bassace

1959, yes I know, it's a long time ago, we were still at school. But after generally noodling around we got a decent band together and for our second gig we were booked to play support to a major British band at Reading Town Hall, capacity 800. This was a big deal to us and there was a big buzz in the school. With a few days to go the promoter told us that the MU told him they wouldn't allow the headline band to play with a non-Union band. We were still at school ffs! So I pulled my savings out of the post office and hurriedly joined the bloody union. I've never forgot those bully boy tactics. I get Public Liabilty Insurance from AMPBand and instrument insurance from Allianz and consider the MU totally irrelevant to what I do these days.

Ouch.

Go to the DB section.

My first gig on double bass was dead easy. Because I wasn't a bass player and I 'borrowed' a double bass from a friend who had one. So I had nothing to prove, nothing to lose. As I remember it was with a skiffle group playing root/fifths on open strings. But by the end of the gig I was hooked and so in the school holidays I worked at the biscuit factory on the cake wrapping line. I spent my 45 quid on a new Czech ply. We called them ply back then, non of this laminated nonsense. That bass travelled on the roof of my ancient car and because there weren't many bass players around I picked up a stependous amount of work. And still doing it sixty years later- three good gigs next week. So what I'm trying to say is if you're new to the double bass enjoy the moment. It's a noble instrument and if you stick at it it'll give you a lot back. Enjoy.

[quote name='Deedee' timestamp='1494269082' post='3294581'] That's sounds like one too many to me, so if you fancy parting company with one........... 😉 [/quote] Unfortunately not, Deedee. Although the second one is nominally a spare it is often pressed into service when I need two channels. I used to lust after a BonaFide but a 500 racked on top of another does the job well enough. I was using a single 500 last night in a 'difficult' room and it dialled in a nice clean sound straightaway. It's the best amp for DB afaic and I'm sure it's a favourite with many BG players.

Got two Puma 500 amps. It's my go to for double bass these days. It's so small that the second one lives under the passenger seat, just in case.

Just listened to Radio 2, Janice Long live from the Cheltenham 'Jazz' Festival playing three hours of pop-sounding-like-jazz. Nice.

Does it have a D or Eb neck?

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1492197557' post='3278687'] If you'd ever seen Jools' big band live, you would know that they can swing like blazes. They are sh*t hot, whatever you might think of their leader. [/quote] Seen them twice, each time completely underwhelmed. There are bands with a third of the musicians that are three times effective. So I suppose JH is to be applauded for keeping so many musicians in gainful employment, and I hear he looks after them well. But it's a great clunking juggernaut with a plodding rhythm section. What's to like?

If you hear his band playing it makes you wonder if he ever 'got' rock. It doesn't swing either.

Louis's putting down of bebop is perhaps relevant because it is well argued that the emergence of that genre put an end to jazz as a popular medium. Put bluntly, people just couldn't dance to this new angular, at times cool, at times frenetic music. I'm not putting bebop down, it's my favourite jazz medium, to listen to and to play. But its unpopularity is the reason I don't get called to play it as much as I'd like and I find myself playing lounge music, Dixieland and Gypsy. They're OK but they're not bebop. Some great YouTubes lately. Thanks guys.

I had three gigs come in this morning. Three!

Sorry, it's oriented strand board. It's the random looking 8x4 boards that you see timber panels made up of in house construction. Mainly the type that self builders use in Grand Designs and the plethora of other house construction programmes.

My garage is quite well insulated and I've also built a large cupboard in OSB. It's big enough to take all the amps on shelves plus the ply DB. They all stay ok right through the year. The 'wood' double basses live in the house, upstairs.

From HipHop to HipOp.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1490910067' post='3269065'] If you're doing 8 acres with the harrows at 76, it may be time you treated yourself to a tractor or something. [/quote] No Jack, Iron Man I'm not, I have a red tractor. If my photo skills were up to it I'd send you a pic but all I could do on BC would be a thumbnail on its side.

76. I mucked out three stables this morning while the Mrs swanned round the lanes with a friend. Then I got the harrows out and put everything together and in the meantime mowed two lawns. Then before supper went round half the paddocks (8 acres) with the harrows. Gig tomorrow evening so I'll take it a bit easy. But don't let the above fool you, I'm really feeling old these days.

Pardon?

In fifty years my wife has been to a gig probably twice. I was looking forward to playing at the Stables at Wavendon a few years ago and so invited my wife along to hear the band. She stayed until the interval and said all very nice but I'll go home now.

[quote name='Maude' timestamp='1490129506' post='3262515'] Would leaving it in place if amplified using bridge wing pickups still cause damping? [/quote] Yes, that's what I noticed. The clip on was right next to the Underwood element. So close that it couldn't fail to have a dampening effect.

Kind thoughts Steve. Thanks.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1490117220' post='3262328'] It's really not the same on kazoo ... [/quote] But we did try. African nose flute was a fair approximation.

Saw Booker T at Cornbury last year. He put a great show together, sang. And his son is a very accomplished guitar player. Green Onions in an Oxfordshire field! I think they're at Cheltenham Jazz Festival. I remember being blown away by Green Onions first in 1962 which makes it 55 years ago. We used to play it, minus Hammond.

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1490099118' post='3262126'] Maybe on your bass mate - on my East German plywood, it just makes not one iota of difference to the shininess of the turd. [/quote] Actually Dave, it was on my 'umble ply where I first noticed this.