- Jul 3, 2007
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- Disclosures
- Author of "Soul Fingers." I'm the Duck Dunn expert.
I was at a local jazz fest this weekend (included Terrence Blanchard, Poncho Sanchez and RUFUS REID), and I went to the jam session. My teacher was hosting and told me there will be a bass there.
There was. Just a Fender slab, but it was a decent backline instrument. Most of the guys played this one, except for a few.
One guy brought in his DB for one tune. It was at least a few hundred years old, French carved. It was a beautiful bass. Along with that, he brought in a Walter Woods head and a nice acoustic 12" cab. Even if someone wanted to play on this rig (which I didn't because I didn't want to be held responsible for anything that happens), he wouldn't have let them. I thought it was pointless to bring this axe for one tune, but whatever.
This guy put the bass on one of those flimsy metal stands where the endpin sits in a cup in front and is held by these movable arms. He put this bass directly to the right of the drums, RIGHT WHERE THE DRUMMERS GET IN AND OUT OF THE SET.
This kid gets up to play drums, and as he's leaving, he bumps into the bass so lightly he didn't even notice, but the whole room did. A sound of terror came ringing through the whole room as we saw this bass going down. The fall was broken by this poor drummer's head, and this 60 something year old guy sprints to the scene to catch it before it hits the ground, screaming "WATCH IT, SON!" Then he went into lecturing the kid.
The bass was fine, but it was a horrifying experience, especially to the bassists in the room. That bass is probably worth more than I could ever afford. If it were me, not only would I not bring my own axe to a jam that's that huge annually, I would definitely have it in a safe place if I did. When he set that bass down when he did, I just thought "not good" to myself.
Nick
There was. Just a Fender slab, but it was a decent backline instrument. Most of the guys played this one, except for a few.
One guy brought in his DB for one tune. It was at least a few hundred years old, French carved. It was a beautiful bass. Along with that, he brought in a Walter Woods head and a nice acoustic 12" cab. Even if someone wanted to play on this rig (which I didn't because I didn't want to be held responsible for anything that happens), he wouldn't have let them. I thought it was pointless to bring this axe for one tune, but whatever.
This guy put the bass on one of those flimsy metal stands where the endpin sits in a cup in front and is held by these movable arms. He put this bass directly to the right of the drums, RIGHT WHERE THE DRUMMERS GET IN AND OUT OF THE SET.
This kid gets up to play drums, and as he's leaving, he bumps into the bass so lightly he didn't even notice, but the whole room did. A sound of terror came ringing through the whole room as we saw this bass going down. The fall was broken by this poor drummer's head, and this 60 something year old guy sprints to the scene to catch it before it hits the ground, screaming "WATCH IT, SON!" Then he went into lecturing the kid.
The bass was fine, but it was a horrifying experience, especially to the bassists in the room. That bass is probably worth more than I could ever afford. If it were me, not only would I not bring my own axe to a jam that's that huge annually, I would definitely have it in a safe place if I did. When he set that bass down when he did, I just thought "not good" to myself.
Nick
I think you get extra points if you throw the coat onto other instruments, and mega-bonus if you domino them. 
