Old Man Riva

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1432305820' post='2780279'] And can you do that with a Precision? Quite. [/quote] No further questions, Your Honour..

Saw one of the Vanguard shows in February and it was great - as you say, he had Chris Dave on drums (who was top drawer). He's doing a gig at the Roundhouse the week before which would've been interesting, though I've looked at The Who dates and a few of them crossover D'angelo dates in June so not sure whether it's both The Who and D'angelo gigs for Pino with a dep thrown in or D'angelo will have a different bass player? Either way it should be a good show.

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1432303843' post='2780245'] I like the sound that Linley Marthe gets from his. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuY4JP5TcTk&spfreload=10[/media] [/quote] That sounds like a family of flies in a jam jar having a drunken row at a family wedding while a group of an angry locals throw stones at a corrugated iron shed roof..!

I've always found the tone control to be the thing that gets me the sound I want from a Jazz - pretty much rolled all the way off. Never really find myself messing with the p/ups - both up full. Bobby Vega makes me want to give up, btw!

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1432246026' post='2779764'] I find I play my acoustic 6 string like that whenever I'm not fingerpicking.[/quote] Again, same here. Can't get on with a pick for either guitar or bass so if I'm having a bit of a strum it's the thumb/forefinger combination. [quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1432277304' post='2779868'] That's the only way I can do it if on a rare occasion I need a pick tone.[/quote] More by luck than design I think I've developed a few fairly odd/unique habits over the years - probably due to not being able to do a number of things other players could do in the way that other players could do them! This double-thumbing malarkey does leave me bewildered, mind.

A heads up for any London basschatters... D'angelo tickets for the 20th July gig at Hammersmith Apollo/Odeon go on sale this morning. Can't recommend it highly enough - and I'm fairly certain he'll have the same band as in February - inc. Pino. - who are worth the entrance fee alone.

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1432204158' post='2779084'] I started off playing with a pick, moved to fingerstyle, and now I can't play with a pick any more! [/quote] Same here. I really struggled using a pick so now I pick with no pick! I use my first finger and thumb as though I'm holding a pick but pick the notes with my nail for the downstroke and fleshy/end part of my finger for the upstroke. Works really well and feels more 'connected' to the fretboard than if using a pick. (Found that quite hard to explain!)

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1431630044' post='2773469'] No it doesn't, you're just whinging, [b]it was a quite balanced difference of opinion that has been largely resolved. It therefore represents what BC is about.[/b] [/quote] Relatively new here and think it's quite rare/refreshing to find a forum that doesn't just see everything in black and white..

[quote name='jonnythenotes' timestamp='1431589463' post='2772784']Also any suggestions on what to use to give it a really nice funky ' there and gone' punchy tone without to much of that zingy hi-end string sound. Ta very much folks... [/quote] Mr Notes... something that you might want to try (and you'll probably either love it or hate it) is the old foam trick that Jamerson used to do - i.e. foam under the strings next to the bridge to deaden the notes. I've found this works equally effectively on a roundwound-strung 'brighter' bass as it does on a flatwound-strung more 'vintage tones' bass, which it is normally used on. Wind the tone up and you'll get the bright punchy attack due to the roundwounds (giving you your 'there') but the decay will be more immediate (giving you your required 'gone'). Job done! Sly & the Family Stone-tastic. I have a Jazz Bass strung with roundwounds that I do this on and (to my ears at least) it sounds great. Be interested to know what you think..

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1431546722' post='2772544'] It smells like bull to me also. [/quote] Doubt that a company like Parcelforce would dare to pull a stunt like that, not in these days of social media - Twitter, Facebook, My Gripe, Moan-a-gram would have more "OMGs" than a Glee convention..

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1431543564' post='2772485'] No, I'm suggesting that if Parcelforce managers, from the MD down, have decided to dismiss this person, then they have made an informed decision based on the evidence, and in line with their policies and HR procedures. They obviously feel that his behaviour was unacceptable, in terms of what they expect from their staff, and have made their decision accordingly. It's not up to you, me, or the OP to try and argue otherwise. [/quote] It's a pity Parcelforce didn't adhere to their policies and procedures and followed the company line of not divulging they'd sacked someone. Shabby behaviour. Call me a lily-livered old liberal (small L) but I think it's possible to feel sympathy for both the OP and the Parcelforce employee. I'd be mightily hacked off if something was delivered to me in the way that the bass was to the OP (though not sure I'd offer a blow by blow account online) and I can completely understand the anger/frustration. I can also sympathise with the predicament the Parcelforce employee has been placed in. The company I work for has a requirement to use courier companies. In my experience they're all much of a muchness - i.e. not very reliable. If you speak to any of the drivers and gain an understanding of what they're being asked to do on a day to day basis (regardless of the company) it's all fairly depressing stuff - load 'em up, get 'em out and get 'em all delivered in a wholly unrealistic/unachievable time frame. No answer - go back later, regardless of the time, just don't bring them back. And let's be honest, if the driver has written on the card that the delivery has been left behind the gate and then signed the OP's name on the card then he's probably guilty of trying to cover his backside from both employer and customer point of view than anything malicious? My anger would be more directed at a company whose culture and leadership allowed the above to happen. Anyway, glad the bass is okay but a shame that someone has lost their job over it..

Some of the Bobby Vega/MXR ones are good. That said, Bobby Vega could probably make an elastic band in a shoebox sound good..

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1430982921' post='2766449'] That's one tour I wish I had been to see, Some of it was shown on C4 back in the day and although it's well OTT it's a good watch. [/quote] Was that from the Channel 4 programme 'Wired' (as I think it was called)? Opened with Alphabet Street whilst sitting in the back of a car?! (the car being a stage prop rather a real car). A concert from the Parade tour was shown on TV once upon a time back in the 80s and it was fantastic (recorded on Prince's birthday - crowd singing happy birthday to him etc). The live version of Mountains was as funky as you could possibly get. Him and the Revolution were right on top of their game. Never seen it since as a video/DVD release or on YouTube, more's the pity. Edit #2 to say, just found this... the Parade concert shown on TV in the 80s - not the whole gig but some fabulous moments in there [url="http://www.okayplayer.com/news/throwback-thursday-prince-live-in-detroit-19.html"]http://www.okayplayer.com/news/throwback-thursday-prince-live-in-detroit-19.html[/url]

Some great shouts on here... Bowie was an odd one when it came to B-sides. Rebel Rebel and Queen Bitch are a great pairing; Drive in Saturday and Round and Round aren't - Drive in Saturday a fantastic piece of music, lyrically up there with his best and musically sublime, and Round and Round being an awful cover of a Chuck Berry number. The Small Faces had an instrumental track Grow Your Own as a B-side to Hey Girl. Grow Your Own would be enough for a lot of bands to build a career around, for the Small Faces it was a B-side! And I'd completely forgotten about The Skids' TV Stars. Great stuff. An equally odd B-side from the punk era was Jonathan Richman's Roadrunner - you had Roadrunner (Once) as the A-side and Roadrunner (Twice) as the B-side. Turn over the single for essentially the same song, but, erm, different.. Peaches and Go Buddy Go was a great double A-side single. Also, anyone remember the T Rex's Solid Gold Easy Action B-side - Born to Boogie is the B-side but with a Christmas message from Marc Bolan at the start of the track.

Re. Sweet. Didn't they do a B-side called Burning? That was a lot heavier than their singles.

B-side to Bowie's Knock on Wood was a live version of Panic in Detroit, this was many years before it was ever officially released as part of the expanded David Live CD. His version of Knock on Wood was nothing special, the version of Panic in Detroit was great. Featured a fine bass flourish by Herbie Flowers to boot..

[quote name='Dazed' timestamp='1430929383' post='2766087'] I realised it was sparks when they came on. Watched it, not impressed, quite disappointed as I was a bit of a sparks fan. I thought the other singer looked familiar. As it ended I recognised Franz Ferdinand so felt quite pleased my self Still wasn't keen. The lone below and Alabama shakes were better for me. [/quote] Same here; didn't get the FFS thing at all - very odd match and not really sure what they're looking to do. I like Alabama Shakes anyway, but the Lone Bellow track blew me away. Not heard of them up until Later.

[quote name='mike f' timestamp='1430833682' post='2764997'] I'll second the view on Alexa De Paris; it's wonderful. And nice to see someone else compare his playing with FZ. I'm a huge fan of both and have for a long time thought the same rather than the usual comparisons with Hendrix which you read about.[/quote] Alexa de Paris has a real Sheik Yerbouti era Zappa feel/tone, and he does it without sounding derivative. I (sort of) understand the Hendrix comparisons but there's so much more going on. I saw him on the Lovesexy tour in 1988 and it was a bit of a disappointment. There was just [i]too [/i]much going on - circular stage, park swings, basketball courts, huge beds (!) Goes without saying he had an amazing band but the set included a number of medleys, which just didn't the songs justice and ended up being neither once thing or another. Of all his tours I really wished I'd seen him on the Parade tour..

The B-side to Mountains is a great instrumental called Alexa de Paris. Very guitar orientated, it really shows off his amazing guitar skills - shades of Jeff Beck and Frank Zappa in there. Unfortunately I can't find a trace of it on YouTube..

[quote name='TommyK' timestamp='1430758061' post='2764326'] I do love Basschat for its wide knowledge of musical tastes/encyclopedia.. never heard of D'Angelo until this thread. Downloaded "Voodoo".. what an album.... and amazing example of rhythmic "feel" throughout (Which does exist and doesn't have to be pretentious IMNHO) [/quote] If you like the album there's a live recording of one of the gigs off the Voodoo tour available from iTunes for a mere £7.99 - Live in Stockholm. He takes a different approach to the songs - fully blown horn section and extended soul/funk jams - but it's a great listen and the band (inc. Pino) are amazing.

Mr Notes, the screw hole looks like someone has added an extra string retainer at some point - not sure why, mind you. Those Precision Elite basses are nice (though I remember them being really heavy and some of the tones were a wee bit 'extreme' as I recall). If you're now looking at Ps/similar that do a bit more then you should also look at the Sandberg P-style basses. They're lovely instruments and may actually give you a wider variety of usable tones than the Elite would. Similarly, for less money, you could get a Mexican P-bass Special, which has both a Precision and Jazz p/up fitted with active circuitry. And if it's purely a P-bass you're after that offers a bit more then the Nate Mendel basses are superb instruments - Jazz neck, Di Marzio p/up and a Badass bridge all as standard. The tone control is one of the most subtle I've heard on a P-bass - i.e. it's not just on or off.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1430412551' post='2761204'] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2M6KHZQp8kg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> https://youtu.be/2M6KHZQp8kg One day I will learn how to embed videos. Can anyone do it for me? [/quote] Can never have enough Pino.. They play together in D'angelo's band - Pino, Chris Dave (drums) and Isaiah Sharkey (guitar).

Really like Plant's current band/set. In an era where, for many, money seems to the primary motivation for making music I admire Plant's stance on not opting to do the Zeppelin gig. I'd say his legacy is such that he's more than earned the right to please himself a bit.

Thanks Chris, really appreciate that. I'm now a Greg Koch fan! Some of the things he's doing with that Tele are fabulous. From that link I found a NAMM 2012 trio gig with Roscoe Beck, Greg Koch and Greg Koch's son playing drums (seventeen at the time with just a bass drum, hi-hat and snare). Such great/tasteful playing.. Really inspiring stuff.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1340365544' post='1703351'] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHHBl8cz7eY[/media] [/quote] Really really like that. Wasn't aware of what Roscoe Beck did before seeing that - embarrassingly only really knew the name from the Fender endorsement. It sounds like they've based it around All Blues by Miles Davis and really done it justice. I'm now a Roscoe Beck fan (though I did catch another clip of him playing a 6-string bass which wasn't my cup of tea at all!)..