geilerbass

Based on my own experience, if I really go for it live and engage the audience as much as possible, even at the expense of accuracy, I generally hear more compliments about the gig. I think that the reality is that people rarely notice mistakes unless they are very exposed - and most basslines are seldom exposed. People want to be entertained and that's done by [i]performing [/i]the music, not just playing it. That's not to say all music requires you leaping about like a maniac, but engaging the audience in a way that's appropriate is all part of expressing the essence of the music, which, in my view, is the whole point of playing live. Great thread!

[quote name='noisedude' post='261786' date='Aug 13 2008, 06:12 PM']That's actually a really interesting point because it gets into the realms of instruments that 'money can't buy'. I can't aspire to getting one because I'll probably never come across one.[/quote] It's a pipe dream - you need to have something to aspire to.

Oooo... that SR535 looks nice. Though I prefer the Wenge/Bubinga neck of the 505. I reckon the SR705 should sound pretty similar to the SR505, since it has the same pickups and preamp and the bulk of the body is mahogany. Though it won't sound exactly the same, since the neck is different and the body is composite rather than being solid, like the 505. You might be able to order in the 535 from somewhere in the US or even Japan - exchange rates are still pretty favourable, so you could end up with a bargain. But then again, it could just be a load of hassle...

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='261710' date='Aug 13 2008, 04:48 PM']I like to be treated like that. I like to browse un interrupted and if i do want to try something or get a price ill ask.[/quote] That's fine, though I assume you want some kind of attentiveness when you actually have a query or want to try something? I've found the response to be begrudging at best, most times I've had a query in the bass cellar.

[quote name='noisedude' post='261082' date='Aug 12 2008, 06:58 PM']OK you commit those acts and then when you're banged up in jail I'll mind the SR20th for you. [/quote] Hopefully it won't come to that. The rarity of such instruments means that I doubt I'd even be put in the position where I could get one for the price of committing foul deeds.

Glad to hear you got what you were after. The reaction you got in the Bass Cellar sounds pretty standard. No interest unless they think you're going to start spending. The experiences I've had in the other places have, admittedly, not been that negative, it's just that they never have any basses that I'm interested in looking at, let alone buy. But they can be friendly enough. A bit crap that they didn't dust the bass off - perhaps they're going for a truly authentic vintage look. Though they're probably just being lazy.

Completely forgot about this one... the SR7005MH-OL. Very similar to the SR5005, but possibly a custom model? I would commit horrific acts to get my hands on one of these. More photos here... [url="http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/basses/j-custom/gal-sr7005mh.htm"]SR7005[/url]

Likewise. Though I think they were only released in Japan and the US - pretty rare these days. There are some great close up photos of one on the Ibanez Register website. Along with some shots of the SR3006E, which is right up there as well.

It's all about Bubinga-Wenge. I guess the use of those woods in SR necks was influenced by Warwick, not a bad thing. Though unfortunately, I've heard that the trees from which Wenge comes are endangered, so I wouldn't be surprised if more companies start following Warwick's lead and stop using so much Wenge in their basses. On another note, I don't suppose anyone out there has an SR5005? Those really were the absolute nuts. The creme-de-la-creme of the Ibanez SR range.

Likewise, I've probably mentioned my SR20th way to many times. My perfect bass right now - a little over-priced, but worth it for the sounds and playability. I never associated Ibanez basses with quality, in my formative (and clearly naive) years of bass playing, but then again I hadn't been turned on to their Japanese-made high-end range. Faithless - you really are the Ibanez champion on this forum. We can always rely on you to start some pro-Ibanez rallying Barry44 - does your K5 have a Wenge/Bubinga neck? That's what the new K5 model is missing...

Never really been into the naming thing. They generally get referred to as The Warwick, The Fretless, The 6-String and The New One. Purely functional.

The Padauk/Mahogany sandwich is definitely nicer - basically the same as the SR1305, which Fieldy used to endorse before getting his signature model. I remember trying the older K5 shortly after it came out and being totaly blown away. The all-mahogany is still a great bass, but not quite there. Apparently Fieldy was a fan of the vari-mid because he could totally remove the mid range frequencies from his sound - anyone who's paid attention to Korn's bass sound would have noticed that it is quite 'distinctive'.

[quote name='barry44' post='259932' date='Aug 11 2008, 01:26 PM']thanks guys for all your posts. i have got it sounding sweet in the house via a small practise amp. i haven't been using my sansamp recently in the studio as they have bought in some nice ampeg heads and cabs. however one room is smaller and therefore has a smaller head and cab, this is the room where i lose the bass. i think by bringing this back into use may give me the sound i am looking for with the rest of the band, i hope..... i hope that this does work as i am really enjoying playing this bass, i find the neck plays like a dream, giving that it is unfinished. it is so good, i am considering sanding down my other necks to the wood.[/quote] Glad to hear you're getting some success - it's really a trial and error thing and different situations will often require different settings, dependant on the acoustics and set-up of the situation. I'm a huge fan of Ibanez necks - the K5 does play amazingly, nearly as nicely as my SR20th . Seriously, the K5 is an awesome bass for the money. Do you have one of the older ones with the Padauk/Mahogany body or the newer one, with just Mahogany in the body?

[quote name='simondee' post='259847' date='Aug 11 2008, 12:07 PM']spend it in the gallery if you do mate. none of the denmark street shops deserve your cash [/quote] +1000000 If there's any way you can avoid spending your cash in Denmark Street, do. I would have thought that once you've been to the Gallery, you'll want to spend your money there anyway.

Welcome aboard sir! Great choice of forum name by the way...

Positioning your thumb on the back of the neck is considered the 'standard' technique, but that's not to say it's correct. The most important thing is that you're comfortable, your playing is not restricted and that your wrists are not too bent. Positioning your hand so that your wrist is flexed to far in either direction can lead to tendinitis or worse, carpal tunnel syndrome. If your current positioning is causing your wrist to bend too much, I would suggest trying to get used to a position where your wrist is kept straighter.

Sounds like a test of mental and physical endurance. Good luck with it!

I'm listening to the new Kevin Smith/Scott Mosier Podcast, otherwise known as SModcast. Not music but very entertaining - I usually have to stiffle my chuckles when I'm listening to it at work.

I try and take a backup if I can. Sometimes things outside my control can occur and I'd rather have that option if I can. People have mentioned strings breaking, but, unlikely as it may be, things can go wrong with electronics. I'd rather just swap over and not waste anybody's time rather than frantically trying to sort out a problem that arises. I don't have a spare amp and it would usually be impractical to take one, though I do have a Sansamp, which would get used anyway, in addition to my amp. My guitarist also has a Little Mark II, which he sometimes brings along as a back up.

I've used them before - they're fairly standard, nothing special. I'd recommend trying La Bella flatwounds. They're around the same price and feel a lot nicer.

[quote name='valentine' post='241170' date='Jul 16 2008, 07:15 PM']lol i just want to become a really good bassist regardless ,im not into jazz or funk really but it would be really cool to be able to do that stuff my self and im always watching videos of people popping and slapping bass on youtube and really want to be able to do it one day,my tutors showed me a few bits and bobs but we ent done much work on it ,maybe he doesnt think im ready for it yet i dont know i'll get there,its only been 3 and a half months,probs takes years to become good on this instrument but i'll get there one day for sure =)[/quote] If your objective is to become the best all round bassist that you can, then I agree with the general consensus here - try and get your fundamentals nailed down. Slapping will be easier if you've already learned good coordination, groove and timing and you'll probably find it less frustrating to start making slap sound good. There are few things that sound worse than sloppily played slap bass. However, if you love the sound of slap, then you should try and learn it. I don't agree with this idea of not learning it because it's not useful in most situations. The latter is true, but shouldn't playing bass be about having fun? Do you have to do everything because it'll further your bass playing career? If you enjoy slapping (as I do) then do it. That's not to say I do it all the time - I rarely, if at all, use it in the bands that I play in. But that's not to say I don't find it incredibly rewarding slapping at home. Take it slow, focus on the fundamentals, but by all means give slapping a try if that's what you want to do. It won't make you a 'better' or more employable bass player, but you'll probably have a lot of fun doing it.

Just thought I'd pimp out my band's gig this coming Thursday. We're playing at the Camden Underworld, with support from Tesseract and Anchorhead. There should be something for everyone... ...if you like progressive metal. You can check out the various band's myspace pages here: - [url="http://www.myspace.com/tomeraband"]To-Mera[/url] [url="http://www.myspace.com/tesseract"]Tesseract[/url] [url="http://www.myspace.com/anchorheaddarthmetal"]Anchorhead[/url] You can get tickets from the following places, though they will no doubt be available on the door... [url="http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_london&query=detail&event=265338"]Ticketweb[/url] [url="http://www.stargreen.com/events?id=19878"]Stargreen[/url] If anyone does make it down, make sure you say hi!

There's basically only one appropriate time to slap and that's between scenes on Seinfeld...

[quote name='Chris2112' post='239460' date='Jul 14 2008, 07:51 PM']Is it Stuart Clayton who is playing guitar now? [/quote] No, it was the guy at college that I used for an example of unnecessary slapping. Truegeminis was also in my class and clearly knows who I'm talking about. I think Stuart Clayton might actually be on this forum - which should hopefully mean he hasn't turned to the darkside