derrenleepoole

I've only ever owned one hollow bodied bass before which was a violin bass copy... so long ago now that I forget the make and even when Anyway, I've been digging the vibe of them recently and was wondering if you lovely peeps could offer some valuable insight into the pros and cons of hollow instruments as opposed to solid body. I'm particularly taken by the Ibanez ABG140 as seen in the following video... absolutely loving the tone in this, the fact that it's single pickup (just like singles) and love the look: A quick check on Ibanez's website and it would appear that these are no longer made. I suppose my question's are: 1. What basses like the Ibanez above come close to that tone and vibe if I can't find one? 2. How upgradable or easy to modify are basses like this comparable to solid bodied instruments (if needed)? 3. Which models offer good balance and don't suffer from neck dive? 4. Is feedback likely to be an issue with hollow bodied basses? 5. Does anyone recommend certain amplification for instruments of this nature? 6. If anyone has an Ibanez ABG140 for sale, let me know Cheers guys and gals... Derren

Zoom H2 is by far the best portable recorder for the money. The Boss Micro BR is sort of like a small portable multi-track, but only one instrument at a time. It does have a built in mic for rehearsal recording, but you'll only get mono recordings. Plus the BR uses proprietory file formats which need converting to WAV or AIF first which is a big negative in my book. The BR doesn't support media any bigger than a gig in memory. The Zoom is WAV and MP3 only so files can be edited straight away. I have an 8 gig memory card in mine which gives me 13 hours of CD quality recording. The 4 channel surround on the H2 is simply amazing for the little price you pay for the unit.

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nathan-East-NE-1-Bass-Preamp_W0QQitemZ370302295309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL?hash=item5637bc9d0d#ht_500wt_1051"]Link[/url] I like these preamps... check it out

You need to drive these amps hard to get the best out if them, so a preamp of some kind is advised if you have a quiet bass. They're lighter than the Superfly, much quieter and don't overheat as bad. The shape buttons are useful and the EQ is flexible. They're also suspect on build quality, especially with the buttons, so a rack case is highly recommended. But for the money, you do get a 1000 watt head which makes a great gigging or backup amp.

What is basswood? An over excitable response to lush bass gear!!!! I'll get me coat

From October 17th at JB's Jazz and Blues Club. A bit of a different take on Bob Dylan's - Gotta Serve Somebody. This is the Little Giant 1000 head with 484 Superfly cab if anyone is interested.

[quote name='Major-Minor' post='672875' date='Dec 3 2009, 09:30 AM']I know Kind of Blue very well. And I'd be hard pressed to find many examples of true modal improvisation in this seminal album[/quote] True that. But for the most part, the basic underlying themes and melodies and modal in construction. But yes, many of the solos do use scales/notes etc that fall out of the original modal frame work as conceived by Davis. However, as a bassist and not a soloist there are lessons to be learned from this album... just a thought. Peace.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='672480' date='Dec 2 2009, 08:57 PM']Hey Major , A fabulous Lydian melody is 'Inca Roads' by Frank Zappa. Really lovely melody. Frank was a big fan of Lydian.[/quote] +1 What a tune!

The whole of 'Kind Of Blue' by Miles Davis is an exercise in modal improvisation and writing.

[quote name='teej' post='671859' date='Dec 2 2009, 09:37 AM']That's great! I used to play tea chest before getting my first upright, years ago. My mate Dave, drummer with Tragic Roundabout, has a superb tea chest technique he learned from an American busker in Italy. I tried it and thought it was a big improvement on the traditional approach. I'll try and explain it (and hope I get it right!). Assuming you're right handed... First off, the pole is positioned differently: instead of near left corner to pull back on, place the end of the pole at the far left corner to lean on; Second, instead of right foot up on the chest to steady it, use the left; Third, instead of plucking the string with your hand, hit it with a drumstick! I think that's right, but it's been a few years since he showed me and I haven't got a tea chest to test it on. Using this method eventually you can get a rolling motion with your right hand, and catch the top of the tea chest with the drumstick before the string and replicate the upright bass slap sound. Dave could, I didn't spend enough time trying it.[/quote] This technique sounds familiar, I think I've come across it before. Anyway, found this video and just had to share. Miles Davis 'Milestones' by the Old Spice Boys done with snare drum, uke and tea chest bass.

I miss my tea chest bass so much... think I need to make another

Nuff said

An XLR cable is just that, an XLR cable. Any will do as long as it has male and female ends, you're good to go. The difference between instrument and microphone labeling is just terminology.

If you're looking for integration of Reason with a DAW in a live setting, then why not just use Propellerheads new [url="http://www.propellerheads.se/products/record/"]Record[/url] software? You won't get more integrated than that All you then need is a good, yet simple audio interface. You new Macbook will use USB 2 which is faster than Firewire. You won't need to spend a fortune on one, just check that Reason/Record supports the interface in question. Simple.

The Superfly is a good head on paper but is let down by overheating issues, grossly overweight for it's size and build quality issues. You can pick them up for £100 approx these days, so as a backup amp might be worth the investment. The replacement Little Giant heads while offering better flexibility, are poorly built to be honest. I have one, and while I get a 1000 watts at very little price outlay, it has to be handled with care, so rack mounting it is a must. But to be honest, there's no reason why it shouldn't last if looked after properly though. Saying that, if it does go down or is knicked it's not a massive outlay to replace again. Swings and roundabouts I guess. Any amp is prone to failure, so in your price range you could get two and keep one for backup

Some pics and videos from Bass Day: Yoland Charles: Ralf Gauck: PS... I haven't forgotten about the audio files, I just haven't edited them yet

One of the best basses I've ever had was a Spectrum DX, red with black coated neck. Paid £50 for it with a case. I hav a picture somewhere. Still wish I had it really.