Rabbie

[quote name='timbass' timestamp='1386229666' post='2297364'] I keep coming back to the Willie Dixon vid. Love it. Technique specialists out there care to comment? He sounds amazing, yet seems to break all the rules - doesn't brace his thumb against fingerboard, stands alongside the bass rather than slightly behind it. What can we learn from that? [/quote] There are may ways to play any instruments. Take the guitar as a prime example: if they had stuck to the classical technique, we would never have had rock n roll. Likewise, a pristine classical double bass technique will get you nowhere in roots music. Willie played gut strings and high action, yet he did so with such facility because of practice I guess, and also because he was a bloody huge man.

They are good for starting out and it is very transportable as it is a small 3/4. All the best

She needs a lot of work on her technique! I mean, stance, right hand and left hand are all wrong... She does have other assets though...

I have had Shadow and Underwood in the past which were great, but now I use either a Rev Solo or a Blast Cult pickup and I find them both excellent. I have tried fancy ones like Ehrlund and DPA mic and I found them terrible for my uses, yet I have seen quieter guys/girls getting great sounds with the fancy ones too.

Good for you mate, you got a great deal there! All the best with it and I hope to see you gigging around.

Shameless plug: If I remember well, he plays Garbo lights A and E...and guess who just happens to have a one-day old pair of them for sale right now in the classifieds....sorry, I did say it was a shameless plug...

Not good Clarky, I think you'd be well within your right to drop Velvet a line. If I remember correctly, their rep is a great boogie woogie bassist from Switzerland and I have heard they have a good customer service.

Thinking about it, I could have just answered in one sentence: if you cannae fit your fingers between the strings and the fingerboard, you cannae slap. That's all really.

To slap you need high action. As a matter of fact real low action does not suit the double bass at all, in any style. Bear in mind that the action at the fingerboard is only of very relative significance and it all depends on hight at nut, string type, string tension, bridge curvature, in short general bass set-up as well as your technique and stamina. To over-simplify and answer your question: some people can slap steel strings with low action around 7-8mm. This low action would not suit wackers or guts as you will have no acoustic volume. Personally I use gut strings and action around 1.2-1.3cm. Very high for most people, but I like it and I can be heard even without an amplifier (up to a point of course). That's how the old players did it, since you asked about classic slap tone. Some modern psychobilly guys have different setups which rely on amps a lot more, but I really don't know about that. Gee that's a long answer sorry my friend.

I'm not sure actually but it may well be that. I think Blast Cult uses a new ebony substitute which is still hard wearing wood, but I don't know what King used to do. Looks way too shiny for me though.

Good deal for whoever got it. The shiny finish and colour wouldn't be to my taste but the quality is great. I hope that whoever got it is going to put it to good use, might catch it round in the circuit hopefully.

Buy it. I would.

Hi Andy, I think I may slightly change my hand to a wee bit of a "sideways hook" when doing fast runs, I never really thought about it to be fair, I just do it. I think that most people just do feels natural to them; as you quite correctly say, there is no rule as long as you achieve a clean big sound. The most important things in my opinion are to make sure your hand is relax and your action is high enough, so your fingers will be able to grab the strings easily, even at fast tempos.

King Moretone Basses are vintage pearls of the 50s.. They are no longer made and they have street cred +++++. You are not likely to find one easily. King double basses were rockabilly basses made in the US a few years back. They are also no longer made but the guy who made them, Jason Burns, now makes Blast Cult basses, similar concept but improved design: excellent basses. Both options will be very expensive as well as very good. I think Blast Cults retail for around $4500 plus lot of dosh to import them from the US. If you find a used King (of either kind) buy it!... But it ain't gonna be cheap.

In terms of sheer influence on popular music, slapping, songwriting and general bad-boyness, gotta be Willie Dixon for me http://youtu.be/UcqqyL-Y6Go