xilddx

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='1090818' date='Jan 15 2011, 08:03 PM']My experience agrees with the Grand Wazoo, its just ridiculous for playing live. Most soundmen would go mental if pickups were being changed every 20 seconds while mid-set...or between songs for that matter.[/quote] But who's going to do that. Like the man said, you choose a few active and a few passive tones that work for you. Those are what you use. A lot of us have two or three pickup basses, 3 band active circuits, active/passive switches, series/parallel/split coil switches with all sorts of tonal possibilities, thousands. None of us f*** around onstage with them do we, we know what we like - about four or five options, that's what we use. We probably have lots of different basses too.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1090448' date='Jan 15 2011, 02:23 PM']OK so I got 3 minutes through that video before I lost the will to live and had to give up. American guitar/amp manufacturers seem to specialise in these extended commercials completely devoid of information content. So is there anywhere on their site that actually explains what this thing is doing that makes it so special? Because so far all I can gather is that it lets you combine pickups any way you want - but there aren't that many combinations possible with a 2-pickup system so I must be missing something. I was wondering if it used delay between pickups to give continuously variable phase shifts but since it's all analogue...or do the 8 million combinations include 'treble boost 3.1dB, treble boost 3.2dB'? I'd like to see a good explanation of what's actually going on but so far I've only seen meaningless hype.[/quote] If you could only be bothered watching it for 3 minutes, why should any of us bother wasting our own time explaining it to you, when the vids tell you all you need to know? Yes, you are missing something. You clearly have no idea what the GC does, so why do you bother expressing your opinion?

[quote name='Sean' post='1089856' date='Jan 14 2011, 09:16 PM'][b]It seems odd to me how many people obsess over the minutiae of pickup config sounds and as soon as something this radical comes along that seemingly provides everything you could wish for the herd turns against it.[/b] I'm a P/J man totally but this system looks fantastic especially for anyone who uses different basses live.[/quote] And wood tones. I think a few people are going to start digging in their heels and diss the GC. Of course they will have commissioned their £2.5k custom basses with carefully selected tonewoods and five sounds that they're stuck with. And of course they'll say tone's in the fingers, and 'Jamerson didn't need all that sh*t' etc.

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1089192' date='Jan 14 2011, 12:15 PM']I'd say, the concept is appealing of course as a toy we'd all want to own one, but... the reality is grim: every sound man and studio producer is going to hate you. Chances are if you are a working musicians, and if you sit there in a session with your iPhone / iPad or other android device connected to your bass trying to download sounds which you liked at home but now they don't sound too clever in studio, you are at risk of pissing off every bloke in your band and probably will get fired in the long run for spending too much time faaakin' about with your new toy rather than making music as you are expected to.[/quote] Come on, man, that's nonsense

[quote name='sshorepunk' post='1089118' date='Jan 14 2011, 11:29 AM']Great idea, but too complicated![/quote] It's not, it looks really easy actually.

[quote name='NJE' post='1089132' date='Jan 14 2011, 11:39 AM']Its a nice idea but I cant help think its just more stuff to go wrong, and when it does my local tech wont be able to fix it. How many people really need 8 million bass sounds?[/quote] They don't. They need 8 million OPTIONS and choose a few of them. You already have these options but you have to spend much paper and years of experimenting with basses, amps, cabs, effects until you get what you like. This GC eliminates almost all of that.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1088998' date='Jan 14 2011, 09:56 AM']Yes, I know I seem to like everything they come out with, but Ive been seriously impressed by EBMMs since I started playing bass. The Stingray was my dream bass when I was 14 years old. Here is their new revolutionary idea: [url="http://gamechanger.music-man.com/"]http://gamechanger.music-man.com/[/url] If you are interested, you need a good hour to sit and watch the videos and read the schematics. The upcharge for this function. is much more affordable than you think. The bass basically looks exactly the same bar an extra input and a toggle switch. Subtle. Forget the Line 6 Variax and the Gibson Firebird X! They are nothing like this...at all.[/quote] I deliberately didn't read any posts on this thread before posting this, I didn't want my opinion coloured at all. And I watched all the vids. Isn't Tony Levin lovely! It's revolutionary. Fantastic, absolutely the way to go. I salute Sterling Ball and his company. That is the single best improvement to an electric instrument since they were invented. I'll have a GC Big Al in Pearl White with a Jazz Bass neck thank you very much! Now I'll have a read of this thread and see if I'm talking bollocks Nice one Gareth.

[quote name='skej21' post='1090721' date='Jan 15 2011, 06:20 PM']I noticed the other day that my rack tuner (korg DTR1000) has red LEDs and my LMIII has a blue LED. This sounds really picky and OCD, but is it possible to change the LEDs in the Korg from red to blue, so that they match? I know a blue LED display version of the Korg exists, so would it be as simple as just switching the bulbs? Any help or (inevitable) useful tales of personal experience would be useful and appreciated. Thanks in advance[/quote] Can't be OCD because you only just noticed. Simply un-notice and save yourself some cash and hassle and resale value

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1090619' date='Jan 15 2011, 04:47 PM']Thanks once again for all this info. You soon start to realise, no matter what you know or think you know, there is so much to learn. I have read a few threads about various Jazz artists to listen to. I have also put a tutor wanted post in that section. Cheers Brian[/quote] That's the beauty of stuff like music. The more you learn the more you find there is to learn. It can get overwhelming and make you feel like a know-nothing at times.

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='1089860' date='Jan 14 2011, 09:19 PM']Spread Eagle, I think. Turn left out of the venue and keep going a bit. Corner pub.[/quote] It's a nice pub too. I'll aim to get there for about 7pm-ish

[quote name='SteveK' post='1090579' date='Jan 15 2011, 04:11 PM']And once you've got a basic handle on chord tones and diatonic scales and modes, the next step ( ) would be to incorporate chromaticism into your walking bass lines. Chromatic approach notes can really make a bass line flow and swing, and opens up near endless possibilities.[/quote] Steve's totally right IMO. If you can get to a point where you can understand, and more importantly HEAR, the basic scales and the chords built on them you are well on the way. Then you'll want to understand chromatic approach notes, it will be a great step to you truly expressing yourself. Really, it's all about educating your ears and deciding what pleases you and what doesn't. The better educated your ears are, the more likely you are to make musical choices that excite you and the people you're playing with. Listen to loads of decent Jazz with walking bass and you should soon start to picture the tension and release in your mind.

[quote name='RKass' post='1090414' date='Jan 15 2011, 01:52 PM']Hi guys, New member here. I'm a pro drummer who's recently begun playing bass - i'm totally hooked! I picked up a s/h Mexican jazz bass off a friend of mine as my first bass. Really love the guitar - I think it's about 4 years old and is white. However, I recently tried out another mexican Jazz bass belonging to a friend of mine which feels much heavier in terms of the weight og the body. His is a little older (8-10 years I think) and is also in sunburst finish. I just wondered if my Jazz bass body is made of a different wood and how you think this might affect the sound (I intend to A/B it with the older model some time soon anyway, but i'm just curious). Someone mentioned that the sunburst jazz basses might be made of alder as it has a nicer grain for the finish - is that the case? Thanks in advance for your knowledge! Rich[/quote] Hello mate, good to have you on the flight. Probably ash or alder, but it depends on the piece of wood how dense, which tree, which part of the tree, etc. Some pros say lightweight basses sound better, I've heard other pros say heavier basses sound better. To me, it is all bullshit. All that matters is whether or not the instrument pleases you. And bear in mind it's electric so arguably the biggest influences on the sound are how you play, what strings you are using, how far away the strings are from the pickups, what the pickups are, where they are, what the electronics are doing, and what the amplifier is doing. It's very different to acoustic drums where there is an enormous range of material, construction and tuning variables that make up the sounds. All the best.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1089804' date='Jan 14 2011, 08:21 PM']If you work on the principle that there are 12 notes available and 7 in most scales, you have a better than 50/50 chance of hitting a 'right' note even by accident. Silddx's ear probably improves that to an 80% chance of not being technically 'wrong' but, I have to say, having been doing this for 30 years, it will eventually feel like a shallow victory. Of course good things can happen by accident; monkeys, typewriters and Shakespeare come to mind. But, if you want to do this right, you need to know your intentions and how YOUR lines relate to the rest of the ensemble. If you are plonking around randomly, it will only ever be 'nearly but not quite'.[/quote] I agree it's a shallow victory, but it's still exciting. Then again, I play pop and dance music, so I suppose technically everything I do is a shallow victory compared to Jazz and Classical. BUT, and it's a big BUT, if I and the band, and the audience, find it exciting, the victory is real to me.

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1090004' date='Jan 14 2011, 11:37 PM']I think I need to get some lessons from a real person! [b]The book in question was Bass for Dummies![/b] I will post the question of bass tuition in the relevant place and see if anyone around Buckinghamshire does lessons. All I want to be able to do is play something interesting at my local jam without it being Root / 5th plodding! When I try some twiddling around in a key it just sounds like a guitarist trying to play bass (which is what I am). Thanks for all your replies [/quote] I have it, it is dire. Try the Bass Builders series of books, There is one called Building Walking Bass Lines IIRC. The two Bass Builders books I have are superb, a lot of thought has gone into the teaching method. I would suggest perhaps going through the book then getting a few lessons as you will get much more value from those lessons as your questions will be much more focused on any problems you are having, rather than "Where the hell do I start?".

[quote name='merello' post='1089594' date='Jan 14 2011, 05:57 PM'] I fink dis is luvverly![/quote] So do I, really lovely! Wish they'd stop making stupid P Bass nut widths and offer Jazz necks as an option on most of their models.

During my lesson with Jakesbass. He said "you're singing what you're playing, not playing what you're singing".

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='1089958' date='Jan 14 2011, 10:48 PM']People believe this because (as consumers) they want to.[/quote] I believe this aswell. If you can see the wood grain, so much the better, the purchase becomes even more justifiable because then you have a bass that is unique, and reminds you of home.

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1089918' date='Jan 14 2011, 10:06 PM']Difficult to put in words and likely to derail this Factory Tour thread more than it has already! I'll start a new topic in Bass Guitars. [/quote] Cool man! Thanks. I'm genuinely interested in what people think about those timbres, qualitatively and quantitatively. Obviously, neither is as good a a Warwick of course

[quote name='Fat Rich' post='1089707' date='Jan 14 2011, 07:15 PM']Not completely, but it'll probably not sound like a P bass either. I had J pickups in my P bass for a while and it still sounded more like a Precision than a Jazz.... I used to have a P bass with a Jazz neck and it sounded almost like a Jazz until I put J pickups in and it sounded almost completely like a Jazz. Not exactly conclusive research but it's the feeling I got with those basses![/quote] So what is NOT a Precision Bass sound, and likewise for a Jazz Bass?

[quote name='Doctor J' post='1088956' date='Jan 14 2011, 09:24 AM']How come P basses and J basses made from the same wood sound different then?[/quote] Because of the pickups and electronics.

[quote name='Blademan_98' post='1086777' date='Jan 12 2011, 03:07 PM']Hi Having read the thread about nuggets of wisdom and the subsequent discussion on Major thirds, I have a question. The only walking base lines I know go R, 3rd, 5th, 6th, b7th etc. Using the third over a major chord. (Major chords being made up of R, 3rd, 5th) [b]I then read in a self help book that if you omit the third / flat third you can use a pattern in either major or minor key.[/b] All makes sense........ My question is, how does a walking bass line go without the third? Sorry if this is a silly question but I am still learning! Thanks Blademan[/quote] You could just play the tonic and octave and it would be usable in either major or minor too, it would sound dull as sh*te though, reduced to disco octave bass. What book is that in? sounds a bit crap to me. Why limit the music to a soulless mathematical getting away with it strategy? Walking basslines are a true test of your theory and spot compositional and listening skills, your musicality and intuition. They scare the hell out of me because I don't know what I'm doing, but I enjoy doing it Magic can happen by accident too. Because I am a rank amateur at walking, I approach them fairly chromatically, I have a few target notes in my head for each chord, and I approach those target notes as interestingly as possible bearing in mind the very limited thinking time. I play one or two stinkers, but the flip side is that I get some thrills too. God knows what Bilbo will say to this.

Norwood's ace! Praying they come to London! Ma & Pa is one of my favourite songs ever!

Really interesting, thanks for posting it. No health and safety apparent there though! The guy in the spray booth and the woodworkers have no respiratory protection or other personal protective equipment, no machine guarding (watch the ejected piece of wood at 2.55!), I wonder how many early Fender employees had respiratory health problems later in life, or took a few fingers of, or had a eye out ..

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1087996' date='Jan 13 2011, 01:58 PM']Rush are great because they are who they are and noone else. An iconic musician in every role, with the possible exception of Lee's keyboard playing, they have carved a niche all of their own. Frankly, I think there are better songwriters/players/singers/lyricists etc than each of them but, as a unit in toto, they are unbeatable. It took me years to realise it but I actually think the most original player in the trio is Lifeson. His guitar playing is actually really creative and he sounds like noone else. Despite their reputations, Peart has limitations as does Lee but, overall, a great band. I currently find them all but unlistenable but I was a Rush nut from Caress of Steel to Moving PIctures after which they lost me. But, for a while there, they were the one.[/quote] Perfectly put, as usual. I completely agree about Lifeson, and I reckon he has influenced the way I think about harmony and song structure more than anyone, with the exception of Zappa.