ambient

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1495029255' post='3300630'] Did he ask if he could touch your gear? I'm happy to let people play mine AFTER they've asked. As others have said get in touch with his employers. [/quote] I'm happy after they've asked, and then washed their hands!

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1495034117' post='3300725'] No I paid via the online card service so unless they do something the moneys gone. Thankfully not thousands lost but if they are that carefree about customers money no matter how small the amount then............hmmmmm. [/quote] Get in touch with your bank or credit card issuer. They'll refund you.

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1495015694' post='3300413'] I thought I should update this thread. I have still had no response from Stringbusters after they took my money. No response on the phone, no emails, and I even sent them a Facebook message which has been read but ignored. I opened a dispute with PayPal which has been escalated. They have until the 23rd to respond but so far there hasnt been any acknowledgement whatsoever. I would recommend that nobody uses these guys again. It's fair enough for a company to run into problems, but there's absolutely no excuse for this behaviour. I cant even buy replacement strings elsewhere until I get my money back because buying Elixirs in bulk isn't cheap! Anybody know of anywhere else I can get these without paying through the nose? [/quote] DV247 sell Elixir strings. Whether they're a good price I don't know, I don't use them. I recently bought some a 6 string bass set of Thomastiks from them and they were £30 cheaper than anywhere else. [url="http://www.dv247.com/search/0/0/Relevance/Descending/elixir+strings/1/"]http://www.dv247.com/search/0/0/Relevance/Descending/elixir+strings/1/[/url]

I always get mine from either Amazon or strings direct. Both have fantastic customer service. Whenever I've looked on the string buster website they've always been out of stock with whatever I've wanted. DV247 are good too. I just bought a 6 string set of Thomastik flats for about £30 less than anywhere else was selling them for.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1495028505' post='3300619'] I think this is not a video about bass playing, to me it clearly looks like a demo video for the Maruszczyk Pi bass he's playing and, from the look of it, endorsing with a signature model. It's all about the bass, not the player. [/quote] That's the point people are missing.

I thought the tone rather suited the style of playing.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1495013483' post='3300380'] Sorry - I've never heard of him. [/quote] [url="http://www.stevelawson.net"]http://www.stevelawson.net[/url]

I think that bass guitar, electric bass or whatever you want to call it, is an incredibly versatile instrument. Double bass can be too, there are some phenomenal double bassists around with incredible technique, making some astounding music. It can be used in it's traditional role of course, but it's capable of far, far more than that. I think that should be applauded. How many on here are influenced by Mark King, Geddy Lee, John Entwhistle, Flea or Jaco? Each of them are great players, but each has pushed at the boundary of what bass does. I recently played at an event with 3 other solo bassists. Each had his own voice on the instrument, and each approached 'solo bass' from their own direction. The highlight for me was Steve Lawson. I studied with him for a few years, he's been an incredible influence for me. Everyone knows him and what he does, so there's no need here for a description. There was a guy called Dave Clarke who's played with an amazing array of artists. His approach was from a groove perspective. He was playing with a fantastic keyboard player. Check out Youtube for the Rowberry Clarke project. He was amazing, just bass and electric piano, some amazing music, some fantastic grooves. Another guy, again someone who's playing I love, was using solo bass in an accompaniment setting, with a female singer. Songs with bass backing, fantastic and beautiful.

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1494982004' post='3300213'] Got bored & turned off after 2 minutes - does he go on to do anything other than go pockata-pockata-bloopity-pockata-bloop, very quickly? I'm guessing not. Stunt bass, eh? [/quote] Maybe it's his Mark King impression?

He's in time, has a good technique, there's nothing there that shouldn't be there, very cleanly played with no extraneous noise. Like someone has said above, it's an exhibition piece. A different league to what you hear at the Bass show.

Why does bass playing have to have groove? Personally groove comes way down in my list of what makes something interesting.

He's playing a bass, so yes.

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1494950299' post='3299897'] Good call. But most of my gear is bought paying cash, BACS or PainPal. I think I'll take up keeping photographs and photograph the serial numbers too. Then keep the images on a OneDrive folder. [/quote] Good idea. I guess the serial number is the important thing.

Something I do when I buy new items, I just bought some new Genelec monitors for example. I always keep the boxes for everything, and I keep the receipt for the item in the box, up in the loft. I always make sure that the serial number is written on the receipt too.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1494928422' post='3299591'] I honestly think your giving out false info, try buying a car in good faith that's got finance outstanding on it, even after a few owners it belongs to the finance company and always did, its for that reason that the v5 for a car says "not proof of ownership" just registered keeper, it's the receipt that proves ownership. The civil case would be between you and the person you bought it off, them and who they got it from etc etc, you have no legal rights to it at all, the insurance company might offer you the car at a reasonable price after carrying out a valuation but they don't have to. [url="https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-you-think-youve-bought-stolen-goods/"]https://www.citizens...t-stolen-goods/[/url] [/quote] Exactly. I've heard of people having cars taken off them a couple of years after buying them when the 'real' owner has tracked it down.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1494888536' post='3299410'] I play over 65 gigs annually with my band, all types of venues, from bars to large festival stages. Over the last 40 years I always bring a spare bass. I've never had to use the spare, however I will continue to bring the spare. I've seen how embarrassing it is when your at a gig, your instrument fails and you don't have a back up. Blue [/quote] Is that because there's not a lot really that can go wrong with a passive bass? My bass is active, but has the option to switch to passive if something did go wrong with the circuit.

I did some gigs in Paris recently. I had no idea what amp to expect, other than a bass amp. It was fine in the end though. Really I guess it's in the promoter's interests for everything to sound and work as well as possible. Though I guess a little compromise is needed.

Wheh I was at uni I used to do upwards of 12 or sometimes 14 hours a day. It's fine to do that, but take regular breaks, make sure to keep properly hydrated. I'd maybe question why use a strap for practice at home. Really the strap should keep the bass at an ideal height whilst standing, the height really should be about the same as that whilst sat with the bass on your lap,

Surely if you're playing somewhere where you're going to risk damaging the cab, then you'll have PA support? Which kind of makes having your own amp and sound etc a little irrelevant, it'll down to the sound man.

Lower your strap. It might be ok for your left hand, but doesn't sound right for your right hand. You need to find a compromise position that suits both.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1494855939' post='3299029'] Thank you. [/quote] No problem, I should have been clearer.

[quote name='SpondonBassed' timestamp='1494855161' post='3299018'] "LEA" = Law Enforcement Agency right? I am not thick but there are many "LEA"s when you look. There is another thread however where I am being made out to be thick or less than normal somehow so I'll forgive you if you think I am too. [/quote] Local education authority.

That's brilliant! Belated happy birthday.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1494850484' post='3298942'] It clearly states that the person hiring you should carry it out be you staff or part time, volunteers get it done for free. [/quote] They're hiring a self-employed music teacher. This is the whole point of portability of the DBS check, and the update service. Again, a quote: [color=#515151][size=4] [size=4][i]The DBS Update Service lets you keep your DBS certificates up to date online and allows employers to check a certificate status at any time.[/i][/size][/size][/color][color=#515151][size=4] [size=4][i]This system means that whenever you start work with a new employer or contractor, rather than applying for a brand new DBS Certificate, the employer can go to the DBS website to confirm if anything has changed on your record since your last certificate.[/i][/size][/size][/color]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1494849649' post='3298935'] It's not the MU that are using your services. The school should be checking you themselves at their cost, the enhanced DBS you are showing them that you've obtained from the MU means nothing legally. [/quote] Why? It means exactly the same as if they'd done it themselves. It's less than four months old. It's been accepted by 2 agencies. Again, it's why the MU offers the services to it's members. It's the same if you were supply teaching, it saves having to have a check done with several LEAs. My cousin when she first qualified 6 or 7 years ago had to get one for each LEA that she taught through. Where she lived was on the border of 4 counties, so 4 DBS checks.