bassace

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1458586193' post='3008887'] I loved this band when I was a teenager but, frankly, they haven't travelled well!! [/quote] Cheer up, Bilbo!

Yes, let's not get too derailed and be too sniffy about Paul Bryant, especially from those who have never played one of his basses. When you consider that a top English bass will set you back anything between 12k to 15k you can get a Bryant new for 6k. Or at least you could when Paul was still making them. But that difference in price is in no way a true reflection of the relative quality. Paul has roughly 100 basses out there mainly used in orchestras where they are very highly rated. I loved mine from the get go but just felt there was something extra in it that needed bringing out. As I mentioned in my previous post, I reckoned that Laurence had a lot of experience in what a great many jazz musicians needed to nail that certain tone. There are other bass makers who are capable of making beautiful basses but if their customers are in the main orchestral their basses may not be optimised for jazz without a set up by a luthier who has experience in that field.

There's some good stuff here. My Bryant is a sweet little bass - why is it 'always' Bryants? - just the right size for playing and getting around to gigs. But I had a problem with the sound. It was good in quiet situations but when I turned up there was too much thump and not enough note, if you get my drift. There was also a clack on the E. I reckoned Laurence Dixon would be the man; apprenticed to Roger Dawson and being a London luthier he would have a lot of experience of 'working' basses and the needs of their owners. So he put the bass on his bench and gave me a masterclass in what needed to be done and how the sound/playability could be improved, plus some local seam regluing. Two weeks later the bass is just a revelation. It's got a nice bright easy sound, even across the strings and is very nice to play. The fingerboard was reprofiled, action slightly lowered and I noticed from a previous mark that the sound post was moved all of 22 mm. But the biggest difference was to the bridge. This was replaced by a larger pattern as the previous feet were such that the E side didn't get onto the bass bar. And the top was profiled to match the strings coming off the end of the fingerboard to such an extent that it is very markedly asymmetric. All for £400 and I am very happy. Hope this helps.

I was in a band once and the leader would say I'd like to introduce the band'. And we'd all shake hands with each other with a 'hi'.

But have any bass players of either gender shaped modern music, after Jamerson and Pastorius that is. I suppose it's natural that a bass forum would want to talk up the instrument. But while the bass's importance in jazz and rock is undisputed, is it really a shaper?

I've just pulled off a prestigious gig for one of the bands I'm involved with to play at a country fair in the summer. I won't say where but it's all a bit top drawer. So this morning I told the Mrs that I've got a meeting with the two young events organisers next Tuesday. Her reaction was 'and what will they think when some beat up old geezer turns up?' Got me thinking.

As Sarah says, the Goldsby book is the one to have. It's inspirational and 'broad'. I have a RR book, if anyone would like it pl PM me and I'll send it FOC. BTW I hate practicing, don't do it much at all. When I arrive at a gig there's no set list and I haven't a clue what tunes will be called. I rate my iRealPro very highly, it's a lifesaver. BTW children, don't take what I do as a good example. Keep practicing.

Thanks for that, Rob. Yes, I'm 75 too and don't have trouble getting jazz gigs. It probably helps to look after yourself, stay tidy and (reasonably) well presented. There are some bands filled by young thrusters who wouldn't use me but I can live with that. One thing, I'm sure that playing and the reading that I do a lot of the time keeps the brain well lubricated so the dreaded dementia is kept at bay. Who did you say you were?

Sshh..............

Stanley Clark. DB and BG

Thank you for your valuable advice.

A few years ago I bought a Phil Jones cab from them which turned out to be many pounds heavier than given on their website. When I brought this up there was not a great deal of concern and no offer of redress. I sold it on soon after with a significant loss. Most of the time deals go through ok, but that's business. Would they let me have a £5k bass to gig on appro? Probably not, but the that's service.

Fallen Angel - Rogue

Sarge, ' I didn't see you at the camouflage parade this morning' Private, 'Thank you very much, sir!'

The Realist seems to present problems perhaps more than it should. It's a bit of a Marmite pickup, liked by some but there are others who just can't get on with it. Certainly there are pickups that seem to like different shades of basses. For a dark bass, and in the absence of bridge adjusters, I'd recommend an Underwood that slips into the wing slots or a Shadow of which I have no experience but is widely liked. Both of them will transduce closer to the strings and further from the body and give you a brighter sound, sometimes too bright for some but probably ideal for you bass. Along with most piezo pickups, and the Underwood is no exception, an impedance-matching preamp will enhance the sound especially if it's got a high- pass filter and phase reverse but in its absence try adjusting the middle frequencies on your amp to get a decent sound. Good luck with your quest, you will find plenty of helpful people on TB. Just keep asking the questions, however mundane they may seem. That way enlightenment lies.

I like 'Where have all the Cowboys Gone?' by Paula Cole every time I hear it on the radio.

I'm sorry to hear that. There comes a time when wear and tear take their toll; I for one am having a lot of back pain and that's with double bass that supports itself. So for a BG it must be miserable. Have you seen a Chiropractor? A few sessions may well sort it out. I remember when I had neck and shoulder pains and I sorted that out with Naproxen. Not universally liked but I still take regular doses and it keeps me pain- free without side effects. Hang in there.

I'm sure they will. Although I heard Danny Thompson at an outdoor festival a few years ago and his sound was abysmal. I suppose it comes down to jazz sound and rock sound. Here's to inspiration!

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1457650978' post='3000740'] I couldn't remove material from the gap/foot side on these particular adjusters, as the shafts are fixed into the feet with the threaded part protruding. The wheels thread onto the shafts and the upper part of the bridge sits on the wheels, with a clearance hole for the shaft. I have access to a small belt sander, and if I finish it off with the long flat sanding block I use for levelling frets that should keep both legs flat and in the same plane. I think I'm going to give it a go... [/quote] Sorry, I made the wrong assumption re your adjusters. More luthiers these days prefer to Araldite the thread into the bridge foot and let the wheel spin in the thread. I've always been slightly uneasy about threading directly into the wood of the bridge. I have a belt sander that I mount in a large vice on the bench. It has a flat table over which the belt passes so I get reasonably accurate results from that setup. If you take care over marking out you should be fine. Good luck.

Depends how high you value your bass. One of my basses is a ply 'outdoor' bass and I do most things on it. The Martin and Bryant go to a luthier for everything. Have you any other luthier close to you? If you really feel you want to do the work could you not take off a couple of mm on the bridge face the 'gap' side, so flatness is not quite so critical. I'd suggest carefully marking a 2mm line and presenting it to a belt sander if you have one.

I turn to the DB section daily hoping for something interesting/exciting and all I read about is wooden endpins. Bloody wooden endpins! C'mon guys.

I have just collected my Bryant from Laurence Dixon. I was never completely happy with it, having got through all sorts of pickups and speakers to get a decent sound. It is such a sweet bass that I was determined to try to sort it. Laurence has done an amazing job on it, new bridge and adjusters, fingerboard plane, new sound post and some other small tweaks. All within a two-week window and at a reasonable cost. I am very happy that the Bryant has been rescued. And yes, those Hungarian basses are very good value and nice basses. Highly recommended.

I wouldn't want to comment about Lemmy's standing in the pantheon on rock against Bowie but, yes, a tribute to those who we lost during the year would have been good. How respectful is a moot point as most of the audience seemed to be either pissed or overexcited, or both. Respect to Annie and Gary for their moving tribute.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1456398015' post='2988514'] The Orangery at Blenheim Palace: Although we had to load in through a window! [/quote] We got in through those double doors on the right.

I've got very few pics of my life, so can't help with any for gigs. But from the sublime to the....... I remember a great gig on the aft deck of HMS Belfast for M&S and with an enthusiastic 'unofficial' audience looking down on us from the Tower Bridge footway. And there was the gig for RNLI on Newlyn harbour with a stage built from fish crates. And not to forget that the first stage I had a gig on was as an eleven year old at he Royal Alber Hall. Lots more, but that's enough.