The Funk

He's got the spirit, as they say. We've got a couple of church guys in our band - some of the best gigs I've seen have been at their church.

If you want preamp and power amp overdrive at all times at a low volume then you'd probably have to buy a 100W guitar amp. I don't think the Marshall or THD come in a 200W model.

Fender 400 PS from Wunjo on Denmark Street. 435W all-valve head from the 70s. Looking through some of the pics on google, I couldn't see him with it.

Why downsize at all? I still don't understand the question. Guitarists use the Power Brake or Hotplate when they want the amp to overdrive and distort at lower volumes. Unless you want an overdriven or distorted tone at all times at a lower volume, just turn the volume knob down.

Here's a tip: try the opposite of a scooped tone. I slap a lot but I prefer the sound of heavier gauge strings and mid-boosted amps.

I use an Aguilar DB680 through a pair of Acme Low B2s. The cabs go very low and don't weight very much (50lbs, I think). They also reproduce the preamp tone very faithfully. The preamp section of the DB750 is not identical to the DB680 but I know they're similar. A pair of Acme B2s could do the job. I think both Acme B2s combined after shipping and tax cost around the same as a single Epi 2x10 from The Bass Gallery.

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='166929' date='Mar 31 2008, 02:25 PM']And standing on the podium of perfection in Third place, walking on the beaches with 10 votes is... [b]JJ Burnell[/b] (applause)[/quote] I just bought an old bass amp of his.

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='168279' date='Apr 2 2008, 10:45 AM']Elvis is proof that you can fool some of the people all of the time.[/quote] Anyone who could count Sam Cooke, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jeff Beck among their fans can't have been all that bad. It amazes me that the black Rock n' Roll guys and the English Rhythm n' Blues guys rated Elvis as The King. But they did. That is a fact. And if you look back and listen to his music - especially his live performances - it was great stuff and he made a significant contribution. He was also quite a ground-breaking guy. You look at that famous concert (I think it was at the end of the '60s) and you can see his drummer's playing two kick drums a la Ginger Baker, and his bass player's going nuts a la Jack Bruce and James Jamerson (but the rhythm section was Country players), and then he's got black gospel singers backing him. At the end of the '60s, at a time when he'd become irrelevant and when people thought of him as a bit of a joke, there he was fusing Country, Gospel, Rock n' Roll, Rhythm n' Blues but now also Funk, Soul, and the Cream/Hendrix-style Jazz-Rock that was about to influence the likes of Miles Davis and his young protégés. Ignore all the bullshit and hysteria about him. The guy was first and foremost a hard-working musician with vision and is worthy of everyone's respect on that level, even if you don't like his music.

The funny thing about the big Ampeg 8x10s is that a lot of funk players used to use them back in the 70s. But I personally don't think they're clear or defined enough for some types of funk playing now.

No problem. No apology necessary!

I don't need any sugar on it. But some people don't appreciate the direct approach as much as others might.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='167843' date='Apr 1 2008, 06:01 PM']In a decade of reading similar posts I have concluded that few bassists actually agree on what they consider punchy or warm.[/quote] I agree with grumpy Alex. But there's a nice way and then there's a blunt way.

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='167607' date='Apr 1 2008, 12:33 PM']I saw a blues band in Fisherman's Wharf once who were playing old Fenders through old tweed amps.[/quote] Some of the most expensive instruments and amps there are.

What I love about Jaco was that serious jazz fanatics and journalists and academics would come up to him and ask him what the revolutionary new sound was he was playing: "I play Rn'B".

Is this like those 3D swirly pattern posters everyone had in 1993? I couldn't see them then and I can't see it now!

Or if like me you prefer simple movies for the simple-minded which spell out the moral of the story for you: [url="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100201/"]Mr. Destiny[/url]

[quote name='TheBrokenDoor' post='167302' date='Mar 31 2008, 11:00 PM']Regret saying yes to that singer-songwriter my mate asked me to do. It was Paulo Nutini. I'm 23 and I've turned down Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, Paulo Nutini and Echo and The Bunnymen. (None deliberately though!!!) I'm a bloody idiot. Dan[/quote] On the upside, your playing must be pretty good to get all these offers?

Nah, I think that's a good way of answering it. It's difficult for most players to deconstruct their playing and identify their stylistic influences as opposed to players they just like listening to.

[quote name='ashevans09' post='167221' date='Mar 31 2008, 09:22 PM']Buying Take That's "Greatest Hits"[/quote] You should add admitting to that on a bass forum to your list of regrets! I regret not introducing myself to Jack Bruce when I was standing next to him at a party. I was too shy and I kept thinking "I play bass because of you" would sound daft! I'm sure a few of us have friends we played with growing up who went on to bigger and better things. I don't really regret not following the music school/session work path though.

I like the way my rig sounds. And the advice people give players is always "get the best instrument / amp you can afford". That makes sense to me. That's not necessarily the most expensive.

Your guitarists understand funk rhythm guitar. Consider yourself blessed.

[quote name='mcgraham' post='165929' date='Mar 29 2008, 04:12 PM']Oh, and in response to the original post, I for one found learning the modes extremely helpful.[/quote] For a good explanation of "the modes" go to Dlloyd's post above.

[quote name='dlloyd' post='165814' date='Mar 29 2008, 12:18 PM']I read that as him saying that 'not reading' was a hindrance rather than a help.[/quote] Exactly. I find my lack of reading skills a hindrance rather than a help. How could anyone find being able to read a hindrance? That doesn't make any sense. You can also learn music theory without having to read notation or tab. It's just more work.

What guitar would I have? That's easy. I'm in the process of selling my guitar collection (Epiphone Sheraton, Epiphone Les Paul Black Beauty, Epiphone SG, Gretsch Synchromatic Jr, Simon & Patrick electro-acoustic with cutaway, Fender Stratocaster Deluxe Plus). I only want two guitars: a tobacco sunburst single-cut Les Paul Jr-type guitar with a single Bare Knuckle P90 in the bridge (the electric) and a Martin 'Little Martin' (the acoustic).

Sorry. Don't like it. But why does that matter if you do?