risingson

We got asked to play starting in Rome and ending in Rio last Xmas but we declined. I've been a little reluctant because I don't think the money was as good as it could have been and I'm almost certain you won't get to see as much as you'd think doing it. Also I'm very aware I don't want to make a career from playing ships, but that's just me.

Who were the interviewees in question? I don't buy the magazine but I'd be interested to know who were the players being negative.

However, THIS is the video that's telling me to stop being such an idiot and save up for the Will Lee model. Forget the playing, the tone is just great.

[quote name='Musicman20' post='1241314' date='May 23 2011, 10:55 AM']I think the prices are part of why I gave up on the Metros. A few years back, they were reasonable, but still expensive. Now, they are almost £2000, or more. I just cannot justify that much when you can get something like a full spec Dingwall for £2400 ish. Id still like a nice PJ from Sadowsky, but the economy, the price rises, etc, have totally put me off.[/quote] Couldn't agree more. Whilst I remember getting into a dispute a while ago for saying this, I really don't mind saying it again: the Metro prices are totally unjustified, in as much as you're paying for the name more than anything else. A shame because I would definitely buy one if they weren't so terribly priced. I'll probably buy second hand at some stage.

I'd play with anyone that made me good money. Take That would be a great gig. The people that I'd love to play with though would be Erykah Badu, Jay Z, John Mayer, Prince, Stevie Wonder Paul Simon and James Taylor.

I've heard a lot of them before and I couldn't agree or disagree on any one of them. I'd say there were plenty of better ones.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1239951' date='May 22 2011, 07:48 AM']It always amazes me when I see this and then how often we see a thread starting out " I have owned many basses over the years and always loved the look of stingrays but never owned one, last night I lent one at a jam night and oh my god it cut through the mix so well yet later in the set after a quick and simple adjustment of the EQ it was sitting below the mix all fat and punchy, I can't even imagine how good it would of sounded with flats on! " Think disco and how well Rays sit in the mix. Think rock, punk, indie, blues they work everytime just like a p or jazz but better Get one of everything that's the best bet IMO [/quote] Again, everyone's different aren't they. There's plenty of players that will disagree but Stingrays just don't sit the way I would want one to in a band situation. [quote]Because it's a forum... you know, to discuss stuff. You don't have to read it. I started the thread to get opinions, and although I had pretty much decided I want a Fender, if 90% of people had said "don't get a Fender" I probably would have rethought my decision. No need to be quite such a jerk about it.[/quote] Ignore the naysayers. I very much enjoy reading threads like this one

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='1239866' date='May 22 2011, 12:45 AM']At the end of the day only you know what you want from a bass. For me a stingray looks great, plays great and more importantly sounds great. A Fender jazz looks great, but for ne isn't comfortable and the sound I dislike. P's; well I think they look cheap and nasty and sound cheap and nasty. Personal opinion please don't start flaming me guys However I am hypocritical, as I would love to own a "great" fender jazz and precision just haven't found one yet. Where as rays do it for me 9 times out of 10.[/quote] I don't think anyone should be 'flamed' for having an opinion on what they prefer! I like Stingrays but have always been hesitant to buy one as I don't think they sit particularly well in a mix. For me it's more of a case that they sound great by themselves, really ballsy and aggressive, but not necessarily what I'd look for to sit comfortably in the bottom of a track because I don't think they do this well. Just my opinion of course. Also, whilst I love Fenders (and own one), I've also found that companies like Lakland do Fender a lot better. My Darryl Jones 4 blows most Fender Jazz's I've played out of the water. But I still wouldn't hesitate to order a custom shop Fender or buy a vintage one if I had the money because I just love 'em.

The Mecca of bass guitar. I don't care how many people don't like them! I will forever gravitate towards Fender Jazz basses, second only to P's. They've got everything I need to make music, countless generations of pro bass players used them on the best records. They're brilliant!

If those are your basses in that pic then I would look objectively at why you'd need a new bass at all. I understand that it's nice to buy a new instrument but will another £2000-3000 bass do more than the basses that you've already got? If you're worrying about taking a knock to one of your Seis at pub gigs then I'd personally go out and buy something like a Lakland Skyline or a Fender, and save the rest of the money. That's just me though.

Michel Camilo's stuff with Anthony Jackson is just on another planet.

Pros: Good money Flexible hours (you're working for yourself) Good fun Get to see the world if you're clever enough about booking gigs Good experience playing live music Working through agencies can be a good thing for regular work (not all the time though) Cons: You might end up feeling like you're wasting your time playing over people's music. In fact I guarantee you'll have nights like it. If the crowd or venue is inhospitable or indifferent to your music you're likely to suffer a bad night Can be sporadic dates, especially in Jan/Feb when not a lot happens Waiting around (although whether you're a pro musician or not this will never change) You need to be able to keep your cool in every situation People will try and mess you round with money. In my opinion, a suitable stop gap to make sure you've got money coming in but not a full time vocation. The best piece of advice for you: sort out a contract that outlines pay, stage, space and P.A. requirements/soundmen for larger venues, catering (within reason, i.e. whether or not you'll require food, soft drinks), whether or not you're happy to play at venues with sound limiters, expenses for petrol and travel costs, accommodation, damage liability, etc.

www.stringbusters.co.uk should do them.

Lovely!

[quote name='JayPH' post='1235994' date='May 18 2011, 05:15 PM']When i was looking at Fender Basses in Dawsons recently I asked one of the lads what was the difference between the MIM and MIA basses and he said "A few Miles". He said that the American ones tended to be setup better from the start but you can setup a MIM to play just as well.[/quote] I wouldn't pay a single bit of attention to the guys in Liverpool Dawsons, they don't know what they're talking about! I popped in a few days back and tried a number of Fenders they had in. Played a Marcus Miller Jazz in there, the intonation was so bad by the time you got to the 12th fret of the bass it was almost a whole semitone sharp, and the Jaco Squier in there had a neck bow so bad it was very difficult to play. When I pointed this out by demonstrating this to him, the assistant told me that 'you have to put a bit of work in yourself to get the bass you buy set up properly'. He also went on to explain that there was 'no way of swapping out the preamp in the Marcus Miller', and when I pointed out that there were indeed companies like J-Retro that sold the MM plate mounted preamps that you can just drop in as replacements, he seemed totally baffled by it. I don't expect the setups on basses in stores like that to be perfect, but I would at least expect a store assistant to be aware that if you're going to be paying upwards of £900-1000 on an instrument then it should be in their interest to pay a bit more attention to how that bass guitar plays. Instead he tried to fob me off with a barrage of misinformation. Not good at all.

[quote name='skej21' post='1234743' date='May 17 2011, 07:23 PM']What's a Fender? [/quote] Something people regularly complain about despite being a blueprint to everything we enjoy about our instrument

[quote name='chipmunk_jr' post='1234504' date='May 17 2011, 04:20 PM']Every band you seem to see live, there bass players seem to play fenders. I've played a couple and I cant see what all the fuss is about???? Ive played much nicer basses for a lot less money.[/quote] Go and play something else then. Your opinion is exactly that... your opinion. No doubt if you gave me a list of [u]your[/u] favourite bass manufacturers then there is a good chance I would say the same thing, but then that would be [u]my[/u] opinion. It's not worth the discussion really.

The problem with sound limiters is that they're rarely calibrated properly and therefore get set off way below the required level, or sometimes not at all. Bass guitar sets the overly sensitive ones off very quickly so be weary. We've now stipulated in our contract that if you must have a venue that has a limiter then it's not our concern should be set them off... and we're not an overly loud band either by any means.

[quote name='burno70' post='1234433' date='May 17 2011, 03:27 PM']Cheers for the detailed resopnse! We've worked with Glasswerk before but will definately look up the others you mention. Thanks![/quote] No problem. Glasswerk can be a bit funny and it's worth reading their T & C before committing to anything with them. If they work for you then cool, but there are certain restrictions you might not want to flout with them.