Hello From Jeff Berlin

[JeffBerlin]

It is spectacular to hear from you Jeff! I own the Jeff Berlin Markbass amp and dream of attending the Players School of Music. I was in Tampa and even drove out to the old Kapok Tree just to see it. I appreciate you taking the time to post here, thanks!

It is my pleasure. I have not been affiliated with The Players School in some time. Still, if they retained my original philosophy of teaching music, I am completely confident that people can get a brilliant bass education there way beyond any of the top music schools because (again) if my original philosophy of teaching still exists, you will only learn via musical content offered at your level to practice it.

 

[JeffBerlin]

He's Jeff Berlin. He'll play whatever the heck he wants and no one will tell him any different.

Ahhh, actually, I am quite open that a producer or bandleader tells me what they need. This is the definition of what a sideman provides; a service!

 

[ThuzzleFump]

Ahhh, actually, I am quite open that a producer or bandleader tells me what they need. This is the definition of what a sideman provides; a service!

I watched a Carol Kaye documentary where she said that playing some of the session material was boring, but she'd just play "dum dum dum dum" and think "dollar one, dollar two, dollar 3..."

 

[ThuzzleFump]

(she said it with humor and professionalism, of course)

 

[India_Sierra]

Jeff do you know the widths at the nut and at the widest part of the neck on your Cort Rithimic 4 string bass? Hoping they are both narrower than a Fender Jazz?

If you don't have the answer from Jeff by tomorrow, I'll get my Rithimic out tomorrow and try and get those measurements for you. The neck is very fast and very comfortable. It's comparable to a very good Jazz.

 

[JeffBerlin]

Hey Jeff,

Enjoying your lessons that you have made available.

My question is regarding your equipment. Anyone can walk into a local chain store and play through the MarkBass amp that you use, or something similar. However, those same folks can't go and pull a Cort Rithimic off the peg and play it, much less hardly any other Cort bass, despite them owning one of the biggest guitar factories in the world. I would love to try out a Rithimic, because I don't like buying a bass that I haven't played. Will there be a push in 2018 for Cort (and/or specifically the Rithimic) to be found in shops?

Cort is a company that frustrates me greatly. They make (in my opinion) a bass superior to any made by Ibanez and yet they do not know how to promote their brand in the U.S. I copied your comments and forwarded them to the top people at Cort for them to read your thoughts. Thank you for sharing what I have mentioned to them for a long time.

 

[JeffBerlin]

Welcome back. Maybe this should be in the bassists forum though?

Hello again Jeff,

I find myself with achy hands ( fingers mostly ) this morning and felt compelled to ask; as you've aged has your warm up routine ( if indeed you have one ) and practice routine changed? You play at such a furious rate at times I wonder if that has become more of a struggle as you move ahead in years.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing knowledge with us. It's very much appreciated.

Take care.

Yours is an important question. I feel quite strongly that warmup exercises are unimportant because when playing one's bass either in the practice room or at a soundcheck, essentially, everyone is warming up.

Achy hands are a sign that you are playing too hard, a common bass experience. I don't know if you have done this or not, but, a straightened out bass neck with slightly lower bridge saddles and an instrument strung with string .005 thinner than the usual .45 .65 .85 .105 will force you to pluck in a lighter fashion. If you turn up your amp to compensate for the lighter touch, your audience won't miss your presence in the band sound and your hands should stop hurting. I, personally, have never had either hard callouses or achy hands in my entire career and I attribute this to letting my gear do the hard work while I attempt to do the less strenuous plucking.

 

[JeffBerlin]

If you don't have the answer from Jeff by tomorrow, I'll get my Rithimic out tomorrow and try and get those measurements for you. The neck is very fast and very comfortable. It's comparable to a very good Jazz.

I just saw this post. I honestly don't know the specific dimensions that my bass is constructed with. I only DEEPLY believe that the Cort Rithimic is the finest passive 4 string bass since the 1962 Fender Jazz Bass.

 

[JeffBerlin]

Jeff Berlin is back?!? It’s a Christmas miracle!

Welcome back, Jeff!

Haha! I thought the exact same thing!

 

[JeffBerlin]

View attachment 2856477 Hello Jeff! Just wanted to share a pic of my rig. I’m very pleased with it, as is my band mates. Sounds incredible.

For me, this is the best sounding combo amp ever. Even when I play big gigs, I use only two of these amps pointing the amps up to me and putting bass into my monitors. Even at gigs where thousands of people listen, everyone tells me that they can hear every note.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Who the hell is Jeff Berlin???.....

 

[JeffBerlin]

Hey Jeff,
Wondering if there is a website or place where your teachings are available to study using a form of methodology. Much of the problem today with the internet and YouTube is that I don’t know where to begin. By the way I love your inverted chord tone approach in all keys.

Yes there is, but I am not sure if such a blatant posting isn't a violation of Talkbass rules.

 

[smperry]

I've moved this to Bassists, since it seems more of a welcome back to TalkBass thread more than anything else. Maybe there will be separate threads in other forums for general instruction or gear.

 

[JeffBerlin]

I've moved this to Bassists, since it seems more of a welcome back to TalkBass thread more than anything else. Maybe there will be separate threads in other forums for general instruction or gear.

OK! Thank you!

P.S. I don't exactly know how Talkbass operates. If topics are meant to be categorized and presented in different compartments (such as Gear or Learning) let me know what to do.

 

[mobdirt]

I think Billy Cox also uses Cort I want to try their ash b4

 

[Gorn]

Hello Jeff Berlin.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Yours is an important question. I feel quite strongly that warmup exercises are unimportant because when playing one's bass either in the practice room or at a soundcheck, essentially, everyone is warming up.

Achy hands are a sign that you are playing too hard, a common bass experience. I don't know if you have done this or not, but, a straightened out bass neck with slightly lower bridge saddles and an instrument strung with string .005 thinner than the usual .45 .65 .85 .105 will force you to pluck in a lighter fashion. If you turn up your amp to compensate for the lighter touch, your audience won't miss your presence in the band sound and your hands should stop hurting. I, personally, have never had either hard callouses or achy hands in my entire career and I attribute this to letting my gear do the hard work while I attempt to do the less strenuous plucking.

Makes perfect sense. I appreciate the reply. Can I just say that I am so very envious of your having played with Dennis Chambers? Here at Talk Bass we often ask the question who would you like to play with. Dennis is my number one Drummer. How did you find him to work with both as a person and as a musician? His chops are as legendary as yours.

Take care.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Go away for a week and the impossible seems to happen here......

Welcome back. Good luck.

 

[Mr.Ace]

For me, this is the best sounding combo amp ever. Even when I play big gigs, I use only two of these amps pointing the amps up to me and putting bass into my monitors. Even at gigs where thousands of people listen, everyone tells me that they can hear every note.

Agreed, I also love the absence of a tweeter also. It’s all I use know, for practice, rehearsals and gigs.

 

[smperry]

OK! Thank you!

P.S. I don't exactly know how Talkbass operates. If topics are meant to be categorized and presented in different compartments (such as Gear or Learning) let me know what to do.

Actually, there’s a lot of everything here so I’m moving it to Miscellaneous. My mistake.

Feel free to start new threads or chime in on existing threads in places like General Instruction, Basses, or Amps for more focused discussion. Usual TalkBass rules about participation apply, and feel free to use the report post function, or email one of the moderators or admins with questions.