Doddy

If you wanted the same tuning you would have to tune the B string UP a semitone to a C. Personally,if I was playing a 5 string I wouldn't bother tuning up to C as it is already on the first fret of the B string. I've ever felt the need to change my tuning on a 5 string. Alternatively,if you feel that you have to be tuned to an open C,you may be better off stringing your 4 string with heavier gauge strings.

I've got a natural Tobias Standard 6-it's the bass in my avatar. They are great basses. Mike Tobias told me that they only made about 400 of the Standard range. They're great instruments.

I use the Boss RC-20XL. I like it-it's easy to use,and it's the best practise tool.

[quote name='robocorpse' post='658692' date='Nov 18 2009, 10:50 PM']I personally would rather go with someone who knows jack sh.t about the workings and can just hit it.[/quote] So why are guys like Steve Pearce,Paul Westwood,Phil Mulford, and Trevor Barry (to name a few) so busy? Because they can 'hit it' and know what they are doing. I'd much rather hire someone like this than a player who can only 'busk' it. Back to the Pete's question,understanding the basics of a range of genres is a big part of interpreting charts. If you know the stylistic differences between,say, Rock,Jazz and Country, you can apply the correct feels to the music as you are reading them. The charts give you all the information regarding what to play,but it's up to the player to interpret it the correct way.

I don't know one person who has 'suffered' from reading. It does sound like you are trying to justify a reason for not reading. Besides,I know loads of non-readers who can't groove or swing for toffee. Reading does not hurt your feel or make you a 'robot'-I don't care what anyone says. The only time I hear anything negative is from people who can't do it. Without hi-jacking the thread(sorry Pete),Let's look at it another way-I don't get why people would not want to read. It's part of the language of music and opens up so many doors that are unavailable to non-readers-from educational material to gigs.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='91907' date='Nov 20 2007, 11:20 PM']anyone got a shot of them wearing a pork pie hat?[/quote] Yes........check my avatar.

Essential Sound Products Power Cables. Oh......and Furman Power Conditioners.

What if you are playing an original piece and you just 'jam' it? How do you know how to make it groove? For me,the only difference when reading it that is it tells you what to play. It's easy enough to tell if it's straight or swung or whatever,but like everything else it then comes down to interpretation. It's easy enough to write down a Rocco line,but no one will play it the same as Rocco will-reading or not.

What's wrong with just licking the battery?

I use a Genz Benz Neo-Pak with my Bergantino HS410. The Mark Bass LMII is great,but after trying them side by side,I found the GB to be a little more 'Hi-Fi' than the LMII-which is what I was after. I also preferred the sound of the Berg HS410 over the AE410. I love my rig. It's ace

Like Jakesbass says it's all about technique. I disagree with the 'no pain,no gain' philosophy. If you are doing it correctly it shouldn't hurt at all.

I know that Tom Barney played on that track and he normally uses a custom ESP bass,and a Stingray,as on the Two against Nature DVD. According to the interview in Bass Player(October 2000) its his ESP five string on 'Gaslighting Abbie'.

I played one at Music Live for a bit and loved the quality and sound ,but really disliked playing it.I found the neck to be way to narrow for me,and it just didn't feel comfortable.

As good as it is,the Barefaced cabs were in the Nov issue-I'm on about the Holiday issue with Scott LaFaro on the cover.

Awesome Player. Check out his playing on Quincy Jones's album 'Q's Jook Joint'. Really cool.

It's pretty good this month. Good article on Scott LaFaro-Finally. Cool to see Dave Dreiwitz from Ween too.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='652076' date='Nov 11 2009, 10:36 PM']Well, he does the clinics, and he tours with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller - excuse me if I assume that that's another gig where the audience is 100% bass players but I don't think it's an unreasonable assumption given that nobody else in the world would know who they are. He's got the Flecktones gig I suppose, but is there anything else he does where the music comes first? It seems his 'day job' is more about showing off his chops than being especially musical.[/quote] You don't tour with guys like Chick Corea and Mike Stern if you aren't musical. They may require technical ability but it's still about the music first. Have you heard the Track he recorded India Arie? It's great and doesn't require any major chops.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='652060' date='Nov 11 2009, 10:11 PM']Well, as I've now stated explicitly I have heard some of his music. But what I was criticising was the showy nonsense he does, not his "serious music". I don't like his music but that's not really relevant, it's his music and not everybody has to like it, but I found it a little incongruous for him to declare that music's all about communication and pointless unless you have something to say, and then spend such a large proportion of his time showing off his chops for drooling bass players.[/quote] He does show his chops off at times,but what is underneath it all is a solid musical foundation. Playing at a trade show and showing off chops is a world away from his 'day job' of actually playing music.

The best thing for improving your playing is to take lessons. There are a load of good books about-I particularly like Ed Friedland's Walking Bass Lines books and Chuck Sher's Improvisers Bass Method. But the best thing to do is use these books in conjunction with lessons. You're guaranteed to improve that way.

I'd much rather run the track all the way down but once I've left the studio it's generally out of my hands. Sometimes it's kept as is,other times it's cut and pasted all over the shop.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='652024' date='Nov 11 2009, 09:36 PM']If you actually read what I've written you'll notice your response is completely hatstand and irrelevant. And I didn't assume anything, I've heard his music, the only person making assumptions here is you.[/quote] But you have made a couple of comments about 'awful double-thumb slapping noise'. While that is probably the biggest reason for his notoriety,it is only one part of his playing. How you come across is that this one technique is all you are familiar with when it comes to his music. Therefor you seemingly dismiss his music on technical grounds. You then refer to 'solid sections of unlistenable w***ery' on his first album (A Show of Hands). That's funny I've listened to the album a number of times.

[quote name='supabock' post='652006' date='Nov 11 2009, 09:20 PM']Any one considered Paul Westwwod or Steve Pearce ??[/quote] Now you're talking. Both great guys as well as being monster players.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='651989' date='Nov 11 2009, 09:03 PM']Much like any other musician, I judge him on his music. If he hadn't wanted me to hear his awful double-thumb slapping noise then he shouldn't have recorded it, A MILLION TIMES. I have to assume he thinks it sounds great, but I think it sounds like a dustbin full of rocks rolling down an escalator. But even so if he hadn't also opined about how music's pointless unless you've got something to say, I wouldn't be sitting here calling him a hypocrite now would I? If he'd just said "Yeah I like to goof off and make these clangy noises to show off and I know it sounds like sh*t but what the hell, I can do it and you can't" then my only reasonable response would've been "fair play".[/quote] Someone hasn't been listening to Wootens albums. There is alot of great music on his albums that don't involve any thumping at all,so calling him out as being a hypocrite is just bullsh*t. Once again,people see the chops and assume it's due to lack of music and feeling. Whatever.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='651969' date='Nov 11 2009, 08:37 PM']OMIGOD...I actually agree with you!!![/quote]