Dad3353

A '50s drumkit... A more modern kit, with extended range... Daft..? Not with Terry Bozzio behind 'em it ain't..!

All that is fine and dandy, but beside my point. I'd agree with you that spurious jeering is Not Nice, and a Bad Thing; my question was more to do with criticising something (anything, not just this bloke's 'ironing board'...) if one is to hold the premise 'If you've nothing good to say, say nothing'. It's rare (but not unheard of...) for me to offer derogatory comments unless there is mention of 'Comments welcome', or 'What do you think of it..?', in which case I'll give my honest view, whether good or bad. I would rarely shoot down in flames, and usually try to inject a note of humour, or at least attempt some positive council if I can, but I'm not really a 'sugar-coated' person, and, whilst avoiding giving offence for its own sake, think that calling a spade a spade is permissible, and even recommended.

How does that work if one genuinely wishes to criticise..?

I played this to death, back then. Excellent stuff. (I left decades ago ...)

Good evening, DB, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Good evening, WD, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Me too, as usual. Good Stuff again, this month. Well done, all.

The one that represents D'Addario on the forum..? ... No, seriously, try a PM to D'Addario UK (just type it into the message 'To' box and it'll show up...).

And so young, too..!

[Robert Robinson] Ah, but do they perform equally well..? There's the rub..! (taps side of nose knowingly...)[/Robert Robinson]

Then you've anwered correctly. I replied 'No', but was 'talking poop', of course.

A Chinese bike (other Chinese bikes exist...)...

If I was to be pedantic (as if..! ), I'd mention that the question was 'Could you perform your current role...', not 'Could you play it'.

I attended a 'Zappa plays Zappa' concert a few years ago, with Terry Bozzio as guest. Just as he was starting his 'routine', his bass drum batter head split. After a couple of minutes 'kerfuffle', he moved over to the 'house' kit whilst a drum tech changed the head, after which he came back down to his own kit. Apart from extensive use of a whole raft of china crashes around his kit, there was no difference whatever in his playing. I reckon the bloke could have finished his spot with cardboard boxes (or even a Squier bass..! ) if he had to. He's good, is that there Terry Bozzio; very good indeed.

If the question had been about motorbikes, asking if one could ride a Zongshen, I wonder what the reply from Ducati owners would be..?

I use an M-Audio Mini 32 Keystation, but will probably change for an Akai MPK, principally for the better pitch bend/modulation, and for the pads. The Mini 32 is fine as far as mini keyboards go, but lacks these functions for Vst control.(It has bend/mod buttons, but they're not at all easy to use, I find...). Hope this helps.

Teen-age (yes, that long ago..! ), I saw a Hofner Verithin bass hanging on the wall of Mme Nichols' Music Emporium, Hampton Hill. The poor thing had a concave belly (probably caused by water damage more than mere string tension...), was of course completely unplayable, and at a ridiculous price, especially for my meagre apprentice budget of just about zero, (but I did get an affordable Hofner President there later...). Since then, I've always had a penchant for these instruments, and finally travelled to the UK to buy one, from a bloke in Nottingham, a couple of decades ago. Other than the nostalgia effect (which is very strong...) and her matching my other Verithins, my 'style' is rather 'old school' thump, at which she excels with the Trubass black nylon strings fitted. As a bonus, it's difficult to find a lighter, better balanced instrument, which I appreciate more and more with advancing years. As for amps: I play guitar (mostly my Verithin..!) through a Fender Bassman 50w, 2 x 15 cab, which doubled for many years as my bass amp, until I acquired a Hiwatt 200w PA head (DR205...), again, a nostalgia choice, as I used a complete Hiwatt PA rig when playing in the UK. Coupled with an equally weighty cab (HH 2 x 15 Folded Horn...), our bass sound is formidable, at any and all volume levels (we don't play 'loud', but we certainly could..!). I have other rigs (Hartke, Ampeg...) and other basses (Cort, 6-string fretless, baritone...), but my Verithin bass and Hiwatt rig are now part of my DNA.

Does that include double bass or EUB, then..? I just found the 'talking poop' comment to be just a touch emphatic. I suppose that a bassoon player could play his/her lines on a Squier bass, and even a triangle percussionist could get a 'Ting..!' from one, somehow, but that wasn't really the spirit of the OP, I think. Never mind; it's only hypothetical anyway.

Really..?

Well, no, actually..! At that time I was completely unaware that 'stuff' even existed..! Sheltered childhood..? One could say so. Later on, I came into contact with dealings of the sort, but I never let it go to my head. Well, not much, at any rate. Not as much as some of my chums (and family, as it happens...). A couple of visits to mates being held for their own safety, too many deaths for various reasons related to such, a nephew born handicapped... It puts one off rather quickly, I found. Staid..? Yup. Fuddy-duddy..? Rather. Anarchist, so others have to take their own responsibility; I won't condemn, but it's not something I'd recommend to anyone, neither at the time nor in hindsight. T'was a splendid week-end, anyway, with no need of artificial aid.

The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, 1968. Double headline acts: The Doors and Jefferson Airplane. 8 in the evening until 8 the next morning, two nights in a row. The Doors, then JA, then JA, followed by The Doors. Reverse order the second evening. Interludes from Terry Reid and Blossom Toes. I spent most of the evening with a French girl on my lap, but didn't even think to get her name. I walked home from there to Bedfont (twenty-odd miles or so...). My feet didn't touch the ground. Brilliant show; lights 'n all. Happy Daze.

Not a chance. Why..? ... I play drums.

... but they're not the best ones.

Back in my 'variety band' days, we went to see a buddy playing locally (for once...). He held down a day job and played bass at week-ends. That night, towards the end of the evening (remember... five-hour sets of dance music...) his forehead was resting against a cross-beam of the marquee (he was a tall bloke...) and he was to all intents and purposes asleep, still playing..! Never seen that before nor since..!