I'm glad no one bought my early 70s Fender Jazz bass

[bloke]

You know me from all of my thousands too many posts...

If I'm aware of an instrument while I'm playing it, that's not the instrument for me.

This bass (even after it having sat in its case for decades) just feels like it's part of my hands.

Unexpectedly, I'm playing some bass gigs again, after all these years. Here's one of the setlists I was sent, for a gig out of town tonight (only an hour and a half away). They also sent me some lead sheets and actual arrangements, but I prefer to just listen to them on YouTube and play along (only looking at the charts at the gig), because that's really the way to learn a song. I think I deserve an A- for the first time I went through some of these songs (ever) and actually probably an A+ on more than half of them (having heard all of them on the radio - over and over - when I was growing up).
Purposely, I listed to them on my phone (no headphones) so (believe it or not) I could NOT hear the bass on the recordings - FORCING me to come up with it myself (from my memory of hearing these on the radio, and based on the chord changes I was hearing in the treble voices and chording instruments).
Most of them don't feature very many chord changes, but at least - unlike today's pop music - they do have some chord changes.
Of course, the one Beatles tune on the list for this particular set has the nicest chord changes.
Playing electric bass is a lot like playing the euphonium:
It's really easy (as long as the bass itself is a really fine instrument) and requires no air.

tuba-related:
I seriously wonder how much better and faster people could learn tuba solos (as well as excerpts...or whatever) were they to eschew the sheet music (for at least a couple of weeks) and learn those pieces off of good recordings of them. ...but (sadly) most "music" instruction (all the way through the conservatory level) is "paint-by-number".

picture of a picture of a texted picture of a picture:



After I eat this hamburger, I'm going to glance (without playing) at the emailed charts.

hey...
The Nashville people talk about the "number system"...
Most recording sessions I'm hired to play in Memphis feature NO music stand, NO chord changes, NO numbers, NO nuthin'...
...just (already recorded) the singer, and synth keyboard/bass/drums (to be replaced).

[tubatodd]

@bloke

Nice jazz bass! Keep it!

My tuba professor in college admitted that sometimes the printed page is a hindrance. Trying to translate a phrase or style "by numbers" can hamper actual music. 99% of people learning guitar, bass or drum parts of popular tunes are playing what they hear and not what they see.

Scott's bass lessons has a fun series they are doing. It's "Learn ___________ as fast as you can." They take top top top bass players from around the world and give them a tune they've never heard before and ask them to learn it on the spot WITHOUT the bass track. Often they come up with a completely different part than what was recorded.

[bloke]

OK...
It WAS good to glance at the charts...
There is a tricky into bass solo into (5th position is the only place on the neck that I could find that I can play it) in "Song For My Father".

Always re-read the email one last time...(He also wants the valve trombone.)

edit: I worked up that written solo,and we skipped That tune tonight. LOL

[tubanh84]

After years of not playing it, I just loaned by circa 2001 Fender Jazz to a high schooler so he could play in the pep band. I took it in and had it fixed up and re-strung. When I got it home to play it before handing it over to the student, I very much regretted that I hadn't done this years ago. What a great instrument. But it's being used now, and used really well. He's a good kid, and he deserves to enjoy it.

Re learning excerpts from recordings. It would be interesting, but (a) no recording is ever good enough to take a dictation like that for the tuba, and (b) most tuba players don't play nearly as precisely in context as they do for auditions. All of the nuance and thought that goes into auditions goes out the window, we take more breaths, play louder, and MAKE A SOUND as opposed to PLAY THE MUSIC. Interesting concept, and I'd love to see it done for a DMA thesis on performance practice. I'd probably have them learn from Gene Pokorny's excerpt CD, rather than a full on orchestra recording on which you can usually barely hear any tuba.

[bloke]

My impression of classical musicians (who began learning to be music players okay in band, orchestra, or formal private instruction) is that they hear flaws in performances of written music that they themselves have heavily studied, but can't play music without it being written down (ie. simply from having heard it), because most actually can't hear something and then - simply - play it (because they never trained themselves to be able to do that). They have to read it first, in order to play it.
I played in an orchestra with a Juilliard graduate clarinet player who could play all sorts of notes who seems astonished (??) at my ability to play along with a pops medley arrangement that I had never played without there being a part written for me. Of course, I had to lay out during the transitions, but - once the next song in the medley started, I recognized the song (having heard it many times on either tv, radio, or in a movie), and heard the key it was in, I was right back in playing again. This is what many working musicians (no: not typically country or rock, because they learn those songs by rote) do on so-called "club gigs" every weekend of every year.

Actually, I think working out solo pieces and orchestral excerpts from listening to recordings of them - getting the gist of them, working them out so-called "by ear",band then later going back and reading the specific details that they probably didn't pick up by listening - would be of great benefit.

Do you know what's hard for me? It's reading lead sheets, because so many lead sheets have so very many wrong chords in the chord changes - which are very distracting to me - and make me start wondering if I got lost reading the lead sheet.

[tubatodd]

Last night was a bass night for me as well. It was rehearsal with the Ain't Misbehavin' dance band. I've been with them for 12 years.

I went to tune the bass and the tuner didn't register any sound. Uh oh! So I pulled the active/passive knob and got it working. I checked the battery box.....empty. Apparently I was in the process of replacing the battery and forgot to add it back. That explains the random Chinese-ium 9V battery on my desk. I ran the bass passive the whole night and it sounded great.



Lakland 4402
Genzler Magellan Preamp Pedal (into effects return to bypass preamp of combo)
Peavey Max 208

[tubatodd]

@bloke I know you said you brought your son's amp to the gig. What make and model was it? Just curious.

[bloke]

@bloke I know you said you brought your son's amp to the gig. What make and model was it? Just curious.

Ampeg BA115V2
... odd shaped back... great sound... Heavyish, but - were my back not messed up - it wouldn't seem heavy at all.

A couple of bass players - who spotted the head stock of my bass from all the way across the room - came over to ooh and ahh that it is real, and not a reissue. To me, the value of this bass is in its perfect neck more so than any collectibility.

Electric bass and valve trombone is sort of an odd double, yes?

[tubatodd]

@bloke I know you said you brought your son's amp to the gig. What make and model was it? Just curious.

Ampeg BA115V2
... odd shaped back... great sound... Heavyish, but - were my back not messed up - it wouldn't seem heavy at all.

A couple of bass players - who spotted the head stock of my bass from all the way across the room - came over to ooh and ahh that it is real, and not a reissue. To me, the value of this bass is in its perfect neck more so than any collectibility.

Electric bass and valve trombone is sort of an odd double, yes?

All Ampeg stuff is good stuff. I have an Ampeg PF115 cabinet. Sounds great with any of the heads I have.

[bloke]

@bloke I know you said you brought your son's amp to the gig. What make and model was it? Just curious.

Ampeg BA115V2
... odd shaped back... great sound... Heavyish, but - were my back not messed up - it wouldn't seem heavy at all.

A couple of bass players - who spotted the head stock of my bass from all the way across the room - came over to ooh and ahh that it is real, and not a reissue. To me, the value of this bass is in its perfect neck more so than any collectibility.

Electric bass and valve trombone is sort of an odd double, yes?

All Ampeg stuff is good stuff. I have an Ampeg PF115 cabinet. Sounds great with any of the heads I have.

My 1973 110 portaflex is just too heavy and fragile to haul around to gigs. By "fragile", I mean that even if one tube gets shaken loose in transport, I'm out of business. Those are great for recording studios, but otherwise...

I have a 1970s Woodson PA system with two towers (all the same guts as Kustom) that each have four 10-in speakers in them and the original transistor head.
It sounds absolutely wonderful, but even if I just bring one of the towers with me, that's a lot to haul.

I need to have the Peavey BW cleaned up and I need to get the 12-inch Polytone fixed if I'm going to be playing bass.

I used to blow my sousaphone through the Peavey with a black funk band.

[bloke]

Electric bass and trombone is a weird-ass double.

Bring your trombone.

We played an odd mix of dixieland, jazz standards, classic pop ballads, and 70's top-40 dance tunes.

trumpet/keyboard/vocals
female singer (his talented daughter)
drummer
me
some band-in-a-box stuff (isn't that what that stuff is called that you can sync your band with to enhance it?)

Here are some 15-minutes-before-liftoff pics after I was loaded in, set up, and had restroomed myself.
It's one of those typical downtown repurposed event venues. I'd never worked in this particular one before...in a medium-size city on I-40 between Memphis and Nashville. It was one of those multi-restaurant food-tasting charity thingies.

I had a couple of guys oohing and ahhing (who had noticed my bass' headstock from across the room, as well as the patina of the clearcoat) to come look and verify that it's "real" (and not an "authorized reissue"...yeah, I bought it "new") Damn, I'm old.




The joint is called "The Stella" (??) LOL...This was in the restroom:

[MikeFinn]

That bass is a beaut, Bloke! Never been a Fender guy myself, nor could I ever get the tone I wanted from any of the Ibanez basses I've owned. Go figure. Settled on this "Douglas" from Rondo Music almost 20 years ago (all other 6 strings are 35" scale, which I just can't do) replaced the stock radio-receiving pickups with EMGs and haven't looked back. Great for blues, rock, and funky stuff, but even with felt under the strings at the bridge and lots of palm muting I've always been self conscious when playing in a cabaret or big band setting. (Never had any complaints from band leaders, just knew it wasn't "right" for that stuff.) Earlier this summer I finally pulled the trigger on the Stagg EUB, and OMG what a difference! Not only is the sound much more appropriate, but I find myself playing more idiomatically, too! I guess because I can 't fall back on the lazy riffs and patterns that I play on the electric? Strangely enough, I've been getting more calls for the cabaret and big band stuff since this pic was leaked, lol.

[bloke]

@MikeFinn
I'm so delighted to see a picture of you and to see you posting here. We barely know each other, but - every time we've met - you've made me smile. You're such an upbeat person !

A long time ago I had an Ampeg baby bass, but never liked the type of sound that it would produce (without a bunch of intermediary stuff between it and the amplifier) and - when their value went way up - I sold it. Later picked up a very low cost (but nice playing) Taiwan (full 3/4 size) stick bass. My son tipped it over and broke the neck off. I sold it to someone who said they were going to fix it.
I barely have time to keep up my tuba playing.
Things like trombone slide technique and upright bass neck technique take a lot of time for me to maintain, and between repairing all these instruments, a little bit of tuba practicing, and life, I just had to give up those things.
Instruments such as electric bass and euphonium (which just about play themselves), I can manage.

I have great respect for upright bass players as well as trombonists with their slide technique.

That's a great picture of you and of those fine instruments.

[MikeFinn]

Thanks for the kind words Joe! I have to admit, the reason I never invested in one of these EUBs (or the real thing) before is that I wasn't confident I would be able to devote the necessary time to getting good enough at it, when I've already got a couple of instruments I could get a lot better at! But I find if I stay in first position or close to it I'm pretty safe, and I will work my way up the neck eventually.

[bloke]

Yes, when I had the Ampeg, the stick bass, and actually at one time just a regular upright bass, I stayed mostly between first and third position, and - when I got to third - I was sliding around a little bit to fix my flaws that I heard at their attacks.
Also, a lot of people hire me because I play both bass and tuba, and a tuba and any sort of tall bass - even a stick bass - is a lot to haul in and out.

[donn]

Strangely enough, I've been getting more calls for the cabaret and big band stuff since this pic was leaked, lol.

It could be the shirt. I'm sure envious.

I've come close to seriously considering one of those stick things, but I know I wouldn't practice it much. I'm enjoying the acoustic bass guitar more than I expected, and am wondering how well a fretless version would work. I put flatwound strings on mine, which I gather is an eccentric choice but sounds a lot better to me.

I had a Fender Jazz bass for a while back in the '70s, and didn't like it a bit. Likely because the neck had been repaired and somehow left a kind of dead spot where the G string suffered.

[bloke]

I almost forgot that I have a so-called acoustic electric bass Korea - very good quality), and it has a decent neck, but it's just not as effortless to play as the 73 Fender. The Korean acoustic electric was factory supplied with round-wound strings which - at least to me - defeats the purpose of having one. It has to have a 9-volt battery in order to work, so that's just a little bit of a nuisance.

I had to put one of those stick on sound hole round plugs on it to inhibit feedback, I guess the thing is that - other than looks and the type of pickup - I sort of wonder how much these things are actually acoustic vs. how much they are electric.

When I was still feeling resolve about selling my bass and this guy was wanting me to play bass in his little combo, he was bringing his own beautiful no scratches gleaming red Fender bass made in Japan for me to play. I can't remember the name of the hybrid model, but it looks basically like a jazz bass with some other stuff added to it. The neck on his instrument isn't "bad", but - compared to mine - its neck sucks, so that's why I started just bringing my own bass to his gigs (while simultaneously beginning to decide to keep it).

[donn]

I had to put one of those stick on sound hole round plugs on it to inhibit feedback, I guess the thing is that - other than looks and the type of pickup - I sort of wonder how much these things are actually acoustic vs. how much they are electric.

If you're motivated by scientific interest, you could mount a passive pickup under the strings and compare. I would guess the difference would be significant. The active pickup is inside, so the plug just prioritizes the soundboard over external noise.

What I think would be more interesting, but not as clear cut, is the difference between a passive system on various types of body - acoustic guitar, truly hollow body electric bass like my Korean Gretsch, more common semi-hollow construction, strings attached to bridge vs. resting on bridge, and of course plain solid. With same pickup and strings.

I'm comfortable dismissing any possible difference once it's down to semi-hollow, where the bridge is resting on a solid part of the assembly, and probably for practical purposes no useful difference for anything with a passive pickup. I mean, electric bass isn't a solo concert hall thing, any tonal nuance is going to be lost in the mix. People get sounds, but there's something else to it. I'd sure like to know how Jack Casady got that kind of growly tone.

[bloke]

The big body throws the full scale neck farther off to the left, the neck isn't quite as good as with my Fender, and - with the other issues - it's mostly something to use for looks.

One time, I used it on a gig with a band that I've been playing with semi regularly, and the guy who hired us was micromanaging us. He came over and started turning knobs on my amplifier... Not louder or softer - just messing with the knobs... This was years and years ago. After he was finished and walked away, (after that set) I packed up my stuff and left.