la bam

Never happens. And if it does, it's never as good as you remember. Leave it in the past. A time before being constantly video'd, reviewed and critic'ed, and remember it as a great time.

what I am getting at is do those of you who like playing complex stuff, get joy 'whilst' youre playing it, or after when you've done it? I can play most things competently well, but I'm always concentrating or listening when playing the more detailed stuff, rather than enjoying the moment, yet lovely grooves or simple rhythms when I fully lock in with drums bring a different type of joy, where I'm living in that moment.

Hi all, I was thinking the other day about bass lines, complex ones, simple ones, and lots in styles I'm not naturally coherent with. But that got me thinking... Do you get lots of enjoyment from playing complex lines or do you get more enjoyment from (perceived) simple lines? I play and have played all sorts, and covering all abilities, but I've gotten most enjoyment from lines like 'she sells sanctuary' - locking in and really driving the song - rather than more complex lines. So, for those of you who play the complex stuff - do you really enjoy playing it literally as you are playing it, or like the fact that you have played it once finished?

There's nothing but singers up here. Singers and duos. Very little in the way of bands.

Just the usual as per every year for me.... Don't need anything, shouldn't change anything, but will for no reason at all! There'll be the usual unexpected bills that force a sale, a good month at work where I'll buy another, the random change from lightweight to heavyweight amps and cabs. And back The only think I don't gas for is a 5 string. Anything else is fair game! Joking aside, the only real thing I'd like is a place to play the sax where no one can hear!

Full practice with the Z3 today. Massive sound. Eq on bass centred. Bit of low mid boost on amp. Absolutely gorgeous sound. Rich, thick but you could hear every night. Very easy to play. These are stunning basses.

Active nowadays for me. I was always a passive guy for 30 years. Tried active, didn't like it, returned to passive. Then over the last couple of years I spent a lot of time on eq and now can get virtually anytime from those 3 eq knobs. Meaning I can get the sound that I want within seconds. I don't sway or change eq mid set or for certain songs, I just set at the start and that'll do me. Myself and whatever band it is immediately sound better. I also find active much clearer and warmer. The dead battery was still a worry, but now my sire z3 has a pull pot for passive circuit which works even if the battery is dead, which takes any worry away. Easy change battery compartment too should I need to replace the batteries.

Me too! Something pleasing about doing it, even if it's only worth a few quid when finished.

Cheap 2nd hand bass of Facebook. Can be used as spare, used to mod, noodling around house, donor bass for parts.

Pick ups and pick up configuration. Colour.

Something weird about these.... You see them, you immediately want one, you think they're a great deal...... Then you realise it's double money for half the spec of what you have paid for...

£422 is a steal!! Gees, 4 of the stomp boxes in the amp would cost you more than that - and there's about a million inside!

Bargain that is. Literally everything you need (and adjustable) in one small lightweight box. Fantastic. I love my 210 combo. Haven't tried the class d head, but I'm sure the sounds will be great.

To me, Pmt in manchester doesn't really know what it is... It gives off that vibe. Basses? Errmm not really, here's a few to look at, but it's in a corner and lots of empty racks, plus an obvious exclusion of musicman? Bass Amps? There's a couple against the wall hidden over there. PA? A few boxes lined up for seemingly no reason. No real obvious demo. Keyboards good to be fair, plenty on display and easy to test. Staff? A bit haphazard and spread thinly. Accessories - a hard find, usually to the point of giving up. But the whole place just doesn't work as an experience like it used to.

The thing here, as is always the case, is what's "better" in the context of I want to get "better"? After a while you realise theres no one route, or one definition, but just think of what you want to achieve - playing alone in the house, playing in a band, playing complex stuff, entertaining others, being an unseen player in a show, playing simple stuff to millions? Who's 'better' - the guy who plays complex showtunes and jazz amazingly well on his own, but can't play with a drummer, or the guy who can play simple lines well and lock in with a band and make them sound great? Who's 'better' - the guy who releases an album and sells 100 copies, or the guy who sells 1 million? Who's 'better' - the guy who can play anything written down for him, or the guy who wrote them? There really isn't any scale for 'better' in this case. It's a word used on forums which always causes conflict. I can only write from my point of view, but saying 'yes' to opportunities to join bands (when in fact I was terrified and wanted to say no as self confidence was low) and ending up playing all different genres made me improve at such a rapid rate compared to staying at home. And to hopefully give the op some confidence, if you can play sir duke etc you're good enough bass wise to be in bands - get out there, join a few bands and enjoy!

Played my z3 in the 80s band at practice last and was really impressed. Set the active eq all centred, set the amp to flat and it sounded brilliant. Cut through everything and was nice and warm too! Probably the perfect result if it sits nice and centre, then it's just a small tweak either way should any problems arise. Have to say I love these as the d and g strings are very prominent so you have a real equal volume across the fretboard, something I could never get with my Fenders.

Join a band, and learn how to play with people who won't play exactly like the record (deliberately or by making mistakes, speed variations etc). That's a real skill often overlooked to learn.

If the drummer has iems he doesn't need to play so loud If the drummer can't see that what he's doing is overkill then he isn't a musician. Its the equivalent of you on bass turning your bass upto 11 and absolutely ragging the PA with bass..... because you can. You don't, because you know better. He's being awkward. And ruining the band sound. Put him in charge of sound, see how he likes it. Let him deal with the complaints if you get any.

Some beauties here. Great to see they're still lasting the test of time.

I'll start with my 1972 Kay 20 b. All original, all works, sounds great. Nice finish and feel. Looks lovely. Bits I like: 1. The fact each pickup has an on/off/mix switch, a volume and a tone. 2. The little pointers under the numbered knobs. Makes it super easy to dial in what you want. 3. It has character. Nice finish and feels more handmade than a like a modern cnc'd piece of wood. Edit: the headstock photo was taken before I did some work on it - previous owner had strung it all wrong!!

With time flying, how about a thread / club for all those basses (not bassists) who have reached or surpassed the grand age of 50. Would be interesting to see what's out there, what condition, what stories, history etc.

I've seen these, as I'm sure many have, on the Internet for years. I've also seen many opinions about them being complete tat. So, one popped up and I snapped it up. It's a 1972. The guy bought it when he was 12 at school and never really used it. One of those purchases that just gets continually moved around the house for years. He'd sold his amp 25 years ago, so couldn't be tested, but I was fine with that. It looks great, surprisingly light, and short scale, but looks cool!! The neck was very nice to be fair, nice size, feel, look and finish. The fret board had age related character and was straight. The tuners just seemed to be loose but I'd take a look at them. The bridge looked crazy, but a tidy and a quick investigation meant I could lower it fine. Still highish, maybe truss rod needs adjusting. As suspected, the electrics didn't work, so I took it apart. Hammered it with switch cleaner and turned everything a million times. Slightly adjusted the jack and hey presto! It was brought back to life!! I've fitted a pair of flats - surprisingly the tuners now feel great under tension - for that authentic early 70s feel. It sounds great! Each pick up has volume and tone. And the switch flicks from top - both - bottom for 3 independent sounds. These definitely are not tat like some say. I'm really happy, and will happily gig it! All in all very happy. Cool looking bass. 52 years old. And brought back to life ready for gigging

My z3 came from Andertons this week. Great condition, set up nice. No flaws. Very happy.

Wow! Got my z3 today in black sparkle! Its an absolute stunner! Came well set up and ready for action. Sounds great, eq very strong and you can get huge tonal differences. Active and passive works great. Lovely neck and feels quite light (I'd estimate 9lbs). Photos online don't do these justice.