matty589

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='188609' date='Apr 30 2008, 08:05 AM']That's all true Rich and makes a good point about bassists who play and sing.. It is definitely a real skill or art, and to play technically difficult parts like Mark King does and sing the lead vocal at the same time, that's pretty amazing! I thought the same of Geddy Lee when I saw Rush last year.. And even though I think Mr Level 42 is over-rated as a bassist, I don't for one second deny what an influence he has been to loads of bass players.. But as an 'under-rated' Basschat bassist, if I was to aspire to be as good at writing songs that I could then play & sing at the same time, I'd want to emulate Macca, Sting or Prince for example way, way before I ever thought of trying to emulate Mark King. And that's because their music and bass playing means more to me and inspires me more than Level 42 or Jaco etc, etc.. Cheers Mike - always knew we 'rats' were on the same wavelength! Does that make us Wal-Rats then? [/quote] How about renaming the forum basstwats - would be more suitable.

With all due respect, there are a fair few posts here that seem to exhibit narrow-mindedness and ignorance. Fine if you don't like the way someone plays but just about everyone mentioned as being overrated has achieved far more as a musician and a bass player than anyone here ever will. R.I.P Jaco, the Ox and all the other fine bass players no longer with us. And good luck bickering some more as I've had enough

A slight narrow-bandwidth boost in the low mids (200-250Hz - try sweeping with the VariMid frequency), with a corresponding slight cut in the same area from gtr (if you can get them to do it!) will really cut through a dense metal track. Maybe also try a slight kick at around 3Khz will give a little upper-end sparkle too. This might be easier from your amp's controls. The other advantage is that when you record is that you'll be able to hear the bass in the mix when played on all types of audio system - boost the bass end too much and a) the mix gets muddy you won't hear the bass part at all on a cheap beatbox and c) the engineer will turn your level down too much. What was that John Entwistle quote - something like "played at this 20,000 seat arena for the first time, got my usual sound - clean and bassy - sounded like a B-17 bomber was flying overhead!"

[quote name='Wil' post='187239' date='Apr 28 2008, 02:24 PM']By using my ears. If I hear a note I can find it straight away, 99% of the time. If I want to play a 6th up from it, or minor third etc, I'll have the note in my head and my fingers will go there. I just have no idea what note I'll be playing. What use is knowing the fingerboard if you never use charts, or sight read?[/quote] Because you're limiting your ability to grow as a musician if you don't. Seriously, would you ask "what is the point of learning to read English if I don't want to pick up a book or newspaper. I can understand spoken English so why should I ever learn to read it?". I hope I don't need to answer that question You say you can hear a note and find it straight away but how about chords? If someone plays a chord can you hear the root, third, seventh? How about chromatic runs or non-major/minor/pentatonics? Maybe your ears are good but they'll only get you so far. What if a string breaks mid-song? If you know the fretboard you just jump to the same spot on another string (hopefully!). If you're putting your finger [i]here[/i] because it sounds good then you won't know where [i]there[/i] is. Your band playing's good though - keep it up!

Don't want to be negative but MarloweDK sounds to my ears like a bigtime Marcus Miller clone. I had a look at the videos he has posted as well as his website. He can groove but flams with the snare quite a lot so his timing isn't that tight. I noticed this more when he was playing along to his own tracks - the records were OK but that may have been the existing bass line. He can slap and has learned some blues licks but IMHO he is OK, no more. There are a number of guys doing very similar things on YouTube, albeit with rather less feel. Perhaps he can teach Jimmy Haslip the turnaround lick to "Havona" though because Jimmy just wasn't getting it If you want a laugh though... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJt1cB7AA0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJt1cB7AA0[/url] Does that make him a Coltrane soundalike

[quote name='tauzero' post='187207' date='Apr 28 2008, 01:52 PM']Um. Yes.[/quote] Doing what? Riding your bike?

[quote name='tauzero' post='187226' date='Apr 28 2008, 02:06 PM']I've listened to it once. What a pile of tedious turgid crap it is too.[/quote] Really. Good, well glad to have your opinion.

[quote name='fifeq' post='186907' date='Apr 27 2008, 11:59 PM']i have yamaha bb414 which is my main bass and i bought squier precision affinity used one for 30 quid just to learn more about setting up a bass at the mo. im doing some mojo job to it haha. want to finish it to have it as a backup or maybe ( will see after modding) main bass until i will be able to afford something else.[/quote] Been playing 23 years but a Yamaha BB615 (£309) surprised the hell out of me - I would happily use it on all but the most demanding situations... a fantastic bass at any price.

[quote name='urb' post='185454' date='Apr 25 2008, 05:33 PM']Hi Jamie, It's still really great - I love the compact feel and B sounds and feels great - and Kev, I know what you mean - amazing stuff comes out of that workshop - it's like the magic bass cellar... gorgeous wood goes in - amazing basses come out. And on the whole issue of this custom bass versus that custom bass - each luthier does different things - much like different chef's cook the same ingredients in their own unique way - all I will say about Martin's work is that I have 'tasted' almost every other type of bass out there, and I like the 'flavour' of his the best... doesn't mean to say that other builders can't match what he does, they just serve it up differently. As many threads across the web have stated re X Luthier versus Y Luthier there is a point of diminishing returns once you spend more than £2K or £3K - you will get some of comparable quality - it really comes down to taste and whole bunch of other factors - not the 'best' this or that - if it works for you in terms of design, price, location, purpose (what style you play) - then that's why I chose Sei - I could have chosen any other, including Fodera - but I didn't. The other major factor is that I have got to know Martin and John, and the one and only Alex Carter, and I count them all as friends now - so that also played a part in my decision. Just a few thoughts on the subject. I'm off to be a dad now - my real baby arrived this week - his name's Benjamin and he bloomin' gorgeous! Mike x[/quote] How long before he starts playing bass?

[quote name='presoulnation' post='186105' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:07 PM']Hmmmmm I really need to play a few Sei's. Is there anyone in the Manchester area who owns a Sei and would be willing to let me have a little tinker?? I do intend to get one at some point in my life because the Original 5 is just the sexiest looking beast ever EDIT - I might also add that I didn't intend to leave ACG out of that before, genuine mistake and I admire his work greatly![/quote] Everyone has their different preference (mine is Ken Smith) but as I know everyone at the Gallery I have to say they are very, very accomplished builders. Martin has exceptional skill with design, woodworking and electronics, as well as being a great guy. The shop also holds perhaps the best stock of basses in the UK. If you can think up a dream bass, I am pretty sure Martin can build it...

[quote name='molan' post='186894' date='Apr 27 2008, 11:46 PM']Just wondered if anyone out there had played a Fly bass at all? I tried one of their guitars when they first came out and thought they made even my rudimentary guitar skills sounds surprisingly OK! If anyone's played one I'd be fascinated to know what they thought about the feel, handling, playability etc. as well as the sound.[/quote] The ones I have played are awful. The body is made of about 30 laminates of what seem to be plywood, and almost every setting sounds crap. Don't sit well on a strap and sitting down the bottom horn digs right into your leg. Strange as the guitars are rather nice... apart from that top horn digging into your ribs!

Oops, missed that! The C is still going to fall off the edge of the fingerboard. And that bottom horn will dig into your leg!

Maybe it would save us all wasting even more of our time (well actually I have one eye on CSI) just to get on with something else?

Marcus Miller has played on so many records I've lost count. People I know who have hung out with him say he's totally cool (how can someone who was nearly late for a Miles Davis gig because he was taking a balloon ride not be cool!) and a phenomenally great all-round bass player, sightreader and player across all stylistic boundaries. When you feel like overrating him take a listen to the Nightfly by Donald Fagen. He doesn't slap a note and plays great. If you play over the bridge pickup, use harmonics, solo, slide notes, play chords or play fretless than Jaco is not overrated. If he didn't influence you overtly he did subliminally. Fine if you don't like the music, but I can make a fair guess he would pi** over everyone here in any musical context. If you are going to overrate Flea because he was in a band that became successful ask yourself if you could have anchored the Chillis and been a part of that band for 20+ years? Can you play Phantom of the Opera or Run to the Hills as tight as Steve Harris. I've been playing 23 years and can do a pretty good John Coltrane impression, and I still can't. Did you play bass for a top metal band for years and years? Have you written a bunch of top ten singles like Mark King and played in front of tens of thousands of fans, or inspired a league of musicians and sustained the bass guitar and amp industry in this country throughout the 80's? Have you contributed to albums that have sold over 50 million copies like Pino? None of us have done this have we? So why not stop wasting time talking bollocks and do some practice, go out and gig and sound like the bollocks ? I've just finished transcribing "Glamour Profession" by Steely Dan - wicked bassline by Anthony Jackson. Must be overrated then How do you shut a bass player up? Give them a chart to read...

Perhaps while they're revamping their site they might also work out how cut the nut on the Stingray 5 so the G doesn't fall off the fingerboard! Where's the Bongo 6 btw?

[quote name='benwhiteuk' post='186822' date='Apr 27 2008, 10:21 PM']No one would know him if the Chili's didnt happen and he was still playing cheese funk rock in dirty Hollywood strip bars.[/quote] I didn't realise it before, but that now sounds like my life's ambition!

[quote name='warwickhunt' post='186408' date='Apr 27 2008, 12:09 PM']The original query asks who 'you' think is over-rated... surely if you list a bassist that you don't like, that then means that they can't be over-rated. You don't rate them at all, hence they can not by definition be over-rated by you [/quote] Ah, finally some intelligence! But then you like Warwicks

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186398' date='Apr 27 2008, 11:51 AM']Surely, you're not overratting me are you? [/quote] I don't think you're a rat at all, and I certainly wouldn't overrat you

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186325' date='Apr 27 2008, 10:15 AM']Egad's - this is a bit much for a Sunday morning! ...looks for Edward De Bono's 'I am Right, You are Wrong' first edition before sitting down to compose a sensible reply.. You're talking complete bollocks, sir! In your post you said: [i]"Overrated by who? Without wishing to descend into an argument, does the wider world care what the posters on this thread think?"[/i] Obviously, the wider world doesn't care what we think because that's not the point of this thread. But the person who posted this topic, Josh, does care what we think. And it's to Josh and other Basschat members that our opinions are addressed.. Saying "I think Jaco is overrated" is a completely consistent, logical statement in the context in which it is being expressed here in this thread.... Especially as he is [/quote] Well I'm glad you have aired your opinion. I bet we all feel well informed and have learnt something new today. One thing I have to concede: when it comes to talking bollocks, I couldn't possibly keep pace with you

[quote name='Oscar South' post='186225' date='Apr 26 2008, 11:54 PM']I believe that the washer dryers Geddy Lee uses are highly overrated, I tried one out in the shop and they are nowhere near as warm or dry as he claims.[/quote] Now that's the kind of info we need!

[quote name='silverfoxnik' post='186122' date='Apr 26 2008, 07:38 PM']That's not the point, with respect.. The original post - by a member of Basschat, asked fellow Basschat members - who we thought were overrated. Therefore, it's a question about our opinions here, not about the achievements of the bassists in question out there in the 'wider world'.. So IMHO, it's just a harmless way to pass the time and definitely not a way to start arguements.. [/quote] If you read the question, then your reply misses the point. Who is rating the player in the first place? It can't be you otherwise how can you rate them and then say they are overrated? Logically we are being asked who WE think is overrated by THE WIDER WORLD. If the wider world have rated them to any significant degree then what is said here is, quite literally, a way to waste time. An opinion is only worth having if it is backed up with knowledge, experience and some kind of supporting evidence. Saying "I think Jaco is overrated" is like saying "I think blue is not golf". Meaningless. By the way, which washer-dryers are, in your opinion, overrated?

Overrated by who? Without wishing to descend into an argument, does the wider world care what the posters on this thread think? Jaco, Jamerson, Mark King and the rest have made music that has entertained and been enjoyed by people all round the world. Have you?

I think it was Greg, and it sounds like it was played live as it slows down slightly in the middle - definitely not quantised. Good luck trying to do it slapped!

Certainly the networking aspect of a well-respected institution is a good reason to study. If you have little or no gigging experience then a University can give you a cushion and ease you into experiencing playing with other musicians. It also helps to immerse yourself in music. It goes back to my earlier point that music colleges exist because of a lack of available gigs. I went to the Bass Institute to study a (supposedly) "advanced" 2-year course 13 years ago as a reasonably accomplished player, able to read, played in a variety of bands and styles and done a few recording sessions. The standard of the other musicians was appalling - very few could even tap a basic rhythm or play in any other style than rock widdle (sloppily and out of time, too). There was an entrance exam where one had to sight-read a piece and play arpeggios built on the harmonic minor as well as sending a recording of two pieces of music (1 including a solo) in prior to the audition. So how the hell did all these beginners get on the course? When year two came around and songs like "Contusion", "YYZ" and "The Necessary Blonde" were on the agenda they might as well have given up. No-one could even attempt to play them! Odd time signatures. Rhythmic displacement. Jazz soloing. Forget it. Is this because they were talentless no-hopers? I don't think so. They just needed to listen to a wider range of music, use a metronome to develop better time and improve the efficiency of their technique to be able to play cleaner and more musically, and go out and gig. The tutors may well have been respected players but most of them couldn't teach for toffee (some of the were just plain obnoxious). Now, of course other courses may well have been nothing like this - I did a good 1-year jazz course in Chichester with Bobby Wellins (even though he hated electric bass and anything other than jazz!) - but to be honest, if you really want to learn to play, records can tell you 95% of all you need to know about music. I might also point out that due to the massive reduction in live music over the last 30 years, a lot of teachers at music colleges are now students that stayed on, or have a name because they write a magazine article or have played a gig or two. You are going to learn from them - what will that make you?

Ibanez BTB555MP. If you haggle you could get one for £380. Bartolini MK1's 35" scale Monorail bridge 3-band parametric eq Moderate weight Should be easily available. The best 6-string under £1K I have ever played. Liked it so much I bought one, even though I have owned £2K+ Ken Smiths, Warwicks etc. Needs a tapered B, then it sounds wicked, especially on the neck pickup.