msb

Monique really changed things for me.

I do hope you will enjoy retirement. I seem to have retired from just about everything … but music.

I’ll find out if there’s any battery deterioration soon enough , I can always just plug it in.

I spend quite a bit of time learning and memorizing new material , and prefer to do that using headphones , quietly. For some years I’ve been using a HoTone Thunderbass I found on kijiji for a great price. I was quite happy with it. In another practice rig I use a GK MB200 , as it has a mini aux in (like the HoTone) for a tablet. And recently found a used Phil Jones Bighead headphone amp , this is the original version , there is now an updated Pro version that’s said to be a worthwhile addition … but I found the original for a really good price and could not resist. It’s also a computer interface. These were somewhat pricey , the new Pro is expensive. (and I do like a bargain) And it arrived yesterday. Phil Jones has a reputation for making quality , well designed gear. It’s mostly made in China , but they are putting out a quality product. I’ve found high end Chinese manufacturing to be excellent. It’s a solid piece of gear , with volume/gain , and then a two band treble/bass control. Two stacked pots with solid aluminum knobs , it feels substantial. And it certainly works beautifully. Now I’m just using an older set of reasonably good Sony headphones … but it sounds great. I’m mostly running over material from YouTube so that source is going to be what it is, but I’ve now tried several basses through this. And I like it. So if you spend much time playing with phones , and you see one for a good price … grab it.

New US made Music Man is more expensive than Rickenbacker here.

Our Mexican band is back in rehearsal mode , rehearsal last night , here’s a Facebook link to our stab at Marty Stewart’s Mojave. Our first go at it. https://www.facebook.com/thespurshfx/videos/1726356674458167

Welcome , Yolanda!

You do a good burst , Rob.

Beauty! Congratulations.

Nice to see a Streamliner , Walman !

old school

I went with low tension flats for mine , TI Jazz flats. They do require a light touch , but they’re great sounding strings.

A good teacher can speed up the process and nip bad habits before they become ingrained. And save you a lot of time and grief. The catch is finding a good teacher.

I’d love to see a tremolo in the Suite. My major complaint about what is available.

Quiet night for the Sunday Jam in the bar we call the Land of Dreams. Wet , and soggy. Rain and drizzle. We did’t get the regular crowd but had some good players. An old friend is getting back to playing bass , so it was lovely to have him up. The days are numbered in the old dive , it will change location in January. Parking and loading will not be as easy in the new location. It’s just a mid sized room and just vocals are in the PA. I can easily fill the room with a single 12 in cab. A Bergantino HDN , usually powered with a Forte head (the first version without the drive) and a tube preamp. I brought two basses , a Dano Longhorn from the first batch of reissues , and a vintage UniVox HiFlier Mosrite copy. The Dano still has the factory strings and has a wonderful old school thump , the Flier has some not too old chrome flats. Sometimes I will bring a Yamaha Samurai. I seem to have become a cheap bass , nice amp kind of guy. I’m ok with that.

I’m sorry to hear about the Covid. Bearly’s is a wonderful old dive , but they will be moving to Grafton St in January. It will be a sad day to see the old dive close. A much larger apartment complex will go up on the site. It’s been by favourite downtown venue for some years. I’ve been in the house band for the Sunday jam for close to thirty years now.

Anybody that can play funk on an Ashbory is doing things right. Try as I may my forays into the upper register on the Ashbory are suspect. Iffy intonation.

Lovely Cassidy! Good story. You’re off to a ripping start, welcome aboard!

We did our 2Young2Old gig at my favourite old dive downtown again. One of the founding guitar players has returned to Boston to finish his music degree , so we have a new youngin in the lineup , things went well. No real rehearsal , just a list of songs to listen to. We’ll be back at the end of next month. And try to get a real rehearsal in too. The kids are enthusiastic , jumping up on tables and stuff. The old guys don’t have to bother with that. It works.

This was apparently his last post. https://www.facebook.com/tksEngineeringSweden/posts/pfbid0auTdY57LTFVvPMNLvuFjJW7sy3RwCGkXg8YzSPajToNS9okKVcrP9bj1JDkDYBAQl

Finally got a note from another friend in Stockholm … He did start to answer messages in 2020 and said that he would start building speakers again very soon but went totally silent again soon after. And he has been silent ever since. Basically impossible to get a hold of. I know where he lives north of Stockholm but no phone no, does not answer mail, he is on Facebook/has a account but not active. Cleaned his friends list etc. Sent a message to a friend that knows him well. Will write you when he has replied. But I unfortunately have a feeling that Tommy is not doing very well and I find it likely that he won´t ever start to build speakers again. Or at least not any time soon..... Great fellow. Made fantastic speakers. Sad......

That BlueBoy!

I do know what it’s like to walk on stage and see a strange amp , that turns out to sound nothing like what you’re used to. And yet the sound out front might be perfectly fine.

I like a modular system so I went with two 8 ohm cabs. Most of the time I can easily get by using just one cab. I enjoy modern lightweight gear. I went with a 112 and 210 pair that were designed to be run together.

… here you go