faceman

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='691381' date='Dec 22 2009, 11:53 AM']Gloria. Get easier than that. G.L.O.R.I.A.[/quote] I love love that tune, although no one I've spoken to has ever heard of it. Simple, catchy and rock'n'roll, man!

What sort of setlist did they play? I recently got into PIL (not being a fan of the Sex Pistols) and enjoy the off-the-wall nature of things like Death Disco, Albatross and Public Image. Some new stuff with Wobble would be rather great!

Sultans of Swing - the bass very much drives the song along and it's easy to spice up a little too!

I've found both Guitar Guitar and Sounds Live to be fantastic. Sounds Live tends not to have as much stock but they can get most things in, have exceptionally friendly staff and always offer you good deals. Bought my first off them back in 2007, various amps, Geddy Lee jazz and on the list goes. Went into Guitar Guitar to try out a Marcus Miller Jazz on Friday and the guys were very helpful and weren't pushy at all. I was wearing a shirt so maybe they took me serious? They have a very nice collection of Sadowskys and a Rickenbacker 4001C64 for £2,000+! Was a bit concerned about walking near it.

Evening all, After wasting several hours wasted on Love Actually (can't work out if it is good, crap or just stupid), I'm indulging myself on In A Silent Way and composing this.... On to the point, basically I've decided to completely re-do my amp setup as I've come the conclusion it is complete overkill for the sort of gigs I'm playing and it's taking up too much space. I've only got a VW Golf for transportation and with a stage piano, synthesizer, keyboard amp, keytar, keyboard stands, guitar, Vox amp, my bass in its hard case and drum breakables, there isn't much space left for my hefty 4x10. At the moment I've got an Ashdown MAG 4x10 cabinet with an Ashdown ABM-EVOII 575W RC head. I put the head online yesterday and it's already sold and being shipped Monday, good times So, I'm thinking of down sizing. At my last gig, I played my Ashdown cab with a Little Mark III and it was sounding very tasty with 4003. The E was so strong and has so much foundation. So, I'm thinking a Little Mark II/III second hand with some sort of 2x10 cabinet? I was considering the Ashdown 2x10 MAG or ABM, any thoughts on these? Any alternative suggestions? I've looked at this ultra-light ones, Aguilar is one that springs to mind but it's out of my range. One thing is, I don't want to loose the strong and clear sound I had with the 4x10 but I've never run it past half way power, and it's usually a quarter of the way. I occasionally use an Ashdown Electric Blue 120W practise amp and that doesn't have enough bass for a gig, IMHO! In terms of competing, guitarist has a 50W guitar amp and keys is also a 50W amp but it all goes through PA and gets beefed up through there.Obviously, budget is quite limited as I'm going to be restricted on what I can sell but I'm open to all suggestions Thanks in advance!

Wow there are some stunners there...but it leads to the question, which is your main player I think my favourites were the StingRay and Rickenbacker!

[quote name='munkonthehill' post='676310' date='Dec 6 2009, 11:31 PM']wow this has got to be the fastest added thread on record hahahaha[/quote] Everyone loves to spend money

Thanks all so much for the reply, it has provided a lovely distraction to this paper I'm supposed to be writing on my dissertation That amp looks bloody amazing, although I doubt it is improving much on my Ashdown in terms of size, weight and sound! I've seen the Little Mark II on here for £400 - is there much difference between the II and III? I wouldn't mind getting one brand new, for warranty and things like that. Yes this was my thought - would another bass give me something I don't already have? I think between the two, I can get pretty much any sound I could for see myself needing...but the thought of owning a Classic 50s Precision always makes me happy. I think I'd probably never buy a bass new again, as the value for money is just terrible. I do like the idea of lessons, I've spoken to people who say they are Grade 8 Bass Players and am wondering what extra skills does one gain from this? Since I started playing in 2006, I think I've moulded into a semi-decent player, I can groove well and have been able to play anything anyone has thrown at me - apart from You Can Call me Al. The verse section always confuses me, never mind the backwards-slap solo. (Baker Street has just come onto my iTunes, what a fantastic piece of music..)

I'm in a rather nice situation at the moment where I'm going to have the ability to spend £500 on something...it's a long story but anyway, I'm not too sure what to go for. There is nothing outside of bass-ing where I'd like something so I've narrowed it down to a new head or a new bass. I played a friends Mark Bass Little Mark III yesterday and it was amazing. It sounded just as good, not as 'dark' as my Ashdown ABM-EVOII for about a quarter of the weight. I know they come in at a little over £500... The alternative is to get another bass. My current setup of a Rickenbacker 3001 and 4003 does me rather well for the moment. The 3001 is my main player, with a huge sound and the 4003 gets a fair bit, although I've got a problem with the saddles rattling (is this common?), so I'm thinking where would another bass fit into the line. The thoughts I've had so far are - Danelectro Longhorn Reissue, something small and light, plus they sound amazing, a second hand Lakland Decade, as I've heard good things but not sure if I will find one before Christmas. Finally, I'm toying of the idea of a more 'modern' bass - like a second hand StingRay or something with active electronics and soap bars? I've seen Pete Academy's Roscoe SKB5 and it sounded rather nice. it would be a totally different sound too, although I'm not sure how well it would fit in with the music stuff i'm doing at the moment. So basically guys, any thoughts on what I've said? Or any completely new suggestions? I could get my car serviced but that seems something very boring. I'll wait for my next student loan to come in for that Thanks as ever!

[quote name='barneyg42' post='642714' date='Nov 1 2009, 07:00 PM']BBC 1 tonight 10.20pm Fleetwood Mac-Don't Stop. Documentary looking over the bands career.[/quote] Thanks for the heads up also, was a pretty good program. Shame there was no interview with Christine McVie, just archived footage from 1998 and 2004. Is there still some animosity here? The relationship between Buckingham and Nicks was fascinating to see. Off to Sheffield tonight. I've been on a bit of a Fleetwood Mac binge over the past few days. I've been enjoying Tango In The Night, Rumours and Tusk massively in the past few days.

Just bought myself a ticket for the Sheffield gig, I can't wait. John's tone on some of the YouTube videos is very sexy, I'm hoping he is going for that sexy 70s Precision tone, not any of this active rubbish (hides)

I've been working one a new song this weekend and after listening back, I can see this needs a fretless but my pockets a pretty empty after spending on my beautiful 3001. I looked around and the cheapest thing I could find was the SX one. I quite fancied the short-scale Jazz with quilted maple top. I was thinking short scale so it's something smaller to take around. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions? Also, how does one go about getting an SX into the UK and how much do they cost? Does anyone have experience of this bass... Thanks

*puts on Dan obsessive hat' The feel of bass on The Nightfly is rather different to me, than say Gaucho or Aja, the albums that Fagen worked on before his solo debut. In terms of sound, the tone was mainly P-Basses that had a smooth, traditional sound but with The Nightfly, Jazzes seem to have come to fore, with much more aggressive tones - take the bass on the title track and I.G.Y - not the same as you find on Dan's past albums. Maybe Fagen was looking to update the sound slightly for the 80s and choose different guys? Rainey was the only fellow used from Dan days - no Becker here. I think it's probably to the same philosophy to get the right player for the right track and they chose whoever did the best performance. However, I feel that the bass has quite a similar feel and style throughout the album, so maybe they could have found one person, but then it'd wouldn't be obsessive masterpiece?

Glad you enjoyed my review! After a few days, my opinions have not changed in the slightest

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='591594' date='Sep 6 2009, 07:20 PM']Wow, thanks for the review, Seb! It was great to meet you. I have to say that The Sage is one of the best venues we play. The staff can't do enough to help you, and the acoustics are great. Plus a lovely warm crowd. Apologies for missing out 'Do It Again', but we always look at previous set lists and decided to put 'IGY' in instead. BTW, that version of 'Showbiz Kids' can be found on YouTube with Mike McDonald guesting on lead vocals. I decided to make the most of my 5-string and play the bass part an octave below. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAO3fr5Q4c"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAO3fr5Q4c[/url][/quote] No need to apologise Pete, I'd take IGY any day over Do It Again. Hopefully I'll be catch up with you soon so might have my chance there. That's rather a cool version, I'm pretty sure that's how the 'Dan played it when I saw them live back in June. I think your slap bass fills made a more noticeable difference in driving the song forward but maybe Freddie Washington is banned from using these techniques by Donald and Walter, or maybe his P-Bass with flats isn't the ideal slapping machine (hides )

Just thought I'd post a little gig review of this amazing performance that I witnessed last night at The Sage. I had previously spoken to Pete Academy about some Steely Dan bass line question and recently spoke to him about his Steinberger (decided to pass on this one, probably for the best...) and mentioned meeting up for a drink. We had a fantastic chat about all things bass and the Dan, it's always good to meet a fellow bass afincado. Turns out we are thinking about some similar things, including swapping our respective Ashdown heads for Markbasses The gig itself. For those who haven't been to The Sage before, it's one of the best concert venues in the North East, if not England. Nearly Dan appeared in the second hall, not the massive hall one that has seen the likes of Jackson Browne and David Byrne this year. The sound is always crystal clear and the staff are always very helpful, last night was no exception. Hall 2 is a unique shape, with three layers in a circular fashion. It holds around 400 people and last night was a sell out, congrats to Nearly Dan for doing this! It would be a dream come true if my band ever makes it to play this hall. I bought my ticket not long ago and managed to bag a spot right in the front row. Just around 8:00pm, the band came onto the stage and opened with [b]The Boston Rag[/b] - slightly obscure choice but I loved it! For such a formal environment, the gig was very relaxed and the banter was terrific. The ten piece band had a very full sound, complete with two backing singers and three piece horn section. I never remember setlists but all the usual suspects where there, the only song that I felt was missing was Do It Again - it's one of their most well known songs and I was hoping, but you can't have everything. Some of the tasty rarities more than made up for it. As Pete said, they've been doing this for 12 years so chopping and choosing their songs would seem a good idea. The highlights in the set were [b]Show Biz Kids[/b] (with some nice slap bass from Pete in a completely reworked version of the original), [b]Josie[/b] (nailed it), [b]FM[/b] (another rare number), [b]Hey Nineteen[/b] (with some of the best trumpet playing I've ever seen) and [b]Rikki Don't Loose That Number[/b] (including audience participation moment). However, the standout was the track [b]IGY[/b], from Donald Fagen's solo album The Nightfly. It was a number 20 hit in 1982 in the US, making it a semi-popular but still quite rare track. The band captured the feel perfectly.The reggae beat was so groovy and the audience loved it, to the surprise of the band. The solos in Reelin' In The Years were also spot on, I could go on and on... The band appeared at the bar during the interval and chatted to their paying guests. I managed to quickly say hello to their singer/guitarist and trumpeter. The set length was also very impressive, with the first half coming in around an hour and the second half a little number, plus the romping encore of [b]My Old School[/b] and [b]Bodhisattva[/b]. The Dan's music wasn't made for dancing, but a few sprung up during Reelin'. As the fellow next me said, the musical abilities of each band member will blow you away. The horn section nailed their respective parts, their drummer went for an epic drum solo and made it work so well, the backing singers voices blended well, Pete's bass was perfect and drove all the tunes along while the two guitarists on the front line just got it right. Not over the top, not too little but just the right amount. The role of lead guitar was interchanged several times and each handled it perfectly. The singer also has the right voice for the Dan's tunes - Fagen's isn't a traditional singing voice but he got he vibe right. So, in conclusion - go see Nearly Dan! If you like the Dan, you'll love these guys. If you have no idea who Aja is, then go see them anyway, their musicianship will blow you away. I loved it and had a great evening, thanks guys. If all things work out, I'm going to gather my band together to have a road trip to see them in Edinburgh on 23rd October! Can't wait to see them again

Javier seems to be a Lakland man, as we have just completed a transaction for my ex-Darryl Jones Skyline. I could not have asked for a better buy - the communication was quick and efficient, he sent the payment over without fuss and kept me informed throughout the process. He was very trusting. If you have any reservations about doing sales or trades abroad, this is the sort of fellow that proves it is just as easy as doing it at home. Thanks for buying the bass, it was a real pleasure doing business with you. Seb

Sold a Geddy Lee Jazz to Federico a few months back and he was a fantastic chap. Quick payment straight into my bank and good communication. What else could you want! A pleasure doing business with you

I was selling the bass (Lakland Duck Dunn Signature) to Michael a few months ago and we encountered a few problems, mainly because the bass was damaged in transit and someone had messed about with the wiring, prior to myself purchasing the bass. However, we came to an agreement and settled the matter. Michael was a fantastic with communication and very understanding about the situation. Would do business again!

I know this is rather late (by around six months) but purchasing the bass from molan was one of the easiest buying experiences I ever had. He was very friendly when we spoke on the phone, and he managed to get the bass to me, in time for the next band practise, where collective sighs of 'yet another new bass' were had. An excellent seller, it was a pleasure doing business with you sir!