Coronavirus lockdown insanity

[dougjwray]

What has the past six months done to almost drive you over the edge?

Except for one outdoor gig in June, I've spent my time recording a few tracks for a couple of people and fine tuning my tone. I've always gravitated toward P-Basses, but for the recordings, I pulled out a couple of Jazz Basses. This led me to some rather obsessive tweaking: Changed the type of strings on Bass A and liked them; tried them on Bass B and liked them, but decided it was finally time to try different pickups; changed the pickups on Bass B and liked them, but now didn't like the strings; changed the type of strings on Bass B and liked them; decided to try those strings on Bass A, and on and on, down the rabbit hole into microscopic differences in tone which are noticeable only when you're not playing live.
The good news is that I've rediscovered Jazz Basses, which is nice, and I haven't lost my callouses or endurance.
The other thing that happened was that I bought a used bass (referred to as "Bass A" above) the weekend before the quarantine began, and I knew that it needed some rewiring and fret work. Between March 15 and the end of June (when things started to reopen), I had to pull my hair out waiting, because none of the four repair guys I knew could do anything.
One guy in April: "I can put you down for July 20."
Another guy in April: "Call me in June." Called him June 1st. "You've got 250 people ahead of you, but I'll put you on the waiting list."
Another guy works in Manhattan, and that was off limits.

But here's the happy ending:
A friend recommended a local guy, who turned out to be speedy, fair money-wise and very good at repair work. He did the rewiring and a good set up, but the frets still needed attention.
Then, my favorite guy accepted the bass on the morning that he reopened in June, and I got it back a week later, literally an hour before that one gig!

My family is starting to go nuts hearing me endlessly noodling in the basement, trying different combinations of basses and amps in search of the "perfect" tone. ("Don't you ever play SONGS??") Fortunately, I have a couple more outdoor gigs coming up this month and tentative ones in October and December, so I hope to regain my sanity soon.

Sorry about the long post!

 

[bolophonic]

I started out by selling off a bunch of unwanted gear and then buying a few effects pedals to experiment with...

...After approximately 10 minutes of noodling around with each pedal, I am now thinking about selling the pedals and using the money on fig trees, because it turns out that I like fresh figs way more than effects pedals.

 

[bholder]

I started out by selling off a bunch of unwanted gear and then buying a few effects pedals to experiment with...

...After approximately 10 minutes of noodling around with each pedal, I am now thinking about selling the pedals and using the money on fig trees, because it turns out that I like fresh figs way more than effects pedals.

I don't give a fig. ('cause I ain't got one, and if I did, I'd et it, not give it!) Mmmmm, figs!

 

[Passinwind]

I started out by selling off a bunch of unwanted gear and then buying a few effects pedals to experiment with...

...After approximately 10 minutes of noodling around with each pedal, I am now thinking about selling the pedals and using the money on fig trees, because it turns out that I like fresh figs way more than effects pedals.

Fresh figs rule. It's been a huge adventure every year trying to fight off birds and raccoons who think so too though.

On-topic: I've designed and built a pretty substantial amount of MI electronics widgets during lockdown. My wife actually seems to like the new tube amp so far, but yeah, more SONGS is mo bettah. I still have at least a couple of months worth of backlogged projects too; nothing commercial, all just for my own edification really.

 

[JRA]

What has the past six months done to almost drive you over the edge?

i'm' not close to any "edge" but i most definitely miss rehearsing and gigging. i've kept fairly busy recording some bass parts, mixing and mastering some good tunes, writing, arranging, and posting some goofy (but apparently effective!) short 'commercials' for our small fan base. i've put together an instrument that needs tinkering --- until it's right. yada yada. i've probably spent more time here (TB). pre-covid i was mostly a morning and daytime member, but now i'm all/any hours. i've done a few PA/FOH gigs for an event band. but i'd rather play, for sure!

i'm also old. i've learned something about patience. that said: i prefer to look forward. however long it takes to get back to playing is just another stretch of time...and like always: i need to practice in order to be ready!

that's my story --- i'll stick to it until it changes.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

As a group we've been lucky in having two gigs per month over the summer, all outside. We had added a new member in our 3 pc so we were excited to get out there. Unfortunately our nice weather window in WI will run out by the end of Sept and we'll have to regroup and decide on inside gigs, if we'll do them, if we won't, where would we be comfortable doing one, where wouldn't we be?

I tried two different overdrive pedals over the last couple months. I have 3 passive basses, two Musicmasters and one modded Bronco, and I was just trying to find a way to balance the sound more between them. Ended up returning one pedal to Sweetwater and the other I got for a pittance off CL so filing that one away for now, just didn't get results I was happy with. Now I've spent a ton of time playing with the tone settings on my Rumble 500 to come up with the most acceptable way of balancing the sound which will mean knowing a different setting for each of them. Not like I don't have time to do that now I guess.

 

[dougjwray]

As a group we've been lucky in having two gigs per month over the summer, all outside. We had added a new member in our 3 pc so we were excited to get out there. Unfortunately our nice weather window in WI will run out by the end of Sept and we'll have to regroup and decide on inside gigs, if we'll do them, if we won't, where would we be comfortable doing one, where wouldn't we be?

I tried two different overdrive pedals over the last couple months. I have 3 passive basses, two Musicmasters and one modded Bronco, and I was just trying to find a way to balance the sound more between them. Ended up returning one pedal to Sweetwater and the other I got for a pittance off CL so filing that one away for now, just didn't get results I was happy with. Now I've spent a ton of time playing with the tone settings on my Rumble 500 to come up with the most acceptable way of balancing the sound which will mean knowing a different setting for each of them. Not like I don't have time to do that now I guess.

That generally describes my experience with effects: I get one, try it for five minutes and return it; or I get it, really like it, and find an actual use for it once or twice over the next five years.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

That generally describes my experience with effects: I get one, try it for five minutes and return it; or I get it, really like it, and find an actual use for it once or twice over the next five years.

I had a Line 6 Lowdown 300 at one time and I really liked the sounds that it had built in. But the thing was 90+ lbs and had handles only on the sides, making it very awkward if you tried to use only one handle. And using both handles meant no way to hang onto the hand rail. So after every gig I would stand at the top of the basement stairs and wonder if I was about to die if I slipped or tripped.

I'm already thinking ahead that if we do indeed have some time off this fall I'll look into a Line 6 effect of some type to go with my Rumble 500.

 

[DirtDog]

What has the past six months done to almost drive you over the edge?

Pretty much nothing. I'm as happy as a clam.

Don't miss gigging - in fact, before all of this gigging was starting to erode my sanity and health. Been collaborating virtually on some recording projects for a long time now and some of these have ramped up since the lockdown started.

My strategy has been to "embrace the suck" and look at this as an ultra-marathon rather than a sprint. I have kept myself occupied and happy with activities that require the absolute minimum of face-to-face interactions with other people; completely in line with my well-established introversion and budding misanthropy! Getting to spend a ton of quality time with my wife and daughter has been a bonus.

The only thing that has come close to driving me over the edge is having interacted the odd time with people who have behaved like this is a 100m sprint. Hence my misanthropy!

Gear wise - I'm starting to develop an unhealthy obsession with vintage monophonic synths.

 

[pappabass]

I work at a hospital, never quit working! we went to working every other day, back full time in June. that was it. Our gig started back in June.
No pedal, old school player here!
Not a very exciting COVID downtime!

 

[Jakeman]

Really miss gigging. But as far as going over the edge? The virus lockdown has made me crazy enough to start playing 5 and 6 string basses.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Fresh figs are awesome. I used to climb trees and eat them right there when I was a kid.

I'm also selling stuff, and building my small pedalboard that includes modifying some pedals. I will hopefully post a NPBD (new pedalboard day) when it's complete.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I got my prehistoric Peavy guitar amp refurbished. Wound up costing me more than I could sell it for.
Bought a Telecaster, and the first 2 stomp boxes I've owned since 1980.
Yeah..... A guitar
That's how bad its it's been
......

 

[fivestringgecko]

i'm' not close to any "edge" but i most definitely miss rehearsing and gigging.

Same here. My last gig was on 2/28/2020, and gigs/rehearsals have been sorely missed. As much as a load-in can be a pain in the @$$, or I get home at 4am after a tough tear down, this pandemic is really going to help me not take gigs for granted anymore. If (When) gigs start coming back, it'll help me be much more positive about loading in through a hotel dock, up a tiny service elevator, winding my way through a labyrinth of hallways, through the busy kitchen, and finally to the stage. lol

What I've really been working on during this whole thing is moving forward as a musician. I started off strong, using what would have been my commute time to practice technique stuff. Then I lost some motivation because I practice in my office where I've been working remotely. I've been quite thankful to keep my job through all of this, but it got hard to practice when it's the same spot where I just spent 8-9+ hours working.

Then I moved to exploring impulse responses and got that dialed in, so then came some string comparisons. Then back to technique stuff, signing up for a couple master classes through Scott's Bass Lessons. That dropped off again, and now I'm researching tube preamps and educating myself on tubes... 12AX7 vs. 12AT7 vs. 12ATY7 vs. 12AU7... possible sonic differences and what tubes I want to try in what gear.

Up for an extended Labor Day weekend: getting up to speed on a music collaboration with a guitarist friend, and prepping for an upcoming audition of all things. I've actually gotten a couple requests from groups looking for a bassist during this thing, which I thought was rather interesting.

So... not "over the edge" (yet?), but bouncing from one thing to another to stay occupied.

5sg.

 

[210superair]

Man, am I the only one who enjoyed the break? It's been awesome to have time off. We're back rehearsing once a week, and I've enjoyed spending more time with my family, going out in the boat a lot. My kid and I set a goal of 30 days in a row swimming together, and yesterday was day 26. We picked up a vintage mini bike to ride around, cruised in the hot rod. It's been the best summer ever, and last summer I traveled literally every weekend for gigs. I don't miss gigs at all... I'm sure I will enjoy it once I'm on stage again though.

 

[JRA]

loading in through a hotel dock, up a tiny service elevator, winding my way through a labyrinth of hallways, through the busy kitchen, and finally to the stage. lol

yeah, who knew that routine could ever be missed! me, too!


good on ya for stepping up --- in any way! hang in!

 

[lfmn16]

I miss gigging, but this will be over at some point - even if over means everyone susceptible dies and leaves the ones that don't catch it. They will either find a vaccine, a cure, or mother nature will take out the vulnerable. Whoever is left will get on with life. Not being a pessimist, just realistic.

Meanwhile, I'm spending 3-4 hours a day practicing in the hopes that I'll be one of the ones left over!

 

[Funky_Be]

I started out by selling off a bunch of unwanted gear and then buying a few effects pedals to experiment with...

...After approximately 10 minutes of noodling around with each pedal, I am now thinking about selling the pedals and using the money on fig trees, because it turns out that I like fresh figs way more than effects pedals.

Do you know about the figs and the bees?

 

[equill]

What has the past six months done to almost drive you over the edge?

I've been referring to it often enough anyway, but: taking redundancy and migrating to Spain.

The timing was just accidental; the business decision was made at the end of last year, to move my team's Amsterdam roles back over to head office in Sydney, and it took months for the legal and procedural wheels to turn.
I was asked to make that move when I joined the team from here, and my answer involved the phrase "explosives and a crowbar." It hasn't changed; I left Australia to move to Europe, and my reasons for doing so are stronger than ever. So I negotiated terms for redundancy instead, and started work on getting a residence visa in Spain, which involved buying a house. This has some time-pressure, because my residence permit in the Netherlands depends on my job, so I have until the end of the year to either renew my existing permit or get a new one.

So I've been flying back and forth between two cities that had an initial major outbreak, and that are back to pretending there isn't a nasty airborne disease going around, while wrangling Spanish beauracracy. One great decision I've made is to engage a relocation specialist, who've been a massive help with red tape and translation, while I come up to speed with a whole new language as quickly as I can - without them, this would have been so much worse.

I'm currently sleeping on the floor in my workroom (thankfully we have a separate room) because I made the last two trips alone, and we're taking as few chances with my already-immunocompromised partner's health as we can. Not being able to touch each other for the last couple of weeks has just added to the stress; at least that has a time-limit.

The hardest part has been that the situation is perpetually dynamic: things are always changing, so I haven't been able to plan more than a couple of weeks ahead since late June.

Sorry about all the whining, but I was offered the perfect opportunity to vent, so I took it.


At least I'll have more time for music, come October.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Finding a decent restaurant with outdoor seating, the right beer and food combo, then getting a crappy meal, all the while knowing that Winter is coming. Seems like 3 out of 4 places have chumped us. Help wanted signs everywhere in SE Michigan.