A More General Musician's Thread.

[Bassman]

My main istrument is the bass guitar. I currently play a Yamaha TRB-6P 6 string bass. I do play guitar and a bit of keyboards for my own amusement mostly.

I suppose my main claim to fame is an albun recorded way back when and released on vinyl by a Christian record label was re-issued a few years back on CD... in Korea. I managed to buy it online from the US.

A more recent (using the term loosely) band I was with had a reunion three years ago and the keyboard player put some videos on Youtube. This song I would say is my favourite out of our somewhat limited repertoire. So, if you want to see some ageing "rockers" go ahead... click

At least I have a DVD and CD of the "best of" the session. I even have an original CD of our stuff which was transferred from tape. Never released commercially, just done for our own satisfaction I suppose (it was a while ago now).

I know we have drummers and guitarists around the place. Anyone want to own up to their musical talents?

[Riolu Aura Sphere Now]

Well I am not to involved with Music personally, but I do play the Piano and Keyboard. I tried playing the Drums, but it was not for me. Guitars are ok, but I prefer playing the Classic Country Guitars.

I however play Virtural Instruments on my Nintendo DSi, but mainly the Electric Keyboard App.

[Midna312]

Once when I was at music class at school, My class was assigned a project where you make up your own instrument,and you could probably guess by my username what my instument was called: Bowser!

[tillerjpg]

My favorite instrument is the electric guitar. I mostly play on my Gibson Les Paul Studio (Fireburn), but I also got a Fender Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster (In Candy Apple red), a Squier Strat (for practicing at my own place).

I also got an acoustic guitar. It's a Taylor, but I really have no idea what series it is. I got it as a birthday present from my whole family

And I got a bass guitar. It's a 4 string Dean Edge Hammer Mahogany.

There's a Yamaha Keyboard here as well, which I used to play on, but recently I fully commited myself to the guitar.

My band's called Z.E.P. Unfortunate, we never took the time to put our songs on youtube (for the record, we're only covering songs. I try to write some lyrics sometimes, but so far... not impressive at all ). We're mainly playing rock songs. We practically play all sub-genres in rock though. So you can see us play House of the Rising sun one moment, and Green Day 2 minutes later.

We got a leadguitarist/vocals (me), bass guitar and drummer/backup vocals.

My 5 seconds of fame were when me and my band got to play in a local pub for 1 hour It was 20:30 and somehow everyone was drunk already. Very funny to play songs like Wonderwall or Nothing Else Matters when drunk people try to keep up with the lyrics. You should really try it out some time.

Nice song by the way, I enjoyed listening

[Relyte]

I feel out of place: I play the oboe.

I've managed to play the oboe solo for Gabriel's Oboe as well as accompanying soloist for a song wrtten for guitar, oboe and orchestra.

Mostly, though, I play for fun

[Bassman]

Thanks Tillerjpg. Lyrics are definitely not my strong point though I can come up with music if the need arises.

I have a couple of 4 string basses (would be shock to go back to 4 though). I have an early 70's Fender Jazz Bass and a Yamaha BB400S Fretless. I have a Korg M1 a friend was selling and decided I didn't want to miss out on it. Also a Roland MT-32 which amazingly was supported in one of the Kings Quest games on the Atari ST. It did sound good.

Relyte, My cousin played the Oboe (Grade 8 I think). I think you would definitely be classed a "proper" musician with the Oboe!

My last recording session was with a Jazz Band I occasionally play with. We recorded two standards I suppose you'd call them. I much prefer "rock" music.

[Tbird]

Oo I like this thread .

I myself am I a guitarist. That's how I would classify myself anyway. From when I started playing music (7 years ago) I started as a drummer and slowly moved my way up the melodic scale if you will and have been pretty successful through out . Going from drums I went - bass, R-Guitar to L-Guitar. I much prefer playing technical and screwy rhythms than I do playing some long ass solo. I don't like playing them, they bore me lol. At the moment I'm playing around with a PRS knock-off with some Seymour Duncan's fitted. I wanted to go EMG, but that's just hassle. I play mostly progressive rock, such as Tool and Coheed & Cambria, and Alternate Rock, such as Fair to Midland and Incubus.

However as it stands I am currently playing drums for my current Prog/Alt rock band. I would post a video or two, however due to the almost complete re-writing of the songs (due to the drummer leaving and a new guitarist filling my old spot) I see no need... yet .

Interestingly, when I play different instruments I draw inspirations from really quite different genres.

My main drumming influence has got to be Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree, check this guy out - [video=youtube;IzFfNk4xGTE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzFfNk4xGTE

[video=youtube;WKCIUpW3q9s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKCIUpW3q9s&feature=related

Then You get a complete flip in inspiration when it comes to playing bass, I tend to draw from Ryan Martinie of Mudvayne for bass. IT's heavy as hell, but God damn that dude can play .

As far as Guitar is concerned I draw from Coheed and Cambria's Claudio sanchez and Travis Stever. They are both immensely good R-Guitarist and L-guitarists, respectfully. So either way I look to their styles to formulate my own.

My 5 mins of fame would be with a screamo death metal band. For a year or two we had quite a huge following, with a demo in small circulation and almost got the chance to play at the Reading Festival (small stage mind you ). Alas, I didn't feel musically comfortable with what I was playing, and I was the main writer, it's a depressing feeling to be pouring your heart and soul into something that you don't like anyway. So, I'm hoping I can get to similar, or preferably higher heights, whilst playing exactly what I want to play.

I guess that's about it .

[Bassman]

Had some interesting times with that first band. We we got to play a few songs in Earls Court at the end of a week of various Christian Events in London, which was an interesting experience to say the least. That plus an open air event in Traflagar Square... at least we got to scare the Pigeons!

We also got to play at the first Greenbelt Christian Rock Festival... way back when!

Looking back it was an eventful time. Most eventful was an open air event in the old Oxford United ground one rainy evening. Needless to say rain and electric intstruments don't mix too well! At least we lived to tell the tale!!!

Not sure who, if anyone influences my bass playing. I usually go for a more melodic approach, though to an extent that is dependent on the song. With the 6 string I can almost get well into guitar territory. Just over 4 octave range from the low B to a high C (8th fret on the top string of a 6 string guitar). The TRB-6P also has a bridge pickup so I can go "acoustic" if the song lends itself to it.

[tillerjpg]

My influences are mostly the artists like Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson (Cliffs of Dover is amazingly fun, but hard, to play), Led Zepplin, the Eagles and such. I'm not really into the Van Halen or Hendrix guitar playing...

[Bassman]

No influences on my guitar playing anyway. It is pretty much for my own amusement.

I have a fairly narrow necked 12 string acoustic which seems to stay in tune well... for a 12 string. I affectionately (!) call it the Finger Killer as playing bass, my fingers do not harden up. Play it for about 15 minutes for a nice case of sore fingers!

I also have the base model Line6 Guitar which is quite fun with all the differnt guitar sounds it can make. Some very clever technology there, as one option is to have a chord tuned sound rather than the standard EADGBE. At least it saved having to buy an electric 12 string (my favourite normal guitar sound) as one of the settings is a Rickenbacker 360-12. The Banjo sound is also pretty impressive. You certainly get a wide variety of guitars in one package!

At some point I would like to try to make a solo recording (I do have a cheap midi drum machine) but I can always seem to find other things to take up my time. Then there would be the minor matter of deciding the song!

[Tbird]

Yeah Line6 are really something else . I've got me a little 120 watt (I think) Line 6 Spider III Amp. And God damn! It's got anything I could ever want in one amp. The problem is though, The sound is very ... Electric. I don't know how to describe it. But, It's very hard to get that cool valve sound you can get from a fender or marshall amp, and guitars with coil pickups sound pretty ghastly going through it Which is a shame, because I do like to play tinny sounding songs occasionally ... over all though, fir what I'm currently doing it gives me enough versatility.

I have never gotten the chance to play a 12 string . I've always wanted one of those double-necked Les Pauls though.

Playing a 6 string bass must be mad . I've played a 5 string, and owned a couple 4 strings. I found the 5 string really cool for playing Reggae style songs, getting that deep warm groove is something pretty sexy. My favourite bass to play was the Ibanez SR-500. It's not the best thing in the world, but it had a really nice warm tone to it, I don't like bright sounding basses, I like to have that deep buzzz, you know? lol. For a while though, I have had my eye on a Warwick Corvette, Passive. They look real nice, and from what I've heard, play and sound really well.

[Bassman]

Did they make a double necked Les Paul? I knew they made the SG double necks.

The UK maker Shergold (had to use Google to confirm the name) made some as well, including a rather unusual double neck bass with a 6 string (old style with normal 6 string style tuning, but an octave lower) and an 8 string (4 sets of 2 strings tuned in octaves like a 12 string). Also it was fretless! I think I managed to just miss out on one of those when a local music shop shut down.

At least my fretless Yamaha 4 string has light wood inlays where the frets would normally be.

[Tbird]

Did they make a double necked Les Paul? I knew they made the SG double necks.

The UK maker Shergold (had to use Google to confirm the name) made some as well, including a rather unusual double neck bass with a 6 string (old style with normal 6 string style tuning, but an octave lower) and an 8 string (4 sets of 2 strings tuned in octaves like a 12 string). Also it was fretless! I think I managed to just miss out on one of those when a local music shop shut down.

At least my fretless Yamaha 4 string has light wood inlays where the frets would normally be.

I do believe that there is the Les Paul double neck ... though it may be epiphone instead of Gibson. I know I've seen one somewhere .

That would be one hell of a beastly bass . How would anyone be able to play it ... Christ.

How much did that go for?

EDIT: Just googled and I must have been dreaming . I must have seen the cherryburst finish and automatically though Les Paul lol.

[Bassman]

I'd forgotten that Epiphone have released some "budget" double necks.

I don't think the Shergold was anywhere near as expensive as the Gibson ones. If memory serves me correctly (it was probably 30 or more years ago) it was on sale at £60 (reduced).

A web search came up empty on twin neck Les Pauls but did highlight this unusual Gretsch...

http://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/index.php?product=G5566&cat1=&cat2=&q=&st=1

[Tbird]

Ooo that looks like Matt Bellamy's guitar .. in double neck version. Though I think he plays Manson ... or Minarik or something like that lol. I've never been a huge fan of Gretsch, or flamboyantly coloured guitars so that thing is pretty ghastly to me .

For 60 quid you should have been pushing people out of the line and sacrificing small children to claim such a bass .

[Bassman]

It was still a fair amount of money in those days. I must admit I was wondering how on earth I could afford it at the time.

Must say I prefer a more restrained look to my guitars. My Fender Jazz Bass is a Sunburst with Rosewood neck and of course the chrome bridge and pickup covers. My Yamaha 4 string is black (as is my Line6). My acoustic 12 string has I suppose a what you would call blonde finish. The Yamaha 6 string bass looks similar to this...

http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=14516

Mine is an earlier model and only has a single Truss Rod.

[tillerjpg]

I only have normal 6 string guitars and a 4 string bass. the local music store here in holland only sells the 'normal' guitars. I even had to import my Les Paul from America, because they wouldn't sell it... "Too expensive" they said... Suckers.

I got this les paul: http://superman1224.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/lespauls.jpg (the one on the left, the fireburn)

This is my Fender: http://www.oasismusicalinstruments.ltd.uk/acatalog/NewFenderEricJohnsonstratRed0409.jpg

My Squier: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Squier_Stratocaster.jpg

The Taylor: http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/ta/taylor-814ce-electro-acoustic-guitar.jpg

Last but not least, my bass: http://www.themusicfarm.com/images/products/small/ehammer.jpg

As you can see, my acoustic guitar is semi-acoustic, though I rarely use it with an amp.

Also, I only bought the Les Paul and Fender myself... Those guitars are much too expensive, I mean, you pay more for the GIBSON on the head, than the guitar itself...

[Shadowlord757]

Once when I was at music class at school, My class was assigned a project where you make up your own instrument,and you could probably guess by my username what my instument was called: Bowser!

Cool, i did the same project, except mine was probably the only one that was actually a normal, working instrument!

Onto the main topic, the fact your in a band is very fascinating. I may not play anything on the topic of pop or rock (I play clarinet in my school band), but it must be cool doing such things whilest sitting atop a stage reading music you wrote down note by note, knowing its a success. I envy you.

[Tbird]

Cool, i did the same project, except mine was probably the only one that was actually a normal, working instrument!

Onto the main topic, the fact your in a band is very fascinating. I may not play anything on the topic of pop or rock (I play clarinet in my school band), but it must be cool doing such things whilest sitting atop a stage reading music you wrote down note by note, knowing its a success. I envy you.

It's one of the best feelings in the world!

The best feeling is the anticipation though. Just before actually playing everything. Like walking on the stage, checking your gear's all ok, looking at blank faces who don't know you. Then just hoping you can change their faces into that of approval. It's a strange feeling, and as soon as you hear the drummer start clicking it in, any doubt goes and it's just intense as hell .

Either that or the actual feeling when you pluck up the courage to take your eyes off your guitar and watching a room of people jumping up and down, or better yet, a bunch of people in the middle of the room beating seven shades of ...ehem... out of each other .

Not quite sure which I prefer lol.

[tillerjpg]

Onto the main topic, the fact your in a band is very fascinating. I may not play anything on the topic of pop or rock (I play clarinet in my school band), but it must be cool doing such things whilest sitting atop a stage reading music you wrote down note by note, knowing its a success. I envy you.

It doesn't always have to be the music you completely wrote yourself from scratch. My band covered the song "Beat It" by Micheal Jackson. I changed some stuff, added a few power slides and made the solo a bit more fun to play (I played the solo by Van Halen, and added a few things at the end, ending in a bridge (power slide and vocal solo) to the chorus It's amazing to see people like your playing. I wonder what it's like to play in front of a huge amount of fans (not the 100 or something who saw us in the local pub).. Concerts with 50.000 people. I'd crap my pants if they were all staring at me

But like Tbird said, the best part of it all is when you're already on stage, everyone is watching you and you just wait for everyone to be ready. A few seconds of complete silence, and then the soft drumsticks clicking 4 times. It's amazing to experience that.

I always think about all kinds of stuff, except for the song we're going to play in those last few seconds. It's funny actually, you hear the drummer say 1...2...3...4 and when he's at the 4th click, you wonder if you closed the front door and if turned off the lights at home.

Oh Tbird, my band tried it out with some classmates. We played a song two times. One where our classmates were just sitting around and watching us play. The second time they acted like they were in a moshpit It's much more fun to play then, though it's hard to concentrate if you see that happen in front of your eyes.

[Bassman]

I remember being at a gig with the band I put the link to. The opening band came on and we thought wow, this lot are good. How can we compete with that. We needn't have worried. Our only problem was an encore as we had played all our (somewhat limited) repertoire. We had to play a song again, but the audience didn't seem to mind.

I must admit I lost interest in playing with that band as we had about 8 gigs over the space of a year. At that point I quit. I don't think the band continued for that long after. Unfortunately we came in when punk was starting to make its mark in the UK (so... a while ago).

We did seem to miss out though. At one point we had a boy and girl lead singing duo in the band, but she had left. Had we still had her we might have got a tour with a hit band in the UK and things might have been different.

We did at least go in a couple of studios to record some tracks (one being the one where we recorded with the first band) which resulted in 8 tracks (which I have on a CD now).

[tillerjpg]

Too bad she left I'd have loved to see you play in a live gig in front of 50.000 people =P

I got some good news (mostly for myself though), me and my band can play as opening band in a few weeks. It isn't a huge concert (We're the opening band of a musician who's not well known, not even in the Netherlands.... sad actually). And we got permission to use a studio nearby to practice our playing and record songs!

...

Now I just gotta convince my parents to let me skip those last 3 years of school and fully commit myself to music =P

[Bassman]

I never quite got to the stage of having to quit my day job to concentrate on playing.

Glad to hear of your opportunity in a few weeks Tillerjpg, and you get the chance to do some recording. Have you done any before?

My last recording session was with the Jazz Band I sometimes play with. It took about 2 hours or so to do my part on a couple of tracks with various takes etc. Piano and bass were recorded first.

I think I have managed to play in front of about 20,000 people..

[Tbird]

Recording can be a lot of fun .

With the old band we got ourself a free recording under the record label (a very very very small one at that) that hosted the venue we were playing. It wasn't much, it was merely a £2-300 recording for free (for a good one I've seen it can be as little as £600). And we had a lot of fun with that. The final product wasn't great but it sounded pretty awesome, got some distortion on one of the singer's vox before a big break down and that sounded awesome . The rhythm guitarist was a let down though . He couldn't keep time at all, so the intro part of the song we recorded, which was a very leady part that harmonised the two guitars, was like a micro second out and that sucked . But the process was fun as hell. And realising that I hadn't prepared an overdub led to more fun as I tried in vain to make a subtle part to go over the top with like 10 - 15 mins .

But dude it's a great opportunity no matter how big or small, just enjoy it and do what you do, you should have a load of fun with it ... link me to the end result if possible .

And Bassman, 20.000 people! That's absolutely mad . Fair play dude, I nearly got the chance to play in front of that amount of people ... give or take ... take 15.000 .

[Bassman]

Yes, Earls Court in London is a pretty big place, as is Trafalgar Square. Not really sure of the exact numbers.

Depending on sophistication and obviously the amount of time available to do the recordings, you may get a chance to correct peoples mistakes (assuming you are not all not perfect). With computer technology it is even possible to adjust the timing a little. You can do a lot more now than when we were in the studios way back when.

Our reunion was recorded on a 16 track Hard Disk based recorder a friend was able to bring along. We played live, but at least each instrument was recorded individually. The keyboard player/leader took the recordings and was able to make 8 decent tracks oout of the multiple takes of the 9 tracks we recorded. It was all recorded on video but we were only able to get 5 decent videos out of it all. Needless to say, it did take a while!