uk_lefty

Shotgun!!! My band asked me to play it. I'd never heard of it. I'm 35 so not "too old" I think, but I don't listen to the radio. Apparently it was a massive hit? Massive 5hit more like. I hate, hate, hate it. Its just dead wood, it's a drone, no dynamics, nothing clever in the music or lyrics, nothing exciting. But when we play it people like it so I kind of have to... Ship Called Dignity is a song that can get me in murderous rage. I'd rather eat the cubes out of a pub urinal. Luckily I have never had to play that in any band. Parklife by Blur is also a steaming turgid pile of sh!t that I have to play in my band and I hate it. I'm northern, maybe that's the root of the hatred of this song. But my band plays in Essex occasionally. So I guess that's why I have to grit my teeth and play it. Audiences like it. I don't.

It's a trap!

All the money I sank in to my MIM Jazz to then trade it in for just £250 against my brand new Stingray. Any and every amp I bought brand new and sold at a big loss. A Brice six string bass that was just awful. Probably my Stingray IF I ever want to sell it. Can get a good quality used Lefty stingray around 900. I bought a new one for double that...

I usually have the master vol for the bass on full as I typically play fingerstyle most of the time but if I'm going to use a pick I roll it down to 70-75%. Usually the output volume from the amp increases when I play with a pick (is that my poor pick technique or just what happens?) so I want to maintain the same volume but just get that different attack from using a pick. Rolling it down on the bass is the easiest way of doing this for me.

Money can be a safety net, meaning if the band think "this could be a stinky poo gig" whether it's the venue, the event, the night of the week... We price it so its worth us turning up. We got asked to do a Thursday night recently. Local, and on our usual practice night. We used it to test run some new songs, had some fairly engaged punters in for half of it, we played fosters poor probably due to a number of reasons, one being a mostly empty venue on a Thursday night, but we each got paid £40, whereas it usually costs just over £40 for all of us to book a rehearsal room and you don't get to watch whether people are in to the song or not. And on a gig you play the song together, you don't spend ages arguing over "it goes DA-DUM-DA-DAAAA! THREE F'ING TIMES, THAT'S HOW WE ALWAYS PLAYED IT, I DON'T CARE IF ITS FOUR ON THE ORIGINAL!!" And other such productive things.

I'm going to give Nevermind and Badmotorfinger a thorough play through, to remind myself of Nevermind and to have a second listen of Badmotorfinger. I know BSSM well enough otherwise I'd listen to all three together. Would be good to revisit as a group of albums and see what thoughts and inspiration it stirs.

Only recently bought Badmotorfinger but couldn't tell you anything about it sadly. I had it on in the background and it just didn't grab me but I did have my mind on other things. I need to be alone for a long car journey with that one. I LOVE Superunknown so I have high hopes. BSSM is a classic that I have listened to over and over and over for years and will never get tired of. Breaking the Girl, Under the Bridge, Sir Psycho, Naked in the Rain, Suck my kiss... All classics. Nevermind... Well I got kinda sick of all the Nirvana kids at college. I like it as an album, I like most of the songs, it had a massive impactin so many ways but it's not one I'd go back to and listen to again and again, in fact probably haven't listened to it in over 15 years. It just reminds me of all the kids hanging round outside Woolworths in their Nirvana hoodies desparate to be picked on for being "different", despite there being a huge gang of them all dressed the same, even though nobody gave a stinky poo enough to pick on them at all. Maybe just my experience from the backwards little town I grew up in, but thats what music does for me - clings to moments and memories and creates associations far beyond the content of the album.

Idiots will always find a way to mess things up no matter what rules are in place. Don't think there's a practical way around it.

I certainly like the look of mine

Thanks for the comment but I am asking how this bass compares using familiar reference points because I have not had the chance to personally experience this bass and its unique feel and sound.

What is the string spacing like on these? I let an awesome bass go recently because the string spacing was too tight. I'm used to the Fender jazz type string spacing, not keen on them being too close together. Also does the EB3 give a bit of P bass style clank?

Don't think there's a Fender lefty... However I'm not breaking your rules if I point you towards the Hartley Benton that's less than 100 quid or the Bach (B and Ch music in Czech Republic) that's about 250 quid.

I'd prefer to do the opposite... Have the sound of a P but the look of an EB3

Hero. That's the right answer!

I have unreasonable GAS for one of these. Unreasonable because: 1. I'm not after a distinctive sound from them 2. They don't do them left handed However I want a black one so badly I'd be willing to convert the nut and play it upside down. I just love the look of them. I have other good basses including a Japanese P but I just think that for rock stuff I want an EB3. Tell me why this is madness/ the best idea ever.

Pearl Jam, Ten. Not a "bass album" but some sublime bass playing. At the time I was looking at a new bass for my 18th and this album confirmed you can play rock with a Fretless. So I got a Fretless. I was playing a lot of Hendrix, Sabbath, Pearl Jam at the time so it helped me be more creative in my playing under these styles and fill out the sound of a three piece. The first solo bassist album I got was a Jaco live album, Invitation. The Chicken, Amerika, great tracks and some accessible stuff you can actually play yourself in amongst all the wizardry. Set me off on a love of using bass to drive the melody rather than playing supporting riffs and fills. It helped having already bought a Fretless

The colour?

The new bar/ diner at Donnington race circuit is a pingy metal shed of noise and headaches. What's worse though is everyone watching the Formula 3 "highlights" on a screen behind your head. I don't want to go back.

Humming the bass line from NIB by Black Sabbath helped calm my daughter and now my son in their first few months.

When you find out please tell me! Mine are 2 and a half and just three weeks. The eldest is left handed though so my GAS is an investment in her future.

Sounds like 1&2 don't have much drive if any, must be very frustrating as you're obviously juggling a lot of non band stuff and want it to work. If you want regular gigs then try to find an opportunity with a well set up covers band that has a lot of bookings. You may need to compromise a bit on taste in set list or location to rehearse but it could still be fun, paid, and scratch the gig itch. You've got three kids, form a four piece band.

I make suggestions about dynamics or if someone plays a certain lick once but doesn't next time we play the song I might say "I miss that pinched harmonic in your solo, its awesome". I wouldn't say "take your solo up the board here, then add distortion, don't rock the wah so much" etc because then I'd be inviting a constant correction and critique of my bass interpretation of everything. I don't want to play identical to the original and I respect everyone else's rights to experiment with known songs to put their own spin on it. Such as our guitarist who decided to play the Sweet Child O' Mine intro in the breakdown of She Sells Sanctuary because for him the breakdown was b0llocks so he decided to play something else! It's like when my drummer goes "I don't want to play that it's just another four to the floor beat". To which my response is always "make it interesting then"

All of them... 1. Low to mid price and a known mass produced bass... Because it then feels like it's mine and mine only. 2. High cost bass... I rarely get the chance being left handed but my best and most expensive bass was up in Wunjos for a year or so I think. This way for the cost I know the actual instrument I'm getting and don't want it to be a duffer or disappointing in any way. I am v unlikely to want to sell so I'm OK with the depreciation 3. Basses that are not made any more, are a known quantity.. Either necessity or just "I know what an MIM Jazz should sound and feel like". Or I'm unsure, buying it just to see what it's like and know I can sell for roughly the same if I don't like it

The drummer from my first band cancelled a gig at really short.otice at the best venue in town because he was going to a Chad Smith drum clinic... Tough call.

For all I know they may have preferred this guy! He did play all the right notes at the right times instead of generally pissing about and trying to cram in as many fast runs as he can! Luckily I'm the band treasurer, so if they ever want to £47 kitty back they'd best be nice to me.