risingson

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1325775187' post='1487463'] ... but in the meantime, Fast Fret works miracles on long-scale flatwounds - seriously. [/quote] It's less to do with that and more to do with the amount of give in the D and G strings. Very springy indeed, seem to be plastic wrapped, unlike the E and A that are just like regular DB flatwounds. I don't know much about DB strings but I know I'd like more a bit more tension from them.

Mine changed from a year ago. 1. James Jamerson. What can I say, most important bass player of all time. 2. Pino Palladino. I think he's got the best feel of any bass player on the planet, and he's probably the only one from the list that could share my top spot with Jamerson as my favourite. 3. Anthony Jackson. Unreal musician. Non-conformist, and a musical genius, dare I say it, best bass player alive today? I probably shouldn't (very subjective) but I often think it. 4. Bakithi Kumalo. I love his stuff with Paul Simon, he's incredibly inventive and has a great groove. 5. Carol Kaye I think would be my last one. I think she's insane, but she clearly is an incredible bass player and contributed to some of my very favourite music.

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1325763235' post='1487158'] Here is the full set of Sturm discussions of Rabbath. I found the last one especially useful. www.youtube.com/watch?v=54pMdTCmo8g www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvELQVB37yo www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTbF6QP-FoY www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BW8UVI0Wo0 www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRAEMzMKQQU [/quote] Cheers Fatback, I did see this the other but it was really informative. Very interesting stuff. I'm enjoying playing upright, but I'm fighting it at the moment trying to get my intonation together and it's just going to take a lot of work. Makes me appreciate people like John Patitucci and Christian McBride all the more for being able to double up on electric as well as acoustic. The other thing not helping is that the strings that came on the bass aren't great. Think I'm going to order up some D'Addario Helicore Hybrids for it when I get the chance.

Depends what the gig is! When it's my own music, it's an opportunity to get the creative side of me (and the rest of my band) out to a wider audience, and also to network. It's brilliant. Money is often an afterthought though. When it's covers, I'd be lying if I said I really loved it, but I do enjoy it and always try to put 100% in. It's just a way of me making money and funding the above ^^

That is what I've been looking at for the best part of today. My old bass tutor at Uni showed me Simandl's book and we briefly went through it, but to no great extent. Cheers Clarky!

I've been reading up a lot on technique today so I can start off learning as best I can. Because like many I've come from an electric bass background, I'm very used to playing in finger-per-fret position, so that scales and runs all fall easily and musically under my fingers. Can the same logic be applied to double bass, or is it frowned upon? I've noticed that the majority of players I've been watching use position playing but I haven't noticed any kind of major pattern emerging from it all yet. If anyone does fancy shining some light on left hand technique I would be very grateful at this stage! Cheers, Liam

Thank you very much everyone. I'm already feeling the burn, so I'm taking it easy for now, 10-15 minutes at a time, I don't want my left arm breaking because I'm a regular gigging electric player! I've found some useful info on good pizz technique and warming up, which I may as well share with you all as I found it helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYZZOmiHVpk&feature=related Other than that, I've just been having my mind blown by the likes of Christian Mcbride and Dave Holland. I find it insane that there are players like those guys out there, it's such a physically demanding instrument and so much is required of you so to display such awesome musical credentials on such a tough instrument is nothing short of stupendous!

A Sadowsky, I'll do it this year even if it kills me!

Hello everyone! This is the first time I have ever posted in the Double Bass/EUB part of the site. I've just taken the plunge and got an upright. A while back, I was sat in a friend's garage enjoying a few brewskis when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a double bass in its case. She told me it was her dads and that he never played it, so I suggested whether he'd entertain the idea of selling it to me. He said no. Gutted! Fast forward a few years and I asked again... and this time he said yes. I was happy to oblige, so I've picked it up today and have been having tremendous fun with it. I've always wanted one, as there's a lot of hip-hop, latin and jazz music I love that is all upright. As far as I can gather, the bass was made in Czechoslovakia and after a bit of research I have discovered it to be a 1/2 size. It's got a Selmer London sticker on it. Can't figure out whether it's any good or not yet but it certainly looks the part! I know literally squat about the instrument and how to play it, so I'm starting from scratch again really. Well aware that it's a very different instrument to the electric bass though, so to warn you ahead of time I'll be using this part of the site to ask some very silly questions from time to time! I'm delighted

Eugh. I see a Gibson/Trace Elliott scenario. In any case I love my Eden WT800 and 410XLT setup, I'd actually be totally fine playing it for the rest of time.

I always play electrics at acoustic gigs that we do but with my sound scaled right down. I'd prefer to play Acoustic or EUB, but I don't own either one at the moment. To be perfectly honest, I prefer playing acoustic guitar at acoustic gigs!

I think you're bang on the money gjones. Luckily I'm rarely in a situation where I find myself playing with poor musicians of any kind, and my drummer is a really great player. Solid and totally dependable, with a great feel. It's actually something I've started taking for granted, but we prop each other up by working together. There's no other way, and I totally subscribe to the concept that you're only as good as your drummer is. Bass and drums = the foundation of everything in a band, without them things start to fall to pieces.

I'd really like to read this, thanks for the recommendation Admiral.

No great effort. I see a lot of people throw so much money and time into trying to get a particular sound, but there are far too many variables involved in live and studio performance so the 'pursuit of tone' and the thousands of £'s involved in purchasing very expensive gear becomes almost completely redundant. The best you'll ever be able to do is to have a nice bass guitar, a nice amp, good technique and that's it. After that you tend to be at the mercy of other people in professional performing environments. Don't get me wrong, nice gear is great, I love it as much as any bass player does. But it's not the be all and end all, and I have seen cases of people throwing money at something with the assumption that it is somehow going to drastically improve their sound. I just don't really subscribe to that kind of thinking.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1324739402' post='1477483'] You need to have the discipline to pick it up and learn summat new, after that, progress and inspiration usually keep you playing. Then you apply that learning, unlock a mystery or two, then learn some more and so on and on. [/quote] I'm talking about having fun though. Discipline in learning an instrument is important, but it doesn't have to be so incredibly serious all the time. If you're finding it hard to pick up your instrument and play then you need to remind yourself why you picked up bass in the first place, and that's by getting inspired as opposed to disillusioned and bogged down with the stress of discipline. That will come later once you've got your targets set.

You'll never pick up your bass if you're not inspired to do so. It can seem like a bit of a mundane task at times in comparison to work or whatever, but you just need to be able to find what inspires you to pick up and practice. Often if I'm not in the mood to play my bass I'll put on some music and listen to my favourite bass players to get inspired, I think that's the best way to do it. Because my basses are usually at our studio I rarely get the chance to practice myself much anymore, but I always try to to get a few hours in every couple of days because I love playing. You just need to find the things you love playing and then you'll get inspired.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1324677161' post='1477053'] I don't want to keep bumping this thread, but I took a look at the Sadowsky site...it's OK, but again, product-wise, the models are just rehashed/overpriced Jazz/Precision basses. For something a little more compelling, look at the Reverend site; [url="http://www.reverendguitars.com/reverend/guitars.html"]http://www.reverendg...nd/guitars.html[/url]. The basses are really very happening. The black set-neck Thundergun made me go a little wobbly. Stick a chrome armrest kit on that...beautiful. P [/quote] I don't mind about the Fender lookalikes at all. It's an age old argument though so I'll steer clear of it, suffice to say most people who have tried or own a Sadowsky would probably disagree with you on the overpriced part.

He's a really great bass player and a very nice guy to boot. One of my old lecturers introduced us a few years back and he was really open to some of my most likely silly questions about music and gear and stuff.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1324503613' post='1475114'] Now moving swiftly along, anyone else find they're tiring somewhat of Lakland products? I mean by this that while yes, there's a vast choice of finish/electronics combinations, it's worth pointing out that more than half their models remain firm-rooted in suped-up Precision/Jazz basses clones and the spec on the 44-94/55-94 models has barely changed in five plus years. The two other models (Decade and Hollowbody) are just plain bland; I played both in the US last year and they really weren't so great. [/quote] Yes. I really love Lakland, but their stuff can be pretty uninspiring and the 55-94 shape has now most certainly aged. Their website isn't particularly awe-inspiring either, dare I say it might be worth looking at Sadowsky's website which I happen to think is very good indeed. They sound brilliant, but they need something a bit daring to bring them back up to speed.

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1324500454' post='1475073'] I'm afraid they are to me. Two chords in odd metre, a run, horn solo, busy up the drums, bass solo, a tricky break into another two chords, a run, keys solo, get louder, drum fills, take down the dynamics of the two chords - make it quieter, let the drums imply a different beat and go a bit mad, get louder, make the two chords fierce, everyone join in and hip hop it a bit, big finale, loud high horn melody. Congratulations. They are talented, brilliant, awesome, but it just doesn't speak to me. It sounds like variations on two chords with tricky bits and chops opportunities. And they look a bit smug but not in a fun way. Sorry. I really can't dig it. It doesn't make my life better. [/quote] That's fair enough. If I'm totally honest neither band have changed my life, just that I prefer Snarky Puppy, their sound sits better with the kind of music I enjoy.

[quote name='BB3000S' timestamp='1324420469' post='1474154'] How on earth is it possible to do those lightning quick runs? I'm utterly amazed. They clearly are awesome musicians, but [b]I'm either getting to old or have overdosed through the years (or both) for this - sadly I have to say it does not move me or touch me at all.[/b] Have nothing but the utmost respect for their skill and dedication though, hats off! [/quote] I'm 22 and it bores the hell out of me. It's obvious they're having a lot of fun doing what they do and I respect the fact they're bringing Jazz to a wider audience by mixing it with the plastic pop sounds, but it's not for me. A lot of respect for them though as they're very talented guys. But give me this lot anyday:[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-IlUFgEVW4"] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-IlUFgEVW4[/url]

I love my DJ4 and would happily have a 5'er. I do wish Lakland would be a bit more imaginative though and offer more in the way of colour and preamp options with the Skylines. But these really are wonderful instruments, and I'm glad to see them back in the Lakland roster.

I noticed there was a Status Groove 5 up for sale, looks pretty used but I thought I may as well chuck in a bid for £1! Has anyone had dealings with auctions etc. with these guys? I always sidestep them, pawn shops always strike me as dodgy as hell.

I've always lent slightly more towards Jazz style basses as they offer me a bit more of a 'forward' sound in a band and mix situation, but I love P basses. To me they offer a fundamental low end unmatched by almost any other style of bass I've played. Chunky and big if strung with flats, and a piano-like clarity if you string them with rounds. They've featured on many of the best records of all time and are played by many of my favourite bass players of all time, notably James Jamerson, Pino Palladino, Carol Kaye and Chuck Rainey, as well as countless others.

Nice one Dood, looking at the TH750 myself right now so I'll have to check this out.