Dingus

Yes, those Fender CS pickups sound great. Another big fan here. To be perfectly frank , I've owned a fair few old Precisions that people now consider vintage ( late 60'-early'70's era) and some were really nice and very enjoyable basses, and I love the romance of old Fender basses as much as the next man , but I have to be honest and say that I think a great deal of what people attribute to those basses is exactly that, romance. Some people are so in love with idea of the magic that supposedly surrounds these old basses that they think it makes a tangible difference to the sound, far more so than it actually does. Yes , some old Fenders sound amazing, but so do some new ones if you try a few and find a good one .

Even '70's P basses are selling for a lot of money nowadays. Have you tried any more recent Fenders and seen how they compare to a real vintage one, James? Once you put preconceptions and/or prejudices aside( presuming you have any of those things) you might find a newer bass can offer a lot of what you got from the vintage one, except maybe the played-in feel. A few years ago I went out with a big chunk of cash to get a Precision Bass , and ended up getting a brand new American Standard one. Felt great, played great, sounded great to me . Job done with money left over. Maybe you could look at some vintage reissues from Fender, or something like a used USA Lakland Bob Glaub . A lot of folks think they capture the vibe of a pre-CBS Fender particularly well, but with more solid and reliable build quality.

Ah right, my mistake . I was assuming that because the t.v shows are blocked in the USA, the radio would be too. .

I hope this does actually happen, And maybe Martha Kearney will be presenting the programme. Win-Win!

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1400427759' post='2453704'] You have internet connection? iPlayer dear boy. [/quote] Doesn't work in America. Copyright and all that.

Chicago were great back in the early days, but it has to be said that in their latter era , some of the music churned out by Chicago and Pete Cetera has been so awful that it they should have been prosecuted. Tracks like "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "The Glory Of Love" were diabolical. The very worst kind of cheesy schmatlz . Not even funny.

In the interest of balance, I suppose one thing to consider is that, generally speaking, less expensive basses are far better than they used to be and the best examples are far closer to high end basses in terms of sound and playability than they ever used to be. Nowadays there is a big market in intermediate level basses, many of which are very good indeed. Good quality Far Eastern-manufactured licensed versions of high end basses have revolutionized the market. Also, back when I started playing, if you wanted a certain level of performance in a bass , you had to gravitate towards high end basses, because they were the only instruments that played and sounded like that. You couldn't sound like Stanley Clarke on a Hondo Precision copy or a Shaftsbury Rickenbacker copy ( can I be sued for mentioning that such a bass ever existed ?... if in fact they ever did. Allegedly) , so you gravitated towards something that was fit for the job. That scenario and those aspirations towards state-of-the-art basses is largely a thing of the past nowadays. Both the niches in the market place and the kind of sound and instruments bass players are gravitating towards are all very, very different now, so high end basses are not the universal ideal for bass players that they one were. If you want to use dead flatwounds and sound like some bass player from a slum in Chicago circa 1964 then a Hondo Precision copy will probably do a pretty good job for you.

I am no expert on using effects, because basically I don't really use any nowadays except a bit of compression , but I'm pretty sure in the last two clips there Jason is just using a bit of chorus and maybe a bit of reverb. Essentially, it's a combination of time-delay based effects processing. A subtle bit of chorus or gentle flanging will get you a decent approximation. It's a common trick used to make a solo bass sound a bit "bigger" and more expansive. Chorus on a bass guitar is also a bit of a dated sound nowadays, and has been for a long time ( since the 1980's , in fact ) , to be honest with you. Well out of fashion, but for a solo you can l probably get away with it . Rather than trying to copy Jason's sound on the first clip., why not just try and find a setting on your Digitech bass synth that you like the sound of that will compliment what you are playing for your solo, and, very importantly, that you can access easily during a gig. Playing live can be challenging enough without making extra problems for yourself with very complex arrangements of effects . I would strongly recommend keeping everything as simple as possible. There will be far less chance of something going disastrously wrong on stage , and you will probably end up sounding better as well.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1400259848' post='2452436'] Yes - I enjoy leather wear. [/quote] That's great, but please, please keep it confined to your own home from now on . You were very lucky that Center Parcs didn't seek a prosecution last time, and the CPS are cracking down on that kind of thing nowadays . .

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1400257568' post='2452405'] In what alternate reality f***ed-up trailer park vision of Hell are Lars, Kirk & James Sex Symbols? [/quote] There is no accounting for taste, as we all know. Why is Victoria Coren with David Mitchell when she could be ... well anyway, you know what I mean. Metallica get a lot of chicks, many of whom enjoy leather wear. Can any of us say the same?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1400248959' post='2452278'] That's funny - when I audition with names acts they want another sex symbol in the band - but I'm just a bass player. [/quote] You have to look within yourself and find your inner slut. Something tells me you won't have to look very hard...

However unlikely it may seem to you or I , according to many ( well, at least two) female Basschatters, Dave Ellefson of Megadeath is actually the benchmark when it comes to sexy male bass players. That is the standard I am now trying to reach, and I keep a picture of Dave by my mirror, just to keep my own shortcomings in perspective. Whilst we're on the subject, does anybody else find the beard that James Lomenzo is sporting nowadays a bit sinister?

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1400247886' post='2452259'] Go on Dingus, admit it. You were one of those guys who auditioned after Newstead left. Did you make it onto the video? [/quote] Same old problem with me and auditions for established , big-name acts . They just want a bass player , not another sex symbol in the band .

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1400193284' post='2451804'] My 'A' level results in 1978 were not too shabby and neither was my Electronics degree thanks. [/quote] I am delighted to hear that, my friend What's more, .A levels were A levels back in those days, too,not like the Mickey Mouse exams they have nowadays where it seems like 98% of people get the required grades they need to do Golf Course Management at Teesside University, and then wonder why their future isn't as bright as they had hoped for. I wouldn't get worked up about this whole electrical engineering business. It's a great skill to have, especially nowadays when electricity is so popular. And if there was some calamitous power failure at a Metallica concert and the roadies asked if there was anyone in the audience who was qualified to give technical assistance to get the P.A and lights up and running again , their only problem would be the risk of being stampeded by the rush of highly knowledgeable men ready to tell them what schoolboy errors they had made in setting the rig up.

Music is intrinsically linked to memory for just about everybody, Graham, myself included. As Oscar Wilde said , music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory. Recall and romantic association are central to how music affects us . Every time I hear Stars by Simply Red I think I am in a takeaway waiting for a pizza . Every time I hear the Dave Mathews Band . I feel like I am being tortured at Guantanamo Bay all over again.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1400138820' post='2451026'] Well that puts my academic struggles into perspective, thanks for that. Back to the self harming...ho hum... [/quote] Depending on where you want to go, you might be able to get on one of those courses with maybe a B and two C's , or through the clearing system if your A levels results have been a bit disappointing. I hope that helps.

No, you most certainly do not need a heavier gauge of string. Heavier gauge strings do sound different, that is an undeniable fact, but it's more in terms of the overall harmonic content of the note than bigger, beefier output. In fact, contrary to popular myth, lighter gauge strings actually have more bottom end than their thicker counterparts. Where heavier strings make the most difference to your sound is actually in the upper frequencies. Put in laymans terms, you get more "clang" and more "ping" but less twang and maybe even a bit less oomph. One problem for players assessing different string gauges is that psychologically it is very difficult to divorce the feel of a string from the perceived sound it creates. As a result, your perception of the sound of a given gauge is influenced as much by the effort it takes to finger the notes as it is from the information coming from your ears. Conversely , the tone you use can actually influence your perception of string tension. A grating , trebley tone often makes the bass feel as if the strings are a bit tighter, whereas a dull, bassy tone gives and increased perception of softness. Because heavier gauge strings feel so different, they can very easily influence the manner in which you play far more than they will dramatically enhance your overall tone. If you are using 45-100 Super Slinkies then , yes, you could try going to a regular standard gauge 45-105 set of some kind , but any heavier than that , say 50-110, and you are asking for problems. Unless you are detuning, strings that heavy can cause long-term problems for both your hands and your basses. In terms of sound , strings that thick will not give you a remarkable increase in heft , but they will make playing your bass a much heftier workload and completely change the feel of playing the bass. Unless that is what you crave, I wouldn't bother.

I don't know who played it, but I do know that the part on the record is a lot harder than it first appears. Some deceptively tricky turnarounds on that song.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1400097091' post='2450801'] I don't know how to tell you this, but that would have been thirty-odd years ago. [/quote] True...

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1400085896' post='2450626'] The overseas-made DM's are about £100 but I can't get my feet into them. I think it's a different construction pattern. Then there's the 'Made In England' range at [i]really[/i] stupid prices. [size=3][b]DM[/b]: The 'Made In England' 1460 - [b]£200[/b][/size] [size=3][size=4]However, I've just discovered Solovair offer an 8-hole boot for £120. Still expensive, but also made in England, hand crafted, reputed to use the original DM lasts and the company's been around since it was formed as a co-operative in 1881. Soon as I get round to it, I'm trying a pair.[/size][/size] [size=3][size=4][/size][/size] [size=3][b]Solovair[/b]: 8-eye Derby boot [b]£120[/b][/size] [/quote] I am quite literally speechless! £120/200(!) for a pair of Docs ? Never mind high end basses, we need an emergency debate on high end bovver boots! Last time I bought some they were about £20 from the Army and Navy Stores, or, if you wanted to impress the neighbours, Millets. If there was ever any doubt that at some very high level in this country there is a Tory conspiracy to destroy the working classes then this outrage has surely dispelled that doubt once and for all . Thatcher must have realized that if she could price this kind of footwear out of the market for people living on council estates or standing on the picket line then she would in effect have disarmed the proletariat. It's all so clear to me now. A skinhead wearing a pair of red Kickers just doesn't carry the same degree of menace.

I would love to tell you some of my Glastonbury anecdotes, but it would undoubtedly lead to me getting banned from Basschat, and I would have no right to complain. Suffice to say I will not be going this year or any other year. Apropos of all this, some spontaneous footage from the Dutch equivalent of Glastonbury: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6f9TyXNs6w[/media] What is it with Dutch people and toilets? Anyhow, I just hope the poor fella wasn't doing the catering.

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1400007950' post='2449899'] I wouldn't have responded but I get a bit fed up by the whole "metal fans are thick as two short planks" stereotype, for me it's right up there with the "bassists are failed guitarists" stereotype. The funniest threads on the Metallica forum are the cliff burton vs jason newsted ones, those guys really are passionate about that topic [/quote] If I think about it , Metallica fans can't be that thick, not least of all because you need at least an A and two B's at A Level to do electronic engineering at most universities nowadays. In America though, the audience at Metallica ( and other bands of their ilk) concerts consists to a very large degree of the kind of people who you would see on a Jerry Springer show talking about having an affair with their first cousin just after they had got out of jail for committing an unspeakable indiscretion with the family dog. Not unlike quite a few Bassschat members in that respect, I suppose. And Jason Newsted is loads better than Cliff Burton. No contest. He is also a very nice guy.