The Last Bass Outpost

I just spotted a Genz-Benz SHuttlemax 12.0 on Ebay for $499. Someone here might really, really want this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genz-Benz-ShuttleMAX-12-0-Bass-Amp-Amplifier-Head/173617293080?hash=item286c65a718:g:3nwAAOSwHu5b2gSu:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

Last night the family went to a Colorado Rockies - San Fran Giants game in Denver. We sat in the row of seats that are exactly one mile high, and the Rox won 8-1. Super fireworks show after the game! Today I have a 6-pound brisket in the smoker for dinner. Have a great day!  (Posting from phone, photo too big, sorry.)

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-fender-sales/fender-revamps-its-electric-guitars-amid-sales-recovery-idUKKBN1JF1RL

Interesting, and sounds like they are more thoughtful about this than Gibson was. I suspect many will want to try the new models. I understand they'er introducing some new colors, too.

Dave, I used the plugins you posted and now I can see Photobucket images, although I get warnings about them from my browser.

Now I can't find the post with those links and I want to share them with a friend. 

Can you please post a link to that thread, or to the plugins?

I'm returning (somewhat) to my roots playing upright bass.

Just won an Ebay auction for an NS Design NXT4 electric upright, with upgraded strings and a decent bow. I've been really wanting to play something like this, but without the need to move a whole upright around.  I still miss my old "white plywood" King bass.

The old King looked like this one, but rougher:



https://www.ebay.com/itm/263459340129?_trksid=p2471758.m4704

A shot from the auction:

Interesting, fretless, and in nice shape: 

https://reverb.com/item/8253192-vintage-1970s-univox-lectra-u1970-fretless-4-string-bass-gig-bag

This Sunday AM I have my first gig in a long time. My band went dormant nearly 2 years ago, but one of the guitarists called me in late June to see if I could sit in and sub on September 10 for the bass player with another, pretty low-key band he plays in.  Four guys, all retirees, and the band's name is "Life in the Past Lane."

I said yes but didn't get all the details.....

Turns out that it's a three-hour gig to play at the city Senior Center as part of an event they have which is part promo for the center, probably part fundraiser. Starts at 9 AM Sunday, meaning a very early setup.

I got a fairly encyclopedic music list from him in late June, about 40 titles.  That wasn't the set list for the gig, just a list of stuff they play.  The challenge for me is that about half of it is country, which I don't normally listen to, so I didn't have any familiarity with the tunes.  But about six weeks out he made sure that I got access to their Dropbox site with audio of them playing many of the numbers, and a set of chord charts from Chordpro.  VERY helpful, and having the chance to listen to them playing the stuff got me moving.

Still, three hours of music is a lot when you're rusty.  I've had three practices with them, and we have the set list in place.  Much of it will be root-fourth or root-fifth for me, with an occasional walk up or down, but for country that often is pretty close to the original bass line. There's a little CCR and John Fogerty in there, Merle Haggard, George Strait, and some classics like Kansas City, Blue Suede Shoes, Memphis and Pretty Woman.  I feel confident that I can hold up my end, although there won't be much fancy dressing on the salad.

I'll be playing my orange Gretsch 5123 bass, which fits the music and the ambience. So, around noon Sunday I'll probably have sore fingertips and be ready for a very tall craft beer.  I'm glad my Genz-Benz Shuttle and 12" cab are easy to move around.

I took this shot right after I got the Gretsch 5123, and before I removed the foam from under the bridge.  Oops.

 

I've been surfing info about the Standby switch on my 1967 Fender Bassman and it appears that I've had its function backwards since I got it 50 years ago.

As a radio/TV guy, I always assumed that the proper sequence for turning on this kind of gear was first to turn on the Standby (assuming the meaning is literally "OK boss, I am awake and standing by for orders..."), then to turn the Power switch on when I was ready to make noise.

When taking a break, I have always turned Power off (down) and left the Standby switch in the Up position. In other words, I assumed that Standby On meant "Power is partly engaged, I'm standing by for action."

Now I gather from readings on a variety of websites that I've had it backwards.

It appears that I should have been flipping up the Standby switch first, then turning the Power switch on (upward position) when preparing to play.  When taking a break, it appears I should leave the Power switch on/up and flip the Standby switch off/down position for breaks.

There is much lack of clarity in the language and functional definition of Standby switches.  It is unclear whether leaving the switch in the Up position is "Standby On" or "standby Off." And given the lack of clarity around what Standby actually DOES, is "Off/down" the Standby engaged position, or is it Standby disengaged?

I figure that aside from the potential of prompting train/tunnel, airplane and tank jokes, I can get better info here than any place I know.  So kindly illuminate this poor Padawan, compadres.

• What does the fabled "Standby" switch do?
• Is On/up engaging the function of this switch, or does Down/off engage the function?
• In what sequence should Standby and Power switches be used, (a) turning the amp on, and (b) when taking a break?