SteveK

[quote name='silddx' post='948783' date='Sep 7 2010, 08:50 PM']Is there a point? Unless you play jazz I can't see one. The occasional inspired extra note here and there, sure, but studying improvisation on a bass!?! It seems ridiculous. Learn to cook instead, it's much more useful and pleasing for other people. It sounds like a recipe for cheating your audience to me. Only musicians will feel any "magic" happening, and that magic will be VERY rare. The audience won't get it anyway, and why not compose something beautiful in the first place. For me, improvisation on a bass is for jazz and pompous tits who convince themselves it's entertaining. I wish they would realise NO-ONE GIVES A sh*t.[/quote] I understand the post is intended to be provocative. So on that understanding... I've got to say... Unfortunately, I can't say what I really think . But... I couldn't disagree more. In the 60s & 70s improvisation was commonplace and often made for some "magic" shows... and the audience certainly "got it". There are probably still bands out there doing it. Because [i]you[/i] don't "get it" doesn't mean others don't. My current band (only been 25 years ) are fairly well known outside the UK and have a reputation for a good live show - due partly to the fact there is a good deal of improvisation - no 2 nights are the same. The keyboard player, guitarist, drummer are totally on top of their instruments - If I stuck to the parts played in rehearsals it just wouldn't work. Mostly the other guys lead the way, but then sometimes Ill play a groove that will take us somewhere else. You can't really meddle with the main part of the song... but there is certainly a time and a place, and should be encouraged IMO

Unfortunately, my main gigging bass is permanently on the road, so the only times I get to see/play it is at gigs. So, when, on the odd occasions that we need to rehearse, I use my 73 or 74 (can't remember which year) Precision. It's a bitch to play...but gotta love the sound.

[quote]Touring is boring. That's it, end of story.[/quote] Ever thought that, maybe, you're in the wrong business? ...or, the wrong band?

Surely, the word musician is a general term to describe someone who creates or performs music - regardless of instrument. Bass player, guitarist, pianist etc is a more specific term to describe a particular type of musician. So, I am both: A musician who plays bass guitar.

Just occasionally, visiting BC is a rather depressing experience!

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='899084' date='Jul 19 2010, 04:07 PM']Could be bad news... the early ones have a nasty habit of going very wrong. Unplug the 10-way conblock, stick a meter across the red & white wires, & measure the pickup resistance. According to the Factory Specs, it should be around 11.2KΩ. If it's off the scale or significantly less than this, then it's gone Open- or Short-circuit respectively. Then it's transplant time I'm afraid, as these p/ups are epoxy-potted & can't be rewound. If it's OK, then the 'black box' circuit has gone & no-one really knows what's in it under all that epoxy (I'm pretty sure it's a dual op-amp configured as a unity-gain buffer, but I'd hesitate to put money on it). Aria USA can supply replacement p/ups & circuitry, but only for the "re-issue", which appears to be a variation of the Series-2 circuit with the low-battery LED. This won't fit a Series-1, unless you're prepared to drill a hole in it. The alternative is to get a replacement pickup from Aaron Armstrong (Kent's son), or possibly Wizard Pickups, and do away with the circuitry altogether. It's quite an easy mod to do whilst still keeping the 6-way pre-select switch - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5094&hl="]my Frankenfretless[/url] is all-passive & doesn't suffer from lack of output or undue noise. Pete.[/quote] Thanks Pete, It's probably the result of it languishing in the extreme temperatures of a loft for 20, or so, years.

I've got a '78 or '79 SB1000 in mint condition... ...apart from the fact that the electrics need looking at (no output). Guess I should get it fixed. Anyone know a place that could do the job? Bearing in mind that it could possibly be the sealed unit (pre-amp?) at fault.

[quote name='Luc' post='896655' date='Jul 16 2010, 03:59 PM']bad news for Mike Former members of Toto are reforming for a brief tour this summer in Europe to honor their brother Mike Porcaro who is living with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The line-up will include David Paich, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Simon Phillips, Joseph Williams and special guest, Nathan East. [/quote] They are [i]currently[/i] on the road. Did a couple of shows with them in Austria last week, and have one with them next week in Norway. Luke looks pretty healthy, and is playing well - as usual. I understand that all the profits from the tour will go to Mike.

Oh, [b]GROOVE![/b] I thought it said,[b] GROVEL![/b] Sorry, can't help then... While I'm here... Hoffmann, It looks pretty good. Well done. I'll take a closer look later.

I have an old dictaphone. I can hum/sing any ideas that come into my head into it, along with a few verbal notes. For me, it's better to let my head do the thinking ( ).[b] Mostly[/b], I find an instrument at the initial[i] seed of an idea[/i] stage a hindrance. From there on it'll be bass or guitar.

[quote name='silddx' post='871632' date='Jun 19 2010, 12:08 PM']I really enjoyed your interview with the guy from Manfred Man in Guitar & Bass.[/quote] That'll be Michael Rogers. IMO Guitar & Bass have really scraped the barrel with that interview. Apparently, on stage, he is completely overshadowed by the bass player of the band (whose name escapes me) and far more worthy of an interview. And, if you're reading this Mickeyboro, I'm available a week next Tuesday.

I should start by saying that I am a big fan of AH, and have been since the 70s. And didn't want to post anything negative about him. But, the Hastings gig was a disappointment - for a number of reasons: Firstly there were only about 150 people in 1000 capacity theatre. The sound was very poor. First time I've seen Jimmy Johnson...couldn't tell what the hell he was playing - just a rumble! Kit didn't sound very nice. Alan was way undermixed. The only way I can describe the show was: 10 minutes of watching paint dry followed by 3 minutes of absolute brilliance, followed by 10 minutes of watching paint dry followed by 3 minutes of brilliance etc Too many drum solos for my liking (Not really a fan of Gary Husband... if only he would groove a bit) Believe me I really wanted to enjoy the show, but in spite of that...he is still [i]one the best/my favourite[/i] players around.

Seeing him (them) tonight in Hastings.

Have you tried your Yamaha through another rig? If so, did it sound better? Have you tried another bass through your rig? Was that ok? Does the bass sound dull acoustically? Need more info to nail the problem. Not sure why you would think the pots on you bass would effect sustain.

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='847637' date='May 25 2010, 04:16 PM']Good tune's still a good tune, I guess.[/quote] Too true. But, in the 40 years since its release, I would have thought more recent tunes would've bumped it off yer pub bands set list years ago. You'll be telling me next "Hey Joe" and "Sunshine of your love" are[i][b] still [/b][/i]played in pubs up and down the country.

Wow! Is Paranoid [i]still[/i] a pub band favourite? I remember playing it in one of my first "proper" bands in the early 70s.

Probably not a good idea. And, If D&B is your thing, then, certainly not a good idea. You will almost certainly shorten the life of your speakers. Try this simple experiment: Get a bass sound (as best you can) similar to the clip you posted, without a compressor, turn it up to a good volume, and then turn it up a bit more (which you are bound to do... Right? ) And then accidentally/on purpose unplug your bass without muting your amp (which you are bound to do...Right? ) Nice noise, eh? Domestic hi-fi speakers love it...

Just tried the test. None of the tones seem to work...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhmyhvWKiwU"]Original[/url] [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Va9etqma30"]Rip Off...er, I mean, Sample[/url] And would you believe(?) Massive Attack denied the sample, until virtually on the steps of the High Court...cheeky f***ers!

Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel)...Sledgehammer

Yup, I'm a former student of his, from the BassTech days. Very good teacher. If you see him, say hi from me.

A simple fact of life: Turn a job down once - chances are, you won't be asked again. Musicians are generally an insecure bunch, but by taking these "lesser" gigs, aside from the money, you are keeping your options open. One gig often leads to another. Many's the time that I've chatted with band-mates and other musicians about a gruelling journey or something else that has p***ed us off. But, in the end, the one thing we all agree on... At least we're working! There are many (fine) musicians out there without a gig! BTW I'm writing this from a Hamburg hotel room, having driven last night to Dover, met the bus and then 12 miserable (thanks to a bad case of sciatica) hours overnight to Hamburg. Thanks to that friggin' volcano. It wasn't pleasant, but... at least - I've got a gig. Oh, and I don't think the op's post was "snobby"...more naive, perhaps!

[quote]True. And there are many musicians (including bass players!) who are far more bothered about what they can hear of themselves (i.e. on-stage sound), than what the punters can hear![/quote] Yep, that was the point I was trying to make - about onstage volume. An Ampeg rig in the wrong hands can be a recipe for disaster.

[quote]I could barely hear an effing note any of the other bass players played all night - they just blended into the rock sludge of their guitarists. But apparently I was "really loud" and everybody I spoke to said it was nice to hear what the bass does because "usually you can't hear it".[/quote] Not knowing the venue and not having been at the gig and heard the bands, it's impossible to make any kind of useful assessment. However, for the sake of discussion... There's nothing wrong with[i] any[/i] of the gear listed. From what you say, my guess would be that[i] you/your band[/i] play quieter on stage than the other bands, enabling the FOH engineer to do his gig and get a decent mix. Maybe, you should be thanking the engineer, instead of... er... BTW there are many bands/FOH enginners that actually favour the [i]wall of sound[/i] approach.

[quote]Guitarist tunes between numbers - what to do?[/quote] Probably has less to do with tuning, and more to do with nerves.