chris_b

If you play faster lines and don't rake you improve your right hand speed, accuracy and dexterity. I guess we should aim to play either way.

It might help with speed, but it's a good way to become familiar with all the notes in all the positions. That will enhance your accuracy and playing vocabulary should you choose to use those patterns in your playing.

So what comes first, stories, spelling, grammar? You can be illiterate and erudite but you don't see that too often. Literacy enhances how we talk, what we say and is critical for what we write. Same with music. You can write and play tunes with no theory, but to do it better and consistently takes knowledge. That knowledge is the theory, that is so easily dismissed.

While so many have spent the last 60 years slagging off "Pop" music, the reality is the production values of this "throw away" music was actually very high, as was the musicianship.

IMO they have all been good, but my current Aguilar AG700 is the best so far.

Rutgar Gunnarsson was a classically trained musician. His great playing and bass lines didn't come by chance. He was that good because he knew his theory.

Does that say what I think it says???

10lbs+ = you're kidding! 9.5lbs+ = very heavy 9lbs+ = heavy <9lbs = nice I have heavy bass and a nice bass. Just about hanging on to the heavy bass. It sounds fantastic, but some nights are a struggle. I could solve all my weight issues in one easy move, but I can't see me playing a Danelectro!!

If this is a one-off tribute gig, I wouldn't buy any gear for it. Get a regular Fender low mid sound and you'll be there.

If a combo is rated as 500 watts, that will usually be the rating after the addition of an extension cab. So the 500 watt amp will be putting out about 250 watts into the internal speakers. A modular system has big advantages, ie you only take what you need to the gig. Running a larger amp with the volume turned down won't mess up the sound, but running a less powerful amp with the volume on 10 will not sound good. It's better to add speakers if you want more volume, so a 4 ohm combo (if you can even find one) isn't a good idea because you can't add an extension cab. More speakers gives more volume, but IMO also gives a better tone compared to fewer speakers working twice as hard. I prefer to use separate amps and a variety of cabs because I can change the rig I take to a gig. Upgrades are simpler if you have separates.

It seems to me that the question is not "if" but "when". The virus is spread during the pre symptom phase so staying away from gigs is not going to be an effective solution. If you gig, work, shop, or just walk around the block you're likely to be exposed. My "medical" advice is that healthy people should carry on. Get exposed and get it over with. If you have underlying health problems isolate yourselves 100% for the next 6 months.

Since leaving Lakland, I haven't seen many innovative ideas from any of Dan Lakin's business enterprises. Those original basses were, and still are, exceptional. I wonder how much of the initial innovation came from Hugh McFarland! After Dan Lakin and his Dad dumped Hugh McFarland out of the company there has been very little ground breaking stuff.

For $3000 I'd rather be buying a bass from the guy that made it, rather than from a business man sitting in the middle.

If you really have to know the numbers you'll have to build your own cab. As a Barefaced user I don't need maths to tell me what I like about these cabs. I'll believe my ears rather than determining my sound by looking at a sheet of numbers.

I like it.

Most 210's are 8 ohms so your 300 watt amp will be running at about 150 watts. That might not be enough. I'd plan for a 500 watt amp (250 watts at 8 ohms) and add a second 210 if you find you don't have enough power.

When Otis Redding covered Bing Crosby's Try A Little Tenderness the publishers tried to stop him recording the song. They didn't like a Soul singer messing up their song! That record became one of his biggest hits. I'd say there might be some bands or singers who shouldn't be allowed to cover some songs, but if you're good enough you should be able to make any song work.

Never say never.

When I got there I discovered they'd moved "it"!

Why would anyone expect these "super" bassists to NOT be gigging? Why would these guys find it difficult to play in a band with other musicians?

No. When you are a kid you are a sponge. Your brain is in gear, you're in full learning mode and you acquire a lot of stuff with ease.These days I watch these guys to keep up. It's my homework. It always grabs my attention when I see a bass player do something I can't. If they are doing something which could be useful to me I'll get it down, otherwise I'm just interested. Fortunately, age and experience means we know what we need to know in order to get the job done. That's why I can watch Davie504 and others and recognise their ability and talent without thinking I need to do that. Any bass player who is making a living out of playing bass gets a thumbs up from me. Sometimes I wish I could play like Marcus Miller, Mark King or Victor Wooten, but I've never been in a band that required me to be anything other than a bassist with 70's Soul and R&B as a starting point.

I can't remember ever hating an amp. I've not got on with a few, but that was my fault, not theirs. I had the bass version of a Fender Dual Showman and the sound didn't do anything for me. I swapped after a week with the keyboard players Hiwatt stack. I was much happier after that move.

What shall we do for the encore?

I spent about 20 years with maple fingerboards and I'm very happy now I'm back with Rosewood/Morado. That's what a fretboard is supposed to look like!

I would recommend Aguilar amps. I use a TH500 (think Stax and Motown) and my main amp is the AG700, which excels across the whole frequency range. IMO Markbass is also worth a listen. Rugby isn't far from Bass Direct. I'd get over there and try some amps.