Doddy

I bought the 5 string version about six weeks ago,and really like it. I don't really play around too much with the active circuit-just a very slight mid boost. It sounds really good,plays great and has no quality control issues. It's done most of my gigs since I got it.

[quote name='Les Paul Lover' post='812391' date='Apr 20 2010, 11:41 AM']Prime bass, I had discounted squier/fender basses altogether because i thought they all come with pickguards - however that Jazz Bass is totally pickguard free![/quote] It's also a fretless. I'd still be inclined to look at the Squier Classic Vibe's. They're ace. Other than that,I'd say look at the Ibanez Soundgear series. I know a couple of people with SR300's-they're good instruments. You can get some nice Cort's and Schecter's around that price range too.

[quote name='Raggy' post='812842' date='Apr 20 2010, 06:10 PM']Wot that then?[/quote] theacademyofsound.co.uk/ note.... I don't work for them.

Flea because of this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZoowWAPZA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXZoowWAPZA[/url] In all seriousness,I've never overly dug either of them.Even though I like Level 42 I really don't like Mark King's tone at all,and his lines don't impress me-he's really known for his right hand speed. Same with Flea-I liked the Chili's,although their new stuff sucks,but as a player he doesn't do it for me. Ignoring their bands popularity or musical style,I can think of a hundred players who I think are better.

The Roland Cube is a sweet little bugger. Also,without being a knob( "You? Being a Knob,Doddy?"I hear you all cry, "Never" ) your sound starts in your hands, so maybe examining your technique would be a good start to improve your slap sound.

So I was speaking to PeteAcademy in the shop today(as usual),and he was saying that they are going to be getting a load of Ashdown gear in stock that has been used by some of their big name endorsees on various gigs. Could be worth checking out,as by the sound of things,it looks like they are going to be very nicely priced indeed. Just thought some of you might like a quick heads up. Here endeth the public service announcement.

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='811533' date='Apr 19 2010, 04:42 PM']Cobham's version of Stratus was played by Leland Sklar wasn't it?[/quote] It certainly Leland Sklar,and it was later sampled by the Massive Attack on the track 'Safe from Harm'.

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='810923' date='Apr 18 2010, 11:43 PM']Yeah, they're okay for YTS lads, but there're better players out there, both technically and musically.[/quote] Well said.

[quote name='Oscar South' post='810611' date='Apr 18 2010, 07:19 PM']If thats the 'Conundrum' play along book its awful, loads of obvious mistakes. Stratus is the easiest song ever to figure out, barely any sections. I'd recommend just sticking to it. Most of it is just Bm pentatonic.[/quote] Isn't the 'Conundrum' book taken from versions played with the London Jazz Orchestra,so different than the classic versions of the tracks? I haven't looked at the Bass book,but the Drum one one is alright. The Jeff Beck version of 'Stratus' didn't do it for me. It has a long way to go to be as good as Cobham's original...But then again I love the whole 'Spectrum' album. My favourite take on it is on the Stanley Clarke and Friends album 'Live at the Greek' (with Cobham and Larry Carlton).

I wouldn't do it personally. I like the understated elegance of my Bergantino too much. I know drummers who have their band name on the front head even though the band rarely does anything. It's cool when the band is playing,but sometimes the drummer may be playing with another band and then I don't think it's cool. If you want a big logo for your band,you'd be better off buying a large backdrop.It is more visible than the speakers and when you put one up at a gig,it instantly makes the stage 'yours'.

Bear in mind that most octavers have trouble tracking below about an A. I've had an EBS Octabass for years now(the old grey one with the jacks reversed) and I think it's great. I recently tried it against the MXR Bass Octave Deluxe,and slightly prefered the EBS-it seemed a little smoother. The MXR is still a great pedal though. After using the EBS for ages (it was the first single pedal I bought) I recently got hold of an old Boss OC2,and am totally loving it. So much so,that if I don't need(or want) to take my whole board out, the OC2 is one of the few pedals I take with me(along with the Emma DiscumBOBulator and the TC Nova Repeater). It's quickly become one of my favourite pedals.

I know what you mean about transposing instruments and it makes sense,but I think in this case it's like telling a Tenor player to tune to B and play as if you are still in Bb. It doesn't happen. Being pedantic about it-the Bass is actually a transposing instrument. It sounds an octave lower than written. Hal Leonard know their target market for those books is non readers,so they can write as though it's in standard tuning and tell the reader to detune,and they will because chances are they don't know where the correct notes are anyway and will just play the numbers. They don't see a C,they see it as 3rd fret. The stave and tab do match up with each other,they just don't match up to the actual recording in regards to pitch.

This is an area that seems to have a couple of conflicting opinions....so here's my take on it. I really dislike any transcription that says you should detune and then proceeds to write the notes out as if you were in standard tuning. Where they have written an A is indeed an Ab,so as far as I'm concerned it's incorrect. Now I know some people will say that you should just detune and play what's written,but even then it is still written wrongly.If you dropped the tuning a semitone,A is now on the 1st fret not an open string. Basically,it has been written like this for a couple of reasons. Obviously,D major is easier to read than Db even though the piece is actually in Db,but I think the main reason is because the vast majority of people who will buy that type of book have no idea about reading and will just detune and play from the tab because it doesn't require any thinking about-They aren't hearing the pitches,they are seeing fingerings.That's why this kind of instruction only appears in Rock Tab books. You would never get this in a real world gigging situation.

You should be able to find the information in pretty much any decent piano or theory book,or website. Don't approach them as being 'bass chords'. It's the same no matter what instrument you do it on. If you have a solid knowledge of the fingerboard and basic reading(ie. where the notes on the stave are)you should be able to apply it to the bass easily enough. The only reason I say basic reading is necessary is because most books will write the chords on the stave and won't necessarily name the note. Just for starters..... A major triad (chord) is made up of the I,III,V of a major scale. See if you can work out the notes and at least one fingering for all 12 notes. You can even write it on a stave if you are feeling confident.

I really like the Genz Benz stuff. I've used a Neo-Pak head (forerunner to the Shuttle) for a few years now. If you are happy with the SWR stuff,why not check out their new lightweight range? They do the Headlight which is a 400 watt head,the Amplight is an additional 400 watt power amp,and the Golight series of cabs.

[quote name='MythSte' post='808435' date='Apr 16 2010, 02:15 PM']I really love the pick tone - but my hand cramps up so quickly when using a pick and i simply dont have the patience to try and get used to pick style! I wish i did... Any advice on fast tracking is appreciated![/quote] A fast track way of playing with a pick? Bearing in mind that I pretty much never use a pick..... I was doing theatre show a couple of years ago and a bunch of the numbers stated pick and palm mute. So I grabbed a pick out of my case(I always carry some) and played them. In that situation you don't have the option to mess up,so you just do it. There is nothing like a bit of pressure to push you into doing something right first time. I still rarely play with a pick,but I know that I can if need be. I really like the sound of a pick with palm mute. I usually use anything between about 1.1 to 1.5mm. Usually Dunlop,although I really like the Ibanez Steve Vai model. I don't like picks that flex a lot,I prefer them to be fairly rigid.

I've been pro for 10 years now,and still feel the need to take lessons occasionally. I never want to get to the point where I don't want to learn something new. I still take lessons a few times a year,and to be honest the stuff I learn can easily be studied for a good 6-12 months or more-it's some hard stuff,but it brings something new to my playing. Even just talking to the guys for half the lesson is enough to give me inspiration and some new ideas about how to approach things..not always musical. Do I need lessons ? Probably not. Do I want lessons ? Totally.

Valves don't really bother me all that much. As good as the new Ashdown is and as much as I've enjoyed using the occasional SVT 2,I generally prefer a solid state amp. I find that for me,a solid state amp is more 'hi-fi' sounding compared to the warmth you get with valves. Having said that,nothing sounds like an overdriven valve amp. The weight issue is also big for me-I don't want to carry something that heavy.

I borrowed an early '90's Squier Precision for a few weeks before getting my first bass, which was a Tanglewood Rebel-not the 4k,the older model with a slightly smaller body, painted neck and matching headstock. It's a great little bass,I did a load of gigs with it. I've still got it,but strung up in tenor tuning. My first amp was an old,little 60 Watt Starforce that was sitting in the garage. It's not great, but I still have it in the corner of my bedroom for occasional practice. It does the job.My first gigging amp was a Trace Elliot Commando 100,which came a few months later. I got my first effects unit about 6 months later.... a Zoom 506 multi effect which is sitting in a draw now. This all started in February/March '96.

[quote name='Faithless' date='Apr 14 2010, 08:56 AM' post='805711' For me, it's kinda hard to describe, what a pure DB sounds like - to me, it's sound is a bit 'soulless', 'empty', 'wolly', if you know, what I mean.. But that's what makes it sooo special [/quote] That is the total opposite if how I'd describe a double bass to sound.

The UCAS points are..... Grade 8 Distinction 75 Merit 70 Pass 55 Grade 7 Distinction 60 Merit 55 Pass 40 Grade 6 Distinction 45 Merit 40 Pass 25

I've never been a huge fan of Mark Bass cabs-but then again I do use a Bergantino HS410,which is the only cab I've heard that I had to have. However I did try one of Pete's New Yorker cabs with my Genz Benz head,and I have to say that they are superb. It had no trouble handling both my electric and upright and sounded great. If I was to go down the Mark Bass route(which I very nearly did)these are the cabs I'd go for.

Check this thread out in Theory and Technique..... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=84261"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=84261[/url] I don't think you ever will get an electric bass to sound like an Upright. The Roland V-Bass system has probably the best Upright effect I've heard so far,but even then something is missing-It just doesn't sound or feel 'right'.

I'm going to be slightly controversial again,but as I've probably said before,an electric bass will never sound like an upright. You can do things like roll the tone off and palm mute,or stick a big lump of foam under the strings which will change sound and the sustain,but it won't sound like an upright. However,to get a 'thuddier' sound,I'd try palm muting. Lay the side of your hand over the strings,and then drop it down so that you are plucking with your thumb. Also roll the tone knob right off. It's an easier way than having to stick a wedge of foam under the strings,although that is also a cool sound.