How Many of Us Are Still Here?

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Robert Ziegler (Ziggy)

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Nov 19, 2022, 1:39:46 PM11/19/22
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Greetings!  

It has been a while since our last conversations.  Sometimes we would really get some topics going.  It has been a long time since this was a Geddy Lee listserv.  

I was just wondering how many of us are still monitoring this group and what we are up to.

Personally, I am still gigging - about 3x a month.  Currently in a band called "Vanishing Point".  FB has us as "Vanishing Point of Central PA" since there is an Australian Speed Metal band with the same name.  Like many of us during the pandemic I rediscovered home recording.  I went the PreSonus route and head up their Studio One Pennsylvania Meetup.  I haven't retired yet - not with a 15 year old son who hasn't gone to college yet :-).  

Yup - still carrying around vintage Acoustic Control equipment.  A 370 head and the 406 2x15 bottom.

So - who else is out there?

Best

- Ziggy -

Edwin Hurwitz

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Nov 19, 2022, 2:11:51 PM11/19/22
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I’m still here!

In 2009, I got off the road (last touring band was Great American Taxi, featuring Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon. We were doing about 150 shows a year on the road) and decided, for some reason, to go to law school. Within 2 days, I got recruited by Colorado Grateful Dead tribute band, Shakedown Street. The band was formed in 1987, but no one in it now is a founding member and I think it’s a much better band. We play about 3-6 times a month and have done some really fun shows. Last summer, we played at the Levitt Pavilion in Denver and drew over 10,000 people. Also, the Denver sports teams jumped on the Grateful Dead night theme, so, on the recommendation of the Grateful Dead themselves, we got the gig. We play the Ball Arena about 4 or 5 times a year, for the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Colorado Mammoths lacrosse team. 

I usually use a ’67 Starfire bass with Alembic Series II electronics and hardware into a Groove Tubes Studio Bass Preamp>Quilter Bass Block for power> Mike Arnopol MAS 210 Flex speaker. Or, instead of the last two, sometimes a ’67 Showman and ’67 Sunn 200S.

Last night, I played with the Last Waltz Revisited at the Boulder Theater and am looking forward to next Wednesday night at the Fillmore in Denver. That was with a brand new Squier Jazz bass. I hadn’t played a Fender style in 40 years and this one has been really fun. 

Since about 2005, I have done a lot of location recording and it stepped up around 2010. I found myself as the go to guy for small jazz and Brazilian shows. Just last week I did front of house and recorded Ian Coury, a Brazilian virtuoso bandolim player. I’ve also become a beta tester for Metric Halo, a company that makes audio software and hardware, including some really amazing interfaces.

And, I’ve been practicing as a criminal defense and immigration attorney and have managed to keep a number of people from being deported as well as assisting with green cards and citizenship.

On top of all that, a month after I graduated from law school in 2012, we had our first child after being together for 21 years. Xander is an amazing, creative, brilliant, loving, and compassionate 10 year who adores music (mostly modern hip hop) and is an excellent beat boxer.

So, that’s the last 15 years or so in a nutshell.

Edwin

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Geoff Sprung

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Nov 19, 2022, 3:09:32 PM11/19/22
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I heard about the group while buying a bass from someone over 20 years ago in northern Virginia. I still have that bass and I still watch for TBL emails! 
I think I’m a member of the Facebook group, but I don’t know the last time I’ve logged on. 
Since I joined the group, I’ve gone from being in a Virginia based band, to a hired touring player in nashville, to a stay at home dad, to being a member of the country band Old Dominion.  
I’ve always appreciated how diverse the group is and how respectful we all are. 
It’s also the way I ended up connecting in person with a fellow nashville player who has become a dear friend of mine! 


erikha...@gmail.com

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Nov 19, 2022, 7:41:47 PM11/19/22
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I’m still around, and even ran into Edwin at a Stanley Clarke / Victor Wooten show in Boulder in, *checks notes*, 2011.  I’m exclusively playing upright bass these days in various community orchestras in Northern Colorado. 

Edwin, if you see Chadzilla Johnson at the Denver Fillmore last waltz show, please say hello for me.

Erik

t harms

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Nov 19, 2022, 7:47:22 PM11/19/22
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I’m still here.

At present, my musical outlet is a group that I lead a group - the VOC Silent Film Harmonic - that accompanies silent films with mostly improvised music.

We accompany three movies/year which we play at three venues in SW Ontario - Kitchener/Waterloo (our home venue), Hamilton, and Ottawa.

The movie dictates what bass I’m playing: upright (Chinese-factory plywood), acoustic (Epiphone El Capitane) or electric (Fender Jazz).

Usually running about 6-8 effect pedals to get the right mood/atmosphere.

We’ve been amp-free for a while now - not running in-ear monitors, just regular wedges - and it’s been so nice to not lug an amp.  In fact, I just sold my Traynor YBA-1A & 15” Ampeg cab b/c I don’t need it…




Ted Harms




On Nov 19, 2022, at 1:39 PM, Robert Ziegler (Ziggy) <ziggy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Greetings!  
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Edwin Hurwitz

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Nov 19, 2022, 7:48:01 PM11/19/22
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Edwin Hurwitz

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Nov 19, 2022, 7:48:53 PM11/19/22
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That sounds like a lot of fun!

Toby Gray

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Nov 19, 2022, 8:28:41 PM11/19/22
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I'm still on the list but use the Facebook Group. 
My main touring concert group (It's A Beautiful Day) has retired thusly my bass playing has been regulated to recording tracks for various projects. Still have my Eden, TC, and SWR Baby Blue amp rigs. When I  do play, it's usually with my Jack Casady or Warmoth Jazz. FX ended up being a Zoom B3. Nice all in one compact FX, tuner, and DI unit. 
Sold my American Standard upright bass about 3 years ago. I'd had it for 48 years. 
These daze local gigging on electric and acoustic guitar doing solo and a Rock combo.

Happy Holidays and Peace to Everyone!
Toby Gray

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Dave O'Heare

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Nov 19, 2022, 9:35:23 PM11/19/22
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Hi.

I'm still here LONG after the days of bang(!)-style emails and trying to figure out how to buy a bass from someone in a whole other country. I do miss the daily-or-so messages from a gang of mostly-well-spoken folks. 

I haven't played much of anything since my best friend, who was a major cheerleader for me, died suddenly.

I *am* however still involved with music and events; I've been mostly a FOH sound guy for the past bunch of years. 

Mrhomn333

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Nov 20, 2022, 12:18:42 AM11/20/22
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Hi Dave,

I'm still here, still lurking, still relatively unknown. I watch the FB group too.

How are your hands, better, I hope? Did you buy a bass uke or Ashbory or something else for ease-of-playing, when we were swapping emails or later? Nice to hear from you Toby & Ted too!

I perform with 2 to 4 other bassists in a 50 - 70 musician community orchestra in San Diego. We'll put on 6 to 9 concerts per year, next has Finzi, Mendelssohn, Tschaikowsky, Bizet & Herold, in December. A 1940 Kay gets most of my attention for that. I sometimes work on other songs for my own attention only on an acoustic-only Regal Resonator Bass. My electrics, Yamaha BB350F, Jack Casady, P-bass, others, have been gathering a regrettable load of dust but I won't sell any of them or my amps. Yet.

All the best,
Mike Murphy


Dave O'Heare

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Nov 20, 2022, 12:47:56 AM11/20/22
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Mike Murphy!

I did luck into a Kala solid-body bass uke a while back, and I'm a believer; I bought a salesman's demo asia-made 4-string, and liked it enough that I traded up to a USA-made 5-string fretted solidbody. The Fender 5-string also helped a lot; being able to go up 5 frets eased my left hand, going to the uke bass sounds fine and feels almost like cheating. 

I've also discovered the joy of short-scale basses. I was able to get a deal on an Ibanez semi-hollow short-scale 5er (what an odd series of words to use to describe a bass) a few years ago, and it's surprisingly good.

Dave O'Heare

dave....@gmail.com
+1 613 227-4830 (mobile/text)



Dan Knowlton

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Nov 20, 2022, 1:11:13 AM11/20/22
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I'm still around but am active on Talkbass and play at churches.  Last weekend was bass game and this and next weekend I'm on drums.  I have a weekend off and then two weekends on bass - pretty much my usual schedule.    

Gear comes and it goes and I have aDevon 5'er being built.   I lovel my Devon J5 and this one will be a P/MM with the MM pickup moved next to the P.  Check out three videos of the bass Nordstrand built for Dan Lutz.

Mrhomn333

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Nov 20, 2022, 1:36:00 AM11/20/22
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One of my favorite bassists, Percy Jones, went from a customized p-bass to Wals to Ibanez 5s, and he don't play no junk. And I heard the bassist for the Tiger Lillies, Adrian Stout, playing an amped bass uke and was very impressed with its sound, although limited range. I don't remember if I've ever heard an Ashbory other than Youtube demos. Never thought about "cheating" with a 5 or even a 6 string. Glad that's working for you! I'm also surprised a short scale is more comfortable. Wouldn't a longer scale string be lower tension for the same frequency? Now, if you told me you love nylon .... .     :-)


Kurt Conrad

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Nov 20, 2022, 1:38:07 AM11/20/22
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Hi fellow low-lifers,

I just checked my email folder. First message:

  From: Brian Kruschel
  To: <the-bot...@googlegroups.com>
  Subject: [TBL] TBL's future
  Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004


I guess it's due time to introduce myself.

I started on cello and did a little upright bass in a middle-school jazz ensemble before picking up electric bass. Got a season in with the local symphony before giving up the public-school cello.

Worked exclusively on electric bass for decades. Played a bunch of musical theater around Silicon Valley and was in a Klezmer group.

Now playing in an improvisational church ensemble that has recently added a young violinist. I'm on a hybrid cello/ piccolo bass: 4ths-tuned D'Addarios on a cello body.

A cracked top produces a plethora of wolf tones. Strung in 5ths, I wouldn't dare venture out of first position. With the improved ergonomics, I have much more mobility up and down the fingerboard.

And I get all of those familiar bass fingering patterns I've grown to love. I'm definitely partial to short-scale basses, making my cello a super-short-scale bass. At the moment, the pickup system is trashed and I have to be mic'd, but the music is good.

To the question of TBL's future, I've always enjoyed reading the postings, but never felt compelled to post. I've never toured and I can barely relate to the subtleties of the gear that gets listed. Still, this is one of the few lists that I stop to read when it pops up.

A few have discussed their day jobs. One of my hats is moderating Community engagement conversations. One of the best topics goes along the lines of "What should TBL be when it grows up?"

I'll ask the question, directly. How many of us (including all you fellow lurkers) would be up for a couple more zoom calls to re-envision The Bottom Line. I can host. Brian, are you still around?

Thanks

/s/ kwc 2022.11.19 22:36
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Bill Bolton

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Nov 20, 2022, 1:49:52 AM11/20/22
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Life is good... still alive and kicking, but not playing so much
nowadays.

I had a total knee replacement operation a while back and that
convinced me that it really was time to slow down. Basically I'm just
doing church/local-community gigs, and playing about 40 gigs a year
now, which is just fine.

I've downsized my rig and use a TC 300 Class-D head which weighs next
to nothing and fits in my gig bag with cables and music. My Eden
cabinets now live at our church, plus I have a SWR Baby Blue II with
the amp section removed for use as a cabinet on community gigs.

My Ken Smith CR5s are my go-to basses for church, while the light
Fender Precision Acoustic/Electric fretless is very useful for the
largely semi-acoustic community work.

Cheers,

Bill

Bill Bolton
Sydney, Australia

Steve Manes

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Nov 20, 2022, 3:31:32 AM11/20/22
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This Google mailing list is for all practical purposes inactive and just an archive. TBL was moved to a Facebook group several years ago:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/tbl.bass

You may continue using it but I think this is the first post to it I've seen in over a year.

bassaholic5

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Nov 20, 2022, 3:33:10 AM11/20/22
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Hey guys, 

I'm  still here as well.  I do kinda miss the magpie days.  There's  so many bass forums now tho.

Still doing the band thing and church choir.  I've also played in little shop of horrors...really fun.

My gear has evolved and stayed the same.  My modulus fretted is my main and I'm bringing my Grabber back into rotation.  My fretless modulus has taken a back seat and I added a dingwall.  I just haven't bonded with the dingwall so it may go for another modulus. I did get a Breedlove fretless acoustic and use it in church.  

I really like my helix and iem's.  I also went wireless.  I still have my eden amps and Ashdown 4x8 cabs.

Sadly, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting any of you F2F.

Cheers,
Darrin



Sent from my Galaxy

Dave

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Nov 20, 2022, 9:48:37 AM11/20/22
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Still here.  Retired, not playing much, but still practicing.  I read the FB group, and I guess this one.  I always enjoy hearing everyone's adventures.  I feel like I know you folks pretty well.  Be well! 
Dave Hickernell

Wayne Renardson

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Nov 20, 2022, 10:30:32 AM11/20/22
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YO~~~~~~~~~~~~TBL:

I have not posted after reducing my bass playing by selling on TBL my
G&L 2000 to Bob Frost of Kailua, HI and then my Turner Fretless FL4
to Tim Sarter of Petaluma, Ca (wish I still had it haha).

Currently playing jazz with a trio on a fretless Fender Jazz that I
really enjoy. Read TBL on FB and thank Steve M. for his thankless
years moderating the service.

Shout out to my pal Geoff Sprung who's living the dream playing and
touring with Old Dominion.

Wayne Renardson
Nashville, TN



deremo

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Nov 20, 2022, 10:35:08 AM11/20/22
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Finding a TBL email notification yesterday was like seeing a ghost ship through the fog.. (Why yes, I do shop gifts and items on Amazon! How did you know?) It was great to see the responses from people I've interacted with and gained so much valuable information from over the years.

I am still a working bass player (rotating between around 10 LA and OC-based bands at present plus occasional touring). Favorite bass at the moment: Bluesman Vintage Eldorado V with J/J pickup configuration. Favorite other recently acquired piece of gear: Mesa Subway 212 cab (a monster!)

I’ve also stepped up my work on the recording side, bass tracking as well as producing and engineering. Like Edwin I’m a Metric Halo user and beta tester. I cringe slightly at the idea of calling myself an engineer, as I came to that role largely by default, and slim budgets. I am confident in my recording and editing ability, but mixing is something I’m only gradually getting better at. Mastering is a task I prefer to leave to those that do it well.

A fairly recent project I was responsible for getting out the door was an album called Illuminations, the artist being a Nashville based singer-songwriter named Sean Della Croce. I’m wearing a lot of hats on it (again due to budget), recording and playing all the bass as well as a lot of guitar and keyboards. I was fortunate to get some great people to play on it: Vince Gill, Greg Leisz, Peter Sprague and Jeff Babko, plus many others - heeding the advice to “hire the right person for the job.” The album can be found on all the streaming platforms. I’m starting work on a follow up with Sean in the coming months, and other gigs seem to keep coming in.. knock on wood.

Stay well everybody!
Alan Deremo

Chris Massa

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Nov 20, 2022, 10:40:37 AM11/20/22
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I am still here mostly a lurker, occasional poster from the old list. I haven’t played out in 10 years, still have my SVT. I started to setup a studio at home and started to get some mixing requests in 2015, one thing led to the next and I became a member of Warren Huart online mix academy. Met players from around the world and have been recording tracks for their songs. I got interested in composing to picture and have been working at learning orchestration and wrote with young unknown film creators. I still work with 2 longtime friends from the mid 70’s on their material. I don’t seem to have a desire to stand in front of an audience anymore, just turned 71. Still have 7 basses left in the stable. 

TR Kelley

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Nov 21, 2022, 11:52:58 PM11/21/22
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Tee Bee Ell! hola amigos!

I don't play out live anymore. Last band was amazing, recordings, good gigs, but ended due to cancer. (not mine!). I'm 60, 45 years of live is enough. My spine hurts. Now  I amuse myself and my Spotify listeners in the studio with various low strings and vintage keyboard emulations (Rhodes, Wurli, Hammond), still married to the drummer/engineer, living a light migratory RV life between the Willamette Valley and the Arizona Borderlands. Royalties and sales keep me in strings and rosin. I still have the Zon Sonus fretless 5, the Bat Bass.  www.trkelley.com for all the stuffs. So happy you're all still thumpin' 

radapaw

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Nov 22, 2022, 9:49:46 AM11/22/22
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still here, still lurking, still learning.  it was a real chuckle seeing the tbl arrive in my inbox, hope y'all are well after all these years

-radapaw

JTE

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Nov 22, 2022, 4:33:00 PM11/22/22
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TRK!
So good to "hear" you again!   I still use your line "without space, music is just noise piling up on itself".

jte

Walter Harley

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Nov 25, 2022, 6:44:53 PM11/25/22
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I'm still here (although I don't use this email account much). Still building & repairing audio gear, although I'm no longer making headphone amps. Still playing bass but haven't played out much during the pandemic; also, I badly fractured my heelbone last February, which put the kibosh on standing for quite a while. I'd been mostly playing my G&L L2000 fretless through a TC RH450 amp, but lately I'm back to my original bass, a Fender acoustic/electric fretless. And an old Univox tube head that I fixed up for a customer who then ended up selling it to me after some medical issues rendered him unable to play... I keep meaning to sell it on, since I really only need the RH450, but the Univox just has so much *character*!

aart

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Jan 18, 2023, 10:43:19 AM1/18/23
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Wow - I just noticed email alerts for this from a few months ago, so I figured I'd respond. I was a member of TBL in the 90s (as Ebassman12) and I made a few friends from the group back then.

I'm actually playing more now than ever: two tribute bands (Tom Petty & Bob Seger), a disco band, a blues/R&B band, a couple small combos without drums for restaurants/bars, a regular church gig, and assorted subbing gigs - in addition to a full time IT job. I keep playing - perhaps I'll get really good one of these days! ;-)

John

Luke (aka buttpie)

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Mar 23, 2023, 3:08:30 PM3/23/23
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Since you asked:
I was a field engineer for a large network company, which took me away from bands and playing and such.  I got off the road in 2016, and started playing bass and guitar again.
At present, I've been slowly collecting equipment and instruments.  Current basses are a Aria Avante 5 string with Carvin stacked humbuckers and the Carvin 3 band onboard preamp, and a bone stock MusicMan Ray5HH in cranberry sunburst. I still have the Cort Space Bass 4 string with EMG PJ pickups, and an old Fernandez Jazz 4 string that's in pieces waiting for the body to be refinished.  I'm in a couple of bands that play 1-2x/month for butter and egg money, and holding the bass chair at an Open Mike event.  Great fun to turn on my karaoke brain, and play along with just about any tune that they bring.  Freaks them out.  I even had an Ashbory for a while, but it kept breaking strings.
Bass amps?  1990s vintage Fender Bassman 400 (85 pounds weight?!?), Fender Rumble 40, Ashly preamp and power amp into a TL606 cabinet, and a few other pieces.  Full PA set up with monitors for other projects.
Guitars: Mid 70s Goya acoustic, Aria Fullerton, Aria solid top acoustic, and a few other weird ones.

Great to see you all again!  Keep playing and making music: it keeps us young and healthy.

msy...@gmail.com

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Mar 25, 2023, 12:19:01 PM3/25/23
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Hello everyone, it's good to see so many familiar names and to get your updates!

I was active in conversations about transitioning to short-scale,  finding out about the role of bass in jazz trios without piano or guitar ("chordless trios"), and the "how to" of setting up a piccolo bass. Some of you may recall I was gigging fairly regularly in Laredo, TX with a trumpet player, and then in central Arkansas with a clarinetist and then with a flute player (chordless duos).   

I'm in the San Antonio area now and don't play out much, but I do a fair amount of recording.  I use piccolo bass (a converted Ibanez Mikro Bass) for the melody lines.  I've successfully transitioned to short-scale bass: Mustang (frets); Landing Bass, Rob Allen Mouse, and Jerry Jones Longhorn (all fretless), and now the Squier Mini (frets). For percussion I rely mostly on bongo cajón, frame drums, and cymbals.  I'd call it "film music for non-existent films."   

If you're interested, I stumbled on the original analog tapes of some freely improvised recordings I did on fretless in the mid-90s with Saxophonist Jeff Pompe in Florence, SC. I'm considering putting it out as an online album:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV4YfH0PdRo&t=610s

Best wishes to all,
Michael Y.

Berry Kercheval

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Mar 25, 2023, 9:47:59 PM3/25/23
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I don't think I've responded to this.  Luke's reply prodded me into action.

I'm still around.  I retired 4 years ago after 40 years as a software engineer, and moved to the mountains, so I had to quit the cover band I was playing in.  I was just starting to find places and people to play with up here when BAM, the pandemic hit and things more or less shut down.  Since then I've had three operations for cancer (cancer free now, yay) and have recently started building back my chops.  Current bass is still my trusty 5-string 24-fret Sadowsky and amp is a MarkBass Player's School combo.  Small size, big sound.  I have other amps, a GK and SWR, but the MarkBass is my favorite.

Brian Rost

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Mar 26, 2023, 9:38:16 AM3/26/23
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In response to Michael Y. who wrote " I use piccolo bass (a converted Ibanez Mikro Bass) for the melody lines."

I had a left hand injury that ruined my ability to play chords on guitar any more, but I can play chords on a bass because of the wider string spacing. I have looked at the Mikro and Squier Mini as possible platforms for a piccolo bass that I could chord on as well as play melodic lines. The Mikro line includes a 5 string, so stringing it  E A D G  C or maybe A D G B E would do the trick. With the 4 string Squier I'd have to decide what tuning to use...A D G C, D G B E, or something else entirely like a cello or mandolin tuning in fifths...C G D A or G D A E.

I'm curious about what strings you use. The Mikros have a longer scale than a guitar (28.6" I think) so using actual electric guitar strings wouldn't work. Did you find a short scale piccolo set or cobble something else together?

--Brian R.

Dan Knowlton

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Mar 26, 2023, 2:29:51 PM3/26/23
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I'm still playing bass after leaving So Cal for NE Florida but I am actually playing more drums than bass right now.  My most recent acquisitions were a Devon J5 and a build I had him do for me of a J5 with a set of Nordstrand P/MM pickups in the sweet spot.  Everywhere I play now is direct to the PA, so the only time I get to use my rig is at home.  

One of the biggest benefits of moving was that, when we got the house my wife wanted, I got a 15x25 man cave/music room with a balcony.  I spend LOTS of time there.  

Nice to hear all the different things you all have going on.

Dan Knowlton

Steve Manes

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Mar 26, 2023, 3:11:52 PM3/26/23
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My work week hours are consumed by my job with my company and its
clients, mostly the Children's Health Fund for the past ten+ years.
(Specious musical tag: it's a charity founded by Columbia Medical School
pediatrics chair, Dr. Irwin Redlener, and Paul Simon in 1987:
https://www.childrenshealthfund.org/our-history/)

Almost all of my playing the past few years has been in trios and duos,
sadly none of them with a drummer. It's also been mostly Americana,
blues and jazz manouche.  Towards that end, I've been playing an ABG
(currently a Fender Kingman) and double bass, a recent acquisition from
Eastman. It kind of sucks because I have a rack of fabulous, once
heavily-played solid body electrics gathering dust because they don't
really fit in this genre. But I've developed a fondness for acoustic
basses so its bittersweet.

After decades of conventional electric bass, drummers, larger bands and
more contemporary music it's been a big adjustment for me, including
stylistically, but one that sits comfortably in my limited schedule and
commitment ability. I play two nights/week at a Brooklyn jazz club, one
with my own trio, Mood Swing, a Django-inspired group, and one with
another trio including a fantastic guitar player who seems to be taking
over Youtube lately, Noé Socha: https://www.youtube.com/@blindselfie5550

It's nice to have callous back on my fingers again.



Bill Kennedy

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Mar 27, 2023, 6:43:57 AM3/27/23
to The Bottom Line
I've been an occasional contributor and mostly a lurker in these conversations but seeing The Bottom Line in my inbox makes me happy.  I moved to Florida in 2010 and have stayed pretty busy as a weekend warrior player.  Lots of activity here in the Tampa area though I was busier in Ohio.  I've become a go-to sub for a few bands here which helps keep me busy.  I've become a Lakland player and recently started using Quilter amps which I really like.

Edwin Hurwitz

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Mar 27, 2023, 1:50:42 PM3/27/23
to the-bot...@googlegroups.com
I’ve been using a Quilter Bass Block 800 for a while as a power amp (with cabinets from a late 60s Sunn 200S to a MAS 210 Flex), although I recently moved to Magellan (MG350 and 2 BA12-3 cabinets.). I’m really amazed at how good the new rig sounds and it’s quite portable.

Edwin

Robert Ziegler

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Mar 27, 2023, 5:13:01 PM3/27/23
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I have been bouncing between two rigs.  One is a vintage Acoustic 2x15 and the 370 head.  The other is a modern GK neo system.  A 1x15 on the bottom and a 2x12 on the top.  Then the GK MB800 head on top.

The MB800 is one of the small heads they make now.

Though the GK sounds great - I noticed a great loss of dynamic range.  Call it "Punch".  Like a compressor was on.

I even tried the 370 on the GK cabs.  It was better in dynamic range but still not up to the old 2x15.

I find myself going back to the Acoustic.

Folks that see my Facebook site get to see the pictures.  Send me a friend request if you like  :-)

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Toby Gray

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Mar 28, 2023, 11:04:53 AM3/28/23
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Re wider spacing necks.
I found a company that makes affordable very wide neck electric guitars called Big Lou's.  Quality wasn't  quite what I wanted but very playable and easy to return. 

I don't know exactly your condition but I  would think a classical guitar would be easier to manage?

Good luck!


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