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TrevorR

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    ELO

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TrevorR

    Lee Pomeroy. Top bass player and a bit of a progger. Currently touring with ARW (Anderson Rabin Wakeman) but also a member of Headspace and This Oceanic Feeling.

    Factoid... for the new ELO line up Jeff Lynne basically took all of Take That's touring band and added strings.

    http://www.leepomeroy.co.uk/wp/

    Problem with plek???

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TrevorR

    I think that there are a number of things here... yes, the settings on the Plek machine will optimise to a particular set of parameters, including string tension and gauge and neck relief. But just to remember, that just because it is optimised to that set up it doesn't mean that it will be unplayable with other set ups such as differences in string brand, gauge and tension. The chances are that it will be a perfectly good, perfectly playable (in fact probably still really really nice) set up which would feel much the same to any player. It just isn't "optimised" to that particular set of parameters. The tolerances which are being considered under the Plek system are tens and hundreds of thousands of an inch so I would question how much that level of optimisation actually matters.

    The F1 analogy above kinda speaks to this. Yes, Lewis' engine and suspension are built and set up to that kind of engineering tolerance. His suspension settings are tweaked by 100ths of a mm. But that is to obtain a 0.001s advantage over a distance of 2 - 3 miles. In the real world on my car it would be impossible to tell the difference. If the settings on my suspension are 1mm different today compared to yesterday it is still a perfectly good, perfectly fit for purpose driving experience.

    I suspect that we are talking the same thing with a Plek adjustment.

    And then there is the question of consumer decisions. Let's look at my string buying habits... 1982-1986 Dean Markley 40-100s, 1986-1988 Albion Strings 40-100, 1988-2006 Bass Centre Stadium Elites 40-100, 2006-2012 Bass Centre Stadium Elites 45-105, 2012-2015 Picato 45-105, 2016-? LA Bella Deep Talkin' Bass flats 760FL 43-104...

    I think I can safely walk into Charlie Chandlers and get my bass Plek'd without worrying that in six months time I'm going to have moved three different string types away from the optimised set up and that £120 spend on the Pleking will be a lasting investment. If someone is the sort who chops and changes their gauges and brands all the time then they can choose[list=1]
    [*]not to go for a neck dress that bases the settings around a particular string and gauge or
    [*]to go for a Plek on their current/new string choice in the full knowledge that if they change to another, a quick truss rod tweak to take account of string tensions will still give then a really nice playing neck even if it's not still "optimised" for those strings.
    [/list]
    It's a choice and a pretty benign one when it comes down to it.

    One of both of my Wals have (I think) been Plek'd in a set up once and (if they were) it was a really nice set up. Or it might have just been a hand stoning and polishing - I can't remember and, frankly in a blind test I doubt I would have noticed a huge difference between the two in a blind test.

    Add to that, I'm sure that the Plek descriptions (see here for the description at Charlie Chandlers' [url="http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/plek-setup"]http://www.guitarexp...o.uk/plek-setup[/url] ) also contain a good deal of marketing guff about how much difference the "optimisation" process makes over a traditional set up. Doubly so since changes in where you pluck the string along its length (over fingerboard joint, neck or bridge pickup, close to the bridge) will make much bigger differences to the shape of the waveform created in the strings than swapping to a different gauge. Meaning that every time you shift right hand technique (or change from fingerstyle to pick or slap) you alter or undo the level of optimisation anyway. In summary, I suspect that there may be a bit of over-thinking and unnecessary worrying going on...!

    Country Music - How do you embellish?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='Surrpaul' timestamp='1478855005' post='3172092']

    Speaking of Jolene, have you heard Dolly's version at 33rpm? YouTube it if you haven't.
    [/quote]

    Or even better... listen to The Little Willies' version. Norah Jones on lead vocals and a sleazy, greasy, downbeat feel... stunning!

    http://youtu.be/M3d8KobWVwk

    Bass guitar as a lead/melodic instrument?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1478802924' post='3171814']


    One of the best performances I have heard of Elgars Cello Concerto.
    Yo-Yo Ma, Conductor and Orchestra are so much on the same wavelength.
    Top, top playing.
    http://youtu.be/7rVW4Z70TfE
    [/quote]

    Wow, the tone and vib on the opening are stunning! I love the Julian Lloyd Webber recording with Sir Yehudi Menuin conducting the LSO. However, in going to need to find some quality time to spend with that Yo Yo Ma recording!!!

    Problem with plek???

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Am I missing something? But surely if you have a bass strung with say 90s with a relief at the 12th fret of 0.XX mm and then you switch to 105s or 110s causing your neck to become banana shaped you'd adjust the truss rod to straighten the neck to bring the relief back into the regioin of 0.XX mm. In which case the Plek profiling of the frets still stands? No?

    Plus what Dad says about how much difference under the fingers a small change in operating tolerances. Just because something is set up to be "ideal" in one configuration it doesn't mean it's utter rubbish the moment that configuration changes at all. It may still be perfectly acceptable at other quite different settings/set ups.

    Bass guitar as a lead/melodic instrument?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1478634747' post='3170527']


    Surely within the inherent limitations and qualities of the instrument itself..? Castanets..? Difficult to imagine a symphony with only those, no..? Possible, too, I don't doubt, but not as rich a potential as a grand piano. Yes, solo (or orchestras of...) bass is all very well, and feasible, but it has to be admitted that the range is less than some other instruments. Melody..? Fine.Lead..? Why not..? An ideal choice..? Not so often, I'd say. Limited scope, by the very nature of the beast (similarly with many other instruments, of course...).
    Just sayin'.
    [/quote]

    That said, there is a rather splendid Concerto by Carl Nielsen whose two solo instruments are violin and snare drum!!

    Bass guitar as a lead/melodic instrument?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1478723453' post='3171260']
    I don't think it's narrow mindedness, if you listen and don't enjoy it then that's it, trying to force it onto people won't make them like it, just dislike you maybe.
    [/quote]
    [quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1478725096' post='3171279']


    I don't think it is impossible, I just don't think it is particularly appealing as a lead instrument in that context. And for me, although this is clever, it kind of reinforces my view.
    [/quote]

    To quote the great mystic and philosopher Ba Nahna Rama, it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it.

    Some of (well, a lot of) Steve Lawson's multi layered/looped solo bass stuff sounds wonderful to me and A Walk In The Country from Mo Foster's Bel Assis is just one of my fave pieces of music ever. Add in Elgars Cello Concerto for some similarly sublime bass frequency melodies.

    However, Mr Wooten skilfully going "thwack splickety splackety thruppetta whuppetta thwappetta thwap" on his Fodera holds no appeal to me at all.

    Country Music - How do you embellish?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TrevorR

    As others have said, it's not about the flash and the fills (tho some chromatic approach notes and walking bass will go down nicely). What it is about is (and you might find the use of this word surprising) [i][b]the groove[/b][/i] and playing/driving the song right in the pocket. Creating an energy behind a fairly simple line played fairly straight rather than allowing the 1-5-1-5 to be a plod. It's a skill which will serve you well in many other contexts too!

    If Del Boy Trotter ran a guitar company...

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TrevorR

    Came across this absolutely 100% honest kosher guitar company from Korea while doing some random Googling and I'm completely blown away by what good value their absolutely and certainly genuine instruments are being sold for.

    "The Top Guitars Custom Company"

    http://thetopguitars.com/custom-modulus-quantum-5-quilt-5-string-bass.html

    Why, they are offering Fordera (sic) 5-string basses for only $900. And if you'd like one of those Modulus basses featuring those wonderful wooden necks that Modulus were always so famed for then that will set you back less than $500. Bargain!

    These guitars and basses are clearly completely genuine and certainly not knock off forgeries. Oh yes, absolutely. Who could think otherwise.

    Well, now that I've stopped laughing I thought I'd post here for your enjoyment and delectation. I wonder how many people have ordered from here expecting I to get a genuine article? Surely not many? I wonder what they actually received and just how good a quality those specimens actually were? Dear oh dear oh dear!

    Over picking a string / Distortion.

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Interesting article on the Gary Willis site but I do wonder if there is a bit of pseudoscience in there and he is actually describing more of a psychoacoustic effect of how we perceive a note with a loud attack and lower body sustain - a sort of natural compassion thing going on in our brains. Or maybe I'm just being too sceptical.

    However, in the OP's situation I wonder if there is a combination of two things happening both being caused by the pickups being a touch too close to the strings? First the close proximity causing too high a signal to be sensed by the pickups, causing the audible overloading. I'm convinced that pickups can be over-loaded in this manner and small decreases in pickup height can make a big difference, esp since the signal strength fro my the vibrating string will vary on an inverse square relationship. Seen this happen on a few Wals which have particularly powerful pickups. Whether it's the pickups themselves overloading and distorting or the high pickup output overdriving the input stage of the active circuit I'm not sure. However, a slight tweak of the pickup height cures it.

    Also, if the pickup is too close to the string then the strings can experience magnetic damping effects, causing sustain to be lost.

    My pictures are thumbnails in my advert. How do I make them bigger?

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by TrevorR

    [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1478455921' post='3169149']


    ...which boils down to BBCode, really.

    (From Flickr... **[**img**]**https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5694/30747048696_9f5cecac63_o.png**[**/img**]**...)
    [/quote]

    Indeed, but you're not relying on only using photo hosting sites that provide the code automatically for you. You can pick most images off the net and type them in directly... just like Mr Karfler did (or not, I see he wimped out and saved it in Photobucket first!)

    Ideas Required - Rock Covers of Female Fronted Pop

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    A couple of things spring to mind. Look backwards to some bands like Blondie and the Runaways. Cherry Bomb got a lot of coverage from the Guardians of the Galaxy film. Then there's stuff like Joan Jett's ILove Rock and Roll, Blondie's One Way or Another or Pleaase Don't Touch by Motörhead/Girlschool.

    Definitely look at some of Pat Benatar's stuff.

    Then what about some more Britpop type stuff rocked up? Ready To Go by Republica, I think I'm paranoid by Garbage, My Favorite Mistake by The Cardigans. They've all already got great guitar lines with he scope to rock them up further.

    My pictures are thumbnails in my advert. How do I make them bigger?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    You can also link to photos on other websites directly using an HTML code... e.g. To an image on your Facebook page...



    I've added lots of double asterisks and spaces into the text below to show the format. Remove them and it's the code for the above photo. Basicall, the square brackets with img in it followed by the image URL followed by /img in square brackets (hope this works)

    **[** img** ]**https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/14524570_10154317164445860_5715355225436498288_o.jpg **[**/ img **]**

    Advice needed for using electronic gear with a rock band

    in Accessories and Misc

    Posted

    [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1478199736' post='3167535']
    .
    Also as others have said unless you need to manipulate the sequenced parts live, or you intend to run other things such as effects changes for the live instruments or lights off the sequencer, you are much better off for the sake of reliability using a pre-recorded track. Put the click track in one channel and the music you want the audience to hear in the other.
    [/quote]

    Did that a couple of years ago for an orchestral backing to Carol of the Bells with our church worship band and choir. Worked really well.

    Shonky badly made/designed practice combos

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I guess the problem will partly be that, at that end of the market the amps are trying to add in whistles and bells to make them look competitive against the competition while building down to a price. That means whatever little cash is available is being spent on marketing features not on core performance.

    The sad reality is that a £100 practice amp that has a built in tuner, DSP, iPod input, USB connection, memory presets but poor quality chassis, speaker and cab (and which therefore has huge sound limitations) will sell shed loads more than a well designed and built £100 practice amp that just has a gain, volume and two or three basic tone knobs (but which sounds great and gives reliable performance). Should be the other way round, but it isn't. So manufacturers tend to build the former not the latter.

    It's the truism. Every penny spent on a gimmick wasn't spent on a part that really matters.

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