Mikey D

You don't get many bands much bigger than Earth Wind and Fire. So Verdine White.

The suitcase for clean guitar sounds is absolutely great as an amp, especially for jazz. I play guitar and bass (I play a guitar with 3 bass strings and 5 guitar strings) through it at the same time and have a great sound on both.

If it is half price let me know if you don't want it, my mum may go and pik it up for me as a spare!

I use a suitcase and 4B extension when required.

I did actually have it up for trade w/cash a few weeks ago as my financial situation was a bit poor, thankfully it is a little better now. I think I had convinced myself that I didn't like the amp so when I traded it I wouldn't be so upset, but after doing 3/4 gigs over the past fortnight, I have realised i really really do like these amps.

I had numerous complements on the sound, including a couple from sound engineers. I use a Ibanez GWB35 fretless through it as well as my 8 string guitar/bass. They both sound great and I am actually very happy that I get with my ibanez now I have had the chance to gig with it a few times.

It is not the loudest combo, but it has handled jazz gigs, latin gigs, a full on MMW style funk jam band gig and a more poppy/rock affair and easily kept up with the drummer. All this was just with the suitcase itself, but I would have preferred the 4B for the pop band one.

I have also tried a few different keyboards (nords, microsynth etc) and they are sound nice and clear, no distortion.

The two seperate eqs and inputs are great as well. Also, it is not actually that light really, but is easy to move about because of handle placement. Personally I also think that it is one of the best looking combos out there, a minor detail, but to some it is important. As a mini stack I think it's looks are unrivalled and the sound of the stack is nice and clear, punchy with a surprising amount of bass.

I would definately recommend the amp, but i would say try it first to see if it is for you.

I suppose what is seen as the 'proper' technique would be M-I fingers in strict alteration. However, you should never limit yourself as you may be better off playing some parts different, possibly incorporating raking. Example: I learnt to play with MI with my thumb floating a string behind to mute, but you can also anchor your thumb on the pickup or E string. I also use my little finger to mute to get a different tone when playing with two fingers, it's a little awkward at times, but I like the sound. Then I learnt a bit of the billy sheehan and gary willis three finger style as I found I could play faster and smoother. As said above, Jamerson used one. For playing reggae, I used my thumb and mute the strings with the side of the palm, like many others including Marcus Miller. I also use T-I-M or T-I-M-R fingers quite a lot now as I can string cross and play lines that would be almost impossible with two alternating fingers.

Just whatever technique you use, make sure it is secure and comfortable. If you find you can't execute things, then you need to start looking in detail why. However I don't advocate sitting and doing boring right hand only exercises. Your technique should be learnt and fed from the music you are playing. Slow, deliberate practice on the music you find hard to execute will give greater rewards in technique than doing finger drills.

There is so much you can do with your right hand, and a lot of people neglect this as part of their playing. So when I learn something, I try playing with lots of different right hand techniques to see the difference each bring, but at the start you should just use one and get it working well.

Bought the Trro album that day it came out...I love it. Continuum sounds excellent with John playing on it and Tony is brutal as always.

[quote name='Stuart Clayton' post='61934' date='Sep 17 2007, 10:02 PM']Hi all,

For anyone that doesn't know, Reggie Hamilton will be doing a clinic at The Zepyhr Bar in Exeter on October 1st. Contact Mansons Guitar Shop for details.

Additionally, Gary Willis will be playing a clinic, same venue on the 16th October. Again, contact Mansons for details!

Cheers
Stu[/quote]

Ahhhh, Willis!

Is he playing anywhere else? Thats a bit of a trek for me.

If it is a jazz band chances are 99% of the tiem you are going to be walking. So prepare a nice piece that shows of this skill and possibly with an improvised solo if you want.

Fight for your mind (Live if possible) - Ben Harper (played by Juan Nelson) Tasteful slap groove

Not the best, not many turned up for the jam so it was basically us all night. Everyone was hammered. The gig the next day was much better. Played some excellent tunes, including Yatra Ta by Tania Marie.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='59850' date='Sep 13 2007, 01:18 PM']I'm just impressed that someone knows who Mother Sister Father Brother were, let alone be able to identify their bass player.[/quote]

...or it stands for something a little ruder!

I love em...if you love funk you have to love em.

They were also basically the house band for atlantic and gamble and huff for years.

is the other one Ronnie Baker from MFSB on bass? I think it is.

I would get a good teacher from day one and not have wasted one minute practicing things like slap and tap.

There is nothing wrong with getting good technique.

With odd time signatures it is a good idea to see how the bar is divided. You can usually feel this or, go by what the melody or drum part is. If

So with 7/4 or 7/8 a couple of examples are: 2-2-3 or 3-2-2 or 2-3-2. A really quite easy way to think of these rhythms are to vocalise them as words. in this case...2=ap-ple 3=ba-na-na.

So 2-2-3 = apple apple banana.

Start by playing a note on each starting syllable on each word. This outlines the bar and where the accents are very clearly. Do this with either just the root of what the chord would be, or the tried. Or then start filling in the notes with other notes. Eventually you should just be able to feel this rhythmic pattern and the more you practice it the more natural it is, even to the point of where it is as natural as 4/4.

10/8 coule be apple apple banana banana.

This may sound silly, but for a lot of people this technique can really help you hear these odd time sigs a lot quicker than just learning a line over them as it also allows you to improvise parts once you have absorbed the feel.

I have been asked to dep by a drummer from college at this gig. It's a jam friday night and a gig by us on saturday. Come to both, or just the one. I don't know too much about it as I am the last minute dep.

But come along and enjoy me trying to sight read some blistering latin jazz on my fretless as I have now sold my TRB6....I get the feeling it's going to be a bit of a roast...but enjoyable.

Points for spotting all my intonation errors! (it'll be hard to keep tabs on all of them!)

I have been told there are such gems as Spain, 500 Miles High and Armando's Rhumba in the set with some singer coming up from Trinity college.

[url="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=4698020545"]Jazz, Latin and Funk Gig[/url]

Right, I'm off to check out the tunes so I'm not completely thrown in the deep end!

Tatty Bye...

We met on a dark night in my hometown and did the trade...nice chap, smooth, easy, quick transaction.

Although he now has my baby!

PTP, proud owner of an original TRB6. I hope you enjoy it as much as me mate.

Hao rust booster sold to him....smooth easy transaction! The way they should be.

Cheers!

Bill Stewart and Steve Swallow

[quote name='The Funk' post='55974' date='Sep 5 2007, 02:49 PM']Herbie Hancock & Headhunters (or was it just Headhunters). Check it out - funkEE![/quote]

Headhunters was Harvey Mason....also not to be knocked. His grooves on Chameleon are still some of the best funk grooves laid done on tape.

[quote name='gilmour' post='55962' date='Sep 5 2007, 02:27 PM']wow, so many quick responses.

This is a real nooby question but I've not heard of Paul Jackson and Mike Clark can anyone enlighten me?[/quote]

Herbie Hancocks 70's rhythm section, Mike Clark took over duties from Harvey Mason to what was still basically the headhunters lineup.

Check out the 'Thrust' album for the pinnacle of interlocking funk grooves....Paul's unique stacatto grooves and Mike's linear drumming is a match made in heaven!

Paul Jackson and Mike Clark

Zigaboo and George was the first that came to mind!

Benny Benjamin and James Jamerson

Acutally to be honest, if they were playing the early stuff, that would be a dream gig, when I was starting to learn I learnt every single song of the first two albums, Stuart plays some of my favourite lines ever. I'm never sure whether it was him (as I heard jk sang a lot of lines to him) or just the fact that they have changed their direction so much, but to me, the first two albums are the ones, the third I can live with the rest....not bothered at all.

I'd only accept the Herbie gig if he played vocoder the whole set.

Your phone rings, turns out their bass player is ill and they need you for a gig. Who's on the other end of the line?

For me, Herbie Hancock.

"Please Mikey...I'd rather you than Matt Garrison!"