Doddy

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178832' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:41 PM']Wow, you suddenly look very desirable, Paul.[/quote] More so than usual?

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178816' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:34 PM']Cheers, mate.[/quote] It's alright.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1178765' date='Mar 27 2011, 09:07 PM']Slap bass DVD by Alex somebody.[/quote] The Slap Bass Program by Alexis Sklarevski.

[quote name='skej21' post='1178378' date='Mar 27 2011, 03:30 PM']As for the backing singer, without pics - she doesn't exist. Get her as your avatar [/quote] Done

I'm just watching the Taylor Swift concert on the BBC red button thingy. She's a pretty dodgy singer,but the band is ok and she's got some alright songs. Anyway,she just did a duet with her bass player where he played a nice solo. Not particularly technical,but it was melodic and sounded really good....and on a P bass. Oh yeah,her backing singer is hot.

I play whatever is the easiest,especially on a reading gig.

I always carry two basses. One of them is always my main Fender Jazz,the other depends on my mood but is often a Fender Jazz 5 or my Shuker 5. Sometimes the 5 sits as a backup if I feel like using the 4 string Jazz,other times it's the other way around. Either way,I have 2 basses at a gig and one is always my Jazz. Even on an upright gig,the Jazz is there just in case.

I like it,but either the back of the body should be coloured or the neck shouldn't be.

I always carry a DI box,often two. Even though my Genz Benz has a good DI out,I like using a DI box after my effects to get a good clean sound.I also carry my own mic,although I use it less frequently right now. Some gigs I just use the DI,others I just use the mic,others I use both. It usually depends on the sound guy-some guys I don't like the sound they EQ with the DI so I use the mic,whereas other guys get a great sound with just a DI. For me,it's all about having options. For some gigs I don't use an amp,so I use either a Line 6 Pod or a Sadowsky Preamp/DI. Cables. It's well worth buying a couple of good quality cables-it'll make a huge difference to the sound quality. I used a wireless for a while,but much prefer to use some good cables. If you want to balance two basses,try an AB box with independent volumes for each channel. Something like the Boss LS2 will do this,and much more.

[quote name='Clarky72' post='1171799' date='Mar 22 2011, 09:49 AM']Did it really not occur to them to not make the drophead combos a total beer-sponge? I can just see a pint coming its way in a packed pub and instantly dying on the spot, what a complete ball ache! Think I'll stick to those old fashioned amp ideas where they put them in a casing, crazy but they might just have something with that design....[/quote] You know that it's basically modelled on the classic Ampeg B15,right?

I use Sibelius,but it's a bit expensive. This might be worth a look..... [url="http://musescore.org/"]http://musescore.org/[/url]

I've just had a crack at Janek Gwizdala's 'The Space in Between' and Mike Stern's 'Chromazone'. I'm feeling pretty loose and warmed up now.

Try and place your thumb in the middle of the neck pretty much adjacent to your middle finger. You should almost be making a triangle between your thumb,index and ring fingers. You don't need to grip the neck with the thumb either. Instead you should use it more as a pivot/balance point. You should be able to lift your thumb off the neck and still be able to play.

[quote name='Dronny' post='1175695' date='Mar 25 2011, 10:50 AM']I'd like to put some time into improving my playing, I know this will probably involve scales and modes and such, but I'm really not sure where to start, and how to get the best "bang for buck" out of my limited time. TBH I don't think learning to sight-read will be a realistic goal, so I'm looking for other approaches. I'm really fed up with playing the same few blues fills and want to stretch myself a bit more.[/quote] Learning to read is the best 'bang for the buck' thing to learn,so why avoid it? I'm not talking about sight reading Wooten stuff,but reading to a competent,basic level will make a huge difference. It will open up a lot of new options as,if nothing else,you will be able to understand the exercises in magazines and books which will give you new ideas. I could suggest learning scales and arpeggios and all that,but if you can read,even a little,it will be easier to learn and understand the notes involved than if you learn them as a pattern or whatever. Reading is a realistic goal-it's not that hard really and can,at times,be practiced away from the bass. It may not have the instant 'wow' of learning a flashy pentatonic lick,but it's a far more important and valuable musical skill.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1173523' date='Mar 23 2011, 04:55 PM']Just played an Aspiration Deluxe 4 and a Contemporary J 4. Unbelievably well set up, straight out of the box. Great workmanship and sound. Absolute winners. [/quote] I just tried them ones out,along with the Contemporary J 5. What great instruments. I'm just waiting to try a Classic J out now. I reckon I'll have a Classic or Contemporary J soon.

[quote name='Bankai' post='1174637' date='Mar 24 2011, 01:52 PM']Sennheiser e602-II seems to be the microphone of choice for the touring bands we have in. Recommended [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/sennheiser_e_602_ii.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/sennheiser_e_602_ii.htm[/url][/quote] That's what I use.

Try Johnny Shredfreak. They're only a couple of quid there and they're good quality.

[quote name='BottomE' post='1173717' date='Mar 23 2011, 07:28 PM']Its about the fairest way we could think of. If you factor in that we get a lot of repeat bookings there are many occassions when the hustling only has to happen once and the commission keeps coming for each gig so the effort becomes minimal. It gives incentive and doesn't take too much out of the pot for everyone else. Works for us.[/quote] The biggest downside is that it may make every member hustle for gigs,and could lead to potential diary clashes. I think it's much better to let one guy be in charge of the diary.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1173855' date='Mar 23 2011, 08:48 PM']Just received my BGM (early because I subscribe). 65 basses you should try...didn't include Roscoe or Tobias. Gutted. [/quote] Pffft What's going on????? You've actually got a subscription copy before I got mine from the local shop? That hasn't happened for a while.

So,if you've got say,a 35" scale,the intonation will theoretically be slightly better on the lower strings than on a a standard 34"? I must say,I think it's cool that Sheldon is happy to come on here and talk about the details and reasoning behind his instruments. Fair play...I wish more manufacturers were this open. (now to get Gard from Roscoe to come over from Talkbass).

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1173792' date='Mar 23 2011, 08:14 PM']I believe you. [/quote] Seriously....It would be easy for someone to read that and actually try to see the benefits in not learning them.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1173785' date='Mar 23 2011, 08:11 PM'][/quote] I got it....... I was just making a point.

[quote name='pietruszka' post='1173741' date='Mar 23 2011, 07:49 PM']Age shouldn't matter really, I was in a club band when I was 18! John Frusciante was in the chilis at 17 I heard, and turned down a job in the Frank Zappa band at 15.[/quote] Not quite.... Apparently he got an audition but never went after finding out about Zappas anti drug policy.

You know the song 'Peaches'? That's a minor pentatonic scale. The guitar riff from 'My Girl'? Major Pentatonic scale. Scales aren't dexterity exercises-they are an essential part of learning music. Chords are derived from the relationship of notes within scales. The notes and harmony of different keys can be understood via scales. Diatonic harmony is all about the relationship of notes within scales. There is an awful lot of knowledge contained in scales,and even a basic understanding will make a huge difference. Weighing up the pros and cons? I don't think there is anything to weigh up. There are no cons in learning about how scales work.

The bandleader always gets a bigger cut in the function bands I work with. I'm offered the gig for X amount,and I choose to accept it or not. It's the same with the rest of the band. I know roughly how much the bands go out for,but if I accept the gig and the amount I don't feel I have a right to complain about the split.