Boodang

Maybe too simple for your needs and they don't make it anymore but cheap second hand and just records what ever you put through it and syncs to the app. It's not a looper.

The minimum I’ll bring when sharing a kit is snare, BD pedal, hh pedal, hh and ride. The basics of my sound and playability. Had to hire a kit for last nights gig, the heads were the opposite of what I would use, as was the tuning (although that bit is fixable). And the cymbals way heavier than my usual. Nice surprise though was a Roger’s dynasonic snare…. awesome!

Well that's it.... the final gig in Pakistan for me and a big farewell to all my musician buddies here. Played with three of my bands tonight (singer away in the fourth unfortunately), a bit of bass and a bit of drums. Punk, 80s cover and Hendrix/blues. All my gear packed away so hired a drum kit and borrowed basses. It was a great jam and very emotional. Fly out of here tomorrow. Hopefully will find some equally amazing musicians in Riga but will miss these guys.

Thinking about this, one of the things that’s keeping it fresh is recording technology. Thanks to our xr18, L20 and Tascam Models, we’re able to record and work on ideas all the time in our own small shed studios, rather than it be limited to occasional and expensive trips to big studios. We’re recording our gigs easier and getting a great live sound. This plus excellent microphones, all relatively cheap, keeps the creative juices flowing.

I'm 63 and still loving it. As I've got older I've adopted the no @rsehole rule when it comes to bands. It means I'm more picky about the bands I'm in but it does mean they're more enjoyable. And to keep it fresh I also play drums, which has helped my bass playing as well.

This was going to be our Saturday but it’s been cancelled… bummer! I organised the spring and autumn festival last year but as I’m leaving post next week it was organised by others. Well, what with one thing and another, the posters went out very late so very little uptake. Shame really as it would be one of my last gigs. The only upside is that we’d be setting up in 45c heat, which would have been a bit much. Still, next week is our last Friday and all my musician friends are coming along and we’re having a big jam at the our Brit club. Should be a good blast. I’m getting everyone up from the 5 bands I’m in for the last number… a giant jam of superstition. Actually maybe we should start that first as it could take all night!

Interesting. For some reason I’ve always wanted to give them a go but have been put off by the lack of truss rod. After reading this I might get one. Don’t mind a thicker neck as I come from a DB background.

They have a unique tone but, imho, that's due to the pickup design and electronics and not the magic fairy wood used to make the basses from. I once had a Westone Thunder that I put a Wal style pickup on (made in Germany, eight individual coils, two per string) and it sounded like a Wal.

Our last ever gig for the Hendrix/blues band. Just as we have to part ways we’re beginning to really gel. Still, at least we’ve had the opportunity to do it and playing with them has been an amazing experience. We have recorded about 18 songs which will be put out on Spotify in the next week under the name of Move Over Rover. The guitarist is the ghost of Hendrix (I kid you not he was born the day Hendrix died and is steeped in the blues). I’m moving to a different country in a few weeks so the reason for it ending. Although I’m trying to persuade the others to join me! The gig had a small but enthusiastic crowd who are big blues fans. Always good to play to an appreciative audience. I’ve organised an open air music festival (a small affair) for next week, so we might do a few numbers at that, but the temperatures are now 45c and creeping up so it’ll be fairly unpleasant.

Of all the Wal basses I could have bought back in the day, it’s a green single pickup fretless that I wish I’d bought. It was in a small music shop in Hanwell, very west London, and £500. I’m a fan of Wal basses when they’re at that price, but a penny more and they’re not worth it.

And talking of aluminium necks, a Travis Bean would be nice. Saw one for sale recently and couldn’t believe the price!

Maybe one the basses on my wishlist that’s more achievable than some others then.

Awesome! I’m drooling.

Carl Thompson, but mostly because no one would sell once they own one of his basses. Described by one reviewer as the Stradivarius of the bass world.

I think that’s mostly because they’ve all been turned into standard lamps. I remember reading a review on one, they don’t have truss rods so it was only playable under certain atmospheric conditions. So you could only play the gig if it wasn’t too hot or too cold. I’ve always thought about buying one in a lovely purpleheart, standing it in the corner of room and turn it into a bass guitar art lamp.

Kramer aluminium neck. Again a very basic utilitarian look to the bodies but there was something about the necks that made me want one.

SD Curlee basses. Don’t know why but always had a thing for them even if they did look like they’d been hand carved with a rusty pen knife.

Iceni Zoot bass fretless. Had a resin fretboard, absolutely gorgeous. Kind of like the Zon basses but made in Essex I think.

Overwater ‘C’ bass. Played one at a show, if I remember rightly a 36” scale tuned to low C. Another bass I regret not buying when I had the chance.

Ovation Magnum I or II. Love or hate it body shape, unique pickups, as used by Jah Wobble.

The delta metal fretless neck thru as well (rather than the current ‘money saving’ bolt ons). I was at the bass centre in Wapping many moons ago and had one in my hands but instead bought a Warwick, which, while not a bad bass, is not a Vigier. I do regret not buying it and now almost impossible to find.

I don’t about vintage more like something you find in an archeological dig! The copycat is awesome tho!

I had this where after decades of playing I’d reached the end with bass… but not music. I took up drums. Then about ten years later bass entered my life again and I play in bands doing both. so maybe a change of instrument is in order?!

Unlike muting strings there’s a lot of energy and there’s varying degrees of sympathetic buzz. Sometimes a finger on the reso head will be enough but if the bass player hits the right frequency then even holding the snare wires at one end won’t stop it buzzing at the other and the only options are to release the snare tension or put your finger under the snare wires.

I’m a drummer (as well as a bassist) and unwanted snare wire buzz is something that I’m acutely aware of in band situations. For a lot of intros / endings I reach under the snare drum to mute. But also I pay a lot of attention to the tunings of the snare heads as well as the snare tension, particularly when it comes to avoiding this issue. Oh, one thing for your drummer to try, on the snare reso head, try loosening the lugs slightly either side of the snare bed which should help reduce sympathetic buzz.