Mykesbass

As a final back up, your brother should really report it to his insurers just in case in the worst case scenario you can make a claim.

A 1993 Taj Mahal album "Dancing The Blues" that I've had in a box for years, only rediscovered as looking for ideas for band. It's great!

Chris, I'm no expert, but my SWR (with the extra pick-up) sounds fine to me played through my Yamaha BB 500 head and a 10" cab. The electronics are all Fishman - pretty good reputation - OK, not up there with Schertler, but still pretty top end in the acoustic guitar world. As I say, not an expert, but do your amps (I see they're both Mesas) need some hefty driving? A lot of DB/EUB players go for smaller amps - one of the little GK's I recall are very popular. Is it worth trying it out through something smaller first? Cheers, Mike

[quote name='51m0n' post='910823' date='Jul 30 2010, 11:41 PM']Errr those 'no hopers', well I hate to break this to you, but a fair number of the chorus that weren't right in front of the camera (being the poor downtrodden 'no hopers') were kids from great homes who had been through Brighton's Music Service from the age of 5 onwards, I know cos I saw them do it, when I was taking Plux there too.... And funk may be hard to teach, but it can certainly be learnt. The trick is, as with any style, absolute immersion in it. I listened to noting but funk when I was exclusively playing in funk bands, and I was considered none too shabby. I'm not as good at it now, since I dont tend to listen to it nearly as much, but whatever I play it always has an element of funk in it, once you have it it cant be lost either. And slowing anything down makes it harder IMO. Any idiot can play stuff at warp speed and thus hide the mistakes in a flurry of plop. Thats how I get away with it [/quote] OK, but some of them that the programme highlighted were starting from a very low point (BTW I'm not making a comment on their social standing re the great homes comment), and the point was that Malone nurtured a feel/passioin for what they were doing, much like this mystical feel/groove needed to be funky.

Fretless (and keep the faith)!

[quote name='Linus27' post='910623' date='Jul 30 2010, 08:18 PM']Sure. Shuker is making me a custom neck for my ESP based on the existing ESP fretted neck. I did not want to get the ESP neck de-fretted as the bass is super rare and has sentimental value so if something goes wrong I am buggered. So the fretless neck will be pretty much the same as the existing fretted neck but fretless.[/quote] Thanks, I'll investigate his pricing. With the Cort it has a bound neck which I know most luthiers don't like de-fretting. Also I like the idea of keeping the original.

I still think you can teach "feel". Anyone seen Gareth Malone in his various BBC programmes teaching a bunch of no hopers to sing Opera? To me there's as much "feel" in that as there is in Funk. Sure, it's not all in the dots, but I think it is all about inspiring and coaching. It's not that some people were born with it and some not.

[quote name='Linus27' post='910579' date='Jul 30 2010, 07:42 PM']Hey Dave, If you can wait anything from 3 to 5 weeks until I get my fretless neck for my ESP, you can borrow my VMJ Fretless and compare. That way you can see if you like the VMJ and how you feel about fretless.[/quote] Can I ask where you are getting your neck - is it a custom build? I'm thinking of getting one for my Cort GB75 - I love my VMJ fretless but I need 5 strings otherwise I can't play in D or E!

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='910566' date='Jul 30 2010, 07:31 PM']I'm in the 'funk can't be taught' side of things. But I'd like to hear something to the contrary.[/quote] I think you answered part of your own question earlier about telling kids to play at half the speed - I don't think you can teach Funk in the conventional sense like music theory but you can get people to understand and feel music like Funk, Blues, Jazz etc. I now play with a drummer in an old school rock & roll band, and it is so refreshing to play with an old boy who doesn't have to play everything at 180 bpm or 120 decibels to make a song move. I think transferring these skills by inspiring others is just as valid as sitting in a classroom being taught something in the traditional way. Sorry, I'm rambling now

Hi Dave, Played a few Classic Vibes and Vintage Modifieds when I was looking for a VMJ Fretless. Got to say, despite buying and really liking the VMJ the CV's seem to have that certain something that lifted them IMO above the VM's. I'd stick my neck out and say go for the de-fret. Mike

Damn, computer only working on one speaker and sound reproduction is awful - sounds like it could be something special. Thanks once again B for all your great posts.

Strings & Things were always a pleasure to deal with when I had my shop. Nick is an absolute gentleman.

Magnesium supplement from Holland & Barret - seemed to work for me on non bass related cramp.

Sounds like good fun - don't forget the Kinks!

[quote name='OldGit' post='904632' date='Jul 25 2010, 11:40 AM']Yup Type 3 Audience: Arms crossed, looking angry, sat in the same seat every Saturday night for 10 years "Go on then, fookin' [i]entertain[/i] me. We 'ad that Abba Gold here last week. [i]They[/i] were good"[/quote] At least there was no bingo at this one!

Nice post Silddx, As a member of a rock & roll/country/blues band, to have some fun and hopefully get an audience that enjoys what you are doing. We had a great time last night - social club punters, so we weren't the centre of attention (like most of these places) however, at the end of the night we had loads of nice comments and people asking if we were coming back. Now I know some musicians would have taken offence at the perceived lack of respect from the audience during the gig, but we all knew what to expect from this type of venue so had our own fun and put on a show regardless.

First gig with new band last night - a mix of rock & roll, country and blues. Typical Social Club crowd, smattering of applause every now and then, no-one taking any real interest, then when we finished everyone coming up and telling us how good it was and are we coming back! I've now played social clubs in London, Suffolk and Sussex - are they the same the world over?

[quote name='bubinga5' date='Jul 23 2010, 06:30 PM' post='903462'] Love this....awsome stuff from G Duke Billy and John Scofield. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9Vaml0dZE&videos=Me4gCkBybM8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN9Vaml0dZE...eos=Me4gCkBybM8[/url] Man, that's some plank Scofield's playing! I used to love this stuff, but no matter how hard I try it doesn't do it for me anymore. Playing is spot on and thanks Bubinbga5 for posting but I just can't work out 30 years on, why I loved this stuff so much and now it leaves me cold. Oh well, yet another problem that comes with age

Was reminiscing with my mum yesterday about the Capital Radio Jazz Festival at Knebworth - Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, Dave Brubeck plus some great pop/blues artists as well - AWB, Jimmy Cliff, BB King, Chuck Berry. Nowadays Jazz Festivals seem to be a series of expensive concerts in venues around a particular town, not an outdoors event where you get to see this much talent across one weekend like the rock festivals. I guess they just don't work financially anymore.

I know a singer who is the quintessential "ageing rocker" - long, thinning grey hair, beads, denim etc, zero people skills, terrible singer, yet he is always getting gigs and always puts on a good show. I only realised how bad he was when I heard him without seeing him.

[quote name='TheButler' post='896958' date='Jul 16 2010, 11:00 PM']Hey folks, I just thought i'd post because i'm in a bit of a situation regarding my gear. Do i sell it all, keep some of it or keep it all? It took me ages to get a Mesa 400+ and my rig sounded really incredible. I'm in need of money though, to kick start saving/investment. What is the best way to approach my situation? I'm only 20, experienced being number 58 in the German album charts, have made lots of good contacts and met lots of great people, not to mention i am quite sure i still have plenty of fuel in the tank. Help me good people.[/quote] Looks like you're already answering your own question - you fully intend to leave the door open, so keep the gear. In the grand scheme of things the money you'll make on the rig will not exactly kick off a pension fund but on the other hand, when you need to find the money for new gear that will be really hard.

I worked for a while for the company that released teh DVD's and did the TV sales for this series - they had to go for really populist stuff to make the TV sales and to make the money work, hence stuff like the Nightfly, where the main appeal was to us muso types, and probably out gigging when the series airs, didn't get a look in.

Chris Rea regularly uses an Italia guitar - not because he was given one - he played one in a shop, loved it and bought and recorded/toured with it . Also, Trev Wilkinson was involved with them - despite his involvement with the Vintage firewood brand (must make some very good money from that deal) he certainly knows a thing or two about guitars/basses.