biskitbass

Check out the story on No Treble http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2010/06/03/geddy-lee-endorses-orange-bass-amps/ Must be better to look at than the chicken rotisserie or the tumble dryers?? Hopefully he'll have them on stage at the forthcoming gigs for the new album but who knows. What's your thoughts??

For anyone worried about their gear and wondering whether to make the leap to buy a Power Conditioner this is quite a good article to tell you 'what' it does but not if its necessary :-) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_conditioner Those who have them say they make a huge difference to their amp sounds, those trying to sell them will say the same thing of course!! If you have a rack (like me) they provide a neat way to provide power to all your devices and you can be 'safe' in the knowledge that venues with 'iffy' power supplies wont damage your pride and joy, they provide neat slide-out lights and a "wow your rack looks really cool" effect from your audience, but are they necessary?? Personally speaking I DONT think so. Its a 'nice to have' but not a 'need to have'. I've been using a power surge plug http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=35268 and a four way 20m extension reel for several years now with no concerns. There has been a couple of gigs (a marquee with lead-in power and a major hotel in ayrshire to remain nameles) where the power spiked, died and then 'bang' came back on again - the bang was the P.A!! Thankfully this plug acted as a gradual-return to power and prevented a sharp spike, which is the worst thing for your gear. Something worth considering if you're playing anywhere these days :-) No venue will be held liable if the power spikes and your gear is damaged, its down to you guys..... Any comments welcome. Graeme

Are you going to be bowing or using your fingers? From what I can glean from players on the web bowing takes a lot of skill, some of the things to consider are - - bow speed - bow pressure - bow placement (i.e. where it meets the string between the bridge and fingerboard) - bow angle (should be perpendicular to the strings) - amount of rosin on the bow hair - tension of bow hair - a relaxed bow hold - relaxed wrist, shoulder, forearm and torso. - amount of hair in contact with the string, i.e. is the bow flat against the string or at an angle? Failure to get any one of these incorrect can result in poor tone.

I've come across this kind of thing on the web before and I think its a good idea. I'm in, got Logic Pro on the Mac, Guitar Rig etc etc so up to speed with formats, sending via mail etc. Graeme

Well what a night it was last night!! I arrived at CaVa studios around 6.30pm after battling through the traffic (nnggrrrr) to a cheery Bill at the front door. Bill Matthews manages The Gospel Truth Choir and booked myself and Malky (drummer) to record bass and drums for the Choir's album, their first. All we were originally told was we'd be re-working some Scottish Classics and that is all I'm giving away just now too :-) Once Malk had set up his Gretsch Kit (what an awesome sound) he started to soundcheck, which can for some drummers and studios take forever but with Malk and Geoff from CaVa on-board we were ready to start recording at 8.30pm!! No mean feat It tell you. I've been in studios before where its taken 3 hours to get a good drum sound "Is that all the Moon Gel you've got??", "What about gaffer tape....we might need more rolls" etc. We had Steven (from Nightshift) on keys and Stuart (Matthews, Bill's son) on guitar. We set the click and away we went. Track One took about 4 takes but we were playing live and had only 2 rehearsals prior to the recording to get it right. Track 2, we're warmed up now and after two takes we were there. Quick break for some pasta,chocolate,tea and a beer (ahem, not my idea but yes please!) and we started on track 3. This took a bit of time to get the feel right. As we were reworking Scottish Classics we wanted to be generous to the original but add a little flair as well, we all like to play and stretch our legs but going all out on a fill to show off might not be the best way to get a callback :-) We managed after a few attempts to get the feel, a few times through, yeah, much better, right this is the one...take 2....take3...got it! Track 4 was a bit easier, getting late now, everyone's tired and most had work the next day too so....first part Malk recorded with a Cajon its got a great sound. He sat on top and just hit away with his hands, Geoff miked it up and it sound great! Bass, Cajon, keys, guitar and guide vocal...one take! Then Malk got behind the kit and played from the top of the track himself so we could dub in the drums over the Cajon for the 2nd half of the first half - keep up! Then, we reset the click to a much faster tempo :-) Bass and drums started then the whole band kicked in, repeat many times so we could do a fade on the album but added an endig so the Choir can use the recording for their live shows but on the album the fade out would kill the ending before it happened. That's a wrap!! 12.15am. Tired we all drove home. The Choir now go in in a few days to record their parts. This is the first time I've recorded with/for a choir so I'm keen to hear the finished results. I'll keep you posted :-) Graeme PS Images of the recording can be found here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153802&id=28284803600

It sure is!! I think Warwick are rippin the 'proverbial' a bit, I mean you can get single cuts handbuilt by luthiers, in the UK as well, to your own spec for far less than this. You would think that mas production of a model would dictate a lower cost?? ehm....no.......... Options/luthiers to consider - http://www.rimcustombasses.co.uk/ or http://www.acguitars.co.uk/index.php (based in Moffat, Scotland). I've met Alan at ACG and spoken to Robbie on the phone, both really nice guys to deal with.

German manufacturer Warwick have announced a new bass to its line up the Thumb Single Cut or Thumb SC. Based on the popular Thumb model, the added wood in the horn apparently gives incredible sustain while adding extra ballast with the added weight. Its a real looker but beware, with a price tag of $7500 dollars its time to start saving...now!!!

Welcome aboard Joe !

You lucky boy (then) you ! I'd love the chance to gain some of his knowledge G

Great video of Guy Pratt playing and telling the story of how he "aquired" his Fender stack-knob bass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_3Jc54k1Es&feature=player_embedded

Really?? I've been looking for something as well, not been that busy of late and so was looking for a band. Must have just missed you mate. G Things wi' 5 strings and if there's beer or whiskey involved...I'm yer man !!!

How do you mean? I live just outside Glasgow mate

Hey guys! My current setup consists of 2x Aguilar DB112 cabs, TecAmp Puma 350W head, Warwick 5 string bass, Boss ME8B retro multi effects unit for some bass synth maaaannnnnn!

Not yet John but only a matter of time...mwahhahaha