RhysP

[quote name='Geddys nose' post='473534' date='Apr 27 2009, 05:32 PM']I like it, at least its not a Jazz knockoff which I would really hate EB/MM for.[/quote] Good point. I agree they get top marks for originality. Funnily enough it's not the body I hate on the Bongo, it's the headstock.

Jesus, that's ugly - even worse than the "Toilet seat with a neck" monstrosity that is the Bongo.

Those are beautiful basses - fantastic colours, especially the blue one.

[quote name='horribleman' post='471019' date='Apr 23 2009, 07:14 PM']Despite the fact that he doesn't do that much flashy stuff, I think his playing always complements the music perfectly. I'm listening and thinking the first song I attempt to learn will be something from damnation. [/quote] I'm actually listening to "Damnation" as I type this. Opeth are one of the best bands I've heard for years. "Watershed" will be on the ipod next......

Try La Bella "Slappers" - I've been using them for a while now & they're the best, most consistent strings I've used & they're a good price too (£16.00 from Stringbusters online). I stopped using DR strings as I just got fed up with having to return them because of dud strings. I tried them for bass, electric guitar and acoustic guitar & always had the same problem.

Martin Mendez (of Opeth) is a fine player too.

Howdy, Nice choice of players. Justin Chancellor is awesome.

Going by the one piece pickguard it's a Jazz Bass Standard (1983), but I think the neck may not be original as the fender logo should be silver with a black outline on that model.

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='467305' date='Apr 20 2009, 11:07 AM']I enjoy the vocals more than bass, I think. Seems like singing jiggles my molecules around somehow, always leaves me smiling.[/quote] When I sing NOBODY is left smiling....

Hello there! I'm a HUGE fan of Hamers - I've got two guitars (a 1995 Standard & a 1982 Special) and I used to have a Chaparral 12 string bass too. I've just had a look at the link to your gear - LOVE the John Birch! Did you get your Chaparral 12 string off Ebay a few years ago? I have a funny feeling I might have sold it to you.....

I think it's a case of many bass players find singing back-up vocals a necessary evil rather than being something they actively enjoy. Obviously if you're also the main vocalist then you have to put the hours in & learn to do it properly.

Chris is a true bass legend & one of my all-time heros.

[quote name='ARGH' post='449134' date='Mar 30 2009, 12:33 AM']Its not often I hear a REALLY strong lp these days.....All killer ,no filler...[/quote] That's because with the advent of digital media (CDs & beyond) more time became available to put more music on, so the critical editing process that picked the best tracks to go onto an LP disappeared. Some of my favourite albums from the 70s are only 35-40 minutes long, but are stronger because of that. If a band now has 15 songs they all go on the CD, regardless of quality, rather than having to pick the best 10. How many times has a classic album been re-released on CD with a bunch of extra tracks that were recorded at the original sessions that turn out to be sh*t? That's why those extra songs didn't make it onto the original album in the first place. The argument about declining playing standards has been going on for decades, and it is one that as musicians I think we place too much emphasis on. The general listening public just want something they connect with, and whether it has 2 or 200 chords in it is largely irrelevant. It's very difficult, as someone who is passionate about music, to fully understand just how unimportant music is to the majority of people. They're certainly not at all bothered about the technical proficiency of the members of the band, least of all the bass player! There's great music made by people who possess, in some peoples minds, no "musical" ability whatsoever (there are thousands of musicians, jazzers notwithstanding, who have had long and successful careers without knowing the first thing about theory, harmony, modes or whatever), and there are also some phenomenally talented musicians whose music, quite frankly, bores me to tears.

Depends on the bass line. Playing guitar & singing is infinitely easier than playing bass & singing. I admire any bass player that does it well, even if I don't care for their actual music.

Stress balls & the like are a waste of time, the chances are all you'll do if you use one is end up with tendonitis. The best way to build up the articulation, stamina and control you require is just to use your little finger more when you play.

Drummers & Guitarists can often be found looking for food in the bins at the back of hotels. Keyboard players & vocalists tend to favour damp, shady places - try looking under big rocks in a wooded area...

I'm surprised to hear this actually - I've always found Musicman gear to be very good & very consistent, far more so than Gibson, Fender & Rickenbacker. Having said that, I haven't tried any Musicman gear for a good 18 months, so maybe they're going through a crap patch. Typical, I've been fancying a Stingray lately......

So that pointy metal bit is meant to stick in the ground? I thought it was an aerial of some sort.......

Ignore me then - I always thought they were tuned the same as a violin GDAE.

Edited because of talking uninformed sh*te.

[b]What [/b]made you the bassist you are today? A combination of laziness & clinical depression, which meant I wasted a lot of years not playing when I should have been. [b]Who [/b]do you think had the biggest influences on how you play now? The people I decided I DIDN'T want to play like. [b]Where [/b]do you think you want to go from here? I really don't know. I joined the forum partly in the hope it might push me in a definite direction od some kind, even if that means giving up playing. I figure that would be better than floundering around in a mire of indecision & inaction. What I think I'd like to do is learn some serious musical theory, as I've always felt like a fraud for not having the first idea about any of it. [b]Why [/b]do you think you want to go there? To give me more options on the instrument (or any instrument for that matter). [b]Do you believe[/b] you have a "personality" on the bass? People have told me that I have a distinctive style, so I suppose I must have to a certain extent. [b]Specialist question:[/b] [i][b]What [/b]is it you love about that 1971 P-Bass?[/i] That I could get a good price for it & buy something decent instead.

What's the bass?

It's an ash body.