Stub Mandrel

Well it's becoming a bit more academic. Turns out there's a decent PA, the guitarist will be using a Marshall combo, and a drummer is on the horizon (allegedly). The cafe bar gig has been pulled (for a reason I don't entirely agree with), but there's a paid pub gig in month which gives us five rehearsals, which we will need with 15 songs on the setlist some of which only got agreed last night. We've agreed I'll use the Trace for that, but keep the volume down... It's all feeling a bit ambitious, but to be fair the musicianship is there and the singer is very good. So I've decided just to do what I'm asked and let the BL do his way. On the plus side the songs are being heavily re-arranged so it's a mix of original basslines and fitting ones into songs that never had one originally or need it to fill more space (like Nina Simone's Feeling Fine). Turns out they were planning the Marvin Gaye version of Wherever I Lay My Hat, but I must have done OK as they want to do the Paul Young version now! If it goes pear shaped, I will still have learned whole lot of songs I wouldn't otherwise have played, and most of it will be on fretless which I only ever used for one or two songs in a set in the past.

One can only hope for the best 😈

Well it's helping me expand my French vocabulary: "" un flop total." Actually very interesting, I could get the general sense of it because of my knowledge of the subject, I then got word to translate it, and ended up with something requiring almost as much effort to understand! But yes, an interesting document, thanks.

@Chownybass want to shake up the world of bass playing? Get some Tutmarc replicas made!

I don't think anyone's arguing; electric, solid or fretted basses weren't new. Tutmarc was the first person to make what we would now recognise as an electric bass guitar. Fender got the marketing right and had the enthusiasm for mass production. It seems Leo knew about Tutmarc and may even have owned one of his six strings. You can also say Fender had simpler pickups (Tutmarc's were apparently big, and hidden internally, soemtimes with pole pieces poking out of scratchplates) and clearly got things like jack plug placement right.

Was that the Session 60?

I forgot to share a pic of this awesome and guaranteed unique (he prepared the artwork) Christmas present from my brother. Less awesome was a pair of boxer shorts with 16 pictures of my face on them...

https://orangeamps.com/o-bass/

Tell that to Sandberg?

Chapman Stick? Hold my beer...

Piqued my interest. You may find this useful.

I've always been someone who prioritises getting the best out of what they have got, and I agree the limiting factor, especially with playing a musical instrument, is personal skill. Unlike many areas, you can't buy success at playing an instrument*. But part of this is, after time pushing the boundaries of what you have, better understanding what can help you take the next step. As an example, I bought a huge TE combo because that guaranteed a sound I have always wanted - bonus is that it was silly cheap. That doesn't mean you might not get something just because its fun to use or nice to have. *Many years ago the partner of a sister in law had a Trace rig and Jaydee custom bass, I never heard him play it once although he did once let me have a go.

What's interesting is that everyone says how Leo got it right first time, yet that bass is pretty much there. The odd position for the lead coming out, relatively few frets and no strap buttons. Neither Tutmarc nor Fender put in a truss rod, but the Tutmarc neck looks more substantial (and the body is thicker). Otherwise, it's a short scale, through-neck bass with a pretty modern body shape...

There should be nothing simpler than Elvis Presley's 'That's Allright' (especially as the original doesn't have bass in it). I've finally drummed into my head that he only spends one bar on the IV when he does the final scat verse. What's the betting that when we practice tonight I play it like that and the guitarist doesn't...

To quote The Master: "Everything you thought was true is a lie." http://tutmarc.tripod.com/paultutmarc.html https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/world-oldest-electric-bass-guitar-sells-for-over-23000

Well I would happily have swapped my Sound City 50B for a Cobra 90 🙂

I don't remember Carlsbro as anything exceptional. My mate who got me into bass had one like the one pictured above, I seem to recall. I've got a Colt 45 guitar combo, that I built a replacement power amp for, two channel, nothing exceptional but workmanlike enough. To be honest I've barely used it at volume and never gigged it (I've only played guitar live once...)

In my dreams....

The 100W PJB Briefcase amp says power consumption 160W on the back... it's not simple!

if you look on there back it gives the RMS output in volts at 4 ohms... that suggests if they are giving RMS output it's actual output rather than "burst power" that a lot of amps will use for ratings... so it might sound louder than you expect I wouldn't be so sure... the rating plate states that its power consumption is 160Watts. With an SMPSU that suggests it's around 150W continuous even if it its more at the peaks... another example of why a 500W class D amp and a 150W old-style TE like @stewblack's might sound equally loud...

Bit fo a Trace fan, eh? That meets my 'frighten the cat' approval test 🙂 , although I'm not sure my big rig would work vertically...

So you strike harmonics then press down onto the fingerboard? Sorry if I seem thick, I'd imagined fingering two notes then striking harmonics with my middle hand while plucking with my right (which obviously requires an excess of hands...) [Under threat of death if I plug my amp in at the moment 🤬 but despite being surprisingly easy to finger I'm guessing from the feeble amount of volume I'm getting with my technique this might not work for me...]

I bought a second-hand bass in G/G Edinburgh. It was silly cheap because someone had paid a deposit many months before and never returned and they just wanted shot of it. £130(!) with slightly chewed hard case, strap, straplocks and even a lead... Must admit my opinion of G/G has gone up a lot since a poor experience a number of years go.

Possibly they had a request from another store but the buyer backed out.