Staggering on

Thanks Al, I'd forgotten about that post. 😊

34 minutes ago, Bigguy2017 said:

The D'Addario mini one  

https://www.daddario.com/products/accessories/tuners/micro-headstock-tuner/

sits nicely on the back of the headstock below the E tuner... easy to see for the player.

It's a bit fussy about reading low E - needs a harmonic ping.

 

 

I have several of these and they work well and stay almost invisible to the audience when placed as in the photo. I use them on EB, EUB, DB, guitar, banjo and mandolin and have never had a problem at home or playing gigs. For EUB and DB I mount them on the bridge, secure and easy to see.

I find the large clip ons very distracting when I'm watching someone playing, my eyes just seem to be attracted to them, even more so when they are on banjos and mandolins. 

I've seen the country music one on PBS and it is well done and I learned a lot. Before the actual series PBS ran a show telling how the series was made, interesting stuff.

It won't be any time soon in Ontario. The whole province will go into shutdown as of December 26 with only essential stores(food mainly) and some services open, similar to the situation in March. This will last a minimum of 14 days in the northern part and 28 days in the more densely populated south. Restaurants can do take out or delivery only. Limited numbers in big box stores but only if they sell food(Walmart) and hardware and building supply stores. All personal services are closing and the school holiday has been extended well into January. Here we go again, very limited social interaction rules so no live shows and rehearsals only under special conditions, neither of the bands I am in have rehearsed since March and won't be any time soon.

They have also ordered all ski hills and cross country ski centres to close, just as most are opening and were hoping to get some business over the holidays. I am lucky that I live in a very rural area and have ski trails on my own property and can use neighbour's trails too. The snowmobile trails (thousands of km crisscrossing the province) were just starting to open in some area and I assume that won't happen now.

No idea when any live music venues will open, it looks like a bleak future, at least for a few months.

22 hours ago, mikel said:

One of the most interesting and informative music docs I have seen so far. We have it in box set.

I've got the box set too and have watched some of the segments several times and learn something every time and enjoy the music.

I agree with your feelings about it and was very surprised when I Googled some reviews and found some very harsh criticism from some pretty big names as well as others, I hadn't realized it was so controversial.

That being said, maybe I'll watch a couple of segments over the holidays.

Re dots

I just looked at the Thomann UK website and searched "fret markers" and they have several kinds of stick ons including dots for the side of the fingerboard. Might be worth checking out if you get a EUB without dots.

Good luck.  

9 hours ago, Al Krow said:

What is it with manufacturers not putting dots on the side? It's an absolute must for some of us beginner EUB bassists who normally play standard electric bass! 

I guess there is a relatively easy DIY hack that folk use to sort this?

I use liquid Whiteout on my EUB, it comes in a pen format and you can make whatever size marks you want and it is easy to remove and doesn't damage your bass. 

Recently I ordered some stick on dots(non permanent) from Gollihur Music and got both the white colour and the light maple. I put the maple ones on my blonde DB and while I can see them they are not very obvious to anyone else. 

I have been playing EUB and DB for just over 5 years now and while I'm not particularly good I have played a lot of gigs with several bands using both instruments and do some vocals too and I use the dots as a quick reference once in a while as I'm playing but don't use them all the time. Some professional DB players have dots in thumb position for reference and I've never heard anyone criticize that.

Re the suggestion that you shouldn't use dots or marks because you will come to rely on them I don't agree with that. I would argue that every guitar and EB I have seen, including fretless EB, have dots and other markers on them and I've never heard the argument that they are a learning crutch and are a bad thing when you are learning to play. If they are OK on those instruments why not on EUB and DB where people like me can sneak a peek just to check exactly where I am on the fingerboard, especially important when playing in a loud band.  I haven't seen many guitar or EB players using the dots except as a quick reference unless they are beginners. Why make things harder for yourself, I use my ears and muscle memory for intonation but sometimes in the heat of the battle it's nice to have a visual reference. I am a bass player who likes to move a lot as I play and sometimes I need a look to make sure where I am on the fingerboard unlike many players who don't move much or use a stool while playing and the instrument stays in the same place relative to their body. Obviously I don't play in an orchestra, at least not yet, and I will have to change a few things if that ever happens. 

...running for cover....😊 

9 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

I must have been well over halfway through the project when I realised that I used to play the original source for this song all the time on DB at acoustic gigs. 

I could have re-built, but I decided to save DB for my next Hollywood extravaganza ...

 

Ooooh, can't wait, a musical extravaganza with both DB's? Maybe something for NYE? 😋 

What? No DB? (and I know you have at least two and the one in the video looks lovely but doesn't count because you're not playing it)🙂

3 hours ago, martthebass said:

Spent a fair bit of time around Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga during my Steelmaking technical days, can be gray and grim in winter. Hope things brighten up for you mate.

Thank you for the good wishes, I appreciate that.

I lived in that area for many years before I moved about four hours north to a very rural area 40 years ago and built a house and a new life. Up here we have real winters and I snowshoe and ski on my trails on my 100 acres, much better than the dreary slush and rain and crowded life in the south.

Still missing the gigs and playing with other musicians although it's no better in the areas with higher/denser population. Sigh...

Neither band I'm in has rehearsed or gigged since March and like many of you this would be a busy time year for us but over here the live scene is basically dead. Nothing happening in my rural area and in the nearest city(45 miles away, 50,000 population) there is a bit of music in a craft brewery with very limited seating, most band members don't want to play there, it's too risky. Three bandmates, all horn players, play in the pit band for a high school musical that is in rehearsal and will be done on video and then available as a pay per view option. The band rehearses in a room separate from the stage area and on the video show night they will be mic'd and fed to the auditorium as the show goes on. I would not have done that if asked, too risky with high school kids who are very social and the 8 or 9 piece band in a room blowing for hours at a time.

I am not optimistic about much happening soon, perhaps by next summer and I'm hoping the public will still be interested in seeing live music in bars and clubs(the ones that survive) and at various social functions.

At 74 and after playing in bands or on my own for almost 60 years I realize my playing days are numbered now and although I'm still in good shape anything can happen at this age and I sometimes get pretty down wondering if the gig I played at the end of February was the last one I'll ever play. I still practice almost daily(DB) and have done a bit of recording and work with iRealPro but it's not like playing with real bandmates. The drummer, who also plays vibes and marimba, and I have talked about getting together to jam and that might finally be happening soon and that would be fun. At this point no gigs at all in the foreseeable future, too bad because during all this my playing and reading have definitely improved, very frustrating.☹️   

I went from a Stagg to a Yamaha SLB 200 that I found in perfect condition for about 1/3 of the price of a new one and it has served me well for about 4 years of gigs and rehearsals with two bands. I have been using my DB for most gigs since I got it about two years ago but I usually rehearse with the Yamaha since it is easier to haul around and I still use it on gigs with limited stage space and I can usually dial in a good sound using its onboard EQ going straight into the PA. I love playing it but the DB looks better at gigs for the bands I'm in and is fun to play.

I think a new  Yamaha is overpriced by quite a bit but the latest model (300) might be worth it since it has fancy new electronics. If I were shopping for a new EUB I would be checking out the Italian MK basses, they get very good reviews and are reasonably priced and have several models to chose from. I have tried an Eminence and it was lovely to play and as mentioned above it is expensive but you might find a good used one. 

Both the Yamaha and MK have "wings" which make playing them more like playing DB, much easier to hold and play than the Stagg and some other EUB's.

Good luck with the search.

3 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

 

Wow! There is also a video of them performing this live. The musicians on this, including Victor Wooten, are among the best at what they do and even if you don't like Victor's playing he is pretty amazing. Twelve keys and twelve time signatures apparently but I certainly couldn't follow them all.

Check out the absolutely blistering version of Sleigh Ride that these guys do, not your typical Christmas fare.

Thanks for sharing. 

3 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Being surrounded by my bass heroes would be Bass Hell. I'd just turn into a blubbering fool and make no sense at all.

Me too.

Interesting stuff and it makes sense. I have often stopped working on something after the first time I actually nailed it and then have trouble the next time I try it. I'm currently working on some swing stuff (melody) on my DB and Slipped Disc is on my list, not bad slow but I always try to speed up before I can really play it from memory and it goes sideways fast. That article has got me going the slow and steady correct way before trying faster tempos. Thanks for the link. Just poured a coffee and now it's time to get back to the bass and learn to be patient.😋

7 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

Song for my father is in F minor. A la the first chord. It’s definitely not a tune in a major key. Ab major and F minor are related keys so have the same key signature (4 flats). 

Right you are, the Fm being the relative minor to A flat, same key signature of course. I was just referring to the key signature when I took a quick look at the chart but the song itself is in a minor key, I will try to be more clear next time, your post says what I should have said originally. When we play it we use a vamp over Gm7 as an intro to lead into the melody and that adds to the fun.

We do it in A flat, the tenor player likes it there. First chord in the melody is Fm 9. Good song. 

In the Real Book Sixth Edition it is in A flat.

I was in a jazz standards quintet playing EB with flats trying to sound like I knew what I was doing. The guitarist was a conservatory graduate who played classical, rock and jazz and had a good knowledge of all of these. He also was an excellent bass player and was usually first call for pit bands for local theatre groups and had written most of the bass lines I was supposed to play. They were very good but sometimes they were tough for me at the time and of course I made some terrible messes on some of his arrangements. This would be followed by a quick nasty look which made me even more nervous and sometimes at the end of a song he would say things like "what key were you playing in?" He was a full time guitar and bass teacher and I could have used the time in the band to learn a lot but he was so intimidating that I probably made more mistakes because of his attitude which meant I often kept the bass volume low(a dull thud) and just tried to get through the songs.

A dozen years on I am a much better player and just before the pandemic hit we talked about getting together to jam a bit, I feel much more competent now and I think it would be fun, maybe that will happen soon when things ease a bit.

5 hours ago, Aalin said:

There must be other wireless systems that accept the high impedance of piezo pickups for double basses.
Following my problems with the Xvive I also bought the Smoothhound which I am happy with. It is just bigger than the Xvive. And to power it I bought this battery:
https://www.thomann.de/en/rockboard_lt_xl_power_bank_rg.htm

See my post above re Boss WL20. I have used it straight into my amp and also through a preamp(volume control only) into the PA, no problems yet.

7 hours ago, Aalin said:

Contacted, Xvive in China asks me 100 € transport included to change the battery or offers me to buy a new one.

Luckily there is an internet link from a guy who explains how to change the battery yourself. I did it but you have to be meticulous. The battery can be ordered in China for less than £ 10.

They would have put some screws in it , we could do it easily.

 

Interesting video but by half way through he has ruined one unit so he will have to replace it(if he can buy one only), he has the thing apart which is tricky to do without damaging it and he has got to the battery which he warns will explode into flames if punctured. All this needs great care and some tools some people might not have. I am basically a frugal (OK, cheap) person but I would go for a new one, maybe the next generation or another brand, if it lasts 3 to 5 years I would write it off as an expendable like strings or get something that has  batteries that are easy to replace. 

Edit: I just checked the Xvive site and they don't show that only one unit (transmitter or receiver) is available so it looks like if you botch the job you have to buy the whole system so be careful if you try it.

2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

 

 

OK, that's ominous. Is there a known issue with these units only lasting three years?

Probably not, the Boss WL 20 that I have is apparently the same according to some reviews. I guess the convenience of having no batteries to change or charge and no AC adapter to deal with is enough to offset the fact that the whole unit has to be replaced. I've only had mine a year or so and given the current situation I haven't used it on a lot of gigs, although I use it at home a lot. I wonder if the batteries "wear out"( I know nothing about electronics) or if they have a number of recharging cycles before they can't be charged any more, like some computer batteries. From reviews I have read this seems to be common with devices like this, some last longer than three years. Most of these wireless systems have not actually been on the market for too long so it will be interesting to see how it all works out.

As I have said in previous posts, the Boss works great for me and I hope it lasts a long time and when it dies I will have the chance check out all the new gear and do some shopping...GAS...more toys...😊

2 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

I'll still be a few months older than you, and I'll still be gigging. 

I'll be 75 next year(I still can't believe that...it seems so old) but I hope to be gigging as soon as I can. The two bands I'm in haven't rehearsed or gigged since March but I have been working on all kinds of music on my DB including trying to work through some Simandl  and using the bow. I don't play EB much anymore but I found some transcriptions of some ABBA tunes and I'm having fun reading them and trying to play along with the real thing. I have iRealPro to work with and have also been doing a bit of recording on my Mac using Garage Band. 

Gotta keep learning, I try to play every day including days when I play through the 200 or so jazz standards my two bands play.  

Always the same...EUB and Double Bass, General Discussion, Off Topic and then a few others.

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

TBH I can't see it happening any time soon. Members of both my bands are either at risk themselves or have immediate family at risk, so we are not even rehearsing. 

Sadly that is the same with my two bands. There is almost no live music in my area at all except for a few outdoor gigs and some attempts to try to get some indoor gigs at some point in the future but with limited audience sizes and a tightening of bar and restaurant hours in Ontario as of this last weekend as Covid cases increase I can't see much happening for a long time, well into 2021 I think. All of our gigs have been cancelled for the rest of this year. Some of us of rather advanced age are wondering if our gigging days are done but I am trying to stay optimistic and practice almost every day for at least a few minutes, but as all of you know it is hard to stay motivated with no gigs in sight.