Kongo

[quote name='cheddatom' post='881818' date='Jun 30 2010, 12:22 PM']heh, the problem is i'm not sure where the ghost notes are. I'm listening but it's too hard to tell, even when I slow the track down. I can play the main riff, but i'm missing most of the ghosts so it doesn't sounds right. I might have a clip of me playing it at home I can upload later to give you a better idea.[/quote] It's in my head, and I'm playing it "air thumb" style right now lol...but it's so hard to put in text, I know exactly what your asking but can't find a way to answer.

Ah, another Metal bassist joins the ranks, welcome! Try as many basses and amps as you can, what is labeled as "Metal" often doesn't work, and ends up just being a bass with some un-ergonomic shape to it (makes it metal? in a cheesy way maybe). I use my Trace Elliot head and cab with a Yamaha TRB6II...Hardly a "Metal" bass, yet it works perfect for me. Not a huge Death Metal fan, but I pretty much like anything in small doses, found an odd liking for The Berzerker recently...no clue why it's pretty much noise! So, welcome! Were not all funk and Jazz dudes on here...I think... Seems to be quite a Death Metal scene in N. Ireland...or at least so I gather from some guys I know on Warcraft. Any chance your name is reference to Soulfly?

Quality! Excellent slap with some Metal attitude, wasn't funked up (lol?) which I like. You retained the power and attitude, even tho I'm not very fond of Metallica if im honest, but I do remember starting out with songs like this. I'll be sure to play this to every Metallica fan I know hehe!

LOL! Love it! What a gem of a find!!! EDIT: Whoa whoa WHOA hold it there! I found a bowie cover (gotta love Bowie) and...HEY! It sounds WAY too similar to one of my fav artists Devin Townsend...the song being Deadhead, a favourite of mine...another gem of a find. Not only the into but even the riffing, guitar tone and vocal style is the same lol...my guess is they did it in Homage, being a covers band and all...see what you think: Northern Kings - Ashes to Ashes Devin Townsend - Deadhead (Excuse his OTT face, it's a delicate song ) Almost identical wth!?

[quote name='Bloodaxe' post='881866' date='Jun 30 2010, 01:04 PM']Usedto be a great fan of the 110 E back in the 80s. Hated Rotosounds (too rough, didn't last & were really harsh & clanky to my ears), & the only alternative was Picato Nickelwounds 45-110 (might have been 55 though) - lovely feel, lasted well & sounded nice 'n' warm. That sold me on nickel. Switched to Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky's when I couldn't get Picato any more & stayed with them until about 4-5 years ago. Hartke Mediums 45-105 are my current roundwounds of choice, triple packs off the 'bay for very reasonable money - handy if you're on a budget. I've a set of Rotosound Pressurewounds on the fretless & they're great as well. Feel nice, just a bit of "tooth", sound great and last for ages (2 years & counting). Pete.[/quote] Yep, Rotosound are here on my scale: [Sandpaper]<---(Rotosound)---------------------->[Polished Glass] Warwick Red label are the MOST sandpaper-ish strings I've EVER played... My friend startin using Roto's on his guitar "I cant tell the difference from D'addario" he said...Last week I stated his strings sounded dead already and he agreed. "Must have played more than I remember" he says...He restrung it next day and calls me "Yeah I see what you mean about Roto's...I jus put em on and there already dead, not much improved from the ones I took off". Case closed...

[quote name='steve-soar' post='882593' date='Jun 30 2010, 11:41 PM']Complete and utter sh*te, both vids.[/quote] AN odd taste indeed, I'm exposing myself to this cause if I can decipher it it's one step closer to listening to anything, whilst keeping an open mind. I'm jus fascinated by human mechanics allowing it, looks like fun...and they are pretty big also oddly, I never would have thought this could sell. 6th album coming soon I beleive.

[quote name='deathpanda' post='881560' date='Jun 30 2010, 03:51 AM'] a bit late, but i'm in the mood.[/quote] Wow that sounds weird but cool...the distortion is ultra muffled but it works in a spooky way.

Berzerker - No One Wins It's just crazy, pretty much noise and a drummer who's goin ape on his biscuit tin but hey, got him in Guiness book for records for single hand drum roll I guess (using the gravity blast). These guys jus make me laugh when I listen to them, which makes me feel good, so I guess I enjoy a song or two every now and then... Uhm...click if you dare, I suggest many of you don't, it's not melodic at all...As I've said in the past, I like ALL genres...even Extreme Metal Splitter core hybrids...in very small measures I might add... Here's how it's done... Facinating...

Do let us know the status of that loose "Fret button" I'm interested... Wow, what a bargain tho!

[quote name='wotnwhy' post='875452' date='Jun 23 2010, 02:30 PM']No-one will be able to shift big heavy speakers. The value will plummet. People will realise there is a sound difference between heavy and light. The heavy sound will become retro and cool. Price will skyrocket.[/quote] +1 on this, everything comes around, but not everyone is done with their heavy stuff. I'd take the sound of my Trace Elliot 4x10" over the Markbass ones, but am yet to test drive other lightweight cabs. TBH once it's down it's down, the floor holds it, so it's sound I want. I believe guitarists once thought they would no longer need valves when transistor amps could deliver...oddly, Valve that is ULTRA dated, is the wanted sound to most.

I learned this, I take it you speak of the main riff? Difficult to put into text but I think it's already been answered. Claypool's stuff is GENIUS but NEVER as hard as you think, in some senses learning his songs spoils the magic. He's very right hand driven, lots of bouncing and going against the laws Wooten slappers use of saving energy, this guy jus does it the old way. Listen for where the ghost notes are and jus hit em, it's very hard to explain I've learned so many Primus and Claypool songs my hand just goes that way now. Odd as it sounds, I think Mr. Pink by Level 42 helped me a lot back in college to get the stamina needed for Claypool slaps. It's pretty much just repeated but later on in the chorus (I guess) he goes kinda crazy on the pops but as usual this is just one of his long time trademarks you'll find in most songs. One of my fav songs, such a strong riff. Oh and don't forget the ring modulation, just a smidge, not too much.

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='875177' date='Jun 23 2010, 10:39 AM']The author [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=88907&view=findpost&p=856868"]posted this[/url] about buying it from Amazon- they don't actually stock it so you have to buy from Bassline Publishing directly. Just for info [/quote] Interesting...I got mine from Amazon about 8 months ago...ish... Guess I got lucky.

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='880577' date='Jun 29 2010, 01:53 AM']Are the DDTs new, I've not seen these before? Usually people recommend DR Lo-Riders for drop tuning since they are hex core and stiffer. I have DR Sunbeams 45-130 on my BB415, I can drop a whole step to A tuning just fine. I don't think you need much higher guages unless you're going down even further - I'd love to try out F#BEAD tuning myself![/quote] Switched my high-C for a low-F# on my 6-string once with a .145 at the time (was the thickest I could find), it didn't flop too much but the sound was...great but a tad low for both the bass and the amp at the time. Prob work with my Yamaha TRB6 and TE combination tho. with a .175 I imagine the sound could be HUGE! If I didn't use my high-C as much as I do I'd get a .175 and go for it again. Have a go.

String feel as well as tone is HUGE for me...if they sound good but harm my playing they are only half there. It sounds so silly to some people but different companies have massive differences in their strings to me. I've been through: Rotosound > Elites > Rotosound > Ernie Ball > Warwick > D'addario and stuck since...Pro Steels do it for me, the huge whonk of piano tone vibrating away makes for some delicious velvet tone for tapping ( a big part of my playing ) and work for everything else. I'm gonna try Newtone soon tho...the move from stainless to nickel is gonna be odd, should be less squarky tho and more of a glassy feel I'd imagine I dunno. And that's the 2nd thing,; feel. From one extreme to the other you get (in my mind) Sand paper <------------------------------------->Polished Glass and everything in between. If you've only played on glassy strings and change to some that feel like sand paper, first of all your fingers will hurt and second will lag sliding from note to note as your calluses are too soft. At least, this is what happens to me. SO yup, tone AND feel are a big part. I currently play...nearer to sand paper than polished glass but not uber extreme. As for gauge: 4-string = 45 - 65 - 80 - 110 6-string = 30 - 45 - 65 - 80 - 110 - 135 Standard tuning...why the 110 low-E? Like the feel of it and works well if drop-D is needed...which hardly is.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='880810' date='Jun 29 2010, 11:52 AM']Unless you've have rampant GAS and a need to buy every weird design of bass going like me then the only real reason is to improve on what you already have. It sounds like your current bass is pretty much what you want, so what you need to is make a list of the things that you are not quite happy about with your current bass. Not things you think you might like but things you KNOW would improve the looks, feel, and sound. I'd be interested to know exactly what improvements you think your current bass NEEDS.[/quote] Excellent advice. And whatever your bass -needs- to be bang on the money, I'm sure you can do it. Be it pickup change, mod, different tuners, maybe even the scratchplate? Maybe the neck is the problem, a luthier could sort it...fretwire type or maybe the neck is too chunky? He / She could reduce the bulk. Maybe the fingerboard radius? also workable. I used to think you had to BUY the ultimate bass or go through a custom shop to get exactly what you want...Until I realised...HEY! It's made of wood and has parts on it that can be changed or shaped this way and that...just like anything, if it doesn't quite work with a little work you can get it to...if you follow? I was sh*t scared about this idea at first until I saw how one of my inspirations got his bass so perfect for him...and if someone can do it with improper tools on the fly I'm sure taking it to an expert you'd be fine...or you could hack at it yourself I dunno. Either way, sounds like you love your bass, so if it really NEEDS work, find what it is and work on it. Best of all, once you have it perfect you not only have a bass for everything to be judged upon, but a template any top luthier worth his salt could take and duplicate.

[quote name='Sibob' post='880573' date='Jun 29 2010, 01:33 AM']Malcolm really takes the time to figure out what you need, although sometimes he'll put you onto his bass guy for more in-depth bass chats There's a long turn around because: 1) They're in demand 2) Your strings are custom wound, not picked off the shelf packs The best thing to do is order a few packs at a time, I think they have now introduced a minimum order. I don't know for sure because I always order a few sets to make the most of the long wait time. Si[/quote] Indeed. Minimum order is 2 sets, I'm gonna test drive em on my 4-string before going for a 6-string set to get a feel for em.

[quote name='Sibob' post='880566' date='Jun 29 2010, 01:13 AM']Yup, I think they're that good! Si[/quote] I'll take the dive and have a look see. But my usual string stockist is out of stock of em and on top of that, the site says theres a *shock* 28 day delivery time! That being said, with a backlog like that, they ain't going out of business soon. And if they can cater for your needs as a player, instead of just "selling strings", then they sound like my kinda people. Ain't used nickel in ages tho...gonna be an odd transition.

HELL of a lot of compression hehe...Also sounds like he's digging in a lot with a hint of overdrive, more natural sounding than artificial tho.

[quote name='Sibob' post='879543' date='Jun 28 2010, 09:11 AM']It still amazes me how many people lump ridiculous gauge strings onto their bass in order to droptune well. All you need is higher tension strings!. I was using 45-105 strings in C Standard (C,F,Bb,Eb) with an action and tension similar to standard tuning, due to high tension strings*. Give 'Newtone Strings' a call, tell them what tuning you're in, your preferred normal guage, and they'll try and work out the best avenue. Custom wound strings, usually the same price, sometimes cheaper, than off the shelf brands that are not wound for purpose. Si *Bear in mind that much higher tension strings often won't go up to standard tuning, they're wound for droptuning.[/quote] Are Newtone any good? I've been hearing a LOT of hype from players about these and am VERY interested. I ADORE D'addario don't get me wrong but when it comes to custom gauge u can forget it...at least to somebody like me anyways. I'm open to options here if they are that good.

[quote name='sprocketflup' post='880134' date='Jun 28 2010, 06:13 PM']Ah - Waynepunkdude and Doddy, I apologise i thought the suggestion of "Bass guitar for dummies" was a p*ss take I spend large portions of my time taking the p*ss sometimes I assume everyone else does too Many thanks for all the recomendations - Doddys list in particular is wicked - Im off to redeem some Waterstones vouchers that Ive had lying around since christmas [/quote] The books in themselves don't take a too serious appraoch (lots of bad jokes in them lol), so the "for dummies" is just a series name, and thus every bassist should have one to hand. Not only as a quick reference but also a huge tome of knowledge to help a student should you go into teaching.

You know, you all speak the truth. In homage to many of my inspirations last year I built a P-bass from this and that. I was nuts about it but put it down for some reason (Playing a 6-string all the time maybe). I dusted it off about a month ago and I'm nuts about it again! Although the neck I bought didn't survive the winter it seems... I can only really use it at home as I cannot play my bands songs on it but know this, the BEST aspect by far is the simplicity! I've been using basses with all the bells and whistles and it can take you away from your hands and playing for a while...With the P-bass you plug in, turn up and play. It's a one trick pony sound wise but it's the best at it and indeed it can cut any mix! I like what Sheehan did to his, adding an EB-0 for even more low end (retaining it even at high notes helps perform solo's without loosing low end) but other than that, don't spoil it...although I do like one guys P/MM combo, you still have the option to solo the P-pup. Seems Leo got it right first time, a real work horse with a marmite tone. If you feel you have already got what you want then save ur cash, a Vintage model will have value and age, but not better sound quality unless you want the real old primitive tone. You P-bass players are lucky, you have so much yet have it all. Enjoy your P-basses to the full.