No lust in Jazz

3 hours ago, wishface said:

He's mellowed out in recent years but he has a reputation. Understandable given how he got treated by the rest of the band.

I'm sure he's a lovely guy these days. 

 

I met in in '88 when the last touring FZ band was in meltdown

9 hours ago, wishface said:

Everyone knows the coolest thing to watch for bass playing is Scott Thunes. Not only does he play slung low with a pick (sorry but that's cool) but he's playing Frank Zappa's music! That's not just cool, that's serious chops and musical skills, even if the guy has a reputation for being a bit of a headcase. 

That's what I want. If I can play Zappa-level music I know I'll have grown up.

Good to see Scott Thunes being mentioned

Seeing Thunes with FZ in the early 80's, for me was an epiphany. Here was a guy playing music that was as tough as it comes while looning around with a low slung P bass and a pick. 👌

'If' he was a headcase - FZ liked him and he was lovely when I met him.

1 hour ago, wishface said:

I'll just ask: does anyone else find all these Youtube superstars demotivating? Perhaps just a little bit?

I'm sure this just sounds like sour grapes. Ah well, as you were

No I don't find it demotivating at all, elements of it are entertaining and it makes me smile especially the Nathan Navarro videos .

That said, I don't confuse it with music.

I like these - I have three P basses each one wonderfull in it's own way - enjoy it 👍 

Given that grubscrews are generally a harder / higher grade of material than the saddle An additional issue that 'may' arise is damaging the heads of the grub screws in the 'concoction du relique' which could lead to pesky drilling the grub screw out manoeuvres.

7 minutes ago, hooky_lowdown said:

It's rust, if there's lots of it then it will seize up...... does everything work smoothly, no! But that's the pay off for the genuine look.

We'll have to disagree. The mating surfaces of the screw threads don't need to be rusty, you can't see them.

The process that rusts up the screws to the point of being seized is inexcusable. There are a number of ways that I can think of that would still provide the false sense of age and still leave the bridge operational.

But you pays your money etc..

I recently read somewhere that Palladino's custom shop model was based on on early 80's JV. If this is the case you could reverse engineer the process and look at the Custom Shop spec.

22 hours ago, DoubleOhStephan said:

Interested in hearing how everyone chooses their set list.

Is it a general consensus thing? Do you vote? Do you have a BL who had final say? What if someone really hates a particular song? 

Edit: I should say, I'm in the process of setting up a band so am looking for options. 

Cheers

 

Well this depends on the audience.

Suggestions from all about material.

Pub gigs - Pretty much anything goes. ABBA to Zeppelin but we try and pace the set so it builds, when we start its opportunity to play some slower stuff to ready the audience for what's to come - people tend to dance more when they've had a drink.

We put setlist on Spotify (if it's on Spotify) and have a listen

Functions: Cater for the audience - but other influences apply like speeches, eating etc. and this is generally music that people can dance to should they choose

If its material that i don't like - I learn it as well as I can and try to play it as if its a session that I'm being paid for 

Once upon a time you could import a Serek custom build for less money than this

Love Ed's playing and general approach

On ‎11‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 06:12, f1artwork said:

Not enjoying my PF-500 and 210 HE anymore, thinking of getting a Barefaced cab and GSS baby sumo to use with my Tech21 VT pre amp. Any options on this set up?

Quilter Bass Block and a BF 1x12" Cab - single handed lift.

I've been down the route of power amps and preamps and found it expensive and tiresome. When I compared a pedal into a power amp (Demeter) and the power section of a Mark Bass LM3 I couldn't detect a difference. 

I add a preamp in front of the QBB that either warms things up or takes it 'properly naughtly' - mostly its just flat

But its a path that many take and are happy with

I'll settle for happy musician - which I am.

8 minutes ago, Machines said:

Anyone else gone through expensive stuff and reverted back to beginner/average stuff ? 

In short, No. I could play any of the material of my current bands on 'entry level'  'budget' gear and no one will know or care - but I enjoy owning nice stuff, it makes going to work worth while.

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

Ouch

Quite

9 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I dunno. It's fairly fundamental.

 

I take your point, but playing live - as long as I can hear myself, I'm good. 

Personally, I think its all too easy to go up one's own exhaust pipe with amplification.

My bass playing sounds better for practice and rehearsal, once the signal goes to the soundman - there's nothing much that I can do anyway.

Current setup is either a Quilter BB 800 or Boogie WA head into one or a couple of Barefaced cabs as required.

The OP can't be doing too much wrong with the roster and quality of gigs he plays.

First: Rush - Deeside Leisure Centre

Last: Major Parkinson - Manchester

Best: Cardiacs - Manchester

Worst: Guns & Roses - in a field near Milton Keynes

Loudest: Foo Fighters - Some convention Centre in Manchester (appalling gig)

Seen the most: Zappa / Cardiacs 

Most surprising: Jackie Leven

Next: Anna Meredith (Later today) 

Wish: Hendrix / Beefheart

Mid to late 80's I went along with some mates to the International in Manchester to see It Bites - support were Cardiacs. Seeing the Cardiacs was, for me, an epiphany - It Bites - I didn't and still don't get.

Another mate is friendly with Francis Dunnery - He is a lovely bloke

Thank you Neil Peart.😪

I'm also enjoying the Bela Fleck and the flecktones album..

I like adore the vibe of the Sadowsky P Bass, after binge listening to recordings of my mid 90's US Fender from various live gigs over the past ten years, I realise that I have the P bass sound covered - sadly this is no cure for lusting after a Sadowsky. 

12 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

Of course, nothing to do with mega amounts of post processing that are all present in the clips posted above.

Well you beat me to it...

Good player - not sure about the hat - watched the Marcus Miller documentary recently and realised that the same hat is worn by Fozzie bear.

Personally I think that everyone in the band has a responsibility to keep time and after being given ‘the stare’ a few times, we bought our Drummer a Tama rhythm watch - to set the tempo that was easy to use.

This moved on to a Roland SPD-SX where he can set the programme the tempo for each song, fire samples and run backing tracks.

Quite often we set the tempo and then turn off the click – this allow a song to ebb and flow (breath if you will) and to date no one has stopped dancing.

We do however often go up our collective exhaust pipe regards tempo and have to fall back on that cliché of ‘does it feel good?’

It’s quite funny that we (the rhythm section) often see the phenomenon of the ‘Mama-mia’* effect where vocalists drop out of time due to incorrect phrasing of a tune that they’re over familiar with.

*popular function song from a few years ago.

39 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I prefer gigging.

I like gigging too, However, for me being rehearsed makes gigging more fun

I like bands to know their material and don't like / avoid bands who take the looser approach, y'know the 'we don't need rehersals cause we can toss off this stuff' type of bands..

For us, a new music reheasal is knowing the arrangement and 90% of parts and then recordiing it with a simple Zoom style digital recorder, the output is shared among the band a day or so later, this highlights where the song is good or bad and gives something to work on for the following week.

Pre gig rehearsals are typically us working on smooth segues between songs and thinking about material 'pacing' and balance of who is singing what

Rehearsals are also often a chance for us to get an idea whether a song will work or not before the serious detailing starts

I like rehearsing.