White Cloud

In my experience the joy of desire is usually spoiled by the reality of acquisition and ownership.

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1390233089' post='2342909'] Look at that price tag [/quote] .................but it's Neil Murrays bass!

Yes I have that particular T-Shirt in various colours.

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1390148932' post='2341943'] Would you pay it - or would it put you off going into shops that did such? [/quote] Eh, no and yes. Any shop implementing this would be sure to lose my custom

[quote name='Marc1t' timestamp='1390147481' post='2341925'] not sure I hope so as Iv already said I cant afford lessons at the moment Cheers all. [/quote] Marc, some of the most prominent players in rock have never had a lesson or can read music. You don't need someone to tell you how to do it...just pick it up and play it! If you need inspiration listen to your favourite players (or watch them) - and remember this...you don't need to be a shredder to be a great bassist. Don't be scared..[i].have fun. [/i]

Mick Karn was one of the [i]TRUE[/i] greats of the instrument....because he had vision, creativity and had the guts to put it out there. Music is art, there are no rules...and Mick Karn painted richly textured tapestries of sound on the bass that most can only aspire to.

[quote name='mentalextra' timestamp='1390056524' post='2340976'] After all I should. I'm a 'rocker' and he ticks all the boxes. I grew up on stuff like this. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, AC/DC. And that was back in the day when they weren't just churning it out to pay off the ex wives. But, Alice Cooper's never seemed to float my boat and I could never quite pin down the reason. [/quote] Dude, if you don't know then I sure don't know....[i]you know![/i]

Without wishing to be controversial how good can a Bravewood be realistically? The Fender bass designs are so simplistic...how can any well built variant not be a great success. If you want the well worn look surely a Fender road worn will suffice?

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1390044032' post='2340777'] I'd certainly support the 'listen' sentiments above. That was what got me into bass in the first place from a very early age. For some reason I would always pick hour the bass lines to songs and hum along to that rather than the melody. No idea why. When my parents bought me my first guitar it was the inevitable six string acoustic and I used it to play along to the bass lines of my favourite songs. It was a long time before I got my first proper bass, which I also used to play along with my favourite songs, especially improvising my own walking baselines over blues songs. I used to play with school friends as well but looking back it was desperately amateur stuff, but great fun. My first 'proper' band didn't happen until I was in my 30s. So, listen to stuff and play along to stuff and have fun doing it. If you can find like-minded people to play with then all the better. [/quote] Superb post!

[quote name='Marc1t' timestamp='1390036763' post='2340673'] Hi All apart from my introduction this is my first post. I would say I'm a beginner bass player though I have some very limited experience playing with other musicians but that was a long time ago iv got most of the gear i need to get started but dont know any other musicians , I cant read music but do have some knowledge of scales a bit of theory & how music is arranged just what I learnt really, I really cant afford lessons & only have a few books for reference, seen few good tips on you tube, but most seem to be guys doing covers showboating how good they are some are! but that's no good to me. Forgive me if my questions are bassic no pun intended but I would like to at least get to a stage ware I can play along to a few songs with relative ease I'm not quite sure how to achieve this is it a case of learning note for note parrot fashion from tab or ear? Surly this would take forever. or learning the chords & making it up? would it sound right? I just don't know? Music seems like a bewildering world & I don't want to get frustrated by learning all the wrong stuff & have to undo the mistakes & start again. Any tips greatly appreciated no matter how small> Thanks Marc [/quote] Marc, here is my tuppence worth. The overriding thing that strikes me about your post is[i] Fear[/i] and [i]Apprehension.[/i]...[i]relax! [/i] Music is fun - just enjoy the journey. Listen to everything, watch every bassist that you see...play, play and play. It reminds me of a story - When I started I lived in a very small village in the middle of the highlands of Scotland...no computers, no youtube, no ipods...no colour tv - but I had vinyl and a little record player. I spent endless hours picking up the needle of it and listening over and over to songs to pick out the basslines in the most basic of ways. I was later told that this is transcribing...but the word that describes the experience is of no relevance. I thought I had arrived as a player until I saw Stan Clarke on the "old grey whistle test" - so I practiced and practiced. I thought I had it nailed then I saw Mark King on "the Tube" - so I practiced and practiced. a few years ago I thought I had it nailed until I saw Hadrien Feraud - so I still practice and practice. Practice makes perfect. Model the great players...of which there are thousands. [i]Have fun[/i]!

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1389991950' post='2340434'] I always wanted to try his Peavey Palladium. Apparently it was a great bass and a steal at circa £300 at the time? [/quote] I almost pulled the trigger on a couple over the years on fleabay..but was outbid on each occasion. They have a wonderful reputation. I owned one of the Czech made original Dean Jeff Berlin models, it sounded beautiful and played like a dream. It had the slimmest neck I have ever played - but suffered from "constant truss rod adjustment syndrome" as a consequence!

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1389963667' post='2340005'] Just be polite and decline, you'll never get started in music if your worrying about upsetting people. I've been to loads of auditions recently, turned some bands down, others have turned me down. I don't get upset or annoyed... just move on to the next one [/quote] This is great advice.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1389980653' post='2340276'] That bass , the white jumpsuit, that hair. That is just about everything was aiming for as a young man , and probably still am now . No wonder I am such a disappointment to myself when I look in the mirror . All I need now is Findus French Bread frozen pizza that tastes like polystyrene with a bit of cheese and tomato on it and I will be transported back to those days. [/quote] Sigh...I miss the 80's almost as much as I miss my hair!

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1389988428' post='2340377'] Decided against the Overwater then??? [/quote] Yes. I know, I know...I am shallow!

Power windows. Current Jazz grit hurts my sensitive ears and tortures my soul.

Love Jeff - hate that bass though. Its a bit of a departure for him...he usually hates fancy wood tops & only ever uses Badass bridges and Ebony fingerboards.

I like that you like your EBO...to me that shows individuality. Go with what feels right for you - [i]trust your instincts. [/i] You already know the answer to your own question.

[quote name='Guinness21' timestamp='1389815256' post='2338289'] Fair point, trouble is the nearest shop that stocks Laklands is 4 trains away, taking 3 hours. Tbh I don't know too much about them, just heard they're good - but it's a long way to go and back in a day to check if there's one in particular I like. I already have 4 contenders, which I've played and really like. [/quote] Wow...planes trains and automobiles! Shame...judging by your aparent preferences |I think you would like the Lakland P & J variants. Good luck with the Fenders amigo.

[quote name='marcus bell' timestamp='1389796123' post='2337991'] If anyone has owned or played one I'd love to hear your verdict [/quote] Hugely expensive, heavy, high maintenance, an acquired taste....and did I mention heavy!?!? Great tones though......... Alembics are starting to look old school to my tired eyes...just my tuppence worth.

Must it be a Fender? Have you tried Laklands?

Have owned both and there was no comparison....Lakland all day every day!

It is always worth trying different things. I play 4 & 5 string basses and have done since the 80's. The 5 string really opens things up for me as my band transposes most of the covers that we play to suit the vocalists range. For this reason if I only used 4 string I would end up losing a lot of the low end. In this way the instrument effectively becomes a tool of the trade. I did play a 6 string for a couple of years...but it just didn't work for me. I never used the higher range much in a band context. It's horses for courses. Music is art...there are no rules. Some of the greatest exponents of fusion bass have played 4 string (Jaco, Jeff Berlin, Ralphe Armstrong, Stan Clarke etc) - don't feel that you "have" to play extended range basses if it doesn't work for you and the way that you want to play.

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1389462831' post='2334443'] I'm thinking Steinberger, Status etc. Are the necks manufactured with relief built in? [/quote] Yes indeed!