Happy Jack

KTM, all day long. I gave up biking five years ago, still miss it, and I'd buy another LC640 tomorrow if I could think of the slightest justification for doing so. I used to love my Buell but it had more recalls than ALL the other vehicles I've ever owned, put together. It was the last S1 Lightning sold in the UK, so the last of the all-Buell bikes before Harley bought back 100% control of the company. I always associated British bikes with the unreliable oil-spreaders of the 60s, I much preferred Hondas for many years. And then I discovered KTM.

At the risk of being pedantic, the battery compartment is a permanent connection so you'd actually attach the strip running from battcomp/horn up the neck towards the headstock.

So you're saying, go and have a ...

You've got to watch those stray copies ...

I was VERY lucky with that Kolstein ... it's an instrument with 'issues' which seriously impacted its value, plus it was sold to me by a friend, so it cost me way less than you probably think. As a rock'n'roll DB to be played in tight spaces (including dodgy pubs) it's hard to beat. And for the purists, it helps that Lee Rocker has a signature model Kolstein Busetto. 😎

Could be a way forward. 😂

Have you appointed @Clarky in a consultancy role yet?

Restoration, or leave as is?

It worked, too. 🙂

They say that you should dance like nobody's watching. A lovely idea, but one I rarely indulge myself with. Unless I have a cramp attack. Like a REALLY BAD cramp attack IN BOTH FEET halfway through a set. In that case ...

I have WAY too many hats, caps and scalp-coverings to post here. 🙄

I had one of those - a surprisingly capable head, given that it looks like something home-assembled by an avid reader of Practical Electronics ...

Oh well played, sir. 🤣

Tonight's gig in a tiny pub in Chalfont St Peter with a band that does 50/60 gigs a year. EA Doubler on the banquette to the left, compressor pedal on top, Crazy 8 on a PA pole next to the Kolstein Busetto and ... erm ... well that's it really.

I've ridden Harleys, owned Buells, played and owned Rickenfakers, vintage Ricks and modern Ricks. In truth this 'comparison' is so laboured it hardly seems worth replying to. All they have in common is 50s technology that has stuck around FAR longer than anyone anticipated. Next up ... valves are stinky poo.

That would certainly work, but that's a helluva lot of money to spend on what is essentially a PA cab. I like to have the power amp at waist height and just a passive cab to raise onto a pole. I'm very weight conscious. And bad back conscious. Given that you've chosen a 5-string DB you'll want to ensure that whatever cab you buy goes low enough, and that Stinger only goes down to 70Hz which ain't great for a bass cab. You can buy decent pre-owned power amps really quite cheaply, and there's no shortage of preowned cabs (bass or PA) that will go down to 40Hz.

Ideally you want an amp that's optimised for piezo pickups but, in the real world anyway, it makes surprisingly little difference what you play through. Ultimately, what gives a DB its particular sound is its DB-ness rather than what amp you're using. My stage rig is always the same: amp head close to my right hand (with a DI to the board), feeding a Crazy 8 on an old PA pole so that the cab is at head height behind me. Works perfectly every time - small pubs, big halls, festival stages - with no feedback issues and perfect monitoring.

Are you doubling with electric bass, or just playing the DB?

If you're going to play pukka Americana then you really do need to be playing a DB. That has surprisingly little to do with the sound and far more to do with the look. The size difference is far less drastic than you might imagine. I have a 4/4 carved/ply DB, a 3/4 aluminium, and a Kolstein Busetto which is only a little larger than my old KK BabyBass. I play the Kolstein at really tight venues, natch, but that's more for ease of load-in/loud-out than because I haven't room for the 4/4. It's also because almost all of my DB gigs are doubling gigs, so for some of the gig I have to 'park' the DB somewhere while I play electric bass. The feedback thing is all about learning how to control and avoid it. Extruded rubber f-hole blockers make an enormous difference, and equally important is NOT having your cab or combo right behind you and pointing straight at the DB. I played 60 feedback-free gigs on DB in 2022 at a very wide range of venues. I have a Crazy 8 cab on top of an old (spare) PA tripod pole, so my bass sound is aimed directly at my ears, not at the bass. Since I take a DI to the board at every gig, that works just fine. Loud drummers can't be tamed, so best avoid them. 🙄

Yes. You're gonna need a bigger spatula.

Paging @chris_b

This video allows you to play Spot The Basschatter. Hint: There are three to be found ... can you find them all, children?