bassace

No one mentioned Jim Tavare? Not quite sure how ‘decent’ his DB playing is but form your own conclusions.

Mike Harding told a good story about a booking at a club where he had to accompany a stripper. On banjo. He said she kept turning round and growling ‘faster’. Which he did, until the end when he realised that she wasn’t saying ‘faster’ but questioning his parentage.

Moody Blues was good, wasn’t it. Very interesting how they progressed.

I walked a nature reserve I had project managed. With Bill Oddie. He was a right miserable git. Just sayin’

I know Raph Mizraki as a very fine double bass player round the Oxford area. Last time I saw him he was playing a 1/2 sizer. Here he is playing BG, cello and synthesiser. If this doesn’t cheer you up nothing will. Enjoy!

I was playing through a high end amp at home and it was making a similar noise to the one you describe. I went to all sorts of lengths to eliminate this noise, without success, including putting in a spare pcb. No success and I put it down to the house mains. At the next gig it was fine. If you could try your amp out somewhere else I’d recommend it.

It would be useful to have a door in the back and a hanging rail for the stage gear.

There was a great B&W movie we all liked in the sixties, I Want to Live, starring Susan Hayward. Soundtrack was by Gerry Mulligan who led a quartet with Chet Baker. Mulligan had a lot to do with the ‘cool’ movement while Miles Davis got most of the credit. Here’s the theme, Black Nightgown, appropriately intro’d on a bass. Double bass, of course.

Some nice affordable starter basses come up in the BC ‘For Sales’ from time to time. Most, not all though, will have had some initial set up done to them which makes them more playable and takes the bugs out. Plus they may have better strings than the basic shop-supplied ones. Trouble is, during the lockdown your opportunities for visiting sellers will be curtailed. Will there be an explosion of items offered for sale once the lockdown is lifted I wonder?

I had to think about that one a few times but it’s so true.

We get plenty of signals from the audience. Not usually complimentary, suggesting we play in two sharps.

A long spell of rain can have a devastating effect on the farming part of the business. All the ink gets washed off the subsidy cheque. I’ll get my smock.

Often the top of the bridge will tip forward a bit when a new set of strings is fitted and tightened. The trick is to get a paperback book between the D and A strings and give the bridge a whack. Seems a bit harsh but it works well. And as Pete says, rub a pencil in the grooves to give a bit of slip. I’ve got a 6B for that very purpose.

This thread has concentrated on punters, predictably. But how many people within the band itself ‘recognise’ the bassist? My experience in most of my career has been in jazz ensembles, a lot of them seven pieces. I was having a chat with a fellow bass player recently and we both agreed that a lot of front line people haven’t a clue about what is a good, or bad, rhythm section. It’s all about the front and as long as the bass makes a thumping noise that’s ok. As long as they can fill the slot that’s ok. When I was with a decent touring band it took me quite a while to ‘educate’ them to even put me through the PA. Then there are others. That’s ok, that’s better, and all is forgiven.😊

Haven’t tried it. But the tab- say it’s at three o’clock at the moment - can be rotated to twelve o’clock which could start the goose neck from a better position. And in that position could be made a bit longer to further help. So I suppose the answer to your question could be yes. It so happens that the mic’s position in which I took the photo puts the head in the sweet spot. It’s the usual placement for a recording mic.

I’ve had this ATM 350 knocking about for a while and keep returning to it on an on/off basis. With lockdown killing the gigs I thought I’d spend some time making a simple mount. So I put a slot in a strip of aluminium and wedged it round the bridge adjuster spindle, a bit like the Lifeline pickup if you’re familiar with that. It provides an easy mount, stays on the bass and doesn’t get in the way. The mic then clips on firmly and in that position finds a sweet spot. I’m putting the signal through the second channel of a Clarus which provides phantom power. It’s all dead simple and gives out a reasonable volume before feedback in my small room at home. I’m looking forward to gigging it. Here are a couple of pics. The ali tag is wrapped in insulating tape to give max clipability.

We provide the forward motion that every tune needs. Without us it just doesn’t move.

We all know that your fave is Shirley Bassey’s version of Something, Jack.

Of course!

The difference between bass and sea bass? Appropriately. Or fried and pan fried?

Oh, so Clarence on OTT sax then. Let’s say it was a bit over- mixed.🤭

I don’t know about best, but I’ve always been struck by Its Only Love by Gary US Bonds. Backing is a bit OTT but it’s well sung.