Russ

It's very much an "old fart" thing to say that young bands out there don't get to pay their dues these days. But, looking back, were things really that much different when we were younger? I only started playing in the late 80s, so not all that long ago by some peoples' standards, but we all got lifts to gigs and rehearsals from our parents, learned stuff from tab in the back of Guitar World, had peoples' parents or older brothers on hand to help sort out technical difficulties, etc. OK, we all played crappy instruments (my first bass was a plywood POS called an "Axe", and the guitarist in my first band played a god-awful Marlin - I'd have killed for something as good as a Shine, SX or modern Squier back then) and didn't have access to Youtube, GuitarPro, etc, or to the likes of MySpazz and iTunes to promote yourselves, and it has to be said these things give kids today a bit of a head-start, but, overall, it wasn't all that different.

Oh, speaking of Lee and Bernie, did you ever see the doubleneck Strat/Jazz Bass hybrid Bernie did for him? Interesting instrument...

[quote name='steve-soar' post='447719' date='Mar 27 2009, 08:44 PM']I know, I should have bought his Ric as well. I am a dobber. End of.[/quote] Lee's flogged his 4001CS? He loved that bass... or did he have another one? He did look a bit weird playing it though, Rickys look odd upside down... Then again, he's got rid of some nice instruments... his lefty Sei and his Streamer Stage II were both lovely basses, and I was able to play them because he strings them righty.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='446661' date='Mar 26 2009, 10:49 PM']Was that the SuperJazz or the Z2 that impressed you?[/quote] It was the SuperJazz. Best sounding super-J I've ever played, complete with the full Geddy Lee look (black body, maple neck with blocks, etc). Loved it.

I did pop in on Friday - no Martin (at the dentist) or Alex, just John. Had a good look around, saw the 9-string behemoth in progress (awesome - love the tailpiece design) and was utterly impressed with the 5-string Dingwall J-type bass that was there and the Sadowsky M5-24. Spoke with John a bit about my thoughts for my next Sei, and he seems to think they're all do-able (mostly to do with an Original-shape Sei with a bolt-on neck). Also had a jam with some of the guys from my old band while I was there... we've decided to do a "virtual" band thing and write some new stuff and collaborate online. Feels wrong being back in the US. Don't want to stay over here much longer if I can help it.

Thought I'd revive this thread instead of starting a new one... I'm flying back to the UK for a visit tomorrow, and I'm planning on bringing my lovely Sei Bass with me. I've flown with it in its hard case quite a few times and not had any problems as yet, but there's always a first time... not sure I trust those baggage handlers with a £2500+ bass. I was thinking of just bringing it onto the plane in its gig bag as hand baggage and getting them to stick it in the coat locker or something, since you're now allowed to bring more than one piece of hand baggage again. Plus having it in its gig bag would make it easier to carry around with me when I get there. Anyone got any experience of doing this? The flight is from Newark (USA) to Heathrow on BA.

[quote name='barneyg42' post='437671' date='Mar 17 2009, 06:54 PM']Sounds like a Bass Bash in the making!! [/quote] Could be! I'll have my Sei with me, going to grab some strings and stuff for it while I'm there, and I can send the missus off to look around Camden Market for a while. Anyone else going to be in town Friday afternoon?

Thinking about it, I'm going to be up in London on Friday too (coming home for a week) - a visit to The Gallery might have to be in order.

[quote name='Hamster' post='437551' date='Mar 17 2009, 06:06 PM']I disagree with the above. You should go to the little workers café opposite the tube station and load up with doorstop bacon butties and giant mugs of tea first. [i]Then [/i]go to The Gallery. You'll be in there for the best part of 8 hours so best to load up on carbs, fat and tea first! [/quote] For when you come out, the chippy over the road from The Gallery (just up next to the canal path) does great chips.

Yep, The Gallery. Nowhere better for bass in London. If you're not familiar with Camden, it can be a little tricky to find. Easiest way is to go out of Camden Town tube (if you can take the left-hand exit as you come up the escalator, great, if not, go out the right-hand one and walk around to the other side of the station), cross the road so you're outside the World's End, turn left and head up Camden Road (you'll pass a big Sainsbury's on your left). When you get up to the crossroads where Camden Road BR is, turn right into Royal College St. The Gallery's about 50 yards up on your left. The place always looks closed (the grille's always down), but press the buzzer and they'll let you in.

Quite a few years back, I had a Stingray... it was pretty much my Holy Grail at the time, and I ended up sorely disappointed with it. Lots of bottom, lots of top, but nothing in the middle, no "oomph". I just couldn't EQ it so it sounded good in a band mix, and it just wouldn't cut through distorted guitars. It's true that the older, pre-EB ones don't seem to have this issue though - they have a good dose of P-like "bark", while maintaining that typical Stingray sizzle, and they seem to have better string-to-string balance too. What would someone have to do to "downgrade" their Stingray, to reproduce that 70's, pre-EB tone?

The "lust value" that Wals have had recently is down to three things - firstly, the tone. Thanks to the filter preamp and custom pickups, there's a lot of tones you can get out of a Wal that you can't get out of everything else. Secondly, there's the rarity value, thanks to there being no new Wals for the past few years. And thirdly, name players - Justin Chancellor has a lot to answer for. People wanting that cool Tool bass tone are craving Wals and forcing the asking prices right up. I remember going to the Bass Centre back in the late '90s, and Wals were about the least fashionable bass in the world at the time - they used to have trouble shifting them. Sure, Geddy Lee, Mick Karn, Nick Beggs, etc were all well-known Wal users back in the day, but Wals were still in production then (and hence available for a reasonable price), and none of them seem to have had the same impact on their desirability as Justin Chancellor has. Tip for Paul Herman - when you're coming up with the inevitable Mk4 Wal, please come up with something that's lighter and a little more ergonomic. The Mk3s back in the day were a step in the right direction, but get it right and I'll be in the queue for a new one.

I've played a fair few Foderas in my time (including spending a couple of hours at the Fodera shop in NYC). They're alright. They look good, play quite nicely, but the tone didn't do it for me on any of them. Quite pingy and middy, not much in the way of "guts". Certainly no better than any other good custom maker. Personally, I think they've good instruments, but they've become rather overhyped, thanks to Wooten, Garrison, Jackson, Feraud, etc all playing and endorsing them. I think it's a "flavour of the month" thing, and these things seem to go in phases... for a long time, it was all about Alembic, then Carl Thompson, then Sadowsky, then Fodera, and it seems to be Alleva-Coppolo's turn now.

Seems to have been a while since there was any update on the new Wal situation... anyone heard anything?

I've played the sunburst one a few times... great bass. Big tone, comfy neck, great EQ. The 5-string even has a decent low B. I prefer them to the USA deluxe Jazzes.

Take a look at these (from the Japanese ESP site): [url="http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/index.html"]http://www.espguitars.co.jp/artist/tetsu/index.html[/url] ... the red Edwards Lakland-alike is filling me with GAS right now. Anyone got any idea where someone might be able to order one? I seem to recall there were a couple of places that specialised in Japanese guitars online, but I can't find them right now.

Or, hold out until the end of this month, when Musicman's Sterling series will become available... I think they're supposed to start around the £600 mark, and they're supposed to be almost as good as the US-made ones (pretty much Musicman's Skyline series). They'll be doing versions of the 4, the 5 and the Sterling.

[quote name='Chelios' post='424604' date='Mar 3 2009, 11:24 PM']Ill take one at that price [/quote] I've seen used Stingrays change hands for around that kind of price recently... keep an eye out.

Jon Shuker will build you a custom super-J for much less than you'd pay for a Sadowsky or Lakland. Under four figures, probably. I don't have any of his basses, but this place is full of satisfied customers.

Had a listen... I hear the need for an MM-type bass. That gives you a few options: 1) Secondhand MusicMan SUB - the real thing, although the finishes take some getting used to 2) Ibanez ATK - nails the MM tone nicely. £300-ish will score you a new one. 3) If you want that more modern take on the Flea-type tone, you might be able to find a Peavey G-Bass within your budget (single pickup, graphite neck) - kinda hard to find though. 4) MTD Kingston. Great bass, huge thick tone. If you're very lucky, you might actually be able to score a proper Stingray for £500, what with the economy being the way it is.

Played one in NYC last year. Unimpressed. Just another super-J, to my ears, with an ugly, blobby headstock. Nicely made, quite nice neck and didn't sound bad, but the Sadowsky Metro I tried the same day sounded and played much better and was half the price. And I've played Sei Jazzes, GBs, Moons, Celinders and Bacchuses (Bacchi?) that do the super-J thing better than both of them.

I think this discussion hinges heavily on what people look for in a bass player - a great technician, a great writer, a great performer, or all of the above. For instance, Anthony Jackson is an amazing technician and writer, but not much of a performer - he just sits there! Conversely, Lynott was a great performer and a really good writer, but not the greatest of technicians. But, if that's what floats your boat... For me, Doug Wimbish and Tony Levin. They've got all three, in spades.

Firstly, get some old Parliament/Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone records. Listen loud. As for what to do bass-wise - take your simplest bassline, then remove half the notes. Then remove a few more. Then put those few (or one) remaining notes per bar you have left in the groove - takes more practice than you might think. Unless you're talking jazz-funk, the chord progressions are usually pretty simple, and you won't have to play much more than pentatonic scales to start with. Have your thumb ready for slap duty, but, considing the stereotype of slap only being for funk bass, you don't hear it all that much on the proper funk classics - it's certainly not ubiquitous. Add envelope filter to taste. Then keep practicing until you're playing with that puckered "oooo" face that's essential - then you know you're feeling the groove.

I think I want to track down my old GB. It was on Ebay a year or so back, but I missed out on it. It'd be nice to have it back, since it was custom-made for me, and is unique amongst GBs for several reasons. Bernie tells me he's still got the designs for it, so he could make another, but it'd be nice to have my old one back. So if anyone sees a custom ash/maple GB Rumour 5-string going, with a custom body shape, and two Hipshots, let me know.

I'm a huge Primus fan, but I just haven't been able to get into Les' post-Primus output... it just doesn't do it for me. It's weird - I [i]should[/i] like it, but I just don't. I can't connect with it.