Recent content by bcamp

I've been using the same rig for many years and, luckily, it's still holding up. I have an AI Clarus 2R on top of a Bergantino AE112. I use this as a stage monitor only as I sing and prefer my vocals in the monitors instead of my bass. The DI on the amp goes to the FOH. Simple and I get to...

The last Bluegrass band I was in played strictly classics by Monroe and the old guys. But we also threw in a Bluegrass version we came up with for Pink Floyd's, "Brain Damage", that was always a huge hit with the crowd. I think you can make almost any song into something closely resembling...

My typical recording setup is this: A Bock 47 LDC about 18" off the bridge, a KM84 SDC about 12" out aimed at the end of the fingerboard, a Samar VL37 ribbon about 6' out and 6" off the floor (yeah, I know it sounds weird) and an Erland pickup. The Bock 47 is the wood and beef, the KM84 is the...

Hi Brandon, Our country/bluegrass band has been using Bose F-1 speakers and subs since 2019. Compared to L-1's, they can be turned up much louder and, in my opinion, are far superior in tone. You will not complain about a lack of bass. They really excel in venues of 50 - 500 where you really...

I have a Norman and Peter too. My Peter had just the opposite problem as yours. It was just too boomy and lacked definition. I could never find strings that would fix the problem and, like you, I collected a lot. I finally cut the steel endpin so only about 6" was inside the bass when fully...

OK, no more saxophone. So... this comes straight from Steinway Pianos. "One of the most critical areas with a new piano is its wood, which tends to still be “stabilizing” during the piano’s first few (to several) years." It's not a bass but it's still one seriously large vibrating wooden...

I play a lot of traditional Bluegrass and AI teamed with pretty much any Bergantino cabinet can't be beat, IMO. Loud as you need it, clear, defined, punchy... what more could you want. I use an AE112 for small, intimate gigs; a HDN212 for medium venues; an NV425 ( 3 X 10's and a 15") for...

I've built approximately 50 acoustic guitars over the years and every owner, without exception, have all stated that the instruments "opened up" after a year of hard playing. They have also stated, also without exception, that the instruments also finally settled in to their final tones between...

#1 on the Heil PR35, a dynamic mic that sounds more like a condenser. It hits my voice just right and does a great job of minimizing feedback and bleed from other sound sources, especially compared to a 58. Headset mics seem to pick up everything around me, at least the ones I've tried. As far...

For me it's always boils down to what tone is most appropriate for the gig. I am very lucky in that I have a double bass that has "THE" tone. I use it in every opportunity I can because it's a joy to play. However, an Outlaw Country gig might demand the tone of my P Bass. I use an Alembic for...

I use a wooden endpin (walnut) for the same reason you do and have used the Rock Stop and also a similar device that Upton sells. Both work well but 90% of the time I use an old 20" X 28" (approx) Navaho saddle blanket I picked up at a yard sale in the 70's. It's 100% wool, no backing or...

Bought a SoundClip when it was new and one of the few alternatives to the Realist. The option of a volume knob was extremely attractive in those days. Pretty much everything everyone has said is true... thinner, trebly, edgy. They're OK, maybe even good sounding under ideal circumstances, but...

Soloing and up tempo songs often benefit very well from the stronger attack of the higher notes whether in first or second portion. But come on guys, we've all got to face the music here. We're all bottom feeders and the low notes are what attracted us to this crazy, temperamental instrument in...

A rose is a rose is a rose... Now when it comes to jobs, an individual bassist in an orchestra is just a small piece of the total but in Bluegrass, my role is to simply drive the bus and give the soloists something to have fun with. I'll get my chops in on the next jazz gig.

I love the "Mwaa' too. I think that's part of what drew a lot of us to the double bass. If you can find a good condition, fretless Thunderchief, buy it. They can be rarer than hen's teeth. I couldn't find a fretless when I decided I needed a ABG but, honestly, the fretted instrument has given me...