peteb

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1341259932' post='1716084'] This whole modern requirement of a flat EQ to sound great is crazy. You might well be missing out on a fantastic amp which needs a small tweak. Also, not all amps at their 'flat' setting are actually flat. Don't get me wrong, it's easy when it's good at 12 o'clock, but the EQ is there for a reason. [/quote] Plus 1 FWIW – when I was originally looking for a lightweight amp and first tried out some Mark Bass amps in a shop I was pretty underwhelmed! However, a couple of mates of mine were using MB stuff and I had to admit that they worked well with a band live, so eventually I bought one. I’ve tried out most of the lightweight amps around and there are not many that I rate, but the LM3 has a certain warmth, plenty of power and it just works live (including at higher volumes) unlike Genz Benz, etc (IMO). It isn’t a simple plug & play amp and you do need to play about with the filters to get the best out of it, but there is a decent sound in there if you persevere! Like most people, I must say that I’m not at all keen on the cabs. If I had to choose, I would still have to say that I prefer my Boogie mpulse, but these days I find myself taking out the LM3 more often than not! We used it at my wedding party a few months as the house bass amp with five (rock) bands using it. Everyone who played thru it [b]and[/b] the sound engineer remarked on how good it sounded. I know that one of the guys who played that night is now thinking of getting one….!

[quote name='untune' timestamp='1340313297' post='1702859'] Check out Henrik Freischlader! [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ImtsezbpqE&feature=related[/media] [/quote] I do like that...!

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1340224214' post='1701472'] Make that +2 [/quote] Well a -1 from me, which makes +1 For me, the Ed Freidland book is alright for real newcomers to the blues but is just a bit too basic - tell me something that I don't already know! [quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1340211595' post='1701189'] Last tip. Less is more. [/quote] Not necessarily - feel is everything but sometimes more actually is more! The trouble with playing a simple type of music like blues is that it can get a touch boring if you're not careful and sometimes a bit of flash can be very welcome [quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1340284038' post='1702274'] I don't "get" Joe Bonamassa's blues. I've listened to several albums but he just leaves me cold. [/quote] General rule of thumb: early Bonamassa = good; recent Bonamassa = boring! I’m afraid that no one can churn out that number of records and maintain any sort of quality control For those who don’t like blues with lots of lead guitar – I’m afraid that a large part of the blues market in Britain (& Europe) is for SRV, Rory Gallagher, Bonamassa, etc, basically guitar led stuff Try listening to Henrik Freischlader, King King, Ben Poole – loads of great new blues acts around!

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1339445159' post='1688693'] Depends on your interpretation of 'Funky'. [/quote] You can interpret 'funky' in many ways However, the OP was talking about Little Feat & SRV but we've had people putting forward Offspring & the Artic Monkeys!

Some of these suggestions are a bit random considering the songs that the OP said that he was thinking of doing in his initial post...!

Steve Lukather did a cracking version of Freedom (the Hendrix tune rather thah the George Michael one): [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOmgg-1B85A[/media] First on that comes to mine, must be many others....

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1339153597' post='1684414'] Martin's a very experienced and skilled drummer - he could just play quieter , or he could use practise sticks. But we won't allow him to. His being a big hitter is part of the reason we chose him and he chose us so if venues don't want that they're welcome to go get another band. When I tell publicans what beer to sell they can tell me how to play. One of the benefits of not being fully professional is you don't have to compromise your music. Remember , also , to never respect the opinions of publicans - chances are they're just drunks who can't get proper jobs. In fact only speak to them to book gigs or ask for your money. 30 + years of gigging have taught me it's better that way. [/quote] Well said that man - a very enlightened and totally correct contribution to the debate!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1339143084' post='1684170'] I was watching him at one point and he was hitting his snare drum so quietly that the snare (which was on) wasn't actually ratlling! Its all about control. [/quote] If he was playing THAT quietly, what exactly was the point of him being there??

There are different types of drummers, who have developed a different technique to suit how they want to play. I mentioned above someone who is a hard-hitting Bonham type rock drummer, but I can also think of another guy who is a terrific technical player but very quiet (no use in a rock band)! Both very good in demand players, both pretty successful drum teachers but one can't can't play loud and the other can't play soft convincingly. Just different types of players who play in different types of musical situations.....

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1339097210' post='1683687'] That sounds more like a problem with head tuning or equalisation on part of the engineer if it is miced up rather than how loud the drummer is playing. I guess it depends on what you're doing. Drums played loudly have a completely different sound to drums played at soft to medium volume. If you want to start playing the drums more softly, it is going to have less attack and not sound quite as good if you're doing rock music. I guess the question is whether you want to put up with that compromise for the purposes of not being too loud? The only other thing I can think of is either getting an electronic kit or drums with smaller shell sizes but I am guessing your drummer does not want to spend loadsamoney. [/quote] I completely agree! Loud drummers by no means necessarily have bad technique ! A mate of mine is a very capable, hard hitting Bonhamesque drummer who plays in a function band (among others). He uses an electronic kit in that band to keep the noise levels down. The only other option is to get a different type of drummer who plays quieter - just don't expect him to cut the mustard if you want to play Led Zep covers...!

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1338925646' post='1681264'] Yep, already been posted by Monckyman, who works with NMA: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/178209-stolen-gear-please-read/"]http://basschat.co.u...ar-please-read/[/url] [/quote] Yea, I was just asked to spread the word around - didn't see the original thread until after I had posted this one

Some gear stolen from New Model Army in Walsall on Saturday (below paisted from a facebook post): This is the full list of the gear stolen from New Model Army on Saturday night, this should not happen to any musician, but in this instance it is as personal as it gets. If anyone has any information but does not wish to speak to the Police directly then contact me and I will pass on the relevant information. Please re-post this net needs spreading as far as possible. Thank you x Gibson Les Pau...l Custom - red (serial number 2051429) Gibson Les Paul Standard - black (serial number 90362428) Epiphone Riviera - red with tremelo arm (serial number R97C0572) Lowden 025 acoustic guitar with pick-up (serial number 5131) Lowden 025 acoustic guitar with pick-up (serial number 12288) Gibson SG - black (serial number 8176566) Fender Precision bass - black All these items were in new or nearly new Hiscox guitar cases Evolution Keyboard (serial number MK361C - 222941) Ampeg SVT 3 amplifier head Fender Blues Master guitar combo (serial number B-181446) USA model 110volts. Custom built pedalboard containing three way control unit for Blackstar combo amplifier, 2 x Boss digital delays, tremelo and tuner pedals and a Cry-baby wah pedal Boss pedalboard containing Boss digital delay, bass overdrive, chorus, compression, and tuner pedals Gator 2U case containing AKG guitar radio receiver (serial number AK3254-001272) All these items were in new or nearly new cases Heavy multi-guitar rack Flight case containing tools for guitar repairs Bag containing microphone stands/drum loom Bag containing guitar cables, looms, power supplies, plectrums, capos, two guitar radio transmitters If you have any information please call the Police Station (crime number 20WS/91324T/12 - Walsall Police Station 0345 1135000) or email us at [email protected]

After a quiet few months I've got 5 gigs in 4 days! All connected to the Hebden Bridge Blues Festival thru, rather than the jubilee. I'm ambivalent about Frau Windsor myself, but if others want to celebrate then that's fine by me.....

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1338288443' post='1672064'] Marcus is a really nice guy and a great player too. He came and jammed with us after one of his gigs in Liverpool a month or two back. Small world [/quote] I've jammed with Marcus when playing in the house band for an late night jam session at a blues festival, and will hopefully being doing the same over the weekend at the Hebden Bridge Blues Festival Great bloke and a very nice player.....

Not as difficult as it first appears! [color=#222222]As mentioned above, the Ox uses some pretty unusual techniques - try listening to the Van Halen version for a more straightforward interpretation of Entwistle's original bass part[/color] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x122AkW4CyI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x122AkW4CyI[/url]

FWIW I think that there is a place for tab, despite it having no professional applications. I play a little classical guitar around the house and have a small repertoire of old English lute pieces and can even shakily play something just about recognisable as ‘Mood For A Day’! There is no way that I could have done that with my meagre (notation) reading skills & limited classical guitar technique if I hadn’t have had access to decent transcriptions in tab! The main problem with tab is not that there are lots of poorly transcribed ones on the net, but that the many good ones that are available, along with a plethora of ‘Lick Library’ type video lessons, allow you to play exactly like your heroes without you having to figure it all out for yourself, which is how most of the old school guys developed their ear….. Reading music will open up certain types of opportunities, especially if you want to play in an orchestra pit (that so happily changed Hector’s life), if you’re going to audition for Beyonce’s backing band or if you want to play the type of sessions that Bilbo was talking about. That is all great, but you can spend a lifetime playing in top quality bands without being able to read. In fact, it would probably be better for your music career to have good harmony BVs or the right haircut! Bilbo asked before if it was a coincidence that if the musicians that I know who could read got the best pro gigs. Actually, by far the most successful of my mates would quite cheerfully admit to being a pretty modest musician and certainly can’t read music at all. However, he looks like a star, can sing, is a nice guy who networks well and has a certain amount of charisma (always the life & soul of the party)! He plays keyboards and rhythm guitar in a couple of alt rock bands (and works as a freelance guitar tech when they are not on the road) and is the one who is currently in France halfway thru a two month tour and who was posting pictures on Facebook of himself on a beach in Australia when we were all freezing in the snow a few months ago…!!

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1336157551' post='1641993'] And perhaps reading helped them to become great players...! [/quote] [color=#222222]Not necessarily! It's the same old argument, there are plenty of great players who can’t read (Billy Sheehan can’t read, neither can Jeff Beck, etc, etc,), but are they exceptions to the rule or are there so many exceptions that the rule does not apply? Probably the best player I have ever played with (also the most highly regarded locally) can’t read a note…..[/color]

[quote name='Faithless' timestamp='1336138924' post='1641493'] And how would you develop your ear? [/quote] You sit at home with your favoutite records, a bass and a pair of headphones and learn the parts to the smallest detail. Ideally you do this with a wide variety of players and styles, hopefully developing a style that will be the sum total of all of your influences yet still your own. Then you play with as many different musicians as possible.....

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336117932' post='1641010'] Not at all. My point was that your reading friends had the pro gigs and you didn't. Is that evidence of cause and effect? Might be, might not. [/quote] Wasn't sure there - when I read back what I had posted I'm not sure that I wouldn't have doubted me! I really don't know if reading was the deciding factor. I chased the gigs that I wanted and made contacts in the same way that they did, theirs just led to bigger things. I don't know whether reading got them in the position to be considered for the pro gigs or not. It helped that they were always great players! [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1336117842' post='1641009'] I did a session last night and, in just over two hours (inc a tea break) recorded 4 tunes I had never heard with people I had never met before. The ear was important but it would have taken a lot longer without the dots. Tab would have been of no use at all. [/quote] Reading undoubtedly makes gigs like that a lot easier and opens up opportunities (although these opportunities do seem to be pretty rare IME). I don't think that anyone is arguing that tab would be anything other than useless in that situation, only that you can spend a lifetime playing in bands (including ones containing guys who play for a living) without ever seeing a chart.....