neilp

McCartney. I love the Beatles, but when I listen to McCartneys bass lines, with a few honourable exceptions, I hear simplistic approach, ill considered note lengths, a lack of groove and precision. I think he was a better guitarist than bass player. The fact that he comes across as Mr Fake, and he's an arrogant prick in real life (I said good morning to him at a sailing club once, and he told me to f*** off and stop hassling him), probably doesn't help

On 11/01/2024 at 16:39, Beedster said:

I've owned a 4/4 upright that I bought as a kit from Germany in 2015 and which as such is my longest standing item of gear. Until that point I'd played 3/4, but the moment I played the larger beats I knew I felt more at home. This is nothing to do with my stature, I'm 5'11'', with quite small hands. It's not really something I thought about until recently when I started gigging a 3/4 for al the wrong reasons and in doing missed the larger bass.

 

Anyway, i was reading over on Talkbass the opinions of a regular poster and apparent expert on DB that 4/4 instruments are very much an anachronism, unnecessary in an age of advanced string technology, good quality amplification etc. He even suggested that owner of 4/4 instruments will not be able to sell them therefore their value is significantly below 3/4 instruments of equivalent quality. 

 

Seems that much like my affection for large and heavy 1980's Mesa amps my affection of 4/4 basses is out of keeping with the current zeitgeist? 

 

Not that I give a flying f**k really! But it did leave me wondering just how many folks her plays 4/4 and why?

Was that Ken Smith by any chance?? Ken knows everything, to the point of telling me that my beautiful and gorgeous sounding 19th century German blockless bass was utterly valueless and needed complete restoration, blocks fitted, new neck, overstand adjustment, conversion to shorter mensure and D neck, and even then it would be barely worth matchwood. This is a bass thats been appraised at £12-15K

For what it's worth, my bass has a string length just under 110cm, and an Eb neck. I bought it because of the way it felt and sounded, without even thinking about string length. The only slight issue for me is the higher string tension, which is mostly solved by using Kaplan Lights. Play what you enjoy and don't worry about what self-appointed Gurus say!

My Extension - which you can see in my avatar - was built by Pete Barnaby and fitted by Martyn Bailey. I love it, but not everyone gets on with mechanical extensions, so I'd suggest "try before you buy"! Mine has a hole through the scroll for the string, which is almost un-noticable but might not be the way to go if you have an 18th century Italian bass! Martyn did a fantastic job of fitting it, and the extension itself is a beautiful piece of engineering.

Jerome Davies looks after my bass when it needs work, and I'd highly recommend him for any work, including a fingered extension.

The Stones are now nothing more than a very average Rolling Stones tribute act. Coverdale can't even manage that, Madge is some kind of banned circus act and Bryan Ferry is just painful.

On the other hand, Springsteen and the E Street Band were incredible on the latest tour. Not like 1985 - or even 2013 - but still full of life and uplifting energy. And Robert Plant may look like he died 10 years ago, but the voice is still smooth as velvet.

I don't care what Jagger or McCartney or Coverdale want to do, I won't be subsidising their Zimmer Frame Tour, but the ones who can still do it and still have something to offer? Oh yes....

If anyone is interested I might be able to bring my DB - mid 19th century German 

@cetera - Charvel 3B, ESP Surveyor '87, Fender FSR PJ Precision, Hamer Impact, Italia Imola, Spector NS2, Spector Euro, Spector EuroX (Spectorbird), Spector Pulse II, Spector Dimension 4HP, Gallien Krueger 400RB & Legacy800 heads, GenzBenz Neox 2x12 cab

@TheGreek - All short scale this year - a @Jabba_the_gut scale 5er, Mini Ray, Short scale P bass

@Harlequin74 - Zoot Performer, Status Shark, Spector QV4 , Markbass TTE501 and Matching CAB. Maybe the Lehle Basswitch…

@Frank Blank - @Jabba_the_gut short scale fretted and fretless, JMJ Mustang, QSC K12.2, Grace Design Alix

@TrevorR - Mk 1 Wal, Wal Pro IIE, Aria SB700, Frankenjazz, pedals and MarkBass LMII & Traveler 2x10

@bnt - travelling light, probably a couple of pedals such as T-Rex Diva Drive, Orange KongPressor

@bass_dinger - 1999 Washburn XB500, 1994 Washburn XB500, Washburn XB925 in zebrawood, Washburn XB925 in bits, Boulder Creek 5 string (likely to be for sale, SWR Workingmans 12.

@greentext- 2008 Spector NS4-H2, 2015 Sandberg VS4, 2000 Trace Elliot T-Bass, my pedalboard and my tin of picks 😈

@prowla- Probably a couple of Rickenbackers and some interesting oddities. Amp-wise a Markbass EVO and a 1x12 (last year I bought some others to try and never switched them on, as the EVO sounded spot-on).

@SuperSeagull - Status S2, Feline P Bass, Modded Fender Lyte, Flea Jazz, MB Combo

@Merton - various short and medium scale ACGs, Zoots and Conway basses, Barefaced cabs, modern Trace Elliot amps

@MacDaddy Shuker (probably no3), Snapdragon Folding Bass, possibly a Rob Allen Mouse.

@neilp - matching pair of fretted and fretless 1980 Aria SB1000s, possibly my fretless Wal mk1, Ashdown ABM500/Ampeg 4x10, Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig

Everything that's distasteful and unlikeable about the current "music" business right there...... I listened for 30 seconds. 30 seconds of my life I'll never get back....

On 24/07/2023 at 19:01, StingRayBoy42 said:

That looks amazing... One for the wish list!

That's what I use - on my second now. It's great - vey comfortable

OK, what it is is less certain than what it isn't! It isn't Italian, and it isn't 1810. My guess would be it's a German/Tirolean factory bass, anywhere between 1900 and 1960's. It looks like the shoulders have been extended to give a longer string length. What is the string length? this will help determine what it is. If the timber is decent and it's not too heavily built, it might be very nice with a bit of careful repair and setting up. Nick and I totally agree on this - DON'T have it restored! Get what is necessary done to make it stable and crack free. Play it for a bit to see how it sounds and feels, then if you like it get a good bridge fitted and some nice strings and enjoy!

If he's 12, I'd wonder if he's big enough and strong enough to handle a 3/4? Sounds like a 1/2 would be a better bet for now. Take advice from his teacher, but given that he's likely to grow rapidly in the next year ish, a 1/2 size may be right now but not in 6 months. With that in mind, I'd suggest renting until growing has happened and you can go looking for a good student 3/4 to last him until music college looms. I have a good friend who has a fleet of nice rental basses of various sizes, she might be able to help, but she is in West Sussex! Let me know if you want her details

Neil

The verses are drums and guitar only, bass comes in in the chorus. Andy Fraser was know to play the chorus in either octave, sometimes changing mid chorus. Can't blame him for trying to make it interesting, it's a deeply dull song

I missed the narrow neck bit!

On 02/04/2023 at 23:15, Bloopdad1 said:

Don't forget that it's a blockless bass (no neck block). 

Saxon/Tyrolean/southern German around 1880

It's a decent old bass and once sorted should sound better than any laminate instrument. 

Providing as you said that the table is in good nick, the work described (bridge, post, tail piece etc) is reflectively cosmetic. 

It's defiantly worth the investment. 

Once repaired get a price to have it converted to standard construction from blockless. 

That's why the fingerboard is wider than the neck - to replace the neck from a 3 string width to 4, the  conversion from blockless will need to be done first. Then you can have a new neck grafted to the new block. 

One of my basses is blockless - it has an absolutely superb sound, better than many Italian basses I've played worth well over £80k.

That's why they are often called "blockless wonders" in orchestral circles. 

Word of caution - the fitting of a block and new neck is not cheap (circa £2K), and you're not gauranteed to end up with a better bass, whatever Ken Smith says. He has a vested interest in getting people to spend unnecessary money on blockless basses - it means that all of these relatively cheap basses become far more expensive, so bolstering the price of even ordinary blocked basses. If there are no structural problems, and it sounds good and plays well, leave the f...ing thing alone!! My bass is blockless, albeit rather earlier than this one, and sounds glorious in every register. Quite happily holds its own in the bass section of CBSO. In the 7 years I've had it, never had any structural issues related to neck or lack of a block. Get this thing repaired, put some strings and a new bridge on it and enjoy it!

On 27/02/2023 at 15:26, tommyjamesallen said:

That’s nice old German bass and would be well worth repairing properly. I’m pretty sure plenty of people would gladly offer you £1200 for it. 

This! I'd give you the £1200 right now, as it is

On 26/02/2023 at 21:49, NickA said:

You mày be right. It's better than I originally thought.  The table is pretty good, one mended split and no warping.

 

But until we spend a load on it we won't know.  Hopefully the orchestra coffers will get the end pin and sound post sorted, we'll get a better tail piece on there and then we'll see if it's worth doing the bridge.

 

Thing is, it total repairs go over £1200 we could have bought a decent 60s Czech laminate.

Even a "decent" 60s Czech laminate is a pretty unpleasant thing. Purely judging by the look of the timber and the finish, there is a nice bass there trying to get out

I think that bass deserves a little better than what you have planned for it!

On 03/02/2023 at 22:55, greavesbass said:

If I have to see Rodders in a morning suit thinking hes Sinatra again I'll probably thro the TV out the window. Give it a rest Rod your awful. He'll always be in my eyes that screeching rock God on TOTP circa 73. His image and vocal tone was just off the scale original.

Rod Stewart is what you get if you try to buy Steve Marriott from Lidl

The bowing is a practical compromise. The only way to play this musically on the bass is to regard the slurs in the manuscript as phrasing marks rather than bowing! There are other versions you might like to listen to as well. Joel Quarrington tunes his bass in 5ths, so the whole thing makes more sense for him. And the great, sadly missed Rinat Ibragimov is always worth listening to

Another extraordinary musician for you:

9 hours ago, NickA said:

I tend to just play that stuff on my cello!  But there is a satisfaction from plumbing the lower depths as well as soaring to the rosin dust ... and some things I originally learned on the cello, just sound better on a double bass ( Bach2 serenade, Rachmaninoff Vocalise for starters).

Vocalise is a very enjoyable start to the thumb position adventure. Pretty simple, a lovely melody and easy playing. I have to say I do love orchestral playing too, and that's where the cash is!

On 11/12/2022 at 09:28, NickA said:

Ok. Just ... Wow. Fantastic clean technique too ... evidently Simandl is all you need. And a reminder that I don't listen to enough classical music.

 

It's like she's playing an extended range cello.

 

I especially enjoyed watching to see how she keeps from tangling her bow in her pony tail 😁

That's where all the good stuff is, up there in the rosin dust. Phoebe is a Goddess, and a really cool human being too. Simandl and Petracchi are all you need....

My current absolute favourite bassist is the fantastic Phoebe Russell

Jerome Davies looks after my lovely 19th century bass, and he's a top man

The Stones - just an overpriced Stones tribute act now. Nothing new since Exile on Main Street. Just the same old same old. Good luck to them, but I won't be indulging

McCarney - I'm biased, I never liked him. Fakey McFakerson IMO. But he's done nothing worth hearing for decades either

The oldies I still want to hear? Springsteen (not the same as the 80's, but the changes are good and the flame still burns), Robert Plant (seems to get better and better. Thank you Alison Krauss for reining in the extremes of his style), Kate Bush (a Goddess, now and always) and Tom Jones

On 20/08/2022 at 11:46, Bloopdad1 said:

Yes, it is a superb performance of the famous Grand Duet played by Rinat and his daughter. (did you know that Bottesini originally wrote it for 2 double basses! But his buddy Paganini was jealous of the gorgeous tune so tweaked the first bass part for violin...) 

 

I was responding to the OP who wanted to clarify my original comment of "Oh, and don't think like a bass guitarist... Its a TOTALLY different beast"...

The DB is my lifelong companion but I was concerned that if the OP didn't get the basics right it could do some physical damage and lead to injury - I strongly suggested not to underestimate the DB and get some basic lessons. 

Do not tackle the DB with a BG technique or mentality! 😉

 

The Bottesini - you're right in saying it's definitely not a beginners piece (I've had a lifetime of playing and I can still only get about 80% of the Bottesini... Its a beast!). 

I was just giving an example of what a bass can do and how differently the 2 instruments are. I use two differing thought processes on how I address each instruments technique. 

 

One day I'll nail that bloody Bottesini properly (and the Dittersdorf plus that superb solo by Stanley Clark and of course Victor Wooton's Amazing Grace!) but for me the way Rinat plays the Bottesini is truly inspiring. 

(annoyingly my much younger desk partner can play it to about 95%!!... But not like Rinat could 😍) 

 

RIP Rinat you were one of the greatest bassists ever...😥

 

 

You're right - the Bottesini is great fun to play - all Bottesini is! Rinat was an extraordinary musician and teacher, I studied with him when he was a young man. All of this virtuosic stuff seems impossible in the early stages, but if you learn the basics thoroughly, it's surprising what diligent practice can achieve!