Last Updated March 6, Y2K

Don't give in to corporate hype! Think for yourself!

ENTRY 41: (01/19/00) Well, since the last update page was getting a bit text heavy I thought I'd start off with a new one. Latest news here is that I now own a five-string. Thanks to Dan Hall and a little wheeling and dealing it's all mine. Dan took my old Aria to it's new home in trade. I've been playing it for hours on end since Monday and loving every minute of it! Dan and I also struck a deal for a custom-built case for the Fernandes, I've seen Dan's cases and they are top quality, can't wait to get mine! (I am working on an endorsement!)

The Front Line Of My Aresenal, January, Y2K
Fernandes APB-4 (left) and Bentley Series 10 five-string
It's snowing like he** outside, might not have to go to work tomorrow, if not I am planning to do some searching around my collection for some bluesy material. Larry Roush and I are kicking around the idea of putting a blues act together, something complete with (at least for one show) a horn section and the whole works. This is something I could really enjoy! Remember, this is all just speculation at the present moment, but this idea is what I had in mind for Larry and I when I left the last group we were in together.

The thought for tonight: Being a good person and expecting to be treated fairly is akin to being a vegetarian and not expecting the hungry tigers to eat you.

ENTRY 42: (01/20/00) OK, hows about a tip that my buddy JC gave me recently? Go get yourself a pair of those cheap Chinese Relaxation Balls. These will not only loosen your hands up but they have the added side-effect of relaxing you all over. Since I got mine back out my hands have stayed almost pain-free! (OK, so make your cracks about me and my balls in the guestbook already!)

You can pick them up almost anywhere and usually for less than ten bucks, check E-bay if you can't find them at a store near you. I have been using mine about 20 minutes a day (ten each hand) and have had no troubles what-so-ever, and remember, I've been playing nothing but this new five-string and I've been playing almost exclusively without a pick.

Other good news is that Stu Hamm is going back into the studios with Frank Gambale and Steve Smith on Feb. 8th. and they will be recording a new album! I see lots of time in the woodshed in my future! More to come!

ENTRY 43: (01/23/00) More news about Mr. Hamm, his yellow fretless Kubicki Factor 4 fretless (pictured on "The Urge" cover) is up for sale on E-Bay. Anyone got a few grand they can loan me? Man, what an instrument to own! One thing he mentions in the ad is that a new Fender Urge fretless is on it's way, so that gives me another bass to lust after...Speaking of which I have my eye on another Fernandes.
      Played around with the five-string most of the day. Found myself running through a mini-catalog of Hendrix material, perhaps my subconcious at work? I still need to tweak the bass so it feels how I like them to, might give Larry a call and see if he can come over on Monday with his allen wrenches, he did a hell of a job on the Aria for me. The weather continues to really suck, so I may be trying to occupy my time with rebuilding "The Mongrel".

ENTRY 44: (01/29/00) not much new, still adjusting to the five-string. I can't wait to hear it through a large amp. Thus far all I've played it through is my little practice amp or a headphone amp. Tweaked the Bentley the other night, still could use a little more tweaking, but they never quite are perfect, huh? I think I'm going to wait and see what I can do with a new set of strings on her before I go any further.

A few of you have asked the gauge strings I use. This depends on the brand but it pretty much runs .040, .055, .065, .095 and I guess I'll be putting a 1.15 on the top of the Bentley. For most manufacturers this is considered a light gauge set. Brandwise I prefer GHS Boomers or Washburn Slicks roundwounds of course.

Still trying to decide what I am going to do with "The Mongrel." I might cut a deal with Dan Hall to convert it over to fretless, but then again I keep changing my mind every few hours on that. Who knows...

Tonight's thought: Conceal a flaw and the world will imagine the worst.

ENTRY 45: (02/01/00) Well, it looks like the weather has cleared up and things might be back on schedule with rehearsals. I'm looking forward to hearing the five-string through my Crate. Spent two hours or so working up some material from David & David "Boomtown" and Bowie's "Earthling" plus I refreshed my memory on some stuff from the songlist. Swapped e-mails wth Dan Hall today and my case is in the works as we speak, can't wait to get it!

Finally have a copy of Stu Hamm's "Radio Free Albemuth" coming, so that will probably occupy me for a while. Speaking of Stu, his yellow Kubicki sold for $2,500 bucks. Whoever got it better treat it well!

I will try to get more pics at rehearsals tomorrow night and will update this as soon as I can. We're still trying to pick a name for the group, have it narrowed down to about 20 or so ideas.

On the brighter side a big CONGRATS goes out to my buddy Chip.
(WAY TO GO BUD!!!!)
CHIP's DA MAN!!!!!!!

ENTRY 46: (02/02/00) Had an excellent rehearsal tonight. The five-string sounded good through my Crate and we ran through alot of the newer material we've been working on. Hope the weather lets up enough to let us do this again soon! I got in a rush and forgot to bring my digital camera, but I will pack it days before hand next time!

Still undecided about the band's name so far.

Tonight's thought: ... Just under the crown of the arch dangled a pair of feet.
Slowly, very slowly, like two unhurried compass needles, the feet turned towards the right; north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-south-west; then paused, and after a few seconds, turned as unhurriedly back towards the left. South-south-west, south, south-east, east....
-Aldous Huxley, "Brave New World" 1932

ENTRY 47: (02/13/00) Somehow two updates were lost from this page, so allow me to catch you up on a few things... We had another productive rehearsal on the 9th. that was capped off with the news that we may be up for the opening slot on a high profile gig sometime in June. We neded something to shoot for and this could very well be it! Keep checking in for more news about this gig...

In the time since that rehearsal I have been practicing some stuff from a recently rediscovered notebook of mine containing exercises I wrote down during my early days as a bassist. I have also been splitting my time equally between the four and five-string just to keep things interesting.

We're rehearsing again tonight, so expect another update soon! New pics are in the works as well!

I have added a new section called "Get A Load of This", a collection of quotes so good they have to be shared with the masses. Check it out!

ENTRY 48: (02/14/00) Another excellent rehearsal last night, worked up several new songs that may be added to the list and tightened up some others that were a bit ragged in places. About half way there as far as number of songs...

ENTRY 49: (02/19/00) Added a new set of pics from rehearsals today, they can be found by Clicking Here. Rehearsals tomorrow, more afterwards..

ENTRY 50: (02/20/00) Had to cancel due to flooding in the area, hope to reschedule for later this week. In the meantime I've been working on several new exercises and working up some new material that we may be doing.

In the meantime, Mimi has posted a picture of me and Caiti on her website, Bunny Bass. To see the pic, Click Here. Thanks Mimi. Folks, this is a pretty cool site with some awesome pics of some high end basses and Mimi seems to be a real sweetheart. It's a really nice change from all of the overly serious bass-related sites on the net. Tell her Syd sent 'ya!

ENTRY 51: (02/24/00) The votes are in and the winner in the MISS NOOSE 2000 CONTEST is pictured at left.Her name is Miss Woo and when asked to comment she said "Me love you long time...." Her hobbies include test-driving tanks and making men worship at her very feet before she runs them down with her favorite Sherman.

ENTRY 52: (03/03/00) Rehearsals on the 27th. went fairly well, worked more on some new material. Came home and saw what is perhaps the stupidest thing I have ever witnessed in my life, and perhaps it is the greatest example of how far we, as a race, have declined.

What I am speaking of is the Hyundai commercial that features the crowd-surfing car. By itself it is an amusing commercial, but watch it closely folks, it actually says at the bottom of the screen:

"ALWAYS DRIVE ON ROADS, NOT ON PEOPLE"

At first I laughed, then I thought about it for a minute and realized there is a reason such disclaimers are made, the fear some idiot may try to do it...then when he killed someone he would blame that commercial.

Where is Mark Muthersbaugh?(sp?) The devolution is here!

ENTRY 53: (03/04/00) Subtitled: "Syd Rant Number 2"

Well, sit back and let me tell you about my day... A few days ago Nancy and I read about the Huntington Museum of Art, in Huntington, WV, hosting the photo exhibit "Linda McCartney's Sixties". We decided it would be a nice change of pace to drive down and see it. So, this afternoon, we did.

Before I continue let me tell you that our last visit to the Museum was quite enjoyable and I actually got to see a Durer print, which made my whole week. This trip, however wound up being quite the opposite.

First of all we went into to check out one of the permanent displays, a collection of antique firearms and weapons. I wanted to get a few good shots of the crossbow they had there because someday I'd like to have a similar one made. I took a pic of it with my digital camera (no flash, mind you,) then a second just to be sure. I then took a shot of two muskets, thinking a few friends of mine might get a kick out of them. I was swooped down upon by an employee in a blue suit jacket telling me that they didn't allow photos to be taken in the galleries. I nodded my head, put my camera in the case and hurried away.

Afterward I got to thinking about this policy. Now, I realize that the exposure to such intense light as a flash unit is damaging to artworks, I'm an artist. However, I was not using a flash and I was taking a photo of a firearm. Furthermore, there is not a sign posted anywhere that states this policy and, during past visits I had taken a number of photos without anyone saying a word.

We next went into the McCartney exhibit. Now, in the newspaper there was a photograph of a woman in tears because she was so moved by what she saw... Too bad the photgrapher wasn't there when I was; the photo would have been more appropriate. I was never so sick of seeing pictures of the Beatles in my life! We're talking a good half of the exhibit here, I actually expected to see a picture of Ringo taking an out of tempo dump!

Even worse were the crowds who flocked around every photo of the 'Fab Four', as if the photographs would actually empart to them the reasons the group disbanded or maybe even break out into "Strawberry Fields." I saw people there who were gazing at these photographs with the same disconnected, almost beautific, expressions on their faces that one might witness during voodoo ceremonies. We both found that even more amazing than the exhibit itself.

The photographs themselves were good, of course, the photographer was the child of the Eastmans,of Kodak fame, for God's sake. To be honest though, I believe more were there to look because of the subject matter than the skills of Mrs. McCartney as a shutterbug. There were several images of Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, oh yeah and several from her last shows (in the 90's), which had nothing to do with the exhibit's theme what so ever.

Nancy and I made our way out of the exhibit and looked at one another dumbfounded. We didn't feel moved, or even informed about the era, we didn't feel anything actually, not even a sense of nostaglia for an era that spawned alot of great music, only a potion of which the Beatles created. (OK, send your hate mail, I said it, OK?!)

Incidentally, I wonder if the little schmuck that told me I couldn't take pictures would've said the same thing to the reporter whose photograph appeared in the paper? Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

Oh, and by the way, I'm posting the photos I took, just to show you that 1.) the flash was not on, and 2.) cause I know it would pi** them off.Click Here To see them.

Rehearsals tomorrow, more to come!

ENTRY 54: (03/06/00) Another good rehearsal, though we got started a little late.Worked on damned near everything on the list, and I must say it is nice to rehearse with a band and get something accomplished. The Purple Heart with Tuning Machine Clusters goes to Roger "Mortis" Durst for going above and beyond the call of duty. (See the pic below and note the bandaid!)

Also, the Oscar for "Best Keith Richards Pose By a Guitarist Tonight" goes to....(drum roll)...Larry Roush! The winner in "Looking Like I'm paying attention But I Just Missed The Cue Award" Goes to.......(drum roll)...Bob "Buck" Perry!

Thought for tonight: "How can you defeat that which finds nourishment in your attack?"
--Pascal Riopel, 2000

Joke(?) for tonight:"Did you hear about the bassist who was so out of tune the guitarist actually noticed it? "

Updates Numbers 1 through 40