louisthebass

Here's mine:

Overwater Jazz 5, Aguilar TH500, and Epifani UL110's

Stuart Clayton's Sight reading for the Bass Guitarist books:

https://www.basslinepublishing.com/bass-essentials/the-bass-guitarist-s-guide-to-reading-music-beginner-level.html

13 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

This comes up often, but I guess I'm like a musical psychopath- I just don't have a conscience which tells me that what I'm doing is wrong! I love music of all sorts, and am happiest when playing. The more the merrier, I don't mind what the material is, but I do want things to be as of good a quality as possible. Nevertheless, I took a gig this year with a very bizarre drummer, playing the usual covers 'dross'. However, they're a lovely bunch of guys, the frontman is guaranteed to make the gig work for us and the audience, and the band pay a good fee. That's win-win for me!

I've umm'ed and ahh'd about quoting this, and it's really hard to word things like I mean. I've deleted a vast tract of what I hope was pretty balanced views, but for the sake of brevity, the bottom line, I guess, is that many can take or leave a gig, but some of us really need even those small gigs just to make ends meet.

Apologies if what I said came out the wrong way - all the pro guys do music as a full time job and doing the "small" gigs go towards paying the bills out of necessity just as much as the "big" ones they do (which I appreciate is necessary). I think that's why I highlighted the point earlier on in my post about the gig scene shrinking (for the non-pros), especially in the South East of England which is (supposed to be) a relatively affluent area of the UK. Pubs are closing all the time, and the breweries are cutting back (in some pubs) on the number of bands they take on in a year - obviously an adverse reaction with the state of the economy (especially with the "B" word creating so much uncertainty).

I think that's where bands have to up their game in relation to the competition in many respects (playing and marketing) if they want to work a lot (or a bit more than they are).

I identified very much with this band growing up in Thatcher's Britain and could've chosen anything but this is the closest:

Never too old to start playing - I was at a Jamey Aebersold Jazz Summer School in 2003 where two of the bass players (one upright, one electric) were in their retirement years. If you feel as though you can do it, go for it! 

10 with three different bands. Played a couple of back to back wedding fayre gigs at the start of the year and then the rest was with my other two bands, one of which has endured constant line up changes in 12 months.

Hoping to at least double that next year, but it could be difficult as the gig scene is shrinking (especially in pubs), and there's a lot of bands fighting over the same gigs. The fact that there are some of the pros are out there as well, and that makes it even more difficult.

Appreciate the responses so far peeps - my TRB has soapbars (probably manufactured late 1990's as I bought it early 2000). 

What I'm really missing in the sound is a decent low end as even if I boost the bass control and roll the pickup selector knob onto the front pickup, it all still sounds a bit too midrangey for me.

Keep 'em coming!

Like it says in the title, thinking about getting an East pre fitted in my Yamaha TRB5 as the factory supplied one seems a bit limited in tonal variation.

Anyone out there done and if so, what are your thoughts on it? Any feedback appreciated...

1 hour ago, drTStingray said:

The thing with Jaco is if you don't like jazz and R and B, you're unlikely to like his music. I think it's great - always have done - but there were plenty of other jazz influenced R and B players around at the time, and plenty of jazz upright players doing something similar - I always though Nils Henning--Pedersen, who played with Oscar Peterson, was absolutely a stand out player.

I have taken the time and trouble to learn a number of Jaco's bass parts - some are pretty challenging - it has helped my overall playing and understanding of music greatly. However I am heavily slanted towards an R and B/ funk influence - jazz, rock, rock and roll and other genres influence me but not as much. There is no doubt Jaco was a superb bass player and musician whether you like him or not.

Marcus Miller was a session player on R and B pop records (eg Somebody Else's Guy - Jocelyn Brown) - I first came across him knowingly (as opposed to having heard him on records not realising it was him) in Miles Davis's band in the early 80s - where he came across as a funk/R and B player with jazz influences - another fine player with totally his own style and musician-wise, way beyond just a bass player. 

I don't have a problem with people not liking Jaco - I suspect if you dislike jazz it's likely you won't like Jaco - similarly I dislike a lot of Paul Weller and Morrisey which is probably anathema to many people - just personal taste I guess. 

 

Agreed. JP will always divide opinion on BC - this is a topic which has cropped up a few times in my time on here, and probably will again at some point.

He was an innovative player for his time, and he continues to influence some bass players to this day. Would someone else have taken his mantle if he hadn't been around? Stanley Clarke was coming to the fore around the same time so if Jaco had never existed, I suspect we would be talking about Stanley Clarke instead.

A lot of electric players have moved the needle on from Jaco & Stanley's era - Alain Caron, Tom Kennedy, John Patitucci, Jeff Andrews, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Jackson to name a few, but some of those mentioned were influenced in some part by JP & SC.

10 hours ago, chris_b said:

The Police were a what. . . . ?

They use a Reggae rhythm or two in some of their arrangements but that doesn't make them a Reggae band.

Agreed - I remember when they first hit the scene, it was on the back of Punk but I'd class them more as a New Wave band more than anything else.

18 minutes ago, bassjim said:

As a bass player he may be underrated in this sea of fretboard mastery, but if he was simply the session guy on his records, his playing is always exactly the right bass part.  I also think he has more mastery of the instrument up his sleeve but has no need to do it just for the sake of it. 

This - I think he's a good tasteful player.

Always liked this (the original theme):

Paul Shaeffer (keys), Sid McGinness (guitar), Anton Fig (drums) and the great Will Lee (bass) - not sure who the sax player is (possibly Dave Sanborn?)

Another one from the 70's:

Another one - written by Lalo Schifrin:

This:

Bass player on this is L.A. session great Chuck Berghoffer.

1 minute ago, Bluewine said:

There will always be Jaco threads.

I wonder why?

Blue

Probably because he was an innovative bassist for his time, and that's carried on through to bass playing (mainly in the funk / jazz / fusion genres) up until the present day. The one thing that this thread proves is that (love him or hate him) JP wasn't mediocre.

@fleabag - yep, you're absolutely right I don't have to read the thread.

Lost count of the number of times the Jaco thing has been brought up on here and it's getting really boring.

You either like him or you don't, end of....

93% - the Tina Weymouth one threw me....

I'm playing this in a band -  and playing the riff using a fingering of 3 (B) 1 (D) 4 (E).

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1510083855' post='3403903']
OBBM.
[/quote]

Big +1 - great cables, never had any problems with mine

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1509793216' post='3401664']
The price of good gig bags has gone through the roof.
[/quote]

Agree - I bought my Mono Vertigo from Bass Gear when it was in Twyford and I think it cost me about £140 - they're now up to nearly £200. I've also got an iGig and I dread to think about how much they are now (don't think you can get 'em in the UK anymore?).

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1509880794' post='3402240']
Got a gig coming up next weekend where I`m having to travel light. Just assembled the Vertigo & Tick together for the first time this morning, packed it all and I can get everything I need for a gig in the pair, aside from my amp of course. Well chuffed.
[/quote]

Good choice - I bought a Tick for mine sometime last year and it carries all the small essentials for gigs (cables, power lead, spanner, screwdriver etc). So I can do a lift in and out of a gig in two trips to & from the car. Well worth the investment!

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1509221864' post='3397446']
If you enjoy doing it it's never too late for anything.
[/quote]

+1 - I started to learn to read a few years ago just before I turned 50. In real terms my chances of making it a career are long gone, but I've got all these bass books with written bass parts kicking around that I would like to able to play. It's a slow burn process, but definitely worth it as it increases your harmonic and rhythmic awareness, especially when you're playing in a band setting (imo).

1983 Fender Jazz - all in one White scratchplate with Strat style knobs. Couldn't get on with it, or even get a half decent sound out of it. Had a neck that was like a banana (even after a set up at Andy's in London)... Not my greatest bass purchase!

Needless to say, it was moved on very quickly for a much better Ibanez MC940...

[quote name='oldslapper' timestamp='1508080883' post='3389609']
A couple of thoughts.
1) The band have confidence in you & think you're up to the task of learning it...stick with it.
2) The band have confidence in you, and want to stretch you, stick with it.
3) The band have little thought about you're thoughts or feelings about the songs challenges, stick with it & ask for time & get some help with it?
4) something else....others here are more wise, and will be along with suggestions.
[/quote]

What he said - if you can play "Sir Duke" to a good standard, you're good enough to learn a bit of Snarky Puppy. However, if it's getting you down, maybe it's time to talk to the other members of the band and put forward your reasons for why you don't want to do it and the problems it's causing you?

It's all about having the confidence in your own ability as a musician, and maybe you could include learning to read notation as part of your practice schedule? Yeah, it's a slow burn, but definitely worth it (imo). I had to learn "It's My Life" by Talk Talk recently for one of the bands I'm in. To my ears, the bass part in that number is just as important as the vocal melody. The only way I could learn it was by getting a copy of the dots and learning it that way, and I spent a couple of weeks working at it before I got it sounding reasonably good enough for a rehearsal.

It sounds like you've really grafted to get to where you are with your playing (and I mean that in a non-patronising way), so whatever you decide to do, don't let the current situation knock your confidence.