Recent content by John the Bassist

Played my first gig at Hard Rock Café Pretoria, it was a great venue with great management! I used a backline Orange OBC 115 and was very impressed. I had always thought of Orange as catering predominantly for guitarists - I now regret my prior stance. I found the cab to be quite sensitive, as...

Hi everyone! I have recently noticed, with some dismay, that there is a buzz/rattle which seems to come from the bridge area of my Thunderchief when I play fretted notes ranging from the low F on the B-string to mid-neck notes on the G-string. Open strings don't seem to produce any noticeable...

One of the biggest game changers for me has been an acoustic bass (a five-string Tacoma Thunderchief). I really enjoy its tone, seeing it as its own instrument and not as a wannabe electric or upright bass. It has brought a lot of convenience to practicing and teaching where I travel to the...

"I'm a six-string piccolo bassist" does sound a little more niche than "I play guitar too." :D

Thank you for this suggestion; I hadn't actually considered installing a port, simply just because I hadn't seen anything like that before. I'll experiment a little with cardboard sometime and will share what I find once I've done so. If I get favourable results with cardboard, I could possibly...

Hi everyone! Has anyone experimented with the resonant frequency of an acoustic bass' body by adjusting the dimensions of the sound hole? I have a five-string, purely acoustic Thunderchief which has quickly become my favourite instrument. Without electronics, it is not very useful live, but it...

I've come to prefer using an audio interface and some in-ears for quick-setup practice. I usually take my laptop and in-ears along with me when I travel in any case, and a small interface doesn't take up too much additional packing room (certainly not compared to the bass itself).

That is really cool to read. I have always been enamored by woodwind instruments and their timbre. Over the past ten or so years, I've set out to learn the Quena (an Andean flute) a number of times, but have never got very far. I'm not sure whether my embouchure is to blame, or if it's just...

I definitely think there's merit to owning an ABG, based on my experience with a Tacoma. I agree with what many have said regarding their convenience for practice and how imperfections in one's playing are revealed. The Tacoma balances well with an acoustic un-amplified in a quiet setting. I...

What a breathtaking Roscoe!

The bass looks regal nonetheless!

Congrats! Nice cabs too! One could almost say that you’ve coordinated the color scheme intentionally - looks regal ;)

That is a stunning corvette! Your heart must ache to see her go.

Sounds like for not too much money, you've gained for yourself a bass with quite a bit of character :D

Yes, unless it's altogether impractical. I don't have a short-scale beater bass though, and have therefore always had to carefully transport a full-sized bass. That short-scale of yours looks great and is a great idea!