arthurhenry

The point is, you gig instead of sitting at home. Many start off in covers bands with the intention of moving on to original stuff, but it doesn't always happen. Remember, the Beatles were a cover band. To me it's very satisfying to play live often and get paid whilst still being able to play the way I like to play and express myself on my instrument (man) on the foundation of a well known song. I genuinely play bass in covers bands just the way I would in original bands, I wouldn't have it any other way.

The custom moulded ones are supposed to be renewed every five years. I've had mine for ten.

Pride o' the farm by Dixie Dregs Dirty linen by Fairport Convention Synchronicity II by Police

Yes it's market research in its earliest form. Hope you friendly hard gigging lot don't mind!

[quote name='Mykesbass' post='965020' date='Sep 22 2010, 09:42 PM']WalMan beat me to it - all these great bands put on different shows every night - part of what made them so thrilling to see live (otherwise stay at home and put the album on, nice comfy sofa, no-one in front of you swaying drunkenly and spilling his pint, no ticket costs, no worrying about missing the last bus home). Also, using your Led Zep/Joe Cocker analogy, I'm sure most people in the audience wouldn't notice if you hadn't nailed JPJ's exact lines. Sure the singer and the guitarist would have there work cut out, maybe a handful of air drummers would know all the exact drum patterns, but, just like the BBC "I'm In A Rock & Roll Band", no-one cares about us so enjoy yourself![/quote] Good point. When I've seen tributes I notice every little detail (musically) that's not correct and it bugs me, but that's because I'm a musician. 99% of punters probably don't care, I just sort of wish they would!

Has anyone observed as I have, certain conventions in rock and pop band settings for always referring to sharp or flat notes by a particular name, whether or not musically correct? For example C# is always called C# even when in a key where it should be Db. The same goes for F#, Bb (never, ever heard it called A#), and Eb. G#/Ab seem to be interchangable.

I remember Tony Levin talking about a time when he was playing through loads of pedals and whilst onstage, realised it was getting a bit ridiculous. He said he pulled the lead out of his bass and twirled it around......and the sound didn't change a bit!

[quote name='chris_b' post='964327' date='Sep 22 2010, 12:03 PM']If you're inclined to be precious about your artistic integrity then play to as many men and a dog as you can, but if you loose the blinkers there should be room on your moral high ground for all sorts of projects, including putting on a wig, a monocle or playing in a tribute band.[/quote] Not precious about artistic integrity, you should see some of the bands I've been in! Just precious about being able to be me, play like me, react to the muisc in my own way. Surely that's important to all of us? For me personally, maybe not for anyone else, I feel like a tribute band would stifle that.

[quote name='the_skezz' post='964267' date='Sep 22 2010, 11:25 AM']Don't get what's morally unacceptable about either...it's not like you're harming anyone either way, you're just playing songs at a gig. Out of curiosity, how come you have a 'snobby and negative' view of tribute bands?[/quote] Just my personal view of how I look at it as a musician. If I were to play in a Zeppelin tribute for example, I would learn JPJ's lines absolutely exactly with pinpoint accuracy, anything less I would consider not to be doing it properly. It would then be my job to not play like me! All my own characteristics and creativity would have to be cast aside in order to do the best job possible for personal pride and value for money for ticket buyers to the show. I would find this soul destroying. Whereas if I play behind a Joe Cocker tribute for example, I'd feel a bit more free to put my own spin on things as I'd just be an anonymous backing musician and nobody would care. Probably just my own weird way of looking at it and I was trying to be a bit self depreciating when I said "snobby"! Agree that getting out and playing as much as possible is number one priority, just trying to get my head around how I feel about it. Ps I'm also aware that the tribute thing has been something of a hot topic on here before and some negative views have been expressed, so I was alluding to that.

I am one of those with fairly snobby and negative views of tribute bands, but would you agree that playing in the backing band to a tribute artist where you are essentially anonymous (as you would be if playing with the real artist) is a lot different and more morally acceptable than putting on a wig and pretending to be Chris Squire?

Quick search and it seems there have been many changes at Ampeg, amps are now manufactured in China and artist support is not what it was, hence the departure of Will Lee, Mike Anthony, Victor and others. Wonder if Ampeg will disappear altogether as it did in the 80s/early 90s.

Seriously? I can't imagine him moving from Ampeg. Mind you he did switch to Carlie Stringers for a while.

I interpret it as saying that fast, high playing and slapping is perfectly acceptable, but it must be kept under control, not be over used and should always come second to laying down the low notes.

Tom Petty, Learning to fly - 4 chords Save tonight - Eagle eye Cherry - 4 chords

Almost always my '72 Tele, done about 650 gigs on it. For small, low volume gigs the Dano DC comes out sometimes.

1.Billy Sheehan, more for digging in hard and the energy he puts into his lines than for the flash stuff. 2.Andy Fraser, surely the best British player of all 3.Geddy Lee, another digger inner. 4.Jack Bruce, lots of notes! 5.Steve Harris, for starting it all off for me. Whatever you think of him, huge respect is surely deserved.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='961409' date='Sep 19 2010, 06:47 PM']I've been using Schaller Straplocks on various instruments since the mid 80s and I've never come across this problem. In fact I just looked at the oldest bass I have that's in regular use which I've owned since the early 90s when I bought it with the Straplocks already fitted and which was my main bass for almost 10 years during which time it's spent at least 1 hour every day support by the Straplocks and there is not sign of the wear that you describe. In fact the only obvious wear I can find on any of the Straplock buttons on any of my guitars or basses is on one fitted with black buttons where the black finish has worn off around the rim but it's no more than just the finish. Are you sure that yours were genuine Schallers? I've seen some dodgy looking alternatives on eBay over the last couple of years.[/quote] Yes, they were genuine schallers, only snapped off on one bass, but all other basses with them fitted showed serious wear. Maybe I was just unlucky, still the principle's worth thinking about.

Something you may not have thought of if you use Schaller strap locks: With the locks attached to the strap as per the instructions, you will then have the full weight of your bass on a rim of metal which then rubs against the metal strap pin on the bass. Eventually it WILL wear through the strap pin, which will snap in half. Fortunately for me, it happened at home and not during a gig. The solution is simple: don't attach the locks to the strap. Put the strap on the bass as normal, then clip on the strap locks. They won't rattle around as you may think. I keep mine in an old camera film pot (remember them?) which goes in my case.

Have always loved the playing at the end of this track, lots of string skips and some nice melodic playing when the bass catches the guitar line, which is also an exercise in restraint as it's tempting to pump out the eighth notes there.

I played through one thirteen years ago at the Guitar center (sic) in Phoenix Arizona, when buying my first Jazz bass. Don't remember too much about the cab, as was concentrating on the bass, but the assistant was keen for me to try it out.

Rules in music - you should do this, you shouldn't do that - completely pointless.

I'm perfectly comfortable barring across the top two notes with my little finger, but I see a lot of players using both ring and little finger. How about you?

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the model one was based on the EB3 pickup, so probably sounds similar. I'm a big fan of 70s Tele basses with the Fender Humbucker at the end of the neck. Not low end overload as some think, no real highs, but nice growling mids.

Don't forget, you can also tune down and back up again [u]during[/u] a song at the flip of a lever.

MA's playing on VH2 is fantastic, as it is on Fair warning, though I know there are rumours about whether he actually played on the albums - I'd like to think so. His playing seemed to change to a more 8th/16th root note style during the Hagar years, it was a lot busier, but still great on the earlier stuff.