mentalextra

There is an interesting documentary in case somebody has not heard this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTcbTg8O548"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTcbTg8O548[/url]

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1362500067' post='2000247'] Realistically, do you think you could? It's something I am going to try over the next few months, write what I think are three commercial songs, and sign up to TAXI and see what happens, just for fun [/quote] Start off with a Christmas pop song. Some of the greatest names have done one, and the income will put your kids through 'uni'! Sounds easy..... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W7G8cGCN5g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W7G8cGCN5g[/url]

[quote name='OliverBlackman' timestamp='1362523091' post='2000909'] Jaco was already at the age of 19 working as a guitar repairer and obviously had a lot of confidence in himself. Theres a lot written about Jaco and it does'nt take much of a search to find a lot about him in great detail. [/quote] So the story that he "ripped the frets" out and slapped on some yacht varnish is massively simplifying it Whereas the work was actually done to professional standards not so much DIY? On a slightly different note didnt Tony Franklin do a bit of "DIY modding" on his Fender in the early days.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1362512815' post='2000631'] Billy Sheehan, in one old vid I saw, talks about working on a new bass he got where he gouged a hole for his thumb to sit. So "mint" condition doesn't seem to matter to everyone. [/quote] Is that the special 6 string Fender built for him

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1362512486' post='2000615'] Musicians like that are obsessed with music, as long as the instrument enables them to express themselves, most of the couldn't give a toss about what else is out there. Why would they? It's almost only us amateurs that keep thinking we could really 'speak' through a Fodera, or a pre CBS Precision, or whatever bollocks. [/quote] Well yeah, but I remember hearing a similar question about classical music composers and electronics and synthesisers. Would Brahms or Beethoven have used a synthesiser or drum machine if one was available, I think absolutely they would have. If you are pushing musical boundaries why not.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1362512428' post='2000612'] I doubt it. At the time it was usually 'cool' to have a shiny new bass or guitar. If you got a ding in your guitar or bass in the 70s (and you could afford it) you'd px it for a brand new one. There are even tales of guitarists in UK bands when touring the U.S. would trade in their 'last years' guitars for new ones. Relics just weren't the fashion back then. [/quote] Yeah, but surely, at his level, he would be surrounded by luthiers examining the minutest problem with his bass, especially the DIY defret

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1362512300' post='2000605'] I'm calm. No offence ment, none taken either. I'm just intrigued how so many of us say we need 5/6 strings, then we see the real, widely respected greats with 4 strings on a bog-standard bass ok... correction... standard with his own changes, like taking the frets out. [/quote] No problem, He has a huge talent and I have great respect. I am sure he cold outplay us all with a rubber band on a shoe box. I am fascinated by that guitar though!

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1362512110' post='2000598'] In an old interview - I think you can still find on his site, an interviewer asks much the same question, and specifically cites an Alembic. If I remember correctly, Jaco doesn't seem interested in what's out there. He's happy with his bass. Same again in one of his last interviews - infamous cover story on Guitar Player, he says that Sting got him to try a Steinberger which he liked but again he went back to his sound. There's a video of him playing a JD too somewhere. And I think he got a free Guild Pilot towards the end of his life too. As a listener - I'm loved his sound and glad he stayed with it. [/quote] Thats interesting, and yes he has an amazing talent. I wonder if he would still be resisting temptation to change if he were alive today

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1362512055' post='2000595'] Hard to say now without speculating. He definitely liked jazz basses, maybe he couldn't afford a new one to begin with and by the time he could, preCBS instruments had rocketed in value. [/quote] Did he own a factory standard fretless

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1362511476' post='2000578'] At one point he owned 3 preCBS jazz basses, including one that was fretted. All were stock apart from the two fretlesses being defretted and an epoxy coating to the fingerboard. Fender offer a Jaco signature bass but neither they or Acoustic offered him a deal. Who knows why, maybe Fender weren't into endorsements back then because they didn't need to? Hard to say what the benefit for Jaco would have been. [/quote] I find it interesting that he must have done an outstanding job of defretting. I wonder if any Luthier offered to do a more professional job for him, especially mixing in his circles

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1362511771' post='2000587'] If Jaco believed he'd found "his sound" with standard pups in his Fender, then anything he changed them to would no longer have been "his sound". If Jaco believed 4 strings and standard pups is all you need, then that's good enough for me [/quote] Calm yourself down, I'm talking about his guitar not the man. Sensible people can have these discussion with the usual suspects and there football mentality

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1362511219' post='2000569'] Ahh I think you make a common error. Once you get past a certain level there's no such thing as "upgrade" - just different. A (good) standard Fender does not need "upgrading"- you can do things that make it different - like expensive pups or something - but that's more a matter of taste than anything else. An alembic would be more expensive.... but a different bass rather than a "better" bass. [/quote] How standard was his Fender; didnt he famously rip the frets off one. Which implies he wasnt too bothered about trying something different

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1362511476' post='2000578'] At one point he owned 3 preCBS jazz basses, including one that was fretted. All were stock apart from the two fretlesses being defretted and an epoxy coating to the fingerboard. Fender offer a Jaco signature bass but neither they or Acoustic offered him a deal. Who knows why, maybe Fender weren't into endorsements back then because they didn't need to? Hard to say what the benefit for Jaco would have been. [/quote] I wondered if it might have been uncool to have a 'new' bass. He seemed quite proud of the "patena"

[quote name='OliverBlackman' timestamp='1362511324' post='2000572'] He played a 60's jazz bass. Some say they are the best bass guitars money can buy. He bought his for $60. [/quote] As I understand it he had one that he "defretted" himself and another fretted that he used for practice to not chew up the fretboard.

I am relatively new to 'jaco' and have a huge respect for his enormous talent. Although Jazz is not my first love by any means. But, what fascinates me is his guitar or rather the condition its in. I have watched various vids of the great man playing live and discussing his playing and getting close ups of his Fender. But what I dont undersand is why, bearing in mind he was pushing boundaries that he wasnt interested in upgrading. Thats not to say that the Fender doesnt make some great noises. After all I own one. But when you look closely at Jaco's own Fender it has clearly seen better days, with marks on the fretboard. To an untrained eye like mine, the pickups even look standard too, although there are many odd suspicious looking holes on the body. Was the options to upgrade not available to him back then? Did he always play Fender Jazz? Did Fender never offer him a guitar or an endorsement deal at least?

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrO7DZSYinQ[/media] Skip to 27:06 for Jaco's version of raking which explains nicely the right hand technique and the left hand muting!

I wish he'd do some "How to....." vids on Youtube

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1359149597' post='1950922'] Some people play along to background music in pubs and clubs. I wish they stayed in their bedrooms. [/quote] Well, its the route to success on xfactor. I am constantly pointing out to my teenage daughter that half the battle is won by singing 'someone elses' songs. Give them an original song some sheet music and a rehearsal room and see what they come up with. Same on youtube. Some guys have massive talent (eg davidsinrocks rhcp tribute band), but nothing original! Why bother playing at all, why not just mime the whole thing, as long as you look like you doing it who cares! Now where's that "autotune" ......

Nice unpretentious, unassuming guy with a massive talent. Always a pleasure to watch and hear him play.

You gotta learn the moves. Stand with your legs wide apart, lean slightly back bending the knees - as though something "awseome" is coming out of your guitar any moment! Facial expression has to be of someone "in pain" or at least suffering greatly to make these "awesome" sounds! ....... and do that "pointing up in the air, nodding your head" thing that they all do when there's a dramatic pause! Only kidding

Ok, chunky old fingers are not helping Cheers

Thats the problem. Control. So how would you play that little bit. Its a fretless so if I try and wedge my fingers I will get different intonation This is the song the phrase is about 23s in! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkXNEmtf9tk[/media]

........ play consecutive notes on the same fret but different strings. I am assuming that it would be to bridge the strings. Example: A little bit of "black velvet" after we play 2 open E we have the next phrase at fret 5 and 4; what would be the correct finger positioning. |————————————————————————| |—————5———5—4———4—2——————| |———————5—————4—————2————| |—0—0—————————————————3——| Thanks in advance

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1358684829' post='1943194'] I thought this was going to be a Florence and the machine thread but the op meant consistently off pitch end to end not just the chorus, as you were [/quote] She totaly murdered "you got the love"; and I mean murdered in a bad way. That awful vocal part of hers towards the end always makes me turn off the radio!