Cairobill

I think it's pretty hard to avoid the conclusion that the hardcore slap thing is the bass version of Yngwie Malmsteen. Generally awful music with technical pyrotechnics being performed for a not terribly large paying audience. It's not my cup of tea but it's a niche! Yngwie does something very fast... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_IYe5JTZ4 And here he pushes it to the MAX http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6628929648939980168

I own both and I think along the same lines as Molan. I use my jazz bass for more straight ahead tones (roundwound strings) and finger playing while the Ric (an old 4001) is my pick bass (with flats) that I use in my originals band. It nails that McCartney sound but needs a specific approach to play comfortably. Answering your question, if I needed to dep or just jam, I would probably take the jazz. But the Ric is special and I couldn't do my stuff without it. And talking about cost, I would buy that Bacchus jazz in the for sale section if I needed a jazz, by the way. It's a steal. A decent Ric will cost over a grand and you MUST try before you buy, Some of them are pretty grim instruments.

Jazz basses all the way. Apart from a rickenbacker, but that's a whole other story!

A great double bass teacher in SE London is Dave Chamberlain. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of jazz. He's based in Crystal Palace so not too far from you. Drop me a pm for his mobile. Cheers, NIck

Enjoy the ACG Victor! Thoroughly recommended BC'er...

If you want the McCartney tone and low tension get thomastik jazz flats. They sound fantastic and are a perfect marriage with a ric.

Having a serious obsession with J basses and Rics (I have a 78 4001), they are very different beasts tonally. Rics have a hollowness to the midrange that gives the bass a specific barky honk that is in a different sonic universe to the J Bass. When you drive it through a tube amp you get that Squire/Lee tone, simple as that. I can't imagine getting a tone like this on anything other than a Ric. I use flats at the minute though, so I'm after that McCartney thump which the 78 delivers in spades... My one also has a great deal of bottom end. I have tried many Rics in the past, however, that had no bottom whatsoever. Try before you buy!

Neither, Burgundyglo!

hello all I'm cutting a couple of demos on the 16th october with my band in camberwell, south London. Does anyone know of a place to rent an orange rig (preferably ad200 head and a 4x10) for a reasonable price or have one they could rent to me? Cheers, nick