Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

My first real bass was a Gibson EB-3(1966). One thing that amazed me about Jack Bruce's tone was how he got his EB-3 to sound like that(a sound I don't like). AFAIK, he used the bridge pup only. I fooled around with the (then)4 position switch[current EB-3s have a 3 position switch-bridge, bridge/neck, neck]and couldn't find a blend between the 2 pups that I liked, so I only used the neck pup: Nice, fat, low thundering bass. I could keep up with guitarists using Twin-or Super-Reverb 7enders while I was using a 50W piggyback bassman*. There may not have been the punch/clarity that seems to be the prevalent tone of today, but there was no shortage of bottom. Before I got my TBird, I used the EB-3 for every type of music I was called on to play: Rock, country, big band and stage shows. The 'mud' comes from the neck pup but EQ on the bass and/or the amp can 'fix' that-or not!
I have a Squire VM Jaguar SS bass View attachment 3462444 as my backup/tight space bass. It's "OK", but what I wanted when I needed(?)a short scale was a black Epi EB-0. Nothing but cherry was available and I don't like their cherry finish(JMO).
Point of all this being, try an EB-0. Ya might like it[or not]. I'd bet it would sound bodacious through your PBJ.


*50W Bassman/2x12 cab:View attachment 3462415

The EB3 and Thunderbird may be the most rock n' roll basses ever, on looks alone. IMO.

And today wander into the brick and mortar with the intent of scoring a



and succeeded. The guy I thought I'd find wasn't at the counter. The sales professional who met with me says, want to try this here Ibanez Artcore? Not in those words, more like here's an ice cream sundae for your head, if you like. Into the demo room we go, she plugs me in and well dang

this thing's got five strings and my fingers are totally confused.

Which came as quite a surprise to me. Not that my fingers are confused, that's normal The surprise is the moment I realize this is a five string and that C I hit ain't no C. Big, fat strings, and she's all, "you'll get used to it," and I left with the cable ....

 

[beans-on-toast]

Curly cables are the cat’s meow.

 

[beans-on-toast]

He was a huge rock’n’roll star achieving the first rock million seller. In 1955, Fats played 340 dates and was making over $500,000 a year from touring. His record contracts was based on a percentage of sales and he had a lot of million plus selling hits.

In addition to his own records, he did studio sessions for others. He died at age 89. Not too bad.


Fats Domino - Wikipedia

 

[G-Dog]

... ... today wander into the brick and mortar with the intent of scoring a
View attachment 3462792
and succeeded. The guy I thought I'd find wasn't at the counter. The sales professional who met with me says, want to try this here Ibanez Artcore? Not in those words, more like here's an ice cream sundae for your head, if you like. Into the demo room we go, she plugs me in and well dang

this thing's got five strings and my fingers are totally confused.

Which came as quite a surprise to me. Not that my fingers are confused, that's normal The surprise is the moment I realize this is a five string and that C I hit ain't no C. Big, fat strings, and she's all, "you'll get used to it," and I left with the cable ....

Inspiration has struck! Had to run out and get my own hazy purple
shown here with, what some will recognize as, my own Castor [sic] of the Stars (so I can't be accused of posting a stock photo). Curly tones will soon ensue.
.

 

[GonePlaid]

The EB3 and Thunderbird may be the most rock n' roll basses ever, on looks alone. IMO.

And today wander into the brick and mortar with the intent of scoring a

View attachment 3462792

and succeeded. The guy I thought I'd find wasn't at the counter. The sales professional who met with me says, want to try this here Ibanez Artcore? Not in those words, more like here's an ice cream sundae for your head, if you like. Into the demo room we go, she plugs me in and well dang

this thing's got five strings and my fingers are totally confused.

Which came as quite a surprise to me. Not that my fingers are confused, that's normal The surprise is the moment I realize this is a five string and that C I hit ain't no C. Big, fat strings, and she's all, "you'll get used to it," and I left with the cable ....

The low B string makes an excellent full length thumb rest. My Artcore AGB200 is a 4 string. Love the sound. Especially with the D'A. tapes.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Well, GOF's I've been called to gig duty. I'm practicing for a 3rd of July dance downtown Sitka. There will be a few bands there. Another band wanted me to play bass but the gig I chose pays money and FOOD LOL. Wife Carey is going to rehearsal with me tonight. It's really hot-- 74 degrees in the shade here in Sitka. I hope the rehearsal place has air conditioning! @Al Kraft I finally get to blow off the dust on my Edens and GK MB500 for Wednesday night! Who knows-- I might get 'er cranked halfway!

 

[Al Kraft]

Well, GOF's I've been called to gig duty. I'm practicing for a 3rd of July dance downtown Sitka. There will be a few bands there. Another band wanted me to play bass but the gig I chose pays money and FOOD LOL. Wife Carey is going to rehearsal with me tonight. It's really hot-- 74 degrees in the shade here in Sitka. I hope the rehearsal place has air conditioning! @Al Kraft I finally get to blow off the dust on my Edens and GK MB500 for Wednesday night! Who knows-- I might get 'er cranked halfway!

Those little cabs and that MB head never fail to impress me when I break them out. Enjoy rehearsal and the gig Will.

 

[GwenOnBass]

It's a

Tuesday.

 

[beans-on-toast]

It's a

View attachment 3463238​

Tuesday.

If it were in color, it might be a Ruby Tuesday.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Those little cabs and that MB head never fail to impress me when I break them out. Enjoy rehearsal and the gig Will.

The mind automatically fills in "Montblanc" instead of "Mark Bass" every time I read "MB". That's time spent on the fountain pen boards. I own one Montblanc and it's okay but not nearly worth the hype. The others - two rollerballs that saw reluctant use, a yellow student grade one from the 70s, and one rare one all returned to the universe one way or another.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I always thought that it would be neat to own a space pen.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I always thought that it would be neat to own a space pan.

Americans invented the space pen so astronauts could write in zero gravity. The Soviets gave their cosmonauts pencils.

Think we've got enough threads here about flying with a bass? You should see the threads about flying with a fountain pen. I didn't bother and took the rollerballs. A rollerball is really not a very responsive tool, IMO. One of my casual "scores" ....

Not all celluloid is stable (see: tort). Picked up a pair of Merlin pens. They were manufactured in postwar Netherlands. Americans dominated the postwar pen industry, what with a lot of European production facilities in ruins. The Merlin brand was short-lived and limited. The celluloid they used was unstable. The caps and barrels are shrunken and warped. The hardware, though, is perfect. Both have 14k nibs. One is a flex nib, which means it is made for Spencerian writing.

The two Merlins are "project" pens for new caps and barrels with the old hardware. Sure, lots of skilled folks with lathes out there. (I'm not among them.) One day I'll have them back in working order .... Just hasn't been a priority.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I tend to use fine tip rollerball type pens or a mechanical pencil for day-to-day notes. Uni-ball Signo 207, made in Japan by Mitsubishi. They use a water based gel ink. Only problem is that it is water soluble and smears when wet. It doesn’t wash out though. Non water based inks can smear as well before they dry.

When the vintage celluloid barrel pens were manufactured, they must have thought that they were using state of the art materials. Who would have predicted such a long service life.

Celluloid instrument pickguards do the same shrinking thing. It can damage the wood, even crack it, when it’s glued on. Maybe why I like to remove glued on pickguards, even when they are safe like modern ones are.

 

[Stumbo]

I always thought that it would be neat to own a space pan.

Non-stick?

 

[GwenOnBass]

Amodex removes ink stains, even oil-based ballpoint ink.

Throwaway culture is pretty new.

Over on the fountain pen boards read reports of a hard rubber "safety pen" recently discovered in a Great War trench zone. Still perfectly functional.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Non-stick?

A slip of the pen!

Molecule of the Month: Teflon: The non-stick myth that stuck: Did you

 

[the slug]

I own one Montblanc and it's okay but not nearly worth the hype.

i owned 2 both ball point. did not like them but almost bought a rollerball the other day. any better suggestions than montblanc?

 

[beans-on-toast]

Amodex removes ink stains, even oil-based ballpoint ink..

Thanks. Good to know.

 

[Al Kraft]

I always thought that it would be neat to own a space pen.

I think the Soviets decided a pencil would do the job just fine for them...writes in any position!

Which reminds me of an old joke from the cold war days - Question: What's huge, makes a ton of noise, smokes like a house on fire, and cuts apples in three pieces? Answer: A soviet made device for cutting apples in four pieces.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I think the Soviets decided a pencil would do the job just fine for them...writes in any position!

Which reminds me of an old joke from the cold war days - Question: What's huge, makes a ton of noise, smokes like a house on fire, and cuts apples in three pieces? Answer: A soviet made device for cutting apples in four pieces.

That explains why the Soviets had to steal the NASA space shuttle designs!

Once proven in development, the Soviets bought the same pen that NASA was using. There are issues in space with mechanical pencils not to mention that the $129 each price was nuts.

Fact or Fiction?: NASA Spent Millions to Develop a Pen that Would Write in Space, whereas the Soviet Cosmonauts Used a Pencil