Wylie

If a book counts as gear, the Pat Metheny Songbook, about two pounds of a hell of a lot of Metheny songs! Most with full bass transcription. From my sweet wife.

tg

[quote name='louisthebass' timestamp='1324846649' post='1478111']
Might be worth your while checking out some of the Jamey Aebersold Playalongs from Jazzwise. Great CD & book packages that cover a lot of ground where "the standards" are concerned.

Another avenue for learning walking bass lines would be the first two Ed Friedland books "Building Walking Bass Lines" & "Expanding Walking Bass Lines".
[/quote]

+1 on the Abersold books, particulary helpful to a beginner is their 'Maiden Voyage' book & CD, which will get you looking at 12-bar jazz blues, modal blues, Latin, etc. Next, 'Approaching the Standards, vol. 1' Very good stuff, and good prices, too.

Thanks to all for suggestions and advice. I've decided on the Casady.

tg

[quote name='tredders' timestamp='1324767633' post='1477798']
Just re-reading your original post. Regarding weight, the Hofner felt like it wasnt there - it was so light. However as HJ said above, they're not the best balanced basses. The JC was surprisingly heavy. I'd expected something really light (being semi acoustic), but was quite surprised by how solid it was.
[/quote]

Thanks. I haven't weighed my Squier jazz, but it is heavy. Plus, my shoulder has a problem (it's old), so just about any reduction in weight will be welcome.

Your mileage may vary ... just got it.

[quote name='tredders' timestamp='1324765550' post='1477776']
I owned both. The Beatle bass was a lovely bass to look at, but wasn't the greatest to play. Plus, as you already know, it was shorter scale, and ended up looking like a toy guitar when I played it.

The JC was a totally different animal - great sounding, great to play, and a fantastic slim neck on it. Out of the two, I'd take the JC over the Hofner every day of the week, but YMMV.
[/quote]

Thanks tredders ... but what does YMMV stand for?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1324761499' post='1477734']
I've never played a Casady, but isn't that 34" scale?

If so then, quite apart from the obvious stuff like body shape and pickups, those are two very different beasts.

The Contemporary is a very nice bass, and it's light and well-made (or the two I've had both were, anyway), but it really is not the genuine Hofner experience. The "sustain block" changes the weight, the balance and the sound. If that isn't an issue for you, then you can deal with North Coast Music with confidence - they really do know their Hofners.
[/quote]

Thanks. A step up from the Contemporary is a big step--About $2,000. That is a lot of dinero.

[quote name='the_krysh' timestamp='1324762591' post='1477743']
they are completely different beasts. i.e. one short scale the other long scale. the QC is really bad on the epiphones. so play before buying it.
I'd recomment a höfner verythin. these are great (if you don't have a guild starfire, of course. )
[/quote]

Thanks. I knew the Hofner was a short-scale and Casady a 34" scale. Reviews on these basses are all over the map. I'm gonna have to travel to where they are, I can see that ...

I can't decide between the Hofner (Contemporary model) Beatle bass and the Jack Casady bass, and unless I take a very long road trip, I won't get to play one before I buy. I have a good line on the Beatle bass from a dealer in the Midwest who picks out the basses at the Hofner factory and sets them up before he sells them (www.northcoastmusic.com). The Contemporary model sells for about $780, the Casady about $800.

I've looked around BC to see if they've been compared; didn't find a comparison. Can anyone who's played both give me an idea of their relative (and comparative) merits? Or let me know what you like about the one you own. I'm after a pretty fat tone (I'd probably use flats on either one) and I definitely need a lighter bass.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all Basschatters.


Ted

I recommend GHS flats. About $25 here. Considered against the high price of a lot of flats, I thought these were a good value, and the sound (on my jazz) was fabulous.

My Squier 77 was $285 (about 180 pounds [can't make pound sign]; I think it's great. Of course, I have nothing to compare it to, as most here seem to have two or three basses

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1324251933' post='1472337']The Daddario one's do feel weird at first. Quite rough on the fingers, (left and right hands) - almost like the grinding process leaves lots of little burs. That seems to go after a week or so, but whether that's them actually changing or just me getting used to them I don't know.
[/quote]

+1. I thought mine sounded a lot like flats and not much like rounds. Same maker.

One bass is about all I can afford; the next bit of cash for toys will go to a new amp. I would like something like a Casady bass, though, for the light weight, if nothing else. The jazz gets heavy after an hour. That's the only reason I'd need another bass. I think I agree with GW, if you can manage a tune on one, you can manage all. (Also, part of me says, 'It's just a bass.' I know this may be considered heretical ... )

He is a good guy. I copyedited his PlayBassNow newsletter for a few months; he then got too busy to keep up with it, I think.

David 'Fat Head' Newman, 'Nature Boy.' Incredibly soulful rendition.

Squier Jaguar bass L299. (I don't have a 'pounds' key.)

A gig playing pre- and post-prandial music for a group of Episcopal clergymen and women. My trio is violin, piano and bass. We wound up 'Footprints' and were just totally inside it--each player listening to the others more than to himself. An all but indescribable feeling, and rare. Makes all the headaches worth it.

[quote name='ZMech' timestamp='1323043065' post='1458721']
I should also mention that the feeling never truly goes away. After every lesson with my bass teacher it slightly upsets me just how ridiculously better than me he his. Just view it as 'motivation'.
[/quote]

+111 And yet my bass teacher, who is a killer bass player, has [i]his [/i]higher-level goals as well; and so it goes. Like Skankdelvar said, it's a flow of small wins.

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1322680190' post='1454495']

I also think technique is important. How can a person play to the highest standard if they dont practice technique, especially when starting from scratch ? It is not something we are born with, so we have to develop it. Good technique can also prevent possible physical problems later on.

I thoroughly agree that [b]MUSIC [/b]is why a person picks up the bass, but we have to learn to crawl before we can walk. To build up a high standard of playing, you have to make sure that the foundations are solid first.
[/quote]

I agree here. I am currently running through the ii-V-I cycle, and while I would like this to be musical--and try to make it so--it isn't always. But the main thing is that I need to run the cycle in all keys and simply memorize a good many of the possibilities: where's the third, the fifth, the seventh? How can I change it up? Where can I go from here? And so on.

Someone said about The Who that there were three lead instruments ... and Entwhistle on 'The Real Me' manages to solo and keep the groove at the same time. But generally, I prefer the bass on the bottom. So many bass solos sound sweated-out and over effortful -- a telling quality.

[quote name='JohnFitzgerald' timestamp='1322332553' post='1449596']
My Squier Jazz is the best bass in the world.



For me.
[/quote]

My Squier Jazz is also the best bass in the world! How did that happen?

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1321896541' post='1444185']
I have been looking at these for a while but just bought a Genz-Benz Shuttle 3.0 which being on the right side of the Atlantic could put one of those in your hands for the right price. I love Genz gear anyway but the extra 100 watts overall and 175 watts into your existing cab could be a better bang for your buck?, both amps will fit in your gig bag so there are no issues on that score
[/quote]

Thanks, Stingray

Thanks, Ian, since I'm in the States I'd better stick to non-trans-Atlantic purchases :-) And I think the 140 watts is going to be just right for my trio of piano, bass, and violin. We're amped, but volume isn't at the top of the list. I appreciate your breaking it down for me.

All best,

Ted

Thanks for the advice, this does help. I am also wondering about speaker hookup. My Schroeder is an 8-ohm cab; the MB200 is 4 ohms. What does this mean in terms of wattage/sound if I run my speaker out of it?

tg.

Sorry if this has been done, but I've looked around BC and haven't found information on this amp. Various reviews elsewhere praise it to the skies. The power sounds about right for what I want, and I'd run a Schroeder light 12 (8 ohm) cab out of it. Electric bass, not double bass.

Anyone have a take on this amp?

Thanks.

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