Ever fall in love with a bass - again?

[OldManMusic]

I’m fortunate to have a few MM basses. Sometimes I get a new bass, like my Reflex GC earlier this year, and it sees most of the practicing and gig action while the others sit in their lonely cases, waiting patiently. Last night I took out my roasty Bongo 4H to put some new strings on it for a gig tomorrow night and fell in love with her all over again. It’s been cased since March, mainly because the strings were dead and I was too busy (lazy) to slap a new set on her.

After a good cleaning and a new set of EB flats, I couldn’t put it down last night. That smooth, roasted neck, the harmonics, the tone when it was completely unplugged – what a bass!

Have you guys ever forgotten how much you like one of your cased basses in your stable?

 

[Holdsg]

definitely, you can only play one at once, right? I try to regularly rotate the herd, so no one feels left out.

 

[sballow]

I would love to fall back in love with my Roasty Bongo 5HHp but sadly, she has moved on. I still miss her and she was the best Ball I have ever owned. :0(

 

[jlepre]

I would love to fall back in love with my Roasty Bongo 5HHp but sadly, she has moved on. I still miss her and she was the best Ball I have ever owned. :0(

I know the feeling. I sold a 20th SR5 that I would kill to have back now. Unfortunately I sold it to a gear whore who changes basses like underwear. I mean now disrespect by the term whore, but it's the only think I could think of. Fortunately I know right where the bass resides, but it's overseas and not a chance of returning to me.

 

[Golem]

definitely, you can only play one at once, right? I try
to regularly rotate the herd, so no one feels left out.

Same here .... having waaaay too many on hand is like
having your own Shop-At-Home network with INSTANT
delivery. I browse around the house, pick out a "new"
[more accurately "long neglected"] ax and fall in lust
all over again


`

 

[JayDawg]

I’m fortunate to have a few MM basses. Sometimes I get a new bass, like my Reflex GC earlier this year, and it sees most of the practicing and gig action while the others sit in their lonely cases, waiting patiently. Last night I took out my roasty Bongo 4H to put some new strings on it for a gig tomorrow night and fell in love with her all over again. It’s been cased since March, mainly because the strings were dead and I was too busy (lazy) to slap a new set on her.

After a good cleaning and a new set of EB flats, I couldn’t put it down last night. That smooth, roasted neck, the harmonics, the tone when it was completely unplugged – what a bass!

Have you guys ever forgotten how much you like one of your cased basses in your stable?

I am now playing full time for our worship team at church and played my Bongo 4 H BFR roasted neck a few weeks ago. It had been a while since I had played it and my Bongo 4 HH DDII so I put them both in the rotation again. Lately, I have been on the DDII kick as well as playing my Sterling 4 H so I know what you mean about going through different phases of not playing a certain bass for a while and then you do and you want to keep playing that same one over and over again.

 

[OldManMusic]

I really know how fortunate I am to have a shop-at-home selection. I may have to go old school for the gig in a couple of weeks and dust off the ol' 78 ray, just to share the love...

 

[five7]

I only have one love, my bongo, should I be jealous of you guys?

 

[OldManMusic]

No need to be jealous, you've already a winner with the Bongo.

 

[TheAntMan]

No need to be jealous, you've already a winner with the Bongo.

+1

 

[Big Poppa]

I sort of rediscovered the sterling...heheheh

 

[JayDawg]

I sort of rediscovered the sterling...heheheh

BP, in addition to playing for our churches worship team, we also go and minister to a halfway house on Saturday nights for guys who have just gotten out of prison. We also play worship music for them too and I brought my Sterling about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I can honestly say that in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned that bass, it sounded the best it has ever sounded that night. It was cutting through the mix perfectly but not overpowering stuff. Afterwards, I had a bunch of guys come up and ask about the bass. They were all very impressed. A lot of them had heard of Fender and they asked what I thought of them. I was nice but gave them a little history lesson and then told them why I use Music Man. Needless to say, there is now a halfway house full of former prison inmates loving Music Man basses.

 

[five7]

Bless you, jaydawg! Spreading some sterling love.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Yes. I pulled out the SR5 at my last jam and was pleasantly surprised (again). It's setup really nice too.

 

[MattOfSweden]

Happens to me every time I play one of my Stingrays. With the 20th it's the neck, with the HH Dargie it's the cool green looks and versatility, and the 30th is just beyond words. I really like to rotate and play all basses in my collection out, but the Stingrays have a very special place in my heart.

 

[Microbaroms]

Quote: "BP, in addition to playing for our churches worship team, we also go and minister to a halfway house on Saturday nights for guys who have just gotten out of prison. We also play worship music for them too and I brought my Sterling about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I can honestly say that in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned that bass, it sounded the best it has ever sounded that night. It was cutting through the mix perfectly but not overpowering stuff. Afterwards, I had a bunch of guys come up and ask about the bass. They were all very impressed. A lot of them had heard of Fender and they asked what I thought of them. I was nice but gave them a little history lesson and then told them why I use Music Man. Needless to say, there is now a halfway house full of former prison inmates loving Music Man basses."




Thanks so much for sharing that JayDawg.

I phoned my Sister last night. She and her Husband belong to a similar Team to the one you belong to who takes turns in putting on Services and Events at a Large Prison in Suffolk where she lives.

She was telling me about a Prison Inmate whose life was in a real mess, who became a believer, and who is now going back into Prison helping their Team. She says he communicates very well on the Inmate's level and he has written a Musical and Made a CD which he gives to Inmates along with a Book. So he's organizing Events.

Although I am not involved in anything like this myself, some of my friends have been for many years. One friend in particular comes to mind. He 's a remarkable man, they should make a film about his life. At the height of "The Cold War". If he had a spare weekend, he would put Bibles into a suitcase, fly to Moscow and then travel to villages in the heartland of Russia and distribute them to ordinary folk.

Once a month my friend visited and witnessed to the infamous "Krays" for the whole of their life in jail. He also ran a youth club for youngster in the rural local area he lived. and at one point had a problem that grieved him tremendously. Some of his young people were starting to "go off the rails" and "getting into trouble with the police" and making a nuisance of themselves with their motor bikes" and so on. The extraordinary thing was what he did about it.

He had great influence in high places, I know some of the books he has written are signed by famous people, and he has a Precious Bible at home signed inside by British Prime Minister Margret Thatcher and an incredible host of celebrities and others. Anyway, concerned about his young people, he arranged for Reggie Kray to leave Prison and attend his local Youth Club. With Prison Officers either side of him Ronnie Kray gave his youngsters the "talking to" of their lives. Frightened them out of their skins.

He told them how with small things he gradually slid into a life of crime, and warned them about where they were heading, and the changes they needed to make to get their lives back on Track. One of the World's most Notorious Criminals putting them all straight. You could have heard a pin drop when he spoke to them. They gave him Rapt Attention, and Happily, my friend never once had a problem with any of the Young people in his Youth Club after that.

Another member, formerly of The Kray Gang is actually an Active Member of a Large Local Church in Oxford, and is involved with Inmates and Ex-Inmates in a Church sponsored Ministry specifically directed towards individuals in this area of society, which can be a difficult sector to reach.


Thanks again for sharing your Ministry in Music, helping people to turn their lives around.

Here. Today, we have the Olympic Closing Ceremony, which like the Opening Ceremony is a tremedous lot of work organizing, and rehearsing for everyone involved, but hopefully much more sheer fun.

It will be a very long day. So I must fly....

Best Wishes and Richest Blessings!



P

 

[Holdsg]

so does that mean you're playing in the Closing Ceremony? or just organizing? either way, kudos.

 

[JayDawg]

Thank you P!

Played the Sterling this morning at church and it sounded great. We had 2 new songs and one song involving just the bass being played so it gave me a nice little challenge today. When I originally started for the worship team, I was splitting time with the other bass player an alternating weeks but just recently the other bass player backed out so it is now me playing every week. Since that has began, I have had a lot of people come up to me and say my bass sounds much different than the other bass players. Everyone I talk to says they can hear every little thing I do on the bass much clearer. I thank them and tell them it is simply the basses I use are designed for just exactly that and that is why I use them. I also then give a little love to our sound team too because they have done a fantastic job of properly putting everone's levels where they need to be.

 

[Microbaroms]

Quote: "Played the Sterling this morning at church and it sounded great. We had 2 new songs and one song involving just the bass being played so it gave me a nice little challenge today. When I originally started for the worship team, I was splitting time with the other bass player an alternating weeks but just recently the other bass player backed out so it is now me playing every week. Since that has began, I have had a lot of people come up to me and say my bass sounds much different than the other bass players. Everyone I talk to says they can hear every little thing I do on the bass much clearer. I thank them and tell them it is simply the basses I use are designed for just exactly that and that is why I use them. I also then give a little love to our sound team too because they have done a fantastic job of properly putting everyone's levels where they need to be."




Excellent! I'm so pleased for you.

It's quite a thing for the spotlight to be on a Bassist and the Soloed Bass to hold everything together and especially unusual in a Worship Service.

You reminded me of many years ago when I was using some Christian Musicians for a Major Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London along with an accompanying U.K. Tour. A small bunch of them from the same area had formed a small group of their own to play together at other times and sounded pretty good.

A friend of my Family who was a Rural Preacher who visited lots of little Communities scattered around the Countryside, organized a Big Event in Oxford where Musicians from all over the places he visited came and played. My pals hired a big P.A. for the Event and then asked me if I would Produce and Mix their Sound. I was happy to oblige and took my wife and our two year old son along and sat him in front of the Massive Large Format Audio Console whilst I sorted out a few on stage details. I'm sure he was thinking he was in charge of the Starship Enterprise.

I had a great Bass Player who was also in this small group, and they had an Exciting Song with a Pulsating Bass Line and a long verse and chorus where they featured his Bass Playing Soloed supporting the Vocal Line. Now, when I Produce and Mix Sound it's a very organic thing indeed, nothing is static at all, the faders are riding constantly and interesting elements are brought forward and laid back, accordingly depending upon what is going on. Anything that is not used at any time is muted, the effect of which helps minimize inter-channel crosstalk and maximize the Sound Quality Optimally of whatever is being used. If this is difficult to understand at all, imagine that the lead vocalists mic is on, however at the moment he is not singing. So his open mic is picking up bleeding sound that is scattered around the stage environment, at all kinds of frequencies, and that is happening on every open mic in use and it markedly degrades the quality of the overall sound.

If you can cut out, ALL of that used and unwanted sound bleed, then you can more cleanly and effectively present every element that is currently in use, significantly improving the Sonic Image and Signature of whatever is Playing. Obviously this is a much harder and a far more professional approach than simply attaining an overall balance and level, and critically leaves no room for error. You simply cannot have a situation where a Singer goes to a mic only for it not to be switched on. You have to know what people are going to do, at least as well as they do themselves. usually rather better.

Anyway the point is, when the Bass Player took over the delivery of the Song, similar to the way you described in your post, everyone in the Huge Place was Singing, but the Bass, with nothing else whatever to compete with it at all Sounded Truly Fantastic. Totally in Your Face Bass! And they finished up their set to Absolutely Rapturous Applause. The gentleman that organized The Event stood to the side of the Stage, then announced the next Artist. And I heard the nervous voice of a woman stood right next to his mic, say to him "How Can We Follow That?"

One sympathizes. But the point is when you can get the right combination of Artist, Song and Strikingly Interesting Bass Pattern, and present it in this potently engineered manner, it truly is a terrific combination and can have a most profoundly deep effect upon an appreciative audience. Many Truly Great Bassists Soloed, do not necessarily have this scintillatingly marked effect. Often, the Overall piece of Music in which the Solo is featured might be interesting in all its fullness itself, but does not necessarily provide enough energy, drive or punch, to display the True Power of the Instrument to best possible advantage.

Sometime Great Players Display little more than Brilliant Technique, which although seemingly a distinct accomplishment in itself, is likely to be appreciated by merely that minority interest who understand how truly hard the disciplines necessary to achieve it are. Like us for instance. However, what I'm really writing, is that to the "average" person, such displays of stunning technique are not necessarily perceived as particularly "Musical" to their Ear and can leave them cold.

However, when an Audience is fully involved by the Artist or Band in the Music, stood up, singing, clapping to the beat etc. And the Bass is delivering a Dynamic Pulsating Pattern of the type that Drives the Music forward whilst simultaneously nailing the Beat, and everything else supporting the Music is dramatically taken away, enabling the Producer to thrust forward the Soloed Instrument and the excitement of a Dynamically Driving Pattern to come to the Fore, whilst everyone in the audience is carried along with it.

Suddenly, you get the phenomenon you described earlier. People that don't normally notice these things, strongly take notice, and are quick to show their rapt attention and deep appreciation of everything that has been so positively presented. I think it is a Musical Device, if I could put it like that, that is far too little utilized by Producers, Groups and Artists, but if done well can become a sensationally dramatic "Happening".

I'm so pleased for you. Good Luck with all your Music, and may God Richly Bless You in all you do!



P

 

[Microbaroms]

Quote: " does that mean you're playing in the Closing Ceremony? or just organizing? either way, kudos."

I most sincerely apologize for not responding earlier.

To be honest I have been rather tied up with an extraordinary amount of work, one way or another.

I have an "interest" and a "relationship" with certain of the Artists Performing in the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. Some of them go back many years, others are originally due to the geography of where I live. One of them has their Personal Recording Studio, just a few hundred yards across the lawn from me where one of the Tracks you will hear was Produced. So relationships can grow naturally sometimes for all kinds of reasons. Some Artists can be quite reclusive where the general public can be concerned. We have to respect their privacy, and I know they appreciate that.

I also have an "interest" and a "relationship" with certain of the main Sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics. In point of fact in the area which they are involved in Sponsoring, they are putting up half of the total costs involved. This is a hugely significant Capital Investment not only in Financial Terms but also in Hardware, Logistical Support and many Practical Areas where experienced expertise is required. 4,000 Vehicles. And lots and lots of drivers. In fact there are three grades of driver involved. The top ones see that the Athletes get to the right venue, at the right time. The second grade of driver sees that the Olympic Officials manage the same, and the third grade of driver deals with the movement of equipment necessary for the Athletes.

But I also have an "interest" and a "relationship" with the Olympic Association. Both the World Olympic Association and the British Olympic Association involved so deeply with the London 2012 Olympics. I believe strongly in the Values of the Olympics, the Characteristic Hallmark Qualities they Exemplify and Commend to us. To strive to achieve our fullest potential, often surprising ourselves with what we can accomplish, if only we set our hearts and minds completely on the goals.

"Inspiring a Generation" is the Theme, and many of today's greatest Athletes were themselves inspired to take the road they did seeing others perform at former Olympics. One I had the pleasure to meet was Legendary Daley Thompson. With four world records, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth titles, and wins in the World and European Championships, Daley Thompson is often considered the greatest decathlete the world has ever seen. A tremendously likeable man.

So whatever way you look at it, I have an entirely symbiotic relationship with and to this Historic Event. I was holding an Olympic Torch a couple of weeks ago.



Some people have written that Musicians should not play at these events because they do not get paid.

This is incorrect, in point of fact, even the biggest Artists have to sign a contract to perform at either of the Huge Ceremonies. They are actually paid £1 and this is necessary to make the contract legally binding.

I understand the negative viewpoint of such people, but usually they are blinkered in their thinking, operating from purely a monetary and commercial perspective or have insufficient information to make a truly properly balanced judgement regarding this matter.

Consider the Athletes, who are not paid for their Services by The Olympic Association. The Thousands of Volunteer Performers without whom, none of the spectacles would be possible, many of which were doctors and nurses from London Hospitals who gave of their time and talents freely. The Welcoming Volunteers that aided and directed visitors, whose services were so tremendously appreciated by all who attended. To make an exception for one single group would be a slap in the face to all the others. In any case, it goes against the whole grain of The Olympic Spirit, which is the directing policy governing all these matters.



I have encountered a small number of people writing that Musicians should boycott the games because of this issue. To me this again is blinkered thinking. For an Artist or Musician today, the biggest problem is that because of the unparalleled growth in so very many forms of multi-media, getting any sort of decent air play for your work is extremely hard to achieve. There are so many Artists and Performers, and in any case Air Play is so strictly controlled on so many Major Channels of the Media.

Having the chance to Broadcast your Music to an Audience of 750,000,000 is a breathtaking opportunity for Performing Artists appearing at the Olympics. Have a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity, for an Amazing Experience, Without Equal. To be Centre Stage, and Broadcast, with almost the Entire World looking on, is Quite Without Parallel. It is an opportunity to Soar in Flight like Eagles, over every man made barrier, and obstacle that could otherwise impede them. And Let The Whole World Hear Their Music! Thus, completely overcoming the biggest problem in Music, today.

Professionally, to me, it's an absolute no brainer. But Personally. I cannot think of think of anything, More Rewarding to a Genuine Musician. However, Industry Professional's are continually being paid for their Services in the many ways indeed though Sponsorship Opportunities that require Media Services and Directly Spin off from such Historic Events.




P