knirirr

This seems to happen to me often - when I want something it's hard to find and expensive, but if I no longer need it then the bottom's fallen out of the market. There are some non-musical items I'd sell right now but there are few people interested and they'll only offer half what I paid (used), which at the time were in line with typical dealers' prices.

I'm not a fan of haggling at all. Ebay's offers seems a little less bad and I've used that, but sometimes when I've listed something with offers I've received cheeky messages from "buyers" complaining that their silly low offers have been rejected.

I'm listening to this album right now. Somehow, I got an email from a percussionist who'd heard me at a dep gig in a pub and is looking for someone to play Cuban music. The first track has an appropriate bassline, and turns out to be rather nice.

Last night's jam involved too many gypsy jazz guitarists some of whom were, I think, trying to wind me up. Unfortunately I don't think they'd easily find another bassist so I feel obliged to keep attending.

Thanks! Yes, I think you might be right about the first tune. It sounded appropriate to us when playing. I'll have another listen and will think on it.

Here's a demo tape created by a band I currently play with: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/av3w44msyi8c220m1qhfa/speak-no-evil-demo.mp3?rlkey=k5x0fkx1js92746hxyqckoenf&dl=0 This is approx. 10 minutes of samples from a 2 hour rehearsal. Unfortunately, when we recorded it we were all exhausted after work and I think it shows in the slow tempos and lack of energy.

It was a salsa class, and I took that photo during the practice session before the band started playing. Not that I would consider myself qualified to comment on dancing...

With apologies for two posts in a row, I thought I'd mention today's gig at the Ramsden fete. The music went very well - lots of children dancing to it and people hanging around to listen past official chucking out time, until the electricity was cut off half way through our last number. I somehow left my amp's kettle lead behind as well and had to scrounge one; my bass's acoustic volume was not enough for the drummer.

Last night's gig (and the "open rehearsal" the night before) weren't too bad. We got a reasonable number of dancers in, and the rhythm section (bass, drums, tres, percussion) kept good time despite some soloists' attempts to shake the foundations on occasion. First time I've gigged with a fretted bass, which was strange. The venue was here. I've not been since before they revamped it to add a bar; it's a rather nice performance space now.

I have a PhD (though we insist on calling it a DPhil here) in virology. The pianist I usually play with is a professor of atmospheric physics. I used to play with a different pianist who was in laser physics.

Probably dating from around 1987-88 I have a Grainger and Campbell practice chanter looking like this one. Also, a set of their army regulation pattern pipes dating from a year or so later. Unfortunately, playing these instruments isn't really possible at present. If I ever do get the chance again I might try a bit of jazz.

As I mentioned here, the pros weren't able to turn up for their usual jam session so it ended up with my band depping as the house band. This turned out quite well; there was a chap in the audience who organises music at local beer festivals and he seemed to like it. We played Spain at the end and I think we got away with it. Once again, the TC Electronics BAM200 appeared to give good service - perhaps I won't need my Orange Terror any more (which I didn't even bring).

Twice now in the same pub a mother with small children has wandered up to the jazz jam area and said something along the following to her children: "Do you know what that instrument is? It's a guitar! How about that one? It's a trombone! And what about that? It's a cello!"

One drummer I play with prefers to be on the side with bass in the middle, if possible, which presumably gets a bit more notice for me: Mostly, though, it's drummer in the middle with bass to their left and keyboard/guitar to the right, horns in front.

It was an Orange OBC112. I have a jam on Sunday and a rehearsal with a different band (and bass) on Monday. I'll have to see if it still holds up after both of those.

We got through a lot of material last night, in preparation for both a recent gig offer and the surprise need for me and our horn player to replace the pros (who have presumably been offered money to be elsewhere) at a jam coming up on Sunday. It was also a chance to try out a new head, a TC Electronics BAM200. Everyone appeared to think that this sounded better than my Orange Terror so the latter might go up for sale (not that anyone will buy it ;-).

Short answer: No. Long answer: My school offered both music "theory" (how to read music, compulsory from 11-13) and classical instrumental lessons. I was encouraged to make use of these and wanted to, and although I was a bit bored by classical music I didn't hate it so I tried both violin and piano to start with, and, eventually, the highland bagpipe. It was not until I went to university that I found music I actually liked and also managed to save up for an electric guitar (anathema at school). I've not continued with violin or piano and gentlemanly conduct requires that I refrain from piping. Reading music was a useful skill to learn, but I had forgotten it all by the time I got that electric guitar. Frustratingly, I found out years later that the head of music was in fact an arranger for BBC Radio Leicester's big band and her husband was a jazz bassist. A shame she couldn't have brought any of that into the lessons. Edit as requested by @BigRedX - I am referring to the years 1982-89.

I was also wondering whether lower gain valves might help; the sound so far is reasonable, when it's not buzzing.

Thanks - I'll give that a try.

That does appear to help. But, it would be nice to fix it, if I can be certain of how to do so.

What the bassist does in this jazz context should be fine in a pub as well, I'd think. Cool outfit also:

When I bought my Terror Bass 500 it used to buzz on certain notes when sitting on top of the cab. Orange replaced it under warranty. The replacement is now doing the same; an example, demonstrated by some guitar noodling, can be heard at: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hcz9oy9m2jy79s3m2ssq6/Amp-buzz.m4a?rlkey=dkdp2m9ocn71xmgqmvzorndjx&dl=0 Putting the head on the floor instead stops this from happening, though this is not ideal as it can get in the way. Perhaps I should just buy a longer speakon cable... Could this be a dodgy (microphonic?) valve? If so, how hard is replacing them? I've seen warnings to the effect that fiddling with the internals of a valve amp is potentially fatal for the unqualified, but perhaps the Terror Bass might not be that bad having only a valve preamp. It's been happening for a while, but I normally play unamplified at home and so only notice at the beginning of gigs/jams/rehearsals and have forgotten by the time I get home. I could perhaps take it here: https://www.oxfordpowershop.co.uk/pages/amplifier & Speaker repairs.html ...as long as I wait until I'm on holiday, as they only open when I'm working.

There's one horrendous piece I used to hear on repeat over and over again in the mid 90s when I worked in a lab where someone insisted that they couldn't work unless a radio was on. I know it as "the naa song" but I think it might be called "here comes the hot stepper".