SpondonBassed

For a kick off though...; Pull up to the Bumper - Grace Jones I Shot the Sheriff - Clapton version for ease but Marley version for a challenge Dancing in the Moonlight - Thin Lizzy

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1497900796' post='3321232'] We have a 90 minute set but have been offered a great gig locally but would need to play 2-3hrs, it's short notice so we have about 4 hours of rehearsal time tops between now and then. So looking for 10 ish songs that are dead simple but classics everyone knows. Ideally punk/ grunge/ hard rock but flexible as long as its rockish. Stuff like I can't explain, by The who, mollys lips by Nirvana/ The vaselines, Louie Louie etc would be ideal. We have two days to sort a set and say yes or no to the gig so it's a bit of a panic. [/quote] I'd need to see your set as it is now. PM if you like.

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1497853678' post='3320806'] I really wish I could play lighter. I dont break strings at every gig any more but I have always been a really heavy player. Part of it is down to the lack of decent bass amplification when I was growing up meaning you just HAD to dig in to get any kind of a sound. I have tried and tried over the years to cut down on hit strength but as soon as I get in the zone, I start beating the crap out of it again. Funnily enough I dons seem to have the same problem when recording that other heavy hitter do. Although I do have to cut my right hand fingernais almost tot he quick to stop string clak. Any suggestions, other than "turn your amp up and play lighter"? [/quote] Get a bigger bass. If it's big enough it'll be so intimidating you won't even consider beating it up. I have similar fingernails. It only takes a week before I get the plectrum effect from my nails. I'd love to work with that as a way of accentuating certain notes but my nails are brittle so I have to keep them as short as possible without damaging the quick. I lightened my touch but now my mentor tells me to practice with no amp so's I can hear the notes without excessive fret buzz. To do so requires more pluck than I ever had to apply before and on his roundwound strung Mexican Jazz it's not pleasant. He's of the opinion that I should carry on and build up callouses but I think there is middle ground. I'll just shut up and put up for now. That way I can see how much benefit I get from doing the finger exercises as he wants me to.

GAS! GAS! GAS! This gas alert was brought to you from the village that dates back to the Domesday Book.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1497721901' post='3320268'] I play in a pub covers band and can't make up my mind whether I prefer flat or roundwound strings on my P-bass. I've been swapping back and forth between gigs and am still non the wiser. I'm thinking that rounds are a better all rounder (excuse the pun) for the variety of material that we cover, but I love the feel and the warmth of the flats. Has anyone else suffered this dilemma and what did you do? [/quote] Indecision? I've not had the dilemma as I've not done enough performance to get a representative sample but I'd suggest that flats are a good choice because they clean with a wipe and are less susceptible, I believe, to dying. Otherwise, you might ask your sound man or someone in the audience whose opinion you can trust if they have a preference. I changed from rounds to flats a week or so before an Open Mic earlier this year. Despite the strings being a little grabby from new, I had no confidence issues with them in front of the few folk that were there. Now they are played in and I am very happy to keep them on for good.

This any good? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqXAHn_rrms[/media]

Timely. I started searching out clips of Gail Ann Dorsey's bass and guitar work the other day. Ladies of the lower levels float my boat. God I sound like a right lounge lizard.

Aw feck.

How are you going to carry that one off? I mean it's one thing to do both parts of a Bach invention yourself but you'd have to be triplets to do The Delicate Sound of Thunder.

Dear Aunt Bay, Following some recent lumbar discomfort my doctor has recommended that I take a rest from bending over backwards whilst trying to satisfy punters' incessant requests for Iron Maiden's Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Mustang Sally. So that my back heals with no loss of mobility she has suggested that I take up limbo dancing as a hobby so that I can get right back into playing the bass on discharge from her practice. My concern is that I might have to become a slapper if I set my action sufficiently high to practice limbo with. I already have a dubious reputation for hanging around on street corners as it is.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1497604936' post='3319400'] Funny you say that... we have a last minute gig this Sunday... there's some charity event involving running and walking (I'll drive there, thanks for the parking pass ) at Holyrood Park, and they must have had some cancellation and asked my main band to help out. The weather looks promising, sounds fun, we said why not. The problem is our trumpet and our sax players can't make it. We decided to go ahead anyway, and kazoos may be brought out [/quote] I wish I could be there to see that. ...and why not? as Barry Norman would have said.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1497546851' post='3319055'] Rime of the ancient mariner... with sax, cello and ukulele. Got it! [/quote] Can't we squeeze a kazoo solo in there somehow?

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1497379152' post='3317719'] This is VID from Motherwell gig i attended including Joe (Leftyhook) Hope <snip> [/quote] Thanks for that Dave. If I'd spent longer looking I might not have made the mistake that has put Joe in a poor light. It is as you say, "Well worth a look".

How low is low? No lower than the belly of a racing snake I'll wager. Oh wait, I've just thought of a few people who might actually be... I tend to go by feel as mentioned by another member above. I just looked at my main guitar, the Steinberger, with a rule so this is approximate; For the low B it's around 2mm at the 12th and about 2.5mm at the 24th but it needs a bit of a tweak to get a slight buzz out from the B in the 7th to 12th area. I changed to flats and made slight adjustment to the saddles at the time. A couple of months on with the strings bedded in somewhat, a neck relief adjustment and saddle re-check is due.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1497528237' post='3318873'] I'll collect you on the way if it's in that direction [/quote] Many thanks Pete. As long as there are no sheep clusters forecast for the journey. I'm all punned out from ramming 'em into your post elsewhere.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1497508833' post='3318683'] [url="http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/reformed-nitro-taps-bassist-victor-wooten-for-comeback-album/"]http://www.blabbermo...comeback-album/[/url] Could be interesting. I love Vic, but I've always been curious to hear him with a metal drummer. [/quote] Gillette comments: "To have Victor on board is a dream come true. The caliber of musicianship is beyond anything the metal community has ever experienced. This takes the term 'supergroup' to a whole new level. The metal gods are definitely watching over us." No hyperbole then. Actually, I will keep a keen ear out for that one. Could be interesting, right enough. I can't wait to see how they manage to make Vic look scary. It's got to be a bit like hanging chains and razor blades off of a teddy bear. Menacing but cute with it. Please tell me he's going to tour with them as well.

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1497483530' post='3318653'] The one year I went, I saw Alanis Morissette turn out an awful set (she kept playing terrible harmonica solos at every opportunity, she literally played the same three notes on every song, in a slightly different order)... [/quote] No you didn't just say that! [attachment=247336:AlarmistMarmoset.png] "OMG!!!" - Alarmist Marmoset

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1497219244' post='3316672'] Al is the lead guitarist shredding his arse off.�� Blue [/quote] Irie

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1497463247' post='3318447'] No, you're confusing with 'firkin', as in [Norfolk accent] 'Oi loikes me a good firkin, does Oi..!' [/Norfolk accent]. [/quote] PMd

I liked it better when you said "...Then on to the pubs..." I'd have drunk to that then sat back to see what pickups you favour. Heeheehee

Looks like a Warwick five that's only ever seen four strings at a time...?

[quote name='The59Sound' timestamp='1497383322' post='3317768'] I can send you a ticket for free if you would like? [/quote] Would you extend that offer to other Basschatters in your locality too? Where are you?

[quote name='Skol303' timestamp='1497441976' post='3318159'] Thanks for listening, always good to get feedback from another pair of ears Great advice Doug! I do need to take my bushel off and have a bit more confidence in my playing, perhaps. [size=3]A bushel is like a merkin, right...?[/size] [/quote] Now now. Just because the word bush is contained within the word bushel there's no need to shave your muff.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1497432098' post='3318019'] There's always folk selling flats they didn't like on the "other items" forum, just pick some up from there and try them for peanuts. [/quote] Very True. I have a smashing set of five hard-to-come-by SS DBE flats that came from a forum member.

[quote name='Crawford13' timestamp='1497455191' post='3318326'] I notice when you answered the question about how much you play, you said you don't play every day. I would recommend playing for even 15 mins everyday and you would be surprised how quickly the callouses will come on. [/quote] You don't actually have to play. Lately I've been doing finger exercises on the bass for 45 minutes, in the morning, six days a week. I don't even have to turn on my amp. If I have time I'll play too or play during a later session. I'm in between projects and I have been doing this for a month. I am lucky to have the time of a morning to do so but now that I've started I would be reluctant to stop as it's helping me build stamina and dexterity in both hands that wasn't previously there just from practice. I only ever got blisters when I used to dig in with both hands early on in my playing days. I agree with another comment that you might find a lighter touch and more gain helps too. Digging in is a valid technique but even F1 cars need to run at much less than 100 percent for a good part of the race. My point is that you can pull a bit extra out of the proverbial bag if you reserve digging in for exceptional moments during performance.