AM1

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='450993' date='Apr 1 2009, 12:02 AM']I just tend to walk away - I've just left one outfit and turned down £6k worth of work this year because I'm not prepared to compromise musicality for what promoters think Joe Public may or may not want.[/quote] Ah, but most of them don't want Jizz, er, Jazz. I'll get mi coat!

Interested if anyone uses a clicker and if so which one. This is more about practice than live situations, it would be easier to have a portable clicker coming through earphones, where I can quickly change tempo/beat, without using my PC. And yes yes I've heard all the opinions about clickers fostering mechanical playing, only if you're already mechanical, a decent rhythmic player can push and pull the beat regardless of what's clicking in the background. Any advice on devices appreciated. EDIT - PS I used a digital metronome for six years at school but for the bass I'd rather in ear solution.

[quote name='silddx' post='450952' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:50 PM']I'm not surprised, I've had to deal with idiots, time wasters, weirdos and talented prima donnas before now, and spent a lot of time and money.[/quote] Yeah. Been there (and more) in spades, to the point of not wanting to pick up an instrument again. Me and the Frankenbass just wanna rock and roll, not deal with soul destroying political crap! I think I need to go and sit in a darkened room for a while!

[quote name='silddx' post='450939' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:29 PM']I must be really lucky then, because none of my bands is like that at all. We generally have a great time and it's almost always really friendly and professional and loads of fun. It could be because most of the band members are full time professionals, so we have to get on with it and do a good job of giving value for money to the punters.[/quote] I think that's the crux of it. Doing it for a full time living is a lot different to doing it as a hobby and also having a day job. I feckin hate the music biz! I'm feeling a great degree of fury right now!

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='450924' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:13 PM']Find a new band, that's the solution. Worked for me.[/quote] I have done, multiple times!! The same soul destroying bullsh1t kicks in, again and again.

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='450920' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:09 PM']Here you go: Drummer in band turns down gig after gig, causing politics. Eventually bandmembers can't be arsed with it, so two of us call it a day. Drummer pipes up: "...but I was up for playing a load of gigs this year..." [/quote] I've been there, disgustingly familiar. It is SO hard to find other musicians with the same level of commitment, I don't know why I thought things would be any different this time around. I'm so frustrated and angry right now!

I am just about ready to scream. Please someone else share their band politics tales of woe here so I feel better. I just want to play music, why is it ALWAYS so political!! I am reminded now of all the reasons I jacked this in before! Different instrument, same sh1t!

[quote name='The Funk' post='450074' date='Mar 30 2009, 10:49 PM']AM - I would watch your gig but I'm not into punk.[/quote] Nowt wrong with a bit of the old Dire Straits!! Actually my brother banned me from playing Sultans of Swing in his bedroom when I was at my parents house and said I was an aging, uncool rocker. Mehe! He will be horrified when he hears of SweatBandGate. PS - Funk, I'm in London too, don't be a fascist, come along and watch me sweat!!

Zoe, this is great work, I am really impressed. If you are interested in the production side, why not think about doing a course? This could be something for you to add to your skills and open more career possibilities. Cheers AM

[quote name='escholl' post='449964' date='Mar 30 2009, 09:32 PM']well then, you should come see me play. we've conveniently got a gig sunday! >.<[/quote] A comrade :-) I like your style. We've got a gig on Saturday! I'll come see you, if you come see me! Caveat: It depends how inebriated I eventually end up on Saturday night and who's sofa I pass out on!

[quote name='Eight' post='449894' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:46 PM']Glad this is resolved but... Girls in sweatbands is not cool. +1 Hawt![/quote] You think I'm sweaty now, imagine me with a lace glove on, I'd be drowning by the end. It's punk raaawwwwkkkk, who give's a rats ass how the sweatband looks!

[quote name='The Funk' post='449855' date='Mar 30 2009, 08:15 PM']In between the other stuff, I did try not being a dick. I do get that the same things won't necessarily work for everyone. My right shoulder/upper back/collar bone/right forearm are totally messed up from a rugby injury I had when I was younger and the little finger on my left hand broke in two places and didn't heal properly either time, so I've had to adapt and adjust. When I switched from playing a 4-string Fender Jazz to playing a 5-string Warwick Infinity, I did have to alter my technique so as not to mess up my wrists. There's a lot of people on these forums with a lot of experience of different aspects of being a bass player. That's what I love about these forums. I especially like the purists - they're so passionate about their philosophy that it's very easy to see why you agree or disagree with them. I'm not a right hand/left hand technician. My thing is the elbows. [/quote] OK yes I take your points on board. There's nothing wrong with being a purist by the way, but I'm a way over the top purist with a lot of other stuff and am trying to be more laid back on the bass front! OK - the sweatband is working perfectly, happy days! I think we can close the meeting now. Back to my bass. Man, this bass is amazing!!!!!!! Did I mention how much I LOVE this bass!! No, seriously, this bass is a thing of deepest joy!!!!

[quote name='The Funk' post='449813' date='Mar 30 2009, 07:30 PM']There is no set technique for bass guitar. Borrowed flamenco guitar technique is the closest we have. Do whatever works for you. A bleeding wrist suggests your technique isn't working for you. Sometimes these things only come out in extreme circumstances - such as my discovery above. I know you ruled out changing your technique at the beginning. I don't think that's sensible but your wrists are your wrists.[/quote] I explained the rationale behind electing not to change my technique - having already experimented with changes. My wrist bleeding is a function of changing basses. It happens commonly with precision players from what I gather. [quote name='The Funk' post='449813' date='Mar 30 2009, 07:30 PM']For the benefit of anyone else who might get bleeding wrists and be open to the idea that their technique might be at fault, I don't see how you can play floating thumb technique with your wrist resting against the bass. I don't think I've seen anyone with floating thumb technique have any part of their plucking hand/arm resting against the bass. The bleeding is caused by friction from where the arm comes into contact with the bass - which happens here to be at the wrist. My solution would be to eliminate the friction by stopping having my arm come into contact wit the bass.[/quote] Before I even bought a bass, I went for a few lessons with a professional tutor and the primary gambit was to focus on technique and correct hand positioning. I have a long standing problem with my left wrist and I have made my own decision about how to proceed and it is working very well for me. It is not true floating thumb anyway in the purist sense but a variant of it that I play with, for economy of motion and damping. Again, my personal alterations to ergonomics work for me and switching basses now plus extended playing time just means adapting again. Or a sweatband. If I said my fingers were blistered and bleeding, would you say use a pick? A bit of tenacity can win the day with a lot of these minor but annoying issues. My right hand technique is perfect for me, I can play for hours and never have any problems with the right hand until I switched from jazz to P, it's just a different shape, no loaded gun here. [quote name='The Funk' post='449813' date='Mar 30 2009, 07:30 PM']A sweatband has prevented the bleeding. Excellent. My osteopath recommended I play with the technique I play with now for the least strain on the muscles in my hands, wrists, forearms, shoulder and back. It doesn't look too stupid either. This way I won't get all the inflammation I was getting before and should avoid RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome etc.[/quote] I tend to avoid drawing comparisons with people I have never clapped eyes on, let alone seen their playing technique. I appreciate your comments but my playing technique works well for me and a change of bass should not necessarily mean a big shift in technique. Not commenting on anyone specific here but self-appointed internet gurus with purist ideas of how things should be done, is a rigid mentality that simply does not work for everyone, especially not those who have adapted their own style so they can actually play. I'm just grateful to be playing music.

[quote name='escholl' post='449779' date='Mar 30 2009, 06:57 PM']i've just had a thought, does this bass have sort of a less rounded or kind of sharp edge to it? mine is cheap, plastic, rounded, and very worn; the last three probably the reason why it's never given me a problem but i would think that if the finish was natural or just a bit rougher, or the edge a bit sharper/in a slightly different place then maybe i might have the same problem. not suggesting you buy a new bass or anything, just musing...[/quote] Yo. Yeah it's a different shape.

Alright Chief Man, keep up! You're so behind you're in front. There's already an auction house to cater for those with, shall we say, eccentric tastes.... Looks right up your street actually.... [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='449778' date='Mar 30 2009, 06:57 PM']If you include a suitably provocative photo, you might get a few quid for that on ebay. It's how I got rid of my girlfriends bike saddle.[/quote]

Yo! Yeah it's since I swapped to the FrankenFender, but I love this bass, I think I might marry it soon! [quote name='LWTAIT' post='449774' date='Mar 30 2009, 06:52 PM']you may have mentioned it, i cant remember all the way back to the start of the thread, but is it a different bass that you're using? i had this same trouble when i bought a thunderbird, at first i used a sweat band, which worked, but i ended up selling it (not just ecause of this, but it was one of the many reasons).[/quote]

[quote name='The Funk' post='449688' date='Mar 30 2009, 05:38 PM']What are you doing!?! Stick your elbows out from your body. Your hand/arm/wrist should not be resting on the bass - your wrist should be flat and straight, in line with your forearm. A change in technique is the only answer to damage to your wrists! I had to change my technique in a week after I couldn't move my wrists anymore the next day after a 6 hour gig with an underpowered amp. Change your technique! Or go back to the Jazz.[/quote] The whole point of the floating thumb variant I have adopted is for economy of motion, you don't have to have chicken wing arms and there is no tension in the muscles, I can keep my wrist very flat against the bass. My wrist is flatter when it rests on the bass than if I hold it off the bass!! I play with the bass low slung so I can angle the neck. Look, this is what works for me. I have no pain in my plucking wrist whatsoever, just the bleeding from friction/sweat against the bass body. On the jazz, my arm still rested against the body, but my wrist did not make contact with the "edge" of the body. Thanks for the tips but everyone's ergonomics are different. EDIT - PS with due respect, playing for 6 hours against the constraints of an underpowered amp and getting pain would suggest letting the amp do the work, not changing technique. I don't fight those fights now, I either tell our guitards to turn down or I crank the daylights out of my own amp and it's louder than theirs anyway. Doubles up nicely as air con when it gets too hot, just turn up the gain and feel that lovely cold air coming out of the cabs! Mehe.

[quote name='escholl' post='449666' date='Mar 30 2009, 05:17 PM']hmm no idea then -- that's basically the same way i do it. I tend to sweat a fair amount but usually just find it makes it slipperier, of course now that you've got me paying attention to it, i'm realizing that bit of skin is a fair bit tougher feeling than the same spot on my other wrist -- almost like some sort of pseudo-callus or something looks like a sweatband is the way forward! [/quote] I just found a sweatband in with some old gym gear and tried it and no more rubbing. Long live the sweatband!

A quick universal reply: Escholl - it's just a small patch on my wrist that rests against the precision neck, i use floating thumb too (but it's a variant of floating thumb, it's not "true" floating thumb as the purists would define it) but even at that, I do use my thumb on the pick up when I play low e string, the rest of the time, my wrist touches the top of the bass, it's unavoidable unless I contract my arm muscles to hold it off! BigChief, I'd rather a paddling pool full of beer! KevB - I don't do 4 hours back to back, it's spread out, like sometimes an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, then an hour in the evening and then later at night another hour. I vary that from day to day, sometimes more, sometimes less, it just depends how I'm getting on goal wise and physically. If it becomes a struggle, I stop. I even took a few days off last week and had to get the bass out of the house to stop me picking it up! You say improvement is unlikely after 1.5 hours. I disagree categorically. Every day I practice with drum beats and I may be playing basic scales slowly but the slower you go, the harder it gets to keep time. If you can do it slow, you can do it fast. My timekeeping is coming on in leaps and bounds because of putting that disciplined work into it every day. Chedda - yeah, I hate sleeves too, I wear tops with tight sleeves to play, and yeah, I must be a sweaty betty, the sweatband is the way forward.

[quote name='Adrenochrome' post='449568' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:48 PM']I use 2 wristbands on my right forearm whenever I gig. It's not a problem when rehearsing, just under lights and the sweat makes my arm stick to my bass.[/quote] The sweat thing...for sure...my arm was like an oil slick on Sunday and that was just in the studio. Playing flat out punk bass fingerstyle for 4 hour rehearsal probably didn't help but it was FUN! Sweatbands duly ordered. Cheers!

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='449544' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:21 PM']Hmmm... Try resting your thumb instead of your wrist. Ouch![/quote] The only time my thumb is on the pickup is when I play notes on the low E string. It's just the natural curvature of the bass body above the pick up means my wrist rests against the bass body, quite naturally!

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='449517' date='Mar 30 2009, 02:52 PM']You shouldn't really be resting your wrist on the edge of the bass anyway. The larger the angle your wrist is bent at, the higher the risk of inflammation and injury, putting the kibosh on your playing altogether. Try tilting your neck up a bit so your picking forearm is straighter. This should give you an easier angle on your fretting wrist too. And maybe wear a sweatband on your picking wrist to reduce rubbing in the mean time.[/quote] If I thought there was any gain to be made by not resting my right wrist on the bass, I'd make the necessary changes believe me. I have to play with the neck angled up anyway because of problems with my fretting wrist (which predate bass playing by years) so my right wrist (plucking) is actually pretty much as straight as it's going to get, whilst resting on the bass. Also, by resting my right arm on the bass, it gives it a decent bit of stability so I can keep the neck angled (to reduce the amount of bend in my left wrist). It sounds odd but by having made alterations to the way I play, I can practice up to 4 hours a day now and it has been the gradual extending of practice time that is now causing other problems..like the bleeding wrist, skin stripping off my fingers etc. In fact, if I lift my right arm off the bass, the angle of my plucking wrist increases and then I'm holding tension in my plucking arm. So that is not the solution. The sweatband thing makes sense though as I've seen people wearing them but never thought about it.

Hi Since I have recently switched off my jazz bass to precision, I have quite a bit of rubbing of my plucking wrist against the bass body, to the point where it's now bleeding after playing for only a short time. I know, I know, I play like a girl On the jazz, I didn't have this because I played mainly down at the bridge pickup and my wrist didn't rub against the edge of the bass, now because of the pickup position on the precision, my wrist rubs constantly. I have tried altering my technique so my hand is not resting against the edge of the bass, but because I don't always rest my thumb on the pickup (I prefer to "float") then if I try to not rest my hand on the bass, I'm holding too much tension in my arm muscles. So a change in technique is probably not the answer at this point in time. Any ideas would be useful. Cheers.

Hoping someone can help with my stupid questions! Am still getting my head round the "brains" of the SVT3 amp before I use it live. A few questions: OK - for a live situation - if I use the Ampeg head and whatever cab I can pikey, and go through the PA...there's 2 XLR outputs on the amp (balanced and unbalanced) - can I go from one of these direct into the PA or do I need to go through a DI box? What's the advantage/disadvantage of not going through a DI box? On the Ampeg amp, you can take the signal into the PA with EQ off on the amp..presumably then the PA would do the EQ or a DI box....or you can take the signal into the PA "post EQ" so the EQ is all done from the amp onstage. Is it better to use the PA for EQ? Or this completely dependent on the venue size? The amp itself - I notice it appears to be clipping a bit, even with the gain turned down - but in the manual it says there is an attenuation switch, which when activated, attenuates input signal by 15dB, allowing gain to be used over a larger portion of it's range. But the manual also suggests adjusting the gain until a strong signal from the bass causes the LED to flicker (indicating clipping)!! A bit confusing! The EQ - technically I could play with EQ off, then use a footswitch to activate the EQ (if I wanted a different sound)... but how would that work if the amp was DI'd into a PA?? Is this dependent on pre or post EQ settings? There is a line output level control at the back of the amp, separate from the main master "volume" control. The manual says this control adjusts the output level at the XLR jacks (at the back of the amp). What does it mean by output level? Volume? Or actual output? The Speakon socket - apparently when working at full output you should use speakon cable rather than normal 1/4" jack. This head can handle 8 ohm load and output 275 watts and can handle 4 ohm load and output 450 atts. So, I am taking "full output" to mean in the ohms sense, so if you were running a single cab of 8 ohms, the normal 1/4" jack is fine, but if you run 2 x 8ohms cabs, you get 4ohms and need to use the speakon? Or if you were using a single 4ohm cab, you should use the speakon? What does it do to the amp if only a single 8ohm cab is used all the time, does this not mean the amp is not working at full capacity? Or what if you run at 4ohms but don't use the speakon jack, is the amp then working too hard? Technically, when I plug in 2 cabs, if those 2 cabs equal 4ohms, I should ALWAYS be using that speakon jack, otherwise the amp is going to be working too hard? Even without everything cranked up? Because the actual output is 4ohms? Sorry for the stupid questions but I don't really know much about impedance etc! Cheers AM