urb

[quote name='mistahbenn' post='208858' date='May 29 2008, 01:51 PM']Hey URB Well, yesterday I slapped my Rode NTK valve condenser mic in front of my new Epifani 3x10 with a home made acoustic panel behind the mic, and its the best sound ive recorded for ages! Next time i will di the aguilar amp too and blend both the signals. But honestly, micing a quality amp, even at low volume, will give a clean natural sound, which is also full of feel and moving air! Have fun. Ps how is the babby? Benn[/quote] Hey B - that's exactly what I've been thinking of doing as well - how much would one of those mics set me back? I want to get one for recording sax and vocals as I have studio monitors and a decent sized room for recording - my album needs to be started soon! Let me know - I know from experience that miking is actually the best way - and or combing that with a direct signal - to get the sweetest bass tone...I'm about to get an Epifani cab as well - so that's the next step I guess. What do reckon to this kind of deal from Thomann? It would make sense to get all the bits at once: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/prod_cbundle_74.html?gk=migr&cbcid=454&art=43678"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/prod_cbundle_74.h...4&art=43678[/url] or is this the puppy you are using: [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/rode_ntk_inkl_spinne.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/rode_ntk_inkl_spinne.htm[/url] Baby Ben is doing great - and getting cuter and cooler by the day - apologies for the baby pic but he is rather cool: [attachment=9189:Baby_ben_lovely.jpg] Cheers Mike

[quote name='Marcus' post='207800' date='May 28 2008, 08:54 AM']The thing about not starting a solo on the root is good advice, just becoming aware of some of this stuff myself ! Thanks for starting this thread I went to see Victor Wooten in Glasgow last year, I was bewildered with his solo-ing ability. One of the lads I went with is totally on the ball with theory and is an awesome player. He told me that any good player has a box of musical phrases that they can trot out in any key, most of their "improv" solo's are combinations of these phrases. Made sense to me.... I bet most of us could identify a Jaco, Clarke, King or Miller solo after a couple of note. I guess it's because of their "typical" box of musical phrases executed with "their" technique. The fact of it is, most of us will never invest the time needed to develop this approach. I'm just a copycat too.......[/quote] There's some - if not a lot - of truth in your comments here. I won't repeat what's been said elsewhere but someone like Wooten has spent an entire lifetime (he started playing when he was 2 and I think he just turned 40) creating his own musical 'universe' that, while it may contain plenty of 'licks', he can play these in any and every key or tempo - and that's something that every jazzer tries to practice as well - as they are always told 'now play that in all 12 keys' - which in spite of being a mammoth task, eventually gives you huge amounts of freedom. In any musical situation. The other comment you made about recognising certain players within a note or two of hearing them is the other hugely important aspect of developing a musical approach to theory etc - is your tone. The most obvious example would be a singer whose voice is instantly recognisable, just from a single 'sound' or syllable - it's so important to develop your own way of playing that enables you to clearly express what you want to 'say' musically. Gear is certainly part of that equation, but using Wooten as an example again, put him on a P bass and he still sounds like Victor Wooten, as a lot of the control and execution of tone comes from your fingers. A great bass can just help that process along. Anyway - learn those melodies, solos, bass lines, chord sequences through transcribing and then try and pulll in the theory side of things to see how it all fits together. It does take a lot of work, but it's so worth it in the end. Enough rambling cack from me - there's loads of great advice - and questions - here so far, nice one people. Cheers Mike

You need to develop a 'language' of your own - but hopefully one that includes stuff other musicians recognise as well - in a nutshell to be able to have a 'conversation' with other musicians - like Mark says - you have to look at music as a whole and try and work on the component parts that will enable you to create your own voice. M

[quote name='rmorris' post='208538' date='May 29 2008, 12:11 AM']looking at basic electronic stuff - the Thumb presumably has an actively powered lowish impedance output which will work well with a typical line level input which I guess is what you'll find on the Mackie Onyx. Does the Sei have a low impedance output or a 'traditional' high impedance passive output ? ( which would 'want' to see a high 470K to MegOhm + impedance on the input ? )[/quote] I'm pretty sure the Sei has a low impedance output - the weird thing is that my Epifani 502 doesn't really like being used a pre-amp as I can't seem to get the signal level I want from it - anyone got any tips on this? But the tube head of the SWR BBB is just wonderful - and the resulting sound is just smooth and clear. The only draw back with that combo is that it's only got a 10" speaker - so it's only good for small gigs. Mike

My Sei bass and fretless 5 both sound super sweet - I'm a happy bass player right now M

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='203312' date='May 20 2008, 10:24 PM']Sounds like nearly everyone associated with BGM is going to be at the gig.[/quote] I won't be at the gig - it's for a piece in Time Out for Return to Forever - I'm going to Hiromi instead - seen Stan a few times live and he's great. Cheers Mike

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='203298' date='May 20 2008, 10:08 PM']Stanley Clarke is in town on Thursday as well.[/quote] Yes - I'm having a little chat with him tomorrow... M

Hey Peeps Hope you all are doing well - been kinda of mentally mental with work, gigs and my new baby - all good though. Just wanted to alert those of you who like this sort of thing to two amazing bass gigs coming up: Matthew Garrison band - with Tribal Tech keys man Scott Kinsey and drum monster Horatio 'El Negro' Hernandez - play Charlie Wright's International bar in near Old Street tube, Saturday 7 June - will be an amazing gig. Then... Vic Wooten finally brings his own band to town for what's sure t be a brilliant night at the Jazz Cafe on 5 July... get your tickets now: [url="http://www.myspace.com/charliewrights"]http://www.myspace.com/charliewrights[/url] [url="http://www.jazzcafelive.com/"]http://www.jazzcafelive.com/[/url] Oh and Return to Forever should be a laugh on 21 July as well at th Indig02 - I'm off to Hiromi tomorrow at Ronnie Scott's - let me know if you'll be there... Cheers chaps - and er, laydees Mike

I think you can actually do anything with integrity - it's the little things that count when all is said and done - get those right and you have integrity IMO. Basically I'm agreeing with the general consensus here Do I have any? No f-ing idea - but Time Out here in lovely London just decided one of my bands was worthy of mention in a feature on African music in London and asked for a pic as well - it'll be in next week's issue. That band - www.ludomix.com - has been going through thick and thin and we all do it because we love it - and it's that commitment that has actually helped us be mildly successful so far - having been asked to play so decent sizd festivals and given us the chance to up our booking fee! Hopefully there's more life in this thing yet - we shall see... I love the honesty here guys - playing music massively enhances yours and other lives - being 'bothered' to gt off your ass, get practicing, rehearsing and gigging is admirable whoever you are. As I heard someone far wittier than myself say the other day "better to be lucky than be good" - trouble is you can wait a lifetime to get lucky - so you might as well enjoy yourselves in the meantime. M

I've pretty much taught myself after I started aged 12 (I'd been playing piano since age 7 but I always felt crap about my abilities) I moved onto drums age 10/11 then got my first bass age 12. I have had regular lessons over the years - quite a few when I first started but I'm on about one a year now. I think no matter how good you get there's still a million things to learn and there's no substitute for experience so it's always good to sit down with a real master and get some words of wisdom. Mostly lessons have helped me assess where I am at and what I need to work on and give me a new focus on how best to improve my abilities in the areas I need to work on. Technique wise I've pretty much worked everything I do out myself but I have used videos and obviously been to gigs etc where you steal what you can - I've also worked from the old TDK C90s (I'm a bit old now) CDs and LPs - transcribed what I can, copped a few tricky tunes when I can -been on a couple of jazz summer schools, practiced loads. I think playing with other musicians is one of the greatest learning experiences you can have - just listening to how what you do on the bass influences them and how they respond - working to find the pocket with the drummer is such fun too - especially with a drummer with great time, and also with one with no sense of time too! There's also a world of difference between practicing in your room and getting that stuff out and working - properly - on a gig. That's happened a lot more in the last few years for me - but it's taken a long time. My reading isn't too bad but it could be LOADS better - but my ear, timing and taste have all improved loads in the last few years. There's a nice bit of advice - if you decide you really want to improve/get serious - which is simply to go and play with people who are much better than you. Having to raise your game on the spot makes you do extraordinary things sometimes, so when you think you are ready get with some guys who can truly kick your ass, dive in - the deep end gets more hospitable the more you get used to it. This is nothing to do with speed or playing technically it's about hearing what's going on and making choices in the moment - it's like the phrase - 'playing outside of yourself' - where you stop thinking about finger technique and just concentrate on the music that's happening around you. It's cool when it happens. Anyway sorry for the waffle - just a few thoughts on the subject - it gets easier as you go on but there really are no shortcuts if you want to get good - but all the work really does pay off. I highly recommend this book - Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Effortless-Mastery-Kenny-Werner/dp/156224003X"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Effortless-Mastery...r/dp/156224003X[/url] It's a real eye opener when it comes to evaluating your own musical abilities and helps remove all of the 'ego' from your playing that then allows you to just play without thinking - hence achieve 'effortless mastery' - it is possible people! Mike

Just did my first gig with my new 7-piece funk band Groove Digger on Saturday - a private party for a triple 40th birthday - good crowd and funny 'Phoenix-nights' type stage but it was a cracking gig all told. It's the first time I've done a band with really tight horn parts and good arrangements - it makes such a difference and I was a very happy bunny as I had both my Sei bass and full Epifani + EBS rig and it sounded awesome. Even though we are playing James Brown and Maceo Parker stuff the horn all the guys are full on jazzers so we can stretch out on some of the instrumentals - we have a very good singer too - and so some of the solo sections really went off - me and this fantastic Hungarian drummer Gabor Dornyei (check him out here [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRpIpAiWuBk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRpIpAiWuBk[/url] ) had a lot of fun just grooving our asses off and then really let rip on the very last tune - Stevie's 'I Wish' - with a bass and drum exchange that went down a treat with the crowd. All in all a great night and a great first gig with this band - for your listening pleasure: [url="http://www.groovedigger.co.uk/"]http://www.groovedigger.co.uk/[/url] Mike

I think this is really a case of getting the gear that bes suits [b]you[/b] first and foremost. If you happen to find a cheap Fender copy that totally rocks your world and sounds and plays like you want it to then that in that circumstance you've fulfilled all your requirements. I've never really been a gear head - I was lucky that when my grandma passed away when I was 17 she was kind enough to leave me £3000 in her will. My only basses until that point had been a Kay bass and a Marlin Sidewinder...nice! But around that time I had played my first Thumb bass and as they were the [i]original[/i] Warwicks back then it was a pretty amazing bass. So I took my inheritance and decided I'd get a Thumb bass so I had one really great bass that would last me for years - and it has - 18 years to be exact. So from that point of view I always had a decent bass, one that I felt was far too good for me when I first got it, but has now become something of a limitation for me and the sounds and playability that I feel I need now. Personally I am a 'snob' but I'd change that and say 'I know what I want' - the term 'snob' implies that you pre-judge and instrument before you play it - for all sorts of reasons. Try before you buy and having a good idea of the tone and feel/playability that you prefer is all part of getting the bass you want - if a bass meets those requirements then hey - it the bass for you. If not keep looking. that all comes through experience and years of playing - a great player can make the cheapest of instruments sound amazing - but a great instrument will highlight your limitations (due to it's higher-fidelity sound etc) - so I'm still trying to be a good player first and a gear head second. All that said I just gigged my Sei bass last night and it was an utterly brilliant experience - it just sounded wicked all night and totally kicked ass on my solo - it really is a wonderful instrument. M

I do - I use thumb, index, middle - but sometimes I rake going ring, middle, index- the first way is better for solo lines, the other is more of an effect - I usually do the four finger style for grooves - overall I mainly just play with two though. Here's one I made earlier - Blue Peter stylee [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qig3yw5XqQ0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qig3yw5XqQ0[/url] M

Quality links so far guys - keep them coming... always good to re-visit those amazing Brecker Brothers performances - James Genus just kills that gig - he's a really undersung player - a real monster! Sorry to be a bore and repost one of my own vids but I just noticed a new feature Youtube has started doing with recently uploaded videos - a [b]WATCH IN HIGH QUALITY [/b]option - on the right of the clips just above the amount of views. You'll obviously need your ISP to be providing the full quota of bandwidth to fully appreciate this - but I was hoping they might make a 'high quality' version of YT at some point - looks like they were working on it all along - this is one I posted earlier where you can see it: Sei bass jam [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4JhcfWRyAA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4JhcfWRyAA[/url] But as this is a thread for stuff we've been watching here are a few of my recent faves: Wooten - looping with his fretless and fretted on a solo spot: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqnpHNPCqk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mqnpHNPCqk[/url] Pat Metheny and Richard Bona (and Antonio Sanchez) - play Bright Size Life - with great Bona bass solo: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8IE14hi8M"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG8IE14hi8M[/url] The brilliant Japanese pianist Hiromi -with monster Newcastle lad Tony Grey on bass ripping it up in highly melodic style: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjoSRzAlJO4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjoSRzAlJO4[/url] Hope you dig em Mike

Looking great man - good work fella! Love that body wood... M

[quote name='presoulnation' post='185604' date='Apr 25 2008, 09:47 PM']Awwwwwwwww congrats dude!!!!!! Also I totally agree with what you have said regards luthier vs luthier. I have limited experience of Sei basses and more of Shuker and my only qualm with Shuker will be addressed in my build, for those who are wondering, I believe Jon's basses are sometimes a little light, I am a big guy and like some weight and I move about a hell of a lot on stage so I need it to feel very robust. But as many people have stated, it's a kind of horses for courses thing. I'm just wondering if anyone would dismiss both Martin and Jon in favour of someone else? Now that would be a turn up for the books........ [/quote] Thanks matey - I will add that Martin build each Sei to the client's requirements so each bass really is a genuine custom instrument - mine is completely different to any other that I have played - and Martin seems to have mastered the art of matching each players needs to produce the bass THEY wanted - not a bass HE thinks they want - there is a difference - and naming no names I have seen/heard a certain bass maker not being exactly sympathetic to a clients wishes - but I'm sure Jon Shuker (based on all the positive messages here) listens and responds accordingly. Re popularity of Shukers vs Seis - I'll also add that Martin always has a large number of basses on the go, his waiting time is now about a year for a bass and it's just that a lot of the people who order them don't post here! Believe me Martin is always busy - and the quality never dips - the basses he's making now are some of the finest he's ever built: lots of pics in the Galleries on the Sei website: My bass and the other recent Buckeye Single Cut: [url="http://www.seibass.com/singlecutpics4.html"]http://www.seibass.com/singlecutpics4.html[/url] This is beauty too: [url="http://www.seibass.com/seiseriesI5fless.html"]http://www.seibass.com/seiseriesI5fless.html[/url] Anyway - play what you want! Mike

[quote name='bassjamm' post='184868' date='Apr 24 2008, 09:43 PM']Hi Mike... Loving the Sei man...how are you getting on with it, in particular how are you getting on with with the low B and the 33" scale??? Jam[/quote] 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

Great idea - time we had ourselves a dedicated Youtube thread - I'll throw in this link to my all NEW bass-dedicated channel: [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/mikesbasslounge"]http://www.youtube.com/user/mikesbasslounge[/url] I have tons of clips of great bass players I've actually filmed myself - I've made a good start but there are more in the Urb Archives - I have a couple of interviews as well so I'll add them soon. Enjoy the noodles Mike PS as ever my own vids on the link below.

[quote name='ped' post='181011' date='Apr 20 2008, 01:49 PM']Oh and superb drum sound, especially on 'Southwick Funk'[/quote] Yeah it helped that the drummer is a pro guy with a great kit - I think it was a Yamaha with a set of gorgeous new Zildjian cymbals but the engineer did a superb job of miking the kit - the sound in the room was good as well - which from a technical POV that the room isn't too heavily sound proofed as a really dry sound can make things sound dead, there was plenty of 'air' around the mics so it all helped get a great sound from the kit - I think it was on about eight or so channels so it was a pretty thorough recording. Jamie - look forward to hearing you new tunes soon. Mike

Yeah baby! That's what I'm talking about - wicked! Nice one - much better pics...thanks. Ace bass. Mike

Yes!!! M

Sorry for the bump - just wanted to say thanks boys - really glad you dig the tunes/vibe/playing - s'all good Thanks Mike

Cool Kev - sounds wicked and looks wicked too - one small gripe, better pics - but can you make them just a little bigger, pretty please? No worries if not - when you get a minute - I'll add those early stage pics soon - congrats again. Mike

Hey Kevin Congrats bro - welcome to the club (you need to get your self a member number from Paddy on TB) so glad to hear it's all you could hope for - I'm loving my Sei more by the day - it's a seriously wonderful bass as I'm sure your's is too. Those specs sound great - what I love about each bass Martin makes is that somehow, well by listening to his customers, he makes each one exactly to match what his clients want. I've tried half a dozen Sei's in the last six months and while they are fundamentally the same design, each is different and matches the musical personality of their owner... anyway we need BIGGER pics now man - can't wait to see this beauty in more detail. Cheers Mike PS I have a couple of shots of this bass when it was still in the workshop - just after the finish went on but before the strings/bridge/tuners were attached - let me know if it's OK to post them - or PM me and Ill email them to you.

Looks wicked man - try and get some better snaps to show off those lovely woods - I'm sure you are a very happy bunny, now go and play the hell out of it... Mike