iconic

cheers for the 'feedback' guys

I have had a fair few combo's lent to me/played/fiddled with I'm no expert and have never played with anything expensive, never played an 8 foot high rig so be gentle with me here.

I finally got to play an Ashdown, it's only a little EB-180 but what a delight, it's got such nice, lovely, warm, creamy, rich, plush sorta tone, with a superb feel 'the bass in my guts' bottom end...and it's only a single lil' 12" ported speaker...I'm amazed.

technical point:...it moves more stuff around the house upstairs according to the wife I also think to my mind I think it's not really a true 180 watts, my Hartke was louder at 90w...although the Hartke was 'harsher' sounding, no thats maybe the wrong word, possibly I mean more clinical, abrasive, hardended maybe in tone.

....this EB has a wonderful fretless sound too, makes my VMJF sound like a hundred cats meowing away on a midnight fence...I liked it so much I bought one.... I love it's sound...or it could be this one little amp of course


Scroll on:

1/ I meet a bass player of many years standing and he tells me it's a British thing, this type of sound (he said colour to be pedantic), Brit amps/design whatever you wish to call it. Yes, I know Ashdown, although British, are no doubt built in the far east like everything else nowdays,
He told me they (Brit stuff) always seem to be warmer/darker with the rest seeming to be more 'more hi-fi'... I know it's a cliche, but he told I'm telling you...and I sort know know what he means.

2/ I then said the only other amp that left a lasting impression on me was an old Fender Bassman 100 valve rig and then the guy said...'it's the valves'...which is a std answer! To me this EB sounds very similar.

3/ We then amble on and I tell him I keep thinking of buying an old Trace Elliot if only for the fact that I used to see them at gigs in the 80's, they are (was) very British & importantly I'm very shallow and simply adore the colours...which is strange as I'm colour blind but hey black and green whats not to like

....I was then told by Mr B Ass Anorak the old Trace guys set up Ashdown...now I never knew that?

what do you reckon? Was this guy an amp guru or simply a very pleasant dreamer...actually he was a real nice guy and his mate may buy a Focus from me in case you are reading this

I have looked at a 424 in a shop and the hardware looks 414 bar the thru body stringing and spec's I have seen also seem to agree....so expect pups hotter than Tomato Soup On Bonfire Night...

...no really, I have to wind the amp down from every other bass I have/had, god knows whats in them passive pups?

You have a great choice too with the 3 way switch....full on P bass, P/J mix deep but bright too, and then rear only jazz/slap blingggg....and thru body strings can only bring more to the party...and well Yamaha are Yamaha so you know you should expect it's gonna be a quality build.

I keep thinking of buying one to accompany my 414 but then I think of buying lots of stuff .

PS should sound great on flats too.

PPS are they still £400 ish?

[quote name='Bassassin' post='1119484' date='Feb 7 2011, 09:21 PM']Black? [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bling-Custom-Jazz-Bass-PUP-cover-and-bridge-kit-BLUE-/370412811025"]Pah.[/url]

Worth checking some of his [url="http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Als-Music-Source/Bass-Bling-Hardware-/_i.html?_fsub=1159174017&_sid=138752747&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322"]other items[/url] too...

Jon.[/quote]

wooh! what a find!

£49!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-bass-guitar-new-Red-prec-/130477811039?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e6115655f"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Electric-bass-guitar...=item1e6115655f[/url]

never seen black before?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Precision-Bass-bridge-cover-plate-fits-other-basses-M8-/130286383617?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1e55ac7201"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Precision-Bass-bridg...=item1e55ac7201[/url]

[quote name='mcnach' post='1118731' date='Feb 7 2011, 11:38 AM']They're gone!!!!!!!!

I tried to buy another one yesterday but I would not be able to proceed to checkout... now I know why: they're not on teh list anymore. I guess they sold out.

I really wanted another... ah well... makes it easier to explain to my gf [/quote]

these are only £77 and you gt an amp too!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sunburst-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Amp-Tuner-Case-Stand-/390079179205?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item5ad287e9c5"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sunburst-Electric-Ba...=item5ad287e9c5[/url]

these have an amp but are for the more affluent bass player @ £94 but colours to die for!

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR-Package-ALL-YOU-NEED-/390270214524?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item5addeae17c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-ELECTRIC-B...=item5addeae17c[/url]

thanks guys, I was thinking he was refering to a minor chord....Stuart's book is so much better than Ed's

cheers for he help

I can normally get there on my own lately but this one is still giving me gip to the point where I thought I let the experts have a go I still do find some tunes harder than others on my ears There seems to be nothing around for this tune to get help me?

....I just can't seem to find the right key to Gene....assuming std 4 string tuning.....I gota say I got a hunch this maybe on a 5 string it's so low?

any help very welcome gentlemen

thanks in advance

thanks for those....Get on the Floor's verse seems 'different', not saying it's incorrect though, there never seems to any consistancy on this one, but here is Louis himself...and then even he has changed the key!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwCzTo20d18"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwCzTo20d18[/url]

I have been going thru Ed Freidlands method books and come across something that's puzzled me.

Major sevenths are simply the 7th added to the chord so 1-3-5-7

Dominant seventh adds a flat 7th so 1-3-5-b7 OK so far....then

Minor sevenths are built 1-b3-5-b7 according to Ed.

But a flat 3rd on a minor scale makes it just a normal minor 2nd doesn't it, so why say flat 3rd?

maybe I got scales 'n chords messed up or something?

I didn't get a lot of sleep eitherlast night!

Yamaha.

...if you can afford the RBX-374 you can go active with two fat humbuckers....very nice bass

OUT:

Yamaha RBX374
Yamaha BB614
Aria SBR-60

IN:

Squier VMJ
Squier VMJF
Yamaha BB414
Fender [i]MIMP[/i]

I have Nylon Tru-Bass on my VMJF and love the sound....another way to go?

[quote name='Marvin' post='1113104' date='Feb 2 2011, 10:13 PM']He plays some real hidden gems, I really like his playing. I'd probably go as far to say he's my favourite bass player.

I seem to remember reading that he's most musically trained out of REM, which would explain a lot.

A really underrated player and musician in my opinion. Good to see others think the same.[/quote]

I had a go on Uberlin last night, ya right, there is quite a bit going on in his playing but so very subtle

[quote name='Balcro' post='1113203' date='Feb 2 2011, 11:05 PM']Sounds like you've got plenty of grit and determination. Good on yer!

Just by way of nothing and an idea that's been getting to me 'cos I keep watching TV commercials and hearing this song again and again - it's been on at least twice tonight. What is that song? I don't know; do you know what it is; No.
Dar dar daaa, listen to the music, dar de dar dar dar.....
Had to "Ask" it just now - Doobie Bros. Aahhh.

A bit more country than the Average White Band, but similar era and really crafted. Give it try.

Balcro.[/quote]


Dar dar daaa

that's by Trio isn't it different spelling cos das ist foreigner's

[quote name='Bidd' post='1113366' date='Feb 3 2011, 02:01 AM']How did you get Neon Genesis Evangelion on that list? Looking through the list I saw a lot of my favourite 80's bands (A-ha, Smiths, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran etc), some modern stuff and 70's disco, and amongst them a (truly great) 90's Japanese Anime!

If you are into rock at all, then it may seem cliched but learn some oldish Muse stuff. I still enjoy playing along to songs like New Born & Hysteria on my bass with an mp3 player in my garage at a stupidly high volume.[/quote]
Key : Cm

Here's the chords, just noodle round this...excuse the pun!

Cm Fm Bb Eb
zankoku na tenshi no you ni
Cm Fm Gm Abmaj7
shounen yo shinwa ni nare


[Intro]
Cm Fm Bb Eb
Cm Fm Bb Cm


Eb Bb
aoi kaze ga ima
Cm Bb Abmaj7
mune no DOA wo tataite mo
Bb Eb Cm
watashi dake wo tada mitsumete
Dm7 F/G G
hohoende'ru ana-ta


Eb Bb
sotto fureru mono
Cm Bb Abmaj7
motomeru koto ni muchuu de
Bbsus Bb Eb Cm
unmei sae mada shiranai
Dm7 F/G G F/G G
itaike na hitomi


Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
dakedo itsuka kidzuku deshou
Fm7 Ab/Bb Bbm7 Eb
sono senaka ni wa
Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
haruka mirai mezasu tame no
Ddim7 F/G G
hane ga aru koto


Cm Fm Bb Eb
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
Cm Fm Bb Eb
madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
Cm Fm Bb Eb
hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de
Cm Fm Bb Bb/C-Cm
omoide wo uragiru na---ra
Cm Fm Bb Eb
kono sora wo daite kagayaku
Cm Fm Bb Bb/C-Cm
shounen yo shinwa ni na---re


[Instrumental]
Cm {1}

Fm7 Gm7 Abmaj7 Gm7
Fm7 Gm7 Abmaj7 Bb (Bdim) {2}
Cm Fm Bb Eb
Cm Fm Bb Cm
Cm Fm Bb Eb
Cm Fm Bb Cm


Eb Bb
zutto nemutte'ru
Cm Bb Abmaj7
watashi no ai no yurikago
Bb Eb Cm
anata dake ga yume no shisha ni
Dm7 F/G G
yobareru asa ga kuru


Eb Bb
hosoi kubisuji wo
Cm Bb Abmaj7
tsukiakari ga utsush*te'ru
Bb Eb Cm
sekai-juu no toki wo tomete
Dm7 F/G G F/G G
tojikometai kedo


Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
moshimo futari aeta koto ni
Fm7 Ab/Bb Bbm7 Eb
imi ga aru nara
Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
watashi wa sou jiyuu wo shiru
Ddim7 F/G G
tame no BAIBURU


Cm Fm Bb Eb
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
Cm Fm Bb Eb
kanashimi ga sosh*te hajimaru
Cm Fm Bb Eb
dakishimeta inochi no katachi
Cm Fm Bb Bb/C-Cm
sono yume ni mezameta toki
Cm Fm Bb Eb
dare yori mo hikari wo hanatsu
Cm Fm Fm Gm Abmaj7 Bb
shounen yo shinwa ni na-----re


Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
hito wa ai wo tsumugi nagara
Fm7 Ab/Bb Bbm7 Eb
rekishi wo tsukuru
Abmaj7 Gm7 Cm7
megami nante narenai mama
Ddim7 F/G G
watashi wa ikiru


Cm Fm Bb Eb
zankoku na tenshi no TE-ZE
Cm Fm Bb Eb
madobe kara yagate tobitatsu
Cm Fm Bb Eb
hotobashiru atsui PATOSU de
Cm Fm Bb Bb/C-Cm
omoide wo uragiru na---ra
Cm Fm Bb Eb
kono sora wo daite kagayaku
Cm Fm Bb Bb/C-Cm
shounen yo shinwa ni na---re

how do you skip the ads

This guy seems to be an unsung uberbassist, I gota say REM's bass tone always sound sooooo fat n creamy, proper P bass stuff and a great example of less is more.

I'm assuming he plays a Fender P bass?

This maybe be useful to someone new to a bass, and by new I mean, like me...I hadn't even picked up a guitar or anything, didn't know a Precision from a Jazz, a humbucker from a flatwound string....I had heard of Fender though whom I thought were budget instruments for schools...like I said raw

Well, it's almost been 2 years in April at the age of 45 since I bought my 1st Yamaha RBX and an Orange amp and tried to teach myself bass with a book and the 'tinternet and I'm amazed that someone as tone deaf and with fingers like Wall's bangers can make a half decent tone from it, 8th decent!

Normally I get all 'crazed out' in a few months of a 'fad' but bass seems to be addictive to me and I have never thought of moving on to something else.

..it really pains me though when I think I really should have picked one up when I was 10, and then 16, then 21 then 25 etc when I knew I loved the sound (and look) of a bass, rather than try and play a piano with 2 godawful 'teachers'. I will always think if only I started earlier it would so much easier now

I find it so hard, very hard, simply because I'm not musically talented and still think there are 2 types of musician, those that have a 'tune gene' from birth and those that don't but ache to want one & love music none the less......that's me.... I sing like someone sat on a pride of newly nuetered allycats and still sometimes find it almost impossible to determine if a note is higher or lower than the other one. I have found that a passion goes a long way though, it's never a pian for me to pick my bass up.

I'm also amazed at the sheer patience of those on this forum, which has been a great help and from bass players I have met at little gigs, who always have a minute for an idiot like myself. Stuarts bass crashcourse book has been great and Studybass.com excellent too...never had a proper lesson yet though.

summary....if I can get the long necked monster to play a tune of sorts, well I'm sure nearly anyone can given a chance!

A customer asked me today what do I play, well this and that I replied, are you in a band, no I laughed it's only for fun...we did a deal, he went then I thought, well what do I play and thought wow, I play a lot of tunes now, which really made me think.

So far I have been into and then out of the following not exhaustive list, and what a mix it is....but I seem to have run out of funk/disco tunes. I can normally get there by ear now, something I couldn't even imagine a year ago, but a vid of someone playing or a sh*te tab is always a good start:

[b]any suggestions for new must play tunes welcome[/b]

....funny thing I love Level 42 but apart from Chinese Way I never play any

Disco/Funk/80’s in no order, although things like LCD same 1st obviously!

Bernard Edwards: Le freak, Everybody Dance, Forbidden Lover, Greatest Dancer, We Are Family, Upside Down, Good Times, Spacer

Michael Jackson: Get on the Floor, Shake Ya Body to the Ground, PYT

Dexies: Geno

Haircut 100: Fantastic Day, Love Plus One

Duran: Rio, Girls on Film Night Version, Last Chance, New Religion, Anyone Out There, Reflex, Planet Earth, Lonely In Your Nightmare, Save A Prayer, My Own Way 12”, Wolf

Brothers Johnson: Stomp, Light Up The Night

Dynasty: I Don’t Wanna Be A Freak

Air: La Femme, All I need

Atmosfear: Dancing In Outer Space

AWB: Cake, Pieces, Round Again

Rose Royce: Carwash

Buggles: Videostar

Cameo: Word Up

Change: Glow Of Love

Wham: Club, Rap, Guns

Central Line: Walking Into Sunshine

Commodores: Brick House

Dazz Band: Whip

Japan: Visions, Polaroids

Detroit Emeralds: Feel The Need

Devo: whip It

Eagles: Hotel

The Beat: Twist and Crawl

Flowerpot Men: Beat City

LCD Sound System: Scum

Funkadelic: Standing, Nation

Gazza Numan: Cars

Tramps: Inferno
Imagination: Illusion

Jam: Eton, Start

Jamiroquai: Foolsophy, Canned Heat, Cosmic, Runaway

Narada Walden Michael: I should of loved ya

Julian Cope: Trampoline

Just Jack: Writers Block

King: Love and Pride

Kleeer: Open Your Mind

Lenny Kravitz: Fly Away

Light Of the World: London Town, Swingin’, Time

Marvin Gaye: Got To Give It Up

MSFB: Mysteries Of the World….1st 100% by ear

Offspring: Original Prankster

O’Jays: Love Train

Bee Gees; You Should Be Dancing

Lonnie Liston Smith: Expansions

Macfadden: Stoppin

Patrice Rushen: Forget Me Notts

Pet Shop Boys: Rent….!

Positive Force: We Got the Funk

Power Station: Some Like It Hot….Taylor link!

Rick James: Superfreak, Getto

Shalamar: Friends

Slade: Mama Were all crazy now

Slave: Dreamin’, Just a Touch of love

The Smiths: Bigmouth

Sophie Ellis Bexter: Murder on the Dancefloor

E-Z Rollers: Walk This Land

Spandau: Gold, Paint Me Down

Aqua: Barbie!!!

Spice Girls: Wannabe!!!

Stranglers: Heroes

Sweet: Ballroom Blitz

Timbuk 3: Futures So Bright

Tom: Its Not Unusual!

Gazza/ Tubeway Army: Are Friends Electric, Cars

UB40: 1 in 10

Taste of Honey: Boogie

Les Rythmes Digitales: Jaques Your Body

Nickleback: Rockstar

Lipps Inc: Funkytown

Whispers: Loveffang, And the beat goes on

Nick Heyward: wouldn’t it be good

Duncan Dha: En Algun Lugar…!

Young and Company: I like what ya doin

Cheryl Lyn: Got to be

Arthur Conley; Sweet Soul Music

Oasis: Wonderwall

Wang Chung: Dance Hall Days

War: Low Rider

Wild Cherry: Play that funky music

Wombats: New york

Aha: You are the one, touchy

Elton: Too Low for zero, your song

Azymuth: Jazz Carnival

Cyndi Lauper: Time

Earth Wind ‘n: Boogie Down

KC and Sunshine band: do a little dance

Nena: 99

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Police: Message

The Real thing: Can you feel the force

Womack: Footsteps

Vocaloid: You should drink milk, that strange Koreon guy…..finger only..slap next year!!

Freeze: Southern Freeze

Various others with dull root 5th octave stuff



[b]Still to get a handle on: Gene Chandler Get Down, Aurra Nasty Disposition Level 42 43, Jermaine Jackson Lets Get Serious, Bomfunk Freestyler, Kajagoogoo Too Shy, Crowns Heights Affair, Scritti Politti Word Beez, Frank Fly Me to the Moon, Chameleons got me fretless now![/b]

If you mean Rotosound Tru-Bass nylons they are lovely, feel a bit odd at first like playing a tapeworm, huge things with a very loose fit indeed but, very nice tone....

I think this was once mine?

Very pretty thing.

If it helps 2009 onwards MIM's had a lot of upgrades on the previous models.

....I really like mine.

Circle of Fifths did a good write up on the differences between MIA/MIM, which maybe a lot less than most people think...?

sonic blue NLA!

this looks the same bass as the Nevada bass I was given but with a different name.

...the neck on the Nevada moves alarmingly too, an inch or so if you push on the head with a finger, although the tuning stays OK, but we couldn't get the action lower than something a limbo dancer could get under even with saddles on the deck and bottomed out, even tried packing the neck with sandpaper like a 70's Fender good to see these are better...

I'd love to pull the trigger too but I think I'll see how this thread goes for a week or so....maybe there is a cheap bass god afterall?