Getting A Good Ska Sound
If you're going to play ska, it's important to do it right to help deliver the trademark propulsive, driving beat of this music. Authentic ska guitar is extremely rhythmic and percussive. Most parts are played with upstrokes on the "and" of the two and the "and" of the four with a bright, sharp tone that cuts through the mix and works in concert with the snare. A lot of ska guitar players use a guitar with single-coil pickups and a high-headroom tube amp to get their sound, sometimes with just a little overdrive dialed in. To get the same sound with a guitar with humbuckers you can either install a coil tap, or turn the tone all the way up on your guitar and roll down the bass on your amp.

Use Duct Tape To Improve Your Grip
No drummer should ever be without his or her duct tape. This incredibly stick, tough gray tape is not only useful for emergency repairs, it can also provide a better grip on your sticks. Peel off a short amount of duct tape and roll it into a ball, sticky side out, then roll it around in your hands. Toss the ball of tape, and the tacky coating left on your hands will help you grip your sticks in the heat of battle. Just remember to wash your hands after playing.

About Microphone Preamps
Microphones comein many flavors with some capable of capturing the performance precisely as it happens while others add specific tonal characteristics. So too do mic preamps. Look at it this way: If you were a painter, then your recorder would be your canvas while your mics and mic pres are the brush and palette, respectively.

What is a Double Bass?
A double bass is simply, an upright bass. The name “double bass” refers to its name in classical music history. In the early days of the orchestra, the Violoncello ('cello) was the “bass” instrument. The upright bass doubled the notes of the cello section down an octave, hence the name “Double Bass.”
When the electric bass was invented, the double bass was often called the “upright” bass to make a distinction. Electric basses are played transversely; the double bass is played in an upright position.
Over the years the double bass has gained a few silly nicknames like “the dog house,” “bass fiddle,” “bull fiddle,” and “the bass-ment,” just to name a few. The most common names now used for the instrument are “Double Bass,” “Upright Bass,” and “Acoustic Bass.” To make a distinction from the upright bass and an acoustic bass guitar, “acoustic bass” usually means, upright; “acoustic bass guitar” means an acoustic bass played in a transverse (guitar) position.