bassjim

My recurring nightmare.... " Can you make me a specific bass that will be as I describe it?" Yes. Thats £500.00 deposit and you can pay the other £2000.00 when its done. "How long will that be?" Oh about 3-5 months. 6 tops. "Here is my money." 14 months later......£2000.00 lighter. "This bass is rubbish." It exactly as you said you wanted it. Maybe you need another one but this time we make it out of a different wood. "Are you sure? You are? Ok then. Can you do it?" Yes. That will be £500.00 deposit. Repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat repeat. Surely I cant be that stupid can I? Yes actually I can. Good job I woke up and stopped.😬

Not a solution but sharing personal experience with the Musicman 5. I had the same bass many years ago and at the time had the same opinion that the B string was floppy and muddy. It could (the B string) sound good/okish if I played with a very light touch, sounded great recorded and maybe a low C had better focus than a low Eb. But the whole thing for me (with the Musicman 5) was a constant compromise. It excelled in some areas but was weak in others. But then most basses you could argue that point but a lot of the time it felt like with the MM5 the wind had to blowing in the right direction for me to be happy with it. I tried 130 and 125 gauge but same old compromise. One sounded better but wouldn't intonate as well as the other. I cant remember which way round it was but I do remember experimenting with gauges. Having just said all that, my experience gained since then regarding everything from Amps, using EQ to playing in general has changed a lot since then so maybe I'd have a different opinion today on the same bass. But I do remember thinking if only it could sound as good as it played and was constantly frustrated getting it (the B string) to sound consistently good live. Lots of other players were using them at the time and lots of great players still use them today so maybe a lot of its down to the player (as in me) more than the bass? I don't know. This now makes me want to track down my old MM5 to really find out. What I can say though is back then by chance in a music shop, I picked up an Overwater 36" scale Progress 3 and instantly B string problem solved. I was so happy with it that and convinced I had solved the problem that I announced to my then wife, so pretty serious stuff, that we were not going on holiday that year and bought it. 125 or 130, steel or nickel round wound, different manufactures, B string no problem either way. This then took me on an expensive 15 year journey from Overwater basses to 35" GB basses. All had killer B strings but now a new compromise (for me) playing with the longer scale length. I've now solved the frustrating B string vrs scale length problem by going back to a 4 string as my primary choice of bass and will only use a 5 if I really really need to. This really works for me on many other levels apart from just the low B thing. I don't expect its a solution for anyone but just sharing my experience. The Musicman 5 got me into the whole expensive mess in the first place but at least I now know what will and wont work for me. So after all that rambling I'd say go out and try some of the other 5ers out there to see what you think and only then get into different gauges and string types for the MM5.

Depends on how good the dep/s are. We have tried out some in the past that we would never use again hence no giggy tonight. It would have to be the toss between canceling wedding or similar before we took a punt on an unknown or agree to use a sub standard singer. However our usual deps we already know are of a high standard. So its even more annoying as we could have booked one of them if we had known in advance what was going to happen.

When we book a gig in advance with a dep, we already know that dep and capabilities of that dep. Usually that dep has played/sung with us before so we know what to expect. We never go out of our way to take a punt on someone and see what happens. Or do a gig knowing in advance the dep on offer is sub standard.

Going over fresh messages just now it looks like the following happened: Us: 10th Jan : Can you do gig on 15th Feb? Her: Yes Then.....somewhere along the way the other band, which apparently she is also a full time member, asks same thing and she says yes to that too. Realising her mistake but only at the last minute, we get dumped. Basically she painted her self into a corner. She flipped up. Thing is we did ask first and no matter what loyalties she has to her band there has to be some moral thing here. But its done now and we move on. New topic, maybe for a new thread but.... Have you double booked your self on a gig and only realised last minute what you have done and how did you sort it out? Or hypothetically what would you do if did?

Have you been here? Rant begins: So after all the grief of getting gigs, seeing who is available, arranging dep cover for who ever is not ect , dep singer casually lets us down the night before a gig expecting us to be grateful for the sub standard dep she has put in her place. She was booked on this gig a month ago but got a better offer last minute. Went from "this girls good and can cover the gig but I want you guys to know you are my priority" meaning I'll still do the gig if you really want me to, to " actually I'm doing the other gig and thats final" when we expressed our concern at her replacements obvious lack of ability. We've cancelled the gig as we know only too well that embarrassing vibe on a gig thats going tits up and getting tarred with the same brush as the weak link. The dep that let us down is a great singer so its very disappointing. There is an awkward feeling between us now so its unlikely we will offer anything to her again in the near future unless we are in a last minute desperado situation. If I book myself on a gig thats it I'm committed. If that band gives me loads of gigs then I'm really not going to go out of my way to let them down. This wasn't some diary error, just plain and simple 'yeah I'll just change things around last min' selfishness. How can we even think about talking to her again now shes done this? What would the great Basschat hive mind do in this situation moving forward?

Spent years in my youth perfecting slap bass playing. That and wa+*ing. I can still do both but dont have the same enthusiasm as I did then. But I will say one of these useless talents still draw a crowd if I do it in public during gigs at certain point in the set by myself.

Great band . Please can you post your set list so I can unashamedly borrow from it. 😛

This is called having your sh8t together.

Excellent topic! Yeah loads to rant about... My 2p worth: When depping: I think this problem exists on so many levels. There is a CBA attitude from players and singers that are just plain and simple lazy. They could do it but just CBA. I'm all up for going off on a tangent or doing your own thing (I do this my self) but only after actually knowing the material first. These changes would have been discussed and arranged first. Then theres' the not really good enough players, so songs have been adapted to suit. ie: Fred cant play the drum part properly in the mid 8 of I Want You Back or the singer just cant get a grip of when to shut up for the solo of whatever ,so the band have skipped that bit out. Problem is that band have done it like that now for so long even they have forgotten they have changed it. Its only on the gig that anyone thinks 'oh yeah should have mentioned that.' Or the band are made up of not so good or experienced players so they are blissfully unaware of just how inaccurate they are. Or....getting my handbag out for this one..... Bands that are made up of reasonably good players but really are all depping as part of a clique group within a town. No one really learns the material because 'y'know...im just too busy gigging everywhere all the time man. I just like ..y'know.. turn up and jam it out. Just follow the singer..' The very same singer that is reading lyrics off a smart phone and pointing at players at various places in the song where they really have no idea what the flipjs going on .... "its time for a solo...on the bass here's...." Its almost excusable if this really was a one off thrown together scratch band but the reality is these very same small clique bunch are in fact playing/busking/jamming out/ faking it/ the same material for the last 10 years. Shame as most of them are in fact great players but would never lower themselves to get in a room together and nail the tunes down. Meeowwwww!!!! Even worse: If its your own band... Players that think ..if a new tune sounds like it might work in a rehearsal....THEN and only then go away and learn it properly!!! The very same players that haven't learnt the tune properly then go.....'I dont think that will work. It sounds a bit lame.' Or.....'yeah that sounds like it could work. I'll have my sh8t together for next time.' Next time .....nope. Still haven't learnt it. Or I turn up having learnt a tune inside out only to get into a debate about how something goes and the person leading the debate with me hasn't learnt it properly. Then its out with the smart phone to prove points which really means 'I'll quickly see if I can learn this on the spot'. Or Prior to playing new tune.......'whats that bit in the middle 8 again? Can we go over that 20 odd times so I can be sure?' Passion. You have it or you dont have it. That feels much better now. Thank you.

The only time its ok for a band member to dictate at this level is if the other band member/s cant keep up or lack the required musicianship or turn up not really knowing or understanding their parts due to lack of real interest. If you are playing some crazy bent harmonics with some tasty slap and tap fills every four bars then ok someone needs to reign it in and steer the ship. There can be a passion to drive a band forward but this is often a compromise and most experienced musicians that MD will be aware of band members limits, both mentally as well as ability and know when to stop pushing their luck. I would offer a meeting with him and explain that although you understand his need to do things in a certain way, and although you appreciate his dedication he also has to compromise and allow you as an individual to grow musically at your own pace. Any thing done in what he may perceive to be bad taste is something you have to live with not him. If its really bugging him that much but none of the rest of the band have issues with the way you play then he needs to decide at what level is he happy to stick around. Give him an option to just turn up and play. Any thing thats not to his liking is now beyond his control so he has no responsibility for it. If he finds it really hard at that point he can always go out and find himself a band of musicians that are on his wavelength and you can advertise for a guitarist thats on yours.

Did you know....I only found this one out two weeks ago!........ When using youtube....Bottom right there is a wheel/cog/settings sign next to the YouTube logo. Click on that and you will find Speed. Click on that and you can slow it down to 75 % which also keeps it in tune. I never knew this all this time and have spent many extended hours trying to catch micro snippets of something going back and forth. Learning things slowly really gives me a chance to grasp exactly whats being played. Once I really know it slowly, I find it a lot easier to bring it up to normal speed. I can learn something I find complicated so much faster overall using this. Probably a bit of stating the obvious for a lot of folks but its a new discovery for me so if that helps anyone who like me didn't know🤩

I'm a fan of someone playing along when I can slow it down on you tube to help me learn something😀 Yeah good sight reading practice! I think this transcription is close but not exactly right but its close enough to get you in the ball park. I'm almost there with this one now. Just got to get the end section down. Bar 57 onwards. Really enjoying this one!

Been using the same EBS neo cabs for years now. I have the NEO 2 X 10 which is my main gigging cab. Works really well. Use the HD 350 head too. IMO the two compliment each other and you get the whole picture. I use a 1 X 12 for small tiny room gigs plus low-ish volume rehearsals and never feel I'm missing anything. If you get to try out both, decide pro or neo, I would say either way you have the reliability. I wouldn't hesitate to replace any of my EBS gear if lost,damaged or stolen. I'm a big a fan.

Just seen EBS are doing the HD360 limited anniversary edition but have changed the electronics so its now basically the same as the old HD350. Which I prefer to the HD360. So basically its a HD350 with an option to footswitch the pre shape and drive filters. For me the HD350 is the nuts .I still use mine week in week out and still love it. Seen many amps come and go but this is still the amp for me. I've said all along the 350 was the better of the two (having owned the 360 for a brief period )and now here it is again although dressed up to be a 360 but with some fancy logo stuff on it. Maybe now its the perfect amp. Best of both worlds.

I've already wasted thousands on bespoke that weren't that great in the first place. I have practically given away basses taking more than half of the original value just to see the back of them. I've also taken a massive hit on some that I didn't get on with at a very low price . I have traveled half way up the country to buy an instrument only to find its not as good as I have hoped so these days I'm sceptical about anything until I have tried it. If a Jay Dee for example (i'm not saying these are problem instruments its just an example of IF)came up for £500.00 I'd take a punt on that as I could sell it on if needed, but if it was say £1850.00 , although probably what its worth, I'm taking a risk. If its a duff or maybe I find its just not for me, I have to hope someone out there A: has £1850.00 to spend and B: wants a Jay Dee and C: doesn't want to wait for a new one and D : If new Jay Dees cost at least a grand more so its still some sort of a bargain. Of course if any one out there has a Jay Dee going for £500.00 let me know. Now . In box me.

As a rule of thumb: Always have a pre arranged time slot that's strictly half an hour. Always tell em you have another one coming after them or if its the last one of the day tell em you all need to be some place else after a half hour band meeting. If they turn out to be great then if they are happy to and time allows carry on. Have a system pre arranged with your band. Scratch your left ear = keep this one going - could be good - plus points so far. Right ear = nope. If its a sure fire no thanks and you want it to end quickly pretend a bit of equipment has suddenly stopped working. Put all instruments down and all head over to the door in unison saying something like... " flipping dogcunts, thats the eighth time my bastard Tracy Elephant has packed up this week. Sorry guys we'll have to do this another day. Well nice of you to come over Bono, we'll definitely get you back if any of the other guys don't work out. You're the best so far for that line after Boy George but Simon Le Bon has said he wants to have a go and we already know he's stinky poo but....anyway, so we'll see you soon yeah?"

Either way be it Greg Phillinganes only or AJ plus Greg or who wrote what its just a great bass line 😀.

Thank you very much TKenrick !!! This is fantastic. Right off to the shed.....back in about three weeks...

I think this has been asked before but has anyone got the bass transcription to Chaka Khans version of we can work it out? This guys all over it. I've started playing along with some limited success but the dots would really help a lot if anyone out in bass land has them. Its turned into one of those obsessive things where I just have to get this done weather my band plays it or not!

Some old saying goes......When one has tasted good champagne one doesn't care for the cheep wine unless one is already an alcoholic. I'd say it does matter what gear you have but there is a tolerance between usable and oh my flipping god this is cosmic.

My personal preference is to use my own rig regardless of what the deal is with the PA. I can turn it up or down accordingly. I know where I am with it and it makes me happy.

We have a shared band diary. On it we all put the dates we can not do in advance. Any thing comes up as the year goes on, we update our not available status. Any gigs that come in on days any of us can not do, deps are instantly called upon. Our main gig getter can confidently say yes to anything local/ish if it comes in straight away as we have all agreed to that in advance. Works 9/10. Not an answer to how to make a Sir Richard Head III behave better but if any of that helps......... I've been close to pushing old band members with ego problems under a passing bus but the try and sort it out route is probably best. If the guys a born Sir Richard Head III, its unlikely hes gonna change so you may as well try and blend in and grit your teeth if its great regular gig.

I'm was a new gig = new set of strings when using cheap roto nickels. Went on to Daddario Nickels and went to one set= lasts three gigs on the trot at a weekend and still good about a week or so after. Every now and then I get a gig in a place I'm not that bothered about and don't bother changing them at all. Funny thing is recently I've been enjoying those gigs tone wise a bit more. This weekend I'm living on the edge and not going to change em and see what happens!

When using a courier for any items I value I pay the extra going rate for a pre-10 delivery (for within the UK ) Although its not guaranteed its possibly a safer bet as the parcel is more likely to be in constant transit. No hanging around all night at a depo waiting for whom ever turn it is to have the brain that day, or the next day, to make sure its on the right van. I sent a bass out to a fellow basschatter yesterday. It was picked up at 4pm and it arrived safe and sound this morning at 9:30am. My courier also issues a tracking number you can use on line, you give them mobile number and they text a progress report phone along with an hourly time slot stating when its going to be delivered. Courier is called DPD Local. Bass traveled from the south coast to the midlands. Not that it helps the OP right now but I would suggest asking any shop or other wise if you could pay that extra bit on top for a next day pre 10 delivery as its may just get that extra bit of attention. Hopefully.