bassace

I'm happy with four string but there are times when I'd like to get down to Eb. Any suggestions? Or perhaps D to avoid the open string.

Actually new cab day first came a couple of months ago, but I'll get to the point. New cab is the Genzler Bass Array 10-2. It consists of a small front ported cab with a 10" neo driver and a vertical array of four 2" neo drivers. I can get the complete range from this cab, in fact I'm using a Puma 500 amp set flat with an FdeckHPF with the lows rolled way down. The clarity and speed from my Bryant have to be heard to be believed, and fellow musos like the sound too. I'm so enthusiastic about this cab that a second one arrived today so for the bigger gigs I can dispense with my 12" cab and stack the two Genzler's. http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Bass_Array_10_2_Genzler_Amplification.html

I know a couple of good players who play 1/2 size. One for gigs convenience and the other who uses the shorter scale to play demon solos. But they both started on 3/4 and had plenty of experience with those. So I would certainly agree with the posts above that 3/4 is the size that a beginner should choose. You can always opt for 1/2 but not until you've found your 3/4 chops.

Keyboard player booked for the gig didn't turn up.

Ordered a cab at 12.30 yesterday and it didn't arrive until 10.00 this morning. Things will have to improve!

Bought a new cab this morning. Mark was busy doing some else's invoice but still had the time to chat about the joys of bass playing. A painless transaction, it'll arrive tomorrow.

The bass has been through a few hands since Kolstein, and it's not feasible to return it to US. But it's no big deal, the 'drop' is actually less than 2mm and I used the 3mm packer to also wind the adjusters down a bit after removing a Lifeline. The point of the post, however, was to demonstrate that bridge feet packers from suitable material,are perfectly feasible as used before me by others. Sorry if this point wasn't fully grasped.

What FinnDave said.

[quote name='The Jaywalker' timestamp='1504918582' post='3368356'] This isnt really a good idea. If the bridge is correctly fitted then the feet have been hand finished to match the contour of the table for maximum contact. Put wooden shims under there and the sound is compromised, as is the potential stability of the bridge. [/quote] I wouldn't like to disagree with this, in theory anyway. But sometimes you can take a few liberties with the DB. The table of my Kolstein has dropped to the point where I don't want to wind any more thread out of the adjusters. I keep a stock of thin pieces of laminated wood that some types of cheese are sold in. I took a piece approx 3mm, cut it into two to go under the bridge feet, steamed it using a kettle to make it pliable and slipped it under the bridge. It immediately took up the curvature and works perfectly with no loss of tone. Incidentally, before you slacken the strings you can wedge a piece of wood, cut accurately to size, between the underside of the fingerboard overstand and the table. That will maintain pressure on the sondpost and guarantee it'll be kept in place. Put a piece of cloth between the wedge and the table to protect it from scratches. I learnt that little trick from Gearge Martin. I'd post photos but my skills are defeated by BC and I'm in no mood to figure out third party hosting tricks.

And I played with Arthur Brown while he was still at Reading University - Blues Plus Brown, as I recall. He was good even back then.

Being old keeps stuff fresh.

Big flappy orchestra? I thought the great thing was how such a big orchestra was so together and managed to swing. Yes, a small group would probably have been more appropriate and involving but its place would have been at Ronnie's. This, after all, was a Prom performance, a season of orchestral performances. Contrast the Mingus Prom with the big band concert that preceded Stax: two big bands that couldn't swing with trumpet sections on the verge of being out of control. And compère (commere?) Claire Teal outdoing Jules in the forced jollity stakes.

I thought the bass was just about right in the mix, and by eq-ing the kick drum 'down' the BBC sound managed to get rid of the rhythm section mush that I've heard every time when live. So, in spite of my initial scepticism, I thought the band sound turned out well. And Mr Swift, of whom I haven't been the greatest fan, probably due to the aforementioned mush, absolutely nailed it. I tend to agree with the previous posters re the good bad and indifferent 'acts'. And why do they play Green Onions at that speed these days?

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1504460379' post='3365025'] Are you guys serious about the wakes. Just i've never heard of that before and don't know whether you are kidding ? Dave [/quote] Yup, a band to escort the coffin in, sometimes a tune or two in church and then the band plays afterwards. No amps, of course.

Nowadays we don't talk about gigs, gear, tunes: it's all about appointments and prescriptions. And no, it's not about toilet breaks, we can do a 60min set, thanks very much. But only last month we had to call the ambulance out. I seem to go to a lot of funerals these days to see old band mates off but there's a lot of good music to be made by the remainers . For now.

Couldn't they have found a better house band? I'm really cross about this: a collection of good musicians led by a gurning clown who's managed to turn the whole thing into a soup of mediocrity. Compare with the Metropole Orkestr doing the Mingus Prom last week. IMHO, of course. Other indifferent bands are available.

Thumb for show, nut for dough.

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1503753730' post='3360730'] [size=4]Wow...1959? What a great story.[/size] [b] [b][size=4]Most Obscure Bass Claim to Fame?......[/size][/b][/b][size=4]The above from 'bassace' for me. Pure story, no name dropping .......[/size][b][b][size=4] [/size][/b][/b] [/quote] Thanks for your kind comments, Lowdown. Just a small mea culpa: it was actually 1960, I've just rooted out my A Levels cert to check the actual year. Still a bit earlier than Bill tho' but does it matter?

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1503665574' post='3360123'] I think that even beats Bill Wyman! [/quote] Yes, I suppose it does but he was well known and I wasn't. My brother made a homemade bass guitar, used the coil from a headphone for the pickup but because he didn't have the skills to put frets in the fingerboard he left it fretless. As I was playing DB back then I found it quite easy to play. Deffo 1959 tho, I played it at my school dance.

[quote name='fftc' timestamp='1503664337' post='3360107'] Ta for the reminder. Really enjoyed the Ella and Dizzy one a couple of weeks back. [/quote] That was class, wasn't it?

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1503661904' post='3360065'] because..............? [/quote] 1959

Is Lester Young there too?

I was at school with Les Hurdle (early Donna Summer, Brighteyes and much more) and I shared a flat with Dave Wintour (Wurzles, Wakeman and more) Oh, and I can confidently claim to be first in UK to have played fretless BG.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1503480583' post='3358515'] Is that because of the horn? [/quote] Maybe, but the gen 3 12" driver seems a lot more 'open'.