Concert ready to start- old reliable WW silent all of a sudden-what to do? This happened over the weekend. I decided to go old school ampless and hope for the best. At intermission I discovered I had flipped the channel selector switch by accident and the amp was fine. The interesting part was that a student of mine in the audience saw what was going on and told me the bass sounded really good and was perfectly audible given the situation. The piano player nearby didn't notice my amp wasn't working. I don't believe I had played acoustically in a concert setting with drums and horns since the days when that's what we did all the time. I have to say I enjoyed it and just the instrument itself had that quality of sound that I miss these days. I'm not going to go back to the good old days but it was fun and revealing to know that it's possible if necessary.
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Double Bass Back to Old Days Accidentally
- Thread starter Bruce Calin
- Start date
I know the feelings - relief, personal stupidity, followed by pride for playing acousticaly
I once did half a set before I realised the mains socket was faulty. Thankfully it was't my WW.
I once did half a set before I realised the mains socket was faulty. Thankfully it was't my WW.
This is cool, and I'm glad it worked out. I'm of the opinion that if you are going to gig a WW, you better have a backup amp in your bag or car. I have a TC BAM200 for this purpose. Great tiny emergency amp.
I do carry a spare(coincidentally a TC) but in this case it was my own carelessness and the fact that the concert was literally starting that made me go for the ampless approach without even looking for what the problem may have been. I'd be curious to know what other bassists think you would do in a similar situation. I believe I remained calm because I had experience of playing totally acoustically with louder bands and had a sense of how to play and what it would sound like to myself. Agree, or would most of us do the same thing, similar experience or not?
I would do the same. I've played entire gigs like that when I actually FORGOT my amp all together.
I played some DB gigs with a 20 piece big band (Uvic Jazz ensemble in 'Glenn Miller configuration') and never thought about using an amp. Amps were for electric basses! 
So, you could hear yourself?
It might be a function of hearing loss, having a bass that just doesn't "boom", or playing with guys who don't hold back, but the last time I had amp trouble onstage and had to go without, I couldn't hear myself...had to guess if I was close to being in tune.
I guess the frightening question for the OP, (and all of Us) is : do your bandmates prefer your playing with, or without, an amp.(!!!???!!!???)
Ouch, babe.
Ouch, babe.
I could hear myself pretty well in this case. I did adjust my attack and kept things simpler than I might have otherwise. I tried to remember how I played and sounded back before amps. It helped that I was on a riser with the drums about eight or ten feet away and the horns down below. I have a much harder time hearing myself in orchestra than in this situation. I like to think the rest of the band was at least neutral when it comes to amp or not. At least nobody complained I was too loud.
Earl
Supporting Member
This is what I like to hear. I think it is possible to play without an amp more often than most bass players think. I always go to the gig with that goal in mind (and with an amp of course) and then see what is possible in the room. I never just automatically use the amp.
Back when I played more jazz I always really liked playing ampless in as many situations as possible (mostly small groups, but I have done it in big band rehearsals before) and I felt that it was something that really changed my whole approach to amplification: because of how most people (myself included) play the bass, we are not really able to get a good sense of the sound and volume that people (band or audience members) in front of the instrument are hearing, and for me I kinda just had to trust that people could hear me and if they couldn’t that the band would adapt. Often in recordings of rehearsals and performances I did without an amp (again, in small group settings), my bass would be a little quiet, but it was still audible. My approach to amplification changed from trying to recreate My Bass Only Louder and having that be what everyone heard to instead have it just give a little support to my acoustic sound. Obviously in loud environments or large stages that’s not gonna cut it, but even when playing at higher volumes I found that by still playing the same way amplified as I would acoustically (basically “playing the bass” instead of “playing the amp”) I was getting a better product. I think the reason why is that unlike bass guitar, where you generally want to ease up and let the amp do the work, with pizzicato double bass the sharp attack followed by a quick decay is the desired sound, and if you’re “playing the amp” the tendency will be to lighten up, which makes the attacks quieter, effectively boosts the sustain, and makes the sound lose that percussive attack that is so desirable in jazz.
Good comments here. I tell my students to try to imagine how the bass sounds out front when they don't have a good reference point from where they are when playing. It actually helped me in this situation to remind myself of that same concept, and to remember how the instrument carried when I had been an audience member in similar circumstances. I also have to plug the strings I'm using now (Tempera Hybrids) and how their concept of playing lighter and letting the top of the bass vibrate helped me stay loose and let the instrument do the work.
Earl
Supporting Member
Yes, after years of being pretty heavy handed I now know that a lighter touch is really the way to a beautiful sound. I remember an interview with Larry Grenadier where he was asked something like what he thinks most often about, and he answered 'I keep reminding myself to play lighter'.
I remember seeing LG a few years ago when I was in NYC and thinking how amazing his sound was and perfectly he played. I also couldn't believe that he hadn't hurt himself yet from playing so hard. His RH was intense!
Why, if you don’t mind me asking? I guess it’s because they’re all old. I bought mine in 95 (I think) and it has been completely reliable for 30 years. The reason I bought it was because my polytone kept breaking. Now I mostly use my AI because it’s even lighter and smaller, but that old WW sure sounds great.
What an interesting thread. It reminds me of when we played support to the Ted Heath Orchestra at Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Research Establishment of all places. Back in 1963. Heath’s bass player was Johnnie Hawksworth, an early adopter of amped bass and I was anxious to demonstrate my own amped rig to him. We arrived first to set up and I had my valve amp up ended to correct a small wiring problem. One of our saxes arrived and dropped his tenor case on the stage toppling my amp over and crushing a KT88. I was so disappointed that I had to play our two sets unamplified. At the end of the gig Johnnie came over and complimented me on my playing and saying how well the bass, a Czech laminated, cut through the mix.
1. Because they are old.
2. Because they do odd things (pots seem to get dirty quickly, etc.)
I just think if you can have a backup for an old amp that's the size of your palm and can get you through a gig, it's definitely a good idea.
Earl, do you notice much of a difference in your feel when you play with a lighter touch? I feel like my time is much better, but I'm not sure how it affects my feel.
I've generally carried a spare amp over the years when I wasn't using a combo, which I have done from time to time. I got my WW in the early 80s and used it for many years with no trouble. The only problem I ever had was when I stupidly loaned it out and water was dripped into it,but Walter took care of that and it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I used combos for a while thinking they were more convenient but eventually went back to separates for sound and flexibility reasons. The WW has been by far the best amp I have ever owned and the fact that I had to scramble at this concert was totally my fault and had nothing to do with the amp as such. The reliving of my acoustic past was a byproduct.
Earl
Supporting Member
I have actually had very positive feedback from band members, without me telling them I changed anything. I try not to play too lightly of course, I like a little pop to the note, but I think easing up a little affects the feel in a good way.
