risingson

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1368691' date='Sep 10 2011, 04:30 PM']Fan numbers and followers from social media sites mean almost nothing.[/quote] This simply isn't true. Many promoters that we have dealt with have actively looked at our fan base size and increasingly, I know a lot of management do too. It has become a means for us to keep people abreast of news about our gigs. It's not necessarily a medal of honour having over 1000 fans or whatever, but it helps. [quote]I'd have to respectfully disagree with that bit. FB is a social media site, and there's nothing particularly social about constantly talking about yourself. Lest we forget, forums are also social media sites and I wouldn't expect much of a response by posting the sort of topics you're suggesting. What would get a better response are 'What did you have forg dinner'/ 'Who's your favourite Beatle' type posts. They absolutely beg a response. The point is - it's not all about you, it's about them.[/quote] You need to connect with fans on any level possible, if that means that you're engaging them with a bit of banter then this can go a mighty long way. I was definitely being mildly flippant about the Beatles/Widdecombe convo but people want to see that you're not just leaving your social networking dormant or strictly business. The majority of posting should concern band matters and I would agree that too much joviality can certainly appear to come across as obnoxious but once you have a fanbase then there definitely isn't wrong with posts that prompt reactions back from people, after all if it appears as though you don't take yourselves too seriously and are happy to connect with fans then you're much more likely to see a marked increase of people who want to come and see you, be involved with you and follow you. This can't be underestimated.

We use Facebook and Twitter, and we keep our Myspace dormant with a few tunes on it as well. Myspace is a dead weight right now. I won't deny that there will be people who search you out on Myspace to have a listen to your music but the service is slow and really inefficient. Many bands are totally sidestepping it now, and it's dying a death. Aside from that, you need to be constantly on the ball when you start to rack up your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. Keep the interest there by making videos and posting stuff of interest and substance, peppered with a few nondescript remarks about what you had for dinner, who your favourite Beatle was, the time you met Ann Widdecombe etc. It's all about developing feedback and generating buzz. Make sure to always mention that you're available on Facebook and Twitter at gigs as well. Good luck with it!

She is still not given nearly enough credit as a bass player as far as I'm concerned, she's an astounding bassist and IMO much more interesting to listen to than Victor W or Steve Bailey. If only it wasn't for that nonsense she said about Jamerson I'd have total respect for her.

Smallest was about 6, but it was a bloody good laugh! The biggest was just under 10,000 I believe although I couldn't be certain. I actually had more fun at the gig with only 6 people there. My second biggest gig is coming up next month, but it could turn out to be my biggest yet depending on how things go.

Hi there! I'm in Sweden quite regularly, including Stockholm, it's one of my favourite cities. Welcome on board

I'm much more likely to go in to a shop and try a bass out and walk out empty handed. If I'm sufficiently impressed with the instrument, the staff and the way I'd been treated the likelihood is that I'll go back and buy from them in future if their stock is my kind of thing.

[quote name='gjones' post='1364855' date='Sep 7 2011, 01:23 AM']I hate to be a killjoy but an average classical guitarist could do that on a guitar easy peasy. The guy's just making it more difficult for himself by playing it on a 4 string bass. What next? Is he going to try playing it on a unicycle while tightrope walking over the Niagra Falls. Impressive but ultimately pointless.[/quote] For once I don't agree with this sentiment. For starters, he's written a fairly impressive song, regardless what you or I might think of it. I don't think it's fair to say that a classical guitar player would trounce his efforts because even if they replicated what he was doing with ease, he was the one who wrote the piece of music, ergo displaying a talent that transcends a simple technical exercise on a bass guitar. Furthermore I would say that if his comfort zone is the bass, then he should probably write music on it. It stands to reason really. Whilst it might seem a pointless endeavour for some, I think his music suits his instrument. I personally don't usually enjoy solo bass guitar and am hugely conservative when I think about the role of bass in music. However, I don't like to deny talent when I see it for the sake of trying to keep my views on bass sacred, and I happen to think this guy has talent. Check this vid out (again, not usually my thing, but very impressive and harmonically interesting):

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1365139' date='Sep 7 2011, 12:12 PM']Then you never read any of my old posts, nor spoke to BC customers who were happy ;-) Every shop ive used has had good and bad staff. My point was that if it was someone at the BC people would say thats why i avoid it, yet because its someone we all know and respect its excusable. Ive used the Gallery many times so im well aware of their CS etc, i was really just commenting on some of the early posts and comparing them to the same situation and responses in the BC thread, which seems to be full of people going in to the shop just to have a moan on here about the exact thing the OP posted about. Sorry, im having a rough tiring week, ignore me.[/quote] I think the main point to take away is that Alex has now personally come on this site and apologised to the OP and what's more has stipulated that he'll make sure it doesn't happen again. You've got to say that's pretty decent. It's less about blowing smoke up their arses and more to do with the admission that nobodies perfect, we all make mistakes and have bad days etc. My experience suggests that these incidents are few and far between.

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1365117' date='Sep 7 2011, 11:53 AM']Its funny how OP had a bad experience at the Gallery and a lot of people are defending or making excuses for it, yet if the OP had said Bass Cellar everyone would be slagging the sales guy off. Sorry, no offence to anyone (nor the Gallery and staff, alex has always seemed a bit quiet but very helpful), its just something that struck me after reading just the first page.[/quote] But the Bass Cellar have hardly earned the right to be defended, after all I have never heard a good report from anyone who's been there personally. The guys at the Gallery (after some initial hesitancy) were more than happy to help the first time I visited and utterly brilliant the second time I went down.

[quote name='thegallery' post='1364776' date='Sep 6 2011, 11:05 PM']Hi I know we are all different, and i can only apologise again for the way you were treated by myself, I had so much to do, and i really thought that you were just in browsing as many people do. If you are ever around again, pop in and I will apologise in person. i did notice the Wal, well hung up alex[/quote] This is a great post. I'd have no hesitation buying from the Gallery again, I think it's a great place to go.

Eb, just to be a tit really!

[quote name='Merton' post='1364043' date='Sep 6 2011, 01:09 PM']Feel bad I haven't kept up to speed with Chi Cheng, is he still with us and still battling?[/quote] Didn't even realise anything had happened to him till just now! Sad to hear, he seemed like a really humble and nice guy in interviews.

My favourite bass player, by quite a sizable amount. He ticks every box, versatile, massive skills, able to play what's right for the song, and incredibly humble. Overwhelmingly everyone who plays with him always say he's the best money can get, and his CV sort of reflects it... he's like the Abe Laboriel Jr. or the bass world right now, he's on everything.

[quote]the other droning on about DJ Shadow like he was the next big thing. The BG guy did not seem to know who he was, and after all, 'Endtroducing' was only realesed in '96 (sorry, being a bit of a bitch here).[/quote] Amazing! Anyway, that's a pretty shocking. It was only last month that I posted up what a brilliant visit I'd had to the Gallery and how forthcoming John had been about letting me get my hands on some incredibly expensive instruments without knowing about me or my background. He wasn't incredibly chatty or anything, but more than forthcoming, very quick to help out. Furthermore Martin was a great help in sorting out shipment of my amp and a few technical difficulties I had with it a few months after purchase. The first time I went to the Gallery though, I was greeted (or not greeted actually) by Alex, and if I'm totally honest his social skills left my drummer and I less than impressed, especially considering I'd trekked all the way from Liverpool (3 hours one way £50 return) with 2k to spend on a new amp. He initially seemed reluctant and hostile, although after a while he started to warm to me for some reason or another (I was only 19 at the time, maybe he thought I was a time waster, although quite frankly my age and the amount of money I had on me is neither here nor there). I put it down to him having a bad day, and actually after a while I did end up having a brief chat with him and figured that's the kind of person he was. I'm not surprised you're not impressed though. I'd hate to think that the Gallery would become one of those places where elitism started to take hold. I'm sure one of the guys from the shop will be along to explain their position on this anytime soon.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1357921' date='Aug 31 2011, 07:31 PM']Why does everyone think that they are good enough to post lessons on Youtube?[/quote] Give him the benefit of the doubt, he's only a young lad out to impress. He'll get enough comments under his video telling how bad his video is without us adding to it.

[quote name='silddx' post='1356833' date='Aug 30 2011, 08:52 PM']Over the past couple of months, I have hardly played bass at home, but I play guitar every day. And when I go to rehearsals as a bassist and play songs we know, and work on new songs, I am a much better bassist. I am more fluid, more imaginative, more dynamic, more expressive and more comfortable. I am also playing more with a pick and right hand damping more. Along with the volume pedal which has become a large part of my natural style, I am really feeling it now, not just mechanical. I am a much better player through not playing at home. Not that I am advocating this approach you understand. I am finally happy not being a reader, I got fed up of feeling guilty about it and shed that stupid burden. I am a happy bassist (for a f***ing change ).[/quote] I am in exactly the same boat. This is because I don't actually have any basses at home right now, only an acoustic so I find myself playing much more guitar each day. As BigRedX pointed out it's one of the best reasons to take up another instrument; to have a slightly higher understanding of your role as a bassist.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1357592' date='Aug 31 2011, 02:48 PM']I've always found the problem with guitar to learn theory is it is too easy to rely on movable fingering patterns and chord shapes without knowing anything about what you are playing other than the shape,which is why many guitar and bass players don't know things like chord tones and scales-they can play the pattern,but they don't know what they are playing.You can't do this on a keyboard.[/quote] And for the same reason, I find that guitar is a much more accessible instrument to play. As a younger child I was taken to piano lessons and hated it and showed no interest in carrying it on as a hobby. By the time I was 12 and had discovered guitar and all these sounds were just falling under my fingers, it felt much more natural than a piano ever did. Thus my entry into music and a greater understanding of theory was through guitar, scales, chordal knowledge, the lot.

Two, one for live, one for studio. Live would be an Aguilar DB751 and the DB412 (I'm not carrying it either), studio rig would be an Ampeg B-15 Portaflex with an Audix D6/Shure Beta 52 to capture the low end, and a Neumann U87 for upper end content. Endless fun! Bass wise, a few Sadowskys and Fenders, sorted I reckon.

[quote name='urb' post='1356022' date='Aug 30 2011, 10:26 AM']Don't worry my eye is very much on the ball - well more like I'm keeping my eye on you - I just don't mind a musician as talented as Vic having a bit of fun and musically that's a cool tune whether you agree with the philosophy or not, 'crap' is just your opinion of it and one which I respect but I've heard a lot worse... my earlier comment is based on the fact that AS SOON as a thread on Victor appears anywhere on the web what starts out as something positive soon turns negative - he either plays to fast and flashy and is perceived as a show off and nothing more - or his wisdom and musical abilities are flamed because he's so open and is prepared to write a song about an interesting subject - in terms of it being 'crap you might want to check out some African music - it's all good - but then I suspect not. Anyway - feel free to cary on hating - go for it if it makes you feel better - and as for implying Vic is er 'gay' - I think his wife and four kids might have something to say about that too [/quote] Don't worry Mike, everyone has an axe to grind over certain players and Victor Wooten is often the player that most often takes the most flak but he's a remarkably talented player and a definite virtuoso, those are really two things that can't be argued with. Not my kind of player but brilliant all the same.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1355186' date='Aug 29 2011, 12:56 PM']The tops not bad, but the piece of wood on the back is so dull I wouldn't consider it suitable for fake laminate flooring. Also what's up with the neck joint? Surely the neck and body are made specially for each other so there shouldn't really be any ridge between the heel and the body?[/quote] The top is beautiful, and I don't agree at all about the wood on the back either. It looks great in fact, I'm not usually a fan of the 'coffee table' look at all but they look like two great pieces of wood. I'd partially agree that the heel of the neck looks out of place but as long as it plays nicely then I don't see the issue... unless it is actually a construction mistake by F Bass, in that case it would be totally unacceptable. I played a brilliant F Bass in New York last year and if I'm honest it's the only high end bass I've really lusted after in recent years. The aesthetics of it weren't really in keeping with my band though, but it was a great sounding, great looking bass.

Depends what you want done. I'd agree with Pickle that KGB are good, if a tad expensive sometimes. If you need a bass looking over though, might I suggest you get in touch via PM with Steve Soar, he'll take a look at your bass and do a bloody good job on it as well, he works from his home. I can personally recommend him.

Last night's gig was the 3rd of the weekend. I sweated so much on stage that I woke up this morning actually feeling hung over but having drank nothing at all. 4th and final gig of this weekend coming up in 2 hours time, then I get to relax!

[quote name='ezbass' post='1354585' date='Aug 28 2011, 05:59 PM']The list is HUGE but for some of his recent work I like this video check it from about 4 mins onwards for just bass and drums really featured [/quote] Oh man Abe Laboriel Jr is so good!

When I sit down in in a music store to try out a bass guitar, I often realise after a while of noodling round and thinking "yeh this bass sounds great" that it is a totally moot point what the bass sounds like by itself because I play in a 5 piece band and what I need from a bass guitar is for it to sit nicely in the mix. Of course, I would probably guess that for 80-90% of people that go into a guitar store with a view to purchasing a new guitar/bass, this is not what they take into consideration when they buy a new instrument. They just want it to sound good there and then, which is understandable. I do care what I sound like, but I try and remind myself that I'm the bass player and for the most part what I need is a purely functional and usable sound that will work well with the rest of my band, and that sound will always be something thick and substantial.

I remember my first bass was completely pasted with stickers! I loved it, I even had a sticker of Woodstock from Snoopy on the back of the body. Nowadays I wouldn't dream of putting stickers on my bass, although I do very much love the idea of going through life with an instrument that is unmistakably your own 'creation', having had some kind of unique paint job or underlying feature that makes you as a player instantly visually recognisable. You don't really see that anymore.