knirirr

Last night's gig (and the "open rehearsal" the night before) weren't too bad. We got a reasonable number of dancers in, and the rhythm section (bass, drums, tres, percussion) kept good time despite some soloists' attempts to shake the foundations on occasion. First time I've gigged with a fretted bass, which was strange. The venue was here. I've not been since before they revamped it to add a bar; it's a rather nice performance space now.

I have a PhD (though we insist on calling it a DPhil here) in virology. The pianist I usually play with is a professor of atmospheric physics. I used to play with a different pianist who was in laser physics.

Probably dating from around 1987-88 I have a Grainger and Campbell practice chanter looking like this one. Also, a set of their army regulation pattern pipes dating from a year or so later. Unfortunately, playing these instruments isn't really possible at present. If I ever do get the chance again I might try a bit of jazz.

As I mentioned here, the pros weren't able to turn up for their usual jam session so it ended up with my band depping as the house band. This turned out quite well; there was a chap in the audience who organises music at local beer festivals and he seemed to like it. We played Spain at the end and I think we got away with it. Once again, the TC Electronics BAM200 appeared to give good service - perhaps I won't need my Orange Terror any more (which I didn't even bring).

Twice now in the same pub a mother with small children has wandered up to the jazz jam area and said something along the following to her children: "Do you know what that instrument is? It's a guitar! How about that one? It's a trombone! And what about that? It's a cello!"

One drummer I play with prefers to be on the side with bass in the middle, if possible, which presumably gets a bit more notice for me: Mostly, though, it's drummer in the middle with bass to their left and keyboard/guitar to the right, horns in front.

It was an Orange OBC112. I have a jam on Sunday and a rehearsal with a different band (and bass) on Monday. I'll have to see if it still holds up after both of those.

We got through a lot of material last night, in preparation for both a recent gig offer and the surprise need for me and our horn player to replace the pros (who have presumably been offered money to be elsewhere) at a jam coming up on Sunday. It was also a chance to try out a new head, a TC Electronics BAM200. Everyone appeared to think that this sounded better than my Orange Terror so the latter might go up for sale (not that anyone will buy it ;-).

Short answer: No. Long answer: My school offered both music "theory" (how to read music, compulsory from 11-13) and classical instrumental lessons. I was encouraged to make use of these and wanted to, and although I was a bit bored by classical music I didn't hate it so I tried both violin and piano to start with, and, eventually, the highland bagpipe. It was not until I went to university that I found music I actually liked and also managed to save up for an electric guitar (anathema at school). I've not continued with violin or piano and gentlemanly conduct requires that I refrain from piping. Reading music was a useful skill to learn, but I had forgotten it all by the time I got that electric guitar. Frustratingly, I found out years later that the head of music was in fact an arranger for BBC Radio Leicester's big band and her husband was a jazz bassist. A shame she couldn't have brought any of that into the lessons. Edit as requested by @BigRedX - I am referring to the years 1982-89.

I was also wondering whether lower gain valves might help; the sound so far is reasonable, when it's not buzzing.

Thanks - I'll give that a try.

That does appear to help. But, it would be nice to fix it, if I can be certain of how to do so.

What the bassist does in this jazz context should be fine in a pub as well, I'd think. Cool outfit also:

When I bought my Terror Bass 500 it used to buzz on certain notes when sitting on top of the cab. Orange replaced it under warranty. The replacement is now doing the same; an example, demonstrated by some guitar noodling, can be heard at: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hcz9oy9m2jy79s3m2ssq6/Amp-buzz.m4a?rlkey=dkdp2m9ocn71xmgqmvzorndjx&dl=0 Putting the head on the floor instead stops this from happening, though this is not ideal as it can get in the way. Perhaps I should just buy a longer speakon cable... Could this be a dodgy (microphonic?) valve? If so, how hard is replacing them? I've seen warnings to the effect that fiddling with the internals of a valve amp is potentially fatal for the unqualified, but perhaps the Terror Bass might not be that bad having only a valve preamp. It's been happening for a while, but I normally play unamplified at home and so only notice at the beginning of gigs/jams/rehearsals and have forgotten by the time I get home. I could perhaps take it here: https://www.oxfordpowershop.co.uk/pages/amplifier & Speaker repairs.html ...as long as I wait until I'm on holiday, as they only open when I'm working.

There's one horrendous piece I used to hear on repeat over and over again in the mid 90s when I worked in a lab where someone insisted that they couldn't work unless a radio was on. I know it as "the naa song" but I think it might be called "here comes the hot stepper".

My first bass (an Encore unlined fretless P) and amp (Trace Elliot BLX-130 combo) came from ABC in Oxford. I must have bought them in 1993. The Encore was sold to by an EUB a few years later but I kept the combo until Covid (sold via this forum).

The jam earlier this week was interesting. - Bass and drums. - 2x horn players. - 2x acoustic guitarists. The guitarists wanted to call gypsy jazz tunes and the horn players were more into modal hard bop stuff, which the guitarists struggled to play as chugging chords doesn't really work on that sort of thing.

By what means were you able to send the bow? I suspect that Royal Mail/Parcelforce won't be keen given that mine would cost £800 to replace if they break it. If there's reasonably cheap and insured postage this sounds like a good service. I'm finding it difficult to track down coarse black hair.

My other half claims to be unable to visualise anything (a shame, as it's a useful ability), yet to constantly have music playing in her head. I am able to enjoy both the internal music and also to visualise things.

This one may perhaps be entertaining (I enjoyed the lyrics):

FWIW I've gigged with two different pianists who also happen to be physicists and are notable enough to have Wikipedia pages. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hopkins_(musician) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Marshall_(academic)

It definitely needs to coordinate. I spent a while choosing this for a new instrument (apologies for it being a guitar).