lownote

Many people see music school like ordinary school. They want to be told stuff and do the tasks outlined - which is what happens at school. SBL is more like university. You train yourself, with the input of a guru. Well, that's how it was in my day anyway. If you took charge of your education you got a first. If you went along to take notes in lectures and hand in the essays on time you got a 2/2. Understandably those who didn't go to college reference their music training needs by what they know - the school model, spoon feeding. Monkey see, monkey do. Scott himself is self taught. He worked out what he needed to know and then scoured the world (quite literally) for the bassist who could help him do that. Didn't he travel to Barcelona to learn from Gary Willis? It's that extraordinary - almost nerdy - focus and self discipline is why he's where he is. It reflects in the way SBL is.

As a trainer myself by work I should support this idea, were it not for one thing: music teachers are of very variable quality. Teaching is a skill and an art and too many tutors do it purely to augment their income as musos. My first bass tutor was a fine player and still is. But he's a rubbish tutor. He started by teaching me ( a total noob) a double stop, and then spent the rest of the hour noodling. Cost: £25. My second bass teacher charged me £30 and I can't remember anything he taught me. My third teacher was an ex London DB pro. He put the bass in my hands, stroked his chin and said : "I won't charge you, you don't need training". By way of contrast, with Scott I have received seven years (on and off) of genius training which I could have augmented with personal feedback from the man himself for no extra charge, plus access to more top globally important bassists and training than you can shake a stick at, for not much more than the price of six hours of private tutoring per year.

A lot of his success is down to creating a kind of club... you're part of his gang. And just as we all hung out with the alpha kid on the block without actually doing anything, so watching his more wafffly videos is part of hanging with Scott. Whether that's right for an adult audience I don't know, but you only need to check his corporate bank balance to see it works in $$$$$ terms BIG time. TBH, while it can be frustrating, I don't mind it too much. His SBL material and that of his colleagues can be very high brow and very focused, which often turns me off after a while.

Depends on what you're looking for. Scott is one of the best teachers out there, and the Academy faculty also includes a bunch of other top bassists. I can't imagine needing any skill set that isn't covered by SBL. Trouble is the student forum can be a little earnest and twee IMHO, YMMV, and much of the subject matter is way over my head anyway. Having said that what bassist I am is almost entirely due to Scott. As someone said, take the 14 day free trial and see for yourself. Won't cost you a penny.

Hi Ped, I was just trying to message you. Yeah, fixed with double sided tape to save drilling holes in your bass! Anyway worked for me in the past. The curve on the B Bass 6 is quite shallow so rather than attempt to guess the radius of the curve I just measured the height of the end of the fingerboard off the bass top at the edges and the middle and sent him those figures . Be aware he works exactly to your instructions so don't try and second guess what allowances he might make for over or under or it will all go pear shaped. Hope that helps.

Here she be. And a jolly nice ramp it is too, well finished to my exact spec, inc fingerboard matched curve. Indian rosewood. Cheers to Toby, whom I have no interest in promoting other than that he's a good craftsman who may be of use to other members. Affixed with double sided tape, should you ask.

Well, I'm 63 and just starting out. In my last rock band I was the youngest by five years. Drummer and lead (and a brilliant lead he was and is too) were 70, keys 68, rhythm 68. The drummer was almost totally deaf with tinnitus, keys had something wrong with his inner ear and was totally deaf in that ear - he could only hear the band if you put him on the right side of the band. Lead had dicky knees and needed an op and could could only play sitting down. Rhythm n me were the only ones with most things working and I'm half deaf. We concluded that we mostly played from memory.

My last one was 125x45x10 - Sire box. Weight depends on the axe, usually around 5-5.5Kg, but a 70s jazz is going to weigh nearer 50Kg, while my Squier P bass is so light it may blow away in the wind.

Just waiting for mine to be delivered now. He's quick (48 hour turn round), and as he make exquisite replica medieval string instruments I'm looking for good things. Send him a pic and the exact dimensions of what you want, including a fingerboard curve profile and haggle with him over wood. I'll post pic when I get it and it's on. Toby's on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whippetwood/ and infests Northamptonshire.

Bit puzzled. Music equals people equals urban communities, where people are. You move to the country - no people, no bands. Did you not realize this? I did the same in Suffolk and have to drive 25 miles to find even the start of any action.

I've found it impossible to find a commercial source of ramps so made my own in the past. But now I have no woodwork tools I was pleased to chance upon Toby Chapman (Toby Chapman Carpentry on FB) who's now making me one for my Hohner 6. Toby makes guitars and replica ancient instruments like gitternes and so forth so seems an interesting guy. I'll report back in case anyone else needs something similar.

I'm not that experienced or knowledgeable so perhaps shouldn't be sticking my head over the parapet. But strikes me you must be playing Wembley if you need those size cabs and amp power. I play a Markbass 500w head into a 1x12 cab 8 ohm (so giving me only 350w) and playing quite large pub gigs I've never had the gain over midday on the dial. Also, how young are you and your back? You'll find it a lot easier to carry a couple of light but quality small cabs than a 410/12 or 1x15 dinosaur.

If you want to be different and you can find one: Squier Vintage Modified P bass. Awesome. Or buy an AV like Scott Devine plays which is pretty much identical for 10x more.

Lovely so far. Friendly, patient, knowledgeable and not afraid to make a firm recommendation. Had good advice off them recently and just bought some La Bella RXN strings at their behest and jolly nice they are too with rapid turn round of the order. And no I'm not Mark's mum.

Many thanks.

As above - I need some. I believe the technical description may be: M2 black 8mm (or 6) Phillips countersunk, round or flat. Any idea where I start looking in the UK. Ebay points me towards China with delivery times of up to a month n more.

Last Monday I booked delivery of a bass from Barnsley to Suffolk. UPS didn't collect, so the poor guy who'd stayed in all day had to take it to an Access Point. The bass got as far as the UPS hub in Tamworth, where it stayed for an extra day for no good reason. Then today i stayed in all day especially having been told it was Out for Delivery and no one came. It's the second time I've had an issue so be warned.

I only have three at the moment, but over the last 7 years I've had... well I lost accurate count at 35.

I went the other way. After years of cheap cabs I went for the cheaper end of Vanderkley's range and was disappointed with the muddy sound compared to what SD seems to get. So I went for the Barefaced One 10 at first, then swopped it for a Two 10, mated with a MB LM 11 head. I liked both, especially the nothing weight of the One10 but found the tone too neutral over time, even though the twin is supposed to be coloured. Plus I hated the peeling tolex and general faff of dealing with BF. When I put my head through a MB 121 Traveller I loved the difference. I felt I was buying into a designer's considered idea of what would make a great sound from a matched cab and head. Curiously I might go back to the BF 110 but only because of the weight.

Just curious. From my own experience it varies greatly according to the bass. My Hohner used to love Overwater strings but you can't get them any more. What presses your buttons?

Anyone know where I can get strings like Overwater used to sell? My Hohner basses much prefer them to any other make but they only seem to now be selling odds and ends and not a full range on their website. When I called Chris May said they were looking for another supplier or something but that was months ago and nothing seems to have happened. If it helps to ID them they had a kind of hard black covering to the end that goes in the machine heads and had an unusual range of thicknesses.

That it is the one. I should be dead chuffed at the biggest bargain of my career. They usually go for at least £250 and recently one on here went quickly despite being up for £500 . It's just I didn't really intend to own it. Ah well...

I thought I'd mention it as I put an absurdly low bid on it while under the affluence of incohol and now look like winning it. These are wonderful basses and astonishing value if you're after a six with neck through and nice wood. But I can't afford it just now. Auction ends in a couple of hours if you want to save me from myself and from buying my 30- somethingth bass. PS This isn't my sale or anyone I know. Genuine reason for this post, but if it offends feel free to remove. Tnx.

My blues club only plays pieces in A. Members have to get special dispensation and apply in advance to play in any other key. This is extraordinarily unhelpful for beginners saxists like me, for whom concert A requires me playing in F#.