Grassie

Thanks guys, it's been a good evening! Graham (the drummer) is a good fit - plays well (for someone who originally stated he was "rusty" after not playing for a few years) and is a nice bloke too. No egos in this band. The shift patterns might be a problem but I think we can work around it as he does permanent nights (4 on 4 off) and I do earlies and lates (Monday to Friday). We're not in too much of a rush to get gigging (yet) so we're just going to have to take every opportunity to rehearse and book our gigs around Graham. It's all cool.
[quote name='Delberthot' timestamp='1317922355' post='1396368']
Quality - let me know how you get on with the Gallien combo. That's what I'm looking at getting
[/quote]
As for the GK, well, when I first got it, I was worried that it wasn't going to be loud enough.... how wrong was I? That is one powerful, clear sounding combo. Even with a set of dying strings on my jazz bass, it still managed to cut through like nothing I've played through before. The bottom end is quite monstorous for a 2 x 10 and, at 16kg, will not break my back! And it looks sexy too... I am a happy bunny.

So, after searching for a drummer for what seems like forever (3 months actually) I have our first rehearsal later tonight. We are a three piece doing rock covers (Feeder, Manics, Foos, Kasabian etc.) and hopefully we'll get our own stuff going in the new year. Ironically, the drummer works for the same company as me, except different department and different shift, and has basically been sat under my nose for 3 months while I've been scouring every other corner of the Isle of Wight for a decent drummer! And tonight I'll get to use my new Gallien Krueger MB210 combo for the first time too, in a band setting...so could be an interesting evening!

[quote name='Grant' timestamp='1317745757' post='1394066']
I'm 36 and ever the optimist. If Seasick Steve can "make it" at 60+, then there's hope for all of us...

Can't believe no one's mentioned him.
[/quote]

DOH!

I'm 36 and ever the optimist. If Seasick Steve can "make it" at 60+, then there's hope for all of us...

Can't believe no one's mentioned him.

Dear M****,

Please stop sending me notes in the post, especially to my workplace. The boss is getting annoyed, and you're starting to freak me out a little. It's over, please accept that.

Yours

Grant

"Saudades de Rock" by Extreme (!) Just discovered it after 3 years of being out. Pat Badger is a monster, and so is his bass tone. Groovemongous!

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1317386715' post='1390190']
So after all the hassles with bands I'm finally getting to play a gig this Sat, its a charity event so its pretty relaxed and we're a 5 piece playing very standard rock covers . So far so good only a few problems ;

We've only had 1 full rehearsal,
The singer has never sung in public before
[b]The guitarist has changed the key to 2 of the songs after the last rehersal[/b],
The other guitarist has included a song he wrote which I havent been able to learn because I havent got a recording of it but he assures me we'll wing it .
Oh and the drummer has assured me that he'l keep the guitarist under control as at the last gig he was so drunk that he fell asleep half way through the second set.

So nothing to worry about then

The weird thing it I'm not nervous ( well not yet anyway )
[/quote]
Why has the guitarist had to change the key of two songs? Why not all of them? Or none of them? Weird...

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1317325474' post='1389594']
+1 for Nick Seymour, does he still play Warwicks?
[/quote]
Don't think so. Last time I saw him (Isle of Wight 2010) it was Fenders all the way. Vintage P and a Geddy J I think.

Gary Beers (INXS) hugely underrated.
Billy Gould (Faith No More) hugely influential.
Michael Anthony (Van Halen) huge...
Mike Inez (Alice In Chains) detuned groovemeister.
Johnny Colt (Black Crowes) cool as f*** Southern bass slinger.
Dan Roberts (Crash Test Dummies) smooth as a sack full of smooth things.
Nick Seymour (Crowded House) tasteful playing personified.
Jared Followill (Kings Of Leon) quirky, groovy, funky, rocker.
Mark Sandman (Morphine) a true pioneer, gone too soon.
Tony Kanal (No Doubt) equal to Flea in the "holding-down-a-groove-while-jumping-around-like-a-loon" stakes.
Jack Beasant (Reef) old school groove.
Cass Lewis (Skunk Anansie) the British Tim Commerford.
Mark White (Spin Doctors) southpaw slapper.
Lonnie Marshall (Weapon Of Choice) Steinberger slapping-while-singing brother of former Chili Pepper Arik Marshall. Has "The Fonk".

I seem to recall the guy from The Hamsters playing with a ring-style pick (basically a pick moulded to a plastic thumb-ring) because of too many gigs. It meant he didn't have to grip a plectrum or worry about dropping it. Good luck with the rehabilitation mate, hope you're up and running soon!

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1317274110' post='1388841']
I'm a huge fan of Shawn Smith - got all his solo stuff but never managed to track down any of the Brad or Satchel stuff.
[/quote]
I'm really surprised at that. Brad and Satchel were Shawn's springboard, so to speak, so I thought they'd still be readily available. Try Amazon, and look out for "Shame", "Interiors" and "Welcome to Discovery Park" (all Brad), and "The Family" by Satchel, which features Mike Berg on bass. I had a copy of EDC by Satchel, but struggled with it. I thought it was a bit too "trippy". You might be able to hear them on Spotify too. Conversely, I can't seem to get hold of Shawn Smith's solo stuff...
Massive fan too, even the Pigeonhed album "The Full Sentence" is worth a look. "Battle Flag is fantastic.

+1 for Nate Mendel and Robert DeLeo.
May I also add:
Pat Badger (just discovered Extreme's 2008 album "Saudades de Rock" - his tone is just monsterous, and his groove is an impecable one)
Jeremy Toback (from a little known Seattle band called Brad featuring one Stone Gossard - check out their debut "Shame" and in particular the track "20th Century" - the world's most simple yet effective bass line.)

Don't get me wrong, I love Fenders, but seriously, how do Fender justify their prices? How can that be worth nearly three grand? I'm lost for words... Can someone clarify this for me please? A precision bass is generally two body shapes (contoured / slab). A jazz bass is one body shape. Their bodies are mass produced, no? Or do they hand carve the custom shop jobbies? How much work actually goes into these custom shop basses? I have visions of a bunch of yanks bolting together off the shelf parts, handing them to the relicing guys and then patting each other on the back and saying to each other "that's a beautiful piece of craftsmanship there, man."
Makes me angry. When you consider what you can get from [b]British[/b] luthiers for half the price.... There's no way that is worth £2799..no effing way...

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='1363902' date='Sep 6 2011, 11:06 AM']"Never understood that metal detector. Was it a heavy metal Cucumber ?" - In the demo version of the film [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGfZOpzfxFM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGfZOpzfxFM[/url] (about 9 min) it's a load of small change in a hadnkerchief. For some reason it became a foil wrapped cucumber in the full film.
There are a few other details that make more sense once you've seen the demo. There is also a deleted scene where a roadie is seen wrapping said cucumber.
I am a total Spinal Tap nerd.[/quote]

I, on the other hand, must be part of the 1%. Never seen it.

I'll be reserving full judgement until I hear the album, but Rain Dance Maggie is a grower. The thing with the new guy Josh Klinghoffer is he is one of John Frusciante's close friends, and also toured with the Chili's as a second guitarist on their last tour or two, so, to me, he's the natural choice as John's replacement. Apparently, he adds some good bv's to the new record, and plays keyboards too, so I think everything will be fine. Let's face it, the Chilis won't be getting in any old shmuck to replace Mr. Frusciante, will they? He's got to be good to get anywhere near that band.
But I think they do need a different producer. Rick Rubin has worked on every album RHCP have put out in the last 20 years. His producton style is...well...pretty minimal (I've read stories of him helping bands to set up the gear for the right sound, then buggering off for days at a time, and just letting the band play to the engineer), and I think it's their sound and not the band that is getting a bit tired. Of their more recent output, I find their more atmospheric stuff like "Desecration Smile" works really well, so I would love to hear them hook up with someone who would give them a whole new edge, but still retain that unique RHCP vibe. I'm a fan, and want to stay a fan. Hate it when my favourite bands bore me...

Gallien Krueger MB210, 350w, 16kg, £480.

Aston "Family Man" Barrett once said "Nothing above the fifth fret".

Wise words...

[quote name='chris_b' post='1329763' date='Aug 6 2011, 11:54 AM']I would still plan on getting the 210 extension cab.[/quote]

I think that is my plan, although having sat down with the GK earlier and thoroughly "worked" it, I think it will be loud enough. It certainly moves air, and my original concerns were down to the shock of the new, and the fact that I've never played through a modern rig before. Having said that, I'm glad I didn't go for the Ibanez Promethean...

Thanks for your explanations guys - very helpful. Judging by my drummer situation it's gonna be a while before I can try the GK in a band setting, but I'm hoping that because I've managed to jettison a guitarist and go for a three-piece band, I'll still be able to cut through nicely. I'm going to have a fiddle with it later (no sniggering at the back), to see just how much I can push it. The reason for switching to a 2 x 10 was purely a weight saving decision, as my back is not as strong as once was. My understanding of power ratings is (was) quite limited, (no sh*t), so thanks once again.

Thing is, my last rig was a Hartke HA5000 head with a VX410, rated at 220w @ 8 ohms. This seemed a fair bit louder than the GK, but would clip and start to distort at around 11 o'clock. I must add that the HA5000 didn't have a gain, just a master volume plus various mid, high, low, mid-high, mid-low etc. controls, so I'm not used to gain (I'm sounding a bit naive I know, but I know what I sould be hearing). Maybe my ears have been so atuned to that rig, that anything like the GK is bound to sound different. 2 x 10 vs 4 x 10 is a big difference, modern neodymium speakers as opposed to old school magnets... I've also yet to try the GK in a band setting, but finding a decent drummer for my new band is turning into a nightmare, but that's for another thread...

Hi everyone.


Maybe someone can clear this up for me. I've just taken delivery of a brand new Gallien Kreuger MB210 combo rated at 350w @ 8 ohms or 500w @ 4 ohms. I've tried it out, but for the power rating, it seems a little quiet. The sound is fantastically clear and has a surprising amount of bottom end, there are no buzzes or hisses either. I've noticed a small label on the rear of the unit which says: Full power: 580w average power: 128w. What exactly is the 128w refering to? Is this a 350w amp on it's own, or what? I have to wind the volume knob round to 3 o'clock to get it to "gigging" level, with the gain at 12 o'clock. I am confused....

+1 for Mick Karn. Jeff Ament is pretty cool too, innee?

[quote name='Gust0o' post='1304644' date='Jul 15 2011, 12:31 PM']I forgot to add, to my previous contribution to this thread, that fingerstyle is the only method for Youtube - unless you want swamping by the ill-tongued off-spring of our transatlantic cousins, the utter, utter f***wits.

"Nice cover bro but nxt time use yo fingers like a man".

[Insert "I wore my fingers out on your mum, so can only use a pick" joke][/quote]


Now that has made me laugh!

Started playing in 94 using fingers only. I used to be of the opinion that if you were playing with a pick then you were somehow less of a musician. 17 years later, and I have recently found myself struggling to get a consistent, even tone using my fingers. I had problems last year with pain in my plucking hand whenever I played fingerstyle (mainly constant eighths and sixteenths), and the band I was in was playing more songs which required the use of a pick for that "attack", so I found myself playing more and more with that tricky little bit of plastic. Now I'm finding that I'm rarely playing fingerstyle at all, my overall tone has improved, and I can get more sounds from my bass by picking at different positions across the strings as I ever could playing with my fingers. I use a fairly light gauge pick as I find the flexibility allows me to play up-down strokes quicker and more precisely than using a heavier gauge as I tend to "catch" heavier picks on the strings.
There are many players about at the moment who play with a pick, but who get a fingerstyle tone that impress me a lot. Foo Fighters Nate Mendel and Kings Of Leon's Jared Followill are two of them. Watching Nate play recently, I noticed that it looks like he's "stroking" the strings rather than picking them; he plays with such a gentle touch but still gets a monster sound. And I love Jared's tone full stop, that boy can get a little funky with it too (I love that little solo section in the middle of "Charmer"). He doesn't play the obvious and his tone is so warm and rounded for a pick/Thunderbird combination. Picks rule!

Pino Palladino. Michael Manring. Mick Karn. Gary Willis.

All these fretless bassists have one thing in common: they play with a great amount of SOUL.

Jeff Berlin. This bassist is just an R-SOUL.