Cam's Music Blog

September/October Update

2009-10-23T18:53:00.003-05:00

Hello,

Sorry for the delay in posting. Life has gotten busy.

GIGS

'RENT' has closed. It was a fun run. The people were great, the company was nice, and the pay was very nice. I'd like to play this show again, the idea of doing a national tour of it would be very appealing.

I have been contracted to play for my old university. I will be playing their production of 'Jacques Brelis". This will be fun.

GEAR

Gear wise-I bought the MXR M288 for 'Rent'. It ended up working perfectly. I liked the variety of octave tones the unit allowed. When I need another pedal, I'm going to check out what MXR has to offer.

I just ordered a new toy this afternoon. It will be a SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe from the guys at ThePerfectBass.com . 'Jacques Brelis' is a doubling gig and I wanted to redo my switching setup. Instead of using an ABY box + external preamp + volume pedal, it'll just be this stomp box/preamp.

The unit features 2 channels with 3 tones per channel. The tones are user programmable. This is a major benefit to me. I see myself programming the electric tones as: clean, slap (w/a bit of a volume drop), and a rock/slightly driven tone. The upright tones will be: pizz, arco, and a hybrid.

I am a big fan of Tech 21 NYC/SansAmp gear. In my old rack rig I use an RBI & an RPM. Those are two pres are the reason why I felt like this Bass Driver Deluxe would be a perfect fit for me. I know I can get the sounds I want out of SansAmp gear, add in that I even out the volume between the basses, and switch with the same unit? Sold.

all the best.

Mid September

2009-09-14T16:37:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone,

I had a lag in gigs. So here's what I'm up to....

Rent

Rehearsals have started for the production that I am playing for. The music director is the piano player in my trio. The pit is great. I've wanted to play this show since high school & I have the chance to now!! Book wise-there are a few unfamiliar parts, but they are quickly being learned. I have a few page turns that don't particularly like me, so I'm figuring out a way to eliminate them. More than likely, I'm going to make copies of a few pages & tape them together, so that my book has 2 page free "expansion".

Gear for Rent

The gear that I am using for this production is the same as what I used for Evita with 3 additions. The additions are 3 pedals. The book is written with chorus & octave divider. I'm also using a volume pedal to pull back the volume on some pick & slap parts.

The specific pedals I'm using are:

Ernie Ball 6166 Volume Pedal-a big hunk of steel that I bought in 2002. Really simple pedal, it's a volume pot controlled via pedal. It also features an internal dip switch that allows you to change the throw/taper ever so slightly. I don't notice much of a difference. The quality and construction of this pedal is what you'd expect about of Ernie Ball. I'm confident that you could drop this pedal from the catwalk of a theater and it would still work...probably without a scratch.

Danelectro Milkshake Chorus- This is my oldest pedal. I bought it while I was in middle school. I want to say in 1998 or 1999. I'm using this pedal for the chorus parts as well as the fretless parts. On the recording, the fretless bass sounds really shimmery, yet there aren't that many songs that call for it. So instead of bringing another bass for a small pit, I'm just using the pedal. The settings that I am using are: speed minimum and depth maximum. It's a really subtle effect...adds a bit of shimmer to the sound without being too distracting. Construction wise-it's decent. It's all plastic and the only issue I have is that the switch doesn't have a defined feel to it. It's like you're pressing an elevator button. It works & sounds good though, so I'm not spending money on a new one just yet.

MXR M-288 Bass Octave Deluxe-I just bought this pedal for this production. I have not used an octave pedal prior to this show. Construction is great. It's all metal. It sounds good, was a nice price, and feels like it will last a long time. I'll be writing an indepth review within a week or two.

I'm still playing Slams. Not a whole lot else is going on.

all the best.

Long time no post

2009-08-10T15:58:00.002-05:00

So, it's been awhile. I haven't been playing too many gigs, so I'll update from the past and then give the update for the future...

Past
I've continued playing Slams. It's my favorite gig-extremely relaxed, the people are great, and it pays well. I have no complaints.

I played for Circle Theatre's Emerging Young Artist's production of Disney's High School Musical 2. This was fun. It was a 2 week run, the book was good for the most part. Some of the tunes, I wasn't overly fond of, but hey-it's theater. I love playing it.

The more electric shows I do, the more I'm paying attention to how the time period they were written influences the writing/orchestration. For example, Evita-the show was written when the 4 string bass was the most prevalent and there weren't any Sub E notes written. We added some for the production I was playing (i'd often on sustained chords add a sub double). However, on High School Musical & High School Musical 2-the lower notes are actually written in the part.

Future
I signed on to play a production of "Rent" with Big Noise Theater company. It should be fun. I don't have the book yet, but I'm excited.

I'm also playing more Slams...I plan on doing this gig until they don't want us anymore.

I'm doing a 1 off gig back in Indiana. I'll be playing with Spanton this Saturday. Playing a mix of covers & originals written by David. Should be fun.

Late June/Early July

2009-06-30T15:11:00.002-05:00

Greetings and salutations!!

In my last post, the outlook was pretty grim. Now, all is good in my kingdom! I have secured a new day job. I'll be working for Kmart Monday-Thursday nights. Yes, Kmart. A company that is stable, cares about customer service, and isn't difficult to get to...and they were hiring. They were really really flexible and understanding with my schedule. I have a schedule block in place so that I can continue to play gigs Friday-Sunday nights...I can't work after 4PM those days. This gives me enough time to get home to Rogers Park and head to where ever I'm going...and get there by about 6PM [seems like i can get nearly anywhere in the city in about an hour]. This makes me extremely happy as it means that I don't have to move in with my sister in Indy, I greatly appreciate her offer and I think it would be fun for a short term thing, but I love Chicago.

Gigs

Not a whole lot on the horizon. Cam's Tie is playing 1 Slam in July and 2 Slams in August. I don't have another theater gig lined up. It appears that my teaching studio is going to start up again soon though-I've had interest from two potential students.

I'm also in the early stages of forming another band. Ever since I studied with Tom Mendel in 2006, I've wanted to form a Motown/Funk/Soul band playing Detroit's music from the 60's & 70's. From Marvin Gaye to Sly & The Family Stone to James Brown to Stevie Wonder. So, I'm starting to arrange some charts, find players, and give this a shot. The band will be white guys from the Midwest playing Detroit's music. Yeah, I'm NOT ruling out using black or other minorities, it's just-most of the cats I've played with are typically middle classish white guys...in the Midwest. I'll be leading this band from the bass chair. I'll also be the principle arranger, booking agent, band manager, etc. All that I want from my players is to show up, play their best, and leave. Not a democracy, a much more friendly dictatorship. I'm taking my time with the players-I want to get the best cats for the job even if it means NOT using some of my friends. This is a business that is fun, not fun that is a business.

More to come as I figure stuff out.

all the best.

Mid-Late June

2009-06-18T22:42:00.002-05:00

Greetings my loyal followers....

Evita is in the final shows. We had a sing through tonight as a refresher for the last 4 shows. We're doing Friday & Saturday shows the next two weeks. It should be fun. It'll be weird not playing this show anymore, but hey. The show picked up either 6 or 8 Jeff Awards including Best Musical Non-Equity, Best Music Director, and then a few best actors awards. Pretty hip.

Cam's Tie at the Slam. Cam's Tie is still going strong. Scottie is subbing out Sunday the 21st, so I thought what better time than to bring in a buddy from Lafayette? Yep. The drummer that I played with all the time in high school had just moved up to Chicago, so it seemed like the perfect time to have him join me on his first Chicago pro gig. His name is Tanner Lee. We played for nearly everything at Jeff High School together. I'm looking forward to it. If things go well, he'll be my top choice sub for when Scott is unavailable. A part of it is, I'm excited to see how it feels after the few years it's been since we played together last. Add in that this environment is about as relaxed as you can get, it pays well, and it's at the GREEN MILL.

Side tangent about the rest of life...
I'm looking for a new day job. I have 3 shifts left. If i don't find something new, I'll be moving to Indy for a while. I'm hoping for less than 3 months. I don't want to lose what I have here in Chicago by moving to Indiana for much time. It'll cost me a bit of green to make the Mill gigs, but I think it'd be worth it. Instead of doing 3 Sundays a month, we'd probably just do 2 a month. It's a bit of a drive to be making at 10PM. Ok, it's a bit of a drive because I'm a horrible driver that has been thrilled to NOT drive much the past 4 years. I'm vastly more comfortable getting on a bus or train and just remembering to get off at a given stop. Yeah, it's not not the same as being able to leave whenever I want and not carry gear. However, I'll take walking 6 blocks with my DB w/it's wheel, an amp on a cart, and 2 electric basses in a back pack gig bag while going down stairs. Why? Because I don't have to screw with cars and driving. $86 for unlimited rides on the CTA. I couldn't park for that much.

So, if any of my readers know of any places that are hiring, let me know-please. I've been using: CarrerBuilder.com, Monster.com, Yahoo Hot Jobs, Craigs List, and SnagaJob.com, in addition to walking around looking for "Help Wanted" signs. I have extensive retail experience-7 years and I can work a flexible schedule. The only times that i can't work are: Sundays after 4PM and for a chunk of the year I play shows on Friday & Saturday nights.

all the best.

Cam's Tie in NY Times!!

2009-06-06T19:22:00.002-05:00

Greetings,

Cam's Tie in the NY Times print and web!
Ok, so we're not named, but we're in the pictures and audio. If go click on this link Cam's Tie in NY Times you can view the page. Once you're there, the audio on the audio slideshow & backing the poets is us. Hip eh?

Evita
We're doing the 4 more shows. June 19th, 20th, 26th, & 27th. I'm a little dissapointed that we're only doing 4 more shows, but eh. I'm partially motivated by ::gasp:: money. Yeah, I lose my day job by the end of this month & I don't have anything lined up beyond Slams. It's been a fun run and a great experience.

Cam's Tie in June
We're playing the 7th, 14th, and 21st backing the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill. Preshow music starts about 6:45PM, $6 cover, 21+. This is my favorite gig. It's a relaxed atmosphere, totally improvised, and the venue is killer. The people at the Green Mill are amazing-from the bartenders & waitresses to the poets and patrons.

all the best.

More Gigs

2009-05-26T20:40:00.002-05:00

My apologies for the lack of posts lately.

So here's the update on gigs......

Evita was extended through May. It's been fun. They're trying to get us 4 more dates in June. This would be great for me as I lose my day job by June 20th. The show has been fun. I've been subbing out of most Sundays as Cam's Tie is taking off.

Cam's Tie is now playing 3 Slams a month on average. Marc Smith (SO WHAT) likes the group. The people seem to like it too. I'm having a blast!! Showing up, play improvised music behind poets, have a few beers, get paid. What's not to love? This past Sunday, Cam's Tie shared the bill with The Weird Sisters!!

That is significant because subbing in with The Weird Sisters is how Cam's Tie came into being. Oh yes, it was the birth of the gig. Bonnie had asked me to sub in for their regular bassist, Al. Marc seemed to like me and he asked me to put together a trio. That was on October 26th. Cam's Tie has been playing 2-3 Slams a month ever since. Not bad for a music school drop/transfer out eh?

Evita + Gear Review

2009-04-17T17:30:00.002-05:00

Hello,

Evita, is in the final regularly scheduled weekend!! I'm subbing out of the last night, April 19th, to play a Slam. The run has been a blast thus far. We have an extension to run through the end of May...hopefully longer. Some of the cast and band will be changing. Kevin Brown, will be leaving us due to another contract and the new drummer will be awesome. The music director, Ryan, will be subbing out of a few dates as well. I'm sticking with the run....and will be subbing out for some Slams. Not going to lie, the Slams are a blast and they pay a lot better. In a typical night playing the Slam, I make double what I do playing Evita in a given evening. Evita is a lot of fun and pays well for the weekend...just not as much on a night.

Gear Review Tascam MP BT1

So this is my first formal [if i can call it that] gear review. I bought this little machine the first week of March and I've been playing with it since.

Some background, it's an MP3 Bass Trainer. What is a trainer? It's a headphone amp + music player in one. It features effects, metronome, tuner, and some fun software. The software allows you to slow down a song without changing pitch, transpose a song without changing tempo, cut the bass track, loop sections, and a variety of similar functions.

Now that I've had it for a bit, I love this thing. The metronome & slow down functions are great. The metronome isn't as feature laden as my Korg MA30, but it's adequate. You can't put in subdivisions or anything like that, you get to pick how many beats, and tempo. I used this to learn Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder & What is Hip by Tower of Power. Two tunes that previously I considered "landmarks'...where i knew my playing was at a great point when i could play those cleanly and with power. This device was also great for learning "Higher Ground"...I was reading a transcription of it as done by the Chilli Peppers while playing along with the Stevie Wonder version. The difference is...Chili Peppers played it in E where as Stevie does it in Eb.

The only frustration I had was at first with iTunes...I didn't realize that they had a really simple tool to create MP3 versions of songs. I thought you only had the Mp4s. Yeah, once I looked under "advanced" and saw make MP3 version. I was astounded. Now, I load up tunes & play-a-longs to the bass trainer and go to Evita to get some practice in between 7:30 & 8PM [we have a 7:30 call, but without the trainer, I'm just sitting there reading or being bored].

So yeah-I give this device 4/5 stars. The only things that I am deducting the star for are: Only plays MP3s, it's pretty big-about the size of a pack of Djarum Cigarettes or a bit wider than a pack of Marlboro 100's and about as thick. The unit is by no means large, but eh-I'd like to to be closer to the size of an iPod. Yep. ..I'm sorta picky. However, I do LOVE this unit. It has helped reinvigorate my practice routine. I love being able to practice whenever I want with an amp and metronome without driving the neighbors nuts. I like playing late [after gigs], so this is a great thing.

all the best.

Evita is off and running!

2009-03-22T12:54:00.004-05:00

Hello,

Evita

We're 2ish? weeks into Evita. The show is locking in and is a blast. I'm subbing out of 2 more dates to play Slams. They are: March 29th and April 19th, I've lined up Chris Damman to sub in for me.

Link to a listing of Reviews

Thus far, the show has been a blast.

The bass book is the most challenging that I've played....there are parts of it that I've simplified that I'll be working on for another few weeks. I feel that simple works pretty well in this context. The book is actually a doubling book-the show is scored for a huge orchestra. There are places where the double bass and harp double each other [well-sorta], places where the double bass is with brass. So-with some editing by Ryan Brewster [music director of Evita]-we've made it work with just electric bass. A lot of the times where I'd be functioning as string section, I'm either just rolling a low note or I'm laying out. I feel like it lets the music take on a more intimate sound where it's just piano & voice, when Kevin [drummer] & I come in-the music takes on a very different texture. It has this inherent drive-i dig it.

Gear for Evita

I recently did some work on my StingRay5. Work = refinished the neck and restrung it. If you're reading this, more than likely you're either related to me or a gear junkie...or i work for you. The necks of StingRay & Sterling basses are gunstock oil and wax.

So, to refinish it, I used a scour pad [the back side of a sponge] to get some of the dirt and gunk off. I used a little bit of rubbing alcohol to get more of the gunk out. This DOES dry out the wood a lot. Once i went over the neck and fingerboard with the scour pad + alcohol, I made sure it was dry. I used Birchwood Casey Truoil for the neck finish. I did 4 coats of oil. I waited 30mins between coats #1 & #2, 15mins between #2 & #3, 15mins between #3 & #4. I waited 30mins before applying wax. This is a much shorter wait time than what the package suggests. I put it by a window wrapped in paper towel while i was waiting. I then put several coats of wax on the neck. I used brown paper bags to rub it out after I had applied it. Now? The neck feels good and is much cleaner.

String-I had been playing on the same set of PowerSlinkys for about a year. It was time for some new strings. The store didn't have Power Slinky's in 5 string, so I got Regular Slinkys 5 [45-130]. Holy hell, new strings made a huge difference in sound. I sound like the recordings again.

It's extremely gear wise for Evita. StingRay5 + SWR WorkingMan's 12. I set my EQ once and I leave it. The treble is barely boosted, mids barely boosted, bass up to about 7/8 of full. 99% of the show is just variations on finger style playing [closer to neck vs. bridge, etc]. On one song {Peron's Latest Flame}-I palm mute.

Well, i need to do some homework before Evita tonight.

all the best.

Loonnnnnnnng time no post

2009-03-08T16:47:00.002-05:00

So, I need to get back into the posting routine.

It's been over a month. Here's what I am up to.....

Theater

I'm no longer subbing in on the Robber Bridegroom. I did a few weekends of it and then the guy i was subbing for quit his day job. No day job = he doesn't need a sub. I now have Sunday afternoons open for homework & relaxing. Oh yes.

Evita is in tech!! We open tomorrow! Tonight is the preview. This has been a true learning experience. The book has kicked my ass pretty hardcore. Like-UFC with guns level kicked my ass. It's getting better and I will be a much better musician when I have this book to the level that I want it to be.

I am playing my StingRay5 on this gig. It fits the bill. The instrumentation is piano/organ, drums, and bass. Very sparse, but we can get a nice sound going.

The Slam!

We are booked March 15th, March 29th, April 19th, and May 3rd! The March dates will feature Diana Lawrence on piano, the April date the pianist is TBD, and in May Ryan Brewster will return for a one off evening with us while Diana is on tour. The drummer on all of these dates will be the awesome Scott Hirtenstein. He is the perfect cat for this gig. I am working on new tunes to keep up the mix of standards and arrangements.

Well-I need to get going. I have to leave in about 40mins for Evita. The 10min commute is awesome.

It's been awhile...more gigs

2009-02-03T23:48:00.002-06:00

So yes, it has been awhile.

Sub gig
The gig I mentioned earlier for subbing is 'The Robber Bridegroom' which will be running at the Theater Building Chicago from Feb 13th through March 29th. I will be subbing in on the Sunday matinees from Feb 22nd through the end of the run. I'm also filing in on 1-2 other nights. I will be playing my New Standard Cleveland for this show. It's blue grass...I don't know if I'm going to be amped/mic'd or not. I'm not worried. It's a pretty small space and my bass is loud. The instrumentation is 2 fiddles, banjo, guitar, and bass. No drums [sadly]...I think the sound of the band would take on a whole new dimension if that had someone playing snare w/brushes or rods. The only parts of this show that are striking me as 'odd'....the band will be costumed & on stage. I'm a sub. The guy I'm subbing for is a lanky/thin guy. I am no where near thin. Sizable beer belly is a good way to look at it. I'm hoping a plaid shirt & jeans will suffice. The stage part-isn't a big deal to me. I've played in this space before. There is no other place for the band to be, but on stage.

Zombie Prom
I was contacted by Daniel Singer to play for a Jr. High Production. Ok, get the laughs out of the way. This show is fun. The bass books has a lot of freedom and the book as is, is a blast to play. However, the freedom is great so that I can modify the parts to be more 'like me'. I'm not sure who the original player was or how much of the book was written out. There's about 3 fills that happen a ton. I like them, but eh-I've changed them a bit. The kids are great. When I was learning the book, I thought 'are middle school kids really going to pull this off?' I've gotten my answer. Yes they can...it's like the Obama slogan all over again. I live in Chicago and am in the liberalish community-that slogan comes up in a variety of capacities quite often.

The show is out in Glencoe, IL. There's a Metra station about 10mins from the theater/auditorium-so that's how I get out there. Danny brings me home when it's an evening deal and I take Metra home when it's an afternoon deal.

Gear on Zombie Prom
Yes, I am trying to keep the gear part of the blog consistent. Sometimes, I fail. As you all can tell, this concerns me oh so greatly.

When I listened to the 'Zombie Prom' album, I was happy. The bass tone is typical modern theatre bass. More than likely it was recorded on a 'jazz bass on steriods'. Sadowsky, Alleva-Copolla, Lakland w/an active pre, etc. Probably an active bass strung with round wound strings. This is a good thing for me as I have a bass that gets that sound in spades. Surprise!! Yes, I am playing my StingRay5 w/rounds on this show. I'm using the classic smiley EQ on this...on my onboard preamp I have it setup like this: treb slightly boosted, mids flat, bass slightly boosted. I am using the bridge coil w/the dummy coil. I need to have my electronics looked at as this is the only position that is humbucking for me....not good.

Amp-the tried and trusty, SWR WM12. I'm not going direct so I am able to turn it up a bit more. Great sound, reliable, and was easy to take on the train.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Closed!
My recap of GPB at Circle Theatre in Forest Park. It was a blast to play. The run was pretty long [November to Jan 31st]. The arrangements that Allison Kane did were beyond amazing. I did 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' at a show case from a piano vocal book...the arrangement was horrible. Allison's version? Wow. I was fine with playing that 3 times a week for a few months. Heck, A lead sheet of it would have the possibility of making it into my Slam set. The other band people were great. I can see myself calling them for work. The actors were extremely nice and appreciative. The theatre staff/tech people were nice . All in a all, a fun time.

I'm Cam, this is my Tie, and we're Cam's Tie.
Yes, I'm still leading a trio backing the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill. Marc Smith (So What) likes the group. I've got Diana Lawrence on piano and Scott Hirtenstein on drums. I couldn't ask for better people to spend a few hours with. They're both amazing musicians and I am lucky that they have room in their schedule to jam with me. I've been playing 2-3 times a month since October when I subbed in with the Weird Sisters. I owe Bonnie Shadrake and the Weird Sisters& Stranger Brothers a huge thank you for landing this gig for me. Not only was it blast subbing in with you guys, I've never felt more comfortable on a stage than for the Poetry Slam.

The next dates Cam's Tie is backing the Slam at the Green Mill: Feb 15th, March 15th, March 29th. If you come to the Slam and read this, be sure to say hi. I'm the guy with the tie, big bass, and when I'm not on stage....in the back by the exit with a beer in my hand. Yeah, even though I love playing for a packed house, once I'm off the stage the crowd freaks me out a bit when it's uber packed. Hence, near the exit [where it's less crowded] and with a beer [makes the crowd seem easier to be around]. As always, there is a $6 cover and the Green Mill is 21+ only. Preshow music by Cam's Tie starts at approx 6:45PM, Open Mic at 7PM, The Featured Guests at 8PM, and the World's Least Competitive Slam at 9PM. We wrap up around 10PM.

Sorta ties into Cam's Tie...Slam Related
I was asked to back Marc Smith (so what) for a presentation on Uptown & The Slam a few weeks ago. I forget the exact date...it was a Monday afternoon the day after my trio played. That was a lot of fun. It was an information session for some teachers from Loyala Academy...I think they were all working on their Masters Degree. They seemed nice. Marc did some poetry, I backed him up, and life was good. It was a bit weird being at the Green Mill when it was light out...and I think around 1PM.

Next post will include 'Evita' with Theo Ubique, 'Zombie Prom' wrap up, a potential new music toy.

Long time no post

2009-01-14T10:27:00.002-06:00

Hello,

I've got 3mins to type this before I need to leave for work.

I've lined up more gigs!

Pending an unforeseen surprise, I'll be playing "Zombie Prom" at Glencoe Jr High School w/Danny Singer [music director for Damn Yankees]. This is in addition to the other gigs.

I've also agreed to sub every Sunday from Feb 15th through March 29th for a buddy of mine in a blue grass theater show. Should be fun. He said I can use his bass, so unless if I absolutely hate how it feels-I won't even need to bring my own.

The Slams are going well. I'm looking to get a live recording done during one of our February dates.

Well-I must depart for work. I'll post more information later this week.

Debuted an original tune at the Slam

2008-12-08T01:35:00.003-06:00

So, tonight was an extra special night for me. One of the things I like about leading a group is that I decide on the tunes. Tonight, was a debut of an original tune of mine. The working title is 'Choking Hazard'. The chord progression is extremely simple, but the tune itself I've been messing with for a few years. About a month ago, I had this itch to write it out. I'm glad that I did.

Tonight, we debuted it. The response was great. The tune isn't a typical Green Mill song-instead of being Bop or Free Jazz orientated, it borrows elements from Minimalist music & musical theater. The reaction from Marc Smith [Slam Founder/host] was strong enough that he came up on stage and looked at the lead sheet we were playing. Pretty hip? Sooooo-I'm going to record this and see if I can get a copy of the recording of tonight's Slam.

The song is based around a pedal point in the piano right hand of F C. This stays static until I switch it to E C. The most 'dense' it gets is adding a D to those chords. The bass tones are: D C Bb and F. I'm thinking of the chords as Dmin7, Csus4, Bb9 [no7], F [triad], Bb9#11, C9 [no 5th]. There's probably a more accurate harmonic actualization/spelling, but eh. That's even a bit complicated to what I think.

The reaction was great. I gave Marc my copy of the lead sheet. It was a ceremonial jesture more than anything-I'm going to print another one off for me.

all the best.

More Slam Dates + GPB has OPENED!!

2008-11-24T01:22:00.003-06:00

Greetings everyone.

Cam's Tie Trio
We've got a few more dates scheduled for the Slam! We'll be playing December 7th & 28th. On the 7th, I'll be coming immediately from 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. We're staying in the rotation of house bands for the Slam. I'm stoked. This gig is where I can stretch my legs and flex different muscles.

Specifically, since the music is 'free' and based off of interaction with the poets, this is a different skill set. I love it. Notes don't matter, all that really matters is helping convey the message and feeling of the poems. Pretty hip eh?

The different muscles-I am leading this trio. That is extremely different for me. I'm most accustomed to blending into the wood work while playing and well-blending into the wood work even more off stage. So, I'm actually leading vs. just following. It's a nice change, but I like it. Thus far, we've done an arrangement I did of 'Come Together' by the Beatles. I am working on an arrangement of a song I wrote. The working title of the song is 'Choking Hazard'.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes has Opened!
Ok, GPB has opened!! Our opening night was November 19th. I'm excited to see where this show will go. Thus far, we've earned a Jeff Recommendation. We're running Friday thru Sunday till February 1st. Friday & Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3PM.

Update about the Parade. Care of a recording session, the band is not required/needed for the parade!! This is a relief to me. The idea of taking a bass outside in less than 40 degree weather is even less appealing than just being outside in less than 40 degree weather.

More Gigs
I've signed on to do 2 more theater shows.

The first one starts the first week of March and will run from March 9th to April 19th 2009. Another Friday-Sunday gig. However, Sundays will be at 7PMish, so I can't do the Slam during that time period. I'm doing 'Evita' with Theo Ubique in Rogers Park. This is a different format than the other shows I've done, it's a cabaret setup in a smaller venue.

I'm stoked-I'm working with Ryan Brewster for this show, the location is great, and the people are supposed to be amazing. I mention the Ryan Brewster comment because he is who I did 'My Fair Lady', 'Damn Yankees', and he plays in my trio. Definately a guy that I enjoy working with. The biggest change with 'Evita' compared to the rest of the shows I've done is that it's an electric bass gig. Yeah-I'll go from playing my New Standard Cleveland to more than likely my StingRay5. It shall be a blast. I love playing the Cleveland, but I know that the Ray5 would love to come out to play more.

More on the location, if you know me, you know that I also live in Rogers Park. The commute time for this show will be 10-15minutes each way max. That makes me so excited. My commute time for 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' is just under 2 hours each way. No offense to those guys, but having a 10minute commute sounds amazing. I'll be able to just walk to the venue. For a CTA reference, if I was to take the train to the theater, I'd be walking to the other end of the platform without boarding the train. That's how close it is to where I live.

The second show is also with Ryan Brewster. We're doing 'Sunday in the Park with George' with Big Noise Theatre Company. The show is running April 24th to May 17th, 2009. This will dovetail extremely tightly with 'Evita'. I think tech week will be the week immediately following the closign of 'Evita'. I believe the performances are in Des Plaines while the rehearsals are in Winnetka.

all the best.

Week 2 of Slam Band + GPB Tech

2008-11-07T22:19:00.003-06:00

Hey everybody,

The Green Mill and the Uptown Poetry Slam
This will be week 2 of leading the house band for the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill. The name of the band is 'Cam's Tie Trio'. Show up to the Slam to learn what it means. This week, we're debuting an arrangement I did of The Beatles 'Come Together'. I'm excited for others to hear it. It's the first arrangement I've had performed.

Sunday 6:45PM we start with some preshow music, 7PM the Open Mic, 8PM Featured Guests, 9PM THE SLAM! $6 cover, 21+. Hosted by Poetry Slam Founder Marc Smith (SO WHAT!). We're confirmed to play Nov 9th and Nov 16th. I'm hoping that Marc extends us and that GPB is less than 2.5hrs long so that I can keep this gig.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at Circle Theatre in Forest Park
We start tech week on Monday. I'm excited. I worked with the Music Director, Allison Kane, on a Monday Nights New Voices event. This will be our first show together and I'm stoked. I love meeting and working with new people-especially when they work differently than those that I am familiar with. From our talks, I will be reading chord charts for this show!! This makes me happy as I can walk my own lines vs. reading the written ones and then rewriting them. We're also performing in one of the Thanksgiving Parades that will be broadcast on WGN. Pretty hip to me.

all the best.

Damn Yankees Closes, 2 new gigs begin

2008-10-30T18:43:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

Damn Yankees has it's final performance this Saturday November 1st at 7PM. 2 for 1 tickets are available through the box office. This production has been a blast. I thank the cast and crew for the time they've put in.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starts rehearsals a week later, Nov 8th is our tentative sitzprobe rehearsal. It shall be fun. From what the music director has said, I'll be reading chord charts for the show-so I get to make up my own walking lines. GPB is running at the Cirlce Theatre in Forest Park.

New Gig House Band for the Uptown Poetry Slam at The Green Mill

Thanks to Bonnie Shadrake for letting me sub in with The Weird Sisters, I have landed a gig leading the House Band for The Slam! I'm stoked. We're confirmed to play Nov 2nd, 9th, and 16th. The fun starts around 6:45PM with some preshow music, the open mic at 7PM, and the Slam itself at 8PM. The cover is only $6! The Green Mill is located just off of the Lawrence Red Line stop.

I've got Ryan Brewster playing piano and Scott Hirtenstein playing drums. Ryan is the band director/pianist for 'Damn Yankees' and Scott is the drummer for The Weird Sisters. This will be my debut as a band leader. Pending an uber long 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' and Marc's decision, this will become a regular Sunday night gig.

Gear for all the above-I'm playing my New Standard Cleveland. I just added a bib from David Gage. No more shiny shirts!

all the best.

Mid October

2008-10-18T13:29:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone.

Damn Yankees

'Damn Yankees' has 6-7 shows left and felt like it was time for a follow up.

The show has been a blast to play. The people are a lot of fun to work with, and there's have been several great reviews.

One of the things that playing this show has confirmed to me is that I love playing for longer show runs. This is the longest I've done yet at 32 shows. Learning the music, showing up to play the show, and then leaving. I'm hoping that this show leads to more work.

Gear wise-the only thing that has changed since the start of the show is that I bought a bib for my bass. Wil Di Sola of New Standard Basses recommended that I buy a bib for the instrument back when I emailed him about a finish scratch...well, sometime later I started realizing that the shiny spot on my shirt is from that. Also, the idea of protecting the part that comes in contact with me was great. I found one that I liked at David Gage's site. It's black and has a pocket. It cost right about $50 with tax.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
I'm starting to prepare for 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' at the Circle Theatre in Forest Park. I bought a recording [the OBC album reissue] and am listening to it heavily. I've found that the better I know the songs, the easier it is to read the music. The big thing that listening to the recordings does is let me know what feel to give the songs. As a bassist, I play a ton of root/fifth two beat lines, but how they help define the song is how it feels. The notes may be the same but the groove can be entirely different. This show goes into previews November 14th and runs Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3PM until February 1st. There are no shows December 26th-28th. We're also going to be appearing in the Thanksgiving Parade.

Gearwise-it'll also be another all DB show. Same stuff as 'Damn Yankees'.

Beyond
The CD of The SmallTown Heroes came out!! I played on 3 tracks. It's a great CD, Dallas, Bethany and Brian are some really nice people. Easy to work with, very professional.

I'm in talks to do a few more shows after 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. Nothing is confirmed, but if things go well, I'll be doing shows from Late Feb thru May [and hopefully longer than that]. A goal of mine is to play shows year round while working part time.

The more long term goal is to play shows full time and NOT work part time. Ideally, it'd be here in Chicago, but I would like to go to New York within 5 years to work.

I've got quite a bit of student loan debt, so I can't make the switch to full time music until I have a long running well paying gig [8 shows a week/Union-Equity show or a national tour/Union-Equity].

Well, I need to do some homework.

all the best.

Damn Yankees has opened!!

2008-09-22T21:38:00.003-05:00

Hey, as the title says-Damn Yankees has opened. Last week we were in tech.

It was a bit odd, our sitzprobe was also the first orchestra rehearsal. It worked out well enough.

The cast is great, the people are nice, and they are truly great at their craft. I'm looking forward to playing this run and getting to know the cast members. It's hip being around people that are pursuing similar dreams to me. Granted, they're actors, singers, dancers, and techs, but it's still pursuing a career in theater.

The orchestra is fun. It's a 5 piece group. Piano, Bass, Drums, Reeds, Brass. The Reed player plays Sax, Flute, and Clarinet. The Brass player plays euphonium and trombone. Danny Singer did an amazing job at orchestrating this show. He went through and redid the 30+ original orchestration for 5 pieces! Only 2 of which are horns. It sounds amazing. Strangest thing for me, is being the youngster. Granted, my sub is even younger than me, but as far as the normal "core" players go.....i'm the youngest by 7 years. The oldest members are old enough to at least be my parents if not grandparents. Nothing against them, but that struck me as a 'wow" moment. The great part about having more experienced members is that they have stories and wisdom that you can only acquire by having time in the field.

I'm subbing out of October 1st and October 26th.

Here's our first review.
First Review

Since the start of Damn Yankees, I am reevaluating my needs equipment wise. The biggest thing is i'm realizing that I've got great gear now and that any upgrades are solely wants vs. needs. Yeah, it'd be nice to have another bass so that I could have one at home to practice on, but that's an awfully expensive want. E.g. $12k....I don't plan on buying another ply bass, so i'd be looking into a carved one. Bow wise-I don't use it a whole lot, and I can get a nice sound with this one. So playing my $150 Brazilwood bow is working out nicely-especially after a rehair [to black] by Mark Sonksen. Amps-If I continue to get calls for upright only gigs, getting a new amp is very much just a NICE thing. I'll probably end up getting a new amp first anyway.....lighter weight, more versatility, and all that stuff is always a good thing.

Time for more studying.

The nice thing about doing online classes is-I can schedule them whenever I want as long as I get the assignments done by the due date/time.

all the best.

More Gigs!

2008-09-07T12:25:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone.

Today, I'm playing my last gig with the Shout Section Big Band before taking a hiatus to play a few theater shows.

Shout Section has been a blast. If we can get the schedule worked out, I'll still rehearse and record with this group until they find someone to take over for me. However, I've agreed to play 2 theater shows-so the prime gig dates are now occupied.

The shows. The first show that I've signed on to play is 'Damn Yankees' at the Metropolis Centre for Performing Arts in Arlington Heights, IL. This show will run from mid September thru the start of November. I was recommended for this show by Ryan Brewster, who will be playing piano and directing the band. The music director is Danny Singer. I am excited to join this theater production. It's a 32 show run and I am playing 29 or so of the shows. I am subbing out 2 dates due to work commitments and 1 date due to a previous gig committment.

The second show, I've agreed to do is 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' at the Circle Theater in Forest Park. I am signed onto this show pending any sudden changes on their end. The music director is Allison Kane. The director is Kevin Bellie. This show will run from mid November thru early Februrary. At this point, I plan on subbing out of 4-5 of the shows [early January] because I have a vacation scheduled. After playing shows from September through January while working 30 hours a week and excelling in my online courses-I think a week off will feel great...especially in the Bahamas.

The Previous Gig Commitment I referenced earlier is this. I've been contacted/agreed to sub in with The Weird Sisters for their performance at the Uptown Poetry Slam hosted at the Green Mill on October 26th. The event starts at 7PM and runs till about 10PM. We perform as the Featured Guest at 8PM. It shall be fun.

Gear wise all the shows I mentioned above [minus Shout Section] will be played on my Double Bass. I would love to make enough from music where I could afford to buy another Double bass. This would let me leave one at whatever theater I'm playing at and still have one at home for practicing/gigs that i'm subbing on. It would take playing roughly 250 shows in order for me to afford a bass like what i'm most inclined towards...

This would be a fully carved bass in the $12,000 range. Naturally, I'm most interested in a New Standard Cleveland Fully Carved Bass. I believe these are special order. My reasoning is-I've loved the sound of my Cleveland ply and I think that the fully carved version would only be that much better. Add into that each bass would be as close to identical in feel/dimensions as you can get between 2 basses, and that's that much more of a bonus. I wouldn't have to get used to playing on basses with different scale lengths.

Amps
The next gear related purchase for me will be a lighter weight amp & a different switching system. The amp that I want is an Acoustic Image Focus [thinking single channel]. The Focus would be 800 watts at 4 ohms in a 5 pound package. Switching system-I'm thinking a SansAmp Bass DI Deluxe-this would eliminate my need to bring along my RPM...and it'd fit in a pocket of my gig bag. Cab-I'm thinking an Epifani UL series cab, more than likely the UL110, but I have considered the UL112.

This combination of gear would allow me to do quick switches on doubling gigs while having dedicated EQs for each bass. With the SansAmp, if I needed to switch between 2 bass guitars and my double bass-there's enough EQ banks where I could program them in. Add in my Morley ABY box for the BGs & I'd have the ability to switch between 3 basses and have enough EQs where I could cover them all. All this with only 2 pedals that fit into gig bag pockets. No more 6 cables to do 2 basses.

After that-a nicer bow. I don't have a clue what I want in a bow besides a French one-even that is up for debate. I'd like to try a German bow before I committ to playing French [committ via paying more than $600 for a bow].

I need to get ready for Shout Section.

All the best.

My Fair Lady, MNNV Chicago, More Shout Section, David Wycoco

2008-08-17T00:24:00.002-05:00

Since the last post, I have kept busy.

Shout Section

I did a few more gigs with Shout Section Big Band including one at the Adler Planetarium for a fundraiser and then one out in Beecher Illinois. The Adler gig was on double bass, and the Beecher gig was on electric [Fender P-bass w/flats]. I'm diggin playin with this band-it's just relaxed enough where it's a ton of fun without much work, but is serious enough to get me to at least look at the trouble spots i have.
Videos of Shout Section are available on YouTube.com do a search for "Shout Section Big Band".

Monday Night New Voices Chicago

This is a pretty recent add on for me. I had known one of the producer's for a few years, and then ran into both of them at a staged reading that i was playing for [Rejected Hearts @ Strawdawg Theater]. They had told me at that point, they had a show coming up that they wanted me to play for. I have agreed to play for Monday Night New Voices Chicago on an "on call" basis. Essentially, if it's a night that they want bass for, i'll play-otherwise, i'll go home after work. It's fun, it's networking, and you never know where your next call will come from.

A note about Monday Night New Voices-it's a showcase/series originated in New York by Scott Alan. The Chicago edition is ran by Allen Sledge & David Tomzack. It is a series dedicated to showcasing rising talent both vocally and compositionally. They do not shy away from honoring an established entity while showcasing new talent [hence-the Lippa show]. Great guys, great production, and I look forward to seeing where this goes.

Fast forward to last week [i think-time is running together], and I played for the Monday Night New Voices featuring the music of ANDREW LIPPA!! That was killer and rather sentimental for me. The killer factor is that we were doing the music of Andrew Lippa with him in the audience. The music is quite fun to play.

The sentimental factor is this-the first show choir show i played for in high school was music from "The Wild Party" which was written by Andrew Lippa. Why does that matter at all? Well, it was from playing for that show choir show that made me think "theater bass playing would kick ass".

Gear wise-i played my Ray5 into the SWR WM12. I needed to cop a lot of tones out of 1 bass, and the Ray5 is my de facto go to bass. I received many compliments on tone, feel, and my playing in general that night-twas nice. I took a cab straight from Symphony Center to the theater, so i needed small and cabable. No chance in hell that i'd take a DB in that situation. There were 2-3 songs that I would have preferred DB on, but eh-i think i played 4-5 songs total of the night. I gotta be making either killer bread, getting great networking, or it needs to be next door to my apartment before I'll take 2 basses plus an amp to a gig straight from work.

David Wycoco

I'm continuing to play with David Wycoco. He's a blast to play with, and I look forward to this continuing.

General Gear Comments

I'd like to move to a lighter/smaller amp with more power sometime in the near future. We will see what the financial future holds. I'm CTA/Metra dependent for gigs, between the cost of car ownership, gas, and parking-I'm going to put off getting a car/bringing a car up here as long as I can.

I'm realizing that I don't need a million basses, but just a few that I can get the sounds that I need out of. 2 that belong in that small group of basses for me are my Ray5 & Fender P-bass. I think a nice fretless [maybe even my Squier Fretless-i need to practice it more], and a modern sounding 6 would right about cover it. I'll probably always have quite a few more than that, but hey-i like my toys.

all the best.

My Fair Lady Opens tomorrow/HSM this past weekend

2008-07-24T15:15:00.002-05:00

My Fair Lady opens tomorrow! We have our final run through tonight.

This experience has been great. This has been my first "semi-professional" show. I've done several staged readings, but those are typically maybe 12 songs.

The music director is Ryan Brewster-very hip guy. Something that I am beginning to learn is that if you have a somewhat twisted/dark sense of humor-musical theater orchestra playing is home. Based off the people I have met thus far-I am at home with these people.

Some notable comments about this show: I am learning why pro's play on stools. Standing for a 3hr+ show is tiring. So-once i get some money, I'm going to look into buying a decent stool that can collapse. I believe JoAnn Daughtery made the comment to me while we were working up "Starting Here, Starting Now"- "You want to be doing this the rest of your life right? Well, you need to learn how to make it the easiest one your body." So-i'm taking that advice to heart-albeit about a year later. The stage is at just the right height to be used as a stool...so for 1/4-1/2 the show I am playing while sitting on it. Right about cello style-bass is a bit more flat than when I normally play, but it feels totally natural. Maybe my cello days are coming back to me? ;)

I've got my eye on these stools from Ikea that are cheap, but i got a feeling they'll work better for my apartment than for bass playing. We'll see. I've got some research to do on Talkbass.com

High School Musical

That was a blast. I got to see so many people that I haven't seen in years. Working with Mr. Satterfield outside of school was fun. I ended up only working on the trouble spots before rehearsal and just sight read the grooves on the spot. Worked out really well. I plugged my SansAmp RPM into a DI [redundant...] & then into a powered speaker to use as a monitor. That was so much easier than taking my Rack + cab and about 100 pounds lighter. The show went well. My 'rents came [all 3 of em-Mom, Dad, & Step Mom].

Well-I've got some errands to run. I move on the 29th from the Gold Coast to Roger's Park.

Mid-Late July Gigs

2008-07-14T20:35:00.003-05:00

Mid to Late July-I've got a nice chunk of gigs. This time-they're all Musical Theater.

Wednesday the 16th-i'm taking Amtrak back to Indiana to play for Civic Theater's production of "Disney's High School Musical". I am actually subbing in on this show. A guy that i useda teach in high school played the first weekend of it, but is going out of town on a family vacation for this weekend's. So-i'm coming in for it. I'm getting the music Thursday during the early afternoon & then I have my only rehearsal with the group in the evening. Friday the 18th & Saturday the 19th are the shows. It should be fun. I've been listening to the sound track to "High School Musical" pretty heavily the past few weeks. I will be playing my StingRay5 w/rounds for this show. The music is modern pop music-the Ray5 will be a great fit. Amp wise, I will be playing my Rack Rig for the first time in a few years. I will be running a SansAmp RPM into a Carvin DCM2000 Poweramp into my Avatar B212. This will be fun as the B212 has been sitting in the basement of my Mom's house for 2-3 years now without being played.

I feel that listening to the Original Cast album [preferably Broadway cast/most common version] is highly beneficial. This is a great tie in for both High School Musical & My Fair Lady [the next show I am playing].

With HSM, I will have very little time to get the show up to performance ready-less than 6hours with the actual music. I am relying on two skills-my sight reading ability and then listening ability. Since I know the recording quite well for feel changes, what is going on vocally [solos, ensemble, etc]-I will be able to make sense of the part that much faster.

Now onto "My Fair Lady", I have been contacted to play for a 6 show run in Wood Dale, Illinois. We had our first rehearsal this past Sunday [the 13th]. Thanks to listening to the recording ad naseum, I was able to sight read the part with a very high accuracy. I needed to give extra attention to about 8 measures of the show. Not bad to me, but I want to reach the point where I can play a show perfect at first read. For this show, I am playing all Double Bass. So, I am playing my New Standard Cleveland. The show dates for "My Fair Lady" are: July 25th-27th & August 1st-3rd. It shall be a blast.

My Basses!

2008-06-30T21:49:00.003-05:00

BASSES

Let's start with my Double Bass.

It's a New Standard Cleveland from 2004. It's got a laminated top & back with carved sides with ebony fittings. Note: they changed this model to all laminated a year or two after I got mine. It is a large 3/4 small 7/8s with a 42 inch string scale. For a frame of reference standard bass guitar scale is 34. Standard string scale for "full size" double basses is 41-42. Double basses aren't nearly as uniform size wise as bass guitars. Some notables about the New Standard Cleveland-it is a Gamba shape, has broad shoulders, and is a large bass. However, it is HIGHLY playable and easy to get around on. I rarely go up to thumb position-it is easily my weakest register.

I keep the bass strung with Thomastik Spirocore Weichs. I use a Meisel quiver and a Brazilwood French bow from Gollihur Music. The only 'custom' thing I have done is put side dots on the fingerboard using nail polish. Several of my teachers have them and i thought 'why not?' It has helped tremendously to have a visual reference that reminds me that the distance between notes is MUCH larger than bass guitar.

I use a David Gage Realist Pickup. I like this. I used to have a K&K Bass Master Pro pickup + preamp setup. That was a K&K Bass Max plus Double Big Twin feeding a K&K Preamp that was mounted on my tail piece. It was OK, but i like how with the Realist all I have to do is plug & play. Eventually, I would like to add a AMT Bass Mic to the setup. 2 of my teachers use Wilson pickups & those intrigue me, but for the time being i'm satisfied wth the Realist for my pickup needs.

The sound is huge and loud. I keep my action pretty high for a jazz player. The tone i hear in my head is a very big and wooly tone. Some players for a point of reference-Ray Brown, Sam Jones, Charlie Haden, Paul Chambers-guys that played with gut strings and got a tone that encompasses you. Nothing against the guys that play with a lower action and go for more direct sound, but this is what i love.

ELECTRIC BASSES

Ok, time to my bread & butter. My electrics.

My main electric bass is a 2003 Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay5. It has a maple fingerboard, swamp ash body, black pickguard, and is finished in Cherry Burst. I keep it strung with Ernie Ball Slinky 5s-most of the time Power Slinkys (50-135). Slinky 5s are just your basic nickel round wound. They sound great, last a decent amount of time [depends on how much you play, your sweat's pH, etc], and don't cost a whole lot. This is my go to bass. I've played it pretty heavily the past 5 years & you can tell. I am getting ready to take it in to get a fret dressing plus a general once over. You know it's time for a fret dress when you have developed divets in the frets.

I can get a wide variety of sounds out of this bass. I like to think of it as my sledge hammer/swiss army knife. I love the neck shape/dimensions, and it just feels right overall. I keep this bass strung with rounds because I think of it as my "modern" sounding bass. The MM Humbucker & 3 band pre allow me to get a variety of tones, but about 99% of the time i have the treble slightly boosted, bass slightly boosted, mids flat, and the coil tap in the single coil w/dummy coil [center position]. Great sound.

#2 Electric is my Fender P-Bass w/flats. It's a basic 2007 Fender Standard Precision Bass. It has a rosewood finger board, alder body, white pickguard [might change it to black], and sunburst finish. I have it strung with Sadowsky/Labella Regular Gauge Flat Wounds [black label]. These are a nice and heavy set. I originally had them on a Fender Jazz 5-so i don't remember what the G to E gauges are. I think it's a 50 or 55 G & probably a 110 E. These are HIGH tension. I loooooooove the sound though. This bass fits the bill whenever the StingRay5 is a bit iffy. The sound is totally opposite though. Very low mids focused and fat. Yes, I originally wanted to buy a P-bass after studying the work of James Jamerson and the other great motown bassists. My top 2 fav are James Jamerson & Wilton Felder. Big sounds that drive the bands like a mofo. I use this on rock, big band [use it w/Shout Section when i can't take my DB], and any other gigs.

#3 Electric- 1997 Fender Standard Jazz Bass this bass is my very first bass. Poplar body, rosewood board, black w/a white pickguard. My Dad gave it to me as a Christmas present in 1997. It still feels like "home" every time that I pick it up. I don't play it a whole lot at the moment. It's strung with unknown origin flat wounds. The neck has taken on a nice tint from age. Sounds good, feels good, I won't ever sell it. This is a bass that I could see handing down to posterity. Ok-all of them I think i could. This bass, the Double, and my Ray5 are the ones that I think would have the most value though. First Bass Guitar, First Double Bass, and first GOOD 5 string.

Other basses

Douglas WEB846 in sunburst. This is the bass I bought when i wanted to get a taste for playing 6 string bass. Turns out-i like that taste. I am saving up for an Ernie Ball Music Man Bongo 6 or MTD Z6.

Squier Vintage Modified Fretless. Don't let the Squier name fool you, this bass is very high quality. When I first played one in a Guitar Center the first thing i thought "THIS IS A SQUIER??!?!?!?!" followed by "This is the closest i've ever been to the fretless tone i hear in my head." So about 6 months later, I bought one. I don't practice fretless a whole lot, before playing out with it-i need to spend some major shed time with it.

ALL of my basses have Schaller Straplocks on them. I've got 2 straps that have the locks on them, and then I buy the individual buttons [the part that goes on the bass] from Stew Mac & All Parts. Much cheaper to spend $3 per set for just the buttons & screws, than spending $20+ a set on a complete unit. I don't need to have 10 sets of locks when I only have 2 straps.

enjoy the evening.

Gear Part 2-Chicago Amp + Misc Amp stuff

2008-06-29T20:14:00.003-05:00

Gear Part 2-Chicago Amp

Yeah, i'm saying Amp instead of Amps. My amp setup up here is far different. Namely, it is actually portable & lighter.

Before moving up here, I contacted the person I would be studying with in the fall-Scott Mason & asked for an amp recommendation. He told me that the bulk of the guys up here either used a GK Microbass or an SWR WorkingMan's 12. I bought the WM12 because it was much cheaper & I had a higher opinion of SWR at the time.

The quick info on the SWR is: 120 watts through an internal 12 [8ohms]. 50 pounds, rear port. It's got a nice sound & is extremely transparent-that's what SWR is known for. I've enjoyed having it-sadly, the units at school suffer from inputs that love to go bad/get loose wires. I cite them being used heavily as the prime cause. Mine, has held up quite nicely. I have it attached to a luggage cart & it has seen many miles here in Chicago. I still get peculiar looks when I bring it on the L. The SWR sounds good with electric & good with upright. It's a nice all around amp that i'm planning on holding onto for the rest of my playing days.

Eventually-when money permits [so a few years], I'd like to get an Epifani UL110 & an Acoustic Image Focus. That would be an extremely light & extremely powerful setup. For doubling & theater gigs-i'm thinking of adding a Radial Tone Bone Bass Bone. The Radial is a 2 channel stomp box preamp that also functions as an ABY box.

Misc Amp Gear

I also use Monster Instrument Cables-i like the warranty & i've only ever used it once. The idea of paying $50 for a cable once & then not having to buy it again is great.

I use a Morley ABY box-it's great for setting up 2 basses when I double. I dig how if I ever wanted to run 2 amps, i could use it for that too. Probably won't ever need that though.

Next post will be about my basses.

Gear Part 1-Lafayette Amps

2008-06-28T22:09:00.005-05:00

Gear Part 1 my amps in Lafayette/used in high school!

Ok, this is where I start to have fun & give some insight about why I play what I do & the various setups. My gear needs & wants have changed quite drastically since I lived in Lafayette & was in high school. Ok, my AMP needs have changed drastically, bass needs-not so much. So to start things off let's look at my amps.

Amps-Lafayette
In high school, I was playing with very large ensembles in even larger venues. 126 Piece Marching band in the RCA Dome? Check, 126 Piece Marching Band in Class A [or AAAA for sports] Foot Ball Stadiums? Check. Show Choirs in Gyms? More than i remember, Show Band in our Gym? Yeah.

The places that I played in high school, it was great to have a ton of power & weight wasn't much of an issue. My gear reflected that & my mentality of want the biggest amp i could, that had the most power, for the least amount of money. I've heard the phrasing & i've used it a lot myself-you can pick 2/3-High Power, Light Weight, Low Price. For high school-i chose low price & high power.

The gear itself

Poweramp
At the core of my amp system [yes, system!] was a Carvin DCM2000 Power Amp. It was just over $500. The specs of it are 2000 watts @ 4 ohms bridged, 1500 watts @ 8 ohms bridged, or in stereo [2 channels] 1000/1000 @ 2 ohms, 700/700 @ 4ohms, 425/425 @ 8ohms. On occasion, i ran it bridged into either 2 or 2.6 ohms despite how it is NOT rated to do that. It got heller loud, but ran quite warm-no thermal shutdowns though. The good-lots of power, lot of connectivity options [1/4, speakon, & banana plug outs, XLR & 1/4 ins], and low price [like i said $500 or so]. The bad-it weighed 40 pounds & was 3 rack spaces. Tis a big one. However, I had more than enough power to play anywhere. Ever. My senior year of marching band, we ran a PA off of 1 side of the amp & my bass rig off of the other. Rarely ran either past half power. PA = 2 mains plus a monitor.

Preamps
Preamps are where I did a bit of experimentation. I started off with a SansAmp RBI. The RBI was the right price [$300ish] & can get a wide variety of sounds. Also-lots of ins & out options. Having XLR & 1/4 outs was quite nice-add on the XLR had an independent level control & the option of straight bass tone, affected, or both? It was heaven for live settings & recording sessions. I've kept it. I liked it enough that when a SansAmp RPM came around used-i bought it too. Once again, same price point, & positives of the RBI but with a different voicing & gain structure. When i ran both, i used the RBI for electric bass & the RPM for double bass. Eventually, I started to just use the RPM if it wasn't a doubling gig. Here in Chicago-i brought the RPM up & have used it w/back line equipment & as a DI in the studio. It kills.

The preamps that I didn't keep....
BBE BassMax T. Yeah-so i sold the 1 tube preamp I've ever had. I didn't like how the controls were setup [based off of the Fender & Alembic preamps where 12 oclock isn't flat....]. Also, the tone wasn't what I am looking for. I'm sure that I could get a great sound out of it, but I don't like to work that hard-if i can't plug & play, probably not for me. So I sold it.

Line 6 Bass POD Pro w/floor board. I enjoyed messing around with the effects on it, but just could never get used to it as a preamp or as a studio DI. I felt like i used the Wah & Synth Bass effects more than the rest of the unit & i only used those to mess around. I feel like the RPM & RBI get better sounds for DI & live. So i sold it.

Cabs
I found a brand that I liked [and could afford] & bought many. The brand was Avatar . I started off with their B115H. It was a 1X15 cab w/horn [hince 115 H]. Nice cab, great all around sound. I then added a B210H [2X10 w/horn]. Those 2 paired together were nice & the 2X10 was nice for 'smaller' places-smaller footprint when it was turned on end. I didn't care much for the 2X10 on it's own. B212!!! We have a winner. 75 pounds, 4 ohms, and killer tone. Once i got the 2X12, i rarely plugged in the others. It had enough lows where you could feel the bass, but with enough highs were I was never muddy. The only time that I ever ran all 3 cabs together was for Show Band & even then i typically just ran 1 and used the other as dummy cabs [yes, classic rock trick].

The 1X15 now has a different speaker & the 2X10 was sold when i first left for college. I'm keeping the 2X12 indefinitely. It's living in the basement at my Mom's house. I doubt i'll ever need it & even if i do, i can't really get it up here. BUT-i like the sound & eventually, i'll bring it up here even if i use it as a coffee table/book shelf thing.

I'm glad that I've played through all of that gear, but with the exception of the RPM, once i moved to Chicago-my needs changed quite drastically. Went from bigger louder cheaper to smaller, powerful, and.....expensive.

WELCOME

2008-06-25T21:11:00.002-05:00

Greetings Ladies & Gents,

This is the start of my brand new blog! I feel that with the recent increase of gigs and massive amounts of change going on in my life-it's time to have an actual blog vs. the one on my Myspace.com page. I cite my cousin Chris & Uncle Jim plus Monday Night New Voices Chicago for unknowingly influencing me to start this.

This will be the place where I discuss up & coming gigs, my thoughts on bass playing/music, in addition to what I am considering gear wise. You may even get to hear about the books that I am reading as they pertain to life & music. As many of you know, I am a gear Junkie that is always trying to refine my sound & setup. However, the more I learn about playing bass-the less the gear matters. Yeah, I still suffer from GAS [gear acquisition syndrome], but I'm happy with what i've got for the most part.

Gig wise, if you have ever wondered "Who is David Wycoco?" or "What is Shout Section & Why should I care?" This will be a good place for you to read. I am quite early in my musical journey, but by checking this out-you will have a clue what road marker I'm near.

My other web pages:
www.CamMcIntyre.com is still my Internet home. I'm currently revamping it & am trying to figure out how I can use Microsoft Publisher with my Yahoo hosting package-I've got a page that looks killer in there, but I'm having issues when it comes to uploading it.

www.myspace.com/CamMcIntyreBass does the last part of that link look familiar? It should. I use CamMcIntyreBass for anything that will be exclusively music related-hence, BASS. My myspace page is where I have my complete gig schedule, I even include some rehearsals & travel dates on there. I consider it the online version of my planner.

I am also on Facebook! However, that page is by & large my personal page-not my primary networking tool. Why? Because I'm still a 22 year old.

I do not release my personal information to random people because despite how I like being easy to get ahold of for gigs...too much ease & it puts my privacy into jeopardy. Shoot me an email [email address complete w/NO SPAM filter is on my home page].