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Staggering on

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Everything posted by Staggering on

  1. Going upright-Stagg 5 years ago,Yamaha SLB 200 about 3 years ago and this year bought a double bass and I've never had so much fun.I've also learned a lot about bass music and play much better than I ever did before.Sometimes changing instruments can open up a whole new world.The DB came after I travelled to the BC double bass bash in April and when I got back to Canada I just had to get a "real" bass.
  2. The Double Big Twin is not fitted in the wing slots,the piezo pads(4) are held to the bridge with adhesive.I have the same pickup on the Engelhardt Swingmaster ES 9 that I recently bought used and am awaiting the arrival of a KNA DB-1 pickup that I ordered from Gollihur.Mark suggested this wood encased wing pickup for my bass to cut some of the string noise and get a more woody sound.It also has a higher output than the K&K and I may not need to use the preamp(K&K) that came with the bass. I am expecting the pickup soon and will report on its performance.A little research that I did turned up a lot of positive reviews for the DB-1,including comments from some BC members. The KNA is also one of the lowest priced pickups which is a bonus if it works well.Many of you know the Gollihur site, it is a goldmine of information and they know what they are talking about and ship worldwide.They are in the USA but have sent my pickup to me in Canada with no issues, they do this stuff all the time.Mark will answer email or phone questions about all of the products they sell and just about anything else related to basses. Edit-some of the above comments came while I was writing, sorry about the repetition.
  3. In this very forum a thread was started 15 hours ago re a stolen Phil Jones bass amp, anyone notice that?
  4. Hmmmmm....seen at the double bass bash in April......
  5. Lovely bass,and I imagine the GAS was increased when we all saw Aud's Eminence at the double bass bash in April.That event convinced me that I needed a "real" upright to go with my Yamaha SLB 200 and so I ended up with "Marilyn". Well done.
  6. You're right,I loved that and will check out some more of their work.Thanks.
  7. Absolutely,in my books anyway. Great talents, saw them in Vancouver and was glad I did.They always seemed to really enjoy playing with each other and complemented each other so well.
  8. Just getting through the post show let down after a very busy week.I was playing in the orchestra(yup, we had strings) for an amateur production of "Chicago" and although it is a slimmed down and cleaned up version of the Broadway show and is referred to as the "High School Edition", the music and orchestrations are for the most part exactly the same as the Broadway music.Luckily the musicians(14) are experienced players who have played many shows and some play in bands I am in and did a fantastic job with some very demanding music. Listen to the movie soundtrack if you want to get an idea of the level of playing demanded.Last week was three days of rehearsals and three shows.Of course the band had rehearsed a number of times before this. I was a last minute addition to the band when some extra money became available and I was asked to play...are you ready...tenor banjo!Almost 40 years ago I was very busy gigging with Dixieland type bands in Toronto but I haven't really played any serious banjo music for a long time so the last couple of weeks were real a real workout for me trying to get back some of the licks that I needed for the show and to get back into reading a banjo score instead of bass music. It was a great experience to do the shows and I had a fantastic time playing some good arrangements with excellent musicians.Three nights of full house with standing O's for cast and orchestra all three nights.On top of that I got back into playing banjo and even had couple of little solos in the show which I managed to play OK. I guess the point of the story is that if something that sounds interesting is offered to you,go for it because you might not get another opportunity like it again. Swing band rehearsal today playing bass and also a few Dixie tunes on banjo.Love it. As I have said on here before, we are so lucky to have music in our lives and be able to share it and have fun with others when we are playing. I have been gigging for 56 years and still get a thrill.I better go practice now...
  9. OK,like "some" drummers.... 😁
  10. Speaking of disco, we had a singalong version of Mama Mia on TV here in North America last night with the words going by at the bottom of the screen.I knew they had done this with the Sound of Music at live performances and in cinemas and on TV but the Mama Mia singalong was new to me. Is it making the rounds in other parts of the BC world? ...I didn't watch much of it...
  11. Thanks Geoff,your lessons and videos were a big help when I got my EUB and now I'm reviewing some of them as I work on proper techniques for the DB...and having lots of fun too!
  12. Back to your room sir!How dare you. It would have to be very cold and it would be the last last piece to go into the stove.
  13. I wondered if anyone would pick up(oops, sorry about that) the wood shedding image and I'm not surprised that you got it first.
  14. I blame BC for this!After attending the BC double bass bash in April I developed a serious case of GAS and this is the result."Marilyn" is blonde, curvy and has a sweet voice and I couldn't resist her. She is an Engelhardt Swingmaster ES 9 that was purchased from Gollihur 10 years ago and has sat virtually unused since then and is in absolutely mint condition.To make it even better, she came with all the paperwork for her and a K&K Double Big Twin pickup,K&K Pure preamp, an Ingles stand,German bow, three types of rosin, quiver,mute and several books including an untouched Simandl.She was dressed in a lovely green like new Gollihur bag.I also got the original almost new Thomastiks that the bass started life with, she is currently strung with Correlli 370 F strings.The original owner has been playing pedal steel in country bands and just wanted to get rid of the bass because he wasn't using it. I am still tweaking the preamp and my amp to get the sound I want(I play jazz standards in two bands) but it is certainly fun and I am also enjoying trying out my woeful bow technique. She came home with me yesterday after a 13 hour 994 km road trip to pick her up.It was a long day but in Canada drives like this are a fact of life. I'm still not sure why I did this at my age(72) but I plan to have fun with her.I have a gig tomorrow night but I will use my trusty Yamaha SLB 200 EUB and save "Marilyn" for another day. Thanks again for that great day in April,it was just what I needed to make me pull the trigger and join the "real" DB world.
  15. Agree.Even in our jazz quartet it really lets everyone hear exactly what the other players are doing when the drums aren't at the rehearsal.It is also a good situation for us(vocals/keys,horn player and me) to work on new songs and try some ideas without boring the drummer with endless repeats.I have a bad habit of speeding up and without the drums I really have to concentrate to keep things steady and that is a good workout for me. This is in no way being negative about drummers,ours is a great player and is very sensitive to what we are doing.
  16. So this is the bass we heard about at the April double bass bash! I wondered when you would finally get it delivered and I have been waiting for the pics and I must say it looks fabulous.We are all waiting to hear it. Well done, now more GAS for the rest of us.Aluminum(Canadian spelling) would be great in our climate.
  17. Saw a Canadian trio,The Jillian Mckenna Project a couple of nights ago and was very impressed.Awesome keyboard player and a fine drummer were working with Jillian who is a bass player and they played some standards(swing and bebop) and some of her original compositions.She is on several sites if you Google her. It looks like we have some bright lights in our future since Jillian and the drummer are both only 23,which is a depressing 49 years younger than I am.Watching her play is an exercise in frustration and inspiration for me but I must admit I came home and played for a while after the concert.A guitar playing friend who was at the show consoled me by saying that I play bass just like she does,"one hand up here and one hand down there."Hmmmm... I guess my point is that there are some really good young players out there but in my very rural part of Ontario(4 1/2 hours from Toronto and other music hot beds) I don't get to see them very often. Anyone over there seen any young talent lately?Is the jazz bass world alive and well? By the way,I'm still feeling the good vibes from the double bass bash in April,thanks to all of you who were there.I have had a great time showing the pics and trying to explain what the day was all about although I get a few strange looks as I get all pumped about it.
  18. Geoff at discoverdoublebass was a good start for me.
  19. It is probably something like the stand Upton Bass(USA) sells, it's on their website.
  20. What an awful predicament to find yourself in.I have no advice or suggestions but your post has made me and the rest of us on BC doubly aware of how fragile we are and how lucky we are to have music and playing bass in our lives.As has been mentioned, most of us are part timers but for a person in your situation it means no music AND no income which makes matters very serious.I hope you find some relief from the pain and can get back to playing bass soon, we all know how important making music is for us financially, mentally and spiritually. I have a few creaks and cracks but at 72 I'm still gigging and I can't imagine not being able to play.With luck you will get this resolved soon and can get back to work. Good luck and keep us informed.
  21. Your face says it all...what a show!Are we having a good time? Where's the next gig...
  22. I saw it at the bash and am glad you were able to make a deal on a lovely bass, but that was an odd looking endpin, the new one looks nicer and is adjustable...great!
  23. Does he/she have a good DB stand?The Bass Bar stand is highly recommended and is discussed in a recent thread in the EUB and double bass forum on this site, it seems to be ideal for those who play both DB and EB and need to switch easily.There are other stands too. What about a bow,you can spend little or a lot on these. A case/gig bag/wheels(bass buggy)? I'm done.Good luck.
  24. Finally a magazine for people like me.Subscription info please.
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