xilddx

This is a bit of a brain dump, so forgive me. I played more than my usual amount of bum notes at a pretty important gig last night. So much so that I was given a friendly pep talk by a professional musician/frontman friend of mine who usually bigs up my playing at gigs, told me I was dropping bummers and I need to calm down, slow down. I usually hit few bummers during gigs, a few hardly noticeable ones and maybe one or two awful ones. Last night I f***ed up badly a number of times. They happen for reasons like I'm dancing too much, losing the arrangement, can't see my side dots on stage, taking musical chances, lack of personal practice and lack of band rehearsal. We almost never rehearse, but I have all the songs on disc so there is no excuse. It was a great gig with a wonderful audience, but I have woken up this morning feeling guilty and concerned and have come to the conclusion that my priorities are all wrong. I only play bass when I'm inspired to or need to, and very rarely do any structured practice, even then it's less than half an hour. I probably play about an hour or two a week at most, unless I am writing or learning lines. I get a bit lost in the music on stage and without the practice I should be doing, it's easy to get into a right mess if I'm not careful, even on easy tunes. I have always felt this is the entertainment business so I feel the audience deserve a show, not just a bunch of lifeless waxworks, so I am concerned with those things as much as the music. I spend too much time talking about bass, buying and selling basses, reading about basses, looking at pictures of basses, watching bassists, etc., etc., and I need to scale that sh*t down and actually PLAY my basses. I think I have ability and musicality, but I'm not taking advantage of it, I feel neglectful and guilty about letting my bands down as a result. I really needed that pep talk, and because of the person who administered it, his words felt like arrows into my heart. It's time to up my game and be proper. I don't want to be part of such a great gig and feel really bummed out the next morning EVER AGAIN. Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. Probably sound like a whiny twat who needs to get off his arse more.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='758754' date='Feb 27 2010, 12:20 AM']That was a seriously cool evening. Thanks for the invite, Nige. Good to meet Diane too, even if the conversation with her friend got massively surreal. [/quote] Brilliant to have you and Paul as our guests mate! Thank you so much for coming, it means a lot. See you very soon, man

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='758117' date='Feb 26 2010, 12:39 PM']Champion - but what time are you going to be on?[/quote] Doors open at 8pm, there's a DJ on for a while, the live music starts with Krupa at 9pm. Laters dude.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='757954' date='Feb 26 2010, 10:30 AM']I'll be there, with Paul the drummer. Names PM'd. What time are you going to be on d'you think?[/quote] Excellent! Cheers Jack, you're both on.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='757962' date='Feb 26 2010, 10:37 AM']Love to have gone. On the road to Zummerzet tonight though. Have a good one.[/quote] Thanks mate, have a great one too! Cheers.

I can get fellow BCers on a half price guest list. So that will be a fiver including lovely food. I'll check here until about 4pm. PM me your real name if you want to come and I'll put you on the guest list. This show has been organised by the South African Embassy and it will be a cracking evening They know how to throw a party! Cheers, Nigel

[quote name='Pentode' post='757654' date='Feb 25 2010, 10:12 PM']You sold a '79 Jota!!!!!! What the f*** is wrong with you Man? Best bike I ever rode - sex on wheels! [/quote] Seconded

[quote name='JordanRLS' post='756420' date='Feb 24 2010, 07:59 PM']I've actually been active on here for quite a while but I just realised I never introduced myself! So hello, i'm 15 and i live in alton, hampshire. i've been playing bass for a few months now.[/quote] Hello Sir. Only 3 years to go before you can sample the delights of the Hogsback Brewery Yeah, i know, it doesn't really work like that any more, does it.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='757464' date='Feb 25 2010, 07:22 PM']A Spalt Hybrid is also on my must try/buy list. I once saw a 'review' of a Spalt Hybrid on Ed Roman's site where he really slagged it off and ended by suggesting an alternative that he considered a far better musical instrument. I can't remember exactly what he thought was a viable alternative, but I do recalled being extremely underwhelmed by the choice, proving that Mr Roman like so many people who claim to dislike unconventional instruments had completely missed the point. The alternative suggested may well have been a superior on a playability/tone level, but visually it was so bland that no-one considering a Spalt Hybrid would for a moment have taken it as an alternative. BTW Did you know that Michael Spalt has recently relocated to Austria, and is rumoured to be working with Andreas Pichler of Andreas Shark Bass fame?[/quote] Ed Roman is a bit of a twat by all accounts, and he's said the same things about other left field instruments, that he can build a much better one for you at a much better spec and in the color [sic] you really want, rubbish like that. I did NOT know that about Michael Spalt, that should be quite exciting, I remember checking out Sharks (unless I'm mistaken) even before the Spalts. It was a Spalt hybrid I was after actually, think I first came across them when I read your W&W thread when I just joined BC. BTW, my OP was meant to be a bit provocative. I really admire Simon Farmer for what he's doing. As far as spending much money is concerned, I have no issue with that at all. I'll be eating at the Fat Duck in a couple of months, I would be able to buy a decent MIJ Fender for the price of an evening's eating and drinking. However, the pleasure and lifetime's memories is worth it for me. Cheers.

Attempting to consume a small cactus in my mum and dad's conservatory having run out of my favourite beluga. EDIT: oh, is this supposed to be bass related?

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='756909' date='Feb 25 2010, 11:47 AM']I just know I'm presenting myself at a target for all kinds of polite (?) abuse here, but I found a lot of exploration on the topic of improvisation in Victor Wooten's book 'The Music Lesson, A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music.' ISBN 978-0-425-22093-1 Gives a few different slants on the topic T[/quote] That book is really, really insightful and deeply thought provoking. It's naturally pretty cheesey in places, it's American. Do not underestimate the book if you haven't read it, just because it's Wooten. Everything in it applies to us all.

Tomorrow night, a gentle reminder

Interesting how rhythm seems to take a back seat to the notes here. Some of the most interesting improv I play around with is one or two notes, varying accents and timing. I do far more of this live than I do messing with notes. But it depends on the music genre.

Improvise with your voice not your bass, sing lines to yourself and you don't have the restrictions of your technique and knowledge. It will be more "you" aswell. Then learn to connect your bass to your head. You can only really do this by lots of playing and developing the ability to know what the next note or phrase sounds like before you play it. As Steve Vai once said, eventually your fingers become eyes.

[quote name='Johnston' post='756376' date='Feb 24 2010, 07:21 PM']A few quick questions if I may. Are the horns metal or just chrome look?[/quote] They are chromed aluminium, I doubt there is anything significant tonally, but not sure if that was the intent.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='756267' date='Feb 24 2010, 05:23 PM']Well I was hoping to read the BGM review before posting my comments, but there's no copies of the new issue in the shops here in Nottingham yet, and I feel the need to comment before this thread dies a death, I'll have to keep what I say general rather than specific, although that's probably a good thing. Before I go any further I need to "nail my colours to the mast"... I'm a fan of Simon Farmer's (Gus) work and have been since I saw photos of his original prototypes in the musical instrument press in the mid 80s. I've also put my money where my mouth is and bought a G1 Guitar as well as the three basses in the photo above. So how can you justify spending £5350 on a new bass? Well from my personal perspective I don't need to. If I want it and I can afford it, I'll buy it. End of story. I wouldn't consider myself particularly well off, my yearly income is (and always has been) below the national average, but music is what I am interested in and therefore I've made several lifestyle choices that allow me to be able to buy some nice instruments and equipment in order to be able to pursue my passion for making music. I haven't yet spent that much money on a bass, but I have in the past bought a mixing desk that cost almost that much (and in real terms was probably considerably more), which has depreciated more than any instrument ever could, and one day will cease to function, be unrepairable and therefore only good for the skip. Would I spend £5350 on that particular bass? No. But I can see myself getting another Gus at sometime in the future (probably a 5-string fretless) which would most likely cost around that kind of figure. Gus, or any other custom built bass with an unconventional design, doesn't sell to people who simply want a bass. They sell the those of us who want that particular bass. Let's face it, once you get to the £1500+ mark, you're going to get a great playing and sounding instrument (unless you and your luthier have very different ideas about that in which case you've picked the wrong luthier). Above that what you're paying for are maybe some extra custom features and that particular luthier's vision of how an instrument should look, sound and feel. That's why there's hundreds of custom luthiers out there each producing their own take on what a bass should be. For some people like me that's important. Other's simply won't get it and therefore don't need it. Too answer the OP, the Gus almost definitely isn't £4000 better than his Warwick. It doesn't need to be as the basses aren't in competition. The person who wants a Warwick buys a Warwick. If you want a Gus - or any other unconventional design bass - (you save up some more and) you buy a Gus. Personally, once you get beyond the cheap Fender copy market, I don't believe that any bass is a substitute for another. They're all different and fulfil different needs. There was a comment, as a minus, in last month's BGM in the Digwall Combustion review that "Looks won't appeal to everyone". You could say that about any bass. I feel that way about some designs that are considered "classics" but I wouldn't want have one. If you've found your personal bass heaven cheaper, that's great. In a way I'm envious. It would be great to be able to achieve musical and artistic satisfaction for less money, but I can't and therefore I have to (and do) live with it. I'm thankful that there are luthiers out there like Simon Farmer, Jens Ritter, Michael Spalt, Heiko Hoepfinger, Ulrich Teuffel and Claudio Pagelli, to name but a few who want to push the boundaries of boundaries of guitar and bass design. It's unfortunate that because of the less than mainstream nature of their work that prices are beyond what is easily affordable by all those who share their vision of instrument development. On the other hand I'm glad that we're not all still playing instruments that seemed to have ended development in 1960.[/quote] That's a superb post BRX. Thank you! EDIT, I would certainly spend good money on a Spalt, was thinking of doing so before I tried the Wick. I agree with"I'm glad that we're not all still playing instruments that seemed to have ended development in 1960".

Hello mate. Good luck with the search. I also echo the sentiments of my good fellow El Bajo, who mentions that if you really are a guitarist, your attitude to bass is too good to be true. I also prefer the Band of Gypsies.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='756137' date='Feb 24 2010, 02:59 PM']I'm sporting their diamond crowned pork pie at gigs at the moment. Pics soon.[/quote] And it totally suits you mate!

[quote name='OldGit' post='674065' date='Dec 4 2009, 11:59 AM']Village Hats has a pre-Christmas sale on Jaxton and Sure La tete hats. Lots of bass players' hat potential Christmas present hats there and 20% off too! [url="http://www.hatsandcaps.co.uk/Jaxon-Hats-Cjaxon_hats/"]http://www.hatsandcaps.co.uk/Jaxon-Hats-Cjaxon_hats/[/url][/quote] Wickid site. I shall be using them I think. No du-rags though, I fancy one of those at the moment.

The X3 is AMAZING! Immensely configurable, dual tones simultaneously, I would be so lost without it.

The new Hornets aren't nice looking, I had a Mk1

[quote name='7string' post='755534' date='Feb 23 2010, 09:30 PM']I used to do that as well. Funny how car drivers will move out of the way for a Harley but won't budge for a Hornet.[/quote] I used to courier in Central London on a Hornet. Cars couldn't catch me, but I did get cut up all the time, regardless of the Remus Grand Prix which you could hear about twelve miles away.

[quote name='TimR' post='755473' date='Feb 23 2010, 08:50 PM']Ultimately supply and demand set the price. If the demand is not there at that price and the price cannot drop then the item will not sell.[/quote] S&D do not set the price. You may think you can predict demand for something like this, but there are too many variables to do that with any useful accuracy in this case. This bass does not solve any significant problems, its aesthetic is its USP. The only thing weighing in its favour is that supply is extremely short, hence the exclusivity factor which EBS Freak mentioned earlier. I cannot see a sustainable business unless Mr Farmer markets less expensive aspirational models, which he has done for some time anyway and which has not led to demand requiring him to increase the GUS workforce beyond himself. He is a one man cottage industry, I absolutely applaud that, and the very best of luck to him.