Hearing yourself during Rehearsal/gigs

[Ed Fuqua]

Originally Posted by Samie

How loud is a DB, can it compete with a sax? a guitar?

First, it's not a "competition".
Second, whether or not you can be heard depends on the bass and who is playing it.

I've done rehearsals with 18 piece big bands with no amp, because I didn't need one to be heard, where I needed to be heard, in the room we were rehearsing in.

Matt used an amp because he felt he needed to. I, given the despcription of the gig and knowledge of the businesses in the neighborhood, would not have brought an amp to the gig, even if it had been a quintet gig, because I don't feel I would need to.

It's not a moral judgement, it's an objective assessment of whether or not (insert player's name) thinks that they will have to use some method of amplification to get the sound they are looking for at the volume they are looking for.

[Samie]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

First, it's not a "competition".
Second, whether or not you can be heard depends on the bass and who is playing it.

I've done rehearsals with 18 piece big bands with no amp, because I didn't need one to be heard, where I needed to be heard, in the room we were rehearsing in.

Matt used an amp because he felt he needed to. I, given the despcription of the gig and knowledge of the businesses in the neighborhood, would not have brought an amp to the gig, even if it had been a quintet gig, because I don't feel I would need to.

It's not a moral judgement, it's an objective assessment of whether or not (insert player's name) thinks that they will have to use some method of amplification to get the sound they are looking for at the volume they are looking for.

Thanx ed, I think you misunderstood my question.

I was wandering if my double bass had set up problems. I had my first rehersal with my DB, first time I ever played with anyone but myself.

I was quite surprise of how quiet the DB was. I have a 10mm at the bridge height and red spiros (orchestra). I could hear nothing.

I have since learned that the sound is projected, so even thought I did not hear much, others propably did. I was just 2 sax, 1 trumpet, 2 percusion guys, electric amplified jazz guitar and me. We were in a mid sized living room.

I ended up playing with the arco, much to my surprise!!

I just wanted to know how loud is the DB suposed to be just to see if I need to rethink my string setup.

[anonymous0726]

Samie -- aside from setup, and more importantly, it takes a while to develop your tone / projection / etc. We're talking years. Ed went to school with Jesus and has bear-paws to boot, so take that into consideration as well. It took a couple of years of ampless NYC playing for me to arrive at what I get out of the bass acoustically -- this after about 20 years on the instrument.

MattIdes -- the reason the new trio is kicking your butt a bit, at least as far as hearing yourself, is that you now have other instruments in your range. Particularly the guitar.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

Samie -- aside from setup, and more importantly, it takes a while to develop your tone / projection / etc. We're talking years. Ed went to school with Jesus....

And to his credit, he has never boasted about this even once in all the time I've known him. Humble basstid, is Ed.

[Ed Fuqua]

Jesus Martinez, maybe. Ray just means I is auld.

But "It took a couple of years of ampless NYC playing for me to arrive at what I get out of the bass acoustically -- this after about 20 years on the instrument." THAT'S what I been saying, it takes work but you get to a point where the amp/no amp default MOVES. But ONLY if you work at it.

It's not just bass, you talk to horn players and you hear about how certain cats are so used to playing through a mic and sound system that they get no projection from the horn itself. Or singers, operatic and stage singers train to project to the back of the hall. Somebody who's come up playing in pop and rock bands has ALWAYS used a mic and when one of the famous ones gets a part in a Broadway musical they all of a sudden gotta get mic'ed up or nobody can hear'em.

And, as I continue to hold even if I don't say it as often as I used to, the work you do to get a big warm open swinging sound ACOUSTICALLY out of the instrument insures that you get a big warm open swinging sound out of the amp.


The converse does not seem to hold true.

[Matt Ides]

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

MattIdes -- the reason the new trio is kicking your butt a bit, at least as far as hearing yourself, is that you now have other instruments in your range. Particularly the guitar.

I report back in 20 then

Welcome back Ray.

[anonymous0726]

Originally Posted by Matt Ides

Welcome back Ray.

Thank you

Guitar is always a challenge against bass -- ampilified or otherwise. Particularly bigboxes - L5's, Super 400's and the like. My favorite type of guitar to play with is a 335 type -- lots of nice, woody tone without sucking all of the sound out of the bass.

[Ed Fuqua]

To each his own - I've had the most fun playing with cats, duo and trio, with really big guitars - L5's, L7s, D'angelico/D'Aquisto New Yorkers etc.

My buddy Matt snagged (about a year ago) a 1948 ES - 350, which is kinda the early model ( 1 pick up instead of two) of the guitar Wes and Jimmy Raney and those cats used. Ply top, maple back and sides, gets a pretty focused, fat sound.

But I like playing with guitar players...