Russ

His fretless bass video is well worth picking up - he shows off all his various techniques, including his three-finger right hand technique and sliding harmonics, and various bizarre ones, such as scraping scrings with fingernails to get harmonics, and pulling the strings completely off the neck (!). Awesome, awesome talent, and, in terms of innovation, pretty much equal to Jaco in my eyes. I'd love to get some bass lessons from him, if he fancies earning a few quid!

It'd be a Status of some kind. Possibly a 5-string model of the new version of the T-Bass, with transparent black finish, graphite scratchplate, Sadowsky guts and white LEDs. In fact, I had a rather interesting chat with Rob Green the other day... that's all I'll say for now.

The cabs with the paper cone speakers aren't too bad - a bit lacking in low-end wallop, but you can't expect everything at that price. Their 8x10" is quite impressive though - plenty of punch and low end, and better sounding than some more expensive cabs. Basically, their cabs are a lot better than their amps.

Right, been thinking about this... what features would a site like this have to have? It would obviously have to have listing of jam/open mic nights, but what could we put in to make it more user-oriented and (buzzword alert) "web 2.0"-friendly? I've got a little musicians wanted site that I coded up a while ago and haven't really used or promoted... just been trying to think of something better to do with it... it's at www.muzos.info - could this be something we could incorporate? All it is is a quick and easy musician search with a fancy AJAX user interface.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='10154' date='May 31 2007, 08:33 PM']I smell a business opportunity for someone to make a separate website... [/quote] Hmmm... not a bad idea, that... been trying to think of a website project to get my teeth into!

[quote name='subaudio' post='9791' date='May 31 2007, 11:45 AM']Hey all, I was wondering if there are any specific sites for covers bands wanting musicians in London, I have looked on the general musofinder type sites but mainly find bands doing originals, and is own transport a necessity for these type of gigs, I have done a good number of original gigs in central London and have managed on the tube. Any info much appreciated.[/quote] To my knowledge, there's nothing out there specifically for covers bands... you could keep an eye on Gumtree though, there always seems to be openings for covers bands on there. As for transport, being able to haul your rig around is always a good thing, and shows professionalism, especially since most venues don't supply backline gear. This might not be so important if the gigs you get don't require large amplification, and where you might be able to get away with a light 2x10" and small head that you can drag around on a dolly or something. Personally though, I still wouldn't entrust stuff like that to the Tube, escalators, etc. If the band you join has a member with an estate car or van, and who doesn't mind carting your stuff around along with their own, then that's a good compromise, but it then precludes you from doing stuff without them!

I'm surprised nobody's brought back the swappable magnetic fingerboard idea from a decade ago or so... that would have been perfect, as you could have different thicknesses of fingerboard for fretted and fretless, thus compensating for the setup change required. I reckon there'd definitely be a market for replacement necks with this feature.

I'd say yes, if only because of the instrument getting worn in through playing. The woods in the neck often settle as well, making for a more stable neck, and often subtly altering the overall "feel" of the instrument.

It's true that piling loads of effects on your bass won't make up for bad playing. If you're playing with sloppy time and bad note choices, there's no effect that can save you. But a good player will use effects almost like an accompanying instrument, "playing" the effects and the bass at the same time - see Bootsy and his army of Mu-Trons, or Justin Chancellor and his whammy-drenched craziness. It takes talent to make the most out of effects. Back on topic for a sec, did Peavey discontinue the BAM combos (they're not on the Peavey site any more)? I've been Googling reviews of them, and they're almost universally praised...

[quote name='MB1' post='6814' date='May 25 2007, 09:11 PM']MB1. Whos got a nice pedalboard then! you spend all that money on a nice bass, then defeat the object entirely by adding mush, a couple of hundred quids worth of mush? or is that more arse???how many settings have you actually used on this pedalboard can you make your bass go ya ya ya ya!or whooosh whoosh and why the f$$k would anybody want to? or is that the highlight of your set ? too many effects does not a great band make nor a great bassist for that matter. MB1.[/quote] Sorry, had to jump in here. In answer to your question, why not? Maybe some people like the mushy, overly effected sound - maybe it suits their music and it's exactly what they want. Playing with sounds can help create different atmospheres, and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with giving yourself that option. Granted, it lends itself to some kinds of music more than others, but for those who do experiment with different tones and effects, don't question their validity just because it doesn't work for you. Sure, you might be able to get the tone you want from just a bass, an amp and a cable, bot some people can't - they might hear things differently to you. For examples of gratuitous-yet-tasteful effects usage on bass, check out anything Doug Wimbish has ever done. Or Pino's 80s fretless tone with gobs of chorus and octaver. Or Entwistle's and Cliff Burton's distortion...

[quote name='nash' post='6707' date='May 25 2007, 06:26 PM']...and my marshall 8x10 in a ford ka (that was tight)[/quote] How did that work? I've seen someone having trouble getting a 4x10" in the back of one! I can't be driving with the driver's seat all the way forward and my knees up under my chin!

I'm thinking of taking the plunge and getting myself an 8x10" cab (either the Ashdown MAG 8x10" or the Eden Nemesis one - the Bass Centre have great deals on both right now) - there's nothing like that trouser-flapping punch of one of those beasties behind you at a gig. I suspect, though, that I'll have to get a new car to drive it around in! So, my question is, what's the smallest car any of you 8x10" users have managed to squeeze one in? I used to get my old Ampeg 6x10" in the back of a Punto, but we're probably talking a box that's a foot longer... I've no problem changing cars, but I'd rather not get an estate if I can help it... suggestions?

Marshall's bass highpoint had to be the Dynamic Bass System range - they were awesome and HUGELY loud. I played through one not so long ago and they still sound good. I believe Chris from Muse still uses them... they should bring those back, I'd buy one....

I've played with the Line6 Lowdown combos, and the LD300 does a pretty accurate SVT model... it's suitably gritty when pushed and, as an SVT owner, I was impressed. Some of the other models weren't so good... the B-15 wasn't great, and the clean sound (based on an Eden, I think) is a bit flat. I'd be interested in their stuff if they'd do them in head/cab configurations - I've kinda outgrown combos.

I tried them... nice guys. But they don't have the Squier Vintage Modified basses, and apparently there's a 3-month backlog to get them in right now... ouch! I recall someone was selling theirs on Basstalk... anyone know if they sold it?

[quote name='OldGit' post='4014' date='May 21 2007, 11:12 PM']these people do [url="http://www.soundsinternational.co.uk/"]http://www.soundsinternational.co.uk/[/url] and match web prices ..[/quote] That's cool. They don't have much of a selection though... do they order stuff in if you ask for it?

I've got some cash burning a hole in my Paypal account at the moment, and I'm seriously considering a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz... problem is, there's none on eBay, and none of the online guitar shops I know take Paypal... anyone got any suggestions?

In addition to my Warwick story, the guitarists in my old band were offered a guitar endorsement with ESP (through another band we played with quite regularly). The problem was, ESP only offered them the cheap LTD guitars to choose from, and they couldn't find ones they actually liked... They'd have had to have upgraded the pickups, have a proper pro setup done, fret dressing, etc to get them to sound have as good as their Gibsons! So, they didn't bother...

[quote name='thumbo' post='2626' date='May 20 2007, 01:42 AM']Do you enjoy maintaining the myspace and itunes sales? If you're selling this music, people are enjoying it. I think that's good enough reason to keep it going. However, if you get sick and tired of it then leave it be, there's not much point in carrying on with it if you're not enjoying it.[/quote] Personally, I still enjoy it, but I'm somewhat discouraged because it seems none of the other guys from the band give a toss anymore... I kinda feel like I'm being like someone who can't get over their ex by trying to keep an element of this going, when everyone else has moved on...

The band's called 5th Man Down - www.myspace.com/5thmandown . We did OK - we opened Bloodstock 2003 on the main stage (supporting Saxon and Blaze Bayley), did a couple of UK-wide tours, and did two short tours in the US, where we went down pretty well. Let's say we *almost* lived the dream. I seriously doubt we'll play live together again, but the material still stands up and is still selling (albeit slowly) - I think there's more that could be done there.

A bit of background... my old band did fairly well for ourselves for a few years there, but, thanks to some bad management, leading to disillusionment, we went our separate ways a year or so ago. Since then, not much has happened, the other guys are off playing in other bands now, but I've kinda kept the flame burning, maintaining our Myspace page and putting our album and EP up on iTunes (where we've made a few quid off it). The other guys haven't shown any real interest in the old band, but I think, since we have some sales going on, that we should continue to push it a bit - if not by actually getting back together and playing shows, by pushing the iTunes downloads and the Myspace page. In order to do this, it'd be nice to update the Myspace page a bit, maybe a few new pics and so on. Do you think I'm beating a dead horse here? Do you think I should even bother asking the other guys to get together to have a few pics taken? Should I just let this sleeping dog lie, or should I just not bother at all? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated...

I had a short-lived Warwick endorsement... this was back when my old band were doing pretty well, we had a big festival appearance coming up, we had the album out, and were pretty active. At the time, a lot of Warwick's UK endorsers had slipped below the radar - Stuart Zender had left Jamiroquai, Glen Diani wasn't doing anything after One Minute Silence split up, and so on, so they were after new blood. I got our manager at the time to send them our press pack, and they got back to me and offered me an endorsement... this wasn't a full-on "free basses" deal though, more like a 60% off list price deal. So I got a Streamer Jazzman... and really didn't like it (horrible, horrible, baseball-bat neck). In the end, I told Warwick I wasn't interested in pursuing the endorsement anymore, and sold the Jazzman for more or less list price. Thank you Warwick! Basically, you have to be actively gigging in reasonably high-profile situations, with some visibility at gigs and in the press. You need a good press pack, and a tenacious manager to chase it up.

Russ - thirtysomething ex-almost-rock star, quirky musical tastes, from Meshuggah to Mingus, bandless at present after old bandmates bailed after a bout of extreme manageritis[color="#FF0000"]*[/color], so I went off to live in America, and then Ireland... back in the UK now and in the process of getting back on the horse, so to speak. Quite happily playing Sei and Spector basses. Penchant for loads of silly effects pedals and unorthodox techniques. [size=1][color="#FF0000"]*[/color] manageritis - allergy to irritating and useless band managers. Can be known to come between bandmates and decrease motivational levels. [/size]