thebassist

Did you record the footage yourself?

Some nice stuff there dude. Very dark too.

Does the URL work dude?

I thought I'd share some of my music with you guys. It's certainly not conventional and I absolutely recognise that it will be a bit of a challenge to listen to for some. Ever since I started playing back in '96, I was always into the idea of recording solo bass pieces but never in the Jaco, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten sense. While I do love those guys, and notwithstanding the fact that I can't get anywhere near their incredible bass gymnastics, I've always been influenced by experimental and minimalist sound movement more than technical wizardery. [url="http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/extended-bass-technique-volume-i"]http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/extended-bass-technique-volume-i[/url] [url="http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/transmission-minus-the-pilots-22-29"]http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/transmission-minus-the-pilots-22-29[/url] [url="http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/false-flags"]http://championversion.bandcamp.com/album/false-flags[/url]

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1421681926' post='2663884'] Good stuff. I used to know quite a few of the guys that ran the London record shops at the end of the 90s (Atlas, Smallfish, Rough Trade, I forget the names now most of them are now gone), and I did do quite a lot of trecking around with my first 7" release doing the old sale or return thing! (think I made about £1.50). So I'm happy to do a similar thing again to make some personal contacts. I'm definitely only releasing stuff I love, I often make commercial music for TV so I need an outlet for music that doesn't having anyone offering emailed suggestions on its merits! Well done with your releases. I found some on Bandcamp - interesting stuff! (I think you need to update the links on the minuspilots website, they aren't directing to the right bandcamp page?) [/quote] Yeah, I know I definitely need to fix that... I started it as a vinyl only label. Once a release is sold out, that's it, they're gone forever. They're never ever re-released on vinyl. Virtually 100% of the people that buy music from my label only care about vinyl. I only started the Bandcamp very recently, like earlier this month. Personally I still don't push the digital side of things hard at all and the artists know that. When I started I made a big thing about being "vinyl only", etc. and then when I started thinking about digital releases early in 2013 I was a bit concerned about how the customer base might react when getting an email from me essentially saying 'forget everything we said, we're now doing digital downloads' – I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not even a medium sized label but it was something that worried me a bit because I didn't want them to think I'd "sold out" or whatever. As it turns out I was worrying about nothing! Nobody cared - the reaction has been that those same people generally don't even use the free download that comes as standard with the vinyl copy - the vast majority really only want the physical product!

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1421680608' post='2663873'] Very interesting, thanks. Out of interest did you also supply the shops with digital files to sell? I have no idea how that works as yet. Do you think it could be a reasonable idea to build some profile for the label by basically giving the retailers (small ones mentioned above) some vinyl copies of the first few releases to sell, knowing that even though the vinyl will sell quite quick (hopefully) the 'digital stock' will stay available on their system indefinitely? So as a label you hopefully get a good review of the physical release which looks good, but the sales come from digital. As you know I'm not in it for the money, but I would like to build a good profile for the label, assuming I have music that I am proud to promote. [/quote] I dealt with shops/distributors in 2010. If I recall, they weren't selling digital then. But I really can't remember in all honesty so I can't help there I'm afraid. Contact them mate - I'd start with Phil at Norman. Top, top bloke. A treasure to deal with. Very supportive. Great shop. My only other bit of advice for you (and please choose to ignore any of the advice I've given too) would be to only release music that you're proud of promoting. I only release music I love which, at the start, wasn't necesarily good commerically but I'm super glad I did it that way. Now all the physical releases on my label are sold out within a few days of being put up for sale. Generally, to people that buy everything released on the label.

I run a vinyl only/digital label myself - the digital side of things, as has been said already, is easy enough to do. Get a Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon account, etc. Physical distribution is a much trickier proposition in my opinion. I started out distributing directly to stores, some of the ones mentioned, but because I was a new label, they would generally only deal with me on a sale or return basis which was a pain in the arse but to be expected quite frankly. A few of the shops never paid up and the ones that did pay were generally a nightmare when coughing up the cash. Barring one store, I ALWAYS had to chase five or six times before they got tired I guess and finally paid. Frustrated by this, I then approached and did a deal with a known distributor. Another major pain in the arse awaited. When everything was said and done and I'd paid for shipping, they'd taken their 25%, etc., etc. it really wasn't worth my while. Plus, the distributor was like the shops. I always had to send constant chaser emails and call them to pay up what they owed me. It really sucked the fun out of it. Now all the vinyl released via my label is sold via the web site, the Bandcamp page, etc. Overall I much prefer it this way and don't intend to ever work with shops/distributors again. You're dealing with the end consumer yourself and minimise the amount of outsiders you have to deal with which is a lot easier in my opinion. Like you, the label isn't my main source of income thankfully - it's a hobby and I'd much prefer to spend my spare time dealing with artists, customers, design, playing bass than chasing shops for money they owe me. Artist payment structure - I don't deal with contracts at all. It's all done with a handshake, a virtual handshake too generally seeing as the artists can be anywhere around the world. The artist receives 10% of the physical stock and then get 50% of all digital sales - they're also 100% free to release their music via their website, Bandcamp, etc. themselves whereby I get nothing at all. I'm not sure how many other small labels operate this way but I've found this to be a good approach. In fact, I've never needed to tweak this method.

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1421447549' post='2661509'] What I'd love to see Fender CS doing for 2015, and not because I want one, but for a nice change, would be a regular P and J, not reliced, not vintage based, but a regular modern style with CS features like quarter sawn neck, hand selected light woods etc. Nowt against Relics, just saying. [/quote] Yes.

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1421444539' post='2661460'] I'd have no problem with these if they were in addition to stuff people have been asking for for years. A better selection of colours, more PJs, P's with blocks.. But they just keep coming out with nowt-nor-summink doggerel that no-one is going to buy. [/quote] Yes.

I'll be sticking with US Standards...

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1421312620' post='2659602'] A solid state amp and fifteen inch speaker is still my favourite combination too, the science and my ears disagree sometimes I think the USA standard fenders are better than some people realise, I'm very happy with mine and the others in two different shops had no issues either. Enjoy and I've got white bass gas again now, thanks! [/quote] I bought some Aguilar hum cancelling pickups and installed them in my 2013 4-string US Standard Fender Jazz . They were very good pickups but the custom shop Fender pickups are actually superb themselves and I underestimated them so I took the Aguilar's out again and stored them. That's the one potential drawback, depending on your personal opinion, with your 5-string US Standard Fender Jazz dude. The pickups are great but they're not the CS model versions. A bit naughty from Fender in my opinion. And I think I'm going to buy the same model Fender Jazz you've got now, but I might get it in olympic white

Drive.

Congratulations. Beautiful bass in a beautiful colour.

[quote name='No lust in Jazz' timestamp='1421152912' post='2657664'] The Fender label or 'other' label isn't the issue for me. If I factor in a host of other variables such as, pick up choice, strings, pick or fingers, valves or SS, EQ settings, speaker cabs there is a very real chance that I'll disappear up my own 'starfish' and forget that this is all about playing music. [/quote] Spot on.

[quote name='The Badderer' timestamp='1421017372' post='2656351'] With fender it seems to all be about the dreaded quality control. If you knew that when you bought a new fender it would always be a "good" one then i doubt there would ever be any brand bashing. You know just what you're going to get as a Fender will just do what a Fender does, no more, no less. I guess where it falls down for some people is when people fork out money for a mid-high end Fender to end up disappointed due to getting a "bad" one. If they could mostly eliminate this situation then i think there would be much less Fender bashing. If they got the QC right then the only people moaning about Fenders would be idiots who buy a Fender expecting it to do things a Fender will never do because Fender stay in the niche that they occupy. The issue is the "bad" ones. I get both sides of the argument as I have a nice USA fender that I love, but i have 4 other gorgeous basses that are totally different to a Fender and do things a Fender will never do. [/quote] I agree with this. I reckon if you want a Fender, you should be sure to play it before parting with your cash.

I LOVE Fender

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1420936215' post='2655367'] Hmm ive played one at Guitar Guitar, and to be honest it was just as floppy as any other Fender 5 string. not sure if its got to do with the way the saw there necks.? it just didn't feel tight and focused like an SR5's B string. [/quote] Yes, on reflection I think my statement that they've solved the B is actually wrong. I think I should have said they've solved it on some of the US Standard model Jazz Bass 5s. I've played maybe 5 of them and owned 2. The 2 I owned were great which is why I bought them but the other 3 were lacking. Not necessarily just on the B either. I love Fenders myself, but you definitely need to play before you buy in my opinion!

[quote name='jassbass' timestamp='1420882126' post='2654438'] Ive had a usa fender 5 didnt like the b string.i liked the spector sound but the body felt too small. I like yamahas and sandberg but gas got the better of me once again. I love my carvin xb75p so thats one im keeping. Yes im crazy but ive got to try a few [/quote] Have you tried the latest model US Standard Fender Jazz Bass V? They've solved the B issue.

I sold my all original '64 Jazz and then got the chance to buy it back a year later. My girlfriend at the time, and now wife, sold her car so I could get it back.