Boodang

Just lean it on the silver round thing that's behind you in the pic!

I've never been a fan of bass drums sounding like an explosion and taking up all the sonic space and the Ekit has really given me control over the kick sound. I'm currently using layered sampling to get the best of both worlds and use a combination of an 18 and 22. And if the PA is not up to it, the yamaha has a 'compressed' sounding vinyl kit and I use the BD from that as it's very mid eq'd. Also enjoying the variety of snare drums which is probably the thing i change most during a set to suit the song.

As well as playing bass, I also play an Ekit (Yamaha dtx6) in a band. It has it's pros and cons but overall, I and the band are loving it! I've been playing it for 18 months now and thoroughly enjoying the range of sounds you can get from it, especially as it's a covers band. It has, however, taken about 12 months to get a grip on it. We get a consistent sound foh but it's taken considerable editing (and trial and error) to get there. I particularly enjoy big gigs where you have what looks like a kids toy kit on stage but delivers a massive sound out front. And it's made low volume gigs and rehearsals a joy. In fact with iem's we're a monitor free zone. But you do have to get into editing (I have various eq'd presets for each kit depending on what type of PA it's going through) and as there's no acoustic volume (just like an electric guitar or bass!), monitoring is crucial (but with our xr18 desk that's an easy task). One side effect of playing an Ekit I hadn't considered before is that there's no hiding place for your kick pedal... for all the audience to criticise your technique!

My best mate in school was a great guitarist, even then he was a natural talent. So I couldn't pick up the guitar as I was always going to be comparing myself to him. He formed a band with his brother on bass, but when the brother couldn't commit to rehearsals he suggested I take up the bass. We loved going to see bands live and the idea of being on stage myself was always there. So I went to my local shop and they had a fretless Westone, and I thought well, if I'm going to play 4 strings rather than 6 then a fretless would look cool. I didn't actually pick up a fretted bass until 20 years later! It didn't take long for me to be hooked and not think of the bass as an something failed guitarists ended up playing. My biggest influence then was Chris Squire. Massively into Yes I was mesmerized by his driving bass lines. I never really nailed the tone on my fretless (!) but his playing style was what I aspired to. I spent the next few decades getting kicked out of bands for over playing! Then I came across Eberhard Weber and converted almost overnight to EUB. Much to the consternation of the rock band I was in at the time, I insisted on playing it exclusively. Only recently have I found my way back to fretless BG, but very much still learning and loving playing bass.

Always been an envelope filter fan but since coming across the Aguilar Grape Phaser it's been my effect of choice when getting funky in preference to my collection of EF pedals. So I was quite keen when Warm Audio announced they were releasing an accurate reproduction of the Mu-tron phasor II... and here it is. Shimmering, fast rate, phaser sounds are great for psychedelic guitar but for bass my preference is a slow rate with high feedback. And as the manual states, the feedback control is particularly effective with slow rates. For the audio clips I've tried to match the rate and feedback as a comparison between the Warm Audio and Aguilar but the Mutation also has a depth control (lacking on the Aguilar), which I've set to preference. To my ears, the WA is warmer (bassier) and smoother (less harsh), whereas the Aguilar has more mids and treble, and more of a swirly, squelchy, sound. The WA seems less extreme (for the slow rates at which I'd use it) than the Aguilar, although with the depth wide open it does approach the Aguilar but I think it's at its best at less extreme settings. But my fav sound is both used in series! Very squelchy and swirly but not much shimmer. Very funky. Interested to see what others think to the clips. Reverb is courtesy of a HoF, and an Aguilar TLC is first in chain. The bass used is a Squier Jazz fretless with Galli Synthesis flat strings. Settings for the WA as per picture, Aguilar is set 12 o'clock rate, 2 o'clock color (feedback). PS the Mutation is not a small pedal, about twice the size of the Aguilar, so will take up some board real estate. Seems very well made though. Clip 1; straight Clip 2; Warm Audio Clip 3; Aguilar Clip 4; Warm Audio plus Aguilar 00:01:66:00:5C:51_285_Straight.mp3 00:01:66:00:5C:51_287_Warm Audio.mp3 00:01:66:00:5C:51_289_Aguilar Grape Phaser.mp3 00:01:66:00:5C:51_291_Warm Audio + Aguilar.mp3

Just arrived! Had a quick play through, compared to the Aguilar Grape Phaser this is warmer and smoother. I will do a review in the next week with some clips to compare. Initial reaction, and it's early days, I prefer this to the Aguilar. PS have now posted a quick review with some clips.

I don't think this will help, but I found the biggest difference to my live playing occurred when I swapped over from bg to EUB. The reason, I believe, is because I was no longer having to give any thought to what I was doing on stage... routed to the spot, it's easier to concentrate on my playing.

I'm in a covers band with which I play drums and there are a couple of songs I absolutely detest but the audience love. To get through them, and the same strategy would apply if I were playing bass, I screw with the structure of my playing to the point where the bass player gives me a knowing look but the audience are less aware. And there's the fun, how much can you screw with the song without ruining it. So, for the microwave oven song i start out straight but by the end it's full on funk. It's been an interesting journey to see how much i can push it without losing the audience or for that matter the sympathy of my bandmates. I've made it perfectly clear to the rest of the band that I'm a consummate professional and will serve the song at all costs... with a few exceptions, which I don't tell them about and just have fun with. PS I HATE the microwave oven song!!!

https://www.protectionracket.com/products/guitar-cases/item/bass-guitar-case-deluxe I used to have hard cases but now use these. A good compromise but tough enough to give real world protection. I have a custom bass that is irreplaceable and I use this to gig with.

In one band I’m in the vocalist doesn’t help with setting up or tearing down, doesn’t even own a microphone. He is good though and despite everything a really nice guy. I refer to him exclusively as ‘the talent’.

Pickups.... I had some custom jazz single coil pups made, alnico2 for the bridge and alnico5 for the neck. Tone starts at the source and these really work for me, no eq needed.

Listen to Straight As Calm Can Be by Boodang on #SoundCloud https://on.soundcloud.com/cBPqi One take using a looper and wiretap. The image reminds me a of the game Bio Shock. With that in mind this is the result.

My latest jacket for gigs. Already have purple and orange ones. Going for the ‘Sgt Pepper’ look even tho we don’t play any Beatles!

I’ve had red heads in the past but have settled on a baby blue which has become a part of my sound.

Dan Hawkins has some particularly good, well articulated, lessons on YouTube.

3 for triplets

Reviews and clips of the three EFs I own. The Fwonkbeta has a huge bottom heavy sound, not very versatile but nothing else like it. The Supa Funk is the closest to a normal EF, quite subtle, the Funk Machine is mental and good for the extreme Brecker Brothers 'Sponge' sound or as an LPF.

Before it gets busy again it's time for the wood shed... maybe get some composing done and record a fusion version of Summertime to get it out your system!

This is a good example of learning good technique from the start. It’s probably the one thing you need a teacher for rather than YouTube or a book. Basically higher strings not being played are muted by the left hand, bottom strings not being played are muted by the right hand thumb as you move it onto the E string, then the A so both are muted. Rest strokes on from the G land on the D which can mute, or you can place the thumb on the D and still mute the A and E. This is all assuming finger playing as opposed to pick. By resting your thumb on the pickup and never moving it, will make lower string muted hard for yourself.

The Jack Casady bass is awesome but maybe not suitable for the sound you want, although change the strings to round wounds will help a bit. Some standard rotosounds would do nicely.

PS I have a small area setup for practice which I think is important so you don’t have to faff about to get going. Also, I use a small behringer mixer (little 4 channel thing that was about £30), so I can plug in the bass and my laptop, play along to lessons, Spotify etc on headphones. Only use an amp when rehearsing or gigging.

Dan Hawkins has some great stuff on YouTube. I think his approach to theory is very clear cut and some great vids on putting it all together into bass lines and supporting songs. Even if you’re not into jazz, get into walking bass lines. Will teach you timing but more importantly chord structures, and this knowledge is relevant for any genre of playing. Ed Friedland ; Building walking bass lines.

Keep it interesting, always have a song you’ll learning and do the theory as you go in small chunks. For me the top tip would be to not get into bad physical habits when starting out. Get someone to show you or you’ll end up making life difficult for yourself later. For instance, the best way to position the left hand (don’t wrap your thumb around the neck. Might work for some people but not ideal). Don’t have a bent wrist on the right hand by resting your forearm on the body as this will cause carpal tunnel pain later.

Love the riff. IMHO that tract doesn’t need vocals. And yep, love learning stuff way outside my comfort zone. Tends not to be bass lines but solos in jazz numbers, I find it gives you a greater understanding of melody concepts. Currently obsessed with the Tim Miller solo in the Gwizdala song ‘Bethany’ as it’s a masterpiece. It’s mental tho and even on my 5 string high C it’s an uber challenge.

I would say that drumeo is worth ever penny tho.