108 Days of Practice: 10 Weeks In...

Excuses, excuses...

As I've written about before, it's been really tough to practice on a daily basis and there have been spells of non-practice.  

Such as it was during the last few weeks.  We are in the middle of a remodeling project on our home, and it has consumed most of my time.

The time I did spend practicing were mostly in preparation for our Sunday morning worship the last few weekends.  Two weeks ago I took along my new G&L 5-string for its first time on stage.  Having used it in my practice sessions prior to that Sunday, I was feeling pretty comfortable with that additional string and significantly wider neck.  It turned out that I wasn't quite ready.  

A's become E's... practice, practice, practice

Being a visual learner, that 5th string kept tripping me up.  This problem was not about me actually looking at the fingerboard, rather I have a mental image of the fingerboard and that guides where my fingers rest.  There were several times I was thinking "A" (5th fret, E-string) but ended up playing the "E" on the B-string.  That disconnect between my brain and fingers continued throughout our set, but not enough to be a distraction.  It was however, enough for me to sideline the hotrod 5-string for a while longer-- just until I can reprogram my mental visualization to include separate "maps" for each type of bass.  

Sunday morning rehearsal with the Roadrunner

For last Sunday's worship set I used my Plum-Crazy G&L LB-100, which is a P-bass type four-string.  Having missed several days of practice-- including our weekday rehearsal due to the work on our house-- I was far less prepared than usual, so having a four-string that I'm comfortable on was exactly what I needed.  Unlike the week before, I could now focus my attention on making music and timing.  Now, I still enjoy my five-string-- I just need to spend a little more time with it before bringing it out again on Sunday morning.  

My Plum Crazy G&L Roadrunner

Last time I mentioned that Queen had been on my radio quite a bit lately, and that I wanted to add a few of their songs to my repertoire.  Because their 1980 classic "Dragon Attach" had been stuck in my head for days, I squeezed some practice time into my schedule to work on the song.  So far I have down the main riff and the baseline during the guitar solo.  The bass solo is very close to the main riff, so I'm not far from having it down.

Duck Dunn remains at the top of my practice routine.  Having the notes of Green Onions down, I have since been working on his approach to the song.  Listen to the recording, then the 1962 live version and you will notice there is more "bounce" to the live version.  That bounce is still there in the recording, but less noticeable.   There is also an interesting timing which I noticed missing in my playing, though I am getting better at it as I keep chipping away at the tune.

Moving forward with my 108 Days of Practice, I am going to try changing my approach a bit.  In a recent Q&A video with Jeff Kiesel (the first from Kiesel's new factory), Jeff mentions that  Greg Howe suggests practicing for shorter times, and more often, opposed to long practice sessions once or twice a week.  For example, 15-minutes in the morning, 15-minutes in the afternoon, and another 15-minutes in the evening.  By adopting this to those days where I am busier than normal, my hope is that I will be able to be more consistent with my daily practicing.  To find out if this approach works for me...

...stay tuned & in tune!

Gear Review: Kiesel Guitars Vanquish V49K

In late 2013/early 2014, Jeff Kiesel of Carvin Guitars (now Kiesel Guitars) released photos of a prototype instrument that would later become a production model called the, "Vanquish Bass" in April 2014.

Prototype Vanquish Bass

Fast forward two years; April 2016, I was finally in a position to place my order for my very own Vanquish-- a graduation gift from my loving wife as I was wrapping up my masters degree.  Happy day!!

Five-weeks later it arrived, thanks to my salesperson's special effort to get the instrument to me in time for graduation. 






Here are the specs I ordered:
- Light-weight ash body
- Antique ash treatment
- Satin/matt finish

- Aqua (non-burst) finish

- Matching headstock
- Maple neck

- Birdseye maple fingerboard
- Abalone dot inlays
- Luminlay side-dots

- Stainless steel frets
- Black Kiesel logo
- Dunlop Straplocks

- .45 Dunlop Strings
- Ultimate Soft Case

It was a beautiful day when the bass was derived by FedEx, so I decided to take the  shipping box outside for the official un-boxing.  

In the mid-day sun the bass first looked to have the requested aqua non-burst finish.  However, when I brought it inside the finish is clearly an aqua-burst.  During the 10-day trial I really struggled with the decision whether or not to send it back for a rebuild in the full aqua finish.  After spending time playing it, I realized I could not let this one go-- it really is an amazing instrument!

Sometimes color transitions in burst finishes are abrupt, which is not the case with this one; the colors seem to flow together seamlessly.  Underneath the aqua-burst is a treatment to the body wood Kiesel calls "Antique Ash Treatment."  Not to be confused with a distressed "relic" treatment such as those offered by Fender, it is a staining process that enhances the natural grain pattern which gives the wood grain an older ("antique") appearance. 

A few updates to the model were instituted between the time it was released and when mine was built-- the most obvious being the neck heal.  Its old four-bolt neck plate has been replaced by five countersunk bolts on a beveled neck heal-- much like Kiesel's new "Aries" model guitar.  This particular update included an official switch of the bass's Carvin designation to Kiesel; a move that has been fairly common in their catalog during the guitar companies transition back to its original name.  A non-visible update is the inclusion of dual carbon fiber reinforcing rods in the neck.  

2016 Master of Public Administration graduate!

Admiring the aqua-burst finish and grain pattern in the bass is one thing; playing the bass is another-- and this one is a joy to play.  Its light-weight ash body is just heavy enough to offset the neck so it balances very nicely when playing it resting on my leg.  On the strap it sits right where I set it without any neck-dive.  This feature alone is a welcome improvement over some of my other favorite basses.  Reading about the pickups radiused profile to match the 14" fingerboard at first seemed like just another marketing jingle.  However, these really do make finger-style playing more comfortable as each string sits an equal distance above the pickup.  It is a feature that I wish more pickup manufactures would use; you don't know what your missing until you play one with radiused pickups.

Tone report:

Birdseye maple with abalone 

Tone is such a subjective thing, I won't spend a lot of effort describing it.  Pickups are humbuckers and the electronics are 18-volt active.  It does include passive mode capability by pulling up on the volume knob.  Because I prefer to keep things simple, active basses never much appealed to me.  This bass again changed my perspective about active electronics.  Its preamp is very useable even for a simple guy like myself.  Other than the volume, each knob has a position detent that I really like on active basses.  

In action a week after delivery

Usually on basses with two pickups, I rarely (almost never) use the bridge pickup on its own.  This is the first bass with a bridge pickup I like on its own; it retains enough bottom end that I expect to hear from a bass along with added tremble that makes it sound unique from the neck pickup.  Together the pickups have the growl of a Jazz, with the wider fullness of humbuckers.  In cases where the neck pickup alone sounds too big, the blend knob actually works to balance things out-- this has become my favorite setting.  Another important thing about the pickups is that the volume level remains the same in both active and passive mode.  My only complaint with passive mode, is that the only controls that work are the volume and blend; treble & bass do not.  This is not a major concern for me since I really enjoy using the preamp on this one.  However, it's always nice having a passive option for emergencies (i.e. dead batteries).

Factory action setting

String action is fantastic! Kiesel is now using Dunlop "Super Bright" strings which I really liked.  Wanting to experiment with other strings, I installed a set of DR "Pure Blues."  Surprisingly the new strings required me to adjust the truss rod a bit.  Surprising because I did not expect there to be much difference in tension between the two sets.  While I enjoy the DRs, I will be installing another set of Dunlop's because they had such a great feel.  Both sets sounded great on the Vanquish.

Luminlay in different lighting conditions

Another new option that is a mere $30 upgrade is the Luminlay side-dots.  These are glow in the dark markers that look like average side dots at first glance, but they glow when exposed to sunlight, or light from a cellphone camera.  At first I thought these might be a distraction, but I wanted to leave my comfort zone with this order and thought this would be a fun option.  There was no need for concern because these things are great and far from distracting.  The Luminlay option is something that I will include in all my future orders-- I like them that much.

New case logo

The bass arrived in a newly updated G&G Tolex case with a new Kiesel logo under the handle.  Even though my order specified the Ultimate Soft Case, the more expensive Tolex case is really nice.  After a quick call to my Kiesel salesperson the soft case was on its way to me free of charge.  Customer service at Kiesel is outstanding.  

Now, after several months of playing the Vanquish I have really become spoiled; the satin-finish neck feels great in the hand, the action is really low and without buzzing, fit & finish is outstanding, and its tone-- soooo nice!  Kiesel's Ultimate Soft Case is also a great upgrade to the traditional Tolex case, and since I am very fond of soft cases I wanted to do a separate review of that, so...

...stay tuned & in tune! 

108 Days: Green Onions and Other Tasty Morsels

Song #1 in my "ode to Duck Dunn" study:

Booker T and the M.G.'s are responsible not only for their backing of popular artists such as  Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Albert King, and Wilson Pickett, but also for their own fantastic records.  Green Onions is one of the most popular R&B instrumentals ever.  

Duck Dunn actually had nothing to do with the writing of the song-- Lewie Sternberg was the original bassist.  However, Dunn was did play the song for many years along with his M.G.'s band mates.  And that is enough for me to include it in my studies.  Here is a great video of the band squeeing all they can from this 12-bar blues: 

Green Onions was the primary focus of my practice sessions for about a week.  By itself, it is pretty straight forward.  In its original record version the tune is a bit shorter-- short of 3-min, compared to the live version (above) at about 4:15. A different, more energetic vibe is present with the live version and as such it changes location of some accent notes.  It was helpful to first learn the recorded version, then with the foundation established learning the live version was much easier.  Again, it is a straight forward bass riff that repeats itself steadily during the course of the song-- and it is GREAT FUN to play!

My new practice space-- I now have a window!

When learning the tune I used the sunburst G&L SB1, though once I had it down I switched to my 5-string G&L JB.  Doing so was mainly to become more comfortable on the 5-string, and with a little tweaking of knobs on the bass and amp, I achieved a tone respectable enough for Green Onions.  

Because I am a visual learner, writing out tabs and notes for the song was a big help.  It also reminded me that learning to sight read music notation is something I need to include in my practice routine.  Tabs are great in conjunction with a recording, and a lot of practice, but music notation provides a visual account of the rhythm and duration of notes-- something I very much want to learn.  

The list of songs I want to dig into is long, and I keep adding to it; I think something from Otis Redding should be next in the queue-- perhaps "the Dock of the Bay... but then there are the Staple Singers, Sam & Dave...

...stay tuned & in tune!

Gear Update: Reunion Blues Continental & Aero Bass Cases

Sometime in 2015 one of my favorite soft cases received a few changes and updates.  Wanting to let folks know about the changes, and to address several questions I've received about the Reunion Blues Aero-- the time was right to do a few videos to cover the changes and updates.

For those interested, here are the original posts of each:

"Gig Bags that Rock! iGig & Reunion Blues"
Review of the RB Continental and iGig 525 (1 July 2015)

"Instrumental Protection for the Minimalist"
Review of the RB Aero case (1 Feb 2016)

Reunion Blues Continental Bass Case Model Updates:

Reunion Blues Aero Bass Case Update:

In the videos I mention using G&L basses and use them as a guide for the typical Jazz and Precision basses.  Knowing that the dimensions vary between manufactures-- and at times between specific instruments, here are the length dimensions of the basses mentioned (add approx. 1/4" for the strap button):

G&L JB4 = 46_1/4 inches (offset body: measured at furthest point)
G&L JB5 = 46_1/4" (offset body: measured at furthest point)
G&L SB1 = 45_3/4"
G&L LB100 = 45_3/4"
Music Man Stingray = 44_3/4"

Reunion Blues advertised internal length of each case:

- Aero = 47" (mine measured in at 46_1/2")
- Continental = 48.5" 
                   (my all black version measured 47_1/2")
                   (my blue trim version measured 47_3/4")

So there you have it.  Remember that the basses measurements are without the strap button, which will extend each by roughly 1/4"-- some of which will push into the bottom of the case, and give you a bit more room at the top, near the headstock.  

Changes to the Continental Bass Case have resulted in a fantastic case that is available at a lower price.  It is still a tick or two away from being perfect, with the iGig 525 being a close second-- it still remains my choice for a soft case.

Kiesel Guitars, the company formerly known as Carvin Guitars, have released their own soft case they have christened the "Ultimate Soft Case."  As fate would have it, one of their cases arrived at my door just a few months ago.  To learn what I think of it after spending some quality time together... 

...stay tuned & in tune!

Five Stringed Adventure: Long Live the Hot Rod!

Well this is news!

     My resistance to the B-strung world has ended.  What happened to provoke such a radical change of heart?  

     To celebrate completing grad school, my wife approved the purchase of a new bass, so I placed an order for a custom aqua-colored Kiesel Vanquish.  19 weeks and four failed order attempts later, I canceled it and asked for a refund, which processed on a Thursday.  The next day I discovered this photo on G&L's social media page: 

The photo was posted in July, and mentioned it was being shipped to the Bass Place in Peoria AZ.  Excited, I checked their website, only to discover it had been sold right away.  Next I learned that there may be one in stock at the G&L factory, so my favorite dealer said he'd check on it Monday morning.

Saturday, two days after canceling the order with Kiesel, I discovered an advertisement listed for a "Turquoise G&L JB5."  After checking the G&L photo against that in the advertisement, I learned that it was the very same bass!  Suspecting the bass at the factory was likely way out of my price range, I made the seller an offer and he accepted.  Result: five-string bass is now part of my repertoire.

Turquoise Metal Flake is a pretty bold color scheme-- why was I looking for something like that?  As a kid in the 1970s I was fascinated with hotrods, motorcycles and drums, all of which embraced bold metal flake colors and I was smitten.  It should be no surprise that my admiration of such things has only intensified with age.  And heck-- why should our drummers have all the fun?! 


Turquoise appealed to me because it is the same as my grad-school cohort's colors-- a teal, turquoise, version of blue/green. Again, I waited 19 weeks for Kiesel to build me a bass in the same color (what they call "aqua"), and when they failed to meet the challange I shifted my attention to other builders and returned to G&L.  It should be noted that Kiesel has recently announced that they will do metal flake finishes-- something they've resisted for many years, claiming "it gunks up our sprayers."  Their metal flake option adds an additional $600 to their basses, which prices their instrument out of my price range.  If I were to buy the G&L new, it would have cost about $1,700.  This is why I am so excited to find the exact bass I was looking for on the used market and within my budget.    

After a very quick trip from California, the bass arrived on a Wednesday afternoon.  Tuned up the strings, gave the bass a good inspection, and I spent the next hour or so in the music room getting used to having an additional string.

Overall, the JB5 is a traditional Jazz Bass, but with G&L's higher quality and premium materials.  This particular bass has an empress wood body, which really lightens the instrument-- just a hair over eight pounds. Pickup covers are a step above the typical covers found on most Jazz basses; these are made from a slightly textured satin-finished material that gives the bass a special feel and provides a comfortable spot to anchor my thumb.

Left: standard JB pickup. Right: JB5

Other than the neck being a little wider than normal, it seems a bit flatter as well (thickness of the neck from front to back).  Getting accustomed to the different neck and the additional string did not take long.

Some initial impressions of a 5-string: 

Being a visual guy, my brain recognizes the B as an E when playing at first.  Adjusting to the additional string has been easier the more I play. Some of those lower notes are fun to play, specifically the low D, but what I find more useful is being able to play the E at the fifth fret, and keeping my hand position in pretty much the same area of the neck.  

There is quite a bit of sympathetic resonance happening when playing around the fifth fret on strings other than the B. So while playing I can hear the B faintly sounding. Perhaps one of those fret-wrap things will help while I work on a right hand muting technique. 

String spacing seems slightly tighter than on my four-strings, so paying more attention to my right hand technique is important to avoid accidentally striking unintended nearby strings. 

On a four-string I typically anchor my right thumb on the pickups edge when playing the E, then on the E string when playing the A, and so on. I'm enjoying using the B as an anchor to play in different areas-- between the neck and the pickup, or between the two pickups for example.  This might change somewhat as I work on that muting technique mentioned earlier.

One week in, and playing on the JB-5 is becoming more comfortable with each practice session.  However, there is still something to say for the simplicity of a four-string-- such as the Kiesel Vanquish V49K, which I will review real soon.  Until then...

...stay tuned & in tune!