Count Bassy

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1051632' date='Dec 8 2010, 01:28 PM']Yeah, I just had a look too out of interest and they're all Devon/Dorset! Truckstop[/quote] I've just had a reply from the LemonRock editor. There is current no way to narrow the search geographically on LemonRock. Apparently ther's just a dearth of bass players in the south west at the moment, hence all the ads! It's so wierd and unusual that it's been raised as a subject on their forums!

I've just visited and registered at LemonRock. All rthe ads I can see are for the West country and I can't see how to chnage that. Anyone know how to change the search area? I have looked and can't see how to do this.

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='1046205' date='Dec 3 2010, 12:12 PM']I don't see the problem. I assume you have other basses, so aren't stuck for something to play. Put the money in a separate interest earning "bass fund" account, so it doesn't get frittered away & wait until something special comes along. On the other hand, I know exactly what I want (a mint(ish) condition daphne blue 1966 mustang bass) but don't have any money to spare even I did find one for sale. How about we trade problems? [/quote] +1. If you're not desperate for a new bass, or sure what you'd go for if you were, then sit on it until you are. Granted, not much fun for now, but when you see that thing you want in a years time and you think 'I've got the money for that' ...Wow.

Jerome Rimson is great. Played with 'Roger Chapman and the Shortlist' back in the late 70s. Have a listen to the 'Live in Hamburg' LP if you can (surely one of the best live albums of all time), some wonderful bass going on and in quite a different style to the above sample.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1033656' date='Nov 23 2010, 10:44 AM']Actually putting two strap buttons on the bottom of the bass (or guitar) only works if you're not going to use a strap lock system. Otherwise the one with the strap attached is bigger and the instrument is unstable again.[/quote] That's a slight exaggeration. Yes it does make the bass sit at a slight angle, but hardly unstable - Still way better than than a single button (bassed on the Dunlop style straplock).

Bass cases, even 'fitted' hard cases, where simply putting the bass in knocks the end tuner. Only a minor problem I know, and I'd always check the tuning anyway, but it really annoying knowing that that one string will be out whenever you take it out the case. Also cases which are way to bulky for the instrument inside - it offends my sense of efficiency.

Mature (i.e. 53) Rock/Blues/Soul bassist looking to join/form local(ish) band (eg. within 20 - 30 miles of Daventry), for regular gigging and fun. Play with a very occassional local band doing Classic Rock and Blues (Free, purple, Hendrix, BB king, Kinks etc), and played with a more regular Bluesey/R&B band until that recently folded (George Thorogood, T-Bone walker, Dr Feelgood, Fleetwood Mac, etc etc). I'd class myself as competent and reliable, but not flash (no slapping!). Also working hard on backing vocals, these are getting there, but still work in progress at the moment (Nov 2010). Good gear and own transport

Well whether it was the collective thoughts of Bass Chat or not I managed to stay calm, and, to my great suprise, actually quite enjoyed it. BUT, I didn't get the gig! . Apparently my bass playing was fine, but they wanted someone ready to hit the ground running on the vocals which, to be fair, I wasn't. HOWEVER, I didn't make myself look a twat and came away pretty happy with my performance and calmness. I'm also pleased that I'd been totally honest with them that my BVs were work in progress, so it's not like I told them I told them any lies. Ah well, carry on practising and looking around I suppose, although the refusal does sap the enthusiam and momentum somewhat. This morning's lesson was working on singing scales from the 3rd, 5th and 6th while playing the scale from the root, and doing the same in diatonic 3rds, so perhaps there's hope for me yet. As I said in an earlier post, the process has been very good for me. I think it's been my most intense period of development and practicing ever and I'm probably playing better than I ever have. PS: I love the fact that I can say Twat! Mmmmmm.... Twat Twat Twat Twat Twat Twat! ...... Mmmm very satisfying.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' post='1029680' date='Nov 19 2010, 05:37 PM']Also the drummer is turd![/quote] That's odd, he speaks very highly of you.

QUOTE (Count Bassy @ Nov 13 2010, 10:30 PM) Am I right in thinking that the VBC 4x12 is a sealed cab rather than ported? Yes. [quote name='fretmeister' post='1023064' date='Nov 14 2010, 01:18 AM']Yes.[/quote] What does that do tone wise?

A wind up bass guitar ?? As per wind up torch or radio??

Personally I would go for a rechargeable battery and charger circuit on board, with a seperate socket for a PSU. Then aim to have your battery charged all the time, but plug the PSU in (or slip in a standard battery) if 'caught short'. Best of both world as far as I can see: Normally no extra hardware required, and only a simple charger to keep in the case for when required. Rechargeable batteries are lighter than alkalines anyway, so the whole lot would probably weigh about the same as a standard battery. If looking for a remote power supply then why not go for the existing phantom power supply standard , and use XLR sockets and balanced line outputs. New bass amps could then include this input option, and separate phantom power supply units with balanced to line level conversion are already available for use with existing amps. I believe that the standard for phantom power is 50V 10mA, so 500 mW available - no idea if that's enough. The Zam unit looks too complicated by far.

Well, it's been rather a long time coming, but it's tommorrow night, 7 till 10ish, so if you all think of me perhaps the power of collective thought will keep me calm. Actually I've got to say that, what ever happens, the process has been very good for me. I think it's been my most intense period of development and practicing ever and I'm probably playing better than I ever have. (I'll know soon if that is well enough). Also what a stonking bass line Grapevine has!

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1020118' date='Nov 11 2010, 02:27 PM']I use a Marshall VBC 4x12, and it is easily the best cab I`ve ever played through. No tweeters, so the highs are present, but not clicky, and amazing defined low-mids and bass, without being overly boomy. In my view, its the best of both worlds - not too boomy, not too shrill - kindof like having both 15s and 10s in your rig, but I have one heavy cab to cart/wheel about instead of two.[/quote] Am I right in thinking that the VBC 4x12 is a sealed cab rather than ported?

I have the Tascam MP BT1 am generally pretty happy with it. However I have found that the headphones used with it make a tremendous difference, and which is best depends on what you're trying to do. For actually playing I use some closed cup Sennheisers which I think cost about £30, so nothing posh, but give a lovely rich and smooth sound (not muddy). However, if I'm listening to a track to try and hear the original bass line then find a cheaper pair actually works better - the bass is a bit crisper rather than rich, and it just makes it easier to hear what's going on. By the way, do other BT1 users have the problem of the screen going very dark and 'liney' if you leave it on charge for a long time?

[quote name='leschirons' post='1015848' date='Nov 7 2010, 10:54 PM']It looked like Chris Stainton on piano. Could be wrong, but if it was, that is a man with serious and respected track record. Maybe he was also just bored out of his brains.[/quote] Maybe he was pissed off having Jules Holland foisted upon him!!! (have you all sensed that I don't like Jules Holland yet? Actually I quite like the music he does, it's just him that pisses me off)

[quote name='steantval' post='1015811' date='Nov 7 2010, 10:12 PM']The Whistle Test was very much like Later in that most of the shows had a mixture of very goods acts and some real sh*te ones.[/quote] Yes, but it didn't have Jules Holland in it!!!

[quote name='JTUK' post='1014178' date='Nov 6 2010, 12:39 PM']I thought it sounded a bit ungrateful....tbh I don't think he should have said some of those things they way they came across... he should have just inquired about the use and learnt from it. I am glad it came off, but I agree about being selective about lending gear..[/quote] That's the trouble with the written word, you loose the nuances of the spoken word. You could be right, or I could, although the OP heard it first hand and was a bit miffed by it, so it's probably you (who's right).

Following my quip about Whistle Test I ended up catching most of later last night and find myself disagreeing with most of the comments here. I thought Clapton's stuff was good - all of it, helped by the wonderful Henry Spinetti on sticks. You can't expect him to be doing the same stuff in the same way as he was 30 years ago! - who of us does that? Bellowhead, on the otherhand, I found a bit irritating. IMO they could loose half their head count and still sound as good. Can't help but thing there's a lot of 'because we can' rather than 'because it sounds good'. And the singer is just irritating. I say this with some reluctance because I know one of them a bit (not bussomed pals or anything) IMO the main problem with Later is Jules Holland - what a twat.

Crez, That Kingbass looks like my perfect bass, headless 32" scale, 16.5mm spacing .... but I suspect a bit expensive for me, both in terms of absolute £s, but also in what is justified for my level and frequency of playing. Mind you if I sold everything else ..... Only other problem is that people would expect greater things from it than I could deliver!

As I read it the bloke wasn't critisising your gear, just talking about it. He said he wasn't really a bassist, so may just have been genuinely curious. As for the foam under the strings the point is that he 'nearly pulled it out' - he didn't actually pull it out (and if he had I guess it would have easily gone back in). I'm all for lending gear in these situations, provided its not just someone being lazy or a cheapskate. 'Do as you'd be done by' etc. Perhaps I've been lucky, but none of my gear has ever been damaged when lent out to anybody. If it had I might think differently.

I have two Fender Urge Mk1s, a Westone quantum and a Thorne Mk 1 (built it myself when 17). All 32 " and love them all. 32" is really comfortable. They all sound quite different (Even the two urges (one Mex, one MIA)), so its hard to say if there is a general '32" sound, or whther its more to do with the choice of strings and pickups etc. Sadly I'm getting into 5 strings and you don't seem able to get a 5 string 32" at a sensible price (by which I mean sub £600), so I'm currrently torn, using the 5 stringers mostly, but using the four stringers when I need that bit of extra span. If someone made one (in that range) I'd have a fretted and a fretless and I'd be set up for life. Landing do a 32" five string, but £1500 is too much, especially for a bass that you've not been able to try out, and the same goes for custom jobs. Ah well, there you go.

Bring back The Whistle Test!!!!

I've just had a weeks holiday in 'Wells Next The Sea' (well, it is when the tides in), and had a day in Norwich. Is it just me or is this place a haven for Muso's? Where we parked we came across the East Anglian Drum Centre within 50 yards, and this was followed by a music shop of some kind about every 20 yards for the rest of the street, must have been about 10 shops in all, half of which had some bass content! Personally I've never seen such a cluster of music shops. Anyway, managed to try out a second hand Vintage five string (having looked at their website, possibly a V1005SP)in Crack Converters. Actually very impressed with this (playing through a G&K Combo), but I thought they were charging too much for it given its condition (£360 IIRC) Also in another shop tried a G&L MIA L2500 (£1200?), through a cheapish Ampeg combo. I really wanted to like this, but I found that for all its pickups and switches the range of tones available was a bit dissapointing. To be fair to it I did not have the manual so was flicking switches and turning knobs fairly randomly, so may have missed some great tones along the way. Also the action was set considerably higher than I, and I suspect 90% of people, would have wanted it. Why, when the staff in these shops have nothing to do a lot of the time, do they not sit down and set some of there instruments up a bit better? In the same shop also tried a MM Sterling 5 string (£600), through the same combo. Again, really wanted to like it, but it failed to excite me tonally, and the action was again rather high (but not as high as the G&L). Also saw, but didn't have time to try a couple of Yamahas, and several Corts, along with the usual crop of Fenders and Fender clones. So, a very interesting day, but saw nothing that made me want to sell my Ibanez SR505. PS: My wife was also happy as one of the shops was a real piano shop. Mmm - starting prices at around £7000 - puts our instruments' costs into perspective doesn't it! Thankfully she's already got one.

Sweet talker, with the Richard Thompson sound track, Or the Rocky Horror Picture Show?