risingson

They don't do it for me, obviously talented but the novelty has long worn off and it isn't as interesting to listen to as their first effort.

I always think of the Yamaha TRB 6'ers as the most affordable and amongst the best. They always spring to mind whenever I think about getting a 6, which I doubt I'll ever do.

[quote name='pietruszka' timestamp='1335296341' post='1628956'] 20?! Thats just a shop isn't it? Im not out to tell people they're wrong or to not use effects at all, as already agreed by several; if you know what you're doing then great. But it's when you use up valuable time getting plugged in, set up, got your settings just right etc etc. I've used pedals live several times before, but it's pointless as it has no noticable affect on anything. IMHO if it doesn't make a difference that people will hear then why bother? I'd personally be happier being able to play gear I'm very lucky to have than worry about whether I have my pedals textures right. Dan [/quote] I think its a bit different for guitar players. I agree that 16 pedals seems pretty excessive but I get the demand for multiple drives/fuzz/distortions and reverbs, as well as delay and stuff, as some of those sounds are almost part and parcel of what the guitar is all about thanks to the likes of Hendrix and plenty of other pioneering guitar players. Whilst I don't disagree with bass players using pedals, I don't think they necessarily make up as much of the voice and identity of what bass is about. Then again, it entirely depends on the type of music that you're playing, increasingly you're seeing more bass players creating big dubstep sounds on bass (ironically as dubstep begins to fall out of favour in the world of dance music).

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1335275664' post='1628440'] Now, the singers are also turning up with floor effects pedals... [/quote] Murder would happen if my singer did this

I think you get more bang for your buck with a Lakland (those Bob Glaubs are fantastic), although if you're keen on the Fender then look at a Japanese made one perhaps. I wouldn't invest my money in U.S Fenders anymore, I don't believe they're worth even close to what the asking price is, and I speak as someone who's owned a few.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1335099030' post='1625665'] I think that your 'some popular music' is different from my 'some popular music'. I mean, yes, lots of booty calls. The more the better, IMO. But there is also a plethora of whey-faced, gamine poppets (step forward Birdy) wandering along monochrome streets trying to look 'concerned' and 'sensitive'. One feels they need a good slap-up roast lunch and an afternoon of old Tommy Cooper shows on DVD. But I digress and not for the first time. Thing is, the whole political thing might well be going on right under the noses of old class-warriors like Bilbo and I, but we just don't recognise it because no-one's shouting "Sooooooooocialist Worker! Ge-et your Socialist Worker!" I shall call it the Politics Of The Personal (if someone hasn't called it that already). [/quote] I agree that there is more music out there that alludes to social struggle without being outwardly gushing with political rhetoric. Stuff that we don't even really think about as well.

I agree with BRX that nowadays songs that 'protest' or have too strong a political message can often appear contrived horribly cliched. But the idea that some of the best music has been born out of times of social and political unrest interests me. The extent to which music has helped achieve any real change I think is somewhat limited, but it has at least brought certain issues to light in some cases. And for someone who is so enthusiastic as me about both music and history, lyrics and music pertaining to social and political struggle will often spark interest in researching and understanding certain things, e.g. if it weren't for 'If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next' by the Manic Street Preachers, maybe I wouldn't be so interested in the Spanish Civil War, if it weren't for Chopin then maybe I wouldn't know as much about the 1830/1848 European revolutions and so forth. The Clash's 'Guns of Brixton', Shostakovich's bitter shunning of Stalin's regime through his use of the grotesque etc. etc. It's gone on for years. So whilst music may not necessarily instigate any real change in politics, certain artists and/or songs can serve as milestones in a historic context by bringing to attention events that have shaped the world in which we live in today. And if that inspires one or two people to take an interest in the events of of the past, then maybe it will help shape their views in the future.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1334739426' post='1620371'] - My Lakland DJ4 - great Jazz growl from the neck pick-up; the kind of solidity you would expect from Lakland... but absolutely demand when playing live [/quote] I remember the first time I gigged my DJ4, it amazed me the size of the sound that you get from it. I know its totally in the mind, but you'd guess from the body being smaller than your regular J that somehow the sound would be less. But it ain't! I only own one bass at the moment, which is my Lakland Darryl Jones 4. I'm really hankering after a 5 string jazz like a Sadowsky or a Pensa and have been for a while but if someone told me I could only play my Lakland ever again, I wouldn't really care. it is an excellent bass, really responsive, simple and the neck is perfect for any style of playing. I love it, I can't ever see myself getting rid of it.

I love Stingrays, I think they're brilliant! I gigged a borrowed 5 string Ray last year and I took to it so well considering I'm not a 5 string player usually. I also absolutely love Stingray neck profiles, they feel so substantial.

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1334695877' post='1620012'] Oh, and Youtube, for all its wonderful worth, is definitely not the place to demo expensive sound equipment. Or cheap for that matter. [/quote] Absolutely agreed on this, it's so important to actually try an instrument out yourself and yet I see so many people using demos on YT and such as a reason to blind buy. It is nice to see stuff demo'ed to get you a bit inspired to play perhaps, but I find it surprising to see the amount of people who would prefer to watch a demo and then buy as opposed to actually using their own ears.

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1334509780' post='1617027'] Keith Moon..? Re-invented the threshing machine. Nick Mason..? Recorded at 78, played back at 33. That old trick worked for ages... Charlie Watts..? To be wound up just before the set; all limbs move together in sync until needing re-winding (like those toy monkeys...). Ginger Baker..? 'Composed' 'Toad'. That, I think, wraps up his career in just two words. [/quote] Yeh, it's just that all of those drummers were in bands that were better and considerably more successful than Rush (Apologies to Rush fans)

The only reason I've heard of Janek is through bass sites like this one. I've watched a few videos of his after his name got mentioned, the guy can really play. But I consider that I listen to a hell of a lot of new music, and I'm yet to stumble across his name outside of sites like this one, so I don't know... maybe he'd be better not to be quite so eager to shed some of the more die-hard 'bass' fans of his work that frequent sites like this. Then again, I don't know what he wants to get out of his music, if its just a level of self-satisfaction then fair enough. His responses on TB made for really interesting reading, clearly he's a very talented guy and everyone's got a musical itch that needs scratching. But you just get the impression from his replies that actually, it kind of does bother him what people on sites like this think on some level.

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1334315040' post='1614291'] It's like Groundhog Day on this forum sometimes The search facility on this forum is an excellent tool and will bring up dozens of [i]Jazz vs Precision[/i] threads all of which have some excellent comment and I promise will answer all the questions you will ever have about said basses and also some you would never think of. [/quote] I don't see the problem with people posting questions to others on a bass forum that satisfies their curiosity concerning two different kinds of bass guitars, especially since the OP has described himself as a newer player and many of us here are experienced with gear and such. If you don't like the topic, I would have thought it easier to simply not reply? Back to the original topic, I agree with Ed S's post. I've played Jazz basses for practically the whole time I've been gigging and have found it to be indispensable as part of any given band situation. My old P Bass was great too, and if anything I would probably argue that the P Bass was a little better suited to 'trio' work as it fills out the low end of a mix much better than a jazz bass tends to, giving a full, fundamental low end that really works well at filling space. Playing wise, I think I'll always prefer the profile of jazz bass necks, plus I tend to play over the bridge pickup a fair bit and swapping between my old P (which had the thickest neck of any bass I've ever used) could throw me a bit. Still, I'd have another Precision in a heartbeat, and I love the design and sound of both basses. Very different instruments, but at the same time they kind of compliment each other.

[quote name='Gust0o' timestamp='1334269931' post='1613753'] I wonder if he knows how much of his 'fanbase' is composed of these people. Just a thought. [/quote] I was rather thinking the same thing.

I do love the Gallery so very much but their site needs a proper overhaul. And that Stingray ain't passive!! Lovely bass though.

Not a Fender, but Sandberg do their PM4's and 5's and they're really quite good. They look like this: [url="http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg209/scaled.php?server=209&filename=sandb2.jpg&res=landing"]scaled.php[/url]

[quote name='Doctor J' timestamp='1334229818' post='1612823'] A drummer I used to play with hated Bonham, but idolised Neil Peart to the point of having the stupidly big red kit, signature sticks, etc. To cut a long story short, I didn't play with him for long. When you meet a drummer and if they say they like Bonham and/or Tony Thompson. you're usually onto a good thing. [/quote] I think you're bang on the money there. The groove on Fool In the Rain is great, it's just such a tremendous shame that the tune is total pap! At least, it's definitely not 'Zeppelin'.

I spoke to Mark a few months back regarding an amp they had in at BD, he was incredibly informative, friendly and helpful on the phone and you just got the impression he'd go out of his way to help out in any way he could. Not met him in person or been to the store but with customer service like that I'm sure it won't be long till I buy something from there.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1334168210' post='1611991'] I think that you may be misunderstanding the point that I was trying to make. Janek Gwizdala's music is not the most accessable (I don't think that he would claim that it is) and to appreciate it it helps to have an understanding of 'advanced fusion' music (see Bilbo's post above). I am quite happy to listen and enjoy all sorts of music but I don't like JG's music . However, this is partly because that sort of music is not really my thing, so it could be a really great piece of 'advanced fusion' and I still wouldn't like it...! [/quote] I did get what you were getting at, I just used your post as a bit of a jumping off point, sorry I didn't make it a bit clearer. But there is a lot of music out there that isn't 'accessible' and I don't buy that you necessarily need a good understanding of any type of music to make a judgement on it necessarily. I dragged along a few people to a gig I went to on Sunday night that had absolutely no listening background in jazz but very much enjoyed a very leftfield jazz ('fusion') style band. Likewise my girlfriend's mum got taken along to a Shostakovich concerto recently having never been to (or listened to) anything much orchestral in her life and yet now she can't stop talking about him, talk about getting thrown in at the deep end. I think ultimately what is boils down to is just how open-minded you are, not how much you've listened to one particular type of music. Let people decide for themselves.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1334164075' post='1611914'] I find his music as dull as ditchwater (as I do the others he is being compared to here), but then my knowledge of this type of music is limited (but not non-existent). Even I can see that he is not close in terms of writing ability to the likes of Weather Report (for example) but that I can also accept that he is obviously a highly capable player who scores some highly prized gigs with guys who are extremely big names in the fusion world….. [/quote] People get way too caught up in genres. I absolutely hate the term fusion, I'm not sure what it's even meant to mean (even if I am aware of what people would like me to think it means). I went to see Snarky Puppy on Sunday, and I absolutely loved every second of it but when the term 'fusion' gets applied to their music, my stomach turns a bit. Their music deserves a much better moniker, or better still, for people to understand that music is music - a touch of jazz here, a bit of funk there etc. It's all one giant palette. The argument that you are ill-equipped to judge music unless you have a very broad understanding of music (as much as elitism dictates that this should be the case) is quite frankly bollocks. The fact that artists willingly put their music out into the big wide world means that you waive the right to shelter yourself from the views of others. That's not to say that subjectivity concerning music shouldn't be exercised, but on the internet it's rarely obligatory and often totally ignored. Just learn to not expect it, but at the same time, let the music speak for itself as opposed to someone on a bass forum telling you why something you enjoy is rubbish.

When I play this piece up the neck like John Patitucci does I fret the B with my little finger and the D with my index, but when I'm down the neck I think I'd play an open string and use varying degrees of muting with my right hand to compensate. The idea being that you get comfortable as you can with both, and find your preference later on.

I find this new generation of bass players interesting. I'm always impressed by their technique etc. but when there's no writing prowess behind it then to e it becomes bleak and self-serving. I appreciate the likes of Janek and Hadrien have their place in this world, but I do sometimes wonder if their music is just about the exploration of how hard you can jazz and how fast you can play whether they'd just be better writing a thesis or teaching. And for once I almost agree with Chris2112 on something. The level of music that these guys are bringing out just isn't even close to good enough. I appreciate that they'll have their audiences with the bass playing crowd but otherwise, it's not exactly cutting edge stuff. (You're wrong about Squarepusher though Chris, he can write ).

When I was younger I would drink at rehearsal from time to time, but nowadays it's totally out of the question. I'm there to rehearse, if I want to have a drink then on the odd occasion I'll go to the pub afterwards. Your situation may well be different but I find that the more you combine drinking with other band activities, it will quickly become a slippery slope. I also think it's extremely unprofessional, but again I'm only speaking from my angle where we have to actually get things done.