More Equipment Lust.

I frequently lust for big, beasty (usually old) tube bass amps. It seems like one's always in the shop, though. Check out this beauty. I didn't even know such a thing existed. I've been impressed with Matchless amplifiers for wicked loud wicked tone, even if they're like a ship's anchor. I can't even imagine what 200 watts of Matchless bass amp could sound like. The dude is askin' $4,500. I won't be getting it, but it stokes my jonez for more 200-watt tube bass amps. I really need to find something in a 100-watt machine for BLC. Maybe an Ampeg V4B?

I did pick up a new distortion box that's pretty wild, even if it's totally digi. It's actually a lot more evil (in a good way) than I thought. I've dialed up a couple presets (it has six available slots) for use this Friday at practice. I found it online and totally had to pick it up because there's nothing else out there that's really innovative--everything's either Rat-based, Muff-based (bad luck with that box; it's being fixed though), or TS-based, it seems. I wanted a clean blend and a noise gate, and I got it. I wanted a flexible eq, and I got it. Programmable and MIDI and morphing and multi-band and foldback and octave was just gravy.

We all know how much I love gravy--just ask my arteries.

I'm Interested.

Since the Bass Big Muff took a shit at COJ practice on Friday, I'm still in the market for a fuzz. I'm convinced that EHX has a gnomes problem (certainly a big quality control problem). The Black Finger turns itself on and off randomly, and this one suddenly went microphonic on me. Lame. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong? It Sounds pretty fierce:



I'm still lookin' for one of those Fender Sublime Bass Fuzzes to check out.

Deep Dish?

The box says "your deep-dish π". I've always enjoyed the humor that accompanies Electro-Harmonix gear.

I picked up their bass fuzz this week, because I've been needing one for some of the Chariots' new material, as well as recordings. Bambi Lee actually desired a fuzz tone bass for one of her songs, so that's what really planted the seed (I didn't have anything that quite did what she was looking for). The pedal was priced right (whoot! to Robb's), and actually sounds huge. I think that I'll be using the "dry" mode mostly, but having the two others available does allow for some real flexibility. All of the EH gear that I've owned sounds pretty wicked, although that Black Finger compressor still has a wonky switch (but it does sound great).

It's definitely more mild than wild, but I wasn't looking for some self-oscillating fuzz pedal. It should serve its purpose.

Bass Parts.

I went ahead with my Christmas money spending spree on the interwebs.

1. Since I'm drop-tuning again (BLC doing some seriously malevolent new stuff), I decided to "do it right" and invest in a Hipshot D tuner. The way I figure it, if it works, it'll be bad ass. If it doesn't, I can recoup some of the cost and sell it on Talkbass.
2. I've been desiring a heavier bridge for the orange one for a long time (since I got it). The Leo Quan bridges are over-rated (no sweet features), in my opinion. A better bet (for about the same price) is the Hipshot model A (adjustable string spacing and quick release, and Graphtech makes piezo saddles for it if I get that jonez). I couldn't seem to find a Gotoh string-through, bolt-on replacement for the orange one. I did find a hilarious engrish-infested website for Gotoh, though (I can't find it now, but it had a hilarious translated description of their electric sitar bridge).
3. I also picked up some Mallory capacitors for the school bus bass (and new potentiometers) and the long-neglected white one. I think that the paper/oil cap in the orange one is cool, but takes up a lot of space in the control cavity. I probably should've picked up some more black/white cloth-covered wire, but I think that I'm safe to wire two basses.
4. I got a couple of Electrosocket jack plates for the school bus as well as the green monster. Side mount jacks are truly Satanic (not even reliable). I hope that these are indeed an improvement over a couple of pieces of bent metal.

I'm still trying to justify blowing some money on a digital recorder (it seems like it would be helpful for demoing the stuff that I'm writing if it's user-friendly--I don't want to deal with a computer, but a multi-track would be helpful, especially for my addled mind). I really wanted to get the stable of basses solid before taking that plunge. I've also fixed two power amps and a preamp using bonus/gifted holiday money. My realization that I'm up to my ass in dysfunctional equipment really lit a fire that preempts the purchase any new toys.
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Now playing: Black Sabbath - The Wizard

Quick and Easy – Bass Effect Holiday Shopping Guide 2009

As if I needed something like this to encourage me more on this pedal jonez. Seriously, though, I'll have to check out the Fender Sub Lime Bass Fuzz, as well as the Wounded Paw Battering Ram, and especially the Catalinbread SFT:

The Mighty Back-Catalog o' Tunes

I've been working through some old music to re-activate neurons that I might need someday in the future, and a couple of 'em just plain stupefy me.

It couldn't have been that complicated, since I wrote the damn bass line, but this one is really tearin' me up:

Red Cloud - Love, It's Not Working (Live 3/5/2004)

Seriously, though, sometimes it feels like I'm learning someone else's stuff. That was one hell of a band, back in the day, even if it feels like I'm talkin' bout someone else, now.

Wicked.

I really shouldn't have ever sold that '66 Bassman, which sounded really great amplifying anything. It would be perfect for BLC's low-volume practices. The Mesa is really too much amp for the practice room, so I'm thinking that I'll scale down with a small solid-state power amp/tube preamp setup (deja vu from the RC daze).

I was totally planning on using my SVT-IIp preamp, which sounds great but I've never really liked its active EQ. I've really become quite accustomed to old-school, passive EQ (like those found on my Mesas). I stumbled on this bad boy on the interweb, and had to do up a low-ball offer (no way in hell I'm going to pay $1350 for a new one).

Ever since I learned that the Alembic F-2B is basically a Showman preamp in a 19" format, I've wanted one. The best part is that it sounds cool and already has a (very) little rack rash, so I'm not going to be super upset if it gets some more. This one dates from sometime between 1974 and 1979, which is when the Alembic folks were housed in Sebastopol, California, in a renovated barn.

Now, I just need some tie dyed shirts and a liver transplant.

Tuxedo.

I really don't care for black and white p-basses. However, I've switched this one up for Halloween. Damn...those big pole-pieces look HUGE...I think that I'll leave the cover off.

A New Tuner Makes It So Much Easier.

I finally retired my Boss tuner. It had been blinking out on me for a few months. After a lot of research, asking friends and trying out tuners (such a non-exciting purchase), I decided that the Korg PB-2 was where it's at. It's another pedal tuner with an accuracy of +/-0.1 cents, which is as good as those Peterson machines. However, this one has a nifty BIG easy-to-read display with lots of modes that seem to work well for nailing down a pitch (haven't used 'em all yet). It's also got two inputs and true bypass (no more "blanket over the amp" buffered output sound--I've been on a crusade against that since I left the RC, and started plugging in directly without a tuner). It wasn't cheap, but I used some found money to pick it up. I still haven't burnt through my revenue from playing for the last year, yet.

A couple of months ago, it rained and rained for what seemed like a couple of weeks. Suddenly, the orange one developed a lower action without any adjustments (I sort of freaked out one day at practice). It's a 2005 model, so it was due to settle down. Now, it plays as effortlessly as the black ho. Unfortunately, I don't bother to measure out the specs on either bass, but they both feel good now. The orange one I had setup a year and a half ago when I got the frets dressed. It was good, but not perfect. The black ho's setup was the result of a lot of drinking and dinking with the truss rod after I switched out the bridge and pickups several years ago (it's been holding those adjustments for 5 or 6 years). Neither of 'em is really worth a crap as far as slap bass goes, but that's just fine by me.

The orange one had developed a bad intonation problem with the suddenly lowered strings. Everything was really sharp. A few minutes with the new tuner and a screwdriver, and we're back in business. I really ought to tweak intonation more often. It sounds brighter for some reason and the chords really "pop".

They Could be Talking About My Band

One of the funniest exchanges that I've read recently:

Q: Hi guys! does anyone know how to get the crazy ambient effects that Geezer did with Black Sabbath in tracks like "The Dark", "E5150" or "Stonehenge"?

A: Sounds like he was using a volume swell with flanger and maybe some delays on "The Dark" and "Stonehenge". Sounds real spacious.

A: I think smoking pot and channeling Satan helps too.

These poor souls don't know what a flanger can do (no one really digs the flanger). I think that it's a Tycobrahe flanger. Chicago Iron is making copies of it that sell for $550. It's wicked, though. Hear it here.

Thunderous.

After my appointment at the doctor's office, I made a quick stop by the music shop (just down the road from the doctor's office) to price a new tuner since the Boss TU-2 is getting really sketchy lately, even with a new battery. I've had it for a decade, so it doesn't owe me anything. Indeed, Korg has a nifty new one out that's priced right and has a true bypass. The dudes at the counter vibed me out, so I cruised back to the shop to see what Jeff and Ryan are up to, and see if they had anything to say about my Peavey 1820 crossover situation (Ryan actually gave me a pep talk that was helpful in voicing my Rhodes piano, so I'll at least listen to what he has to say now).

On my way out, I had to take a trip through the bass section, just to see if there was anything cool. Jeff says, "Bass players really get screwed out of all of the cool new gear." He's sort of right, but it's just usually a simpler set up (I think that it should be, anyway, 99% of the time; some people just don't understand the joy of bass-wire-amp-speaker). They totally had one of the new-ish American Standard Precision Vs. I've been looking to check one out for months (since April), and have only found one locally that was virtually unplayable (at the Rock Stick Mega Haus). I totally had to plug the beast in to see what the deal was. Indeed, it has a huge neck, but it's really no worse than my eight string (especially since this one had some sort of setup done to it). The extra string would take some getting used to, for sure, because I'm so used to "E" being on the bottom (or top, depending on how you look at it). The happy sounds were the stupid low ones off of the B-string (HEE HEE HEE!!).

I was giddy. This is an instrument that would've made so much sense (better than drop-tuning) two years ago. For some reason, this one was $500 less than internet retailers' prices ($900 off list!), which almost made me scoop it up. Seriously, though, do I really require such foolishness? Maybe....it is a pretty nice-looking axe:



I decided that instead of grabbing a new bass, I'd better pick up a couple of cheap creepers for the mechanics (they prefer them to the expensive ones), and get back to work. Jose and Manuel were tickled by the nuevo creepers (I think that they're technically camitas nuevas).

I'd Better Learn How To Play.

Seriously. This was recently released, and the samples are damn good. If one took the time to learn it, a real bass player would become completely optional (and someone else to pay). Take a look at the "Tutorial Video" if you want to see something really scary.

I recently learned how to do the dead notes on "Stealth" in a reliable manner. I was having problems with harmonics all over the place. I should've figured that out to bother Yessit about before he handed the reins over--I think that he mostly just played by accident half the time, though. I'm now playing a lot more notes on that song in particular.

----------------
Now playing: Do Make Say Think - All Of This Is True

High Speed Photography Rocks.

This is very cool. Cool enough to embed, at least. When I used to practice with a strobe light, I used to see some stuff like this. I think that I'd vomit these days, though. There's no slow motion on this, just a fast shutter speed and slow strings. Pretty cool-looking, from urbanscreen on Vimeo:



If I had some spare time, I'd get an upright and some lessons. I would have to get a different car, though. That's the real deal-breaker.

I Lied.

We actually recorded eight songs last Tuesday. I thought that it was seven, but, as a bass player, I rarely have to count past six, and usually four. So, I can't count to eight--oh well.

I got the rough mix today and it's lacking in several areas (when listened to on my bass-infested computer and car--on the 1970s Sansui, I can EQ the badness away). I have to keep in mind that these are mere demos and far from perfect:

• The songwriting and arrangements really work, though. We did a good job with Ross' songs. I'm so proud of us.
  
• If we can tighten up the bass track's low end and carefully tweak the midrange, we'll be set. I think that if I did a DI track and we used an in-phase room mic for the bass a way off, it'll fix my floppiness, which is the worst part of all of this (still not playing like I need to for a three piece, perhaps). Maybe some crap was done to the bass track unbeknownst to me--Greg did it right with a DI and a room mic on the 8x10" moderately loud with a touch of limiting on the DI (the UA 1176 plug in rocks). Maybe I just need to record with a different setup entirely.
  
• The drums weren't terrible, but again, the low end is really loose. There's virtually no crispness on the cymbals. I'd like to hear more of that. I want the snare to crack a little more, too. The percussion just ain't quite as tight-sounding as I'd like.
  
• The guitar actually sounds much better than I thought it would after listening to the playback. It could use a little bit more presence, but basically, it's cool.
• The vocals actually are great, and that's what I think that the magical one was shooting for. Sometimes, they sit in a weird place, but I think that's because it has a really smiley EQ curve (no mids) on everything else. There's a couple of places that ADT would be cool, or RDT as the case may be.
  

I'm trying to not let this bum me out at all. This isn't for real, after all. This is just for (fuckin') Ronny to figure out if the arrangements will work. I think that we've made impressive progress in two months. Mostly, it's production problems that have shown up, which is the whole point of pre-production, I think. Some of the improvisation is brilliant, though. I love it when things happen.

The new and improved 'Army of Stars' is really the best I've heard since Last Man on the Moon. Somehow, we managed a rock 'n' roll fine, which I didn't think that I had in me.

This new one is great, with a little bass-cut, man.

----------------
Now playing: Ross Etherton and the Chariots of Judah - Goodnight Everybody (5:01)

"Like A Pillow For Your Ear."

That's what Andrew told me about my tone recently. He got to experience it when he saw Ross Etherton and the Chariots of Judah at the Larimer Lounge a couple of weeks ago. I obsess about tone quite a bit. I really want the bass to sit in the mix and hold down the low end without a lot of effects or equalization.

I need a little bit of string/finger noise, though, so that I can hear the attack of the note (and make sure that I'm playing cleanly, because it'll let me know if I'm not). Most of the time, I think that I achieve what I'm after. What I'm not after is some treble-infested crap--that's what guitars are for.

I found this on the interwebs--it seems that someone else basically (bass-ically) agrees with me, even if I use round wounds most of the time. It was a funny read first thing in the morning.

Busy Weekend.

I guess I'm supposed to be "tweeting" stuff like this. LRC says that I'm supposed to use that for "I'm taking a dump" type posts. I can do that here--why would I want to subscribe to something else for people who aren't savvy enough to use feeds and aggregators and whatnot? Oprah is doing it, so perhaps I will. Maybe someday.

Friday night was my amazing tacos and vodka. I've actually been a light-weight since my ancient Chinese secret. It's a lot cheaper to catch a buzz since my Lenten booze fast.

Saturday, I awoke to no snow aqui (where was the 4 feet, dude). I cruised down to LRC's pad--it was 'nother story there--big car-sized snow boulders in the road and shit. Lame.

I wanted to see a movie to get out of the rain. We missed Fast and Furious, and I actually wanted to see He's Just Not That Into You, because Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore are in it (hot chicks to me).

During the movie, I got a call back from dude who's bass I was interested in. I arranged to meet him later, after the kids were in bed.

We picked up the minivan of doom. The dumb asses broke a bolt off in the timing cover and replaced it for twice the price. I bit my tongue, because my Mexicans would've done it cheaper (free+parts) but it probably would've involved Bondo, a sledgehammer, JB Weld, or a die grinder (likely all four). The coolant that I smelled a couple of weeks ago was indeed a fucked up water pump--I called it but didn't press the issue at the time. Whoot to me for my nose diagnostic (when driving trucks, you have to use all your senses).

<bass nonsense>

I went to Aurora to investigate the bass. Indeed it was clean, with the modifications that are required to make a 1951 design usable with modern strings and amplifiers. I'm still lukewarm about the schoolbus bass (the color needs to grow on me still):



Dig that goofy strap con los conchos, hombres. That'll go away. It only requires Grover strap locks, and some of those white felt washers (I have a bunch of 'em 'round here somewhere). It has a modern bridge, a fret job, a decent case (with keys, of all things), a setup for heavy-gauge roundwounds (I'll have to fix that), an extra set of new strings, the original bridge (in the case), a Lindy Fralin ham-backer (I'm a believer in the Lindy's hand-wound creations)--the original single-coil pickup is also in the case. I was looking for a twangier toned bass, and this one delivers--I haven't fingered it out enough to use it for BLC yet, but it's tempting. We're doing just fine with the ultra-dark JZ tone on the orange one (with over-wound Lindys).

It was cool to get an instrument that I've had on my list, and meet another local player. None of my friends actually know much about bass guitars (everyone I know plays guitar, it seems). Certainly, my pals appreciate good bass tone, but how to obtain it is sort of mysterious to them. Along those lines, I love the title of this post, even if I think that it's lame to not do your own electronics.

</bass nonsense>

After picking up the bass, I went to Tito's show. I saw Spoke Shaver (Josh Cool's new band, not what I expected, but I need to tap his luthier skills for this damn Rick) as well as Lonesome Tommy and His Lovely Lushes (looking forward to a full-band at the Meadowlark). LRC got zapped by an energy vampire and wasn't coherent enough for any more, which was a bummer because the harmonium rock afterwards looked very very very interesting to me.

Today, I cleaned house and took it easy. Then, I went to rehearsal. We ran through the set for Saturday, and basically rocked. We haven't played together as a band in a non-writing or recording session in several months, and there was only one significant stumble (which we played through--Greg was distracting me--I fucked up a chorus on one of the "hits"). It's nice to be playing with a solid group that doesn't really get cobwebs. I think that the key is that we're focusing evenly on new material as well as old material for the show. The new, old, new, old format is great for the set. I'm so excited to play a 'real' show since our last three were "events." Indeed, this one is an event, too, it appears, but it's at our "home" venue. It's going to be fun.

<recording angst>

Apparently, my Hammond parts from Friday are going to be kept, even though I 'bout had a nervous breakdown recording 'em ('how the fuck am I going to get there from here'--it was totally slow-motion playing). It almost sounds like I had lessons, so that paid off for mom (truly a funny story), but it's so damn legato and liturgical that it's not exciting by any means. I'm holding down eight finger chords and paralyzed with terror while I await the next measure--it wasn't relaxed at all. I don't even know the names of the chords--minor sevenths with suspended fourths or something--I nailed the last chord, which is what matters for the song (is he going to beat her?). Tension and release and then, maximum tension (Gm + Gmaj, interpolated and arpreggiated, and lots of tremolo/vibrato on both).

</recording angst>

Bass Solo, Take One...

No one should ever allow the solo button to be depressed for bass guitar. Most everyone has dreadful tone or technique. CB was a wizard, especially as far as composition, but this fret-slapping attack crap is just plain ugly. I've actually finally broken myself of that habit by using bigger strings and a lighter touch on the right hand. I still wind up with a really bright tone that isn't noticeable in the mix.

I think that they're pulling this off of a video game...anyhow, it sounds like farting in the bathtub or something:

Bass Lust.

I've totally been lusting for more basses today. This is totally stupid, especially since I just got the free Rickenbacker (Josh must truly love me). It's a fixer-upper, but not as bad as he made it sound (fretless conversion, maple-glo, non-original bridge...you know the drill):


I've been obsessing about Antigua (kind of a gray/white burst from Fender) finishes, though:

And, odd, thinline P-basses (the Loch Ness monster of Precisions, much prettier in tobacco burst--I don't like the bridge pickup, but the idea has me thinking):


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Now playing: Bad Luck City - Choptank River

Cool Version.

I accidentally learned this one today while noodling around with chords. The internets confirmed that I had it correct--I lucked out and found this video (worth the TOS risk). I love that they're doing the screw driver part. Still one of the coolest, easiest lines ever.

Awesome.

Soldering basses while on drugs is quite a challenge. I finished the orange one, and it's a little bit fatter and meaner (the string attack thumps). The best parts are that I got rid of the stupid S-1 switching and the high-end "icepick in your ears" shit. I don't think that the tinfoil cap really makes a difference but it seems to work just fine (a little bit less cut, almost wah-wah-esque).

The next project is to fix the busted pickup in the green one as well as the backwards volume control.

F.N.O.

Or almost, right?

It's going to take some getting used to, for sure. I should throw some gold hardware on her. Man, that would be ugly. Good to have the orange one back on the front line--that black one just wasn't cutting it, but I'm inspired to fix it. I can't believe that I used it for years--that was with a completely different amp, though.

Hopefully, the 4-ply tortoise-shell celluloid is more durable than the 3-ply parchment vinyl. If I wasn't a dumb ass, pick guard durability wouldn't be an issue.

My wiring issues have totally been resolved, which is awesome.
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Now playing: Misfits - Who Killed Marilyn (Date unknown. Song shop.)

How Good It Was...Black Hoes

I thought that was the lyric for a long time. When I admitted that, we all had a good laugh.

I'm relegated to the black hoe for the time being, while I await parts. It worked all right at practice, and we even got some Walk Among Us-esque sounds at one point on 'Blood Trail' (specifically, the 4-bar bit before the chorus on 'Vampira').



Greg's "new" Gibson sounds amazing, and never feeds back (zero resonance on that design, which totally lends itself to amplification). He had some tuning issues, but I think that I need to set intonation, too--it's been a couple of years since I actually used this bass for a band situation, and with the Colorado, instruments require seasonal adjustment.

I decided that I really don't like the mid-range contour on the Quarter-pounder. It's just not as great as a Whopper. Lots of bass and sparkly highs doesn't really suit the #2 Booger well. I'll be happy to get a flatter-sounding pickup back in my life. I found a response graph that was way impressive last week when I ordered parts, and now I can't find it (bummer). The new setup should be as flat as flat can be, which is especially cool considering that the Booger amps are all about sucked-out mids. The tone is described as 'raw' as well as 'woody', so I figure that I can't really go wrong. It's probably the most expensive precision bass pickup out there, but I found a hell of a deal--if it sucks, I can certainly sell it. I need to figure out WTF is up with cloth-covered wire, because I've always done PVC (in the Stratocaster and the black hoe). It actually sounds a lot easier (and no burning plastic). I can't remember how the grounding plate works, so I'll have to research that, or crack open the black hoe (which, as it turns out, is totally a 1962 re-issue...I shouldn't have messed it up with the new pickup and bridge...oh well...).

I really wanted to try out one of these, though. Curtis Novak is in Wimberly, TX, where my Nitwit is from, which is almost worth the extra effort for a fully custom pickup. If the new one works, great, if not, I'll totally be on the phone with Wimberly.

The only thing that I'm conflicted about is fucking with my setup the week before recording. I know that some people take great pleasure in such things, but I like tried and true, even though the bass will get buried amongst the vocals, I'm certain, and totally okay with (I give the best tone that I have, and if it gets drowned to serve the song/record, oh well). There's a backup plan just in case I forgot how to solder or something.

For those who care...the new pickup is all hand-wound (scattered, but not custom), and the resulting bass will be hand-wired. Do I get a gold star? That crap is all about the marketing, really...all that I care about how the rig sounds. I'm tryin' what other players recommend at this point.

Funny As Hell.

Steve Harris rocks, for sure. That clanky tone is horrible and totally un-precision-like. I've never been into it. Apparently, this guy totally is, though:



The best part is when he puts his foot up on the monitor (like in The Trooper video). My black one is set up just like the Harris bass (without the maple fingerboard or chrome), and I've always thought that was funny.

I need to resurrect that one. Maybe for some shows, or the record. I don't know. I'm thinking that the orange one is due for a mod or two. It has served me well so far, but it's on record, so it's time to mix it up (and this time I'll sell the parts instead of putting 'em in the suitcase o' pickups). More later.

A Robin Freedom Bass Sighting

Tommy Shannon is clearly jammin' on a black/rosewood one here in 1987:

Cool.

This is super-cool. Check out the audio samples. Maybe once I win the lottery and become a solo artist (or decide that I've had enough of this country thing):

Octavius Squeezer

analog bass synth

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend us your rears, for the arrival of Octavius Squeezer is nigh! Available starting mid-2008, Octavius Squeezer is the only analog bass pedal you need. Designed specifically for bass guitar, Octavius Squeezer has true analog reconfigurable signal path technology, true bypass switching and a comprehensive array of analog synth, octaver, fuzz, envelope filter and other effects driven by a convenient digital preset system. With all this plus tuner and metronome in a size that fits in your gig bag, this is one pedal you simply can't afford to be without! Listen to it now!

Octavius Squeezer includes a dedicated filter circuit bred in our Agent 00Funk and Agent 00Funk Mark II envelope filters. It also includes the fuzz circuit from our Brown Dog gated bass fuzz. A digital pitch tracking stage tracks the notes you play right down to the bottom of your instrument's range and drives an analog synthesizer which can produce various waveforms at either the same pitch as your input, one octave down, one octave up or two octaves up. All of this can be patched, mixed and configured in a variety of ways to give an enormous array of available effects.

Use the effect control to switch between the 50 user-editable presets that can be stored in the Octavius Squeezer's onboard memory. Adjust any of the presets on-the-fly with a twist of the param knob. See the current effect and parameter settings clearly displayed on Octavius Squeezer's backlit LCD. Use the two user-assignable footswitches to bypass, tap tempo and switch effects on the fly. Save and load additional presets to SD card (like the one in your digital camera) using the onboard card reader, and use it to upgrade Octavius's firmware as new versions become available.

Jamerson Is The Dude

Shit...playing like this really is awesome. Sad that he never got the recognition that he deserved during his life. More #1 hits than any other bassist? I didn't know that, but I don't doubt it. This is a cheesy fan video, but great sound:

Lockdown.

The convention in town means that it was a bitch to get home from the weather-center after recording tonight. Cops were everywhere, and my usual route past the stadium was closed. I told them that this was bullshit, and had to go south to go north. Fuckers.

I did four songs tonight. The bass tones are pretty fuckin' great, in my opinion. They're nice, big, waves, so we'll have the maximum word-length to edit with. I think that the Booger compresses a lot when it's dimed--this must be that special "constant current whatever it's called" that kicks in at 10. The D-180s had that in the power section, too. A little low roll-off, and it'll be great, seriously.

Seriously, kids, we got the closest to my dream OC tone tonight. It's supposed to be like a thick, blurry, pulse-width modulated synth on the lows, with a little string noise, and, loud, with a slightly fizzy overdrive (not like a Sansamp, though). The mids aren't all harsh, either, which is awesome. It's a lot like that sound that I got with the Peavey before Michael Gira dissed my tone (for the record, he was of the opinion that the memorial combo was where it's at; I don't really like that sound), and I traded it to Greg/BLC.

It sounds VERY silly soloed, though. Seriously...

Recording; Rehearsal; Soundtrack

It's a very busy (and thus, boozy) time for me.

This week we finally got in deep with the recordings. The bass rig makes the building make bad sounds, so live recording isn't really an option (again). I must've been much quiter for the RC record. Actually, I know that I was--the Ampeg setup just doesn't hit that hard. So, we're multi-tracking it out. It's a little bit of a drag for me, but I'm not discouraged at all. What we've tracked so far sounds awesome. E is fucking amazing (doing up drums with only a metronome). The guitars sound great, but we ran out of time to finesse the bass into the mix (we're super-close, though). I'm really really really superexcited about making this record.

Saturday was the initial rehearsal of the Sound Diapers (the SD). Actually, it went a lot better than I had anticipated. My somewhat improvised lines worked out just fine. I need to shake my fist at MH for making that one song difficult on the rhythm section (you cunt). It'll be good, and BLS is fucking stoked.

The BLC is writing really soundtrack-y stuff. We need to get both guitarists in a room to make 'em into songs. They're at their best when they can bounce ideas off each other--I'm only somewhat good at writing changes up. Still, we're going to go test Greg's studio for some of the soundtrack stuff.

And I have two (?!!?) looming projects on the horizon to think about. Seriously, I think that two bands is about right, although I'm stoked to play four nights a week. Maybe three bands? LRC hates this shit, though, because I never see her. I can't make any decision until I'm done with this SD deal.

Ain't It Ugly?

I went to the rock-stick-megahaus (and got a flat tire, again) this afternoon. I picked up strings and wandered about and saw this monstrosity:

Cool: Tone Snobbery Links; Ronny's Mix Tape

• Tales From the Tone Lounge;
• BassFuzz.com (like I really need a fuzz);
• All-Tube Bass Head Buyer's Guide (from bassplayer.com - the Mesa Bass 400 is a cheap sleeper, I swear)

Ronny made me a mix tape that's bad ass. It makes the drives to work better, especially since I've been doing the immersion to learn the songs for the Sound Diapers show (more on that a little later, after another beverage). Ronny is the dude that turned me onto Smog:



and the Neutral Milk Hotel (studio version is here, with a nice write-up)
(one of those old Roadstar basses would be awesome):



and John Fahey (fingerstyle steel string turns me on):



I need to get my act together and discover some shit for Ronny--I owe him some tunes.

Not So Good With Metaphors (keyed up tonight)

Seriously, though...people make me crazy with "warm" and "muddy" when describing how something sounds. Occasionally, I catch myself using 'em, though--lately, "fizzy" has occurred a few times.

Apparently, the bass track that I cut tonight sounds "like Salisbury steak gravy." WTF?!? It's probably the most descriptive anyone's ever gotten with my tone. I dig it. Thanks, John.

Dude also said that there was a kind of Geezer Butler vibe to it, which I can totally dig. I was 14 or 15 when I shoplifted a $3 bootleg of "We Sold Our Soul For Rock 'n' Roll" the track order was wrong, and the cover was something weird, but I was hooked. When I saw him last year, I thought that he was playing a bass like my black ho, but it looks to be a fuckin' Lakland.

That stuff changed my life.









I totally need to bring "Denver Concrete Vibrator" out of the online gaming realm, and into reality. Like I have time for four bands, right?

Amazing.

I totally scored a backup amp on the 'bay. It was one minute, two seconds remaining, and totally undervalued. It might need some work to be groovy, but, shit, these Mesa/Boogie Bass 400s aren't that plentiful in The Denber, so I HAD to locate a cheap backup. The last couple of weeks have been hellish for me because I've been very stressed out about amps.

I'm so glad that this isn't a Matchless or something, and I CAN find another one. Boutique amps and "classic gear" are cool, but it's a really a bitch if it catches on fire. I suppose that these bass amps are "classic" (or almost); the last one came off the line in 1989, though. That last run had the 2-ohm taps off of the transformer, which is wicked (I want one).

Happy that I scooped up another one, even without the extra-groovy outputs. I'm totally getting out of the amp business, unless I can get something amazing (a B-15N) supercheap.

Additional research on these silly Bass 400s reveals that the preamp is just as I suspected--2-10-2 is "flat EQ" (like a Fender Showman, or the mighty Alembic preamp). I was also stunned to learn that Cliff "f" Burton used 'em--I really had no idea, but it makes a lot of sense to me, since he also throws down those "unpleasant to JFN" sounds (there's a post about this, somewhere recent); I don't feel like a total idiot for not using a fuckin' SVT, anymore. My Booger sounds almost as good as my old Bassman, but has much more gain and is so so so much louder. Really, almost anything sounds great through The Electric Grandmother (Ampeg 810E), though.

I still want to get another 1966 Bassman (one that has a grounded power cord and doesn't zap you--I don't care if it was previously owned by The Boss anymore).

The Repair Shop; The "New" Band; Gear Lust

Today, just as I was going to call dude about the status of the Booger. Dude must be psychic, because he called me to tell me that it was done. He just fixed it without approval because he figured that this was the kind of repair that I'd approve of. I appreciate that, really. Glen doesn't fuck around.

Schematics, if anyone cares:



As it turns out, it was an intermittent defective 12ax7. For an hour of bench time, and the cost of a new tube, I'm back in the tube bass amp business. Apparently, it had trashed the socket connection, too, so I got a cleaning and a re-solder on the V3 socket. It was only a six-day turnaround, which seems way faster than some of the shops in town. I know that everyone has their guy, and I've actually been impressed by Greg's Ampeg lately, but shit, man, that took MONTHS to get awesome.

Besides the BFE location in the Englewood, I have no gripes with Mars Amp Repair, and I'd like to put in a plug for 'em. They're factory-authorized for warranty service on Ampeg, Crate, DOD (eek), Digitech, Fender, Hughs & Kettner, Korg, Kustom, Laney, Line6, Mackie, Marshall, Mesa, Peavey, Roland, SWR (eek), Traynor, Vox, Yamaha and Yorkville. The business card sez "Tube and Solid State Service: Amps, Pedals, Effects, Keyboards." Check 'em out, I found 'em on fuckin' Craig's List of all places.

I really need to get another one of these as a backup, or a similar 200-watt tube amp. I also need to get more self-sufficient with amps--can't be that difficult, but I'm really frightened by those voltages. I'm currently lusting for a Marshall Major with that 4x15" cab.

Tonight's get-together was mostly getting to know you sort of chit chat, and solidifying the practice schedule. I got the set list, charts (cheat sheets), and the mighty "disc o' demos"--which includes some of the new "electro" tracks--it's a damn good thing that I learn synth lines for fun. I have some homework to do, for sure, but since I learnt many of those songs two years ago (and I think that it's safe to say that I'm a better player now), this won't be too bad. The best part for me was hanging out and just talking to fuckin' Ronny, Andrew, and Heller. It's a really fast, dynamic, ADHD conversation just like back in the day. It felt really great.

Gear lust:

Lakland has put different options and pickups into the Decade, and it's not a custom shop deal anymore. I'm not in The Swayback, so it's still too fuckin' expensive for me, but cute:



Fender finally pulled their heads out of their asses; now they're importing the "cool" colors of the Jaguar Bass (I saw one at the Soundtown and just about shit myself). I think that the white one might be very cool on stage, especially with a white pick guard and maybe some extra chrome:

Insecto Loco; Weather; Photos; Super Huge; Goals and Shit

A fucking yellow jacket got up my pants' legs today. Stung me twice on the left leg, and, after I seizured him out of that leg, five times in my right kneecap. It's not as bad as it sounds, actually. I'm apparently not that allergic to the damn things. Manuel said "el insecto es loco," after I crushed its head and it was walking around in circles on the truck floor. He crushed it, and ended the ordeal. Three antihistamines were just the ticket, although I was very stoned at The Weather Center this evening.

It rained tonight! Awesome. Apparently, there was a tornado warning while we were writing another new one. Like we'd even be able to hear the air raid sirens, right?

Jason Claypool has his photos from the DPUMS up. He actually caught me at a good moment--this is as close to rock posing (funny link) as I think that I'll ever get. I was actually making faces at the camera, but timing is everthing in photography, right. I think that he did good.



During practice, I got one of those big bad important "this is urgent, call me back" voicemails. It sounded grave as shit, so I did on the way home. I'm pretty damn excited, but I'll wait to break the news to all but my closest friends. It's sort of one of those gigs that you can't say "no" to without kicking yourself afterwards. Andrew and I are stoked (he called me basically in the same surreal mood). The next couple of months are going to be rock central for yours truly, but this is what I've wanted to do since I was little.

Actually, when I was 11 or 12, I saw the late night television show bands and decided that I wanted to be a professional musician. I told my dad that, and he was actually excited for me. It's probably the only time that someone has encouraged me to follow dreams. I'm still not there, but well on my way to getting enough calls to stay busy--now, if only I could get paid sessions. I'm going to work my ass off to make this one gig completely perfect, though. It shouldn't be too difficult--seriously, I filled in for Ventura that one time with Ghost Buffalo, and those were giant shoes to fill (you know what they say about Phillipinos with big shoes--they have big feet).

Shit, I'm burnt out.

Cooler On The Record

I stumbled across these two videos of Om playing "At Giza":

This one gets mean about nine minutes into it, finally....

Their tempos wander more than any duo should (surprising). I prefer the record because that Rick twangy is more tolerable.

Recording....

(bad writting to follow)

Indeed, the OC began some pre-production demos this evening. Feeling out the room and the rig is WTF is going on. We're doing this all live, mind you; with five tracks of room mics. With the OC's practice rig, it actually sounds really decent--it sounds like the Starburst Factory (which is dialed in at this point--I think that The Weather Station is a better name) and a little bit better. That 2x18" is the best gear investment that I've ever made.

Sans vocals make it very hard to play the songs, though, and some confusion occurs. If we could somehow rig up headphone monitors for a "scratch vocal," I'd be funkin' stokeed.

The electric grandmother and the orange one sound much better on "tape" than I think they do live--there's a nice sheen that the microphones pick up. My ears are probably shot. As much as I'd like to modify the electronics in that bass, I think that it's really doing well totally stock. It's been sounding nice lately, and I think that putting a bigger pickup and huge pots and maybe a varitone would be a bad plan. Tonight's big secret was no EQ, which I only noticed after the fact. The passive rotary EQ (it's like an old Showman or Alembic preamp, really--triple ought yields silencio) on the Mesa is best left alone, and the graphic just adds noise. On the Ampeg rig, I'm actually into the graphic EQ (and subtle rock-guy active rotary settings, to do up a good BLC sound) As is, is best, it seems.

The overdriven bass parts sound (huge and awesome) like I'm overpowering the drums (all of us using overdrives and fuzzes and whatnot doesn't help), but I only heard the playback from the adjacent room. We could run a sub-mix out of the drums to bring 'em up to fucking deafening for the jackhammering the wall of sound parts.

I'm eager to hear the "studio magic" versions of the songs we did tonight after some mixing. You can't beat the sound of a band playing together, really. It'll be good.

The ladies down that way were really nice to me. The pedal steel sounds like a sitar effect on this one.
----------------
Now playing: Waylon Jennings - Louisiana Women

For Linda Ruth...

or others that aren't so into the Poison video-o-rama....

My Brother, Dr. E-dogg, was totally into the Poison. Our father trasheed all of those records because of the 'sex on the beach' from the 'open up and say ahh' record. Anyhow....here's the shit from él señor de amor a la roca:

Actually...it's all about 'talk nerdy to me,' LINDA. Think that I require a lime-green B.C. Warlock, really:




Indeed, I require a Warlock (and lots of cocaine);...is that the RATT or Randall sound?!? Priceless '80s video (love the Newman-lookin' father):



Overcasters require more choreography; certainly for the videos. 'F'J.N. certainly has enough banjos to pull off nonsense such as this:



Classic...I require some crazy brunette groupie (I love 12-string anything):

Albini Weirdness, The Expanded Version

I've been trying to find a solution (without the 'ziehe-sitar' shit) for the tuner tone-suck problem. I've been to too many pedal and DIY sites in the last few days, and stumbled upon some real gems on the internets.

The intro on this is just plain weird:



I dig this:



Looks like maybe a Peavey bass? WTF is with them DIY straps? Anyway, this one is tough [relentless drum machine = awesome; doesn't that dude look like Jason Heller--he probably fucked your girlfriend once (or twice, or at least tried to)]:



----------------
Now playing: big black - bad penny (live dutch fm radio 8-87)

Some More Ugly Instruments

The cool thing about "classic" basses is that if it's not a Fender or a Gibson, it's probably reasonably priced, especially if it's of Japanese manufacture (I love them Japanese instruments). I thought that I'd see what weird shit Subway Guitars had listed since I'm now soo-hawt (tm) for a replacement that's more ugly than the Robin Freedom Bass (hey man, is that freedom rock). It used to be easy to find something hideous. Not so much anymore. I did find some:

A "Goyem Panther II" (on the left)--I dig the push buttons (a la Galanti or some such nonsense) and plenty of chrome. It looks to be long scale!! Could be refinished to match the drumkit, but I'll bet that a case would be fucking impossible. The Krappa Continental (I think that's a joke) on the right is definitely a shorty.

This one's not quite as appealing, but it does have a case and could be refinished to match the drumkit. Further research indicates that this is a fucking Yamaha. The Fatdawg description sez:

"Serial No. 1778. 70s Nippon Gakki Company, LTD. Hit with the ugly stick. And to make matters worse, its mother took thalidomIde. Original case included. Very good condition -- with few dings: $400"

I believe that I may be seeking the Gibson Marauder of bass guitars. I might have to take a road-trip to the bay-area to visit the Fatdawg. I wish that I was in a touring band right about now. Cool instruments are a hard thing to pick up in Denber, it seems.

a long-scale bass-tard love child

I gave the green monster away a couple of days ago. It's definitely not heartbreaking, she's in a good home, and being played, which is how instruments should be kept. Now, I'm obsessing about other quirky-looking bass guitars, though. Most of the really cool ones are short scale, which is a deal breaker. Perhaps I require a Reverend, an Airline, a Vox (I still think that John Cale with a Vox Phantom looked cool), a Gretsch (I'd have to refinish it for sure), or whatever this thing is (hell, it looks like a long-scale bass-tard love child of a Mosrite and a Thunderbird, and completely bad-ass--with a single pickup, this one is the bomb, I think that it's a fucking Yamaha):



I've totally ripped that song off in recent songs. Oh well, no one has noticed. The Surf Coasters can really play, and they appear to be having fun (which is what it's about). Goddamn, I love surf music, even in a post-Hendrix world.

While on this Miserlou kick, I found this one:



Dick Dale is a trip to watch, with the backwards strings and shit. Where'd they find that bass player?!? Dude is so not having fun (he's probably checking out that dancing blonde; that happens to the best of us).

A Nifty YouTube Find

Check this out. Mike Watt is a monster. The Minutemen were fuckin' tremendous. It's sad to me that a lot of gen-y think that Corona is a beer or the Jackass theme. Don't get me wrong, I love the low-browness of Jackass, but I get those guys' soundtrack, because their's is largely the same as mine. I'm glad that I stopped doing the "goddamn idiot" (a Grammy Sammie term) stuff years ago.

Bass Solos

I refuse to solo when anyone's looking, but these are sick:


I require that outfit. The three-figure right hand technique is incredible. Fucking fast.


I require a headband, too. I still don't see what the big deal is, really. The 'Third Stone From The Sun' bit is pretty cool, though.


Cliff Burton really did some cool shit for being a metalguy and so young. R.I.P., dude. This dude is the one who made me want to play bass. I have a disfigured jean jacket, and I'm not so into the bell-bottoms, though.


At least he ain't licking the bass. He must have hit the Old Navy for the metallic jeans.

Sick.

The solo runs from about 00:00:19 to about 00:04:05.

Show Post-Mortem; Gear Gripes

It wasn't horrible, but not perfect, either. I was fucking stunned when some people thanked me during dinner with my sweety (across town) later in the evening. That was really strange for me. I think that I maintained my coolness and was pleasant.

I had a moment of unfocus during "Love, It's Not Working." I was getting far too into it. The tempos were agonizing on some of 'em. It made the BLC feel like speed metal. A guitar player missed a few critical pickup notes on a solo (put on your surprised face). I missed loud drums a lot, seriously. All in all, though it wasn't too bad for two full practices and one power trio practice (that one sounded great).

Three shows in the last month or so with three different bands...that's pretty good in my book (the rules).

Post-shows gear gripes:

My SWR 1x15" sucks (we all knew this). That one is relegated to practice cab status. I don't even trust it to deliver after it fucked me on that recording session. I hate that. I can't hear it on stage.

I can't bitch about the electric grandmother too much. She's served my dumb ass well for years. I ought to check the speakers, though. Kurt wanted to do that a while back, and since they're the originals, it might be a good idea. I hate my lame tolex repairs. It's a little lacking in the low end, but kicks like a mule. If I replace speakers, I think that I'll put a couple of different kinds in there.

My Acoustic Control Corp. 406 (that ugly ass 2x15" that used to be in PMFS) sounded really smooth and nice with a little string noise; just how I like it. Apparently it was shaking clothes 20' out (just how I like it). I might transition that one into the OC when no one is looking. It needs work, so I'm moving that up in my projects list. Many of the bass players on the lists seem to be doing the Line-X thing for durability. I can dig that. Tolex gets hurt too easily, and Ozite isn't even an option if you have pets (although I've fired cat junior, feline number one is still here, for a time). The sound guy, Don, accused me of being "one of the loudest bass players in Denver." Also, he said it was a "killer rig." Awesome.

My Booger was solid, although I need to get it into a shop to fix those 4-ohm outputs and punch it up with some 6550s (probably while the mighty Tarmints are out conquering the west coast). It's not loud enough for the OC, and I'm so not into solid state sounds. If I can eek out 50 more watts, I'll be cool, at least until some damn fool guitar player gets a bigger amp or a new booster pedal. I really could get a couple of big amps going just for the OC.

My Orange One needs some help--American made is too weak for my playing, apparently. She's going to get a new brass nut, a new bridge, and new pickups (duncans or rio grandes, most likely) when she's not looking. Okay for BLC, awesome for the OC, but it wasn't the right bass for 4 a.m. because the g-string is too bright. I should've turned down the treble, but I wanted crunch for the loud part. Ah, hindsight....

I need to get a bypass box for the tuner. I've seen schematics on the internets. That pedal is a little tone-robbing asshole, and the output jack is all fucked up (too much beer).

Got some bass projects, for sure. That'll keep me amused on the cheap for a month or so.

Getting My Fix

I get terribly bummed out Tuesday through Friday because I'm having music withdrawal. With the OC on summer sabbatical, I've been despondent for too long. It's amazing that I haven't shotgunned myself in the face.

Tonight was the first time in three (!!) weeks that the OC has convened to rockpractice (tm). We actually sounded really decent (better than some bands at shows). No one had forgotten the songs. It was great to have the kaptain back up on his feet, although he looked quite wobbly at times. His voice is back and mad as hell after being all cooped up for months. I know nothing about singing, but doing so with a cramped diaphragm has to double the effort. It would be like me using a foam mute or something.

However, the drums seemed muted to me, as was K's guitar. I'm convinced that he needs more speakers for better dispersion amongst los bastardos de amplificadores. Mabe the sound is a lot better on the other side of the "stage." I think that we need to turn up the drums.

More adjustments on the menace have improved string to string balance, and I'm starting to get really comfortable with the instrument. Maybe the satin neck is easier than the black ho's gloss one? The black ho definitely has more tightness in the low end (I'll refrain from full-blown innuendo here). On the journey home I decided that I might be able to regain some of that black ass by using the elusive "bass shift" switch on the Booger.

My schedule has eased at work. Thus, I can now do twice a weeks with the OC again. Mondays are still feeling ridiculous, but Wednesday is new and improved with a second driver, even if I though it was a horrible idea. I'm fucking stoked about that. It means no more Wednesday night is "date night," though. Maybe LRC can see the OC sometime, though. I hope that she likes/understands what we're doing. This feels more like "my band" than any of my previous (or the other current) band(s). Once I'm established in the BLC (work on the 15 new songs), I'm sure that I'll feel more ownership there.

After listening to us tonight, I'm completely convinced that we need to record a 7" (at least) for release soon. I'll bet that we could get it done pro bono, or at least low fee, from our friends. If I hadn't donated the eight track to the "i have no ideas" kids, I'd totally do it, although I'd have to purchase microphones (mine have all been stolen, except for that Shure 55sw, which I'm going to fix and gift to someone soon). Even if we just did a live thing, it would be pretty fucking good. K managed to get a couple of great musicians to play with us. This band needs to get into a studio and spread our weedy vibe soon.

Lost And Found and lost again

Been a lot foggy lately, my friends. Running red lights...stopping at green ones..."losing" important documents. Essentially, I feel high, however, that is not the case. It's like someone is putting depakote in the water supply (supposed to be on 1,500 mg a day). Really miserable. I believe that this numb feeling is a stress-related deal. I've got the "I'm stressed out" rash, again (third time since I was 17). I seem to be dealing fairly well this time.

I probably require a vacation and some weed.

This weekend was restorative, though. My pets are feeling lonely, for sure, but those little assholes have been getting on my nerves. I'm feeling better about the girl after moving in for a few days. We made it out to a show (saw a lot of pals). I had "lost" my driver license. The fucking patriot act means that I can't make a deposit at the bank without one (fuckers). The state of Colorado doesn't accept my birth certificate as valid (although I was born in a U.S. military hospital in country). It's a two-day hassle to get another license. Fuckers.

Practice with BLC was instrumentalists and missing a bass player (put me on the spot without a net). I'm still feeling things out, for sure. My "menacing" tone might not work for this band. I'll try something different for the next practice. If I get the dynamics right, I think that it's doable, though. That's a reasonable goal, right? It's proving to be difficult to adjust to a much quieter band (on 2, the practice rig is far too much--The OC goes to 11). I think that they would've said something if I had been really obscene. They're used to a subliminal bass player, which isn't what I've been doing lately. Andrew did clue me into a decrescendo that I totally did wrong. Thanks, dude--I got it now. It's all going to work out with a little practice. One month until the debut of the unfuckwithable new lineup. Fingers crossed.

I found the MIA license in a truck that I drove a week ago today. Excellent.

Later, I got a bad phone call with another cancer scare. Why is it that everyone I really care about is having these fucking issues?!? Meanwhile, back in my crotch, the "lymphoma" seems to have cured itself sans medical intervention. Whoot.

I'm probably dying. Whoot.

Bass Epiphany

Not those high fiddle-dee enclosures. I have workable lines for the two "hard ones." They're not so bad. The Girls of St. Magdalene's Parish works out like a satanic Motown deal, building up to the coda section. The demon hunting one has some percussive pops (not quite on the down beat) that were totally eating me alive--so not part of my vocabulary. They're very cool, so I worked it out. It's a busy little line.

Now I only have to sweat out learning the piano for the "weird one."

"I have some pedals; we'll mix it up"

That was the Matt Winkleman quote when he heard that Last Man on the Moon was playing with SCFS at the Chinese restaurant and Linoleum. Now, I find myself in a band o' pedal guys. We kid about the bradshaw systems from the eighties, but this guy is serious (check out Lou Reed's rack):

Pete Cornish

I'd really like to work up a pedal board, but it seems really silly for bass. Once the "revolution" fretless (it's purple, yo) comes online, I might have to get an A/B box, and that might warrant a real setup. I need to pick K's brain for anti-tonesuck routing ideas. That guy has fucking amazing tone all the time.

The reduced practice schedule is about to kill me, seriously. Tomorrow, I get my turn at training the new guy, though. He speaks English and is really enthused about this job. Something has to be wrong with him. I'm highly motivated to train well (I'm good at it, actually), so that I can spend more time with my beloved Overcasters.

I am 7/12ths through the BLC songs. This is a good start since rehearsals start this weekend. It's actually very intuitive to me. I look forward to some agonizing practices. It's a good thing that we're friends.

More Bass Foolishness

I've been looking for something like this, actually. The OC is pretty much at the limit for SPL in our current space, so I wouldn't be able to use it there. I'm really looking for a Marshall Major 4x15", which is way cooler. I think that those electric amp (was matamp?) guys are building 4x15s in a tall configuration. 160 pounds?!? 1800 watts?!? So stoner metal, man. Hell yes.

I fear that my practice rig just isn't quite going to cut it with dos guitars and violence and vocals. I really need to get my act together and re-tube the preamp, get a beasty power amplifier and another electric grandmother-sized cab for the sad fuck shitty. Maybe I'm all wrong, and they practice with headphones or something.

I attempted to fix the orange bass today. Seems to have the unbalanced (loud) low end that I require now. I'll check it out on monday. I really like the tuning stability and ringing high end, but I miss the duncan pickups that the black ho has. It's a process, and I shouldn't be so stressed out about tone, but I am. I'm a ramblin' man.

Meanwhile...back at the ranch....the ebay write up is well worth the read. Dude is talking about ohm matching? WTF is that?!? He used Carvin speakers, too (cheap ass). Nichols would appreciate that, though. The weed wolf must be dude's personal pet. Check it out:

Monstrous and bowel loosening 4x15 hotrodded BASS CABINET. Here's the basic rundown... this cabinet i found used, originally from a friend and bassist, and it had some blown speakers. the original speakers were a joke, and were pro audio, not bass, i believe.. a feeble 300 watts total... so i purchased the carcass and decided i would ressurect this rig as a massive portal of evil, a project, the biggest bass cab i could get my hands on, so to speak,...because of its obvious potential. these cabinets were peavey originally in the 80's and very rare. a slightly more common model had 2 15" speakers on one side and two 10" and a horn and an possibly an eight or something on the other side, i dont recall exactly.. anyway, the 4x15's were the less common of the two designs. this amp is gargantuan in size as you can see. it dwarfs a poor marshall cab in size and in stature (deliverance bowel wrenching low), i assure you. anyway, so i immediately bought four brand new cast frame carvin 800 watt 15" drivers (they are all less than a year old, i have receipts), and installed them, creating a BASS cabinet rated at an ungodly 3200 watts,and this is no joke! this alone was around 500 bucks cos they were like $129 a driver.(x4). i also wired it professionally with new, xtra thick speaker wire (for added bass via less electrical resistance) and configured the OHM matching so that it can be run in stereo as two 2x15s simultaneously or as a mono if you wish. (there are two seperate inputs). also, i gutted the thin, crappy, aging, insulation padding on the inside, and re padded the internal with a lush, thick new padding (after cleaning the entire inside of the cab out thoroughly). this keeps the frequencies from bouncing off each other and themselves as they are prone to do in cabinets with no baffling on the inside. it has the effect of making it a full, LOW, thick, mmmppppphhhhhh sound... i tell you, you have never FELT bass like this mother. not on your ampeg 8x10, not on your mesa 12"s not on anything. before you believe the fantasy that tens can get as low as you really, really want, you should hear this thing. trust me. and then you will see my son. nectar of the gods! of course im using quite a bit of power since i put such hardcore bass 15"cones in the weapon. i use two qsc 1450's, sometimes an ampeg svt 4 and a power amp combo. but you do not need to use that much overkill power unless the torture is what you love! still, under my command, this rig literally, and i mean "literally" shakes the concrete walls of the jam rooms. volume wars do not concern you any longer my friend.they will Feel your domination IN THEIR LIVER as they submit and prostrate themselves before the aural onslaught! I have also put industrial casters on it, large nice wheels, and believe me, never has an object been more a match for the wheel than this center of mass. it is VERY heavy. to heavy and large to ship, i might add, so unless you can arrange otherwise, it is pick-up only from HOUSTON,TX 77034. im going to start bidding at 450, thats less than the cost of the new drivers alone.. i easily have over 700 invested already in it, but my path is going elswhere and i cannot pursue this project as i once did. also for an extra 60 bucks, if interested, i will include 4 yards of brand new marshall elephant grain tolex (the kind on a marshall 4x12 stock cab) black, it comes in a roll, and i was going to use this to recover the outside eventually. i have the tolex spray on glue as well to do this job. this is an option im giving only if you are interested, as my original intention was to add new corners and tolex to completely finish hot rodding this into a one of a kind king daddy bass rig. hearing is believing my friend. this is not your average bass cabinet. in different circumstances i would refraim from parting with this monolith, but for now it is here starting at a deal of the century low price. bid with confidence, (see feedback). and i can arrange for you to try it out if interested. (in houston). questions welcome.Crush your enemies...see them driven before you...and hear the lamentation of de women....... unleash the fury. with this rig the ladies will finally call you PAPI ! .....DEATH TO FALSE METAL.

Honestly, I'm Conflicted About This Repost

I totally support the effort to locate Neil's bass, even if he replaced my dumb ass with the RC. Shit, we do have matching tattoos. It's a supercool instrument, too. Here is the repost from PMFS (emphasis added):

Last night at the Mastodon, Against Me, Cursive show Neil's bass was ripped off outside of the club.......

THIS IS WHERE WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!! this bass was the world to neil and was his baby so we need to pull together and find it for him!!!! so please help!!

the bass was stolen outside of the Warfield @ 982 Market Street in San Francisco between 4:15pm and 4:45pm on Wednesday, May 2nd 2007
there was security "watching" our gear but somebody pulled a fast one.
the bass was seen right up until 4:15 by the guys in Cursive and has not been since.

it was a 1979 Washburn "Hawk" bass
long scale
the knobs were all different colors: one black, two gold, and one metal
it was wood grain with a pearl trim
and there was a crack between the knobs that also made it his bass.

the bass was in a hard, black sbk case with several red and white spray paint stencils all over it.
things like:
"Git Some", "Fragile", "Planes" w/ thunder in the night forever and a planes skull, "Please Be Gentle", and there was several other random one of a kind art prints on the case as well.

the best photo of the bass we have is below>>>

side note> the knob you see on the right has been replaced with a black knob and the gold one has been moved down to where the knob is missing in the photo.

if you have any information please email no_rest@hotmail.com or call 773-793-5244
if you need a police officer right away please contact the San Francisco Police Department in regards to case number 070449444
officer d. sands badge #170 was there and filed the report.

PLEASE REPOST>>> WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP!!! AND THERE WILL BE A REWARD IF IT IS FOUND!!!!!!!!

hee hee

The Keith Morris of the Bass World

Did you ever notice that they dig up KM for those punkrock documentaries? Hell, they dig up the same people, over and over again. Seems like Mike Watt has finally become a bass superstar--dude's been in so many magazines in the last couple of years, seriously. One of my heroes, for sure. I only know Watt from records and interviews; I'd be so overwhelmed to meet him for real.

This article/interview is stolen from here. All Watt interviews are really really real; makes me feel the brotherhood thing, really. This is fucking hilarious, though:

Mike Watt’s School Of Punk Rock
Econo 101

By Brian Fox | April 2007

Mike Watt is the Econ professor you wish you had—friendly, articulate, and wildly entertaining. But sit for a spell in his classroom—an abandoned Navy latrine in San Pedro, California, that Watt converted into his practice pad—and you’re bound to learn lessons beyond most scholars’ comprehension.

Don’t let his working-class duds and down-home mannerisms fool you: Watt is a learned dude. As likely to reference medieval artists and authors as he is to drop F-bombs and scatological metaphors in his colorful Pedro vernacular, Watt is himself a study in contrasts.

If there’s prerequisite for a class with Watt, it’s learning a few phrases of Wattspeak. First of all, “econo” has nothing to do with supply-and-demand. Rather, it evokes the ethos pioneered by his band the Minutemen in the early days of American punk rock. Traveling by van, staying with friends, and writing bite-size songs that are as direct and forceful as a kick to the gut are a few examples of what it means to “jam econo.”

It was the Minutemen that put Watt on the punk-rock radar, along with guitarist, fellow frontman, and musical foil D. Boon and funky, frenetic drummer George Hurley. The band’s muscular sound, direct delivery, and ideological focus coalesced for 1984’s Double Nickels on the Dime, which was followed by albums that showcased the trio’s unlimited potential. Sadly, the voyage ended in 1985 when D. Boon died in an auto accident—a topic Watt has taken on in his operas Contemplating the Engine Room and The Secondman’s Middle Stand.

After a short break, Watt and Hurley soldiered on, forming fIREHOSE, which challenged punk purism by signing with a major label, Columbia. Watt also began to juggle a number of side projects. In 1985 he formed Dos—a two-bass duo with his then-wife Kira Roessler (Black Flag)—and he began playing in Jane’s Addiction/ Porno For Pyros drummer Stephen Perkins’s jazz/funk fusion outfit, Banyan, which also featured avant-garde guitar guru Nels Cline. Although fIREHOSE dissolved in 1994, Watt continues to gig and record with both Dos and Banyan, as well as with his organ trio, the Secondmen, and his guitar trio, the Missingmen.

At the moment, Watt is focusing his efforts on still another project—garage-rock originators Iggy & the Stooges. In fact, we might have Watt to thank for the Stooges reunion, celebrated this month with the band’s first studio release in over 30 years, The Weirdness. In 2000, while recovering from an illness that nearly took his life, Watt began rebuilding his chops by forming two Stooges tribute bands: one on the East coast with Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J Mascis and drummer Murph, and one in the West with his Porno For Pyros bandmates, Stephen Perkins and guitarist Peter DiStephano. After Watt hooked up with Stooges Scott and Ron Asheton (drums and guitar), the band’s buzz reached the ears of frontman Iggy Pop. Thirty years after its implosion, the Stooges reformed in 2000, with Watt filling in for original bassist David Alexander, who died in 1975.

“Iggy’s the cat who made it all happen,” Watt says humbly. “But who knows if I got the ball rolling? We had a meeting after a gig in Buenos Aires where Iggy pointed at me and told everyone, ‘You know, I think this guy brought an energy that got this whole thing going.’ I couldn’t believe it. I was 16 when I was listening to the Stooges, and here I am now. I think I should be paying them. What a school! My ears are like gigantic sponges, trying to soak up everything they can. This is heavy.”

A Navy brat from a harbor town, Watt has long looked to the sea for inspiration, absorbing its flux and flow. “Kayaking isn’t getting away from music,” he points out. “I write songs out there paddlin’ the ’yak. They come from a different place than when you have a bass sitting in your lap, what I call ‘neck math.’ When I’m out there, stuff’s hitting my eyes, nose, and ears, and I’ve got rhythms in my body. Music’s coming from a whole different place.”Since his days with the Minutemen, Watt’s continued to investigate currents in his own playing, an endeavor that’s given him considerable creative range. Watt can produce a whirling, churning undertow as cold and powerful as an arctic surge. In calmer times, Watt’s soundwaves wash over you, bathing you in a buoyant brine.

Fortunately, Watt’s hydrodynamic explorations have not gone unnoticed. Last year, McNally Smith College of Music in Minneapolis even established a bass scholarship in his name. “Incredible,” says the 49-year-old punk rocker. “I went there to spiel last year,” he recalls, employing Wattspeak for “give a presentation or interview.” “I started playing, but thought, Am I really going to teach them more licks? So I just put the bass down and started talking bass philosophy. I really feel the need to pass this stuff on. But I want to hand down possibilities, not answers.”

Add session dates with Kelly Clarkson to Watt’s busy schedule, and it’s amazing he has time to share anything with anyone. But bust out those thinking caps, fellow students—class is in session.

How did you get ready to step in on the new Stooges record?
Oh man, it was a pants-shitter. Making this album, I had this recurring nightmare of a gravestone that just read, FUCKED UP THE STOOGES RECORD. To get ready, the first thing was the music. They did demo sessions in Miami; then Iggy flowed me the tunes. I got the forms worked out, and then I flew to Miami and spent three days with Iggy, going over every part. He had a little amp, and I had the ’puter, a Mac PowerBook with GarageBand. I put their tracks up and played along. He’d go, “Maybe you should try this,” and he’d sing me a bass line. He came up with all the bass lines. He let me keep just one of my own, but that was no problem for me. I just surrender.

What were some specific things he wanted?
He wanted me to use a pick. A lot of guys ask me about pick vs. fingers. It’s almost like a test of manliness. It’s good to play with a pick, because there are things you can do with it you can’t do with your fingers. A lot of singers and guitarists like the definition bassists get using a pick. The one thing that’s lame about picks is that you lose ’em! So I try to get that definition using my fingers. Instead of the two fingers galloping, I use them together. I call it “the flipper.” Sometimes Iggy couldn’t tell the difference between that and a pick.

Where do you position your right hand when you play?
All over. Where you hit that string is as important as how hard you hit it; it’s one of our strongest dynamic controls. Sometimes you don’t want to be defined. You want to be blurry, almost like a dude playing arco.

What’s one of the biggest challenges playing with the Stooges?
Man, there are parts of me that want to charge out there. Especially with the older songs—these are songs that have been in my head for 30 years! When you’ve got those good songs in your head and you’re into it, you just want to let it carry you like it’s a wave. But I’ve actually got responsibilities.

Have you ever gotten carried away?
I’ve done it accidentally. Iggy called me out onstage for it in Lisbon: “No jazz!” And I was just pivoting on an octave, like a disco kind of thing. After the gig, he was like, “Was I hearing it wrong, or was I dancing on top of a bass solo? You know, Cab Calloway fired Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker for playing ‘Chinese jazz . . . .’” He was just kidding around, but I have big respect for that.
I’m part of an ensemble here that’s being conducted. Iggy runs the stage. It’s weird, because he’s got this total-abandon, chaos thing—he’s off. At the same time, he’s hearing every note. He’s got incredible focus. You cannot imagine the way he ran our practices and recording sessions. He kept it right on the money. It was beautiful.

What have you learned working with Iggy?
There’s something you get from working with a frontman who doesn’t work a machine [play an instrument]. They have a whole different perspective. They’re not all focused on operating their machine, like the rest of us.
Society puts a lot of value on being the boss, but you can’t learn everything being the boss. If you ask cats to follow your direction, you should get some lessons in following direction. Life is about taking turns. If you’re a boss, you can tell people what to do, but is that really getting the best out of them? There’s an art to inspiring. You have to figure out ways of telling them without making them feel all beat down. Iggy’s got a real talent for wording things so you have confidence. He’s actually enabling you to find confidence in yourself by showing you the logic in his ideas.

How did you psych yourself up for recording with the band?
I was always thinking about Dave Alexander and the way his stuff fit. Fun House [Elektra, 1970] is amazing. It sounds like it could have been recorded last week. A lot of other records from that time sound dated, but the Stooges did it right. But I think it’s also the rest of us—we latched onto that sound, and we kept it contemporary.
It can be hard for me to fit in; I have this tradition from the Minutemen that’s nothing like Dave Alexander. It’s partially because I didn’t hear Dave first—I heard Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, and James Jamerson. I wanted to be like them, even though I couldn’t even imagine what they were doing. It was just this thing that was rolling over the guitar player! Like “Crossroads” on Cream’s Wheels of Fire; Clapton’s kind of there, but then Bruce just rolls him over. It’s such a victory!
I was listening to records that Stu Cook [Clearance Clearwater Revival] was on, and Steve Currie with T. Rex, but I couldn’t hear their parts. Dave Alexander was the first guy I could hear and actually play like. I hear Dave key in the Stooges’ music. And now it’s my turn to fill the hole from him being gone. I told them, “Man, I’m clay.” But I didn’t want to copy Dave Alexander, because this is the Stooges now. They don’t want to make a nostalgia record.

On your blogs, you were very open about your insecurities tracking the album.
I did that to help me get confidence up, because I was shittin’ a pecan log. The recriminations on myself are never-ending. That way, you’re thinking out loud, confronting yourself, and trying to be honest. Hopefully you’ll shame yourself into doing better.

You also publish a tour journal on your website.
I do tour blogs to get people curious about getting out to other towns and meeting people. When you put words out there, you’re sharing with people. I try to make it about the human experience. I really dig touring; it’s sort of like my pop’s life as a sailor. That’s what I’m trying to celebrate. Touring gets you excited about life—you get to visit different lands, different folks. Bass is a means for that.

How would people describe your musical personality?
Maybe a little over the top—I don’t know. I’d only know this from hearing other bass players. No matter what instrument you’re playing, to serve the tune is a noble fucking deal. And music is generous enough that it gives back to that kind of player. But man, I sometimes do go all “Raging Bull” on people. D. Boon and Nels Cline throw it at you hard, so I throw it right back.
The Stooges played with Sonic Youth in England, and after the gig, [bassist] Kim Gordon said, “Man, I like the restraint, Mike.” That was a big compliment. It’s the last thing I’d ever expect about Watt!

How did you get the call to play with Kelly Clarkson?
I know her producer, David Kahne, from the old days. I didn’t really know her or her music—I guess she’s a pop singer who won some game show [Fox’s American Idol]. I got to meet her and talk to her a little. I will say this: She can fucking sing! The young man she wrote the songs with, Jimmy Messer, is a skater who knew my music—he was the best. He was so enthusiastic about the whole deal. David, too, was very patient with me.
I haven’t done a lot of session work—it’s scary! The song’s all done, you go in there, you’ve never heard it before, and you’ve got to come up with parts under a big magnifying glass. Some of the tracks already had bass on there. It’s bad karma to replace somebody else, but some were MIDI, so that’s okay [laughs]. It tripped me out when Dave A/B’d them; my bass was way fatter! It’s hard for me to get perspective on my own music, because I’m so self-critical, but I couldn’t believe the difference.

What kinds of ideas did you bring to the sessions?
One song reminded me of Madonna, so I put in a little dance lick. They let me try all sorts of stuff, even fuzz bass. I was really into it, because it was so creative. When you think of pop music, you don’t normally think “creative.” For those guys to open up the music like that was pretty righteous.
On this one song, David said, “Okay, she’s going to get kissed here—the music’s all working up to that.” It was almost like theater, interpreting a script. So I did this ascending double-stop thing, ending on the 3rd, and making the chord really ass-fat.
When Kelly was leaving, she turned to the producer and said, “I think the ‘old punk guy’ idea is a good one.” We both laughed. But I was kind of alien to her, and it was all alien to me. Usually you’ll hear about “synergy” and that kind of shit in a marketing meeting. But this is not that—this is a human experience.
Whenever you play, it’s not a wasted thing. You’re investing in that gig that might be around the corner. Who knows how those experiences add up? The stuff [Sonic Youth guitarist] Thurston Moore has taught me about music, the playing with D. Boon—it all comes together to help me. And if you get enough in you, maybe some comes off on the cats you’re playing with. Here, with Kelly, I’m in a ’mersh [commercial] situation, but all this avant-garde, weird, bizarre stuff comes into the moment, because I’ve suddenly got to create. I’ve got to help this song out, or I’m failing as a bass dude.
Composition of your part is the whole dealio, maybe even more important than your sound or technique. You don’t want to bogart—you want to aid and abet. Most people look at the tile—bass players are the grout putting it all together. We set them cats up. Ideally, we can do that like Jamerson; if bass goes away, the whole song falls apart. “My Girl,” is a righteous, econo part—that is the grail! The danger in human behavior is, the more you do something, the more you like to do it. First the training wheels come off, then you’re riding with no hands, then on a unicycle. But really, it’s where you take the bike that’s important.
When I see bands, the first thing I do is look at the bass player. I think, Chances are nine out of ten that this guy didn’t write this song. Look at the bass part he thought of. What would you think of, Watt? And what physics does to us bass players is tricky—the more notes you play, the littler you sound, because our wavelengths are so long. So we’ve got to find the right notes—the big daddies!

What are some ways to find the right part?
This is what our musical lives are all about. It’s that mission. I don’t know if there are formulas, because each song has its own personality. Sometimes you want melodic. But isn’t it funny that nobody can deny a good bass line? It’s almost like panning for gold. “I found it!” Well, how do you find it? You sift through everything with a goddamn pan! You run through all your shticks—pentatonic riffs, bass drum patterns, 5ths, octaves—your whole vocabulary.
I look for indicators. Drummers do it big-time, practically saying, “Here comes a new part.” Here’s an on-ramp, here’s an off-ramp. You learn to read the song as a journey, with hills and valleys beyond just the groove. It feels good when you’re hopping on a groove, but does it go anywhere? It is a killer thing—groove is righteous, but there’s also something about drama and theater.
There’s something, too, about spirit. When I hear Jamerson on [Marvin Gaye’s] “What’s Going On,” it’s telling you a lot. It’s almost asking what’s going on. Somehow Jamerson gets that feeling, improvising through the chords, but never spinning it out. It’s one of the greatest bass lines ever. Somebody told me he was playing it on his back, all boracho [drunk]! We all owe Jamerson. He was one of the first guys to realize what bass was all about, and not treat it as a toy.

What’s been key in developing your bass style?
Playing with D. Boon. He went for a new thing, bringing the whole idea of putting politics and personality into your band. He was like, “You know what? I’m going to play real treble-y, and I want the bass way up there, and the drums filling every space we can, because we’re going to make this egalitarian. We’re going to make this a three-way fucking tie.” He wouldn’t play power chords. He’d say, “This isn’t going to give you enough room.” What a generous guitar player.

Inspiration from the new opera you’re working on comes from the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch. How did it start out?
I went to the Museo del Prado in Madrid when I was with the Stooges in Spain, and I actually saw the paintings with those little creatures. We don’t know a lot about the cat, but the paintings were probably visualizations of proverbs. I don’t know 500-year-old Flemish Dutch shit, so I made up my own proverbs—39 of them.
It’s as if I took a mirror and broke it into 39 pieces. I thought, Why not just take a glimpse of the inside of my head right at this moment? The idea came from working on the Minutemen film We Jam Econo. I was like, “Whoa, I like these little songs—there ain’t a lot of filler here!” So I wanted to do little songs.
This new opera is different from my other two in that it’s not narrative—it’s simultaneous. Because of Stooges commitments, I haven’t been able to work with the Missingmen on this piece yet. And it looks like this year is going to have a lot of Stooges stuff.

What else have you been writing?
I’ve written an album for Nels Cline and Bob Lee, the last band I had for the Engine Room opera. And I wrote another opera for the Secondmen, my organ trio. These are entire records for the guys. I like the idea of writing for particular dudes. It’s the ultimate thing you can do for a friend. I’m writing for my guys, giving them everything I can. Also, it’s a chance for me to grow. I put a big demand on myself.

What about Dos?
In Dos, there’s no hiding. There’s no drums to mask you. And we’re competing for the same narrow band of sound, so composition becomes very important—we’ve got to ping-pong on each other. Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon’s musical director, is mixing our new record right now.

What other projects are you working on right now?
I’m doing a trippy project playing with a shamisen, this crazy Japanese banjo. Kaori Tsuchida from the Go! Team is sending me the tapes from England. Shamisen music doesn’t normally have bass. The way they hold time—or don’t hold time—is really rubato. That’s basically how I played when I was a kid [laughs]. But here I am, this punk thug trying to learn from it. I started learning about the music, but said, “No, don’t—I want you to bring your deal.” There is a danger in doing something for a long time—you get in ruts. So she’s very generous to do it with me.
I’ve done projects like this before where you’re not even playing with the person live. It takes discipline. You’re dealing purely with the music. It’s without that human dynamic, except through their creative work. Usually I’m with my guys right here at the prac pad.
Playing in an ensemble with people is a heavy challenge; that’s why most bands tend to have a single dictator. Here, you don’t have to deal with that clutter. In a way, though, I think it’s a necessary clutter. When I bring my songs to my guys, I look to see how they play ’em, and I change to fit. Maybe a great composer has a vision in his head, and he has to hear it, but you’re talking to Watt. I’ll tell you—my songs ain’t that fucking sophisto [sophisticated]! In fact, these guys are going to breathe the life into the songs.
Maybe this comes from my punk background, but I would rather take a dude with spirit than a dude with chops. Prac it [practice] enough and they’ll get it. A lot of the chops dudes are princesses that are impossible to be with as people. It’s great playing with cats that you know as dudes. There’s something, too, in the process of showing them. What I’m looking for in music people is how they spell their name with their machine.

You also play with Banyan.
I don’t play with Banyan all the time—but man, if Nels is there, I try to be there. I love that cat. He’s taught me so much. I’ve had to do Banyan with other guitar players, and it’s hard for me if they bring some guy in there who’s going to comp on chords. He’s going to get steamrolled! Not on purpose, of course.
Last year we played the Monterey Jazz Festival—playing “Fun House” in front of a bunch of guys in sweaters! [Laughs.] Scofield played right before us—he was very cool. Some of these cats, the chops don’t mean anything. They’re just humans who want to talk music. Which is great, because everybody’s got something to teach you.
I try to keep myself in situations that will teach me shit. The more challenging, the better. It keeps me young, curious, and humbled. Life isn’t supposed to be figured out. It’s supposed to have twists and turns and things you can’t predict.

More on Watt’s bass collection—as well as his thoughts on strings, engineers, and soundmen—is at www.bassplayer.com and his own website, www.hootpage.com