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[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1324070513' post='1470667'] Perhaps I read it wrong then. I thought it read that Steve Lawson hoped the major labels would cease to exist not that the labels hoped that Steve cease to exist. Maybe I'm wrong? [/quote] Yes, the former is correct mate.

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1324070619' post='1470669'] My fretless is a bolt on... It's a Fingerbone... i It's like this. Like a lot of us, I take most opportunities to pop into Music shops to have a quick go. You inevitably grab the decent kit. I loved the Vigier 6 string guitar...especially the fretless 6 string...Although how one could play the damn thing beats me, my barre 'E' sounded...well...Dreadful! Kudos to anyone who can play a fretless treble guitar! As far as the Basses were concerned...Meh... OK... Better than a Music Man, better than a Fender but not a patch on a Streamer unplugged, ...No sustain in comparison...same goes for almost every other bolt neck bass I've tried. That isn't to say there isn't a bolt neck that sounds and feels as good as a Streamer or similar through neck...But I haven't found one yet... [/quote] Ooh, a Fingerbone! A favourite of Robbie Shakespeare, or was. My Streamer's a BO, and it's f***ing fantastic.

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1324069997' post='1470656'] Well, we'll see cuz I'm in the Studio on the 29th with both the Spector and the Warwick. I intend to D.I. ...I might have to use compression because I may not be accurate enough to conntrol the fine dynamics... But that'll be all. There also will be some 'room' in the mix...But that's OK i think! [/quote] And you think a desk, compressors, limiters, eq, exciters, automation in the DAW, the engineer, and the loudspeakers you hear it all on and the room they're in don't affect your sound and dynamics? Ask the engineer what he did when you hear the finished masters, if you have an hour or two spare

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1324069830' post='1470654'] Mine don't... at least the new one's don't. the Guild 302 didn't sound great...A bit like an old set neck Gibson, the old hofner 500 sounded...well frankly awful. The Spector sounds great, bright, looong rolling sustain and very controlled upper register. The Streamer similarly lovely which a deeper rolling bottom end sustain, very distinct mid band tones and again, a very detailed and crisp top end. The only time I use any tone controls is to tweak the bottom end to take in to account the way the room interacts with the amp.. I use everything flat...The bass and my fingers does it all... Yeah... I'm opinionated...But I really do believe what I say... I'm not chiming in to be contentious...And I really enjoy the discourse! [b]9 times out of ten when I listen to another guy's bass sound I hear a fairly conventional bass sound... it just isn't the sound his instrument makes raw. I choose to have an instrument that actually makes the sound I like without needing processing...:-)[/b] [/quote] A bass don't do sh*t without the player guvnor. So can we hear your bass sound please?

You naughty boy, but not far off agreeing with you But I also agree with Steve that Bandcamp is more useful, although they need ratings and download and play numbers on there.

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1324067023' post='1470608'] What, you can't hear a bass guitar unless it's chucked through a sh*t load of effects....Really? [/quote] He is saying that he sound of the instrument unaltered, just amplified, does not cut it on recordings. Try it, you'll find out he's right. You have to chuck it through a shitload of stuff to even approach making it sound right in a band mix.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1324067026' post='1470609'] No idea who he is but I enjoyed the tune on the right hand side of the page [/quote] A well known and eminent bassist (and BC member I believe).

I had a Marshall JCM900 a long time ago. It did the same thing, knackered power supply stage.

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1324049648' post='1470299'] The output waveform of the instrument, amplified yet unaltered. Just like the sound of an upright acoustic instrument is ideally amplified yet unaltered. If a violin player dislikes the tone of his instrument, he doesn't stick it through a pile of electronic effects... He gets another violin with a sound he prefers.... If you are not hearing the tone from your instrument you want, you should change the instrument. Every change in the signal path is a degradation. ....Unless of course you are in a covers band whose job is to accurately mimic the tone of the original artist's recordings...Although having been in several cover's bands, you don't need to be THAT close because the likelihood of getting even reasonably close to the recording while playing live is fairly remote. Ultimately it's about the audience and they'll lap it up irrespective of the finer points of instrument tone as long as you are tight, have good timing, and most importantly, having fun up there... [/quote] My electric basses all sound sh*t without amplification, I couldn't go on stage with much louder version of the unamplified sound, I'd be a f***ing laughing stock. I plug them into my POD X3 and they sound ace. Sound is nothing but personal preference and whether it fits with the other instruments and voices.

[quote name='guildbass' timestamp='1323606643' post='1464874'] Well... Honestly... I do think they are inferior. That's not to say a good bolt-on is a competent instrument but invariably, bolt-on neck guitars are so constructed because they are cheap to make....Not because they offer advantages tonally. You tend not to find bass guitar luthiers (as opposed to companies diversifying into instruments) building a bolt-neck first and then building through necks... It's almost always the other way round...They build their top quality amazing sounding through-neck and later, if the market profile has grown and impecunious potential customers are lusting after their product, they commission cheaper bolt-necks (usually in foreign climes) which in effect sell on reflected glory.. Leo Fender built bolt on-neck guitars because a) He wasn't a Luthier, he was a radio engineer, and it was an easily replicatable process for mass production. His (and THE) original electric bass of course had felt blocks damping the strings to make it sound like a double bass...the way the strings reacted with the body was not even a tiny bit important...The tone of the P bass became an industry standard because it was the original instrument and it's a heck of a lot easier to replicate or copy a bolt-neck than it is to do a set neck or through neck. I see bolt-neck guitars like I see rear wheel drive cars with one piece rear axles and leaf springs. Frequently entertaining but ultimately flawed and requiring quite a lot of 'help' to get them acceptable. I also realise that nine times out of ten, in a live environment, by the time your instrument sound has actually reached the audience's ears via the cab, the way the cab interacts with the floor/room, the way it's mic'd, the way the desk process's it, and the way the front of house is set-up, , it hardly matters what the original construction or tone was... So providing the thing PLAYS similar to your favourite luthier-built through-neck baby that lives at home and spends time in the studio, you might as well have something pretty hanging off your neck! well you DID ask! [/quote] Christ mate, you've made a big splash haven't you I disagree with your appraisal of bolt on basses though. I tend to agree with Patrice Vigier who insists a good bolt-on is in no way inferior (tonally or otherwise) to any other system. I can't see how you can justify your opinion that they are flawed. I'm also a fan of zero frets.

Never had a problem, ever. Although I can foresee the odd occasion when it might. I think a lot of people starting out gigging might be worried about a clash, I know I used to be.

Interesting piece. http://www.stevelawson.net/2011/12/why-ive-taken-my-music-off-spotify/ I haven't used it since about a month after I signed up, which was ages ago.

Congratulations! Fantastic news for you

[quote name='Dropzone' timestamp='1323955531' post='1469119'] Looking for a Rammstein type distorted sound. Have got line 6 X3 and spider 4 as well as a boss GT6. Can get a great recording tone when having a mic in front o fhte amp but none of the outputs including DI and headphones give a decent tone? Have yet to look at Bass or clean guitar as need to get the metal guitar sound sorted first ;-) [/quote] Which outputs are you using on the X3? You need the Studio setting so it uses the amp models, and some good patches. I use the X3 direct for everything and get (IMO) fabulous tones.

Without wanting to sound patronising, are you turning it in the right direction?

I think I'd go for a Mackie 350SRM http://www.nevadamusic.co.uk/live-sound-dj/speakers/mackie-srm350-v2-active-pa-loudspeaker-enclosure-195-watts?utm_source=google&utm_medium=GoogleShopping&utm_campaign=googlebase I use a POD X3 LIVE straight to the desk at home, in the studio, and on stage. I rely on monitoring and would never think of using an amp and cab for sound generation. But I'd go for the Mackie if I wanted the equivalent of an amp and cab.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1323984426' post='1469619'] I'm glad we're on the same page then [/quote]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1323983937' post='1469612'] I certainly am *you're. Seriously though, my point is that I think as a skill it's more common than you might think. Someone once told me that 1/3 of people are thought to be able to reference a pitch from their head, add that to even a casual interest with music theory and you've got the ability to name notes just from hearing them. [b]I'm sure whoever you're talking about is fantastic, but there is probably more to what she can do than simply posessing that skill.[/b] If anyone has cried because of my music, it's probably because it's so awful lol. [/quote] Of course, that's what I've been saying all along.

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1323981170' post='1469566'] I can do that too, doesn't make me a good professional musician though lol. [/quote] Only because you didn't follow the call, and because your even more of a depressing f***er than me. Sitarist has worked like f*** for what she's got, and believe me, she gets way more respect than she does money. She's the most amazing musician I've ever known and has made crowds of people weep with the beauty of what she does, I'm not kidding.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1323978430' post='1469525'] I thought so too Nig, but I didn't want to appear presumptuous. [/quote]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1323977590' post='1469506'] It's not presumptuous if you can back it up, and I think Jake probably can. [/quote] I can assure you Jake certainly can

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1323977227' post='1469497'] I think this is down to their hard work, not what they studied, which I think is what you're getting at. I don't think any kind of music degree guarantees being a successful 'session' (ick hate that term) musician. What it does allow you to do is concentrate on your playing and hone your networking skills....no-one who hires you will be fussed by the piece of paper or the type of degree at the end, thats a bi-product of the work/networking you do during the course. So while I agree with the sentiment that technically a music degree is pointless, from the point of view that you might as well study something as a 'backup' because the actually award at the end is worthless.....doing that won't allow you the time to hone your craft like a music specific degree will. It is also true that very few players JUST play, you gotta teach, arrange, produce, manage, write....its all part of the game Good luck Si [/quote] Sort of. The violinists are f***ing ace sight-readers and they need to be, but they are very good improvisers too. The young drummer knows theory and is a good reader, he's also a very good improvser. Sitarist has perfect pitch and can tell you the name, and actual note, of an interval on hearing it, she could do that when she was 14, but she's not a great reader, she doesn't really need to, she has incredible ears and musical memory and never reads charts in sessions. The unschooled musicians don't know much theory and don't read much, but they are brilliant at composing, producing and playing, and understand the music industry very well. All of them are successful and do what they need to do to a very high standard in their particular sector to create and maintain success. There are all sorts of ways to achieve success in music, but you need the drive, talent and tools for what you want to do, then go and chase your dreams. That's kind of what I was trying to say.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1323974510' post='1469461'] I read as far as the post I quoted....I've since read on. i think the OP is barking to major in Music(Bass)......I understand why he wants to do it but I think he's totally hat stand. [/quote] Yep, it's surely best to major in Lavatory Tissue Strategy and Production Management in today's economy . The violinists in one of my bands both studied at the RCM and make a very decent living and get gigs with household names and major tours. They teach, do sessions and play with orchestras and pop and rock bands, X Factor, etc. The sitarist I play with studied for years with a grand master in Berklee, she makes a good living and gets prestigious gigs, sessions and composing commissions, such as the Olympics, composing with Sir John Tavener, touring and writing with Courtney Pine, The Imagined Village, Cornershop ... Our drummer in Kit's band studied at Drumtech, he's young and makes a decent living playing lots of decent gigs and by teaching. I also work with artists who only did music at school. They make a good living with recording and performing careers as band founders and members. They all share the same qualities - they are all extremely good musicians and very talented, highly reliable, very articulate, and great people to be around. They also have great passion for music and are willing to play with a band for no money if they love the music. The OP can make this happen for him too if he shares these qualities, It's what you are, not how you do it that really seems to count.

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1323974103' post='1469454'] +1 Do a degree in something that will give you skills to fall back on and pursue session/live work to pay for the degree that employers will be looking for. [/quote] You've read this thread right?

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1323970008' post='1469409'] You are going for all the right reasons. Enjoy, have a good time - and good luck with it all. Garry [/quote] Big plus one on that. [quote name='MusicLover20015' timestamp='1323970290' post='1469416'] Thank You And Dont Worry I Will Keep You All Posted [/quote] And you don't have your head in the clouds either, although I think that's nice to have as long as you have perspective. Had I the opportunity and enough confidence in myself to do this when I was 20, I probably would have done. You sound like a man with a plan! Very best of luck!