Russ

I started on guitar at 16, with a good friend who happened to be an awesome guitarist showing me the ropes. Every time I went over to his place though, he had a gorgeous Candy Apple Red Fender Jazz that I couldn't resist picking up and vaguely hitting with my thumb in an attempt to be like Mark King. So I got my first bass at 17 - it was an "Axe", hideous P-bass-like thing with a neck like a banana, but it was something to start on. Jumped into the deep end, trying to learn Level 42, old Metallica and RHCP tunes... I could slap 16th-notes before I could play a blues scale properly! Carried on like this for a couple of years, jammed with a few bands (this, IMO, is the single thing that will make your playing better over anything else - playing with other musicians who are better than you), then decided to get a bit of formal instruction. So I signed up for a 3-month course at BIT (upstairs from where the Bass Centre used to be in Wapping)... picked up quite a lot in that short space of time, learned different grooves, got the basics of reading and theory down and sharpened up my technique. Glad I did it, as it did point me a lot more in the right direction to learn, and gave me a bit more hunger to learn more about music and theory. After that, it was just back to learning tunes off CDs and playing in bands again, but with a bit more of an open ear.

Out of the ones you linked to, the Warwick Rockbass Streamer will be head and shoulders over the others. Just DON'T go for the Harley Benton... absolute sh!te in my experience.

Bloody hell, never knew you lot were such a conservative bunch. My party pieces are bass versions of Stairway To Heaven, Under The Bridge and (for the more discerning listener) Con Te Partiro. I'm also not adverse to pulling out the thumb for a quick slap-tastic bit of Mr. Pink, Tommy The Cat or Nobody Weird Like Me, or just quoting bits of well-known basslines from the likes of Disco Inferno, Le Freak, and for the rock types out there, Schism or Anesthesia. But these are occasional bits of fun - 95% of the time, I want my basslines to do the talking in a band context. I do spend a lot of time and effort on my tone though - although I don't always want to be upfront, I do want a well-defined, present bass tone so that even the simple stuff can't go unnoticed. There's nothing wrong with a bit of showbiz and showboating, and if the guitarist can do it, then I bloody well can too. Just don't do it all the time.

[quote name='7string' post='162469' date='Mar 24 2008, 12:51 AM']We think it's going to be a bit of a gastronomic tour as well. The important question has to be asked..."Is KFC better than over here ?". I've got a copy of the Rough Guide to the USA which seems to have plenty of places to eat as well as giving a bit of history as well. Thanks again for taking the time to reply to this thread. Very much appreciated.[/quote] I hope you're not a vegetarian, as there's some awesome steaks to be had over here! Even the chain restaurants (Chili's, Longhorn, Outback, etc) do great steak. As for KFC, the chicken tastes the same, but you won't get chips... all their meals come with "biscuits" (kinda a savoury version of a scone) but you develop a taste for them! Wendy's is also great for fast food... you can amuse yourself greatly by asking for a "biggie number two" and the Baconator burger will fill you up for an entire day! Since you're going to be going through the south, make sure to check out some Southern cuisine - more biscuits, plus the wonders of stuff like chicken fried steak (basically steak done in KFC-style batter). And if seafood's your thing, there's some great shrimp to be had. I have issues with being in the US, but the food and the music shops aren't among them (other than the lack of availability of good chips and the scarcity of decent Indian restaurants)... have fun! You'll love Vegas - it's like Disneyland for adults. Must get back there one day.

I'm liking the sound of the LD400 Pro... 2x10", external speaker out... been hoping they would come out with something like this ever since I saw the first LowDowns. The question is, are they going to be putting out cabs as well?

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='145402' date='Feb 22 2008, 11:47 PM']And what did Warwick expect in return?[/quote] At the time, it was mostly exposure, and mention in any future interviews, album covers or press that I used Warwicks. At the time, Warwick were lacking high-profile endorsers in the UK - their most visible endorser, Stuart Zender, had slipped under the radar after leaving Jamiroquai, and, since Warwick like to push their "rock" credentials, there were very few rock guys with any visibility using their stuff (eg, Glen Diani from One Minute Silence, who also disappeared off the radar after OMS split), so I got in there at a good time. Shame it didn't work out, really... if I'd been able to afford something like a Streamer Stage II 5-string (still over £1000, even with the endorsement, and I didn't have that spare at the time) I might have stuck with it.

Well, I like the new BB. It's quite possible that the polepieces on the pickups have been epoxied over, like the older Attitude models, but you can't really tell from the pictures. I still think Billy's a great player, but I heard him proseletysing about being a Scientologist recently, and that made me lose a lot of respect for him...

I had a Warwick endorsement for a while, back when my old band was doing pretty well. We'd just come from doing a UK tour, doing Bloodstock 2003 and various other decently big gigs, so I approached M.A.D. (back when they were the Warwick UK distributors, before Warwick opened up their own offices) about an endorsement. No freebies, but they did offer me stuff at 50% off trade price, so I ordered a Streamer Jazzman 5. Approaching them was simple enough - gave them a press kit and CD, mentioned the label we were on, and talked their ear off about giving them exposure and stuff. Alas, I couldn't get on with it (thanks to that nasty baseball bat-like neck), so I got our band management to contact Warwick and cancel the endorsement. They didn't want the bass back, so I sold it on eBay for more or less full retail price! Made £500 out of them... cheers, Warwick!

Yep, pretty sure it's a cheapo Vintage that someone's tried to make look like a Warwick with the big stupid "W" decal on the headstock. In my experience, avoid - they have the thinnest sounding pickups I've ever heard.

I seem to recall that pretty much all Jeff Finch basses I've ever seen are either copies or approximations of other companies' basses... would that be accurate to say? That one above is pretty obviously based on an F Bass.

I've played a few. They're pretty bloody awesome... if you get a good one. Unfortunately they're subject to that patchy quality control that you seem to get on midrange Fenders. Try before you buy, but the good ones are every bit as good as any high-end Jazz you can think of. I'm seriously considering one - the 5-string version.

An interesting, and quite esoteric collection! Gotta love the Sei 7. I think Martin is definitely a bit freaked out by the fact that you have a Sei tattoo - he was telling me about it the other day! Once I've got myself back up to more than two basses to show off, I'll do one of these too...

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='111229' date='Dec 30 2007, 11:50 PM']Here's some info on Tony Levin's site about his Funkfingers [url="http://www.tonylevin.com/pbtlff.htm"]http://www.tonylevin.com/pbtlff.htm[/url] It looks like he stopped selling them over seven years ago. [/quote] Just as well I got hold of a pair when I did. Never really had much opportunity to use them, though.

[quote name='Pedro1020' post='111083' date='Dec 30 2007, 07:07 PM']Thanks for all the info and suggestions guys, they have been helpful. My intentions are to get warwick (thumb or streamer as they are best shaped for my preference) work with the MEC's and fiddle about, if they don't match my sound intentions....I'll change them. EMG or seymour duncan are on my mind Just out of interest. I had my mind on a warwick streamer lx (second hand) are they good as the streamer stage 1?[/quote] Depends on how you class "as good" - they're very different. The LXs are bolt-on, and some people (me included ) really don't like the chunky profile of Warwick's bolt-on necks, and come with MEC JJ pickups. The Stage I is through-neck (maple), and comes with a totally different electronics package to the LX. It feels and sounds quite different to the LX. To my mind, it also has a much nicer neck profile and a smoother sound. But it's also quite a lot more expensive than the LX (though not as expensive at the Stage II).

Being good works best. Then word of mouth takes care of much of the rest. That's 75% of the battle, right there. As for other ideas, Myspace still has a big (though declining) following, and has most of the tools you'll need to put together a half-decent electronic press kit. It's also a convenient point of reference for most people. Having your own website is also a definite plus, especially if you have forums, etc - helps build a sense of community around the band. Video memes are popular on the internet too - make a video of your band, and stick it on Youtube. Have live performances, but also have silly, more personal stuff too... makes people connect with you more on a personal level. Things like this can end up on Digg, or other such sites, bringing you a whole new set of listeners! You've also got local, internet/cable and specialist radio stations who can promote you, and pretty much everything OldGit mentioned above.

Could well happen. Since that prototype's got a SR5 neck on it, there could be something different in store for the Sterling 5 when it finally surfaces in production form. As for the rest of the Sterling 5, I like it - I hate that horrible big plastic lump of scratchplate that blights the appearance of the SR5. The smaller one here looks much better.

[quote name='ARGH' post='106308' date='Dec 19 2007, 02:45 AM']Whats the problem with the USA Russ,apart from its bloody cold right now?[/quote] There's a laundry list of things I don't like about it here... won't go too in-depth, but I find most of the people I meet to be mind-meltingly shallow, the work situation is stupid (can be fired at any time, 10 days' holiday a year, etc), the money now being nearly worthless internationally, having to drive long distances everywhere, no NHS or anything like it, rubbish TV, for the most part, mobile phones where you have to pay for incoming calls, and loads of other silly and not-so-silly things. And yes, it's bloody cold. Everything outside right now is covered in inches of ice. I want to go home badly, but my missus is American and wants to be here with her family and friends. But I've got a potential job offer back home, maybe that will swing the deal.... EDIT: Sorry to derail the thread... and this isn't meant as offensive to any US readers we have... back on topic now.

Poor you. Moved to the US a while ago and I hate it - I can't wait to get back to the UK. But sell them as a stack, with a "will separate" caveat.

Just two at the moment... the Sei and the Spector. 465 + 2 = [size=5] 467[/size]

Getting: Socks, probably a bit of cash and a US green card. Wants: A ticket home. I really don't like it here.

[quote name='s_u_y_*' post='104823' date='Dec 16 2007, 01:08 AM']Didn't your mother tell you guys? Obviously the good ones end up in Bass Guitar Heaven like these lot, and play Spinal Tap's Big Bottom forevermore. [/quote] I got to play that Alembic Stanley Clarke with the Bigsby trem on the right of the picture a while back... I was in The Gallery, and the guy who'd won it in the auction of all Entwistle's stuff brought it in to get it looked at. Awesome bass... very skinny neck and tight string spacing though. It's kinda weird seeing an old pic of The Ox and being able to say, "I've played that bass"...

You'll get more for it if it's got the wenge neck, as opposed to the newer, inferior ovangkol one... was thinking of picking up a Streamer LX5 if I can find a good, older one at a reasonable price.

A few more (mostly about technique and so on): 13) Play in such a way that you keep your wrists straight (strap height, fretting hand technique, etc) - less chance of RSI or carpal tunnel setting in. 14) Play with a light touch and let your amp take care of the volume. 15) You can play as many notes per bar as you like - as long as they're all in time and in the groove, and if it works with the song. 16) Less isn't always more, but less is usually the better option. 17) Use the technique that's right for the song. If a song will sound better played with a pick, use one. Don't be a technique nazi. 18) It's hard, but try to listen to the song as a whole, without separating out the instruments in your head, and do what's right to make the whole thing sound good. 19) A live gig is a feedback loop - take the crowd's energy and channel it back into your playing. 20) Don't ever get into the mindset that "you only play the bass" - your voice in the band is equally as important as anyone else's. 21) The ability to hang and not to be an ar$ehole is just as important as the music. 22) A gig is worth 20 hours of rehearsal time. 23) Never play for free. You're undervaluing yourself and doing other bands a disservice by setting a precedent that bands will play for free. 24) Record EVERYTHING you do and listen back to it as a group. 25) Never be afraid of constructive criticism. 26) Listen. Then listen some more. A good ear is the most valuable thing a musician can have.

Always been in originals bands, and don't see myself wanting to do covers anytime in the future. The fun in music for me is the creative process - playing other people's music just doesn't do it for me. If I can't write the bassline, I'm not interested. If that means I'm condemned to working in front of a computer screen for the rest of my life, only fitting in music on the evenings and weekends, then so be it. As for what I've learned... here's a few sage tips. 1) Save the drinking until after the set. If people liked your set they'll buy you drinks. 2) Pick anyone who will be working for the band carefully (management, etc) - the wrong person will totally change the band dynamic and mess things up badly. 3) If playing in a band stops being fun, get out. 4) Lead singers are always pr!cks. Deal with it. 5) Loud is good. If you think it's too loud, don't turn down, get earplugs. 6) Always be pleasant and humble, and ready to talk to people. You never know who you might meet. 7) NEVER take a pay-to-play gig. 8) Having 50,000 friends on your Myspace is pointless if only 50 of them have bothered listening to you. 9) iTunes is your new best friend as an originals band. 10) Make time to socialise with the band members away from the band. 11) The rock press have only one good feature - their expense accounts. Make them buy you drinks. 12) Don't bother slogging your guts out all the time, gigging at the same old crappy venues. Only take the quality gigs where you'll play to more than your mates. .. if I think of any more, I'll post them.

My custom Sei singlecut 5 has a MM+P pickup config (the P is in a humbucker-type housing though). I requested it specifically, as I wanted the bite of the MM pickup combined with the low-mid thud of the P. Works brilliantly, wish there were more basses with that configuration.