Shaggy

Fisherman's club, Glanamman, darkest Carmarthenshire A youth benefit gig, and only second gig this year due to a singer-less hiatus since Xmas* (see below) Also, after (*coughs*) years of bass-playing, my first experience of DI-ing, thru band's new 1.2kW PA. Seemed fine duirng soundcheck., but during gig; Bass sound at audience level - absolutely awesome (allegedly) Bass sound at my level - nothing. Nada. Couldn't hear a goddam thing, even with monitors. Not a real problem for playing, but the whole "live vibe" totally missing. Worse - playing "Hard to handle" (funked-up version) and finally settling into a groove for the first time in the evening, I suddenly found to my horror I was DOING THE CHICKEN-NECK (rythmic "head-pecking" motion with optional side-to-side oscillation, much favoured by '70's MOR bassists). OMG - lost my sound AND my mojo in one evening!!!!!!! Only one solution - call for the Doctor................... .............Dr. GAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS Oh yeah. uh-huh. (*Usual tragic story - after years of grind, band finally makes it big on the local sene, largely due to sensational female singer. Guitarist's wife then accuses guitarist (probably with good grounds) of sh@gging sensational female singer, and delivers ultimatum to effect that singer leaves band or guitarist leaves house. Exit singer. Now got 2 sisters singing, not as technically good but more entertaining, just hope no-one suggests "ABBA tribute"!.........)

Mick Karn's tulipwood-faced Wal Mk1 custom. And even a small part of his talent of course!

Apologies for the misplaced humour Burpster - reading your first post I was suffering the post-traumatic stress of a Sunday nite band practice featuring the most flatulent lead guitarist on the planet, who will shamelessly blame his guitar, amp, or any other animate or inanimate object. Our (female) vocalist prefers the far end of the stage to him. Well, I’ve never heard Satan's growly farts, but it must be impressive – sound-clips please!

Gutted - I recently got a DAB set for the car and always do the morning commute banging along to "Breakfast with Alice". Very little advertising compared with other commercial stations - is that the root problem?

[quote name='The Burpster' post='137463' date='Feb 10 2008, 08:58 AM']I have a '93 Fender HM that sounds like satan farting..... [/quote] That’s right. - blame the bass / dog / whatever Curiously, all of my basses sound like the wife nagging unless I play through headphones……….

[quote name='foal30' post='134840' date='Feb 6 2008, 09:08 AM']I got a live take of the cut "Floorboards" whose proper name of course escapes me as I type I always thought it was a fretless.[/quote] “Song from under the floorboards” – a killer single from the third album (“Correct use of soap”), although my personal favourite is the second one (“Secondhand Daylight” – standout tracks “Back to Nature” and “Permafrost”). As SJA says - and photos confrm - it’s not a fretless and the very fretless sound is down to note-bending with a bit of flanging & delay. When I saw them live in 1980 his bass was pushed so far to the front of the mix it was almost disco – probably the most energetic pogo-ing I’ve ever seen going on in the audience but unfortunately still some punk-era gobbing going on. I think Howard Devoto assembled Magazine from the classified ads after leaving the Buzzcocks – makes you believe in fate!

[quote name='NancyJohnson' post='133899' date='Feb 4 2008, 09:28 PM']I love the way Thunderbirds look with a Spector neck/headstock. On my PC I also have a great shot of a very old Jazz with a pair of Musicman pickups and what I believe is a BadAss II bridge. I guess that with a bound rosewood board w/block inlays would be kinda peachy. P[/quote] Rather like a Gibson RD and an MM Sabre in fact......... (shamelessly plugging my own basses!)

I missed that R2 programme, meant to hear it as I saw both Magazine and McGeogh-era Banshees live and adored them. McGeogh, Adamson, and Formula were an absolutely unique musical unit – nothing like them before or since - and although Howard Devoto’s whiny vocals can irritate he sure could write songs. Barry Adamson was probably the main influence on my bass playing. Although no virtuoso – he has quite a spare style of playing – his timing and soulful, funky basslines are just so spot on and fuse so wonderfully with McGeogh’s jagged guitar sound and Formula’s swirling keyboards. Also the only reason I ever bought a bass deliberately because of a player to get a similar sound – my Ovation Magnum, although I went for a fretless.

These threads always make me wonder what guitarists / drummers / keyboard players / singers say about US on their forums! (do singers have their own forums? What could they possibly discuss?) Maybe it's best not to know.

[quote name='paul, the' post='128736' date='Jan 27 2008, 03:36 PM']Thought I'd add some yang to this thread: [/quote] What's the bridge/tailpiece on that EB?

[quote name='nick' post='129252' date='Jan 28 2008, 01:25 PM']With smaller gigs I just go straight into an old WEM Dominator, with the treble & bass controls set flat. Tones simply coming from whatever bass I'm using,technique, etc...[/quote] WEM Dominator – blimey that takes me back. The Pink Floyd album cover with all the gear outside a truck (“Ummagumma?”) includes a couple of WEM’s

Recently had a Mighty Mite Jazz 5-string neck off Chop-the-bass on the forum, so I’d bet he knows where to get them. Lovely neck, although he reckons on most “after-market” necks the lacquer is too thin and the frets may need a bit of re-dressing – he did that with mine (top coat in clear acrylic) and it looks & feels really nice. They're endorsed by Fender too.

Jim Lea in full "rock" mode Anyone see "Slade in Flame" on BBC4 last night? I'd forgotten what a good, melodic rock bassist he was, very much in the Jack Bruce mould. But what's the vaguely Ripper-ish bass he plays? Some top pics on this thread!

[quote name='ARGH' post='119457' date='Jan 13 2008, 11:53 AM']Bruce? Dont get me started,I could talk all night...[/quote] Olivers Army - what a song

I used interparcel [ [url="http://www.interparcel.com/"]http://www.interparcel.com/[/url] ] last year to post an uncased 7-string to N Ireland - no problem, cheap, sort it all on-line, and you choose the level of insurance and delivery speed you want.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='118241' date='Jan 10 2008, 11:12 PM']However the majority of the classic Japan Fretless sound is from a Travis Bean TB2000[/quote] Aaaaaah! I've been wondering for years what bass that was! He's playing it in most of the "Best of Japan" DVD