Wolverinebass

Loads I think, but a quick list in order of preference, The Who King's X Rush Led Zeppelin (as much for the keys as the bass) Rage Against the Machine (taking a sabattical for the 2nd and 4th album) Soundgarden

The thing that irritates me is the title. HD. What does that even mean in relation to this unit?!! Unless they mean the 3 inch screen on it is in HD. Next thing you know it'll be download the expandanable model pack in 3D and get a free copy of Clash of the Titans to watch on your 3D fx unit. Marketing piddle. If the thing is good, then that's great, but don't try and pretend it's a TV. It's a modeling fx unit which may or may not be fantastic. Do we need 3D goggles?

It looks impressive, but I'm not convinced that it's not all marketing hype. The whole use of 8 fx at once sounds good and dual fx paths too, but the Digitech 2120 I've got could do that 10 years ago, so is it really that impressive? Granted though, I'd still like to try one just to see what it was like. I now notice on Line 6's website that the only pod version for bass only is the Floor pod. Us bassists are getting marginalised by them!! Ha!! Though I laugh at that, as like Dood, I use guitar fx in my chain as they often sound possibly not better, but certainly good. It doesn't matter if it works. To me though the whole thing of "AMP MODELLING IN HD!!" screams style over substance to me. If it came with a plasma HD ready screen that'd be good though....

[quote name='Golchen' post='971092' date='Sep 28 2010, 08:02 PM']Er ........... any chance you could direct me to one of those auditions ....[/quote] That's fantastic!! I love it!! I think quite a few of them were filled shortly afterward anyways so you may be out of luck. Some of them weren't even established bands in any way in that they hadn't even played a gig for example but had been doing a bit of recording without a bassist. It's not like I disliked any of the people at all, they were all very nice people as a rule. I just was a bit irritated that a few of them offered me the chance to do what I wanted (within reason naturally) and then recanted so to speak on the audition (surprising me somewhat in the process) hence wasting my time and theirs. On the other hand in other cases, the drummer was rubbish or whatever so it just wasn't worth getting on board despite being offered the gig. Hopefully I'll have more luck soon. I can see MaxRossel's point. I don't know how he put up with that guitarist for 2 years. I'd have got rid of him long before that regardless of how good he was as he sounded like a bit too intransigent to work with creatively (no offence intended if this gent happens to be a friend). If there was a compatability issue like that and it was me, I'd have left before the 2nd rehearsal as clearly he'd walked into the wrong band. On numerous occasions I've went to an audition and played everything exactly as it is thinking that would work better for me. If truth be told the times I've played what I wanted have been less by quite a margin so I'm not sabotaging myself by overplaying and then moaning about it afterwards. I've never, ever got an audition where I've played exactly what was already recorded. In the end, I decided not to bother for a while as I began to wonder if it made any difference at all. Sometimes I got stuff for doing what I wanted, sometimes not. Swings and roundabouts if people like how you play. Besides I tend to find that the times I do one scenario the other is what's required. Or not. It's always at the back of my mind what approach I choose if I don't get the gig, would I have got it if I'd went the other way? You just don't know. Generally I just try my best and hope that's enough. Just like most folk.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='969373' date='Sep 27 2010, 12:39 PM']Why would you? If the song has some sort of low bass notes holding the song down why would you play an octave higher, and thereby changing the feel of the song? Im just asking. Its sounds to me like you wanted to change the part even before you played a note as you could have used a drop D. IME if someone has written and recorded a song a certain way, i would at least try and keep close to it. At least at the audition. Im sure most bands will let you add a few bits etc but it has to be within the context of the song, and if its not your song you need to be careful. No offence meant, its just something that stood out in you post, and along with you "needing" to change the bass parts that someone else had written i feel you are definitely looking at the wrong bands. You sound liek you would be bored viged playing root notes, but sometimes this is all that called for. All IMO of course.[/quote] I played the song an octave up because the guitarist was playing with ludicrous amounts of bass and distortion in his sound. If I'd tuned down, I might well have been nothing more than some extra EQ on the kick drum as the bass would have been inaudible (which it almost actually was in the recordings). It didn't change anything at all other than making the lower end a bit tighter. I did try it and it sounded really mushy. I really didn't change very much at all if you discount that. Though maybe that's a fundamental change? No offence taken at all as it's a valid question. Ironically, I always start simple and build up, not the other way round. Maybe I 'm just going too far and trying to be too clever. MaxRossell's post about my attire was really amusing and one I didn't think about. I don't favour thrash t shirts at all though I have probably set myself up for it with that photo and I can see his point. The photo on my myspace was at a gig where the singer/guitarist asked myself and the drummer to dress a bit smarter. We thought it'd be really funny to wear silly clothes, so I wore a thrash t-shirt and the drummer wore a cravat and Fez. Stupid I know, but really amusing at the time as it forced the singer to change. Later on I thought I looked like a decent photo so I put it on my site. Possibly I should have been more careful about what kind of message it sent out about me. I certainly wouldn't go to an audition with a t shirt like that unless it was a band that sounded like Guns N Roses.

I thought the quip about what bass I'd take to an audition was really funny. I've never, ever taken either the buzzard or the 8 string to an audition. Nor will I ever do so as I would imagine I'd look like a nutter. The Alembic I wouldn't say is as distinctly shaped and besides most people don't even know what it is anyway. Though I should say that I actually have been turned down for a band because I didn't have a precision. I laughed about it later, but I was quite angry at the time. However, on a serious note, does owning a nice bass mark you out as a trouble making overplayer? That's not sarcasm, I'm really curious. I never got any of them to say "look at me!!," I actually got them because I needed a short scale bass at the time and I liked the Alembic's tone. I got the buzzard as I'm a massive Entwistle fan and the 8 string because I like JPJ and King's X. Basically, they all sound incredibly different from each other and I wanted to have lots of different sounds in the arsenal. Is that wrong? Or are we talking about people's initial thoughts when you pull an Alembic out the case? Would this not be the same for someone who has a custom Les Paul or something? The simple reason I don't own a Fender Precision is simply because I don't really like that type of sound and it doesn't quite work for me. I could get that sound out of the Buzzard or the Alembic, but I probably couldn't do that the other way round. You'll probably find this funny, but I went for something on Saturday and they asked me to bring the 8 string as well as a normal 4 string bass. As I don't have a car, I could only take one and I took the Alembic. SteveK may have been confused by my post. I had asked the band if I had to stick rigidly to what was there (bearing in mind it had been played on a keyboard). Had they said "yes" I would have politely declined. They said I could put my own stamp on it. I wasn't going to go insane, just a few things in the chorus like 5ths or something. Nothing mental like triplet cascades or double hand tapping. Then when I got there the guitarist disagreed with what the singer told me and then said I couldn't and had to play it exactly how it was. I wouldn't have went along if I'd known that as I would have known that it wouldn't have been for me. Not that I have any problem with playing in drop D or E flat or anything, I've certainly done it loads in previous bands. There is of course well made points on both sides. I probably should look past the initial uncomfortableness, but I've found that more often than not, the situation doesn't change when you're in situ and you start writing new material. I would be more than happy to be proved wrong on this as I know other people have different experience. I'm only basing my opinion on my own and sadly it's negative which is unfortunate. It's possibly a style thing too. I basically taught myself to play bass by learning stuff like Quadrophenia and RHCP stuff. I don't know if that quite comes across in my playing, but that's all bass driven music to a degree, so maybe it has. The ultimate irony (and I have no idea why this is at all) is that my own playing style doesn't translate on my own material too much, which always has quite simple or functional bass parts in comparison with what I've done with or for other people. Maybe I subconciously do that to give other folk room to fill out. I have no idea why it's the case. Maybe I feel deep down like if I sit back, I'm insulting the person who has written the song by not coming up with something really good when possibly simplicity (or just slightly simpler) might be what they want. Possibly I'm just trying too hard and it's coming out in a different way to other people. Musicman20's thought of something more progressive sounds like a plan to me. Forming my own band might be an idea as well. The idea of open mic nights sounds good too. Does one have to sing? (I can't, I'm afraid). Thanks for the opinons. It's really appreciated.

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='968932' date='Sep 26 2010, 10:30 PM']I hope you take this in the positive spirit in which it is intended but your post comes over as arrogant. I'm not saying you are but you do sound that way and that might be causing you problems. You say you want to learn but then say that you won't be dictated to. How does that work? Surely learning involves an element of doing what you are told. I've always worked on the basis that I am probably wrong and probably don't know best... it has served be well. Having said all that, there are a great many idiots out there and you might just have been unlucky. Keeping looking, don't give up and it'll work out sooner or later.[/quote] I had thought it might come across a bit arrogant, but it's not really what I wanted to convey. I certainly don't take any offence to that comment whatsoever. It's a difficult thing for me to describe the difference between learning stuff and refusing to be dictated to, but I'll try to describe the sort of lines I draw on this. No doubt this is going to sound like total cobblers and will dig me further into a hole.... If I've never tried a style of music before (arty/prog metal or jazz for an example), let me know what you want as quite frankly I wouldn't be very confident. If I'm playing in a genre that I'm fine with, then I'd ask for suggestions if folk weren't sure as to what I was doing and if I think differently I'll say why I was playing something a certain way in terms of what I think it might offer the song and then try whatever I've been asked to, but when note choice and freedom of expression starts getting taken away from you, that's what I mean by being dictated to. I would feel that I'd be insulting someone if I did that, so that's why I think like that. I hope that kind of clarifies what I meant. It's not meant to be arrogant at all, and I hope I may have redressed the balance somewhat, but I'm probably just a a bit saddened a beat down with the whole idea of bassists becoming the "new drummers" in bands. And the large supply of idiots out there. The Rush idea sounds like my sort of thing though. Always liked them. Pictures of the Alembic will be put on the Gear thread tomorrow. Thanks for all the encouragement.

The Peter Hook quote made me laugh. Top!! I've not limited myself to stuff that's outside my comfort zone as I've done some singer songwriter stuff which was great and I certainly was playing very laid back. I thought that was fantastic fun. By the same token I've done stuff which has been more prog type material with tonto time changes in it. That was a brilliant challenge and one I relished as I'd never done that sort of stuff before. I tend just to pick stuff I tend to like and see if it'll work. I quite often don't hear the bass on a song at all if it's really simple, I tend to hear what I'd play. That might be the issue. Quite a lot of the time that isn't that different, sometimes it really is very different. On a default setting though for types of bands, I'm not sure if I have one to be honest. Maybe that in itself [b]is[/b][u][/u] the problem. I don't know. By the same token, because I listen to just about anything, I like lots of very, very different material, though this is in itself is not without it's problems. Whilst I think, say Tool are geniuses, I'm not entirely sure if I'd enjoy playing bass for them with all that unison riffing. Whilst that's probably an example that wouldn't be true if put to the test, I'm just trying to illustrate a point. If I didn't enjoy playing in a band or it's material, I just wouldn't do it. Just as paradoxically, just because I like a band's music doesn't mean I'd enjoy playing it. I hope that kind of makes sense. It's just been a very frustrating time and in many ways, quite demoralising for me as I just want to play music I enjoy and have a reasonable amount of expression over what I play. Probably those things are mutually exclusive and I just haven't learned that lesson properly.

It does sound like I'm going for the wrong bands doesn't it? Trouble is I have absolutely no idea what the right one is. Pity Pete Townshend phoned Pino before me.... However, I should clarify what I meant as I think skej21 may have misunderstood. This happened and I wouldn't say it's an isolated incident either. About 3 weeks ago, I replied to an advert. The band sounded a bit like Perfect Circle. Sounded really good and they said that the bass had been sequenced. I asked well before I would turn up if it would be acceptable for me to change it a bit as they were going to be removing the bass anyway. The singer says yes. Now to quantify this the song was basically, D, E, F# and A. The A was played as a slide. I noticed it was in drop D tuning the bass they'd sequenced. I said that as I'd only be using 1 string in a fairly rudimentary manner I wouldn't really be that interested if I couldn't put my own stamp on it. Again this was all fine. I then turn up and go for a jam. The guitarist says I'm playing the "wrong" notes as I'm playing the D an octave higher up. I could go on about this but if they had told me they wanted someone who had a bass with only 1 string I would have said "no thanks." It's not about scores or whatever, it's about people saying one thing and doing another. Skej21's point is well put that it's not about individuals showing off. True, but if people expect you to conform like that from a first meeting, then you'll never be on an even keel with them, nor will you ever be treated as an equal. That's why if I auditioned someone for my band, I'd maybe send them the song to learn, but I'd make sure that they understood that I'd rather hear how they play themself rather than just copying what was already recorded. Just my thought and I'm probably wrong. Give someone the same freedom you'd want yourself. However, if anyone fancies having a listen to my myspace to tell me what kind of band I'd suit, please feel free.

Recently, I've been on the lookout for a new band. However, I seem to have run into a few problems and I'm wondering if going I'm totally mad. I've always made it a rule that I only play with people who are better than me. Basically so that I'll always learn something and improve myself. The question is: Where have all the talented people gone? Anything I've went for in the last 4-8 weeks have either sprung the "just play the root note" crap on me (despite agreeing that I wouldn't have to do that) or just quite frankly, haven't been up to spec in terms of ability in terms of one or two of the members of the band. Perhaps I've been spoiled as I've worked with some very talented drummers and guitarists who I've learned lots from. However, the issue remains. Is this my insane ego running rampant or is it just that musical culture has moved on so that it doesn't actually matter if you're good at anything any more, just that you look good doing it? (See Guy Berryman from Coldplay for the most heinous example of a posing, talentless tool). Is it just that people expect bass players to play like they did in the early 60's? (badly and with no imagination) It's almost like people like John Entwistle, Jaco, Stanley Clarke and all those amazingly innovative and talented people had never existed as being good at bass gets you nowhere these days, but a patronising comment to "play a bit less" or "turn down." Whilst I am someone who has a problem with authority per se, I will never, ever be dictated to in how I play. I'll have a rational conversation about it, but I won't be told "you [b]have[/b][u][/u] to play this...." Er, no. If I wouldn't do that to anyone else, why should I take it? Anyway, I'm wondering what other people's thoughts are on this. Have a gander at my myspace [url="http://www.myspace.com/graphitewolf"]http://www.myspace.com/graphitewolf[/url] if you want to see if I'm an overplaying slap happy monkey.

As someone who uses an Alembic Stanley Clarke, there are various points for and against. I used to use overdrive on everything then I went through a phase of thinking it sounded pants. I've come to the conclusion that in general, the Alembics don't suit it too well. Mainly because you have to be so careful how you apply it with their preamp controls being so fiddly. However, and for comparison, on my own myspace (www.myspace.com/graphitewolf) there is a song I did about 5 years ago called "How High." That is with the Alembic totally wide open, full blast treble and tons of overdrive. It doesn't sound like it though as the song is quite dense. I'll quite happily send you the isolated bass track if you don't believe me. The one thing I've found about them is that they really don't sound good with chorus. I have no idea why, but mine sounds really wirey, weedy and frankly, rubbish. JTUK's point about the preamp in them is perfectly valid and accurate in my opinion. The whole filter thing took me ages to get to grips with (as JTUK suggests the mids are killer sometimes) and I'm still (after owning my bass for 8 years now) not entirely convinced about it. When it works, it's great, when it doesn't, it generally sounds awful. That's my experience, but I'm sure plenty will disagree with me. As for comments regarding Entwistle's Alembic tone, I've never been that much of a fan of it with the exception of the live 1982 tone (see Live in Toronto) which is frankly impossible to emulate and I have no idea why. I've always preferred his buzzard tone circa 1999 (see The Vegas Job).

I'd never stay in a band that I had no input in. You're one step away from a "can you play the root note" conversation. As far as I'm concerned, I'll never play in a band with folk I don't like unless I earned more money at it than U2. Which will never happen. Just quit and get something better as they sound like world class tools.

That Big One sounds great. Really, really good and clear. Certainly didn't sound muddy to me. The playing is rather good as well. Top!!

I'd say it was Track 1. I'm interested in hearing what the Big One sounded like in comparison. Any chance of that getting posted?

I've got a Korg DTR 2000. You can either press the button or use a latch type footswitch to mute as there is a jack in the rear panel.

Total rubbish players? I'd go for Paul McGuigan (Oasis). About 15 years ago I went to see Oasis at Loch Lomond and Guigsy managed to screw up "My Big Mouth." A song so simple that I'm quite sure someone who'd never played bass before could learn in 10 minutes. What a tube. Bill Wyman (let's face it all the best stones basslines with the exception of "Miss You" are played by Keith Richards or Mick Taylor). Besides, anyone who still plays with just their thumb deserves a bit of a slap for not at least trying something new in the way of technique. I read an interview with him where he said his "style" was down to having small hands. Obviously getting a short scale bass wasn't an option for him. Div. I would say though that the pinnicle of awfulness and lazy, slack playing would have to be Guy Berryman from Coldplay. Total and utter plodding crap. It's the sort of thing that makes me ashamed to be a Scottish bass player when you have total mugs like him getting paid millions for playing eigth note plodding rubbish of the lowest common denominator with no thought to feel or technique and using such a totally insipid bland sound. Tool.

[quote name='TraceAmp' post='915836' date='Aug 5 2010, 12:31 PM']Newer shots: [/quote] I think I just got a semi....

I use Optima strings on my buzzard (I in no way have a John Entwistle fixation) and they are fantastic. They do last quite a long time and I found them to be rather good in the mid range growl area with an unbelievable top end. Naturally they aren't cheap either.

I have no idea. The joke for me is that the ears attach to the outside of the amp's metal casing then onto your rack holes. If you tried to put a tuner in you'd run into problems that the rack ears of said tuner would be too wide to get into the gap and would catch on the wooden casing. Now, the best one is that the rack ears are sold SINGULARLY. That isn't a joke. That's completely true. Who in their right mind ever racked one side of an amp?!! Then even better was that you only get the frame of the rack ear, you don't even get the screws to attach it to your amp!! As much as I like Hartke stuff in general this was taking the mickey on one too many levels for me. So I'm probably going to go down the preamp/poweramp route to save my back and keep the 5500 for backup. I have noticed that now they've moved back to taking the amp out of the wooden casing (no doubt to save money) and they include the rack ears as standard. Hope that helps.

Sadly it does seem too simple. It's a 3U case. You can slide the amp out once you undo the 4 screws on the bottom of the wooden case holding it in place, but you won't be able to put a tuner in the top 1U gap that the grill occupies because it's 18 inches not 19 inches wide. The Hartke can only be racked with ears which you have to buy seperately. I had a similar idea when I got my 5500, but that didn't work when I did the measuring so I just racked the head instead and kept the wooden case for a rainy day if I flog the amp.

I think that was his thought to be fair. I was under the impression that Trace only made about 200. The last one I saw getting sold was John Entwistle's at Christies about 8 weeks ago and that went for something stupidly cheap like £700. I doubt he had any thought of doing this to sell stuff, it was mainly just for fun and the satisfaction of being able to.. I know that the Hiwatt copy he did took a fair bit of time but it sounded great when I played it. However, I'll see what he's using and get back though to be fair one is a bit of a luddite when it comes to actually building stuff. On the other hand, my mate doesn't even have a computer, so "in progress" shots may be a bit scarce...

I have absolutely no idea what he'll be using I'm afraid. I'm someone who just plays stuff and isn't really that sure how it works. I've only ever used valve amps in rehearsal rooms over the years and I've never owned one. The Hiwatt copy he did was really, really good and I have played one a few years ago. To me it sounded about the same, but I confess to not being very knowledgable about how they work. I tend to just go on sound really. Certainly though, my iron is Morphy Richards!!

A friend of mine has done some amp builds and recently completed a Hiwatt or at least something that is based on the original specs. He has now informed me that he is going to build what I'm sure many people regard as one of the best bass valve amps ever made - a Trace Elliot V8. Now, I'm not too knowledgable about such things as my experience of soldering is ocassionaly fixing a jack socket on a bass and mending scalextric cars when I was younger. I looked at the schematic for it and it just seemed monstrously complicated. Though of course, I didn't really know what most of it meant. Naturally, I am a bit of a div when it comes to this sort of DIY approach, but my question is firstly didn't the V8 have a circuit board in it? I thought it did, though I'm quite happy to stand corrected. Secondly, assuming that you can get all the equivalent parts, is it even possible to build something like that? I'm sure that some of you who have made your own valve amps will be able to shed some light on this, but it's more curiosity than anything else.