dclaassen

I play both. Last week, I played through the set list with both. I’m faster on the 4 but overall, it’s more fluid on the 5. I’m going to switch around for a bit. When I’m reading, the five will always be my go to.

On 24/03/2024 at 13:24, Gasman said:

Just my own opinion, but isn’t Mr Berthould, genius technician as he may be, a self-promoting PITA and the antithesis of what bands actually need in a bass player?

Nope…not always my cup of tea, but the guy can play!

I’ve got one in flat black that I’m fixing up. I had a ‘63 Jazz for a number of years and the 24’s neck feels just as good. I like the tonal variety. The mid sweep and “slap switch” work well at gigs for a fast tone adjustment. I’m a bit farther away but you’re welcome to try it.

Having taken waayyyy too much music theory, I tend to agree with Adam Neely that, although correct and all, this is an attempt to place a round peg (modern chord loop), in a square hole (18th century composition rules). I'd just as soon bet that the writer was sitting at a piano, noodling and found this progression. It's a good progression too....just didn't start out as figured bass...:) 

2 hours ago, Belka said:

One thing I've noticed recently is that a lot of pros seem to also have large amounts of equipment. Back in the day you would associate pros with their 'signature basses'; Marcus with his Jazz, Bernard and his StingRay (although the first chic album was done on a Jazz and a Precision), Anthony Jackson with his career girl and then his contrabasses (ok, so that's plural, but when he received each new one he stopped playing and sold the previous ones), and of course Jaco and his bass of doom, Jamerson and his Precision, Carole Kaye, Joe Osborn, Duck Dunn, etc.

 

These days, artists and producers are so into sounds and vibes that it seems to be taken seriously as a sideman you need to have a collection of basses in order to cover a load of different vintage vibes/sounds. If you look at the likes of Sean Hurley, Tim Lefebvre, Ian Allison, Dan Hawkins, etc., you generally seen P with flats, P with rounds, active 5 string, Jazz (sometimes 2, again, rounds and flats), vintage mustang (or if money is an issue the JMJ sig), Jack Casady sig (or if money is NO issue, the '70s Gibson version), various other short scales with flats/tapes; Hofner, Wilcock Mullarkey, Serek, etc., then maybe a Rickenbacker, pre EB StingRay, perhaps Spector  - they seem very in vogue again. Plus others depending on the player.

 

Dave Swift also has a huge collection of basses, although I would guess in his case it's more of a hobby than it is Jools Holland requesting certain sounds.

 

All this is before you take into account their in some cases huge pedal/amp collections (Janek Gwizdala, Tim Lefebvre, JMJ, Juan Alderete). 

 

It might be a bit different in the Jazz world, or for people known for solo work, although Victor Wooten seems to have a huge collection of mostly Foderas, as does Anthony Wellington and Tony Grey. Hadrien Feraud has a big collection too. Andrew Gouche has a huge collection of MTDs. There are others too. These guys seem to have multiple flavors of a similar taste for want of a better expression.

 

Does that mean we mortals need a huge collection too? Not really, but it makes it easier to justify if you get accused of being a dentist/lawyer suffering a mid-life crisis. 

 

Does this mean we should encourage up-and-coming players to focus on acquiring gear over skills? Obviously not, but if someone is serious about turning pro these days, getting the right gear for the job something they have to be aware of in this day and age.

You just need to install Sklar's "producer switch" onto your favorite bass.....

Looks like most of the emails I get from my school leaders....seriously

It’s a tool…we tend to use the best tool for the job.

1 minute ago, rushbo said:

PowerPop:

 

 

Wow...I'd totally forgotten about this album...baby needs a new pair of snakeskin boots/hello, it's me.....good times

Southern Rock 

And, of course.....

Sure thing! 

1 hour ago, Kowad said:

Replaced a flat tyre myself.

 

Took the wheel to Halfords. £20 puncture repair check, £20 off a tyre if it’s unfixable. 
 

Called within an hour; unfixable, we can put on a £210 replacement tho. 
 

I’m between meetings, sounds steep but running, so ok. 
 

Check Halfords website. They don’t sell any tyres that fit for north of £170, and that’s a specialist winter tyre?! 
 

Seek clarification later; it’s a £156 tyre. If you book to have your tyre replaced, it’s £156. However, this was an unbooked replacement following a puncture check, so that’ll be £210 minus the initial £20, thanks.

 

I kicked up enough of a fuss that i was “only” charged £170, but what a scam! Never again. 

I only use those guys if I have to....

5 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I had an acoustic gig today. 2-5 at The Twisted Pear in Beachwood. Respectable size crowd and it was a nice place. Somebody spent allot of $$$ renovating.

 

We were ok, my playing was pretty decent, I got paid and I was home by 6.

 

Daryl

Shorts and t-shirts....sigh!

How about big box home centers and such?

This weekend, I went into a big Home center to get some tubing that I use in my garden. I found the tubing, cut it to size and took it up to the register. The poor youngster looks at me and says how much is this? I replied that I didn’t check because traditionally they have a chart that tells them how much it is per meter. So I go back, take a picture of the price tag per meter, get back into the queue and check out. The kid charges for 1 m when I clearly had much more than that, but at that point, I didn’t think it was my problem..

It’s over to the car care place, Get the can of what I think is copper coat, then, upon reading the can, ask the guy behind the counter if this is anti-seize. He does my favorite trick for these folks and starts reading the can. I just shook my head, paid the guy and left.. this is what I get for not going to a proper auto parts store.

Is it too much to ask that people who work in these types of businesses at least know a little bit about the products they’re selling?

54 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

What an arrsel.  I mean, who the hell takes a V to a serious rehearsal?  In the interests of transparency I have a pump-action 12-bore, but I've never taken it to rehearsal.

It was actually.a gig…

I used to do pickup gigs with a drummer friend who would book jobs, then fill in with whoever was free. 
Guy comes in with a flying V in one hand and his 12 guage pump shotgun in the other. Leans both against his amp and starts to tune. I carefully introduced myself while asking if the gun was loaded. He gave me the

look we used to get from ‘Nam veterans and kept tuning his guitar. Good player , but did not utter a word all night…not a relaxing gig…I never accepted another dep request from the drummer…no idea what happened to the guitarist. 

I can't say I ever kept a bass I hated (cough-Ric-cough), but...

Gibson RD Artist--amazing tone and incredibly versatile tone set, but the weight almost destroyed my shoulder...oh, and it would pick up CB Radio traffic...

Yamaha NE2....great bass-really stupid, fiddly hard to use input jack...just silly IMO

Spector Spectracore....horrible cheap input jack...getting ready to put a good one in...

Any P bass---the neck

Any (actual) Jazz Bass---the constant single coil buzz.. 

G&L L2000 tribute...just a general feeling of discontent with the neck, the tone, and everything

Any bass that makes you take the back panel off to change the battery...

That's it, I think...

9 minutes ago, basso navo said:

What is that?

EMG humbucker

My Spectracore does pretty well….added bonus is the ability to blend between the piezo and soap bar.

33 minutes ago, deepbass5 said:

 

funny that!  for jazz jams and that real book/ iRealpro situation, I would also take a five so I have extra notes available to fumble my way out of awkward situations 😄 mmmm, still more practice required on the 4 i think.

Very much this for me as well….

20 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Everything is a package: you, your sound, what you play and how you play it.

 

Some bands don't care but the better bands will notice all these things and will care.

Well said, sir, and very correct! When you do get the rare chance to perform with those types, enjoy it!

Putting this here as well...am very interested in this EUB, and am prepared to pick it up if everything works as it should. 

I have been playing a five with the country band, but am taking my Jazz 4 to the next gig. I really wonder if anyone (at all) will notice. I think we switch things around for ourselves. I do know that nobody is more obsessed with tone than a bass player, and nobody else (except the sound guy who will make it sound....uh.....different) cares. I'm still going to do both, though....

12 minutes ago, lowdown said:

  

"The English do not really care for music, but they absolutely love the noise that it makes".

Maybe the best quote ever!!!!!

Pm’d

If it’s any help, I’ve got the single version, don’t have a bass that doesn’t fit nicely