Beedster

We were booked to play at a pub opposite a cricket ground on a Friday night a few years back. For reasons on which I'm still unclear - although partly because I could walk to the venue - I decided to take my Breedlove Fretless rather than my double bass, which turned out to be a wise move. We got close to the pub and there seemed to be a lot of lads and a few girls from a certain 1970s/80s youth culture milling around, very short hair, Doc Martens, rolled up jeans, Harringtons, Fred Perry shirts........ Anyway, got to the pub and it was rammed full with members of said culture. We started setting up and sound checking and it was clear that the volumes/speed of booze being put away, plus the contrast between us and the band this lot had come to see later night, might lead from some mild sarcasm to a bit worse. To his credit the landlord paid us in full and said "Get out while you still can lads, we'll be out of booze soon anyway.....'. We were genuinely relieved, but I would not have wanted to navigate a double bass out of there But I do remember feeling genuinely quite scared, streets full of skinheads was a little too close to my childhood for comfort, even if most of them were in their 40's

Can I infer from the above that if I’m using a heater - which frankly as I’m sitting at a screen for hours at a time I prefer to do - I should use a dehumidifier at the same time to compensate?

And pretty much everyone else, hell of a career for a guy who started out as a metal guitarist 👍

Thanks, that's good to know, and frankly I wasn't worried until the cabin showed the same levels as the garage, which I know can be very damp (cardboard boxes start to fall apart etc). I've got a monitor in each at present to check wether identical readings were just random chance (i.e., good day in the garage). I've picked up hifi forums that much above 60% doesn't do speaker cones or electrics a whole lot of good, hence my concern.

Many thanks mate, fair point re small cracks, but I think you're right about the build of the roof itself. I've been looking at some potential solutions, one of which is a vent as you suggest, although thre's not a lot of room. At present the lining tacks the angle of the roof, I might put a flat ceiling in which would allow for proper ventilation I suspect

Thanks Rosie, I have a timber roof covered on the outside with the usual garden-style roof felt, and on the inside classic loft-style insulation and plasterboard lining. I'm wondering also if moisture is being trapped between roof and lining and therefore keeping the humidity high, and if so, what might be the solutions. I'd prefer to build a new interior, even a new roof, to provide good humidity than use dehumidifiers 24/7. I wonder whether i need ro have some form of ventilation in the walls as do houses?

Folks I need some experience on this. I have a garage that if I leave for example a book in the pages start to wave pretty quickly, it even feels quite humid in there. I have a sealed cabin which is my office and to all intents control room in which I run two small consumer dehumidifies, and in which i keep some instruments and electrical gear. Books seems fine in there, no wavy pages. Recently one of the ceiling panels in the cabin came down and the insultaion above it felt damp to me. There's no sign of any leak in the roof, in fact the felt is in really good condition. I bought a couple of humidity to check however and both spaces, garage AND. cabin, are showing up pretty much the same, mid-60s, which was a bit of a shock. I've moved the meters around to check they're sensitive and they seem to be, for example showing higher temperature and lower humidity (consistently around 50) in the house. I've had no signs of humidity being a problem in the cabin but I'm now a little worried given what I keep and there and use it for. Do I need to be, and if so what's the solution. I can get a bigger dehumidifier, and I keep some of the gear in airtight SKB cases which should be fine (according to their blurb anyway). Suggestions welcome.

Yep, but isn't it good to know what sound you want and how to get it/keep it, I know quite a few musicians who struggle with both sides of the equation 👍

Must admit I came very close to buying the Alcoa, problem with the Pfretzschner I had for a while was that it was so much smaller than my other bass, the Alcoa might have fit the bill a little more 👍

But fixed it for you anyway Jack 😃

All very good points mate, I play first and foremost for my own pleasure, and will also be recording some self-penned double bass jazzy stuff next year, otherwise you're bang on with the points above. Having said that we also rehearse unamplified as a band. But yes, on gigs I find it a problem, hence my failed experiment with Spiros and a Krivo last week 👍

There appears to be a cultural assumption in the over 40's that if you're on stage you're fair game, the idea being "We're the customer". I don't think it's an over 40's thing, I think it's slowly dying out as that generation ages.

Guts have mystique for a reason, I guess that mystique is starting to cost. Silver Slaps are fine strings, but they're not guts 👍

Sorry mate, but let's face it, there'l be other similar threads along soon

That’s interesting, will check this as it might explain it 🙏

IIRC O/P was aiming to buy a new Yamaha P/J, remove the JPUP and the circuit in order for it to become a Precision. Not really sure why he took two fairly tame responses the way he did but that's his prerogative, frankly I've seen more hostile comments in threads about the mid-70s English Folk scene

At the level of money we’re talking, and given the suggestion of Farrell’s ownership/control above, this reads as almost a case of corporate irresponsibility. Having said that I read there were only 12 dates with a load of dates already played, to go so tour receipts to date might offset cancellation costs. I hope so

The type of insurer who underwrites a rock tour would be unlikely to fall for that, they’d have seen this potential and covered themselves very well. The only way out for the band would have been a swift show of solidarity following Friday but that ship sailed. Only people who get rich now are the lawyers 😕

I always have the single leg facing away, it’s just habit now but originated from needing the mic stand and endpin to keep their distance from one another - less chance of me tipping a mic stand into the audience, but I guess more chance of them tipping one onto me. I’ve not looked at how other players do it, especially on small stages, probably should 🙂

Suspect that this will cost them all a lot of cash, not just the cancellations and refunds of ticket fees (dread to think what the costs of stadium hire are these days, but have no doubt we’re looking at tens of millions over the tour, and I’m assuming the insurers will refuse to pay given the circumstances). Solicitors are going to be brought in by one or more of them to try and recoup losses from the others and that’s going to ramp the whole thing up even more. All because a bloke can’t hold his drink/manage his emotions on stage 😕

So, I took of my Gamuts last week for an experiment that didn’t really work, and realised while putting them back on that they are pretty worn and might need to go into the spares bag. I checked out the set I have online and it comes in at over £700 all told, in part due to them being made to order, in part due to customs etc (none of the UK stockists have had any for several months). So I thought I’ll get some Lenzners from Thomann - not my fave guts but still pretty decent - but was gobsmacked to see that even they’re coming in at close to £500 now, the last time I bought a set they were £200 and it doesn’t seem all that long ago, at the time IIRC they were cheaper than some of the steel/hybrid strings, now a whole lot more expensive. Is there a global gut shortage or something, or is this just how it is now?

Many thanks @cybertect, that links to a live version on mine! I’ve searched for any settings or permissions that might be awry but can’t see anything? It’s not the end of the world of course, but is a little annoying

I’m being punished by the gods of Americana 🤔