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Everything posted by Happy Jack
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It's horses for courses, Lee. What sort of music do you play? What sort of venues do you gig in? How loud is your band? I can offer advice on very lightweight kit for use in wine bars, and I can offer advice on very lightweight kit for use in the O2. It won't be the same advice. 😉
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I hardly ever buy either bricks or mortar.
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10 things I’ve learned in my first 6 months learning DB
Happy Jack replied to Richard Jinman's topic in EUB and Double Bass
Absolutely this ^. I can't be doing with any nonsense about 'real players' who 'just know' where to place their fingers. Just because such people may exist doesn't mean that I must copy them. If I thought like that then (God help us all, will no one think of the children?) I'd have to learn to slap, tap and sweep and my bass would become just another novelty act. Incidentally, I suspect there are far fewer of these people than most believe. Visiting one of the country's top DB luthiers to get some work done on a bass, I noticed the orchestral DBs arrayed in a row waiting for set-ups and other maintenance. Most had delicate pencil marks where I use Tippex, but the idea was the same ... if your initial note is close enough to what you wanted then you can get away with it. Most of the time. -
Retraining as a tenor instead of a baritone? I've been a baritone for the last 50 years and I had no idea that was an option. 🦄
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10 things I’ve learned in my first 6 months learning DB
Happy Jack replied to Richard Jinman's topic in EUB and Double Bass
And you have to hear feedback (and deal with it) before the audience does. 😂 -
10 things I’ve learned in my first 6 months learning DB
Happy Jack replied to Richard Jinman's topic in EUB and Double Bass
The blisters do go away. Trust me. Back & neck ache can be dealt with (while playing) by some simple relaxation techniques, including things as easy as taking occasional very deep breaths. Hand cramps? Now that's a whole nother thang. -
I hope you were warned about English humour ...
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What so few people realise is that the Bass Of Doom only worked properly when connected to the Amp Of Doom using the appropriate Cable Of Doom. Not sure what the position is regarding the Electricity Of Doom.
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XR18ists - an idiots guide to effects?
Happy Jack replied to Jakester's topic in Accessories and Misc
As far as I'm concerned, Midi was a fashionable dress length when I was a young man. -
Power Amps? The what the wherefore and why?
Happy Jack replied to FarFromTheTrees's topic in Amps and Cabs
Shallow. -
Best gigbag-friendly mini amp as backup in case of main amp issues
Happy Jack replied to Clarky's topic in Amps and Cabs
If you want this to be a backup for an OTB 500 (which I've had, twice) then the MB200 (which I've had) won't cut it - far too 'clean'. The Trace Elf 200 (which is my current backup) is a very good fit with an OTB 500. I haven't owned any of the other choices in your poll, so can't comment on their suitability. -
XR18ists - an idiots guide to effects?
Happy Jack replied to Jakester's topic in Accessories and Misc
Thanks @Jakester, I was literally just about to start researching this! My band gets its vocal effects from TC-Harmonic pedals (Mic Mechanic, Duplicator, etc.) and this works just fine until someone forgets to bring the bloody pedal board to the gig. I need to know how to replace those pedals in an emergency by using the on-board sims. -
Insufficiently rock'n'roll. Use https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/adhesives-and-sealants/cloth-tapes/1900-utility-silver-polyethylene-duct-tape-50mm-x-50m/p/ZT1013432X?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=pla%2B|%2BAdhesives %26 Sealants&utm_term=ZT1013432X&utm_medium=pla_css_2&targetid=pla-397909953972&loc_physical_ms=9045963&dev=c&gclid=CjwKCAjwyryUBhBSEiwAGN5OCD66EvkUkHIUZldh-tqb6htSiJXJDC_K_KTlPo6EirEXLCyq1gYmsBoCg2UQAvD_BwE
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I joined a rockabilly band (my first) at 61 and tried to do the whole slap thang. I soon realised what a faff it is, how many different places start to develop cramp, and (worst of all) that if your band has a drummer then no one can actually hear your slap anyway - all they hear is the snare. Four years later, I've learned how to fake it. To the uninitiated (i.e. 99% of the audience) it looks a lot like I'm slapping, and since the audience tends to listen with their eyes they're happy. Band leader Damo is a purist and he hates the way I play, but seeing as @Silvia Bluejay and I get all the gigs and supply almost all of the band's kit he's had to lump it. 😂 If I could play like @PaulKing then believe me, I would. Sadly, that's not an option and it's way too late for me to be learning.
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Is this an upright fingerboard on a bass guitar?
Happy Jack replied to NikNik's topic in Bass Guitars
And who amongst us can say with complete honesty that they have never wanted to try bowing a Precision? 😂 -
Poles Apart - 5 strings using 4 string pickups
Happy Jack replied to SamIAm's topic in Repairs and Technical
My guess is that putting the two halves of the split humbucker further apart than usual would probably be enough to do the job. In fact, if I was doing this I'd be very tempted to put the two halves side by side instead of overlapping. I never really saw the logic in having them offset in classic Leo stylee, and some of the nicest sounding basses I've played have actually had reverse-P configurations. -
Small battery powered amp to take on holiday
Happy Jack replied to Buddster's topic in Amps and Cabs
We call that 'The Toaster'. Surprisingly effective little things - hadn't occurred to me to try playing bass through one, mind. -
c.1880 German 3/4 flatback - *SOLD*
Happy Jack replied to Clarky's topic in EUBs & Double Basses For Sale
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Normally when you buy a DB there's a chance that it will come with strings attached. Well @Clarky bought the strings from me (as he threatened) but they came with a DB attached. Think of it as Peak Basschat ...
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And of course @Silvia Bluejay has just pointed out that the 13,897 posts doesn't include those in Off Topic. There went my maths ...
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Does "heft" matter if your gigs are usually PA assisted?
Happy Jack replied to Clarky's topic in Amps and Cabs
Not sure that the type of amp your guitarists use matters nearly as much as their volume. Wily Bo doesn't bring a full Marshall stack to these club gigs, does he? -
'Name of prismic venerable North London music venue?'
Happy Jack replied to yorks5stringer's topic in General Discussion
Is 'prismic' actually a word? Shirley, that should be "prismatic"? -
Just been looking at this. For me, the two drawbacks would be that (1) it seems to work by either email or people logging onto their website, and (2) the website seems to import your Google calendar and contacts. I have no great problem with (1) myself but a number of musos I play with are allergic to actually, y'know, doing stuff. If it isn't presented to them on a WhatsApp plate, then they won't lift a finger. As for (2), I'm really not big on conspiracy theory and the whole "they're spying on me" schtick, but that does seem pretty intrusive and very easily sold on to the spam merchants. Have you any direct experience yet @Rich?