Recent content by Garry Raines

I'm been told that neighbors have complained about noise levels from my bass when practicing. Each time this has happened I thought I was just "in the mix" at an appropriate level compared to the other instruments in the band. The comments are usually something like, "the neighbors say the bass...

Still playing my 1992 USA Fender 5-string Jazz Plus I bought new in early 94. It's my only bass. I have done a ton of gigs with it. I paid $900.00 for it. The store in Durham, NC didn't charge any sales taxes. I had the neck adjusted once around 2005, but not since. Has a narrow neck and plays...

I've used my Carvin 210 cabinet as a stand-alone and with my Carvin 115 with the BX1500 head for about the last 10 years or so. Biggest problem I ever had was when a hurricane fell a tree on my out-building and it rained on it for about a week. It was so full of water I could barely lift it...

The first song that came to mind for me was (I think the title is) In My Life by the Beatles.

My first live gig. 15 years old. Played a borrowed Fender amp. The big head with tubes and 2 cabs loaded with 18's. Woah. The place was a YMCA building that had dances. We were going to leave all our (borrowed) equipment there after the show, but our roadies took it to practice building while we...

I don't know much about other 5-string basses, but I've played my 1992 5-string Jazz Plus since 1994. I love it still. I don't know if the B string is floppy compared to other 5ers, but it plays like butter to me. The sound from the active lace sensor pickups suits me to a T. I've played classic...

This was the first song that came to me when I started reading this post. Changed my life. Also agree with It's A Beautiful Day's Whitebird live version.

In 1970 my neighbor came home from Germany on leave from the Army and brought a copy of a Hofner. He didn't want to take it back with him and he left it with me until he got back home. A kid I hung with played drums and a kid down the street played a little guitar, so I was in a band the next...

I agree. When I've not liked my sound a change of strings has been the fix for any sound problems I was hearing.

I lived in Fayetteville in 1994 and had a bad experience at Edwards and never went bacl. The owner's son (I think) told me I couldn't buy a Fender 5-string Jazz I had been checking out for weeks waiting on tax return check. He said it had the wrong price tag on it ($500 less than he said was the...

Trend Music in Charlotte, NC. Bought my first quality bass, a mid-60's slotted head EB-O there. I wish I still had it. Bought my first amp there. A Fender Bassman with a 412 cab. RIP Walter Barton. A gruff old SOB, but he had a soft spot for long-haired kids in the early 1970's.

I've been looking for a couple of new members for our band and have sent messages to many people who have ads on Bandmix who have never replied. Some who replied said that they were already in a project. I wonder why these people have ads if not willing to reply or already have a working project?

I'm not sure what you mean by not zoning out, but, if like me, distractions that cause loss of concentration cause most of my mistakes. I try to recover as quickly as possible, try to get refocused on the task at hand, and later try to think how to eliminate distractions( not easy and sometimes...

I agree. If you know either the bride or the groom or someone in the wedding you should contact them directly and explain why you are not playing this event (after you've let the BL know you're not going to do it). Any so-called damage to your reputation will be forgotten quickly when the truth...

As an older player I think that there isn't a large demand for new or used equipment because there are fewer younger people playing live music. Probably most players my age have already acquired all the equipment they need/can afford/have room to store and aren't buying much any longer. Maybe...