Harlequin74

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1443444706' post='2874693'] Jamiroquai's catalog are a study into a technique genre or style in itself. Just like Chic's was.. Youtube them and work through them. Required study, IMO. [/quote] Spot on

[quote name='VTypeV4' timestamp='1434238826' post='2797981'] Learned it many years back when it first appeared.. Great track back them still great today! Personal faves are 'Runaway', 'Blow your mind', 'Canned heat', 'Where do we go from here' and 'Dynamite' however I love all of it! [/quote] Good choices! Might add Love Foolosophy, Tallusa, and Space Cowboy....!

loving these answers. Happy and depressed all at the same time!

Yep, nice bass line. once learnt , try Starchild. Awesome , and great fun to play.

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1433346557' post='2790327'] I would fail badly if I took the test I will however play every note correctly at my gig on friday , and hopefully with good timing and dynamics (or whatever the real word for that is) [/quote] Looks like we better stick together Lojo! We are surrounded by music theorist geniuses ( they can prob all play brilliantly also! )

OMG i am introuble. Never use ear plugs..... But do on the motorbike which is important as it is a KTM and Sets off car alarms. WITH THE BASS AND THE BIKE, WHAT A GREAT NEIGHBOUR EH. . ? Sorry, what did you say?

[quote name='matski' timestamp='1433152126' post='2788204'] How about putting an ad in the local music shop (the one by the station in Tonbridge or, if it still exists, JB's in T Wells)? Failing that, how about an ad in the Courier? [/quote] Local lad eh? All good thoughts, thanks!

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1433106778' post='2787960'] I think that part of the problem is in the 50`s, 60`s and 70`s, there wasnt the abundance of good quality, well priced basses available like we have now and Fender had most of the market. And there wasnt the internet for players to bitch to each other how bad some of those Fenders were. Now most of us have heard stories of how bad Fender qc can be, although I have never owned a "bad" one. Compare this to the recent Squier models which, on the whole, seem to be very good value compared to their US cousins at around a third of the price. I have a VM77 Jazz bass: it`s great to play and have gigged it several times and will do in the future. If it sounds and feels good, I don`t give a baboons backside which name is on the headstcok. [/quote] Love this reply! I feel the same way. I bought a Squier Precision VM at the weekend. Beautiful finish, and tone, and plays very sweetly. Have hardly put it down since.....its a bit lighter than i am used to, but with the the big tone it gives thats a good thing right?

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1432652691' post='2783605'] On the subject of expensive v cheap, I'd just add that the cheapest instruments tend to have equally low budget electronics (whether passive or more so in active) and signal to noise ratio is 'generally' less of a problem on better quality instruments. [/quote] Very good point! And always worth a few quid to get a luthier to give them the once over... Unless you can do it yourself . Unlike me, to my deep shame!

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1432651344' post='2783588'] I have owned: 2x American Standard Fenders P and J 1x Fender Japan Jazz Vintage Reissue 2x Overwaters - Progress III and Custom J 2x Musicman Stingrays - 4 and 5 string 2x Fender Roscoe beck V's 1x Squier Silver series Japan 1x Squier Classic Vibe Precision ......and the list goes on. MY POINT (Finally) is that I currently have a £120 Squier Delxue Active Jazz V and a £230 Squier Vintage Modified Precision V, and to be honest apart from a few very minor aesthetic things, I am incredibly happy with them. They sound as good as any other bass I have owned and after a few minutes tweaking actually play better than a lot of my old basses. The only thing I actually want and need sound wise is a Stingray but the P and J sounds are covered with the Squiers. Its actually quite liberating playing with a cheap bass and I get more comments on them than the guitars that cost over a grand. You also dont tend to worry about them at gigs, unlike my guitarist who has 3k worth of PRS he stresses about. Get a squier, go enjoy playing and use the extra cash for something else. [/quote] I reckon that is a close to the truth as you can get. And i, also, have spent alotover the last 30 years on expensive kit. I think in addition that the general quality of Squiers is well above their price point, and Fenders is well below theirs.

Thanks all! Nice therapy session.

Sorry to rehash this one, but i really think i am getting a better tone on my £300 quid Squier Jazz 70's bass than my American Fender Deluxe! Especially on the funky , g string , and slap tones. It must be me..........! Any therapy gratefully received.

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1432360092' post='2780762'] That's a great approach to take Harlequin....let me know how you get on. All the best with it.... [/quote] Cheers for the advice, Guru Jonny. Will keep you informed....

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1432325960' post='2780607'] Hi Harlequin. Before you press on any further in your search for a keyboard player, I would really try another way of performing the songs you think you can't do without a keyboard player... Remove all the modern stuff ( effects and trickery)you use in the band until you are left with the guitars, the leads, the amps the speakers and vocals... All the pedals and effects...put em on hold for a while. Once you have painted yourself into a corner, and got rid of everything you think you need, start playing the songs...say a Stevie Wonder tune, and replace what you have got rid of with aggression. It might sound a bit odd at first, but very quickly you will hear your instruments and musicianship shining through, instead of hearing the artificial stuff that hides and stifles so many good musicians. I think you will find it far more exiting if you take a 'lets make do with what we've got' approach to the band, instead of trying to hear and create what you haven't got, and perhaps don't need, or adding things because they were there on the original recordings. Entertaining an audience has nothing to do with the size of the band, the beats per minute, the style of music or how loud you are. It's about getting them to believe in what you are doing and getting them to buy in to every note you play. The delivery of your music is everything... It's not the size of the bore, but the force of the shot that counts.. Just look at the energy The Pistols, The Jam, The Strokes, The Police etc did, and still do, with the most basic of instruments and effects... [/quote] I like your thinking alot Jonny! At present we have a playlist of around 30 songs, with female vocal, guitar, drums and bass, and have a great groove. Perhaps i am overthinking it? Maybe the other way to go is find another rythmn guitar, work on the groove and reselect the song list to suit. But keeping the great soul, funk vibe we seem to have together....... Food for thought, thanks again.

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1432298742' post='2780168'] I have had to do this with the last two keyboard players we've had. I seem to be the delegated voice for this as everyone else is too chicken. It is probably also because most keyboard players we've had are actually trained piano players, so feel they have to use their left hand and just trample over and muddy up the bass player's range. The current one is learning, but keeps looking like a child who has had his toys removed for being bad when we tell him he needs to play simple organ/chord swells rather than New Orleans jive piano on everything... [/quote] Well we are only in Crowborough/tun wells , so can we borrow yours please......from time to time

Thanks Guys, at least i am now smiling! Jonny, do you use any midis or similar for keys lines, or do you substitute their parts for sax etc? On songs that we do like Stevie Wonder, 'do i do' or 'i wish', it really needs keys dont you think..? Why cant all other musicians be as reasonable and hard working as bass players eh , he he

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1432207682' post='2779148'] I can empathise.....been looking, asking and posting on different forums for ages. Not easy to find [/quote] And then.....every time we find one and audition? Turn up late.......forget the song list.......... Etc etc. Starting to think we will have to dep, as doont want to play along with midi files , or similar...... How do you manage?

Wish you were based in the south, i would bite your hand off! Good luck with the search.

Hi all Based neat Tunbridge Wells/Sevenoaks area, we are a covers band playing soul, funk, some pop and having a real problem finding a keys player! Any advice, or perhaps someone you might know please let me know! Thanks and best wishes Mike

Thanks again guys. Appreciate your advice!

Great advice guys, thanks. Will go and test with 2 x 102P's. Sounds like the way to go....... Thanks again

Hi all Some advice please...... I have a Fender American Deluxe as my main bass, which i play through a Markbass Little Mark III and Traveler 102P. Sounds awesome, but lacking some headroom on larger venues or open marquees. So, was going to add either a Markbass 12" or 15" cab, which resets the amp to 4 ohms but then you get the full 500 watt from the amp. I am heading toward the Markbass traveler 15 but any thoughts or advice would be useful. Thanks.