[Dixielandjazz] Bass Amps

[LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing]

Although I'm not a Bassist I have had some experience with playing low notes and a thing that happens with them.  I play Baritone sax occasionally in several groups.  While I was playing a tour with the AF band in Equador at 10K ft the reed would just stop vibrating cold.  I had noted that happened occasionally when I was sustaining a low note softly.  At 10,000 ft it was a problem but intermittent.  Some of the reed guys and other AF people who had played at high altitude thought it was the thin air.  I think It had to do with intonation too.  If I wasn't matching the band exactly the sound of the band would cancel out the vibrations in my sax.  The sax acting like a giant ear trumpet with sound going in as well as coming out.  It was enough to kill the reeds vibrations.  This also happens at lower altitude but not as often.  The solution - tune up.  Although I don't know for sure if this is the case but this could be the problem with lack of definition on low strings.  They are harder to hear and thus harder to play in tune and may be canceling out.  This is then over ridden with an amp.