[Dixielandjazz] Bass Amps

[Patrick Cooke]

Larry....

    I have never played an instrument at 10, 000 feet, and there are no
reeds on my bass.  I also tune up frequently using an electronic tuner which
I first match to the piano, if there is a piano.  It's the same if I'm
playing alone or with a group.  There is another problem, though.  Like most
other basses, mine has the little metal adjusters in the legs of the bridge.
These things cut down the sound of the bass by almost half, exacerbating the
problem.  I keep trying to find time to have someone cut a new bridge for me
without those little adjusters in it;  but that still won't give me the
definition on the low strings that the amp does.
    Pat Cooke

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "LARRY'S Signs and Large Format Printing" <sign.guy at charter.net>
To: "DIXIELAND JAZZ POST" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2004 1:55 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bass Amps


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.
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