msb
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Everything posted by msb
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Bands are such fragile things , there’s so many things that come into play. And yet when they work it can be so wonderful. I keep sideman status , and my needs are simple. If I see grief on a gig I pass. I simply want to concentrate on the music , without having to deal with a busy mind because I’m not happy about one thing or another. It is possible to meet up with like minded folk that can make great music. I wish you luck finding that.
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The time do fly. I’m relatively new here but I’ve been at it for ages. I do appreciate the regulars that make this forum what it is.
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Wishing you well , Paolo. Sometimes one must take a step back to look after things , I hope your interest in bass will return.
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That’s the reason for it. I’ve been using the effect return channel on a Forte , which works wonderfully , I think this might be a slightly more elegant solution.
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It’s the power amp on the bottom.
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
msb replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
Never had any issues with 34 in basses , but about 25 years ago I picked up a Dano Longhorn. At first I wasn’t keen on the 30 in scale. Sure enough , it was to become a favourite bass , today I have around a dozen short scales. -
Some years ago I came across Jo Chiou’s YouTube channel , here was a complete tone nerd from somewhere in Quebec , comparing various tube preamps. He was also occasionally making and selling preamps , often (as so many are) using the classic B15 preamp for inspiration. He was someone that loved to take things apart and build his versions. We recently became Facebook friends. I mentioned that I had found a Demeter Minnie amp for sale in the US but after the exchange , shipping and duties it was too much. Jon messaged me and said he had built 500 watt amps based on the Minnie , and would I like to have one built … it will be done in mid January. I’m happily using a tube preamp for the front end so this is strictly back end slam. Clean , transparent power. There’s one knob … volume. Funny how things can happen just like that.
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Welcome , as 99 noted , you should feel right at home.
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And after thinking I had everything , I might have already blown next year’s abstinence.
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I’m thinking I should simply sell some stuff , there’s no immediate need for anything more.
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One of the better recent Christmas releases …
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How was Your rehearsal last morning or night ?
msb replied to nilorius's topic in General Discussion
It’s a waste of everybody’s time if someone expects to learn material after arriving at rehearsal. If it’s original material people should still know the changes , or bring charts for alterations. Once you’ve become accustomed to efficient rehearsals it’s a misery to waste time. -
How was Your rehearsal last morning or night ?
msb replied to nilorius's topic in General Discussion
I’ve been in a number that never rehearsed and always changed up material. Tapes , cds, or links were passed around and you were expected to know the song well enough to instantly transpose it to another key. The level of musicianship was usually high , and most everybody did the homework , first live attempts were generally surprisingly good. Those outfits were also prone to pulling out surprise standards on the fly. And as long as one member had the changes everything would be fine. The role of “music director” would usually be decided before the tune started … And after years of that I love a good rehearsal. Being able to stop the song and ask just what is going on when you hear a mixup is a luxury. -
This classic Eddie Floyd classic. Edit … I think of this one as a classic classic.
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The joy of being self employed. It always seemed the larger companies would pay after ninety days. My suppliers demanded payment after thirty days. The few that quickly paid within thirty were very appreciated.
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
msb replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
I wish they’d put on a master volume like their more expensive models. You use that a lot , if it’s there. -
three years is a pretty good run for a cab , I was concerned at first on how they might hold up.
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The Short Scale Bass Appreciation Society!
msb replied to Baloney Balderdash's topic in Bass Guitars
I’m tempted , but I doubt they’d ship to Canada. -
Back in the new dive last night , parking can be a misery in the downtown core , found a spot right in front of the bar. It was a Christmas miracle. Numbers were slightly down , but a good crowd , some wonderful regulars up to play. Good night. Just two bassists to sit in. The new room was sounding really nice. Not too loud , place was grooving. Usual rig , Bergantino 112 , Monique preamp into the effect return of a Bergantino Forte V1. Big orange hollow body Gretsch bass , Dano Longhorn as a backup (not played last night). Black leather Chuck Taylors. ( winter slippers)
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Our local L&M had a V4B for $860 Cdn.
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Welcome!
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I gig every weekend , but spend far more time with practice amps than my gig gear. I keep them separate. So I’ve acquired a bunch of heads in the 200-500 watt range for home use. I’m sure they would cover most gigs I do , but I have just used them for practice. My practice volume is not loud , but I’ve always felt the only way to develop your tone is to plug in and hear it. Probably my favourite practice head is a Darkglass e500. It’s a digital head that runs software containing about two dozen pedals and effects , and forty something cab sims. The software is fairly intuitive , it’s easy to create presets. You can make the amp do almost anything. We also care for my 99 year old mother-in-law , so I have a little practice nook set up in her house too.
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There are quite a number of Ampeg inspired preamps out there , Broughton in Toronto make several. Arkham in Southern Maine have made some beauties , and amps too. In Quebec there’s Jo Chiou , but he’s stopped manufacturing for the time being. He’s got a great YouTube channel for tone nerds. Some of Jo’s creations are out there , but are difficult to find. The Noble DI pre , was inspired by that tone too. I don’t know how big Broughton is , but the rest are simple one man shops that have found a worldwide audience. I find that inspiring. I think Jule’s Monique is the queen of them all though. There is something about that tone. Now I have various Class D heads that try and emulate that tube thing. And they are good sounding gear. GenzBenz , Darkglass , Aguilar , GK , I’ll just dial in a touch of the drive but they do not do what Monique does.
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I have the birdcage version of Monique. When I bought it , I mentioned one was on the way (in another forum) and Jule contacted me to say he wasn’t aware of my order but he would make it right. I immediately told him I had bought a used one , he told me I could have kept him going for a week or two. I’ve since had several keyboard contacts with Jule , and he seems to be a wonderful character. I like him. Monique is truly a thing of beauty. I was running a Bergantino Forte amp , something that’s renowned for having clean transparent power , it’s a good back end for Monique. I use the effect return channel rather than the regular input to bypass the Forte pre and tone stack. Monique gives me that tube warmth and saturation , and there is magic in the sensitivity knob. Yes indeed. I want a rich old school thump , with warmth , and some serious slam. I want things to feel deep. I love what Monique does. I am a believer. Paid more than I wanted to , and today have no regrets whatsoever. Knowing what I know today I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
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Is your volume maxed out at gigs? If it is you might look at more power. So if you still have some headroom I wouldn’t worry about changing things , unless you really want to try out another amp. I have modular mixed cabs that were designed to be used together , but most gigs only require a single cab. Generally have a ton of headroom.
