Faithless

Take bass. It's such unexplored instrument yet, that it's just crazy. Playing guitar is cool, it will help you in harmonical/chordal issues on bass, and you can apply lots of stuff from guitar to bass (harmonical, technical..) It's good to play few instruments - I play some EUB and piano, though, electric bass is my main thing. why EUB? Just out of interest, and, as I'm a reader, maybe because for a lil' more work, you know why piano? Cuz there isn't a better instrument to understand harmony and analize stuff, than it.

Get hold of Ed Friedland's - 'Creating Walking Basslines". Or PM me I doubt, if you will learn good walking just by rushing through standards - there's a bit of basics to learn, and it will become a lot easier 'to walk' in the future.. What you first need to do, is learn 12-bar blues (jazzy one, I mean..), and Rhythm Changes.. It is a [i]must[/i], a law. That book provides those progressions, and gives a helluva lot advices, how to walk. Just don't forget to learn every exercise in all keys (Ed suggests to learn only in a few, most popular keys, bad habit..), and, believe me, you'll get that walking thing, mate

I play only pizzicato, using one finger, if that makes difference.. It doesn't seem too high for me, anyway, I just need to get used to it, I think..

I did use headphones for practice for more than half a year, but, even being quite expensive, they're were too boomy, as I discovered after a few months.. Also, there's not that much clarity when practising with amp, as it is with headphones, so it's also an issue, that put me towards an amp.. Thirdly, practising with headphones for long periods, makes me tired a lot faster than practising with an amp, if you know, what I'm saying.. Wattabout amp boominess - it's on two chairs now, and a pillow is under it - I gotta admit, I can't feel the lack of low end.. I think, I'll need to practice with amp for a few more days, to get used to it, cuz now I can't fully concentrate on practice - it seems, that at the times the amp is too loud.. Thanks for input, guys, cheers Faith

Huh, maybe you're right about volume The thing is, as I've said, I've put my amp in about 1 meter height (it's standing on two chairs now..), so the vibration isn't the problem anymore.. BTW, I'm living in the first floor, so I don't have any neighbours 'underneath' me, but I do have some next to my room wall.. cheers Faith

Umm, you meant, 5mm both by G and E strings? I get about 6mm height by the G string, but, by the E string, it's more like 10mm.. Too high?

1. So, I just bought an Ashdown "After Eight' amp - 15watts, 8"speaker, to practice in flat.. What I discovered about these little amps, let it be Ampeg, Ashdown, Laney, whatever, is that their sound, to my ears, at least is sooo middy (excessive with mids), that it's crazy.. I have a Line6 FX processor, so I could cut out exact mids range out of my amp, but I don't know, which one.. Anyone could help there, so that my amp sound would be as pure as possible? I do think, that there is something to do with high mids, right?.. 2. BTW, how do I fight with boominess in a flat, so that my neighbours don't go mad? I lifted my lil amp into about 1 meter high, so the sound goes, more or less, 'to my ears' (I sit on a high chair, when practising..), so I don't need lots of volume to hear me, and amp doesn't boom as much, as it would do, when lying on the floor, right.. I do try not to add any bass to my sound, and.. Oh, and not much volume from amp.. Anything else, that I could do about getting enough sound from amp, and not bothering neighbours? Any info would be greatly appreciated, Faith

We have talked about 33' thingies with Eude (thanks, bro ), so, going custom may be possible for me.. Now, another questie.. If I'd put capo at the 1st fret on my current bass (34 scale), and tune to E again, how would that adjust scale lenght (it would probably become less like 33', right..) and sound issues..? Just curious about that..

ACG and Shuker.. Dammit, I doubt, if I could get anything from them for 1000-1500 euros 'custom-made'.. Really, isn't there any non-custom stuff? BTW, I'm not really interested in J or P body style/neck basses..

So, I'm thinking of going 33' scale, cuz 34 seems just too big for me.. Not that I have tiny hands (it's more like vice versa..), the fingerboard is just too big me, and it feels uncomfortable after some time spent playing.. Also, I'm using E-C tuning on my bass, and C doesn't sound as good on 34 scale instrument.. The fact is, I don't know many brands, that make 33 scale basses.. One is Fodera, but it's quite expensive for me.. I've seen M.Garrisson model, but it was going for 4000 euros secondhand, way too much for me.. I'd be either after mid-range price (up to 1500euros) instrument or even budget instrument.. Anyway, please, tell me, who makes 33' basses, certain models are also welcome.. Cheers Faith

Yep, I've seen him live, with the very same band.. Maybe I was a little too harsh about him, but you got my point..

What, would you say, would be appropriate action to set on an EUB (DB, whatever..)? I mean, the distance between fingerboard and string, outer strings, E and G, at the 12th fret..?

It's another theme about saxophonists.. In our area, I simply can't listen to any of them (esp students from local academy), cuz they're all trying to sound either like Parker or Coltrane. All the solos they analise in school, is either Omnibook, or some Coltrane stuff, all the solos they transcribe is either Charlie or Johnny's stuff - and don't try to tell 'em to transcribe.bassplayers, pianists, guitarists, it's a sin.. In fact, most of them wouldn't tell more saxophonist 'names', than those two cats.. Isn't that a shame? But then again, most of them are young people, maybe they will find their sound, without the help of Parker.. Other case is.. Can you listen to Kenny Garrett? I can't more than 5 minutes. A complete Coltrane clone IMHO. Well, some tell that he's 'exploring' Coltrane's stuff and ideas, but, for me, that's just a lame excuse for a shameless copy..

I got an advice to put some orchestral strings on my EUB - they don't have lots of sustain, and they should kill the brightness, that EUB gives, so you should try it out on yours.. Secondly, as others mentioned, highening the action also helps..

I've decided not to dip into either Stagg or Pally/HB, cuz their sound, compared to my EUB, is much more electric, and I'll be focusing on the sound, first of all.. I'll just try to mod my bass a lil bit, that's it.. Thanks for advice, guys

I'll be bringing it to luthier next week, we'll see, what can be done.. And, yup, it's more like technical stuff, that annoys me, rather than the sound.. But the sound,it;s most important thing here, innit..

I'd be tempted about Janek Gwizdala's Fodera, as I like E-C tuning, and 34 scale basses are too big and too heavy for me.. Though, actually, it's not a 'proper' signature model.. And, I think, even if I could get my hands on some signature thing, I still wouldn't sound like the creator of it..

That makes sense.. Anyway, I'm in doubt, if I should let go my current EUB... It's made by Lithuanian luthier, neck is from a real DB (Strunal?).. Here a pics of it, first post in this thread: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65188"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=65188[/url] What I don't like about is the bridge, and that neck is layed into the body (I can't put my thumb under the neck, as most DB players do..), and that it doesn't have it's own endpin (?) - I can't control EUB's position, cuz I have to play it, being on a stand.. A few mins ago I played it without any EQ'ing, and listened, if there's any 'wood' in the sound, and, to my ears, it sound much more like a real DB, than Stagg or Palatino (the only ones I could afford, actually..) You can listen to my EUB sound (no EQ, Line-In..): [attachment=52044:db_scale.wav] Any comments? Should I try modding it, or let it go?

The thing is, I'm hardly a 'moderator' of basses.. But, if Palatino's and HB's price is actually almost the same, how can quality 'machines, and finish' differ much, if they're made in the same factory, huh?

I'm thinking of switching EUB.. I've read lots about Stagg and Palatino, these two are in my budget capabilities.. My favourite is Palatino, actually (actual DB bridge, more decent looks..) The thing is, Thomann doesn't sell Palatinos, but they sell Harley Bentons - as I assume, these are copies of Pallies.. : [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_eub_500_sb_electric_upright.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_eub...ric_upright.htm[/url] Anyone tried these? Do they differ a lot in terms of quality? (Their cost is about the same, innit..) I'm after modding my EUB little by little - and it would be easier to do that on that 'a la Palatino' (Harley Benton..) model, than Stagg, innit - actual DB bridge and other things..? If you can tell me, why Stagg is better than Pally, do it, I might chance my choice.. Cheers Faith

Nice one, matey.. I was curious about your Fodera - could you tell about it a bit more - is it some sort of 'signature' model, how it's strung (E-C?), and stuff..? I'm tempted in buying one..

[quote name='urb' post='861931' date='Jun 9 2010, 01:26 PM']is implying that his ideas are limited to just sounding like Jaco may be true in the case of a few of his early recordings - from about 20 years ago - for me his playing is influenced just as much by Charlie Parker, classical music and a whole load of other deep jazz influences - among them a certain Mr Pastorius - I've heard Laurence play dozens of gigs and he generally sounds just like himself on most of them IMO - he really is more than just a one trick pony. Likewise Linley is amazing and yes his technique is very similar to Jaco's but his ideas are astonishingly original and again, having seen him live several times the stuff he can do on a beaten up old Jazz bass is really impressive... M[/quote] It's cool, dude. The problem, for me, with Linley is, that, if someone would have given that Zawinul live record to me to [i]listen[/i], not to [i]see [/i]it, if you know, what I mean, I'd, without much thinking, tell that it's Mr. Pastorius playing, not Mr. Marthe. Ideas can be original, but, so should it be with the sound of musician, shouldn't it?

[quote name='urb' post='860197' date='Jun 7 2010, 08:54 PM']Plus 1 The recent live album and DVD called '75' is also superb and I think some of you are being very over ciritical of Laurence Cottle - he's a stupendous player who'd eat most of us here for breakfast - and has plenty of original ideas - check out 'Shock!' with Gareth Williams if you doubt it. Cheers Mike[/quote] I think, that no one's arguing, if Laurence is a great player - the issue, for me at least, is how [i]he [/i]sounds, and that his songwriting ideas sound [i]very [/i]influenced by particular person, which is not good, IMHO.

Wrong forum section, dude..

Huh, another 'Jaco victim', (as I call them), along with Laurence Cottle, Herbie Kopf and many others, innit? And, the drummer, isn't he Ernesto Simpson, Bona's drummer?