deepbass5

My only deviation from my top post was when I got a Status electro and i tried every coated string available clear and black nylon, found the clear to have more bite. sold all the also rans with the bass as they were not on for long. And the other exception is My CS 62 fender P bass that has La Bella flats on, which will probably never be changed.

Hi All I'm just changing strings on my basses having not done so since I stopped playing rock n pop back in Dec 2020. But just started again 😁 It got me thinking about how my preferences have changed and how these were influenced often by availability. From memory this is my journey over the last 40 years. would be interesting to hear yours. My first bass was a 77P I bought off John East in 1979. He used Roto sound solo. back then they came with with a separate teardrop brass ball end and you had to cut the single bridge wire to length and thread it back on itself to hold in position. So i stuck with these as long as i could get hold of them, they were pressure wound. and these saw me into the gigging world. These later changed to having conventional ball end as they do today. But also disappeared from sale for a few years. Music shops around the country never kept a great range of bass strings, always every guitar string on the planet and just a handful of bass strings 😠 Then Bass center Elites seemed to be marketed hard and these seem to push out other brands so often it was these or nothing, no internet shopping back then. So i went over to them and was quite happy still into Stainless steel. Then i discovered their ground wound which was similar to the Roto pressure wound if not a little rougher. But like all others manufacturers they seem to have blips in supply and I couldn't always get these. some bass dealing at the Gallery in the 1990's introduced me to GHS strings they also did pressure wound strings. So for some years i ordered through them. As you would never see these or DR out in the Shires. Then at some point I found Status strings on their site, also doing a ground wound string at very reasonable prices and so ran with these for a few years. But alas they too stopped and from looking at Basschat and basses for sale everyone seemed to be using D'Addario so gave these a try and dipped my toe into the world of Nickle wound string. and with exception of a pack of SIT strings I was sent with a cab purchase have been with D'Addario ever since and very happy. Would just like to say I have had a couple of special strings made up for my 32" bass by Newtone strings, really nice and great service. If and when you need something special. That's all Over to you guys.

Ice Ice Baby, may have sold more ice creams 😋

Ireland, must be well up there.

Teddy Bears Picnic here too. But he never stops outside my house always a couple of streets away.

This is who I was watching and going through his videos check him out great diverse stuff from him.

Just been trawling YouTube and this cropped up. what a talent.

Yep 9 hrs of it there, my other fave is this one, reminds me of hot summers by the pool in far off places. https://open.spotify.com/user/billy.esteban?si=83588a75b7ed4b82 23 hrs of good stuff.

https://open.spotify.com/user/j9r03qkjuusqvx4m3som9o6n3?si=280b533db1a04951 Buddha's Lounge

Yep all of the above, apart from IPad. For Rock n roll type stuff, my notes may be just Eb, or the 3 main chords depending on the pattern, for more complex numbers I'll start with an A4 sheet and bass on my lap, find the key, then try and get down the notes of the bass line in rough bar form with repeats and usual Verse /Chorus etc. Once i think i have the song down ill try and simplify and tidy my crib sheet further. Then practice it until its one that I can remember, I may still take my list of prompts to the gig, but hope by then i look at it and think - oh ya its that one. I am terrible at remembering song titles and blank easily on stage, when the singer turns and shouts out a number. I may just need the drummer to start or that guitar intro and Im away, but of course if you are all in on the one, that's no help. I have often played 4 or 8 bars in auto pilot thinking what the hell is this song hoping it will come to me before the chorus. Hence the crib sheet to avoid total humiliation.

What memories, wish i kept my band booking diaries. But the dreaded Bingo ! I have similar recollections of loosing 60% of the punters after Bingo, but they weren't there for the music anyway. Those that stayed wanted to dance. I remember doing a show case at a big club - Bands and comics etc to hopefully get more work as agents had come down to see the acts. We got fed, Ham or cheese roll with side salad on a paper plate. Our two sax players decided to tip their side salad into the raffle drum, as no raffle had taken place so must be last weeks tickets, But no it was the monthly meat draw that night.

I didn't say which way the band was heading when we got the horse box gig. Just look at Glastonbury a few acts there all back on the farm after a glittering career 😆

I have had a think and attached pics of the worse and best changing rooms we had over the years - A muddy horse box in a farm yard at a private event, and the best was the main ball room at the Cafe Royal over looking Regent St. as it was empty and we were playing in the small room next door. No M&M's but we did get Champagne and pistachios.

We used MU contracts but would also have a conditions of contract that went with it stating key points. Just a one side of bullet points will do. As well as electrical issues, If outside, cover to protect band from the elements should be provided, The Band requires hard surface to perform on e.g extended dance floor, or staging We reserve the right to terminate the performance should a guest or guests behavior threaten the safety of the band or equipment. A room is required for the band to change and leave personal belongings, this should be secure dry and well lit, toilets are not acceptable. etc etc. And I haven't mentioned blue M&Ms once yet. 😆

I was the spark in our band so ended up dealing with all the above. But I did make sure we had written into our contracts that all our gear was PAT tested, but we reserve the right not to play should we find a fault on venues ring main circuit, and that the hirer should make sure that the venue is tested, properly earthed and complies with is Electrical supply regulations. You have to give some back or at least cover your donkey. So you still get paid.

you also need to avoid small geny's where frequencies can be out ie not 50 Hz, I would say 5 KVA min. with good instrumentation, and there could be issues stopping running out of fuel etc, a collapsing electrical field on a generator is bad news for electronics. Don't think I have ever been happy playing of a generator. I have always wondered what a center tapped to earth generator does for band gear, you can't test the output polarity etc as it shows as an earth fault on a martindale tester? anyone on here enlighten me.