Malc62

I've been there. The drummer hated the fact that the band wasn't my only project and I hated his tendency to take over the running of the band. God, was I relieved when some personal issue forced him to quit! The rest of us split up a few months later but at least we've stayed friends ever since. Never again.

As soon as I got a load of The Stranglers' debut LP "Rattus Norvegicus", that was it - I wanted to be Jean Jacques Burnel. Not for nothing did I start out on a black Precision replica with a maple neck!

[quote name='RhysP' post='706895' date='Jan 9 2010, 06:55 PM']Joe Pass hasn't been a "%%$*&&* to work with" since 1994, when he died................. There are quite a few examples of left handed people who play right handed - Mark Knopfler is one that springs immediately to mind.[/quote] I believe others include Gary Moore, Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals), Dave Hill of Slade, Jim Mullen, Wilko Johnson and (coming back to bass) Mike Porcaro (ex-Toto). Lot of it about.

[quote name='Zoe_BillySheehan' post='707558' date='Jan 10 2010, 12:26 PM']ive got a friend whos a left handed guitarist, but first learnt on a right handed guitar, but played it left handed, so all the strings with upside down... its amazing seeing him play like that now, it just confuses me lol Z x[/quote] Rather like Take That's road bass player Lee Pomeroy (now a full member of It Bites). Funnily enough, OMD bass player Andy McClusky does the opposite - he plays a right handed bass strung left handed, apparently because the first bass he bought was a lefty but he didn't know any different.

I reckon it's purely down to your individual mindset how you make the transition. My only real issue was finding one with the right string spacing - I'm six four and have big hands (I chose a budget Yamaha). All you have to do is practice and get used to it. I used to think "down from the G string" rather than "up from the B" to get familiar with the tuning. I've since got rid of my 5 as I found that I was doing fine on my four-string Stingray.

Solo gig last night (guitar and lap-top) not far from where the darts championships take place every year. Highlights of the gig were (1) a middle-aged Welsh woman flashing her t**s at me and (2) getting paid. Now you see why I need to get back out there playing bass in a band.

[quote name='353203' post='706524' date='Jan 9 2010, 01:28 PM']Hello and a happy new year to all, I found out about basschat only yesterday - it looks great so here I am as a total newcomer. I started playing bass back in 1980 (aged 14), inspired by the great JJ Burnel. Armed with some birthday / xmas / cleaning cars, windows, anything that moved money I bought a black '76 precision bass from Denny Laine's old music shop in weybridge (she sits behind me as I write - the bass that is, not Denny or the shop). After playing in bands with absolutely zero talent or success for the next 20 years, I finally gave in and just started admiring, collecting and annoying the hell out of my kids with all that 'horrible noise'. Yep, I still can't play like old JJ. Cheers to all, Simon PS. I have an immediate question which hopefully someone can help me with (if this post is in the wrong place, please accpet my apologies and I'll move it). I have a 70s Fender Mustang (hopefully pictured) and I don't know the correct name of the colour (I can't find it on any old fender colour charts) - I guess it could simply be 'brown' but that just sounds a bit boring for Fender ! I've removed the neck before and it doesn't appear to be a re-fin. Many thanks to anyone who can help.[/quote] Hi there from Cobham - another near-neighbour! I was a teenage JJ Burnel fanatic myself (even after I discovered Bernard Edwards of Chic). Malc

Season's greetings, fellow newbie

[quote name='iconic' post='689067' date='Dec 19 2009, 01:54 PM']ohh, the bass influence thing.... Mark King...well I loved Level 42 until running the family! John Taylor....wow I never really never knew just how talented this guy is! Bernard Edwards...makes everything he plays seem so effortless! Buddy "Hanks" Hankerson...when I can play that Aurra track Nasty Disposition, I will have arrived! Mark Antone Adams So playing since March and my bass favorites after a glass of vino I play very badly: [b]Le Freak, Good times, He's the greatest dancer, We are family, I want your love Girls on film night version, New Religion, Some like it hot Canned heat, Foolsophy, Cosmic girl, We got the funk, Make that move, Just a touch of love no L 42 yet![/b][i][/i] that's it I can post freely now [/quote] Some good lines there - I've got most of what Bernard Edwards played on; iffy lyrics, but what a groove...

Can't compete with some of the posts I've seen here, but thought I'd rack the grey matter and recall what's passed through my hands over the years: HONDO II Precision copy, black (purchased new in 1977. Spot the Jean Jacques Burnel influence.) WESTONE Thunder 1A, sunburst (sold because the body was too small - I'm six feet four tall) IBANEZ Roadstar 924, cherry sunburst (named "Lisa"; had it defretted, refretted and eventually sold it) YAMAHA BB1100s, natural (did my first gig on this one) IBANEZ Studio, natural (still not sure what possessed me) IBANEZ Roadster 924, red (very heavy; put Reflex active pickups on but eventually PXed for summat else) IBANEZ Roadster 924, red (a different one, bought off a mate; lent it to my brother who promptly moved to the US with it) JAYDEE Roadie 1 fretless (black, passive and stylish, like myself) IBANEZ Roadstar 860, pearl white (low impedance humbucking pickups; didn't compare to "Lisa" so sold it within a month of buying it) WAL Custom, natural (lovely bass, but somehow drifted away from fretless playing and sold it) PANGBORN Warrior (little-known "Mark King" model, apparently - eventually PX'ed for Jaydee) JAYDEE Mark King, yellow (eventually PXed for StingRay) MUSIC MAN StingRay, light blue (still have it - much gigged, much loved) MAISON fretless 5-string, grey (absolute pile of steaming dump; still in my garage awaiting my next trip to the tip) SPECTOR PJ active, black (bought from, and subsequently sold back to, Gary aka "Cetera") YAMAHA RBX765A 5-string, green (great budget bass - nice spacing for my big hands. Only sold it mid-December) WASHBURN Series 1000 Status, black (pre-wedding gift to myself! Gigged only once; sold it mid-December) MUSIC MAN SUB, black (bought from Gary "Cetera"; recently advertised for sale until advised of their apparently low resale value. Now a keeper) SQUIER Vintage Modified fretless Jazz Bass sunburst (impulse buy, recently sold to Colin as surplus to requirements) SQUIER Standard Jazz Bass, walnut (previous owner had installed EMGs but I had them off a bit sharpish! Sold in mid-December - believe it's now back up for sale.) FENDER Mexican Jazz Bass, black (new main bass - now sports the EMGs from last purchase, Badass bridge now installed. This is why I want to get back out there as a bassist). I think that's all of 'em. What memories... Funny thing is, I've had only three live rigs; a Carlsbro Cobra 90 combo, Laney DP150 head and 4x10 cab and the Peavey MegaBass head/MegaBox cab I bought in 1992 (which had apparently been previously owned by Skunk Anansie's Cass Lewis). Mal

[quote name='reds42' post='625732' date='Oct 14 2009, 08:00 AM']Hi there, Those pics aren't current. They're very old !!! (like me). I took them around '98/99/00 I think (fuzzy now!) with my first digital camera. The first pic is from John & Andy's old workshop. Ignore the exif data - I don't know why it says April 09 - must have been when I last edited them. Cheers, Nick. (And a big hi to Nick! I keep popping up randomly and saying hello don't I?!) !! [attachment=34428:DSC_3685_Edit.jpg][/quote] That bass looks VERY familiar - did you ever live just outside Croydon?

[quote name='barneyg42' post='678522' date='Dec 8 2009, 09:57 PM']So usually when you spot something that seems to be popular you pop a post in the spotted forum. So when I saw the Jazz in my local Gumtree I was just about to post when that little devil popped up on my shoulder and reminded me that I had some money coming in a few weeks and if I kept schtum it might still be around. Could I live with the guilt? Course I bloody could!! So I popped over to Cobham tonight and got the baby from a really nice guy called Mal (a friend of Cetera it turns out) for a very keen price and here she is......... [attachment=37968:08122009012.jpg] [attachment=37969:08122009013.jpg] [attachment=37970:08122009014.jpg] [attachment=37971:08122009015.jpg][/quote] Glad you're enjoying the bass, Col! Yes, 'tis the very same Mal here. That was one of four basses I sold in two weeks - my Washburn Status had gone at lunchtime the same day.

Hi there you guys. Mal here from deepest Surrey! I'm a bassist of thirty years standing. My first regular bass gig was keepin' it deep for a function band. I'm still with the same band almost twenty years later, but I had to become our keyboard player about six or seven years ago as I noticed that we couldn't seem to keep a keys player for more than about a year and a half. However, despite that (and about fifteen years playing guitar on solo gigs), I've always kept my hand in and I now find myself keener than ever to get back out there as a bassist. For about fifteen years I've used a Music Man StingRay, and have recently obtained a Fender Jazz Bass which I've modded with EMG pickups (today I bought a Badass II bridge for it). My live rig is a Peavey MegaBass head and MegaBox cab, although I've recenty picked up a Line 6 Bass Pod Pro at a nice price! Looking forward to some bass-related banter! Keep it deep Mal