RobEvansBass

[quote name='dood' post='446943' date='Mar 27 2009, 10:41 AM']Rob, I see you are in Manchester on your profile. I wondered if it'd be as easy to pop over and see him when he is in? Not that far right?[/quote] Unfortunately it's finding the time to get across there... it's only 35 miles or so but its taken 2 hours before after being stuck behind numerous lorries. (Life as a musician is ever so stressful sometimes!!) I have managed to leave him alone up until now to just get on with it, i trust him to make a good bass for me, but after reading so much about everyone elses i got an urge to find out how mine was getting on. I'm about 5 1/2 months into my wait/build so if anyone is interested this is what he sent me last night.... Peace, Rob

No worries, as i said, he sent me an update last night, thought it was a long shot anyway. Peace, Rob

haha, my bad, i didn't mean to start a 'thing.' I got an update from Jon this evening so no worries about getting those pics. i can last a while with the pics he has just sent me. Peace, Rob

Any chance of a favour, those chaps who are visiting Jon tomorrow? I've been really good and not asked him for updates and just let him get on with building mine, but is there any chance one of you could snap a few pics of my half finished bass? It's a single-cut, 33inch, black walnut body, massur birch top, maple neck, ebony or rosewood fingerboard (whatever he decided). i think that should be enough info to recognise it. Thanks in advance. Peace, Rob

I have to say this is the first time i've heard those two terms, rest stroke and free stroke...and it turns out i've played rest stroke ever since i started and i've never noticed that thud so here's a couple of things to think about. They may or may not be of any use... 1. That 'thud' sound is only audible when the instrument is not amplified. I noticed it when playing a note and my fingers hit the pick-up on the way to the string. If this is the case it won't be an issue when playing with a band because the tapping on the outer casing of a pick-up won't be amplified. 2. The notes played on a tutorial video are so much louder than the thud and happen at close enough the same time so that the thud becomes irrelavent and un-heard. Check out Johnny Rabb's explination of the free-hand drumming technique (somewhere on youtube) where he connects with the rim but it's not heard because the sound of the skin overwhealms it. 3. The sound of the string you're landing on only actually makes a sound if you allow that string to contact another part of the bass. I've been playing about with trying to make a thud sound and if you just hit the string with your plucking finger perpedicular to the string it doesn't thud. The only way i can make it thud is by making the rest string either touch a pick-up or the fret-board. Not sure if that helps but the more confidence you play with the less you'll notice anything but the notes you're playing. Peace, Rob

I know 'no jazz' has been mentioned but i'm going to add a few names into the pot. I've learned a lot from listening to these guys and all the theory knowledge you pick up can be applied to any genre. Check out Janek Gwizdala for melodic bass solos. It's kind of jazzy lines over funk/hip-hop grooves. The BassdayUK '08 videos of him are worth checking out (Oli Rockberger on keys and Shaun Rickman on drums), also there's an insight into how he thinks about soloing over changes in one of his podcasts. There's a load of guys worth checking out on myspace and youtube... Hadrien Feraud, Yves Carbone, Avishai Cohen to name a couple but Janek is just killing at the moment. Also start transcribing solos from guys like Coltrane, the Brecker Brothers, John Schofield etc etc. Anyone you can think of and apply them to bass. They don't have to be used in a jazz style but it will get your ears working then you can just plays what comes into your head when it's time to solo. This works for rock guitar solos too...why not work them out for bass, it all helps. Peace, Rob