u/MediaManXL

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful and useful replies. I have a better idea of exactly what the term saturation is referring to now in the bass context. I have a few overdrive pedals, but even with the drive turned all the way down they are more distorted than what I want. I think I’m going to search out a Jive Deluxe and try that with my live rig. I think it might be just what I’m looking for.

Yes, thank you, I really was looking for a definition and that helps. I’m still a little fuzzy (pun intended) on how saturation is the same or different than related terms like “drive” “overdrive” and “distortion”. They seem to be similar concepts, but I don’t know if they are synonymous, or if it’s a matter of degree. Saturation seemed to be mostly used in recording and plugins, where pedals and amps seem to use the terms (over)drive and distortion more. I’m still not clear if they are just different words for the same concepts or truly different concepts.

As a practical matter, I’m still wanting to keep a mostly clean tone. Not wanting it to sound obviously distorted or fuzzy, but am wondering if saturation can help bring it out, especially in my IEM mix.

It’s been long enough ago now, that I don’t remember exactly. I think the export from Money to Quicken worked, but there were enough little differences that my own workflow stopped working. I tried to bulk edit things or reimport and ended up with duplicate transactions and other issues. I’m sure I could have gotten it all resolved, but it just wasn’t worth the effort at the time. I had developed habits over years of Money use that just didn’t smoothly translate to Quicken and I ended up giving up. I absolutely agree with you on the “end state” versus a never ending stream. I think that’s what was so satisfying about working in Money. It was a box that could be checked off every month once completed.

Microsoft Money. I think I probably purchased every version of that program ever released. In the 90s, early internet days, I balanced my checkbook meticulously every month, categorized every transaction, reconciled every statement. Microsoft Money ended and I tried migrating to Quicken and just couldn’t do it. The spell was broken, and I’ve really never been in control of my finances since.

I’m in exactly that boat. A couple years ago I listed my SVT4 on FB marketplace. I started it at what I thought was a pretty reasonable price, like $800 or so with a nice rack. Not even a nibble. I lowered the price gradually to about $500 and got a couple of really lowball offers. It was better just to keep it as a basement practice amp. I’m hoping that someday it might be worth something again, but not holding my breath.

Clinton can have a long wait, but it’s a cool atmosphere to hang out at. They put on a great HH. Took my kids and their friends there many years in a row.

Oh yeah, I think all those you listed fit also. My brain went to Reba because even on the studio version it’s like two totally different songs. But all of those work. There have been plenty of times when I’ve been at a show in the middle of a jam and forgot what song got us there.

Rush was certainly not the same band after John Rutsey left.

Reba by Phish is a multiple personality song. It has the goofy “Bag It, Tag it” part, then just this soaring beautifully melodic instrumental section. It’s the closest thing I can think of to Layla’s dual nature.

There is a big difference between the letter that was mailed and the contract. I emailed them to ask about it but haven’t heard back. The contact section 4H says you must be on your utility’s default supply rate. The letter said you can be part of the municipal aggregation program with Direct Energy. That discrepancy between the letter and the contract bothers me and I’m not going to sigh until I hear back. I’m also bothered by the scammy, marketing language in the letter. Phrases like “There’s no catch!” and “guaranteed savings with no risk” in that letter raised my scam radar way up. I did enough research to believe it’s not a scam, but it’s still shady to send that kind of letter on city letterhead. I’ll sign up for it if they address the concern about the default rate versus aggregation program, but the way it was pushed leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

There’s a fairly active Facebook group of central Illinois musicians seeking musicians. There a less active BloNo specific one also. https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JwprF8yBs/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Took me some scrolling to find it, but this was the very first song - movie combo that popped to mind when I read the topic. Not sure why, but glad someone else had the same thought.

Maybe this experience is different for other people, but I’ve never really had any issues switching between 4,5,6 string. In my mind once have the root anchored, it’s all relative. I know if I’m playing a C if there’s a higher string the same fret will be an F. If there’s a lower the same fret will be a G. It doesn’t matter how many strings there are. It’s like if I’m driving from Illinois to Indiana, it doesn’t matter that Iowa is in the other direction.

The only thing I occasionally mess up when I switch is I’ll start a song in the wrong key, a 4th or 5th off depending on which way I’m going. But usually I hear that in the first bar or two, realize what I did and fix it. (It can be cruel to the vocalist if they are getting their pitch from me—doesn’t happen often.) But I feel like for me going between 4,5,6 or 5 with a low B versus high C has never really been that big of an adjustment.

With that said, I do agree with starting on a 5. 5s give more range in one position. Playing in position is easier for a beginner than shifting up the neck. As long as the hands are physically big enough, by all means, start on a 5.

I used to use magnets also, and ran into the same issue with them demagnetizing or sometimes becoming brittle after uses. I stopped bothering probably a decade ago, but I do feel like I waste a lot of charcoal now. I like the look of this vent. Is the BGE vent in addition to/covering the original PBC metal shutter or does it completely replace it? If replace, do you open the BGE vent all the way? Seems like when open this would allow way more air intake than the original vent, but maybe that’s a good thing. Thank you for sharing. I’m strongly considering ordering one.

Oh yeah, totally get what you mean. Too busy and being melodic are probably different things really, but sometimes it all gets lumped together anytime a bass player dares stray from the pocket at all. There’s definitely a real thing of being too busy, but I think sometimes the “less is more” or “serve the song” mentality gets taken so far that it’s considered bad taste to play melodic or moving bass parts at all. Definitely possible to go too far in either direction.

Few theories on this, and the truth is probably a combination of things. One thing, melodic bass playing has really been put down. Even among bass players, I’ve heard phrases like “doesn’t serve the song”, “overplaying”, “too busy”, etc. for the past 40 years. I honestly don’t get it. I’ve always wondered who is bothered by Paul McCartney or Geddy, JPJ, Squire, Phil Lesh etc playing melodic counter point on songs. Many of these people would call Jaco’s playing on Joni’s albums overplaying, but it fits perfectly to my ear. When a band I played in during the 90s recorded a demo, the engineer said my bass lines were more like horn lines with too many notes and I needed to simplify things. Honestly don’t get it. I like listening to melodic bass players, I like playing melodic bass parts. Another theory is that when home stereos started being optimized for home theater with big subwoofers, too much motion in the bass didn’t work as well as it did when people were mostly listening on lower fidelity radios (especially back in the AM days). A moving, melodic bass part could be heard on lower fidelity playback. Maybe a lot of people listening to phones, earbuds and smaller BT speakers returns to that somewhat.

I think this is especially true since social media started. It’s so much easier to type blono, and I feel like it went from typed text to spoken conversation (people probably said it long before that, but I feel like it’s become more common in spoken conversation in recent years.)

Came here looking for this one. That’s what we always called it.

Ha, I was born in Wonderlake (well actually I think I was born in McHenry because WL didn’t have a hospital, but my parents lived there until I was about 4.). I moved away in the 70s, but my older siblings always referred to it as Wondertucky. I didn’t know anyone outside my family did.

I’m sure there are people who wear stuff way older than this, but my oldest son is 22 yo and it always cracks me up when I look at baby pictures and I’m holding him in a shirt that is still in my regular rotation now.

I have this memory of being on the lawn at Alpine Valley when Mr. Big played their hit “To Be With You.” and in my memory the whole lawn started booing. Then they played Addicted to That Rush but changed the lyric to Addicted to Rush and the whole lawn cheered. It was a long time ago, so I’m not sure if I really remember it right, but that’s my memory. I think it also rained at that show and turned the steep hill into mud and people kept getting more and more jammed together, but I might be mixing memories. I went to Alpine a lot when I was a kid.

I keep a cheap steel string acoustic guitar on my wall next to the couch. I like to run scales up and down the neck while watching TV. It lets me keep my fingers moving and practicing scale and arpeggio patterns without worrying about bass-specific technique. I like having that B string major 3rd to navigate also. Gives a like extra mental problem solving than a bass all in 4ths. I never actually learned to play guitar for real, but I can make a few chord shapes and run scales and arpeggios, improvise “bass” lines and melodies, etc on it without worrying about developing bad bass technique habits.

I haven’t scrolled to see if it was mentioned (I’m sure it has been) but the instant answer for me is Raising Arizona. My favorite comedy of all time. We watched it in the hospital while my wife was in labor with our now 20 YO. By far the most quotable movie for me. My friends of a similar age would probably say Caddy Shack or Blues Brothers, but for me, Raising Arizona is number one on the comedy list.

I think this is a good answer, but there have been so many different Yes lineups that I’m not even sure what 1 member you are referring to.