spinynorman

Had a huge row with the wife, slammed two doors, made a coffee and came upstairs to read Basschat, which I haven't done for ages.

Well, good luck. I'm sure you know that you're following a path littered with failure. In fact, I can only think of one commercial success, which is "Tommy". And you could argue about how successful that really is as an opera, but we can give it the benefit of the doubt. Ultimately opera is theatre and the plot needs to work as theatre independently of the music. But, because the music is so dominant, you have to paint the plot with broad strokes - big, dramatic highs and lows in relationships, deep tragedy, glorious resolution. I don't know why it's so difficult to do with rock music, but I suspect it has something to do with the dominance of the instrumentalist. You can't put Jimi Hendrix in the orchestra pit, and if you find someone who will stay in the pit, it's not rock, or not great rock anyway. So you've set yourself a hard project and I really hope you can find a way to make it work.

Tried it with Joe Bonamassa's version of [url="http://chordify.net/chords/had-to-cry-today-joe-bonamassa-liketheblues543"]"Had to Cry Today"[/url] and it doesn't look right to me, not that I've ever been able to work that out myself. I wonder if it's taking the chords from the bass and a too-busy bassline confuses it? For Android users [url="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dubbeldam.chf.free#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDIxMiwibmV0LmR1YmJlbGRhbS5jaGYuZnJlZSJd"]Guitar Music Analyzer[/url] looks neat, though I haven't really put that to the test either. Works from mp3 on phone or via mic.

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1362053007' post='1994976'] Only 4 notes? Why aren't you playing the other 3 - no wonder it's boring [/quote] You had me worried for a minute there, then I remembered the bridge. Haven't played it for a while. In the context of the song it's actually a good bassline and I enjoy playing it. If I was going to nominate anything to removed totally from musical history, it would be "Mary Had A Little Lamb" by SRV.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1358442733' post='1939305'] Where have all the Eggle basses gone? You don't see many for sale nowadays but there must be a lot still out there somewhere. When i used to visit Project Music on the Great West Road in the early 90s the place was full of Eggle guitars and basses. [/quote] Ignoring the egg joke, I had one of the original Berlin guitars, which was beautiful. It was just a shame I couldn't play it. When I put it up on eBay (years ago) someone actually messaged me asking if I was sure I wanted to sell, as he was convinced I'd regret it. But, their website doesn't say anything about where you can buy them and I could only find a couple of dealers on line, and they don't stock the basses. So it looks like marketing isn't their strong suit. They were never that big a bass brand though, the guitars got far more attention. Plus there's a strong perception that the 1990s were their best times and things went wrong after Eggle quit. There's a link in the patrickeggleguitars,org site to a fan forum, so maybe register there and ask about the basses? [url="http://www.promenademusic.co.uk/index.php?route=product/search&keyword=Eggle&category_id=66"]http://www.promenade...&category_id=66[/url] [url="http://www.fret21.com/content.asp?inc=product&catalog=8000"]http://www.fret21.co...ct&catalog=8000[/url] [url="http://www.patrickeggleguitars.org/"]http://www.patrickeggleguitars.org/[/url]

Are people getting mixed up between what they're being put up for as BIN on eBay and what they actually sell for? I bought and later sold one for around £400 a year or so ago, and if the price has really gone up that much I'm going to wish I'd kept it. But last time I looked, which admittedly wasn't that recently, the silly BINs over £500 weren't selling.

The bizarre thing is me and Mrs Norman will happily watch a rerun of a favourite film when it comes round on TV, but almost never play the DVDs of the same films, which are gathering dust in a nearby cupboard. We rarely play CDs either, if I listen to music at all its on Youtube, or using my phone as an mp3 player in the car. While there was a lot wrong with HMV, I don't know that puting it right would have saved them. Years ago I went into a branch of Borders in the US, it was huge, very well laid out, had a coffee shop and comfy chairs and a large music dept with lots of back catalogue stuff I hadn't seen here for years. They went bust in 2011.

I was never a fan, but this is sad nonetheless. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21082519

There's an updated version of the Phil Beeching article on the BBC Website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21028803 I tend to agree with Robert Peston that it's better to let companies like HMV fail. Hard as it is for the staff, the sooner HMV goes, the sooner something with a viable business model can replace them. It's entirely possible that music is one of the things you can't sell through a high street chain anymore. Or maybe some currently small independent will now start to get the volume they need to expand. However, I've also read that the big labels don't like the idea of HMV failing and leaving them with iTunes and Amazon. They might prop HMV up, in which case it could limp on for another couple of years.

[quote name='spongebob' timestamp='1357729872' post='1927267'] Great stuff so far.....really enjoying everybody's input on this. Poll seems to indicate a swing towards FX at this stage - I'm quite surprised TBH. [/quote] Could be a self-selection bias in the poll, people who use effects being more inclined to vote and say why than those who don't? I've just added to the tally of no-fx users. I've had all sorts of effects in the past and still have a Big Muff rusting in the bottom of my gig bag, but I never use it. Apart from making the bass sound horrid, they're also something else to go wrong, which I really don't need.

I would have thought there's a strong chance he's dyslexic.

I do one on the chorus to Jumping Jack Flash. There's a bit in American Idiot where I'm really tempted, but usually manage to restrain myself.

[quote name='MB1' timestamp='1355846919' post='1903595'] ='spinynorman' What is that meter thing he's holding? Wind speed? MB1. Bullshit Detector. [/quote] It should be picking up more than 0.046 then.

What is that meter thing he's holding? Wind speed?

Just bought Martin's Ampeg Portaflex. Well packed, reliable courier and he obviously looks after his gear, it's immaculate.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1354206641' post='1883638'] Either you can go onto That Ebay and buy a Markbass 102P traveller for £429 [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Markbass-trv102p-bass-cab-/130806301249"]http://www.ebay.co.u...b-/130806301249[/url] or you can go to GAK and buy it brand new for £421... [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/mark-bass-traveler-102-8ohm/17805"]http://www.gak.co.uk...-102-8ohm/17805[/url] [/quote] Yes, but, the eBay auction is the 10yr SE model, the GAK one isn't. Only UK source I can see for it online is £554 new. The difference may only be a chrome grill, but if you want that difference I guess you'll pay a bit more for it. http://www.bandland.co.uk/markbass-traveler-102p-10-bass-cab-ltd-edition-10th-year-p-6013.html

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1353950113' post='1880140'] Saw them do a charity gig at the Robin in Bilston a few years ago. It was a fundraiser for their original drummer (IIRC) who was terminally ill. A wet weekday night & it was a disaster. The second lowest turnout I ever saw for a gig. The band were great though, much of the planned auction was pulled & Bob was buying rounds in for those there at the bar. The gig was rescheduled & the 2nd time around was a huge success, absolutely rammed; I remember one of the items up for grabs was a fully autographed copy of Brothers in Arms. I've got an autographed copy of one of their album's from it somewhere. [/quote] Kex Gorin was the drummer, lived near me, died in 2007 from kidney cancer. The fund raising was partly because the drugs he was prescribed weren't available on the NHS in Warwickshire, though if he'd lived a few miles up the road in Birmingham he could have had them. He played with a couple of local bands, on a battered old kit with one tom missing. Great drummer, and a really nice guy.

I'm struggling with the concept of a drummer composer forming a quartet with strings AND a double bass (why is that not strings?), but no drums. What's he going to play?

Send it to our old friend from eBay. http://basschat.co.uk/topic/190191-guess-who/

[quote name='paul torch' timestamp='1354103511' post='1882017'] does anyone know if there is an outlet in the uk for one of those "mod-bars"? [/quote] The only place I've ever seen those is eBay. I thought they were a project by one enterprising individual, rather than something produced commercially with distribution. The question is whether they're worth it. I'm not convinced silks over the saddle is a problem.

[quote name='Kongo' timestamp='1354147780' post='1882888'] Play me a track and I can fit it into a category somewhere. They all have little staples and isms. [/quote] Would anyone else agree with you though? Would my kids, winding back to when they were 15, agree with you? Or would they fix you with that whithering stare that says you can never, ever even begin to understand our tribal structure, let alone join in.

I think the difference in feel is greater than the difference in sound. I found Chromes very hard, just didn't like them. TIs are ok, but I don't think they're worth paying extra for. I've got Rotos, GHS Precisions and TIs on various of my current basses, and I don't really notice any difference moving between them.

I suffered this when the kids were teenagers. I concluded it was tribal rather than musical, a way of separating out a bunch of bands which it was ok to like in a particular group of their friends. Emo seemed to be the bin for everything no one liked - and I understood the description, but whenever I said "So, is this Emo?", it never was.