My 4 Days at NAMM- Rickenbacker Content!

[kiramdear]

I hear you, Larry. I'm strictly a finger and plectrum girl myself. But it's all good ...

[jps]

I hear you, Larry. I'm strictly a finger and plectrum girl myself. But it's all good ...

There you go, being all kinky again, Kira!

[Elnjaybass]

I hear you, Larry. I'm strictly a finger and plectrum girl myself. But it's all good ...

I've always dreamed of a plectrum girl!!

Sorry Kira, just kidding!

Thing is, I LIKE to slap- sometimes. It's cool, and rhythmic-
But it's not all there is. There are elements of the bass guitar line that accent, interpolate, and define the composition, even the lyric. But the trend with some is to thumb-slap rapidly as if that were the only thing the instrument is good for-
In other words- overkill.

Victor Wooten and Alain Carons' performances were both woven with slapping, but also involved some very fine left-hand technique and structured and melodic runs.
ANd John B. Williams, playing a Will Lee Signature Bass in the Sadowsky booth, approached the Bass Guitar like an upright, which he of course plays as well.
That's one of my favorite approaches- walking, pedal, glissando- And I've had to overcome ":predjudice" against the bass guitar in purist jazz circles by playing a Fender bass...
The impact of the Bass guitar combined with the "Classic" or traditional melodic approach to Bass- sweet.
And yes, there is a major place and time to slap that thang, but it is NOT 24/7.

[jps]

I've always dreamed of a plectrum girl!!

See my post above!

[Elnjaybass]

Jeffrey, is that a new avatar?
MarkBass had quite a booth with performances-that's where I saw Alain.
I talked with Marco's associate for a while; told him how when we were it Italy, it was before MarkBass was released here at GC-
I asked our tour guide if she knew where the factory was, I wanted to go there if possible, cause I knew we were in the general vicinity-
Of course- she said "huh?" Yes, MarkBass was not on the itinerary- Only silly things like the Colliseum, Michaelangelo's David,
Trevi Fountain, that kinda thing!
Great vino too.
ANd of course MB has the NEW! Improved! LM amps with tube and 8 million watts RMS and it fits in your coin pocket, etc.

But I DID take a very nice black/orange MarkBass PEN, so good on me!

[jps]

Jeffrey, is that a new avatar?

Nah, it's the same old one I've been using for three days now!

[jps]

I DID take a very nice black/orange MarkBass PEN, so good on me!

is it lightweight?

[kiramdear]

all I have to say is

Sheeesh

talk about a one-track mind! No, wait, make that two!

[Elnjaybass]

Kira, I had to gaze at Dean guitar Gurlz for 4 days straight! That's MY excuse!

Now then:
The PEN is powerful! and lightweight too.
Plus it has VPE and VIS-
Vintage Pen Emulation and Vintage Ink Synthesis, where instead of other eq, it can simualte the writing of say,
a 1965 MontBlanc, or a 1972 Scripto.
Very cool-

Marco's associate told me; when I mentioned I had LMII LE # 0004-
Try and translate from the Italian here:

"You are-a very a-lucky!
He say, when-a we build 300, NO MORE-A!
You have-a a good-a amp-a! Hoild-a on to that-
Prego! Enjoy! Molto Benne!

Any Italians on Board here-- I kid, I kid.

[kiramdear]

Larry, I was firing back at Jeffrey there . Your sins were already forgiven

[Elnjaybass]

Larry, I was firing back at Jeffrey there . Your sins were already forgiven

Not quite sure I deserve forgiveness, Kira, but---

I"LL TAKE IT!

[ajish4]

Um.....like this?

I have one I can't even post here!

Damn Dean Girls.....

[dog]

Nice pictures Tony. Those gals look like players to me.

[ajish4]

Nice pictures Tony. Those gals look like players to me.

LoL, agreed Ron, but at WHAT?!?!?

[Elnjaybass]

Ahhh, the girls the girls the girls...
RIGHT down my line of sight- And every time I needed the restroom, or wanted a $450 pretzel for lunch with a $675 Coke, I had to walk past the little pose the threesome did with some grinning Yazoo from East Farley Music House and BBQ in Waffleburg, well I don't wanna insult anyone from any state here. so...

Of course it all got old after Day 1; the din from the drumming, the noodling from the guitarists, and the constant SLAP city from every bassist who thought themselves a hawt dawg...
Now let's take Lee Sklar-
As low-key as can be- except for the "Santa" beard, he could be a normal Joe, or maybe a clerk at Whole Foods-
He would NEVER pick up an axe and get that sneering "bad-***" look and slap the bass like he's the toughest slap-mutha on Earth.
Yet- Who's he worked for/with? How does he play? What builders want HIM to be their "Guy"?
You all know the answers , or should.

I personally do NOT like to play in a Music Store or a show, especially like NAMM- I like to perorm, I like to rehearse, I like to mix with other players to create and produce, and I certainly like to dig in by myself and get better- What did Lee tell me in our brief talk?

"My career came without challenges- I studied Classical piano starting at age 4, and by the time I was in High-School band I had the complete Classically-trained background. They needed a Double-Bassist, and I tried it, and said Hey, I LIKE this!
The rest just happened."
Almost verbatim btw, but the message is- Lee was a reader, he knew theory, and when he took upo the Bass, and ultimatley Bass Guitar, he was a trained, complete musician, not a six-gunning slap-happy whatever.
Lee Sklar. Wow. Sheldon Dingwall was being his bud, as he was taking delivery of (2) basses shown at NAMM, which he (Lee) liked a lot- But he also uses a "parts" bass because the instrument is a tool to a player of his caliber.

WOw- let's get back to the Guitar Wenches, this stuff is too deep!
Don't recognize those outfits in the pic; first day little short skirts/tops were Black, then red, then- I forget.
One of my co-workers HAD to make the comments about how he'd like to.... Yea, OK. Chix dig that huh?

Often wonder about Women... (talk about opening up trouble with a capital T)
They know wassup, they're paid to act/dress like Barbie?bimbo, yet I remember once talking with an ummm- "Exotic Dancer" and I was there solely for research you understand-
Who was studying Music Composition out here at Cal-Arts with Wadada Leo Smith, who is a skilled and reknowned (in that circle) Jazz composer/Trumpet player.
She was making a buck dancing sans clothing, and certainly was smart, and also told me of Leo's propensity for chasing women (read: students) who were not his wife.....

I could tell some stories too, about some WELL-KNOWN players. but--- No, I won't.

So maybe those Showgirls were studying Nuclear Physics at Stanford, and were making bat-eyes at the Show patrons for a couple hundred a day, how the he** do I Know??
Better yet- Do I care?? NOT unless they came over and said' Oooh Elnjaybass, we love a Man who plays a Laredo"
Not gonna happen. Then again...

Women- Go figure. What do they think??
Are they laughing, are they thinking about the new Rickenbackers, do they want shoes??? I GOTTA KNOW!
What DO Women Want??!!!