MiltyG565

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1363781935' post='2017442'] Perhaps I was over-dramatising the situation but I was merely referring back to the aforementioned "wall of Fenders" approach that I see in most shops that I've visited. If I don't care for or aspire to own a Fender then I guess I'm SOL. I therefore feel that I am outside your average shop's target market - i.e. anyone who likes Fenders and is wowed by a wall of them (and furthermore, that's perfectly fine and I'm not taking the mick. In fact, in a way you're kinda lucky if this is your taste in bass). Maybe you've got sigs switched off, but there's nothing boutique in my collection. My tastes are Gibson (and certain Epiphones), G&L (Tributes are fine) and selected Yamahas (mostly BBs). Hardly what I'd call "boutique", but we're not exactly swimming in them, certainly up my way. [/quote] I've never been in a music shop that had any amount of fenders hanging on the wall TBH. A lot of the music shops around here (apart from a few of the bigger stores in and around belfast) don't keep a big stock of them, if any at all. I see plenty of acoustics and copies of other designs, but hardly ever a fender. Best guitar i ever played was a Fender telecaster american deluxe though.

[quote name='iamtheelvy' timestamp='1363780125' post='2017397'] Welcome from Portsmouth, bout as far away as possible in these fair isles, but we do have a few from overseas on here! [/quote] Make another post, before somebody makes a joke about your post count!

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1363599983' post='2014416'] What makes me avoid my local bricks and mortar stores almost completely? They rarely stock anything I'm interested in. That's fine, I know how economics work (and how much stock some manufacturers demand they buy in order to cement a trade agreement) but there's nothing more yawn inspiring to me than walls filled with nothing but Fenders/Squiers. Not wishing to reignite the "Fender is dull/boring" idiocy that has recently flared up, but it's just not my thing. Strings and things are often ridiculously priced. Guitars outnumbering basses by factors approaching 10 to 1 really pees me off too, I know guitar is more popular, but THAT much more popular? All these things conspire to ensure that I rarely set foot in my two local shops, and if I do, it takes 2 minutes to verify that the same basses as last time are still there and I can leave again. It's been a year and a half since I actually saw something in a shop I wanted to try. Oh, and have some decent ampage in there AND LET US TRY THE INSTRUMENTS THROUGH THEM. I'm unlikely to get the full overview of what a bass can do if you plug it into a wee practice amp in the middle of a noisy shop. In any case, I don't think I'm any shop's target market. I mostly because I'm not in the slightest bit interested in owning a Fender. Most people are, it seems, so stock as many as you wish and don't mind me. Mouths to feed and all that. [/quote] This. I know you mentioned Fender in particular, but there are plenty of other brands that people want, but you said you aren't in any shops target market, which lead me to think that you want something that isn't particularly common, like those weirdly shaped boutique bases.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363776763' post='2017302'] ...it's [i]recycled. [/i]Like most of the topics. [/quote] Can you ever beat a P? I still don't know

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1363775069' post='2017259'] You show me where I said that's what I wanted. Stop putting words in my mouth, it's not cool and you're out of order. All I crave is a bit of variety of any kind. [/quote] Sorry, but i was getting that impression from your previous posts.

[quote name='jessicaRabbit' timestamp='1363775099' post='2017260'] Haha! You sound like my kind of woman Milty I don't drink tea, coffee or beer, lol. I'll just go sit by the amp and sip my water! [/quote] Oh, ok... it's just... the water here, well, suffice to say it's safer to drink beer.

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1363773344' post='2017223'] Halo effect. I would visit a shop more often if I felt they gave a crap, that I wasn't being a burden and distracting them from precious guitar sales and were sensitive to a bass player's needs. If I visit more, then there's more chance that I'll buy something. [/quote] And they can't give a crap without stocking high end boutique bass guitars?

[quote name='jessicaRabbit' timestamp='1363763961' post='2017073'] Well, I just wanted to create an awkward introduction post because, that's how I roll . . . My name is Jessica. 23-year-old single mother living in the cold arsehole of the world. I used to play bass in academy and was part of a band, just for fun. I own a Westfield (couldn't tell you the model, it's been a while and is currently collecting dust in my attic). Lately I've had the urge to get back into it properly this time so decided to sign up here to talk to you lovely experienced bass players. Inexperienced as well I suppose, I won't discriminate. Anyway. Don't want to make this a novel. Thanks for stopping by and reading if you do [/quote] Hello! Eh, welcome in. Tea? Coffee? Beer? ah, i'll just get you one of each. There's an amp in the corner.

[quote name='Jellyfish' timestamp='1363769859' post='2017150'] Unfortunately, MiltyG565 is right to a degree. To put it into perspective, we've probably sell about 1 bass to every 10 or more guitars. Although I'd argue that if you're a guitar shop, you need to be stocking bass guitars as well. The ratio of bassists to guitarists is small, but there is a demand for the instrument itself from all sorts of musicians such as drummers who think they might be good at bass or professional guitarists who want a bass for recording purposes. I do find it a shame when shops don't stock a good range of 'staple' basses, and I'm trying to change that in my shop. [/quote] If there's no demand for it, where's the sense in it?

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1363599983' post='2014416'] What makes me avoid my local bricks and mortar stores almost completely? They rarely stock anything I'm interested in. That's fine, I know how economics work (and how much stock some manufacturers demand they buy in order to cement a trade agreement) but there's nothing more yawn inspiring to me than walls filled with nothing but Fenders/Squiers. Not wishing to reignite the "Fender is dull/boring" idiocy that has recently flared up, but it's just not my thing. Strings and things are often ridiculously priced. Guitars outnumbering basses by factors approaching 10 to 1 really pees me off too, I know guitar is more popular, but THAT much more popular? All these things conspire to ensure that I rarely set foot in my two local shops, and if I do, it takes 2 minutes to verify that the same basses as last time are still there and I can leave again. It's been a year and a half since I actually saw something in a shop I wanted to try. Oh, and have some decent ampage in there AND LET US TRY THE INSTRUMENTS THROUGH THEM. I'm unlikely to get the full overview of what a bass can do if you plug it into a wee practice amp in the middle of a noisy shop. In any case, I don't think I'm any shop's target market. I mostly because I'm not in the slightest bit interested in owning a Fender. Most people are, it seems, so stock as many as you wish and don't mind me. Mouths to feed and all that. [/quote] Yes, guitars are really that much more popular, in fact more popular than that. They've probably sold some guitars since you were last in, but it has the same basses hanging? Seems pretty obvious to me. My local has no basses, and for a very good reason - There has been absolutely zero demand for any kind of bass. The shop isn't loosing anything by not having basses in. If you really want a bass, i'm pretty sure they could order one in for you.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363729978' post='2016829'] It wasn't exactly the cream of the crop, was it? [/quote] Nah, it's gets a bit of a cold reception from me, i'm afraid... a Friesian cold reception.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363729445' post='2016817'] Christ you milked that one, don't try and butter me up, now I'm cheesed off and so on and so forth. Dammit! [/quote] Ah com'on Mark, you're better than that... whey better than that!

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1363729337' post='2016813'] Because most of the tabs are wrong and, even if the notes are accurate, rarely convey any information about rhythm. [/quote] Very true. But the idea behind it is effective, the execution by many is flawed.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363728942' post='2016804'] *insert dairy-based gigging joke here - I'm too tired to think of one * [/quote] Ah don't worry about it, i think we churned them all out last night.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363728317' post='2016787'] Quite. If they're carbon-based and have a pulse, they're an audience. [/quote] It was recently suggested that i film myself playing a gig for the cows in the field next to me.

It's effective when you know nothing about music theory. You know what you need to know, without any special learning for it at all really. How is that not effective?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363727102' post='2016744'] [/quote] ALTOGETHER NOW! Baby monkey, baby monkey... backwards on a pig baby monkey!

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1363726130' post='2016712'] What is it about the guitar and bass that folk want to "play by numbers". I've never yet seen a pianist number the keys 1-84 and write the key numbers down and call it music. ... or maybe I'm wrong? [/quote] Piano is a classical instrument, and as such, has a strong foundation on theory. If you want to play piano, you need to learn theory, and that's it really. Rock instruments, like electric guitar and bass aren't classical instruments, and have a strong foundation in ignorance of music theory. People were told for a long time (and still are) that a theoretical knowledge isn't that important when playing rock, which is the opposite from classical instruments. And not knowing a lot about theory, and your friends not knowing a lot about theory, you have to find some way to communicate with them musically. How? Numbering the frets. It's simple and effective, and a baby monkey riding backwards on a pig could use it.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363722710' post='2016622'] It can be a useful resource for learning by example, but the really good players/teachers are few and far between among the vast ocean of rubbish sloshing around online... most of the bass covers are risible. [/quote] Yes. I very much have an attitude of "If you're going to do it, do it right". No half assed "There's a few mistakes in there, oh well ". You're playing somebody else's tune, dude, play it right, note for note, or add your own thing to it and make it better, but there's no point in leaving mistakes in it. I did it once, and i heard the mistake that many times, that when i listened to the song afterwards, for about a month, i expected to hear the mistake in the actual song.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1363717791' post='2016514'] When I started out we had no internet and only cassettes or Records, I spent hours lifting needles and rewinding cassettes to earn covers , now I'm older and have kids and a busy life, if a tab or chord chart gets me halfway to figuring a song out quickly I'll take it. Yes most are incomplete or very wrong, but they can save time if you find a half decent one. No shame in it, all that really matters as far as I'm concerned is that I play the line to my band mates, the audience and my liking. Of course others my see it differently. [/quote] Exactly, but somebody doing a cover on YouTube is not a resource for tabs.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1363708176' post='2016287'] You'll never beat my dear old Mum. She said to her mate 'You ought to hear our David play - he's nearly as good as them on the telly' !! [/quote] Ah, mothers... Is there a factory somewhere programming them all to be like that?

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1363704021' post='2016146'] It's an odd feeling , isn't it. Like you - I didn't used to give a toss but it's sort of crept up on me. It's the positive , gushing remarks when they're not deserved that get me - not critisism. There was a flap at work once - I avoided it like the plague because of the hard couple of hours graft but turned up at the end. All the lads were sitting about knackered after having done the job (it was a flooded building) and because there was nowhere to sit I just leaned on the suction machine. At that moment our managers turned up and said 'That's right - you lot sit on your bone idle arses while Dave does the bloody job on his own' !! It was a laugh at the time but you just feel a fraud afterwards. It's feelings like that that have shaped my views on punters. [/quote] But Dave, you're bloody brilliant! *hic!* no really, you could probably be the next Elvis *hic*. If you were playing piano, i'd say you were Elton John, God knows you're as good as him! *hic* One of those isn't a compliment, but which one? Just messing mate

Just to add that i do learn some theory too, and i don't always use tabs. Sometimes i know the chords of a song, work out the key signature then work out the notes the bass is playing. But tabs aren't this hateful thing that some people seem to think they are.

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1363696747' post='2015939'] I agree with discreet However I want Bilbo and Doddy to come in here and tell you all to stop looking at Tabs. If you cannot hear that what you are playing is wrong, then you need to put down the instrument and find a nice safe hobby like knitting. Thus those muppets that write the abysmal tabs on the internet are either the original artists ensuring nobody covers their music properly, or actual muppets. [/quote] They can tell me to stop looking at tabs, and i'll tell them to suck a lemon. Will either of us do it? no. Ok- tabs. Quite often wrong, and never good for learning about music theory or technical ability. They are the simplest form of transcription, and that's the beauty of them. That's the beauty of rock. You don't need to know the scales, or the notes, you just need to know what to play, and how to pay it. Is it the pinnacle of musicality? No, of course not, and why would it be? It's not trying to be that. Tabs aren't completely bad. Yes, terrible "musicians" will never learn any theory beyond tabs, and that is why they remain terrible musicians, but i wouldn't be a musician of any kind or level today if it wasn't for tabs. They are the starting point, and a quick reference for learning new songs. I'm not going to sit and work out a song that has 100 tabs up on the internet. I'll go on the internet, get the rough idea from the tabs, and then make it right while playing to the track. Don't look at tabs? Don't tell me what to do, bros

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1363692493' post='2015845'] Ooh, lovely... er... hang on, just let me put away these magazines and wash this tea-towel... *flustered* OK, let's get the kettle on and 'listen to Radio 4' for a bit... heh, heh. [/quote] NSFW.