Hurricane Jimmie

So Anyway, I received mine on last Thursday. Played it a few minutes, checked out the setup and everything was very good out of the box. Took it to my 2-set 'Hippie Hour' gig the next evening. It's a well-made bass and sounds just fine. But I was a little thrown off by the flat wounds. They feel a little stiff, but maybe I'm just spoiled with my G&L Fallout Tribute (short scale/round wounds). The lack of a tone control didn't bother me. It sounded very good with all my settings at noon. It's a very nice bass for the money. I had a lot of fun talking about it before it arrived and wondering who Joe Dart was. 😄 It'll probably end up at our drummer's house where we rehearse a few times a year. I wouldn't be surprised if Sterling and other brands repeat this formula for their endorsed artists or replica instruments.... take orders, manufacture, ship, and done.

So Anyway, I've actually been gifted guitars by family members and people I work with. And then they'll ask me to play something for them. 🤔 I usually say, 'I'll get it tuned up and maybe we can do something a little later. How about another beer?' Then I set the guitar in the closet. But it's a nice gesture.

So Anyway, in my 50 years of playing gigs, I've had two successful 'start-up' bands. In all my other bands, I was invited to join a working band. The gigging cosmos has been very kind to me. I thought I was finished with band work when Covid hit. But when things opened back up, the phone rang with the right opportunity. I think that playing in a band is still part of an identity that I'm not ready to give up. And it's little bit of fun, a little bit of money. Good Luck with your decision.

So Anyway, I'd probably do it as a favor if I knew someone in the band. I don't think anyone would call me unless they knew me and by background. I'm retired and have time for this type of outing. And I'd cold-call rehearse with a Death-Metal-Slim-Whitman Tribute Band if there was beer involved. 😄

So Anyway, I play in a trio (G/B/D) without a lead singer. We take turns singing and we each select our own songs. We've known each other for 40+ years and it's our 3rd year as a band. We've got 200+ songs that we can pull from. No originals. We're not a bar band and we seldom play past 8:00. Geezer hours. We don't use a set list. Each of us will do a standard first time around just to get things established. After that, I always gauge the audience and the previous song for my next selection. We also offer to play requests, and sometimes we'll end up doing a song we've never played before. My kind of fun.

So Anyway, my Behringer head failed earlier this year, so I bought an Ashdown 15 Studio. I bought it for the 300W/15 Combo....but mostly because it weighs 28 pounds. It's a fine amp for our little trio. In May I ordered one of the Joe Dart Sterling basses. Just received notification that it shipped. I've had a lot of fun chatting about buying a bass and not knowing anything about the artist. 😃

So Anyway, small pubs = small gear. For everyone. I'd have to chuckle at a band in a small pub that found it necessary to haul around a Plexiglas drum shield.

So Anyway, the fact that they invited you to the gig could mean a couple of things. Your guitar bandmate is clueless. Your guitar bandmate honestly thinks there was no issue in forming a new band without you. Not sure if I'd show up to their gig. A couple of years ago I agreed to start working with an older established bandleader. After our second gig, he posted a FB note that my third gig with him would be his last band job as he would be retiring due to health. I thought about it and then sent him a message letting him know that since it was his last gig, if he wanted to use his old bandmates, I'd certainly understand. Turns out the old fox was way ahead of me. He'd already contacted his old bass player to play the gig. He then tried to sell me some tickets for the event. 😅

We've had some venues that have multiple people booking bands during the year. These are usually private clubs where volunteers are doing most of the work. We were loading in once when another band showed up. The venue had double-booked because the club's booking people weren't communicating very well with each other. Lots of turnover in the bar business.

Our little Ameriana trio will finish up with 50 gigs this year. A little bit of fun, a little bit of money. We might cut one venue (10 gigs) back a little next year as we've had some offers at new places that we've had to turn down. 50 is plenty for us since we're all retired and have other interests.

Haven't been on Bass Chat for a while and found an interesting thread right off the pop. And now I'm looking for a chance to use 'Tight Gits' in polite conversation... although I'm only guessing what it really means. 😁 Good Luck on your return.

So Anyway, just one bass to the gig, and I've never had one fail, string break, etc. I'm sure it'd be different if I played big concerts or festivals in front of tens of thousands of people. However, I have shown up to a gig without a bass. Twice.

Went to see a band that came onstage while Up With People played over the PA. Action Man would have also worked.

So Anyway, every time I come to Bass Chat, I see a new expression that I can't wait to use. This too! I think we've all had spells when music/playing/gigs just wasn't working for us. Take a break, it'll circle back around.

So Anyway, 'Give It The Beans' is a keeper.