The Combo Club

[Davidus1]

Absolutely! Thanks for taking up my offer. You're in friendly company in this club where we maintain an upbeat attitude and respect all others' equipment. Feel free to mingle about and I'll get your number later tonight. Thanks Davidus1!

Thanks man! Will do. I appreciate it. Looks like a great group here!

 

[Davidus1]

Good early morning, Combo Club. It's your roving reporter pulling a late one. Please excuse any typos as I've been up since 6:10, Thursday, because I've been waiting for this day for six months; the last time I played music with this bunch. I've got a few pics as well, but nothing earthshaking.

Started the day off by taking a walk to the local convenience store and picking up milk and a bag of donuts. I jsut hope I can fit in the front door when I get home. I'm at this really nice hotel, but with no free breakfast, and here in America, as ?I'm sure it is elsewhere, we love FREE! Oh yeah, grabbed a bag of corn nuts too. Anyone outside of the USA know what those are? I like 'em.

Got picked up by the Pastor who lent me a car to drive so he doesn't have to chauffeur me around. Why not, I liked it. So I drove down to the church and decided it was a good time to check my equipment over and polish up the 'ole bass, shown below. I know there are better basses out there than mine, but I'll never part with this one.


View attachment 3102677

After finishing all that toiling, and he wrapped up a visitation, we took off for lunch. John's goal is to take me to every decadent restaurant, at least calorie-wise, in Columbus. Double smoked bacon cheddar cheeseburger with all the fixings. I thought I'd died and gone straight to Heaven. Then, with no room to spare, we walked across the street to a exotic ice cream shoppe where the Reverend went with a scoop of sweet corn (tasted salty and buttery according to him) and blackberry, I think. Not to be outdone, and to really push the envelope, I chose strawberry. Hey, I have a club to look after; I can't get too crazy or I may never go back home.

Afterwards, I took off for the hotel to supposedly catch a few winks, but ended up finding a Walmart to purchase some deodorant (mine ran out...it's getting hot here, sue me) and a throw rug for my Zoom pedal. Plus, my feet won't mind a little cushion on Saturday. Finally I got back to the room where I called the lady holding down the fort in IA where we shared a laugh or two. She's totally missing her honey, but somehow is making all that peace and quiet (no bass playing) work for her. I don't get it...

At 5:00, John and I headed over to one of our female singer's house for a quick supper. She down this the past few times I've traveled to Ohio and it's always appreciated. A birdie must've told her we've been overindulging because we ate a delicious tossed salad with chicken, bacon, and umpteen veggies to boot, plus watermelon sherbet and chocolate chip cookies. I couldn't complain about the taste and the lighter fare wasn't gonna hurt either.

Time to head over to the church for band practice, minus our guitarist/singer. He is attending the man's funeral on Saturday, and appreciated not having to feel guilty about missing the fun fest. We began a little after six and wrapped up around 9:40, with I think one pee break. With all the songs to go over, and we didn't play all of them through, we all knew it was going to take a while. Great fun though, and it made me think of Dr. Intrepid's jam session. For a few hours, neither Donald Trump, nor school, nor the fact that I'm slowly running out of spending money shook the vibe in the room. I shot a few pics during a quick break. You'll notice I went with the Rumble 100 as my weapon of choice. I ran the Ampeg rig, though, this morning at was a tonic to the ears. Now I'm thinking it may be my PF-115 HE, but will need further analysis to determine anything wrong. The PF-210 along with my 800 earned the starting job for the outside gig, though I am planning on using the Rumble for the Sunday service. Here's the pics and then a quick comment on the Rumble.

View attachment 3102684

View attachment 3102685

View attachment 3102687

Rumble rehearsal review: the sweetie did a pretty fine job overall. I left it on the floor, but next time I'd like to elevate it a bit to offer me a better chance to pick up some highs. I pretty much ran it my usual; gain at 9:00, lows and mid-lows at 10:30, mid-highs and treble at 1:30, and the volume at noon, with it being controlled by the Zoom pedal. Yeah, 100-watts is still 100-watts no matter how you slice it, and the uke player's Crate 2 X 8 with 20 watts out of each speaker, definitely ice-picked it's way to being the loudest instrument there. Our rhythm guitarist who plays acoustic and the Les Paul you see there uses a Fender Mustang 40, I believe. Pastor John plays his keys through an older Peavey keyboard amp and usually has it on cruise control. I never felt like I ran out of gas, and maybe turning up the gain would've added girth, but the Ampeg obviously offers a lot more headroom and a different tone that I still really like. For anyone who enjoys a bass that sounds like a bass, the Rumble series is hard to beat. We'll see how it does during Sunday's service. My one criticism is the overdrive, in my opinion is the least effective component on the amp. I've heard it used by others and it sounds amazing. Real gritty, but not obnoxious. Mine, no matter how I set it always sounds puny. I'm guessing running the gain as low as I do may have something to do with that. No biggie, as I have a TC Electronics MoJo MoJo overdrive I really like on bass.

The evening finished up with a band meeting. I love drama! No, this one was positive. It concerned my desire to record some songs on Saturday so I can prove to the folks at home I'm not in Las Vegas gambling the retirement money away. The Rev and I are heading to Columbus' local Sam Ash tomorrow looking for something our uke player said we need in order to make recording. PA is not my forte', but John wants a peaceful ride back to Clinton on Sunday and said he's gonna make a recording happen. I'm stoked, and if we get anything worth putting up on the forum I will do it. I thought we sounded pretty good tonight even without Greg.

Okay, I know you're all worn out by now. I am. We'll see what tomorrow brings. All I know is I'm not only catching a nap tomorrow, I'm hitting the hay a little earlier so I have the energy to make it through the 89 degree and humid forecast for Saturday. Yep,m we'll find out if the Ampeg amp is safe or not. Stage 800, you may be getting called up by October!

Best wishes to those of you reading all this minutia; I really appreciate it. Also, your comments inspire me to keep this going for the next twenty years or so. No, I'd be completely broke by December, so don't worry. Until tomorrow night, don't forget to get out there and play!

Thanks for posting this write-up. Sounds like a good time with plenty of good food! I play in church a lot so I appreciate you posting this!

 

[iagtrplyr]

Thanks for posting this write-up. Sounds like a good time with plenty of good food! I play in church a lot so I appreciate you posting this!

You're very welcome. Haven't done an online diary before and thought it sounded like fun for both the reader and myself. Ladies and gents, meet our newest member, Davidus1. He's #103 with the prediction there'll be more of us combo crazies a 'comin. I'll be posting some of the outdoor show as soon as it comes in from the Cloud. Make yourself at home!

 

[iagtrplyr]

Thanks man! Will do. I appreciate it. Looks like a great group here!

This is a great bunch, no matter who you are or what you own. BTW, love the pickguard-less Fender Jazz as your avatar. It definitely offers us Jazz fans something different in terms of appearance. Carry on!

 

[iagtrplyr]

It's been a number of pages since I posted the membership roster and Davidus1 would probably like to see his name immortalized so here we go:

Talkbass Combo Club Name List

01) ChefKen

02) Modulusman

03) Vmabus

04) Firewalz

05) spanndrew

06) shawshank72

07) gfaulkner

08) ack

09) Dustin Owens

10) Relsom


11) EoganDubh

12) cchorney

13) NickDG

14) Big Hoss

15) Ajcsk8r

16) Basshappi

17) Lesfunk

18) Squierbassjake

19) lo-freq

20) PetersReviews


21) Jughead6

22) bordinco90

23) mikeyjim2

24) KickingBass

25) jmverdugo

26) Toddbass65

27) Floridabway

28) elkkid2

29) 1954bassman

30) woodyng


31) Doublesixes

32) Steve88

33) mccartneyman

34) CL400Peavey

35) mikeyjm2

36) Linnin

37) bmc

38) yahboy

39) outoftune

40) KramerDon


41) heynorm

42) Bobby Bass

43) KeithAlanK

44) Photobassist

45) rtslinger

46) Thumpinshelton

47) Razman

48) ticol07

49) alaskaleftybass

50) Srvmojo


51) iagtrplyr

52) ubernator

53) Fishyfishfish

54) JakobT

55) thabassmon

56) Gaolee

57) G-Dog

58) RumbleMan3

59) Luciferiad

60) eric_B


61) TrevorG

62) SoulReflection

63) theduke1

64) Moody Tuner

65) Giffro

66) Doctor Intrepid

67) Drgonzonm

68) GonePlaid

69) BradE

70) Amoodymule


71) Jeremy Jones

72) Ghostinthemach

73) ScottTunes

74) BazzaBass

75) Biguglyman

76) Dr. Cheese

77) Bob Clayton

78) NathOBX

79) Bass V

80) Five String


81) Gremson

82) Morrighan

83) Zon6c-f

84) rodl2005

85) Nancy1234

86) Shadven

87) twinjet

88) Michael B

89) Vickerekes

90) Beendown139


91) Relayer71

92) basst scho

93) itsmesantiago

94) Smith357

95) Russell L

96) Cropduster

97) Datsgor

98) Haxel

99) Devon Bustard

100) Stumbo


101) Daniel Piper

102) adk teleman

103) Davidus1

 

[iagtrplyr]

Boy, was it quiet around the club today. Let me guess, no one was in the kitchen cooking up 'burgers and fries for the patrons. I told ya, GonePlaid doesn't work cheap and if you want his Heart Attack Burger Special you're gonna have to pay him top dollar. Okay, that's it, we're raising dues. I'll get back to ya'll with how much more it's gonna cost each of you to keep this club up and running.

In other news, I finally ripped the first nine songs from last Saturday's show and have found two that I'd like to submit for your critique. That will happen as soon as I upload them to one of the media sites. Otherwise, there's not much to report other than Pastor John ended his vacation back in Iowa tonight with a stuffed pizza and a few laughs. Now we're going back to the bassless BADD group recording new material and then sending it to me to work out. He's trying to talk me into a November weekend gig to celebrate his church's 70th Anniversary. Sounds like a lot of trouble, too much expense, and no sleep. I'll have to think about it!

Finally, we definitely need a topic or three to begin one of our famous discussions, so here goes:

1) Who likes tweeters in their combos? Why? Why not?
2) Are you willing to sacrifice tone for weight? At this point in your life, are you willing to trade your sound (even a little) to be able to actually haul the amp around?
3) Which brand do you currently think offers the biggest bang for the buck? That would be in terms of what you get compared to what you pay.

Okay, members, have at 'em. Have yourselves a great Thursday/Friday!

 

[iagtrplyr]

So here are the two songs. I hope I'm doing this correctly. The top link is "Open the Eyes of My Heart," and the link below that is "Please Don't Judas Me." After listening to them I decided the bass was lower than I would've liked originally, but this was recorded with two overhead mics covering the entire area. At least we got something. Hope you enjoy them.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Peavey TNT 100.

^ Said to be constructed with material mined from a passing neutron star. Lifted that and my homebaked 115 into the boot of my car and out again that

WEIGHT

is a vital consideration in a combo amp. Now it happens that my own combo amp* is "light" is relative to its dimensions. A far easier carry than a Peavey. It's solid, yet manageable for me.

And in point of fact considering another combo amp even though I don't really need another combo amp? Because my little Ampeg BA108v2 sees a lot of use but isn't really up to the job Anof anything beyond a quiet acoustic coffee house gig. And at 30 pounds, not really worth the haul when my primary amp is a just a few pounds heavier. A Phil Jones Cub rings in under 15 pounds ....

Have a day. :: emoticon ::

M

* Phil Jones BG400 and C4 cab

 

[G-Dog]

. . . . . Okay, that's it, we're raising dues. I'll get back to ya'll with how much more it's gonna cost each of you to keep this club up and running.
. . . . . Have yourselves a great Thursday/Friday!

I'm usually not a fan of increasing my outflow but, in this case, I'm willing to support a modest increase in club dues. My one stipulation to the increase is that it include a doubling of the secretary's salary. I believe that to be funds well spent! What say you, Combo Clubbers?

 

[GonePlaid]

Boy, was it quiet around the club today. Let me guess, no one was in the kitchen cooking up 'burgers and fries for the patrons. I told ya, GonePlaid doesn't work cheap and if you want his Heart Attack Burger Special you're gonna have to pay him top dollar. Okay, that's it, we're raising dues. I'll get back to ya'll with how much more it's gonna cost each of you to keep this club up and running.

In other news, I finally ripped the first nine songs from last Saturday's show and have found two that I'd like to submit for your critique. That will happen as soon as I upload them to one of the media sites. Otherwise, there's not much to report other than Pastor John ended his vacation back in Iowa tonight with a stuffed pizza and a few laughs. Now we're going back to the bassless BADD group recording new material and then sending it to me to work out. He's trying to talk me into a November weekend gig to celebrate his church's 70th Anniversary. Sounds like a lot of trouble, too much expense, and no sleep. I'll have to think about it!

Finally, we definitely need a topic or three to begin one of our famous discussions, so here goes:

1) Who likes tweeters in their combos? Why? Why not?
2) Are you willing to sacrifice tone for weight? At this point in your life, are you willing to trade your sound (even a little) to be able to actually haul the amp around?
3) Which brand do you currently think offers the biggest bang for the buck? That would be in terms of what you get compared to what you pay.

Okay, members, have at 'em. Have yourselves a great Thursday/Friday!

1)No, not a fan. With my Rumble 200C it adds distortion I don't want. It's turned off.
2)The variety of controls on the 200C means I don't have to sacrifice tone. What I was using(Kustom R&P 150) weighed a good 60# more and didn't sound as good. The Kustom did look cool-except when I hadda lift it into/out of the van.
3)7ender Rumble series-I have a Rumble 40 and the 200C, both v3. BTW, lest you think I'm drunk on 7ender Kool-Aid, 3 of my basses are Gibsons/Epiphones, 1 Ibanez semi hollow, and 1 5quier SS Jaguar- my back-up bass. Nothing wrong with it, but I use it in tight spaces and high heat/humidity outdoor gigs where my 67 NR TBird stays home in the a/c.

 

[GonePlaid]

So here are the two songs. I hope I'm doing this correctly. The top link is "Open the Eyes of My Heart," and the link below that is "Please Don't Judas Me." After listening to them I decided the bass was lower than I would've liked originally, but this was recorded with two overhead mics covering the entire area. At least we got something. Hope you enjoy them.

They sound good. IME(limited), ambient mics don't pick up lower frequencies very well. I have some videos of our group in the 80s using the built in mic on the camera[it's all we had]. I was using an SVT/810 rig. The bass is barely there-with the EQ on playback all the way up. Pretty much gotta run a line-out, DI, or good mic. I'd bet if you'd come outta the line-out on the R100, you'da been right there in the mix. Oh, because of the "feel" of the second tune, you were more audible.

 

[JakobT]

2) Are you willing to sacrifice tone for weight? At this point in your life, are you willing to trade your sound (even a little) to be able to actually haul the amp around?

I don’t know about sacrificing anything, really. Rather, I look for the best balance between the features I need. One is tone, one is weight, and there are several others as well. If I don’t like the tone, I won’t buy it no matter how light it is, and conversely, if it’s too heavy, it doesn’t matter how good it sounds, because I’m not going to be able to use it.

 

[Davidus1]

It's been a number of pages since I posted the membership roster and Davidus1 would probably like to see his name immortalized so here we go:

Talkbass Combo Club Name List

01) ChefKen

02) Modulusman

03) Vmabus

04) Firewalz

05) spanndrew

06) shawshank72

07) gfaulkner

08) ack

09) Dustin Owens

10) Relsom


11) EoganDubh

12) cchorney

13) NickDG

14) Big Hoss

15) Ajcsk8r

16) Basshappi

17) Lesfunk

18) Squierbassjake

19) lo-freq

20) PetersReviews


21) Jughead6

22) bordinco90

23) mikeyjim2

24) KickingBass

25) jmverdugo

26) Toddbass65

27) Floridabway

28) elkkid2

29) 1954bassman

30) woodyng


31) Doublesixes

32) Steve88

33) mccartneyman

34) CL400Peavey

35) mikeyjm2

36) Linnin

37) bmc

38) yahboy

39) outoftune

40) KramerDon


41) heynorm

42) Bobby Bass

43) KeithAlanK

44) Photobassist

45) rtslinger

46) Thumpinshelton

47) Razman

48) ticol07

49) alaskaleftybass

50) Srvmojo


51) iagtrplyr

52) ubernator

53) Fishyfishfish

54) JakobT

55) thabassmon

56) Gaolee

57) G-Dog

58) RumbleMan3

59) Luciferiad

60) eric_B


61) TrevorG

62) SoulReflection

63) theduke1

64) Moody Tuner

65) Giffro

66) Doctor Intrepid

67) Drgonzonm

68) GonePlaid

69) BradE

70) Amoodymule


71) Jeremy Jones

72) Ghostinthemach

73) ScottTunes

74) BazzaBass

75) Biguglyman

76) Dr. Cheese

77) Bob Clayton

78) NathOBX

79) Bass V

80) Five String


81) Gremson

82) Morrighan

83) Zon6c-f

84) rodl2005

85) Nancy1234

86) Shadven

87) twinjet

88) Michael B

89) Vickerekes

90) Beendown139


91) Relayer71

92) basst scho

93) itsmesantiago

94) Smith357

95) Russell L

96) Cropduster

97) Datsgor

98) Haxel

99) Devon Bustard

100) Stumbo


101) Daniel Piper

102) adk teleman

103) Davidus1

Right on man! Appreciated.

 

[Davidus1]

This is a great bunch, no matter who you are or what you own. BTW, love the pickguard-less Fender Jazz as your avatar. It definitely offers us Jazz fans something different in terms of appearance. Carry on!

Thanks. Enjoy playing it.

The online diary was a great idea. Its fun to read that stuff and see everyone else's viewpoint and experiences.

 

[iagtrplyr]

I'm usually not a fan of increasing my outflow but, in this case, I'm willing to support a modest increase in club dues. My one stipulation to the increase is that it include a doubling of the secretary's salary. I believe that to be funds well spent! What say you, Combo Clubbers?

Wowie Zowie, I'm voting G-dog for president in 2020! You'v e got my vote, and my double's vote too.

 

[iagtrplyr]

They sound good. IME(limited), ambient mics don't pick up lower frequencies very well. I have some videos of our group in the 80s using the built in mic on the camera[it's all we had]. I was using an SVT/810 rig. The bass is barely there-with the EQ on playback all the way up. Pretty much gotta run a line-out, DI, or good mic. I'd bet if you'd come outta the line-out on the R100, you'da been right there in the mix. Oh, because of the "feel" of the second tune, you were more audible.

Complete agreement. It was with my Portaflex rig, but harder-to-hear just the same. We're all newbs at this recording thing (normally, I just like to play and don't give a hoot what it sounded like. I'm the same with taking pictures too) and at the last minute decided to record. Originally, we wanted to run in the board with everything, but one of the members said it wouldn't sound as good, so we went with two lectern mics from the chapel. They were Audio-Technica mics and we thought they did an okay job except for the volume. You couldn't even hear the keys, though there are still 30-some more songs we haven't gotten yet. Thank goodness "Judas" sounded as good as it did. Fine points, GP, and thanks for listening.

 

[GonePlaid]

Complete agreement. It was with my Portaflex rig, but harder-to-hear just the same. We're all newbs at this recording thing (normally, I just like to play and don't give a hoot what it sounded like. I'm the same with taking pictures too) and at the last minute decided to record. Originally, we wanted to run in the board with everything, but one of the members said it wouldn't sound as good, so we went with two lectern mics from the chapel. They were Audio-Technica mics and we thought they did an okay job except for the volume. You couldn't even hear the keys, though there are still 30-some more songs we haven't gotten yet. Thank goodness "Judas" sounded as good as it did. Fine points, GP, and thanks for listening.

A couple of years ago, I had a "need" to be able to mic our band.(I handle the PA). At the time I didn't have a bass amp with line out so I bought a "Gear One" bass drum mic, that is also good for micing a bass amp, and 2 Superlux guitar amp mics. The drummer has his own mics. All 4 of us sing so that's one channel each, plus one for the bass-either mic or line out-one channel for both guitars(Y cord), one channel for the drum mics(1 overhead, 1 bass drum into a Y) and 1 channel for the CD player on breaks. That uses all the channels on our Yamaha powered mixer and puts everything through the PA. The one place we used all of that-so we could put us into the house PA and out to the "smoker's bar" decided to just go with the juke box so all my instrument mics are in a duffel bag at the house. Oh, well, at least they aren't getting worn out.

 

[iagtrplyr]

Good evening Combo Club! No one has been on since GP's posting last Thursday? Let's see if we can entice some of you to chime in with a thought or two in what I call, "What do I spend my hard-earned money on next?" I like to have project ideas in my head even if there's nothing going on at the minute. Maybe it's a new instrument or select piece of equipment, but I feel better knowing there's something interesting on the horizon, especially at this time of the year when before you know it I'll be knee-deep in fourth and fifth graders. It keeps me sane and gives my wife thoughts for the holidays. So how about you? Anything you're hankering for in the musical world besides Oasis getting back together for an O2 concert? Here's mine:

1) tube bass amp (thinking Ampeg PF-20T for the boudoir); 2) Fender Jazz American Pro (the retirement bass, but can I actually wait another four years? Doubtful), and 3) basic but decent-quality computer recording gear (so I can finally hear myself after, not just during the song). That's it. Oh yeah, peace, love, and understanding for the entire world.

Okay, CC members, who's up next? Extra points if you explain why you want it as well. Let's light up the board!

 

[GonePlaid]

Good evening Combo Club! No one has been on since GP's posting last Thursday? Let's see if we can entice some of you to chime in with a thought or two in what I call, "What do I spend my hard-earned money on next?" I like to have project ideas in my head even if there's nothing going on at the minute. Maybe it's a new instrument or select piece of equipment, but I feel better knowing there's something interesting on the horizon, especially at this time of the year when before you know it I'll be knee-deep in fourth and fifth graders. It keeps me sane and gives my wife thoughts for the holidays. So how about you? Anything you're hankering for in the musical world besides Oasis getting back together for an O2 concert? Here's mine:

1) tube bass amp (thinking Ampeg PF-20T for the boudoir); 2) Fender Jazz American Pro (the retirement bass, but can I actually wait another four years? Doubtful), and 3) basic but decent-quality computer recording gear (so I can finally hear myself after, not just during the song). That's it. Oh yeah, peace, love, and understanding for the entire world.

Okay, CC members, who's up next? Extra points if you explain why you want it as well. Let's light up the board!

Strangely enough, at age 73,I have(or had)all the bass gear I've wanted. I would kinda like to get a Williams Legato electric keyboard, but it's low priority. What I'd really like is for our group to have more-and better paying-gigs(this is the off-season in FL). While I also would love to see peace, love and understanding, right now I'd settle for a lotta rain where the fires are. Those folks are having a rough go.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I've been obsessing over putting more Vox into my signal chain ever since adding the 10 Vox combo really improved my overall tone. Jammed today and it still sounds great. Unfortunately I have no money for such things right now, so I'm glad that a bid I made for an old Vox combo last week on Ebay was rejected. One shouldn't drink and Ebay!

Anyway, since my current amp set up sounds great I'm going to try and stop myself from looking at amps and focus on some pedals. Hofner has some high end German made pedals, so my next indulgence will likely be one of those.