Boodang

The professional bass player in question back in the day used to tour with some big name acts.... and that's the problem as he approaches everything on that basis. What he doesn't consider is that this is a band playing covers for pub money. Quite ironically, the biggest issue I used to have with the guitarist is that he was always upset about the lack of money being offered to the band for gigs and complained he was being disrespected but such paltry offerings.... well, from now on he's going to be paying a lot of respect to their bass player! Hopefully it'll make them appreciate what they had a bit better.

Correct! Such a shame!

A bit of an update as it's quite amusing... at least for me. I got invited to a gig the guitarist of the old band was doing with a completely different outfit not connected to the old covers band or the new derivative. Was talking to him during the break and as I'm organising a spring festival, and enough water has gone under the bridge now for me not to care too much, I said that the new covers band (the one they replaced me with another bass player) should play. The guitarist informed me that they wouldn't be able to do it as the new bass player had left. Such a shame I thought, but it has to be said I have given in to a bit of schadenfreude and I went home and celebrated by opening a bottle of good wine. Fortunately they had the sense not to ask me back! Turns out they have another bass player lined up but he's a pro, who I know, and he will even charge them for turning up for rehearsals... such a shame! Plus, he's currently on tour for at least the next 6 months so they can't do anything until then, and that's if he doesn't get another good paying gig... such a shame!! In the meantime, the guitarist is helping out a few friends with this new band but two of the musicians are new to gigging and, although good considering they've only been playing their instruments for a year, are in every other respect dreadful. But they're having fun, learning and fair play to the guitarist for helping out. But then he doesn't have any other band to play in at the moment... such a shame. Anyway, not bitter and twisted in the slightest. The thing that I am pleased about is that over xmas we all got back together and friendships seem to be healed. Although I doubt I'll play with them again, to be honest that means less chance of us falling out over stupid musical differences, so all good really.

I'm of the opinion that 2 x 10 can't push enough air to keep up with heavy hitting drummer (no matter how many watts you stick up it). A 1 x 12 is ok for jazz upright and that's about it. 4 x 10 has punch and 1 x 15 depth, I like both but mostly a 1 x 15. I had an SWR Redhead once, lovely combo, great sound. Went to a rehearsal with a new band, the drummer averagely heavy hitter, the guitarist had a Fender 1 x 12 combo..... couldn't hear the bass. Got another 2 x 10 SWR cab, a bit better but I've found two 2 x 10 cabs not as loud as a single 4 x 10. A you say, bass requires you to push air. I've got an old Peavey TNT 1 x 15 that sounds nasty but does the job (speaker size over watts in this case) and I've had two TE 300watt 15" combos; one with no ports, smaller but not loud enough, the one with ports did do the job. My SWR Baby Blue II I still have and use in the studio but recently out of sheer laziness have been using it on small gigs. 2 x 8" and was at its max to cope, but cope it did until it just died mid gig one night and the amp section is fried. Still a good valve preamp though!

Get the book ‘Standing in the Shadows of Motown : the life of James Jamerson’. There’s some absolute classic stuff to learn and absorb in it. Plus gave me an appreciation of why everyone says JJ was a genius at what he did. As for an individual song/bass line, the biggest influence on me was Bennie Maupin’s song ‘it remains to be seen’ with Paul Jackson on bass. I came across a cassette tape that was just labelled 70s groove with no track listing. This was the first track. Pre internet days and took me ages to find out what the track/artist was. That set me off on a journey of jazz groove bass fascination. Put a band together and this was always the first song in the set list, could go on for 15 mins or more if we were on it. Super funky.

PS the other thing you could try is a mixing desk with build SD card recording so no daw/pc required. I’m tempted by the Tascam model 16 or Zoom L20. That way it’s quite old school. Plug in the desk, press record then mix down.

I’m an IT idiot, hate trying to set up software. When I bought an xr18 I thought I’d better make use of the recording facility so tried various recording software… went thru Ableton, Cubase, and Acid but found the learning curve too steep. I just want to record, plug in the band press record, then mix, nothing fancy and very old school. I’ve just downloaded Reaper and bingo! It enables me to just do that. Didn’t even bother doing a tutorial, it’s quite intuitive. Can thoroughly recommend.

Well, if you just want a pedal you could do worse than the line 6 pod express bass. Ampeg, GK, Aguilar, Fender plus cab sims all rolled into one.

Currently I'm using an LD Systems Icoa 15a. 300w, 1 x 15, 25kg & about £350. I just put my effects board into it. I do have a Line 6 pod express bass which does some good amp simulation, and the Icoa does a good job of projecting whatever you put into it. Plenty of power too.

Octave not only needs the cleanest signal but also least amount of harmonics. So playing nearer the neck will give a better result than playing near the bridge.

D-Roc looks cool… if I had the money though I’d buy the Super J.

Bass the World raved about it so I got on that basis but I just don’t think the concept transfers to bass that well. I couldn’t get a good clean sound out of it and that with a passive jazz (the supposedly boost only clean channel wasn’t that clean), and, to my ears, the breakup was more like a tear in a speaker than an overdriven amp.

Not particularly on topic but … I had one of the old TE 350 heads, pre switch mode psu with the fluorescent lamp, and a 4x10 cab. It really threw the bass into the audience. Did a gig in a pub garden once which backed onto a park. Someone came around to the pub and asked if we could turn down the bass. Apparently there was an open air gig and the bass was cutting across it! Ah, those were the days, two people to lift the amp and four to lift the cab!

We called our Hendrix oriented band Purple Haze and seems to have helped get the appropriate crowd thru the door. We do qualify it on our poster as ‘psychedelic blues’. if it actually describes your music I think it can only help.

I’ve just learnt this one this year and it all depends on how it’s handled. Im in a covers band, then I find there’s another band in town playing the same songs, and it’s my covers band (I did actually start it), but minus me, with a different bass player and different name. I get told the old covers band is still together, we’re just taking a hiatus! It’s funny because if they’d said ‘would you mind’ I would have been ok about it. But as it was done behind my back… not ok! Far from ok!!

Instrumental blues, no frontman, problem sorted!

Well, I’m definitely instantly replaceable in my (own!) covers band as I found out earlier in the year! But to be honest not difficult as far as bass playing is concerned as it was fairly standard stuff. I started a blues band around a guitarist, and he is definitely not replaceable in the sense that it would be a different band with another guitarist at the front. I play drums in that one… replaceable, yes, but it would have a different feel (some might say I should be replaced as I bring my funk grooves to the blues… sacrilege!). I'm in a soul band and a punk band as well, the main reason I’m not replaceable is I own the PA, the mics, all the leads, mixing desk and a 16 track studio and rehearsal space. How not to get fired!!

Same here! Am currently using it as a bizzaro reverb but I’ll be selling it on to a guitarist soon.

Not quite! I’ve got a headless and found there’s a lot of strings that don’t like the windings being clamped and it results in the winding being pulled apart under tension. TI’s will do this, so there’s one brand you instantly can’t use. Unfortunately clamping is not the panacea it first appears to be.

Yes, make it headless, then 99% of strings made you won’t be able to fit!

So, in response to ‘the best pedal of 2024’, here’s a spot for the worst! Not necessarily the worst made or designed (although they’re not excluded), just not right for you. I’ll start with the Line 6 pod express bass. I think it’s a great pedal but… not for me. The amp modelling is good but all the effects I can do better with my analogue pedal board (although considerably more expensive). Also, can’t update the pedal without having a line 6 account… can’t download the editor without an account. What a faff! Although the editor is cool. Will I be using it in future… hell no and I’ve sold it to a mate already. More of a disappointment is the Earthquarker Blumes… because I had higher expectations I guess. I’m sure for some it’s great, just couldn’t get a good setting for me.

I worked in a shop once where the boss would make decisions for financial reasons knowing it would royally p!ss off some customers. To soften the blow he would give a fake telling off to a member of staff in front of said upset customer, the member of staff would be under instructions to be suitably chastised. Now I’m not saying the boss wasn’t genuinely upset, I guess I’m just cynical (although it is a standard trick of the trade). And it is Xmas, so bah humbug!

Roger Dean prints I take it. Very nice.

A home turf gig last night at the Brit Club for our blues band Purple Haze (a two minute walk for me). Considering a lot of people have gone home for Xmas we still managed a good crowd, even people who were going out on flights early in the morning turned up, so we seem to be getting a bit of a following. Played for two hours, one hour of which was new material, mostly old blues standards, kept the fav Hendrix numbers in of course. On the MM bass I replaced the electronics with just a Delano Xpure (I know I know!) but in my opinion the raw sound of the pickup is an improvement! The fretless jazz got an outing as well. New Charles Guitar trem on the Strat, so lots of wammy use as the guitarist made the best of it, plus new compensated saddles on the Tele. All sounded good and have to say Charles Guitars make some good parts. Did a slowed down version of Hey Joe with an almost country beat (Otis Taylor style) and slide guitar which went down a treat. Last gig of the year and a fun one at that.

Do it! Use the whole thing as an excuse to vlog said 'dramas' on youtube. That could prove more profitable than the gigs.