bnt

Pound for a Brown - Frank Zappa

I find myself doing 1-finger per fret low down, but with some movement of the hand too. Not a huge fan, though. I've been thinking about what we mean by a "Jazz Bass". The sound of the bridge single coil does nothing for me, so Is it still a "Jazz Bass" if I replace it with a humbucker? Harley Benton (Thomann) makes the MJ-4 (link) which has a MusicMan style humbucker in the bridge position. Is that still a Jazz? If I had one of those, or any cheaper J-type, I'd replace the electronics and would look for a humbucker for the neck position. (DiMarzio makes a split humbucker for Jazz, for example.) Still a Jazz? 🤔

Lumpy Gravy - Frank Zappa

Celebrity Skin - Hole

Akita - Elton John

Midnight Cowboy - Faith No More (orig. John Barry)

Handle With Care - The Travelling Wilburys

Thrak - King Crimson

Dance of the Little Swans - P.I. Tchaikovsky

Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot

Heroin - Lou Reed

Oh No - Frank Zappa

Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash

Ultraviolet - U2

In a new video, Josh Scott reports on a weird situation regarding the current crop of NOTADÜMBLË pedals that has me a little bemused: apparently, the clean channel used the wrong circuit, one from a different Dumble pedal than was intended: This apparently came to light when Josh asked one of his engineers about using part of the circuit with an effects loop return in a future pedal, and the guy went "eh?". It was supposed to be the circuit he made for John Mayer called "a box later", but it's actually based on the rarer Dumble BBC-1 pedal that Mayer also has. Given Josh's history of pranks - I remember the Digitech Bad Monkey situation - I don't mind admitting I'm sceptical. The next and final batch of NOTADÜMBLË V1s will be released soon. Will the V1 gain some kind of legendary (pricey) status as a result? In the video, Josh says there's no difference, sonically. Me, I actually want to see a V2, since it sounds like he's going to put in an effects loop and channel switching, both of which will be welcome. But if you already bought a V1, hang on to it, and you might have a rare-ish pedal at your feet.

Everything's Ruined - Faith No More

Nate Navarro just dropped a P vs J bass battle video. P is the clear victor in my ears:

The Chant Has Begun - Level 42

Bodhisattva - Steely Dan

Wonderland - Big Country

Looking For Satellites - Bowie

I have had very limited experience of a Jazz bass, and was not fond of the weight and ergonomics. I don’t need more neck-divey basses in my life. I know that Sadowsky, Mike Lull and others have done a lot of work to improve on the Jazz template, and there are mods you can do, but I’m honestly not keen enough on the sound or the look to bother. I really don’t like the treble pickup tone by itself. Listening to Geddy Lee over the years, I was struck by the amount of work he (& his techs) have had to put in to get the sound he wants out of his Jazz. I know the situation was complicated by him being one of the first major players to go amp-less, direct to PA with cab sims etc. Even so, if I rank his tones over the years, the Jazz is low on the table behind his Steinberger, the red “horny” Wal, and his Rickenbacker. Maybe if he had stuck with the Jazz through the Ampeg as on “Animate” I might feel more kindly, but the amp was doing a lot of the work there.

Gouda ‘Nuff - Van Halen

Paths and Angles - Ultravox

Roll The Bones - Rush