chris_b

[quote name='snap' post='22767' date='Jun 24 2007, 09:29 PM']im looking at buying a bass from gak.com has anyone ever delt with them ??[/quote]
No, but I was in their shop in Brighton last week. They seem to be a helpful bunch of people. Their bass guy stayed 10 mins after the shop shut to show me some Mark Bass combos. A nice touch.

Check out "Rockman Bass Ace Headphone Amplifier" on the net.

Yep. Also check out the Hi Records catalog, especially Al Green, Syl Johnson and, of course, the rest of Ann Peebles.

[quote name='slaphappygarry' post='7716' date='May 27 2007, 05:45 PM']Ritter - good quality, do a range of sizes so something usually fits[/quote]

Well, I don't know if I've got a "Friday afternoon" Ritter but it was the top of the range when I brought it, at bout £70, and is now ripping apart along several seams. Looks like a flawed design to me.

If I had the dosh I'd go for a Reunion Blues Leather gig bag. The Overwater looks similar. I'll never get another Ritter though.

[quote name='sirmontofgue' post='20832' date='Jun 20 2007, 04:12 PM']I've finally saved some money and want to update my old combo..... want to end up with a warm Tommy Shannon sound. I have about £600-700 pounds.....[/quote]
Well, On Tommy Shannon's web site he's pictured using a GK 2001 with an Ampeg 8x10, but he lists his current rig as Eden. Oh, and apparently he is also still searching for a perfect bass sound!!!

With your budget, I'd start by checking out the used Ampeg market, possibly an SVT3 and a 4x10?

A few years ago I got a bonus from work and ordered a brand new Mesa Boogie 400+ from the Bass Centre. When it came over from the states we unwrapped it, plugged it in and..... pop! It turned out to be a bad valve but the amp went on to blow up bits of its innards several times after that. The Bass Centre finally offered me the choice of another amp. That was good of them because the amp was way out of warranty.

[quote name='growse' post='19367' date='Jun 17 2007, 10:56 PM']I've not been cleaning my neck as much as I should have been recently, and the crud is starting to build up. A friend of mine said he knew someone who used WD40 to clean the neck and the strings, and the crud would "come right off". I'm thinking that this might not be the best idea in the world, but it could equally be a valuable time saver.[/quote]

I play with a guitarist who uses WD40 before and after every gig. Just spray on a cloth and clean the strings.

I don't get "crud building up", maybe because I start the gig with clean hands. I don't really find I need to clean the strings that much, either, but I clean the bass with either Dunlop 65 or ordinary bees wax furniture polish.

[quote name='acidbass' post='18867' date='Jun 16 2007, 05:21 PM']I've noticed this with quite a lot of blues bass players - it doesn't really seem economical at all, given that you have to move positions a lot more? Always wondered why people do this instead of playing the D and G strings to reach the notes they desire.[/quote]

By sticking to lower strings he would have got a deeper, fuller sound. Both SRV and Tommy Shannon down tuned for the same reason. SRV also had his Dumbell amps set up for a full, bass heavy sound.

[quote name='Spikyhedgehog' post='18546' date='Jun 15 2007, 08:35 PM']I was more thinking of reslae value, people aren't going to want to buy a mismatched cab. I'm also just curious, haha.[/quote]

I understand. But if it sounds good to you it'll sound good to the next guy, and if whatever mismatch there is isn't very noticeable, then I reckon you should be able to sell on without any problem.

What Alex said. But what is the problem? You've loved the sound of this cab for 3 years. Why change it?

Sorry.... I know you asked for opinions first..... but I don't like this colour, and as I'm gettting on... bigger letters please. Can we set our own colour layout and font?

If you have a string deal then change them as often as you like. I buy my strings and change them every year, whether they need it or not. The various styles of music I play don't need much zing and I can EQ as much top as I need.

DR makes a string spray which is supposed to keep your strings zinging longer than normal.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='16658' date='Jun 13 2007, 08:07 AM']As a bit of useless trivia: Will Lee played sessions in the 90's for something like triple or quadruple scale. In Bass Player, he said he bumped up his rate as a way of weeding out the crappier work but it only ended up increasing demand instead! [/quote]

The same happened to Duck Dunn in the 60's. He was too busy with recording and club dates that he tried to cut down on the studio work by doubling his fee. The result was an increase in session work! He couldn't figure it out either.

Good news about PPL. If only that was around years ago!

Hi, In my experience if you play on a session you get a session fee. No more no less. Whether the artist is "signed" or not won't make any difference. You don't always get credited either. It is different if you are a member of the band, but then, in that case, you wouldn't have been hired for a session.

Playing a great or creative bass line doesn't automatically get you a writing credit, PRS or royalties. Herbie Flowers, who created and played the bass part for Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side only got the session fee. It was doubled up, though, because he played string bass AND bass guitar.

If you are enough of a "name" you can negotiate your own price, Steve Gadd, Eric Clapton or Justin Meldal-Johnsen, for instance. But until you get to that level I'm afraid you don't get to make the rules.

[quote name='Machines' post='13479' date='Jun 7 2007, 10:18 AM']I think every bass i've had has had a deadspot to some degree of severity. It's inevitable..[/quote]

Dead spots are inevitable on one piece necks eg; Fender, Musicman.

Manufacturers use a number of approaches on modern basses to reduce this problem:
- multi layer necks, they are not only there to look good,
- graphite rods,
- quarter sawn necks,
- carbon fiber necks,

These all increase cost of manufacture which is why they are not always used.

These might be your only options:
- As previously suggested, tweak the truss rod to increase rigidity of the neck.
- Use a Fatfinger, to increase the mass of the head. It does work.

I also gig in a Reggae band, with a couple of Jamaican drummers. Their take on this question is: Why are you counting? Feel it!

Listen to us, we are older, wiser and more experienced........ are you mad!!!

For less than a year playing, your gear is fine. I wish I had that gear when I was 16, or even 18. There'll be better gear out in a couple of years anyway.

I assume you're living at home? Take the job, make it up to a full stack and piss the rest up the wall. You're 16 for god's sake! Go out, party, have a great time. Make this a summer to remember. Oh, and take photos. You've got plenty of time to worry about savings and interest rates etc.

[b]Willie Dixon [/b]- He wrote and played on so many of my favourite Chess classics.
[b]John McVie [/b]- A huge influence, also Phil Chen, Kim Gardner and Rosko Gee, I used to watch these guys in pubs and clubs for years.
[b]Duck Dunn [/b]- When all the "clever" players have disappeared into the mists of time, Mr Dunn’s records will still get daily air play.
[b]Alan Spenner [/b]- Wonderful playing in the Grease Band and especially Kokomo.
[b]Reggie McBride [/b]- What a tone. This guy is Mr Understatement.


And there's no room for Charles Mingus, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Willie Weeks and George Porter Jr.

[quote name='OldGit' post='12071' date='Jun 4 2007, 08:59 PM']I'll have to get some sheet music for jammin the Exodus album or something and see what the transcriber's said ..:0[/quote]

Don't trust sheet music, it was probably transcribed by someone with as much understanding of reggae as my Mum. You've got to play them the record!!!!

Some Bob Marley numbers: Jamming has the guitar chop on 2 and 4. Exodus has a different guitar feel with no straight chop. In Lively Up Yourself, Wait In Vain and Stir It Up the guitar chop is on each off beat; ie 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & .

ps
Play them the record!

Why single out the 70's for bad Fenders. Leo Fender made some crap basses in the 50's and CBS Fender made some crap basses in the 60's. I know. I've got one! But someone somewhere one day will pay me lots of money for it because the myth is that "in the old days they were great". I said this in another topic, these days old age makes anything collectable. There is no logic.

Just buy something old, keep it safe, and let your kids cash in in 50 years time.

[quote name='OldGit' post='10645' date='Jun 1 2007, 04:46 PM']Hey hang on, Snare and Bass drum on 2 and 4? Ah see now you are counting it slow 4/4 where I'd count that fast 4/4 with the bass drum on the 3 ..[/quote]

You have to count slow to get the groove.

No, it's not 2/4. As I sit here listening to No Woman No Cry it is definitely 4/4 with the snare and bass drum beats together on 2 and 4. Your "Musical Director" sounds like he comes from the Billy Cotton school of music!!!

Sorry, but if I had to have "just one Fender" my choice would be for a Lakland!

I've heard good reports about most of the above.... but I've been using Bartolini for the last 20 years and they are very, very good. They are supplied as standard or options on nearly all the top end basses. That says something about their tone.

I'd go with OBBM.

Your sound will get promoted into the Premiership!!