greyparrot

[quote name='MetalLemon' post='987265' date='Oct 13 2010, 06:42 PM']I'm a beginner looking to buy a bass and i've got a budget of around £300 I was looking at either the ESP LTD B104/154DX (which I managed to find pretty cheap at £330) or the Ibanez SR300 I'm probably gonna play a whole range of styles but mainly fairly heavy stuff (possibly drop tuned) as well as more funky/bluesy stuff. Any information on either of these or any other bass you'd recommend for around the same price would be a huge help. Thanks [/quote] i have an esp 6 string 206, and i can tell you it is amazing for the money. Way better than a squire in tone and build. I also now have a bongo, so im guessing the esp will now go, but i recomend highley.

[quote name='BassBus' post='986958' date='Oct 13 2010, 02:06 PM']I might be splitting hairs here but "...as well as you are able" or 'as well as you want to' There seems to be two distinct types of technique being talked about now. Having suffered muscular problems in my back I would agree that paying attention to posture and hand/wrist action is esential. However, the technique I originally intended this thread to be about is that of the amount of ability one has at playing the instrument. A number of examples of those without great flourish to their playing have been given. These players do fit so well with the music they play in though.[/quote] If you have good tech then you will play better than bad tech. I use my whole right hand to pick, damp and play the notes, and always keep my left hand relaxed and the one finger freat thing. Its just how i have learnt and touch wood, 30 years on i have no back/wrist,elbow probs, and i would say i get around the freatboard fairly well. I just dont think you can play smooth with bad tech. if you drive a car badly, one day you will crash.

[quote name='thodrik' post='986919' date='Oct 13 2010, 01:26 PM']Hence my warped mind![/quote] But the funny thing was just this very morning i was talking to a freind about a sting signiture bass, and he said the same thing you did. It has a name on it he would not buy it. I think if its a bass thats for me, i really would not care.

[quote name='Doddy' post='986910' date='Oct 13 2010, 01:19 PM']I agree in as much as that players like Wyman and Clayton are successful by virtue of their respective bands-their success is predominantly as 'band members' and not 'bass players'. So if you want to go about it that way,you don't need good technique,but in the highly likely chance that that doesn't work,or last, you will need good technique to further your career.[/quote] Also if they want to continue in the music industry i do think many bassist in bands that make it do get their act together to stay in the music industry. Nowdays i think the standard of bassists is very high in most of todays chart bands. Even if its simple stuff it sounds well played, but lets face it they can proberbly produce a hit single with my parrot singing nowdays with the equipment available to preoduce tracks with. :-) If you listen to some of the bass lines like in buddy hollys everyday there a huge bum note at the end of the song.....did anyone care.....no. I did a gig with the Crickets a while back, along side them, the bass player now is amazing. Im guessing at the time of Buddys hits he was playing 2/3 years.

[quote name='thodrik' post='986837' date='Oct 13 2010, 12:29 PM']Umm, okay? I was commenting on Fender eq circuits in general, not on this custom model, which I never really been totally sold on compared to other campanies. I'm sure its an amazing bass that I could make to sound in my own way, but for that money I would be more likely to buy a bass built to my own specifications, rather than to Marcus Miller's, or failing that buy a genuine 1970s jazz, fit a badass on it and insert a Sadowsky preamp. That just me though, I'm just against having someone else's name on 'my' instrument, other than the person that built it. To me it just says that I'm either just copying or following in someone else's footsteps and that whatever I do in music, I'll never be as good as the person whose name is on the bass. I know that is total rubbish, but it is the way that my warped mind thinks. Obviously, I'm not the market that this bass is aimed for.[/quote] If the Alembic mark king sig had humpty dumpty on the headstock i really would not give a hoot!

[quote name='BigAlonBass' post='986822' date='Oct 13 2010, 12:17 PM']It must be our fault. I've P.M'd three different people as well, wanting to buy stuff from them, and they've never been seen again! [/quote] scary thought that!

[quote name='Bilbo' post='986760' date='Oct 13 2010, 11:27 AM']I think that Jake has made a good point. The motivation to play and the professional requirements of contemporary players have changed dramatically over the last 40 years, on all instruments but the bass particularly. The Stones were never great technicians and, like many of the bands of that era, got away with murder musically because there were so few bands around. I mean, have you actually LISTENED to George Harrison's guitar playing? Whilst there are always weak musicians around, the average bedroom bass player nowadays could technically knock Wyman into a cocked hat. If you want to be good enough to play in a good band, you would probably, but not inevitably, have to develop skills at a higher level than Wyman - even the punk era bassists (who were all 'anti-muso') were more advanced. Even McCartney and Sting are not great technicians but use their basses to play their own songs (how many BASS ONLY sessions have these two done for other acts? I don't know of any at all but, if it is, it is a tiny number compared to, say, Pino, Flea, Miller etc etc). If you want to win a place in a band on the basis of your bass playing prowess, doing a Wyman probably won't get you the gig. It certainly won't get you much in the way of session work. And so, if a teacher can't take you beyond that level, they are probably not worth the investment!![/quote] # I agree with most of this, but think Macca and sting are great players, who added and brought the bass to the front of music. Alot of beatles numbers had great bass lines, and his stuff with wings is great. Both sting and macca have great tech and a good feel for music and melody useing little notes. One of maccas great bass lines to me are in the song 'dont say goodnight tonight' nice bass line. :-)

[size=4][color="#FF0000"]yes[/color][/size] end of. You use bad tech, it will sound loose, and worse still you will or can end up with damage to your wrists hands back you name it it can happen.

I think the US version is the real deal. But iv heard the sadowski pre is the way to go. I had one for a week, it sounded great on its own, but never cut through on stage. Was a bit peed, at the bass itself so got rid. I have a thing about putting an active bass into another active pre amp, too much electronics. Better to swap out with the j east, now that is a good bit of kit. At the moment im finding great joy in a £400 esp 6 string with im guessing a cheap board in it, but sounds awesome. :-)

People have things for sale i may wanna buy, but they dont come back to the site...............how anoying! he he (my rant for today)

and the bass cost just £400. Its an ESP 206 6 string, and im very pleased with it, had it about 2 months now, and find it hard to cast any bad report on it. Although on this gig when i took it outa the case the strings were near on the deck, but its going back to Darren at the Bassmerchant to readjust, its just the truss rod, but being a duel one i dont wanna muck about with it. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24tJUmATLu8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24tJUmATLu8[/url] Thanks, rich.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aff4gZpa5m4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aff4gZpa5m4[/url]