bassace

That's all the physical stuff taken care of. And those of us of a certain age definitely benefit from the brain exercises from the concentration that playing, and particularly reading, requires. I'm sure it's doing me good, although time will tell.

MM was the paper the musicians read back then; NME was a bit pants. I bought an EBO from an ad in the back in '64, not sure whether it was from Pan tho. Incidentally the fragrant Mrs B and I celebrated our 50th two weeks ago so we have good reason to remember 1967. I remember I had to make an effort at 'being married' so I retired from playing, only to quietly slide back into music some 20 years later.

In my little black book where I record these things I see that, during my long stint as a double bass botherer, I have played with round about 60 different drummers. A few have been a bit dire, the great majority have been great to play with and some have been nothing short of inspirational. A bell curve if you will. I don't like a drummer who's heavy on the kick drum anymore than I do a keyboard player who is down the bottom of the scale a lot. But my preference is always to play with a drummer, he can provide the forward direction while I can surf the pulse above him. A good piano bass drum rhythm section always makes me smile. But I am finding these days that a lot of my work is without drums, due to tightened economics or the need for a smaller, quieter group. I'm happy enough to do it but a different technique on the bass is needed; I have a greater responsibility for keeping time so my playing has to be that much more rigid. And I can't do it all on my own, I need the guitar and/keys to help out with the rhythm and they don't always 'get' this. Remember, it's the drums that make you tap your feet but the bass that makes you swing your hips.

I dep a lot. Same.

I use a Koenig and Meyer stool from Thomann. It's got a very comfortable seat and has an optional backrest. I don't use this because it's just another item of metal rattling around in the motor. https://www.thomann.de/gb/km_stehhilfe_14045.htm

Is that important or impotent? Just asking.

Bloody disgraceful. I feel your pain. I had a new Upton double bass from Boston, completely undamaged. Yet these clowns can't manage 400 miles.

I've had a new tune thrown at me with the pianist saying 'plays itself' and generally you can see which way the chords go. When I started I played in a jazz quintet that was reasonably well organised. Often when playing a a club for dancers the two tenors at the front would segue through a series of standards and while one was playing the other one would hand me a handwritten book of chords, open at the next tune. I learnt most of my standards that way. I still get the odd one come up that I've never heard before and most often it's a great discovery.

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1487933910' post='3244257'] . . . . just poor choices! The last time I told this story Bilbo nearly threw his Zimmerframe across the room! I was asked to do some gigs with a Jazz piano trio. I said OK, knowing I didn't know any Jazz tunes. hey it was a paying gig. One piece of advice I was given a few years before worked a treat. [i]Never hit the same note twice in a row. If you do you've made a pattern and it can be right or more likley, wrong. Use different notes and you're either playing the right note, a harmony or a passing note[/i]. I guess this is ancient dance band philosophy and it's pretty close to Victor Wootens, [i]You're only a semi tone away from the right note[/i], but it worked for me. Turned the volume down, bass full up and set up on the other side of the drums and no one noticed. I did that gig for about 4 months. [/quote] Yes, there are still a few bass players around like you, doing jazz gigs. Unfortunately.

Phil Jones Earbox?

This will no doubt horrify some purists but I keep a stock of thin wooden pieces from a French cheese box. I use them to shim bridges and pickups. You won't need any glue, the pressure of the bridge will hold the shim down and it will take up the curvature of the table.

[quote name='disssa' timestamp='1487100939' post='3237151'] I play a rig with a poweramp:[color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [/size][/font][/color] [color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/preamps/trace-elliot-v-type-preamp/"]Trace Elliot V-Type Pre[/url][/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] TC Electronics Triple C[/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] Synq 2k2 Power Amp[/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/preamps/ampeg-svt-iip/"]Ampeg SVT-IIP[/url][/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/amps/swr-amplite/"]SWR Amplite[/url][/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/preamps/swr-interstellar-overdrive/"]SWR Interstellar Overdrive[/url][/size][/font][/color][color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/preamps/fender-tbp-1/"]Fender TBP-1[/url][/size][/font][/color] [color=#191919][font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif][size=4] I own a lot of [url="https://www.disssa.de/reviews/preamps/"]preamps[/url] and I like to combine the preamps with a synq audio 2k2 as a poweramp.[/size][/font][/color] [/quote] As someone once said to me 'that's a lot of knobs for a bass player'

Count Basie on double bass. But would I have a good amp back then?

And me.

I'm also using a Barefaced OneTen with my double bass. I should think it's virtually unbreakable within DB volumes and very light to transport. The sound is solid but a bit dark, not very nuanced. I have to keep it off the floor to get an ok sound. So I use it a lot for an old school sound. But I've got a BF Super Midget on order and am looking forward to a slightly more middy tone which can be sent to the tweeter or the main cone by a control on thecab. It'll be interesting because it's not a cheap cab and I was hoping to be a bit GAS free in 2017 - some start!

I had an NS once and found it very uninvolving. I've got a Kolstein Travel Bass, ex Dave Swift. It's quite 'acoustic' but very expensive. I love it. I haven't gigged a Yamaha Silent Bass outside of a Bass Bash but I know they are well liked.

I arranged to take Mrs B out to dinner a few weeks ago. Two days before an offer of a dep came through at a major jazz festival with a very good band. I took the Mrs out. I'm no fool.

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485162548' post='3221545'] Heinz was bass player for the Tornadoes (Telstar). I believe and Joe Meek groomed him to be a teen heart throb and he had a hit with an Eddie Cochran tribute song 'Just Like Eddie'. He continued to tour the working mens clubs and I'm sure I heard he had a stint as a bus driver too. Looking him up it appears he passed away from motor neurone disease at the age of 57. [/quote] We played support to the Tornadoes at Cheltenham Town Hall in 1965. Heinz was there, as was the legend that is Clem Cattini.

Yes, Pete. Our 'fame' as a band that does some charity gigs is spreading and we are getting requests from further and wider. Hmm.

We do quite a few freebies for charity but only where there is a direct connection with the charity. So no working for 'organisers' or any other middle people. Selling tickets? C'mon!

Love is in the Air