Burns-bass

Nice outdoor acoustic session. Unfortunately, the high heat caused the finish on the bass to crack. Doesn’t really bother me but probably impacts sale value!

Given most people don’t know who he is, I reckon we can get away with it.

I played a lovely pub in Cornwall. Was offered our pick of the food menu, free drinks and £100 each for the gig. Was a busy night elsewhere and only 5 people turned up. Guess it happens! Second gig this afternoon outdoors. Having a walk and coffee…

Found out his solo band is playing in London on the 18th of August. Sadly I can’t make it.

I really do think they’re a drummers band. We listened to the Royal Scan for 3 weeks across Europe in 2005. Id sort of had enough by then. Will check them out again. I’m a huge Chuck Rainey fan.

SD not my thing either, but they were super smart lads and steeped in jazz history. Probably helps when you assemble some of the greatest musicians ever to play on your tracks. Got a long road trip today. Might do some Dan for the road.

Massive logical nightmare sorting that all out.

Went past the shop in Bristol and was going to pop in. Seems a shame. It wasn’t perfect, but wasn’t like the elitist and exclusive shops of the 1980s and 90s.

I’d work with the bass as it is for a while.

It’s often worth asking around for a local engineering firm who can build you a stand or even a rest much cheaper than the NS branded stuff. I asked one to make me a screw in endpin once and it was a few quid. A shop wanted to charge me £150 for a replacement unit.

Agreed. Some of it is prog-rock-esque. I just love his huge smile and sense of fun.

Seriously incredible playing. If you’ve not seen him, worth checking out. As well as the feel and the note choose it’s the clarity of it all. This is a solo gig where he’s paid to basically bust out all the tricks but it a band he’s much more restrained. I couldn’t listen to an album of it, and it’s not really something I’d want to do, but I’m glad he’s out there doing it - and with a huge smile and sense of humour.

Very cool!

That sounds really logical. The Wav basses I’ve played (including the 3 I’ve owned) have all had low string heights, so much so that you don’t need to use the traditional DB arm weight approach. Im not trying to rubbish EUBs, I think they’re ace - it’s just unless you get one of the ones with a proper frame (Yamaha, MK, etc) it can be hard to keep proper form. I think the idea of an EUB as a separate instrument is pretty spot on really.

The biggest problem with EUBs is that you can’t really replicate the same technique for DB that uses arm weight to stop the string. On a real DB you shouldn’t find there’s any finger pain as arm effectively pulls the string back. You intuitively use your body to counteract this. To explain how this works, imagine yourself hanging by your fingertips from the top of a building. To pull yourself up you’d use the biggest muscles you have in your arm and chest. Not your fingers. When playing DB with correct technique the thumb brushes the back of the neck and it is used to help you find position. Nothing else. The physical set up of most EUBs makes this impossible to do, so people use the electric bass technique of using the thumb and fingers to pull the string down. This is going to cause you no end of pain and problems. If playing DB or EUB is causing hand pain there’s a problem with technique and it’s worth getting a lesson to find out why