Shaggy

[quote name='andy67' post='67426' date='Sep 29 2007, 05:42 PM']different situation withs valves add more cabs bigger sounds! seriously my 220 watt V4 is never cranked above 40% and it cuts through anything![/quote] Andy is telling you the good stuff here. Our drummer regularly breaks 4 + sticks a gig he's that physical and the Trace twin copes without breaking a sweat - hooked up to 600W RMS worth of cab. I'm seriously thinking about getting another and bi-amping my stereo Ovation Magnum!

Any tune is coverable, so long as a completely new take is done on it, like that “Mad World” thingy a while back or the aforementioned “Love will tear us apart” (one of the very greatest songs in the universe). Driving in this morning Bob Harris played the British Ukelele Orchestra’s version of the Shadows “Wonderful Land” and it was truly fab! But if a cover is a mere re-hash, then any band with a truly distinctive sound and high level of musicianship should be considered untouchable; this would include Zeppelin, Queen, Hendrix, the Jam, and Cream among many others. (We do "Mustang Sally" too by the way, but I recntly refused to do "Brown eyed girl" any more!)

Recently bought of these on the forum as a back-up amp (£275 – a bit scruffy exterior but working fine and recently serviced). With these amps becoming vintage and rare, what it’s worth becomes less about “book price” and more about how much you want it – I reckon you’d be lucky to find one at all let alone at £250. It’s got much more of a modern “hi-fi” tone than say, my old Bassman,, at the time I don’t think TE were out to create any kind of retro product but a really clean top-end amp. I bought it as a back-up, but my passive fretless basses sound so wonderful and buttery through it I use it all the time for fretless, whereas my Music Man for some reason sounds better through my all-digital Yamaha BT-500H amp, maybe because it’s active. I’d love one of the four or hex valve versions, but to be honest for the gigs I play this has plenty enough grunt. Link for service manual; [url="http://britishaudioservice.com/schem...s%206/Twin.pdf"]http://britishaudioservice.com/schem...s%206/Twin.pdf[/url]

Blimey, first "proper" bassline I learned nearly 30 years ago - no tabs then! As I remember it was much easier to play than it sounded/looked as almost all the notes are doubled. Top bass-line, top group.

Could have been worse - could have found some bullet holes a la "Some like it Hot!"

When I used to play a lot of flamenco guitar I used this stuff called Tuffnail (from Boots etc) that you rub into the base of the nail daily -it really did work. Also drink lots of milk - high protein & calcium - sounds daft but true. When I'm concentrating on bass I tend to keep them v short and use only the finger pad - find nails too "clicky" - but I mainly play fretless.

Haven't heard of him, though I saw the Skids back in '80 (Liverpool Uni), great gig and probably the best support band I've ever seen (Fingerprinz). +1 on John McGeogh - saw him around the same time play with Magazine pre-Siouxsie & the Banshees - absolutely unique, and so often played around the strong bass-lines of Barry Adamson rather than vice-versa.

I did worry when I bought a bass to match a very cool strap that I had. But hey, I’m in touch with my feminine side!

[quote name='mr pablo' post='63379' date='Sep 20 2007, 11:15 PM']This is my cure for G.A.S and I'll have it by the end of october Sorry if this causes anyone else to G.A.S terribly [attachment=2424:whole1_copy.jpg][/quote] Those RD Artists are bee-yewtiful, I so nearly bought one but they weigh a ton. Has it still got the Moog electronics? Like was said recently in another thread - basically there’s no cure for GAS; the symptoms can merely be alleviated by intensive gigging / jamming. Makes you appreciate what you got, and you’re too busy / knackered to go “cold turkey”. Let’s face it, if you’re on this forum then you’re more obsessed about all things bass than is normal for a well-balanced human being. Accept it, and enjoy it.

[quote name='Soulfinger' post='63289' date='Sep 20 2007, 07:52 PM']27 years or not... [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=65288&d=1186251352"]Father says NO![/url] [/quote]

Tony Levin - Peter Gabriel's arrangements vary from the spare to the "wall of sound", but the bass is always integral to the music and at the front of the mix.

E-mail being sent to Gordon Brown to say students are getting FAR too much money these days! OK, for me; as first specs above with - Quilt maple top in blue-burst Cream pick-up covers Gold hardware with Kahler vibrato bridge Not pink, unless your band has a regular spot at the Blue Oyster Club! The Trace rocks, by the way.

[quote name='wotnwhy' post='58871' date='Sep 11 2007, 06:22 PM']for me, gigging is a whole package. sound, look and presence are very important when live. if you play to a crowd like you play in rehersal they might as well buy a CD because they're not going to get much more from seeing you on stage. Performance in terms of looks and actions are as important as performance in terms of sound (for me at least. obviously not everyones views are the same). and so as you might have guessed. dressing up is a big part of playing for me. we have bin bags and boxes overflowing with dressing up clothes, and choosing what to wear before a show with the band can sometimes be almost as much of a laugh as playing! obviously, the venue being played and the crowd being played to are a big factor of whats to be worn. ranging from a bit of simple, plain style: to somthing a bit more outlandish for a bigger occasion to full on outrageous for parties and the like [/quote] Ah, we're back to "bassists in hats", one of the best threads ever!

[quote name='paul, the' post='58235' date='Sep 10 2007, 03:09 PM']Isn't there another instrument with a similar crazy horn but with a scroll?[/quote] I think that was an Antoria - they certainly did a guitar in in the late '70's which was a take on the Gibson "F-type" mandolin with the scrolly bits - could have done a bass version. Fairly sure there was an Epiphone too around the same time with a scrolled upper horn (oo-er missus!)

Thanks for all the good advice fellas - I guess I'll have to force myself to research the "Grolsch" method in order to further the science of Bassology (Newkie Brown tops no good?) failing which it's either the Schallers or the Dunlops. They do look like nipple clamps though don't they? At least I imagine so - I've never seen any. Honestly.

OK, it’s not the most exciting topic, but I’m currently building a custom Jazz 5-string, and after [*clears throat*] years of using humble strap-buttons thought I’d upgrade to strap-locks. Checked Allparts on-line and they do at least 3 types; Schaller, Dunlop (both push-release) and Gotoh (twist release). Anybody got any experience of these, or advice? Cheers!

Excellent thread - worth pinning? Only played two wedding gigs, and we probabaly made every mistake possible short of sh@gging the bride's mother...... Wish I'd read these pearls of wisdom first!

[quote name='jacko' post='57318' date='Sep 8 2007, 10:19 AM']Quick, pass the kleenex[/quote] Quick, pass the eye-liner - I'm in the wrong rhythm section!

[quote]When I said obscure...i meant stuff I wouldn't have heard before, not the ususal suspects like A taste of honey![/quote] Fair enough - you seemed to have just discovered Taste of Honey, so not sure what the "usual suspects" are to you. I'm in a covers band at the moment who do "Honk Tonk Woman" as an encore. As they've got male and female vocals I suggested "Gimme Shelter" as an ace Stones duet to do - they'd never heard of it. So you never can tell! OK, heard of these gems then; Let's start the dance / Hamilton Bohannon Shoot me with your love / Tasha Thomas Love sensation / Loretta Hollway Dance accross the floor / Jimmy "Bo" Hone You can do it / Al Hudson & the partners Delerium / Francine McGee Let no man put asunder / First Choice Contact / Edwin Starr Me and baby brother / War Blackwater Gold / The sunshine band Rock me again & again / Lynn Collins Starting too fast / Th HT's Brick House / Commodores Give up the Funk / Parliament Get the funk out ma face / Brothers Johnson Fire / Ohio Players Slide / Slave

Top bloke, straight as a stright thing, knows his hard-core Funk. Bought a Trace Elliot Twin-valve off him - cracking little amp. Looks like Neil Young circa 1972 but don't let that put you off.