• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Dingwall Owners Club

#30,361
Smallmouth_Bass said:
I remember when I started playing live as a youngster, I would get nervous weeks before a show. Now I do get a little nervous now and then, but that's part of paying your dues playing out in bars having someone "air bassing" a half a foot in front of you and that type of stuff!

I find it easier playing for strangers than people you know. But, the best thing for getting over nerves is being prepared and and knowing the material so well that you can just do it on automatic. There's nothing worse than letting the brain get in the way of a good performance!
Click to expand...

Back when I was in my first "real band" doing club and festival shows that had 200-500 people I'd get excited days in advance and the day of show most certainly (I worked with the singer in that band at a record store) we'd be totally amped up. Then I came to realize that it was actually often draining me of energy I'd rather have on stage. So now, I don't really get worked up about any of it.

I also, if I can find a quiet place before the show do some eyes-shut lightweight meditation/breathing time and do my best to quiet my mind and focus on being 'in the moment' on stage.

I also am pretty well practiced in the material (some of these songs are the better part of 7-9 years old and have seen hundreds of rehearsals and hundreds of shows plus my own practice at home). My strategy is to hopefully build a muscle memory of the material so that I'm not even thinking about what I'm actually doing or when/where changes are. That opens you up to hopefully be receptive to what's happening on stage and play with that.

Wyvern said:
Same problem here, Just performed for church and did considerably better vs. last week.
Instead of looking at the chords and thinking where they are on the fretboard, I just listened to the band and played with my hands and not my brain- only lost place once when a song went an additional chorus than practiced.

First time playing the Dingwall for church! she really shines when it comes to held notes and adds lots of fullness to the sound.
Click to expand...

I've taken the 'sustain' a bit further. My Cali76CB is set up so that if I hold a note...it's gonna go indefinitely until I mute it...then if I do need to hold something I can 'ride' the string at the bridge (with very subtle pressure) to keep it from getting out of control.


Akami said:
Boy ain't that the truth! I seldom play in front of friends at the house and have a hard time getting started if I do, but when I'm at work on stage, not a problem at all. Actually I have little problem playing for people I know if they've come somewhere to hear me and I think it's really driven by not wanting to force people to pay attention to me at home, but at work it's actually what they're paying me to do. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has to deal with that side of it. :)
Click to expand...

I do my best to also put myself into situations that might stretch me...Last year I learned 75 minutes of another band's material (also not on my regular bass, but on my 5 string Steinberger), flew to the gig location, had one 3-hour rehearsal with the band; then the next day was on stage under the jumbo-trons at a festival that is about 4K-ish per day in attendance.

...or reworking all our band's material on fretless and doing a one-off two-set 'acoustic' show in front of a sold out show...after not having played fretless for the better part of two decades.

In both cases they came off fine. I put in a LOT of time, which makes me a better player in a bunch of ways. And also builds confidence over-all. I don't do a lot of open sit-ins or that kind of stuff, which I probably should. I've never been an amazing 'improvisational' player...so something to work on.

So yeah, take chances but do your legwork.

Also, if you haven't...and you're a player who's hard on yourself, your live playing and/or your gig-confidence, read this book.

(click pic to get info)

I was skeptical about it going in...it's a jazz player who plays piano, so what could he know about bass, right? But I found that the ideas and info really put me in a good mind-space thinking about playing and being on stage.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Akami, Jamie_Funk, Wyvern and 4 others
#30,362
I don't see myself ever doing anything other than playing at home and playing at church, but one thing I wonder about working musicians if playing ever becomes just work, I imagine to some it does and could kill the spark a little. I know working on vehicles used to be more fun to me, now it's just boring, seen it, done that- though I still occasionally have fun with diagnostics stuff. I'm more of an engineer minded person- in the wrong career path.

Also, anyone ever play a... Ormsby? Inquiring minds wish to know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flabzilla
#30,363
Busy weekend at the RoughRiders Motorcycle Rally in Las Vegas , New Mexico. July 2019

Gig #1. At the Skillet Friday 8-11pm
Gig #2. In the Plaza Park Gazebo Saturday 11am -1pm
Gig #3. El Rialto Patio Saturday 2pm-5pm

This old body can only take so much fun & abuse.

Plaza Park, beautiful day.


_DSC2047.JPG
_DSC2082.JPG


Got my bass face on
DSC_2106.JPG
DSC_2118.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Larchi, VoodooJazz, A-Ro and 15 others
#30,366
Nice, more purple!

Just curious, in a year or two I think I might want to add another fanned bass to my collection (and remove all but two mono-scales) The Ormsby is different, so it has that going for it, Me buying a NG3 wouldn't make much sense since all I need now is the dark glass pre.

I don't have the pockets for a custom shop Dingwall, and as much as I like the D-Roc- the standard is 4 string only :(
The thing swaying me away from non-dingwall are the frets, I have come to love the banjo frets.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flabzilla
#30,376
Taustin Powers said:
Nice shot, and that bass looks stunning on stage! :drool:

Do you keep your smart phone in your pocket while you play? :eyebrow:
Click to expand...
I never, ever leave neither my phone nor my wallet out in public places. That's common sense to me. I've had way too many bandmates lose their stuff during/after gigs, thinking the dressing rooms would be safe from thieves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BurningSkies and Waltsdog
#30,377
The_Owl said:
I never, ever leave neither my phone nor my wallet out in public places. That's common sense to me. I've had way too many bandmates lose their stuff during/after gigs, thinking the dressing rooms would be safe from thieves.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking I'll start keeping a drawstring bag behind my rig. I'll keep some spare cables in there (apart from my big box of spare cables that I bring to every gig), and I'll throw my pocket contents in there before the down beat. After our set I could just stuff the cables I used in there quickly to get off stage in a hurry, and my keys/wallet/phone/etc would already be in there.
 
#30,379
Scottgun said:
Yep. Shows are a thieves' paradise. Gotta watch you gear as well with other bands around because it's too easy to pull the, "Oh, I thought that belonged to our bassist." I remember owning a Shure SM57 in a mic bag and opening it up later to discover someone pulled a switcheroo leaving me with some no-name pos mic.
Click to expand...

This is why I don't take the Rastaburst out very often. Even insured it's irreplaceable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wyvern
#30,380
Reminds me, I used to do R/c racing, pro level gear is high dollar stuff, I once had a kit I pieced together with clearanced and slightly used stock- the full retail cost $1800 just for the car. One of the last races I attended one of the pro's had his pit bag stolen, in it a $1500 car, $500 worth of batteries and another $500 in radio gear.

All it took was him to go on the bird's nest to talk to his friend for a few minutes- BOOP $2500 and hours of TLC gone.

Even at church with the sound guy's always present, I bag up the bass and lock it in a room until the second service.

The problem with nice things is some people want them too.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back