xilddx

Wow! Like like REAL proper copy! Stereo and everything. I'd replace all the hardware with Hipshot I think. Great buy!

Very, very nice WoT! That must have been a most pleasant show for you I had a gig recently where I shared a dressing room and stage with this lady. She's an absolute diamond. [attachment=65961:Polly.jpg]

I am still looking for a really good Leather strap like the one I have now. It has to be VERY supple padded leather, and adjustable. And absolutely no plastic parts. Just leather with holes in. I can't seem to find one.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='1051562' date='Dec 8 2010, 12:14 PM']I'm getting into the swing of this. I could easily turn into Alan Pardew. After a very lengthy break I only got back into playing about 6 or 7 years ago and only co-formed the first band 4 years ago and only started gigging again in 2008. Since then I've: Headlined the Half Moon 7 times amongst other gigs Played two gigs with one of the bands that were heroes of my youth Released an album that's sold (not many though) in 12 countries Won a Classic Rock Mag battle of the bands and been on the cover CD Played a small festival to 2,000 Been interviewed on radio twice Written/co written two sets worth of material for the new trio in about a year Taught myself how to write good lyrics Started (3 tracks in) recording the next album with a grammy winning producer/engineer Been asked for an autograph once outside Griffin Park (this was of course the best of the lot)[/quote] haha! This is more like it! There has been some great stuff so far, and a few dismal failures, the humble self-deprecation creeping in Lets have [b]no more humble self-deprecation [/b]in this thread, there are many others you can do that on, like the Janek Gwizdala one.

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='1051545' date='Dec 8 2010, 12:03 PM']I love that song.[/quote] If I'm honest, so do I

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1051522' date='Dec 8 2010, 11:46 AM']When I was 15 I was chosen to replace the bassist in my church band without me asking for whatever reason. He's mid 30's so not ok or that. Also I consider and still consider him a great bassist and multiple talented musician. My pals say I'm good but I dunno if they're just saying that If I'm in a guitar shop an I hear someone play the same song after I've played it and it sounds bad I feel better bout myself I think I'm very average and will take anyones criticism on the chin and work to improve on the weak point (which I think I have alot of) also I've been looking for a tutor ( which I think I've got sorted for after new year) [b]I've just read over this and I think I failed at blowing my trumpet [/b] Em...I rule at Pow - Larry Graham [/quote] A truly epic fail, please try MUCH harder!

[quote name='crez5150' post='1051489' date='Dec 8 2010, 11:24 AM']It's always the same on this bloody forum...... anything popular is utter sh*te.....[/quote] Weeeell now, "pop" music has no musical integrity, does it. Isn't it all done on computers and auto tune, miming and backing tracks, pretty people with no talent? What happened to people who could actually PLAY their instruments? Eh? [color="#FF0000"][size=5][b]IT'S ALL SIMON COWELL'S FAULT I TELL THEE!![/b][/size][/color]

I bought the MP3 download from Amazon on Sunday. Apart from the first number which sounds like the band tuning up to me I love it! So refreshing to hear something like this done so musically. Cheers, Jase. N

I also find it quite funny that a very common British trait is clearly evidenced on BC in her rise to fame. About a year or so ago, when a respected BCer posts her sister's first music video, and a thread about her being in NME, all the comments in those threads were were kind and positive. She was relatively unknown. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58079&hl"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58079&hl[/url] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=64426&hl"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=64426&hl[/url] Now she is quite famous and in the papers and the magazines, it seems people think it's acceptable for them to say unkind things about her. So bloody British, eh? God help us if any BCers make the big time.

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1051191' date='Dec 8 2010, 12:40 AM']Cheers all. I tried what Silddx suggested by putting a capo on the 1st fret & fretting at the 12th (& also the 24th to check further up the board), I loosened my trussrod a 1/4 turn & retuned my bass & it has helped quite a bit. There's still a slight amount there but I'll try another 1/4 turn tomorrow (I recall reading something like [b]"you shouldn't do more than a 1/4 turn per 24 hours"[/b] or similar) & then I'll set the intonation if needs be.[/quote] I personally don't believe that, or do that, and never had any problems, but i suppose all necks are different and it's best to play on the safe side. Glad it helped a bit.

[quote name='MythSte' post='1051338' date='Dec 8 2010, 09:05 AM']Fair cop but Wayne doesn't do any of those things [/quote]

[quote name='NJE' post='1051438' date='Dec 8 2010, 10:45 AM']This is a very good post, why rip someone to pieces just because your not a fan or dont like their style? like agoulding says, just say "i dont like it" and show a bit of respect. She gigs, plays and instrument and sings live which I have the upmost respect for. Most of the bass players and bands mentioned on this forum are not my cup of tea, but I don't go into every thread and say so, why be negative? No one has been into the "show me your band" thread and ripped fellow bass chatters bands apart have they? I have seen constructive criticism on there but no horrible unjustified comments. Is it because they are around to defend themselves? If Ellie took up bass and started coming on here and asking for guidance and information would everyone be so quick to say unconstructive things about her in threads? who knows. I for one think Ellie is really good, beautiful songs on the album, and a gentle and beautiful voice. Not every female singer has to belt it out like the big Diva's. Debbie Harry had a weak voice in my opinion but still good.[/quote] That's cool. Ellie can certainly belt it out though, I don't why people think she can't. I'm still loving the album. There's real depth to it. And what is weird, from hearing the fist video that agoulding posted about a year or so ago, and no-one I know having heard of Ellie, so many people I know have now heard of her, and quite a few have her album. Even my boss got it the other day!

This is great!! Does it feel nice? A relief? All you people are doing is being honest, and it's lovely to read. Come on, more, MORE!

[quote name='Mikeg' post='1049718' date='Dec 6 2010, 07:04 PM']ive been playing with my fingers for the entire time ive been playing, but last week i decided to dabble into using a plectrum. ive got the techniche but after about 5 minutes of playing my hand begins to cramp up. This happens when i TRY to play the guitar aswell. Any advise?[/quote] Do NOT play through the pain whatever you do. You can cause damage. Stop until the pain goes. You are probably holding the pick too tight. Take it slowly and relax. It's the same as a beginner fretting strings far too hard.

We British are crap at this, we will bark and squeak at eachother and criticise others to our hearts are content, but when it comes to showing off our achievements we are undeniably CRAPOLA Anyway, I'm wondering if you can express, when you look back at your achievements so far as a bassist and musician, if you feel proud of anything you've done. Have you realised you are actually a pretty decent musician, done things that have made you proud and bear scrutiny. Of course we are not comparing ourselves to JJ, or Flea, Mark King or Scott Thunes, but we can surely say we are proud of our bass playing to some degree at some point. It's time to BIG UP YERSELF !! Of course, I can't possibly start by saying anything about myself, because it will look like I have a lack of humility and being arrogant, so over to you

[quote name='xgsjx' post='1050523' date='Dec 7 2010, 01:47 PM']Can anyone give me some pointers here? When I play a fretted note on my bass (any note, any fret), as I release the note the string buzzes on the frets. doesn't matter how quick I lift my finger off, it still does it! Do I need to adjust the truss rod? I've raised & lowered the string height & it makes no difference. The bass in question is my Ibby strung with TI flats. Any advice would be great. G[/quote] I think your neck has too little relief. Fret the E at the first fret with your left hand, and also at the 12th with your right hand. Its there a gap between the string and frets around the seventh fret? If not, you need to loosen the trussrod until there is a small gap about the thickness of a credit card. Then adjust your bridge saddles down slightly until notes don't rattle very much when fretted but you still have a comfortable action. A little bit of rattle is nothing to worry about, mine are set up for a little rattle when played firmly.

I think it's wired incorrectly. Can't remember what, but people on here have had the same issue installing onboard preamps incorrectly. Get a techie to look at it. There should be no battery consumption if there is no jack plugged in. A decent battery (I only use Duracell Procell) should last a few hundred hours.

[quote name='TheDaivisch' post='1050721' date='Dec 7 2010, 04:53 PM']East's are supposed to be very good, but possibly more coloured if my research is anything to go by. In my opinion (and obviously I've only got the real world comparison between nordy and MEC to go by) the Nordstrand is very neutral sounding - flat it sounds exactly the same as passive to my ears. The treble selector (between 4k and something like 12.5kish - I think) and internal gain control are excellent additional features that put it above alot of the competition.[/quote] I would suggest you are right in saying they are coloured, I already have the same U-Retro Deluxe in my Chris Squire Electra self build. It sounds coloured compared to the passive setting, but hell, do I like those colours!

[quote name='McCat' post='1051019' date='Dec 7 2010, 08:49 PM']I don't think being able to sing has anything to do at all with your 'ear'. Having a sound to instantly correspond with the note you're trying to match is, I find, invaluable but - it sure as hell doesn't have to be singing. Humming or whistling helps just as well. [b]Humming's probably a better method for bass players since you can generally hum lower than you can sing/whistle comfortably.[/b] However, ear training's just like anything else. Just needs practice. There's an ear training program for Windows call 'Auralia' which i've tried and does help.[/quote] Humming is a great way of practicing singing quietly but you can't hum to a lower pitch, it only sounds like that because of the absence of the higher frequencies. It's probably best to get some lessons, for all sorts of reasons. Most of the problem with learning to sing is confidence. Good vocal technique is critical to overcoming any confidence problems, and save your vocal folds from damage. I like putting a good singalong CD on, anything from ABBA to Zappa, and singing vocal harmonies or unison to it. You should know if the sounds you make please you or not. If they do, you are on the way. Unless you really can't hear if it's out of tune, in which case you definitely need some ear training and recognising dissonance from consonance. Think of your favourite song in your head, can you hear the melodies, and possibly the harmonies? Then you just need to train your voice to execute it in reality and your brain to recognise if it's right or wrong.

[quote name='Fullmetal' post='1050812' date='Dec 7 2010, 06:07 PM']Just wanted to chuck my opinion into the fray. I did some recording a few months back, first time recording with my current band and we were recording a 4 track EP. We never expected the best quality recordings but the quality is still pretty damn awesome. I took my Ampeg with me so I could get the sound I like, but the producers equipment didn't seem to react well when we DI'd the Ampeg. The guy didn't have a bass cabinet so we couldn't mic it up, he just put me through a Sansamp BDDI. Now I wasn't really happy about the new setup, but it was time saving and I ended up being able to dial in a half decent tone. I was happy with the recordings until we got the mixed versions back and I realised that my bass actually sounded incredibly thin compared to usual, and that alot of sections in the EP sound very empty. In the end, it's all about the time you have and doing what's best for the band. If you are paying for the sessions, you need to be able to be ready to record as soon as possible, otherwise it's money going down the drain. That's why I'm always happy to DI my amp, as I get the sound I like and it takes maximum of a few minutes to get everything sorted out. Just my opinion.[/quote] I can't understand why it should sound thin with a BDDI, or why the "producer's" kit didn't like your Ampeg, summat wrong there, mate. It really pays to do your homework before recording or live work. I set up my bass sounds to music of a similar nature to the bands I'm in, or to previous band recordings, sometimes with the bass removed. I set up my sounds so they complement the music and still punch through at the right levels. I go for a produced sound anyway and my POD lets me do that. It's surprising how sh*t those sounds can be in isolation but they work really well when the whole band is mixed in. I realise that not everyone has the kit to be able to do that but if you have, there's no excuse to not go through this process. Quite often, people set up their bass sounds in isolation and wonder why they can't hear themselves in a band situation.

I think I might go for an East U-Retro Deluxe four knob in my Vette $$. The MEC is fine TBH but it's not exactly subtle. Are the Nordys really that good?

[quote name='davidmpires' post='1050387' date='Dec 7 2010, 12:04 PM']Hi guys This is a strange question but bass related nonethless. I've been out of bands since April and am slowly going back to playing I'm enjoying but I'm playing very aimlessly. I strugle to learn songs by ear and I believe that one of the reasons for it is because I can't sing to save my life, I'm really horrible, so I thought that singing lessons would help me working on my hearing which in turn will help me with my bass playing. Am I bonkers? Is this a good idea. Please comment David[/quote] It depends. Can you sing in your head, and your problem is simply singing out loud? Generally it's an excellent idea. I love singing (even though I don't like my singing voice) and being able to improvise harmonies, even quite complex ones with counterpoint things going on, definitely informs my note choices when composing bass lines. I think singing is a great conduit tieing your musical imagination to your instrument. If you can sing what you imagine, then play what you sing, you are onto a winner. The real journey is expanding your musical imagination and good taste. From that comes your style, because what you imagine is not tied to technique or theory, it's a much truer reflection of you. It's funny though, after 30 years of playing, I am only just realising I have a bit of a playing style so there is a lot of self analysis and awareness involved.

[quote name='Circle_of_Fifths' post='1050089' date='Dec 7 2010, 12:08 AM']I own one of the Squier versions of the Jaguar. ...[/quote] What a cracking post! I want one now! Thanks CoF

It looks [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bass-guitar-project-thru-neck-thru-body-stringing-/160515037741?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item255f711a2d"]ridiculous [/url]

Well, I am getting on pretty well with this. Started Major-Minor's Boot Camp in the Theory and Technique section. And got this great little book as a reference. [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1860960901/ref=oss_product"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1860960...ref=oss_product[/url] Just waiting for my Simple Sight Reading for Bass and the Gary Willis Fingerboard Theory books to arrive. Going to buy a music stand and really get on with it. I'm really learning a lot from this, it's expanding my ears too!