more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

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bloke
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more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by bloke »

No...I'm certainly no Carol Kaye (nor any of the other past bass gods and goddesses)...but I'm trying to teach myself some oldies (by ear, off of youtube) that I never played "back then"...

...since the band that's been hiring me is basically an oldies band (but also does dixieland occasionally).

I haven't played much pop/rock/country/crossover/movie themes/disco/funk/dance music/ballads/etc. since 1980.
After that, I mostly only played old 20's - 30's jazz on bass and (when touring with the tuba) electric bass.

I've been trying to smooth up my touch, my rhythm, and smooth my shifts back out.
Early on (happily, during this "new era"), I weaned myself off staring at the neck.

This is not a tune that this band has called up (yet) on a gig, but I'm going through a whole bunch of years' most popular tunes (in the genres reviewed above) so that I can circumvent and intermediate against being surprised/caught off guard.

It's sorta fun...Back then, a much larger percentage of various genres of popular music was actually pretty good music.

As much as I advise young players to avoid publicly posting their "works in progress", here's a work in progress: :eyes:

LOL...$90 Motorola android phone's mic, and you can see where it was sitting. 80W amp w/12" speaker (bought new in 1982 - for touring through Europe).

I couldn't start right at the beginning, because Carol's intro lick (on this other person's youtube upload) starts RIGHT AT 0:00

Am I going to make a crappy recording every time I teach myself another oldie? LOL...I'll probably take down THIS one.


Last edited by bloke on Wed Jan 28, 2026 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
These users thanked the author bloke for the post (total 4):
arpthark (Tue Jan 27, 2026 2:25 pm) • tadawson (Tue Jan 27, 2026 2:53 pm) • MikeS (Wed Jan 28, 2026 9:01 am) • tubatodd (Wed Jan 28, 2026 10:33 am)


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Re: more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by tadawson »

Sounds good! I take it you got the screws replaced for the amp back?
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bloke (Tue Jan 27, 2026 3:13 pm)
1977(ish) Mira"fone" 186
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Re: more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by bloke »

tadawson wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 2:53 pm Sounds good! I take it you got the screws replaced for the amp back?
A speaker cab supply place had matching-to-oem cup washers with paired curved-top Phillips screws (black).

I needed 14 pairs for the back. They sold me a pkg. of 25 pair for some really low price ...something like $15 (can't remember??) incl. postage.

A jack-of-all-trades friend (copiers, refrigerators, computers, amplifiers, etc.) has ordered some trusted-make capacators (the correct array, based on his inspection) for the big 15" Peavey combo amp.
' don't know if that will eliminate the (background/tolerable-yet-annoying) 60 cycle hum, but we're hopeful.

I discovered that I had stuck (way back in the past) 5A slow-blow fuses (both outside and inside) in this Mini-Brute (guessing that that's all that Radio Shack - way back when - had in stock on whatever given historic day), and 2A are called for, so a pkg. of ten of the 2A are on the way.

I bet I'm not the ONLY one who (on a gig) wadded up a foil gum wrapper to replace a blown fuse. :facepalm2: :laugh:

@tadawson Thanks so much for all of your wonderful advice.
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Re: more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by bloke »

A bunch of the tunes that I'm writing down as I go through the years are a lot more challenging to play than freaking Wichita Lineman.
That said, Carol did an amazing job on it.
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Re: more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by MikeS »

bloke wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 2:19 pm No...I'm certainly no Carol Kaye (nor any of the other past bass gods and goddesses)...but I'm trying to teach myself some oldies (by ear, off of youtube) that I never played "back then"...
When I think of you and a bass, I’m thinking more along the lines of Bob Babbitt; rock solid in the groove and, when required, a real snappy dresser. :teeth:

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Re: more on: revisiting electric bass (after leaving in the case for 3-1/2 decades)

Post by tadawson »

bloke wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 3:19 pm
tadawson wrote: Tue Jan 27, 2026 2:53 pm Sounds good! I take it you got the screws replaced for the amp back?
A speaker cab supply place had matching-to-oem cup washers with paired curved-top Phillips screws (black).

I needed 14 pairs for the back. They sold me a pkg. of 25 pair for some really low price ...something like $15 (can't remember??) incl. postage.

A jack-of-all-trades friend (copiers, refrigerators, computers, amplifiers, etc.) has ordered some trusted-make capacators (the correct array, based on his inspection) for the big 15" Peavey combo amp.
' don't know if that will eliminate the (background/tolerable-yet-annoying) 60 cycle hum, but we're hopeful.

I discovered that I had stuck (way back in the past) 5A slow-blow fuses (both outside and inside) in this Mini-Brute (guessing that that's all that Radio Shack - way back when - had in stock on whatever given historic day), and 2A are called for, so a pkg. of ten of the 2A are on the way.

I bet I'm not the ONLY one who (on a gig) wadded up a foil gum wrapper to replace a blown fuse. :facepalm2: :laugh:

@tadawson Thanks so much for all of your wonderful advice.
No problem! I'll PM you details as soon as dates are more final, but it looks like the first part of April I'll be heading south, and would love to stop by with the 186 . . .
These users thanked the author tadawson for the post:
bloke (Wed Jan 28, 2026 8:27 pm)
1977(ish) Mira"fone" 186
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