D.I. Joe

You can get a theramin iPhone app, if that's any help.

It really does depend on what your needs are. If you only use a clean bass tone then you won't need any tone or colouration pedals. The compressor debate is down to everyone's personal taste just as much as any other pedals would be - and let's not forget that you can set a compressor in many different ways to achieve different effects, tonally or otherwise. Personally, a good compressor is something that I would never be without. I have a Boss CS-3 kitted up with the Monte Allums Opto-Plus mod and it is always on to keep the bass sound focused and audible in the mix, without squeezing the life out of my tone and dynamics. It can be a fine line but it's so satisfying to be able to hear every note precisely and not just be lost in a bellowing rumble.

Basschat members in Cornwall are a pretty rare beast! The only member's bands that I have seen live are DeanoVW's Tumbao and Cameltoe's Hold The Sun, though they now have a different bassist. I keep meaning to check out Basschatters' recordings and live videos but I never know quite where to start! Best dive in head first I suppose! Thanks for the link to the Share Your Music forum - I'll be sure to check it out!

[quote name='0175westwood29' timestamp='1388800949' post='2326336'] could i maybe put a strange suggestion out there, why not use a good quality capo? to bring the bass up a tone? easy and quick and no second bass needed just tune the bass to d and pop a capo on the right fret andy [/quote] Exactly what I would suggest! Having 2 basses at a gig is never a bad idea though.

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1387210654' post='2309406'] Would have loved to meet up again, but I can't go to this for the same reason as I'm missing the LBGS - holiday in Tenerife. It seems that all the best events of the year are on that weekend! I'm also missing a comedy in improv masterclass/workshop on the same day. :-0 This had better be a bloody good holiday to make up for it! [/quote] Boo! I hope it rains, that'll learn ye

Sounds good! I'll be at the Guitar Show with The Bare Knuckle Blues Band, performing in the afternoon on both days, and probably milling around the Bare Knuckle Pickups stand too. It'd be good to get a chance to meet some fellow Basschatters at the show!

I asked Tim (Bare Knuckle CEO) about the 65 and he said that it's really designed for basses that have really heavy wood which sounds really dull and dark. The 65 has much more top end response and a bit less bottom than the more versatile 58, which is what I use and is fantastic. It might be that a snarly top end is what you're after, but if not then the 58 would be a better shout.

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1384298845' post='2275097'] For people who like a Precision better just use your neck pickup on your Rickenbacker. If the clanging treble from the bridge pickup is too much, turn down the tone knob for that pickup. As aggressive as the distortion is on " Smoke On The Water", many bands want it clean. Roger Glover seems to use a cleaner sound on the recent What Now? album. You probably don't want h. f. horns . They are too harsh for proper 'Purple tone. [/quote] I think he uses Vigier pretty much exclusively now though.

[quote name='paulieaudiobloom' timestamp='1383692353' post='2267902'] I don't have any experience with Trinity or Rockschool but you should definitely check out the Registry of Guitar Tutors bass grades ([url="http://www.rgt.org/exams/bass-guitar.php"]http://www.rgt.org/e...bass-guitar.php[/url]). They are recognized qualifications and the advanced grades (6,7 and 8) count as UCAS points towards university. You learn scales, arpeggios, modes, bass patterns in different styles, improv, various aural skills and much more. Plus you only have to buy three books at the most and can take any exam you like rather than them all. It massively improved my playing no doubt! [/quote] Now that looks worth a look! Thanks

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1383580926' post='2266140'] I spoke to a guy who skipped grades 2 and 4 and regretted not doing them. I'll talk to my tutor again - I plan on becoming a tutor so my intention is to complete all of the courses so that I have firsthand experience of them myself. [/quote] Sounds like my situation too. I'm looking to begin tutoring and I'm thinking that using the grades would be a good way to go. When I started I went straight in at Grade 4 but I think that the way the books work is that they take you from the ground up, so would be useful for absolute beginners.

I'd go with whatever your tutor thinks most appropriate.

[quote name='Mr Fretbuzz' timestamp='1383430149' post='2264517'] I got Rockschool Grade 3 with Merit after 6 months of playing and spending so much time on it held back my playing. [/quote] Interesting to hear that you found this, though the first one I did was Grade 4. I found that the grades helped me to improve my playing enormously; not just in terms of technical ability, but with musical understanding of a range of styles as well. I went through the grades while I was at college as I had free bass lessons as part of my course (which I did alongside A-Levels) and at the end passed Grade 8. The higher grades are especially helpful in developing versatility with different styles and techniques and the Grade 8 exam features some ear training, improvising and transcribing exercises.

[quote name='ML94' timestamp='1383382228' post='2263761'] I'm doing the trinity grade 8 now. I'd say its more enjoyable than the rock school as there 'real songs'. Even though they aren't transcribed to bit by bit they get the general jist of. [b]Then there's the improvisation and reading part. You choose one of them and then do it lol. Then there's the 3 general questions like what do the knobs on your bass do etc. pretty hard to fail IMO[/b] [/quote] Referring to Rockschool here? Sounds familiar

I've only done Rockschool. I think it's a great resource, it's good for learning different styles and techniques and some essential theory and scales. Not had any experience of the Guildhall though so don't know how it compares. I do think that the Rockschool Grades are a fantastic tool for anyone at a beginner/intermediate level. If you're more advanced as a player then they could still benefit you as an introduction to theory, but I think (blindly) that the Guildhall grades are more theory intensive. (?) I've been thinking about revisiting grades and doing the Guildhall grades myself for this reason.

Yup. Perhaps almost as much as the spec of the pickup itself.

You're right, but those instruments that were new at the time are the ones which today show 40 years of wear and battle scars. I'm sure that the relicing process is more about making a new instrument look like one of that age as it is today, rather than replicating how it would have looked at that time.

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1379745553' post='2216342'] Interesting, I hadn't seen that vid before. The J pickup seemed very strong and tuneful indeed to me(and I'm not normally a great bridge J fan). The P pickup sounded rather weak in the mids however. I think it would have a tendency to disappear in a band context. I didn't like it at all. The distorted sounds were nice, but all you were really hearing was the tone of the distortion "device" (software ?) rather than the pickups as they all sounded very similar. [/quote] I have the '58 on my precision and I've never found it to be lacking in the mix, but let's not forget that the pickup is just one piece of the puzzle. Bass setup, woods, strings, hardware, electronics, your amp and everything in between will have some affect on your sound, both solo and in an ensemble/band context. Also, I'd agree to some extent with what you say about distortion sounds - the coloration of a device on any two given guitars may be the same but the overall sound will be different, in accordance with the differences of the two raw signals. And the '60 PE - I think it's lovely Bare Knuckle unfortunately don't make 5 string sets, but I had my Squier VM Jazz V pickups re-wound to the PE spec. The standard bridge pickup that I had sounded thin and harsh and was thus rarely used. The BK that I have now certainly sounds bright, but isn't too harsh and sharp-sounding and is actually my preferred solo pickup sound. Don't be swayed just by my words though, I don't work for Bare Knuckle Pickups, I just play in the band This is just my personal opinion, you should go with whatever works best for you!

Passive for me, for similar reasons as posted above. I prefer the tone and I'll never need to change the battery. Win WIN!

Soo... When's the next one?

Ashdown ABM 500 Evo II and Barefaced Compact Cuz that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it! I also have an Asdown ABM 115 Compact that doesn't get a look in anymore. I'm 22 and my back is good, so why do I have compact and relatively lightweight gear? 1 - I have a small car 2 - I spend my daytime moving heavy stuff around and can't be bothered to do so in my evenings as well 3 - I think it sounds great. If you can get a sound that you're happy with from lightweight gear, then why bother lugging around the heavy stuff? (Unless of course, you hire people to do that for you! )

Or save yourself a bit of cash and go for Fender flats. They too are rather bright for flats, feel great and are cheaper than Chromes - and they are also made by D'Addario!

Okay, I'll admit that I'm a little biased but check these out. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHwbwYmNMWo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHwbwYmNMWo[/url]

Just bought a Barefaced Compact from John [quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1345666227' post='1780311'] Great price, extremely fast delivery and fantastic packaging. It even has the original box & manual. John did exactly what he said he would and kept in touch regularly with updates and answers to any questions. Brilliant - this is how all transactions should work. Deal with confidence and an absolute pleasure to deal with. [/quote] My experience exactly. John is an excellent and clearly a consistent seller. Thanks again

I don't think I've seen you guys actually, though as you say, I might have done at the beer festival without realising! I'll be sure to come check you out. Last couple of years I've been out with Fragile Sanity mainly and a few gigs with Mehal, and various deps. Nowadays I'm a one band man! Just recently started with the Bare Knuckle Blues Band. I'm used to being the youngest member of the band, though the age gap is a bit bigger than what I've had before! Great bunch of guys though and absolutely fantastic musicians.

The man, the legend! Are you a member of the Matt Davy Appreciation Society on Facebook? Been a bit quiet on there recently though I jammed with him and Matt Little for a while a few years ago and we came up with some great stuff, but then Davy left to focus on HTS and I was concentrating on other things too... Small world though eh! Which band are you with now?