risingson

How many different types of P-Bass do Fender need? They all sound almost exactly the same, the only difference is that you'll pay out the nose for one of these as opposed to something like a U.S or Japanese P.

I like passive basses for the same reasons a few other people have described, i.e. you just plug in and play, you know where you stand and there isn't any hassle. Haven't played a Big Al myself (although they look great), but I found the Bongo's 4-Band EQ section excessive, there's no way I need that amount of control in a preamp. I also prefer Stingray 2-band EQ's to 3's.

Steve, yeh love it. I've been meaning to get in touch to see if you fancied a quick look over it like we talked about but been a bit financially constrained... will definitely speak to you before the month is out. [quote name='urb' post='1253005' date='Jun 1 2011, 06:50 PM']Nice stuff Liam - I'm feeling the groove and er, feel, in both your vids - lovely stuff My latest upload can be [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=138313"]found here[/url] - hope you guys enjoy Cheers Mike[/quote] Thanks Mike, I actually stumbled across your vids whilst doing a bit of research into Matt Garrison's thumb + three finger technique, if I can get it down as well as you can then I'll be tremendously pleased

I think I would have ended up committing to whatever instrument I took up, but I was asked to join a band at aged 12, a friend of mine was getting a guitar and the other was getting drums, so I got asked if I wanted to buy a bass and play with them. That was that really!

Cheers Steve! Another one, PYT - Michael Jackson.

He didn't really mince his words when it came to what he thought of people. Disregarding his mental state towards the end of his life, his general attitude should have added up to someone I really don't like, but nonetheless he remains one of my favourite bass players. Great, great bass player.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1252196' date='May 31 2011, 11:11 PM']I will give it a whirl, I was never a die hard Blur fan but always a Blur over Oasis in the event of the usuall argument back in the day. Funnily enough me and EBS freak were discussing blur and what bass we associate with Alex James, For me I always see him as a Ray player but he (who is more of a fan) says he is famous for using a P?[/quote] The documentary gave me a new found love for Blur. They evolved over time as well; their music changed a lot, something that Oasis totally failed to manage IMO, although I still like a lot of their music too. I'd really recommend watching it! I always associate Alex James with his 50's reissue (real?) P-bass now. No slouch on the bass either... not great, but definitely not a bad player.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1252163' date='May 31 2011, 10:44 PM']I like radiohead and blur I'm 33 so bang on for Britpop but Queen are massive in comparison. I would enjoy a good in depth documentary on all the bands mentioned but even as fan of most of them to make it interesting enough for a wider audience it would have to be about many of them rather than just one. There have been some good ones on BBC four over the years following different eras and scenes.[/quote] You should watch 'No Distance Left to Run' if you haven't already, great Blur documentary!

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1252066' date='May 31 2011, 09:21 PM']All failed to break the states afaik.[/quote] Radiohead sold 300,000 albums of Hail to the Thief in the first week in the U.S when it was released, over a million eventually. They have a massive U.S fanbase. Totally different bands though, both notable in their own right.

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1251810' date='May 31 2011, 05:40 PM']Looking at the list of bands below - I rest my case! I wouldn't put any of them in the same league as Queen. Don't ever recall The Smiths selling out Wembley!![/quote] Not that it's a competition or anything but Oasis and Blur, maybe even Radiohead could sell out Wembley. Oasis sold out Knebworth quite a few times over at the height of their careers. The other two aren't as likely to play stadium gigs, although Blur have sold out Hyde Park before for example. That's 65,000 people.

[quote name='Ross' post='1251235' date='May 31 2011, 11:18 AM']Wouldn't really do to sh*t yourself in front of 10,000 people.[/quote] Less to do with that and more to do with the fact that I could see through time before the start of the gig, but absolutely your point too.

[quote name='51m0n' post='1251527' date='May 31 2011, 02:16 PM']Agree they were some pretty excellent programs, not sure about the entirely unparalleled production, 10cc's "I'm not in love" could arguably be one of the cleverist bits of production of all time Read up on it [url="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun05/articles/classictracks.htm"]here[/url]. Very very clever stuff! That apart though Queen did sound damn fine, I dont think they sounded better than Abba did though, as good, but not better (purely talking production here, regardless of whether or not you dig the tracks)[/quote] My point was that nobody sounded like Queen apart from Queen really, they pioneered a sound for themselves. 10cc were great writers with great production values but their music wasn't nearly as enduring as Queen's!

It was an amazing program. I have never been really huge Queen fan but have always enjoyed reading about their commitment to their music because production wise it really was unparalleled by anyone at the time, and Freddie was just so charismatic that it would be impossible not to love him. No one had done vocals like they did since the Beach Boys really, it was a great watch.

[quote name='steve-soar' post='1250277' date='May 30 2011, 01:49 PM']You will have a ball. Make sure all your gear is in top condition, spares available, [b]don't get pissed[/b] and you'll really enjoy it.[/quote] That part is solid advice. When I played in front of 10,000 people last I substituted alcohol with caffeine (lots of it), also not advisable!

I have heard very few players be able to play 16ths at 160bpm convincingly for any length of time so I wouldn't set your bar too high. The best thing you can do is try playing as fast as you can, and then drop down to 80bpm and climb 5 or 10 at a time when you're grooving comfortably. This will a.) warm your hands up which is essential for performing at speed and b.) make you work at getting your timing up to scratch because there's no point playing that fast if you're not getting the feel right! Play across the strings as well, as there isn't much point playing for too long on one string because it's not teaching you to think about how your left and right hands work together playing at this speed. There is no point in being able to play ultra fast unless your playing is musical and makes sense! Just my 2p.

A quick upload I did before, my first playalong video, seems everyone's doing them so I thought I might chip in! "Any Major Dude" by Steely Dan. Let me know what the sound is like for the rest of you, might be too quiet through laptop speakers perhaps.

Query: "You're going to have to pay for soft drinks" Answer: "No, you're going to have to find another band for the evening" Query: "Can I have a go on your (inset instrument here, usually drums)" Answer: "Only if I can come round to your house and recklessly endanger some of your prize possessions" Query: "Do you play Sex On Fire?" "No... just no." etc

I used to drink at gigs until I realised that your concentration levels drop and you don't play well at all under the influence. I have played sober for a long time now and only ever drink water on stage to keep hydrated, occasionally a red bull if I'm lagging.