bassace

We were playing at the Flamingo Ballroom, Redruth in the sixties as a trad band (hated the stuff) and the owner told us that Georgie Fame was staying in the adjoining motel. While we were setting up he came over for a chat and before we knew it we were playing Dat Dere on piano (him) bass (me) and alto sax - I told you we hated trad. A great jam and a thoroughly nice bloke. I later booked him and the Blue Flames for a gig in Cheltenham for £35 - from London! But that was long ago and far away. Jerry Lee Lewis Played in Reading once. We also played with and shared a dressing room with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. My brother supported the Stones and they used his (home-built) PA And lots of others.

Cm

I have a short length of welding wire turned up into a hook at one end. It always travels in my wire bag in case I need to change a string in a hurry.

I use a Fishman Pro eq (not the Plat). Seems to work very well with an Underwood. I can also use it without but back off the treble and upper mid to 9 o'clock and contour off.

A 22 seems to be a very good bet. A lot of pro's like a hybrid (carved top and lami back) because they amp so well. One's next on my wish list but due to a lot of expenses lately and my broken arm keeping me out of gigs for three months I'm a bit boracic at the moment. Artisan, not true that lami is preferable to carved but a hybrid is a nice option.

Jazz: From Louis to Miles with a bit of Gypsy thrown in.

It's crazy!

My MB200 is great - Keith's advice again!

I use my Fishman or Fdeck on every gig as a matter of course. Strange thing is I had a DB mate come to see me in the week to play with some of the toys and in my room we almost came to the conclusion that the amps sounded OK without a preamp on the front. But I know that when I set up for a gig it'll be an entirely different story. Bigger room, more volume, boomy stage - all that stuff.

PMT in Oxford are friendly, helpful and efficient. No complaints although I haven't used on-line.

Not sure where MM will be playing. I went to see Dave Holland in the Town Hall two years ago and although the venue was sold out the sound was great and the bass came over very well in such a large venue. There seems to be quite a Cheltenham connection on BC. I was there for three years in the sixties, loved the place and played with the Ramrods for a while. They're still going today. Wonder if they've still got those old (and very valuable) Fenders.

It's a rare pleasure to play in a big band (by that I'm assuming 14plus) because these days it's just not economical to run one professionally. They are about, though, because guys who otherwise play in smaller bands get a great buzz out of it. And it really hones your reading skills, which you should have even at an elementary level. I played in one some time ago run by a session musician who got some of Buddy Rich's original charts. One had a time sig Orgasmo Furioso -when asked what it meant the guy said 'go like f**k! To answer your question, I've seen big bands playing whose bass player - upright or BG, doesn't matter -while playing all the right notes just doesn't put any drive into the band. Your job as the bassist is to push the band forward; you are the engine room. If you're in any doubt about this listen to BB recordings, particularly 'The Atomic Mr Basie'. And enjoy!

Compared to a DB playing an EUB is like kissing your sister!

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1326282621' post='1494817'] I did a business studies course too at age 17-19 (day release). Bored me senseless (I literally slept though some of it). [/quote] Real management potential there then.

[quote name='Thurbs' timestamp='1326275446' post='1494674'] I giged with the DB after a few weeks of ownership. In some ways you can get away with much more and it just looks and sounds better than a BG. On the other hand it is all to easy to lose intonation, [b][i]especially if you are playing quickly in tricky keys.[/i][/b] [/quote] Nobody told me I had to do that.

Yes, good article and very good comments to follow. Not sure whether I agree fully with the supposition but certainly thought-provoking. Most of the old leaders had good management, some of it related to the Mob, and perhaps that's where the real entrepreneurship came in. Having taken a qualification in management - sorry 'bout that - is the recognition of the management style continuum. By that I mean that all managers lead their team in their own individual style. On one end of the continuum is the dictator who leads his team absolutely and takes no comment, input or contribution from his team; he tells them what to do. At the other end is the passive manager whose team practically manage and dictate to him. Both are extreme examples although they exist! The fun is in between these far out styles, more towards the center where right of centre the manager is in control with a lot of input from his team and left of centre the team members have the majority of ideas and input into the outfit. And so it is with band leaders and perhaps it is more relevant to consider this rather that the entrepreneur thing. It's not only jazz but applies to all forms of music making and perhaps bcers will recognise where the centre of gravity lies in their outfits.

It looks quite interesting with those hat-peg tuners. Could have quite a bit of history. As Jake says, anything up to £1000 would be OK.

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1326204247' post='1493730'] [u]Note to beginner players or about to start gigging for the first time[/u] - Don't have multiple change over of instruments during a gig unless you are paying what you earn from the evening to your own personal guitar tech to hand you a freshly tuned instrument just thw way you like it so you are ready to go within 10secs. If you can't afford a guitar tech to do that for you (most bands don't) and think that you can get away with playing a different guitar for each song like the Edge did at Glastonbury last year...don't bother! The time you waste will only p*ss off your audience and you don't want your singer telling more crappy jokes and winding up the audience even more whilst patiently waiting for you to sort your sh*t out. Take only what you need and be sensible. You can probably tell I am a tad touchy about this topic! [/quote] WooHoo! I haven't played slab for the past thirty years but that makes an awful lot of sense.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1325784427' post='1487682'] Actually, that is where the word 'gig' originally comes from - it was originally slang for a paying job rather than specifically a concert / performance [/quote] Dead right, Pete. It hacks me off the way people use the word gig for a concert or a performance. The Royal Correspondent's use of the word was not inappropriate. Gig came from the time when most musicians were freelance and Jewish. Having got an engagement the musician would say 'God is good'. Hence Gig.

Yes, I tend to drool a bit on gigs. Also, when I'm doing intensive practice I don't clench my teeth but finish up with a sore throat. Strange instrument, the bass!

I played my DB a while ago through a Superflightcase. As I had an outboard preamp to impedance match the piezo pickup I naturally(?) put the signal on active setting. Sound was so-so (I knew the stage was 'difficult') so I switched to passive with the gain set high. Sound much improved with a nice clear middle. Knocked the compressor out and I had the best sound possible. So pleased that I went and got a smaller Flightcase for easier load-in on smaller gigs.

Yes, Happy New Year to all you guys on the forum. No one year is all bad but I hope 2012 will bring some joy. I hope to be playing soon again after my broken arm - that's what I hope for more than anything. And we lost our 'senior' dog on Dec 27th aged 15. The junior one is pining so we have a three year old rescue Pointer lined up to keep him company. Later in the year I have a helicopter flight over the Olympic site and then of course the games themselves. Oh, and a bit of GAS perhaps? So lots to look forward to. Any resolutions out there?