Recent content by ptooner

I thought I was retired but I seem to keep getting calls for short gigs - especially daytime and it's hard to say no. My question is I am using a small markbass amp for everything in these shows and I would like an easy way to switch quickly between my fender jazz and my stagg upright. I am...

You bring a PICK? ;-)

I could hardly stop listening. You just can't believe what you are hearing. I'm guessing he got the gig because he was the only one who could speak any english?

I don't know if the WERE better, but they certainly were PAID better. They were also 20 years younger. If you look around, the same musicians on stage today were there 20 or more years ago. I, for one, know that I have lost a step or two.

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As many have said, you must be amped one way or another. A cheap way to go with these kind of gigs (and what I do) is a stagg electric upright for the look and a markbass mini amp for the sound. Also, I can't over emphasize that you must play less and simpler in this kind of combo. Lots of...

I see the only real advantage as having so many notes available in a smaller space. I have a friend who plays 6 all the time (I don't) and he said that's why he uses it. Quite a few years ago I was playing in a showy country band and I went back and forth between 4 and 5 strings. I discovered...

I haven't been to a jam session in a long time, but when I go I usually bring a fretless. I have a decent inexpensive Ibanez fretless that plays good and discourages beginners and drunks.

I think I'll try a serious answer. What makes a bass great is consistency. If you hear no change in tonality between strings and no change in volume between strings and frets, you have a winner.

Do you know how many bass players it takes to change a lightbulb? None, the keyboard player will get it with his left hand. :bassist::hyper:;)

One of my all time favorites was when Victor Borge was finishing a show he used to say:" I'd like to thank my parents who made this show possible. And my children who made it necessary" I used to keep a few 3x5 cards on my music stand which actually had things like the names of band members...

I have to agree, I knew an accordion player some years ago that against my advice left his accordion in the back seat of a locked car. Sure enough he returned to find a window broken and 3 more accordions in his back seat.

I started playing piano at 9 and was being paid by 14. At 60 I decided I wanted to play bass. Well actually, a band I was playing with lost our bass player and we had a gig 5 days later. I said, hell I know the music I can learn bass by Friday. Never regretted a minute of it and although I...