risingson

Lovely, thanks for sharing! I'm going to be in NYC from Sunday for a whole 10 days, will be in and around the East Village for a bit so I'll hunt the Warwick store down.

I don't understand the 'either or' argument in this thread at all, multiple bass players have been mentioned that strongly contend the idea that a player can only be this one-dimensional musician capable of singular genres and styles. It's not even close to true! I'll admit that you are somewhat a product of your environment, maybe if your background has been growing up listening to a lot of R&B, Soul etc. then your playing is likely to mirror this, but that's certainly not true of everyone, probably even becoming less and less true as time goes on if you consider how easy it is to access such a wide range of music as opposed to what you have to listen to because your parents do (for example).

Nice to read, I'm glad you've chosen this over the newest Marcus Miller release that basically no one but a cross-section of bass players will listen to! I like the album a lot.

Second heaviest instrument I owned, expect a lot of them to be solid. I've played heavier examples on the wrong side of 10lbs (for those with back issues at least, not me personally).

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1365617082' post='2041924'] Didn't really want to make this about one player but in this example... he doesn't groove by any defintion I understand.so yes, I'd call him a rock player pure and simple ... [/quote] Interesting, I actually find that a tiny bit hard to believe myself (difficulties separating personal musical preference from it all maybe) but you're entitled to your opinion!

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1365612652' post='2041831'] But funk is not rock, and vica-versa. [/quote] They're incredibly closely related! Trying to separate them is a pointless exercise as most if not all genres are able to cross-polinate to an extent, even folk and hip-hop which are fairly far removed from each other (for example). Two genres as closely related as funk music and rock music it's going to be easy to fuse together, the former wouldn't even exist without the latter. They're different to an extent but inextricably linked, they share very common attributes. You've also got to remind yourself what you personally consider constitutes 'rock' music. Is it Buddy Holly? The Beatles, Zeppelin, Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Arctic Monkeys... Cannibal Corpse? So to sum up then, I think what you're trying to explain is that if you play rock music you can't play funk, and vice versa - sorry if that's not what you're saying and I've misconstrued you.

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1365608440' post='2041767'] Oddly enough I think "Beat it" is a good example of TRYING to rock and failing miserably. It sounds stiff, contrived, false and forced. The solo is the only thing that keeps it from being totally lame. [/quote] It's certainly not dated well in the context in which it's being discussed so I'd kind of agree to an extent. Jacko had some big rock tunes though, it almost became his thing.

I played a new American AM Deluxe 2012/3 model that made me almost go out and get a credit card to make the purchase, it was that good, stood up to a few Sadowskys I've played no problems. I was most surprised at the usability of the actives in the bass, in the past active Fender circuits have left me less than inspired but man, I can't remember I was that excited by playing a bass.

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1365598577' post='2041579'] Didn't really want to post this..but ..? Flea is a rock bass player who uses a perceived funk technique...( slap ) Only rock bass players think it (he ) sounds funky. and this is why funk players don't really want to talk about his technique/style.. IMO. I have this 'discussion' about 'Higher Ground' which seems to be a default rock slap part. Some guys want to play it exactly as Flea does... in order to be called a slap bass player... (this is true, IME) whereas the point should be..IMO..is it funky..? [/quote] Agreed about Flea being a rock player with funkier sensibilities but I definitely do not agree that he can't 'groove' (eugh the more I see that word the more I don't like it!). There are loads of tracks with the RHCP that he didn't slap on but grooved all the way through. Would you describe him as a rock player with no other sides to his playing? The funk influence on his musicianship and feel are pretty obvious. Is he the archetypical funk player? Obviously not, leave that to George Porter Jr. Not everyone is going to have heard of the Meters though so let them discover down to the bone funk bands through common influence on players like Flea. There's no need to so rigidly define stuff.

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1365597872' post='2041567'] I just don't see it. Of course, this does all depend on people's viewpoints and definitions of what rock and funk actually are (i.e. I could never define Michael Jackson of having ever rocked). I have never been aware of a player that is seriously outstanding at both. Would love to be proved wrong though. Suggestions gratefully received. [/quote] Didn't JPJ from Zep already get suggested? Timmy C from RATM was also a great one. AC/DC's Back In Black 'grooves' hard, it made it easy for Jay Z to rap over, typically an artist who is known for rapping over funk/R&B/soul samples (at least in the earlier days when DJ Premier worked with him). Michael Jackson never rocked? You ever heard Beat It or Dirty Diana? Discreet was right in as much as definitions will vary from person to person but it's all to easy for musicians to get hung up on the perception that styles cannot overlap, of course they can, and should.

Like one or two people have said, they're linked so it's not like you need to be exclusively good at one. Michael Jackson used to tell his band "keep the rock funky and the funk rocking". Personally I hate all this groove talk amongst bass players, if you've got an interest in playing then it's in your interest to have a great feel across genres. It's just a word that gets bandied around a lot.

I'll be visiting here next week so I'll swing by and check them out. It's a lot of money but then Rudys is a lot of money anyway, factor in the fact that people will pay the price for a bass once owned by MM!

One of my absolute favourite bass players, my second favourite fretless player below Jaco, probably above Pino... but Pino is still my favourite fretted player. Work that one out!

Love them, have recently offloaded a Ray 5 as I wanted a P-Bass more but they are excellent basses, I'd like to pick up a 4 in the future.

Love Bowie but not my favourite tune, Gail Ann Dorsey + another bass player was something I was unaware that Bowie did to be honest!

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1365487029' post='2040123'] How so? I'm primarily a finger player, never palm mute and play on or just behind the pick-up of my P bass. I've just put the bridge ashtray that came with the bass back on. I can't see how it's going to hinder my playing [/quote] I'm just joking, to be honest it completely stops me doing what I want to do with my right hand, of course it may not be the same for everyone.

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1365368113' post='2038734'] I currently own two very capable P-basses, the 1990 MIJ Squier in particular is one of the nicest precisions I've played yet, at the back of my mind, it niggles me that it says Squier not Fender on the headstock. It's definitely an affliction. I think I'm a badge whore. Anyone else like to confess? [/quote] I had a guy ask me what year my MIJ Squier was at a gig in Sweden as he couldn't make out that it was a Squier from where he was sitting in the theatre I was playing. He couldn't understand why I was using a Squier over a Fender, I just said that it sounds good and plays good so I use it. The part of us that worries about who makes our instruments and where they are made is the same part of us that worries about an onlooker identifying us using what they (and secretly maybe we) consider an inferior brand. Once we understand that most people don't care what instrument you use, the easier it is to get on and play!

I'm using a '78 as my main bass right now. It's heavy, but that's all that's wrong with it really (apart from the cosmetic tests of time that it shows). There are quite a few late 70's Fenders that I've tried that I've really liked so I think the prejudice against this era Fender can be a little unfounded, like everyone always says with vintage Fenders you've got to pick and choose them yourself as they're not all going to be great.

Do it, there's not much resale value in it currently anyway (no offence, looks like a cracking bass but there's just no market for it) and to be perfectly honest, that'd be [u]your[/u] bass as opposed to anyone else's... like you say, a bit unique. Go for it!

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1364873080' post='2032059'] Anybody can make a list. Why is this one important? [/quote] It's fun to quantify stuff, and for people like us (a bunch of sanctimonious music lovers) to debate it on an internet forum.

[quote name='joe.staffs' timestamp='1364934148' post='2033035'] Admittedly I want to swap it out for aesthetic reasons. I really want an ashtray bridge cover. [/quote] You'll kick yourself when you realise that it totally impedes your playing

[quote name='Ant_On_Bass' timestamp='1364934003' post='2033031'] Yeah i think perhaps your right with that actually, i never really thought about it, i think i'd definitely be interested to hear someone playing different basses maybe through an audio interface to get a general idea, that or i'll just have to do it the less lazy way an actually go and try basses out myself haha [/quote] I think it's nice to get inspired by new gear though isn't it! That's why you'll still catch me checking out reviews of stuff on Youtube, it can be entertaining to watch (if a little nerdy, but we're all bass players I guess!). In reality if I really want to play something I'll try to have a go of the product in question myself.

Would be cool to see a few basses reviewed like that! For amps, the poor audio quality of Youtube at the best of times and the inability to hear an amp within the confines of different rooms and spaces, I personally don't see the point other than to give a kind of overview of the head's basic controls and function. The same goes for basses to an extent.

Sometimes don't smile during gigs (although sometimes I smile a lot, usually when I'm laughing with my drummer at the back), people do ask me about it after I come off stage and it's not that I'm not happy, it's just that I have a tendency to concentrate sometimes. Having said that I'm by far the most animated out of our band! I like to let loose sometimes, it doesn't hurt anyone and you can have great fun bopping about the stage - it's what it's all about after all isn't it?

[quote name='bassmayhem' timestamp='1364806151' post='2030955'] I got so fed up with this "classic" retro hype, like "There is no other bass than a P-bass and Jamerson is his prophet" so I went the other way and... [/quote] I went the other way and just bought a 70's P! Lovely bass that Status, enjoy it