of an unused 50W late 90s Carsbro 50 top guitar head for a bag of beans, got new tubes and a basic service. I coupled it with a barefaced two10 and I was blown away by the sound of it. Much more attack than a standard bass amp and I can get a pretty decent low end from it (if I crank the bass all the way). The added bonus is that it has a 'dirty' channel that has the best OD tone I've ever heard on a bass. 

I always remember the tone on the band 'Dinosaur Pile-up's first record. The lead singer recorded every part on the album, and the bass was recorded through 2 rigs simultaneously. One an SVT and one an Orange guitar amp cranked. That is my perfect distorted tone. I think guitar amps sound great on bass.

1 minute ago, Quilly said:

You're a brave man to dep in with a 30W head. 😂. 

The Eich is so small that it fits into my gig back front pocket without me noticing. I knew I had the cavalry behind me, if I needed it in the interval. 😂

Here's a shot from that gig!

10 minutes ago, sifi2112 said:

So do you think the CTM30 Little Stubby would be ok albeit a bit overdriven with a decent 212 with a loud rock drummer just for stage volume ?

This was exactly my experience. Marshall and 2x12 from the guitarist and a loud drummer with a billion cymbals on a small stage. If I'd have brought my Barefaced BT2 I'd have had a little extra out of the speakers and more bottom, and wouldn't have had to drive it as hard.

16 hours ago, Al Krow said:

It's the 'just' and lack of headroom...which unfortunately makes it a non starter for me.

I know tube watts are supposed to "sound" louder than D class watts due to more complex harmonics etc, but I kinda like to have 500W+ with a D class amp up my sleeve to have comfortable headroom at gigs. Not exactly sure what that equates to with tube amps, but I'm guessing we'll above 30watts?

This isn't and amp for headroom. I depped on  a pretty rocky set a couple of weekends back, and the Stubby was really being pushed. The joy of it was the compression and sustain from the tubes being driven so hard, but I missed the kind of bottom end punch I get from my Eich T900. I would say 50w would likely be the perfect balance, allowing that compression as well as wholesome low-end. My BTA200 is just brutal and lacks compression from the tubes (although it does have it built in to the preamp), which I've had people say is mighty but just isn't my sound. 

I was using the Stubby with Barefaced One10 on top and Super Midget on the bottom.

Ahhhh! I’ve been reading up on these so much recently... I think unless something moves quickly though, it’s unlikely to be heading my way! GLWTS!

Just now, CameronJ said:

Me too! Looks very reasonably priced too, at around £170ish I think? The big F have done their homework.

It does rather make the Ashdown units look a bit more... ‘challenging’ in terms of pricing. 😅

1 hour ago, CameronJ said:

Meanwhile, at Fender...

Really interested to hear their ‘Downtown’ unit...

I’ll reserve judgement until I’ve heard them. I think these might be a big step up, as they should be. Construction looks a LOT better than I remember from the old ranges of pedals. They look relatively simple to operate which I reckon is probably attributed to the success of the CTMs etc. I’d love to give the 3 compressors a head to comparison - the copy doesn’t really reveal too much other than classic compressor buzz words... I’m hoping there’s some Diamond BCP type magic going on with each, which would make the pricing seem perhaps a little more reasonable.

@Reggaebass, it would not only work, but be a delight, I’m sure!

Bass Lessons from a Professional Regularly Gigging Session Bass Player

- Bass Guitar Lessons

- Extended Range Bass (5+ String bass) and associated techniques

- Fretless Bass

- Jazz Double Bass w/ Basic Arco Technique

- Music Theory Lessons

Qualifications

- BA(Hons) Music

- MA Sound Arts

- Grade 8 Vocalist

- Tailor-made lessons for each student

- Any preferred genre of study welcome

- All ability levels

- Any age

Lessons available:

- At my studio

- Your Home

- Online via Skype etc.

My name's Tyler and I'm a professional musician based in the South of the UK. My passion *is* the bass guitar, and I'm now offering lessons more broadly, having moved back from my masters study at university. I have vast experience as a bassist at some of the biggest venues and recording studios in the country and with artists in genres ranging from rock and pop to jazz, funk, soul and latin. This includes my own composition and music as an independent artist.

My teaching focuses around the practical application of musical information in order to make learning simple. Too often during my own studies I was 'told' what something was, or what it did, but it made no sense to me until I could apply it to my instrument, see it visualised on the fretboard, and hear how it worked. My teaching aims to avoid such instances, and save time for my students, ensuring their progress on the bass is as simple and efficient as it can be.

My aim is to supplement my students' own study and help them on their journey with the instrument. In practice this means encouraging those things that they enjoy, whilst helping them with the technical aspects of the instrument - no 'shoe-horning' things in, if you have no interest in studying it.

My lessons will have a strong focus on technique which will allow you to tackle any challenge on the instrument without difficulty, whilst preventing playing induced injury.

I am very comfortable teaching extended range bass, and the techniques associated with them. This includes the application of chordal harmony on the bass, tapping etc.

I have a wide range of teaching materials across genres and I am currently putting together concepts with a plan to create my own bass teaching method book.

I am comfortable teaching music theory, having specialised in jazz and contemporary music theory during my university study. This can be included in your lessons if a greater understanding is desired, but I also teach independent music theory lessons.

Ultimately, my lessons aim to give you all the tools and techniques to enjoy a successful, lasting relationship with the bass, be that as a professional or as a hobbyist.

Don’t hesitate to enquire if you have any questions! Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you, and joining you on your journey with the instrument.

Tyler

E: [email protected]

Not at all! I love listening though my monitors, not a problem at all. Bad recordings will sound worse through some monitors, but most of the time you'll be listening to well produced records and monitors will just represent that with extra detail. 

They would be fairly large in quite a small room by recording/audio standards. I'd try and put them on stands and isolation pads as well as keep them as far away from walls as possible - as central as you can make them. If you put them in a corner, it may be a boomy battle. 

They are good monitors though and a solid investment!

1 hour ago, Merton said:

Bloody hell that’s a steal - assuming you can lift it to run away 🤓

I feel I could certainly run with it and use it for cover in a pinch! 😂

New Year Price-Drop!

Just now, Al Krow said:

Hah! Just had a "like" from the excellent young mister @TJ Spicer to my OP which was bigging-up my Yammy BBNE2 as my best purchase of the year. Well there's a little story here: turns out that this particular bass was originally his (passed through one other's ownership before being gratefully received into my hands). TJ went out of his way to dig out the original paperwork for me and to send it over (he happened to have bought from my favourite London store - Wunjos, just to add to my smile) - great guy and great bass!

I really do like playing my passive Yamaha BB1025 but in comparison the BBNE2 brings a degree of tonal "light and shade" that puts it in a different league. I saw an ad for a white BBNE2 just recently in the "Items Wanted NO TRADE" section; but it only needed a quick play on the bass to remind me why I fell in love with it and why moving it on any time soon would leave me with a massive dose of seller's regret.

Ok it's definitely time to unbox that Helix Stomp...

I actually found some more paperwork for you Sir - the original signed certificate most importantly - it was in a different case! I need to dig out your address from the PMs and get it sent over to you in time for Xmas! Thank you for the kind words. It's a great bass, and I'm glad it's found such a loving owner. Whilst I'm here I'll play! 

Best purchase of the year is tied:

My MTD USA AG5 and Eich T900. I bought them both together which veritably destroyed any bass budget for the last 6 months of the year, but they've been great purchases and have been out with me on almost every gig since I've bought them, easily 50+.

The worst purchase sadly goes down as a bit of a surprise as my Ashdown BTA200.

A great deal and an incredible amp, which I still used to record my second EP just for the incredible tone, but it quickly suffered playtime as I purchased the Little Stubby CTM 30 prototype from Ashdown's stall at the bass guitar show this year. In all honestly in my musical situations, it's hard to crank that much brute force. However, next year could be a very different tale for the big brother Ashdown with some different and much larger gigs on the horizon!

Ultimately, no disasters and a good year of purchases, with, best of all, plenty of gigs to justify (and repay!) them all!
 

 

Just when I was looking at acquiring a vintage Mustang... Food for thought! 

Sold, thank you for the interest everyone!