bassace

[quote name='4ropebottom' timestamp='1355849960' post='1903651'] Thanks Fatback. So, with a preamp/mixer you can plug a mic into most any amp? [/quote] Not quite any amp perhaps. Just to wind this thread back a bit and apologies for hijacking the string height discussion. I really feel that if you are going to rely on your backline for a largish/loudish gig, then a piezo or an Ehrlund is probably the answer. But for a smaller gig where the rest of the group can keep their volume within comfortable limits then a properly set up mic combination will give a rewarding sound - the 'my bass only louder' sound. For this the Doubler or a twin channel Clarus would be ideal especially if you want to blend in just a little piezo to tighten things up a bit. Both amps offer a phantom power facility which a condenser mic, such as a DPA 4099 would need. But IMO, a really good piece of kit to put in the chain would be an ARTTUBE MP preamp. Not much more than 30 quid it can do phantom power - so you could then have a wider choice of amps - phase reverse, and it seems to make a nice warm sound with workable feedback threshold. I prefer it to the Headway and it offers good VFM. Finally, don't look any bigger than a 10" cab. All my opinions, of course.

[quote name='Jon B' timestamp='1355513503' post='1899564'] I did a gig once where during the soundcheck the lead guitarist had a shocking experiance.... it seemed he had a habbit of "unplugging" his amp by yanking the power lead to release the plug !! so after as it turns out one "yank" too many, hes happily playing during the soundcheck, when he goes to touch his mic, now with the plugs earth wire " yanked " round to meet the live, his strings now flowing with 240volts upon touching his mic he earths himself... resulting in him being thrown backwards through the drumkit and hitting the back wall... Gig cancelled / re-scheduled, and ambulance to pick the idiot up [/quote] The Man who Failed to Earth, perhaps?

From the posts here and other forums I think the answer is that we probably do over-obsess about our bass sound. Probably no bad thing to seek improvement in our sound. Trouble is we are used to hearing well-recorded basses, with an expensive mic, in no-compromise studio conditions. So we hear Ray Brown and get frustrated that we can't emulate his sound. Of course he doesn't get that sound from technical gizmos alone; he has a phenomenal right hand technique, and the same goes for so many other pro players past and present - (edit, for Ray, read had for has). The old question was 'why can't I sound like Ray Brown?' to which the answer was 'because you aren't Ray Brown!' And then we come to our own basses; some are expensive fine instruments and some are perhaps a bit more basic. But we have the same problem - a bass should be heard at least 30ft away. Up close it's not quite so good. Perhaps our basses sound better than we think they do but perhaps we'll never know. Amplification's a different thing and that's where things get a bit ragged. Playing in a piano bass drums trio is a small-ish room can be quite satisfying, whether we use a mic or a piezo at low level - and a piezo can be made to sound acceptable. But when the bass is played in a bigger hall with a larger louder band that's when the 'real' sound of the double bass will be impossible to hear. But the sound will be an 'amplified double bass' and we'll just have to accept that compromise. I think a good New Year resolution will be to stop obsessing about sound and concentrate on improving our technique.

I'd like to be alongside the hihat but as I'm a double bass player I have to be stage right, looking into the band, otherwise if it's stage left I'm looking out of the band into a sidewall or curtain and that doesn't aid concentration. I suppose it's not so important for BG players - or is it?

From time to time I turn up at a 'big' gig and am confronted with a great wall of PA including subs and my heart sinks. I ask the sound man to amp my middle and top and go very easy on the bottom, leaving most of it to my own back line, and nothing through the monitors, and generally it works out fine. I saw (heard) Danny Thompson at Cornbury Festival back in the summer and his sound was absolutely awful, the curse of the sound man.

OBBM

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1354459199' post='1886132'] If I attend, I plan to make my entrance with double bass in hand on a zip wire [/quote] No change there then.

I've been exchanging a couple of PMs with gypsyjazzer this morning during which I expressed a few reservations re the DPA. I used mine on a gig a couple of weeks ago, going straight into a Clarus while I put an Underwood through the second channel just to tighten things up. I finished up using just the Underwood because I couldn't get a sensible volume out of the DPA before feedback. NB, the Clarus has phantom power and a notch filter so should be OK. I've just been up to my bass room where the Upton is standing side by side with a Super Flightcase, 4" separating the two. I put the DPA on and stuck an ART Tube MP in the chain. I can get quite high levels of vol before any feedback by juggling with the ART's input and output controls and phase reverse. This is quite impressive when you consider the proximity of bass to amp. Thomann's prices are ART Tube £30.78 and Headway £178.16 so the ART is worth a punt if you're considering using a DPA.

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1353670232' post='1877149'] Mrs Rev has a dressing room where all her shoes and most of the handbags live. It's also where I throw the stacks of scrap paper, old reciepts and junk mail that she likes to collect. I. in turn have a room where my basses, Hi Fi and Cds live. If she wants to go in there she has to make a formal application two weeks in advance, fully stating her requirements and intentions for going into my room. [/quote] How very sensible.

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1353350214' post='1874115'] Grand total (incl 2 each for TPJ and Fatback) - 17 jack clamps, 1 XLR clamp, 1 locking socket/clamp Think I'd better call it quits at that or I will run out of carrying capacity! [/quote] Transit!

My commiserations. I broke my ulna (two inches away from the wrist) a year ago and had a plate and six screws. Took me a few weeks to get rotation back but be patient, it gets better.

I have developed the Bassace range of clamps (yes, really) but because my photo attachment skills are rubbish I have a customer base of one - me! I've had one of Jonas's clamps through my hands at one time and it was very good indeed.

Will you be taking a Transit, Clarky?

In the double bass sense, with today's players so into Simandl and Rabath you could say that many of the old school payers' technique wasn't quite up to snuff - but they sure were great players. Re bass guitars, well I don't see or study too many examples but I am seriously bothered by Dave Swift's playing. That awful thud he gets from using right hand thumb. Sorry, doesn't do it for me at all. The drummer's not much cop either IMO. But what do I know.

[quote name='RichF' timestamp='1352932522' post='1869625'] very sorry if this has been posted before - dear god, magic. [media]http://youtu.be/kcMWov0_TAE[/media] [/quote] Thanks for posting, it's great. Incidentally, if you open the clip in YouTube and look at the selections on the right hand side there is a great Bill Evans Jazz 625 from 1962. It shows not only what great jazz programmes we used to have on British TV, what a good young(ish) presenter Humph was but also how well Chuck Israels picked up the baton from the recently deceased Scott LaFaro. It was during Bill Evans's '62 visit to UK that a pianist friend of mine wrote to him at Scotts and asked for help with the chords of Waltz for Debby. Bill scribbled them down on a piece of paper and put them in the post, with a friendly letter.

[quote name='mtroun' timestamp='1352629373' post='1865236'] I believe Mark Knopfler's URB man is Dudley Phillips, a very nice guy and terrific player! I used to have lessons with him at the Welsh College. I've played double bass through an SVT and 810 and quite liked the sound, very rich and smooth down to the low end. I guess the main reason double bass players aren't often seen with stacks of speakers is the overkill factor on most gigs. [/quote] Glenn Worf is touring with him at the moment.

Yes, lots of trombone parts. Getting out recommended.

Well done, Nige, an uplifting thread for the weekend. So pleased you're happy with the band; I've heard some clips, Clarky's as well, and you have every good reason to be pleased with the performances. I'm a bit happy too. For years I've been a cynical old freelance bassist doing good gigs in UK and Europe and playing with good semi-pro bands and having a good time - mostly. A couple of years ago I was approached for help by a couple who live in the same village as me; he on violin and she on guitar. We formed a trio doing jazzy/folky stuff from Django to Coltrane and called ourselves Fiddlebop. We then took on another guitarist and after a few low-key gigs here and there we're starting to snowball with a gig in a Kings Road restaurant up coming, plus a lot of other stuff as well. It's fun to have started off from the ground floor, as it were, and see it all happening at last. I still do all the other stuff but Fiddlebop puts a spring in my step.

Great stuff, Paul. I've been carting my bass round the freelance scene for the last 50 years and work with about 15 bands each year. I've got four gigs just next week and the phone still rings after all this time. Each call gives me a buzz and I never ask about the money because the gig comes first and I know I'll get the best wedge that the fixer can afford. There's an interesting and lively topic going on in this forum about reading. I couldn't do the work I do without being able to read off charts - I don't mean tabs - I'm amazed that folks hold them in such high regard. I'm used to a front man passing me back a (sometimes) scruffy piece of paper with some hastily written chords and I make the best of those. Oh, and big ears and a love of good tunes. As you say, what a pleasure.

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1351763262' post='1854979'] This is a big problem with upright bass if you don't practice regularly, along with losing calluses on finger tips [/quote] How right you are, Clarky. I've been off gigs for four weeks due to illness. I had my first one last night after not much playing in the meantime. I'm now looking at two large purple blisters 8mm dia. I now feel like a complete novice. If only I had done a bit of regular woodshedding in the meantime.

[quote name='Fitz666' timestamp='1351249721' post='1849200'] I really enjoy GD but am getting a tad fed up of the ecomentalist types, I want to see some originality and proper design, not fecking straw and recycled bottles..... [/quote] Too right.

The latest Grand Designs is rather good. Two completely daft wacky projects costing millions. Nice bit of escapist stuff for the coming winter. Hopefully no more barn conversions for a while. Anyone else a GD fan?

As an upright player I found this all very entertaining, so well done guys. As someone who went up to London in '62 to buy a Fender Jazz for less than £100 and came away with an EBO, I don't deserve to have a BG opinion so I'll refrain.