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This irrational dislike of Markbass based on the look is not shared by most bass players, 99% of bands and 100% of audiences.

Manchester...erm, mid-80s... Our drummer (in an originals-with-the-odd-cover 80s Rock Band) was about to become a Dad, and had reluctantly decided he'd have to shelve the rehearsals and gigging for a good while, so he'd stepped down, and we were on the urgent look-out for a replacement. As a thoroughly nice chap, and knowing we had gigs booked we needed to fulfil, he had even left his kit at the rehearsal rooms for new drummers to use, in part or whole, for the auditions. We organised a Sunday afternoon, with an hour slot for each drummer we'd contacted, and it started unremarkably, but then, second to last, was the standout. And not in a good way. He turned up in a six-wheel Transit, immediately earning about a thousand bonus points, but it became terribly clear that all this thing held was his kit...and there was little room for anything else. After refusing to use of any of the already-set-up kit, he began ferrying kit in. And more kit. And more kit. After ten minutes of watching boxes piling up, and with his end of the rehearsal room beginning to look like the dockside of the Queen Mary before a round the world jaunt, we volunteered to help, and then we all spent the next 45 minutes setting up a furry tigerskin-covered double-kick kit, with six raised toms, three floor toms, eight rototoms and so many cymbals we couldn't see him any more. As he tightened up the third china cymbal, I said "No gong, then?", and he froze, looking concerned. "I didn't bring it...should I have done?" I assured him it wouldn't count against him, and eventually, with about five minutes left of his allotted hour, he was ready. The singist had been forced to nip outside to intercept the last auditionee, apologise and ask him to bear with and go for a pint in the local for twenty minutes, and then our hero launched into the first intro, to a then-bog-standard Bon Jovi tune we'd decided would make a good starter audition song. Now, in 35 years of bands, I've never played in a freeform jazz ensemble, and I certainly hadn't back then, so I was unfamiliar with the five-count intro, and the thirteen-bar drum fill*, but this chap was clearly a master. We couldn't possibly fault him for brio, enthusiasm, and certainly energy...it was his counting which left quite a lot to be desired**. In addition, having taken so long to set up his mahoooosive kit, he was determined to hit every single drum and cymbal as often as he could, with scant regard for the song, or indeed the befuddlement he was creating amongst his prospective fellow band-members. I shall leave to your imagination the meal he made of the drawn-out ending, suffice to say Richard Wagner, had he been hanging around the rehearsal rooms (unlikely) and not dead for about a century (for once, fortunate), would probably have shaken his head and said something unflattering about bombast. In German. He finished by standing, his arms aloft and his eyes shining. Had that thing Usain Bolt does (not the running, the archery-arms thing) been around, he would have been doing that. We shuffled our feet, unable to maintain eye contact with him or each other, for fear of collapsing into hysterics. Eventually the singer thanked him for his time, and we all heaved-to loading his van again, while the singer went to buy the other auditionee another pint. He didn't get the job. * I'm probably doing an enormous disservice to freeform jazz ensembles around the globe here, so apologies if so, but I'm at a loss as to where else to place it musically. Perhaps amongst those gangs of glassy-eyed, saffron-robed enthusiasts one encounters on the city streets, each banging a drum in a random manner with a blissful expression and no regard for hard-pressed shoppers... ** I note that 'dyscalcula' is the numerical equivalent of dyselxia, and apparently A Real Medical Thing. It may have been that he was a secret sufferer; that would explain an awful lot. Edit: I've just spotted that I've spelt 'dyslexia' wrong in the footnote above. Oh, the irony...

We're called The Cheeze We play 60s & 70 pop, rock and prog mainly Every Christmas we have a band curry where we discuss what to rename the band. Every year after a load of silly and non-PC suggestions washed down with several pints, we come to the conclusion that we are too well established to change. However it is a name that is remembered. We also get a fair bit of "they can't possibility advertise that they play cheesey music, so they must be good" effect

The best advice I've heard on auditions was from Juan Alderete and it's something that seemed obvious to me, but apparently not obvious to a lot of people who've tried out for bands I've been in: If there is a recording of the song - album, demo, live tape, youtube, whatever - learn the part as it was recorded by the old guy, irrespective of what the band say about your artistic freedom. You can change it later if you get the job and you're more likely to get the job if everyone is hearing what they recognise as being right.

Keep it, you`ve got a Mexican Wall before Trump gets his

So I took a trade I didn’t really want, but it was for a Basschatter who I consider a mate and it was a fair deal and he wanted my bass more than I did so went ahead. He offered a Roger Waters Precision in great nick and all the bits. It sat in my car overnight, such was the way - I’ve got a new daughter who’s been in hospital since she was born on the 4th April. I came home and plugged it in. Christ it’s lovely. So what do I do? I wasn’t selling to raise funds, I don’t “need” it. But the neck is very similar to my old MIM 50’s which I enjoyed...and it plays really well. I thought I liked skinny necks?! The black/Black/Black/chrome thing doesn’t work for me...so it’d have to see a few new bits to stay. The Bitsa I was debating keeping definitely has to go if this stays...

Prob just someone saying what s legend you are

I keep trying to start an INXS tribute band named Stranglew4nk, some right weirdos come to audition

I have a gen 2 2i4 and love it. Working via a Mac and Logic Pro X. No issues at all

^ 'chocolate starfish' - nice one, profanity filter!

I had a band called Not the Hoople once. We did two gigs. We were not a Mott the Hoople tribute, it was a silly joke name because one of the local bars had tribute acts with really lazy names that may as well have been "not Queen" and so on. We were an acoustic duo. We did have a Mott the Hoople fan arrive who thanked us at half time before leaving saying "it's good but not what I was expecting". To be fair, it wasn't even good.

So the moral of this seems to be "Buy but don't sell.." Well, that's what I'm sticking to then!!

I've used Jacks Instrument Services in Manchester for the occasional oddity. He's pretty good imho.

At which point you whip out your smartphone, plug it into the PA in the rehearsal room, play them the original to prove that you're right and they're wrong ... and end up wondering why you didn't get the gig.

My KZ ZS10s arrived this morning They take quite a bit more energy to drive than M6 Pro's but they definitely have more separation and clarity, and sound bloody great, but a replacement for 64Audio, UE, JH, etc they are absolutely not! I was expecting more low end, sub and low mid... However, they were £33!! For spare Generics (for deps, etc) I'll probably stick with carrying some M6's, but for myself, I will happily use the ZS10s until I can afford to get customs done... Has anyone else pulled the trigger yet? Would be interested in your thoughts!

Chrome bridge and knobs. And swap the scratchplate - still for a black one, but with the Black / White / Black construction so you get the outline. Would be perfect then.

Sadowsky are certainly entering a fairly crowded area at that price point, especially if you open that up to what you can get secondhand for that kind of money. The Sadowsky is a very different beast to the American original Fender and I would be as bold as to say that as good as Sandberg are, the Sadowsky name carries a bit more weight and pedigree for a lot of bass players. I would be very surprised if there is a noticeable difference in sound between the Metros and the new Express models. There may be some noticeable differences in fretwork and feel of the neck but I would go out on a limb and say it won’t be worth the approx £700 difference between models. So where is the appeal in the existing Metro range? I guess the same appeal that makes folks buy any variety of expensive instrument, because they have the money and are happy to spend that much. Also there is a certain level of exclusivity attached to it and a certain level of romanticism that the Metros are crafted in small batches by fine craftsmen in japan and not made in some generic factory that churns out models for almost every other guitar and bass company out there. It will be really interesting to see the first lot of real world reviews come in.

Huis Clos - un drame de JP Sartre (Scène: une chambre en enfer. Entrez John et Henry). John: Regarde! Une guitare basse qui intègre des fonctionnalités de marque déposées par Rickenbacker! Où est mon avocat? Je veux menacer quelqu'un! (Henry inspecte la basse) Henry: Est-il possible de fabriquer cette guitare basse mais beaucoup plus bon marché? Et de le fournir dans une couleur que personne ne veut? Avec des potentiomètres qui ne fonctionnent pas parce qu'ils n'ont pas été soudés correctement? Les deux ensemble: L'enfer c'est les autres! Fin

It sounded great thanks, I played it for an hour and am really pleased. I fixed the output jack (just needed the contact bending in a bit). A pleasure to play such a light bass, my dodgy shoulder is very happy. My fingertips are sore though, not used to those 105s! The band liked it too, so once I’ve fine tuned the set up I’ll take it to a gig. Here it is tonight alongside my number one, and the studio’s house amp.

Or a chrome bridge and knobs. The “all black” look is a bit too rawk for me...

Keep it, but get some black tuners on it

And finally, it lives!! (Minus some knobs, I need to order those...) I set it up well, and I now have a low action and good intonation. It’s very, very light and is obviously quite neck heavy. But the strap I’m using is really grippy so it’s not really a problem. The Wilkinson pickups are a revelation; for twenty quid they’re incredible - all the thud you’d expect and really punchy, but if you turn the mids up on the amp it gets honky, almost Jazz bridge pickup like. I’ll definitely use them again. Brilliant. The only issue is that the output jack is intermittently cutting out, there must be something not connecting properly so it needs sorting before I gig it, but I’m going to give it a go at band rehearsal tonight and see how I get on with it. I’m really pleased with it. There are things I’d do differently next time, but that’s all part of learning isn’t it? I’ve leaned a lot, surprised myself and really enjoyed putting this bass together. I wonder what’s next?

'Oh, it's a lot harder than it looks says guitarist'

Forum rules don't allow rickenbackers in the bc marketplace because the bods at rickenbacker are a bit mad.

But just remember they are more scared of you than you are of them!!

+1

The results of the PSM200 don't surprise me. That thing should never have got to market. Tips wise, give spin fits a whirl - they last longer than the comply tips - and don't disintegrate!

A most learned seller obviously...

Discussion ongoing here: R&M's coverage was a bit haphazard as neither is a guitarist/bassist. They made the point that Gibson targeted wealthy collectors - doctors and lawyers, rather than the player at the gig...

That’s not bad at all is it a great looking, playable bass for just over £200 who needs the big brand labels!! Can’t wait to see what the next build is gonna be!!

I'm not sure of best advice here, but I would personally be speaking with eBay or PayPal to make sure you are covered if there is any doubt. I had similar thoughts to you, but ignored them. Won't make that mistake again!

MB1. Mustard! Another Great Transaction with Andy (who has been rather busy with other more important issues....Thanks for making the time!) Hope Iris is OK! Totally Hasslehoff free transaction and always a pleasure! Buy Sell Trade with confidence!..."The Guys a Good un!" All The Best to you and yours! and again... Many Thanks! Martin

And that's why everybody is deaf. Screw rock and roll, I say. Let the dinosaurs have that mind numblingly bad mix and non stop ringing in their ears - Cos that's dead cool. Why on earth anybody would want to go to a gig where they could hear anything portrayed in a balanced mix is beyond me. Theres a reason why the dinosaurs became extinct. I never understand why people don't embrace knowledge and technology.

You do need to trick it out with a drop-D tuner, though! :-)

You thought you liked skinny necks - and maybe as a general rule, you do However, it seems to me, that just now & again, when you pick a bass up it just feels "right" - even if it doesn't fit your usual requirements Perhaps it's just the feel of the neck? Maybe it's the radius? Perhaps it's just well set-up? Perhaps it's all of these things? From your post, it seems that you are reluctant to move this bass on, because it has been a pleasant surprise I think if you did sell it on, you may well end up regretting it! There is one bass I wish I'd never moved on, and I'm really regretting it now I'd say, keep this bass - even if it's just for a while. Play it, play it as much as you can, and in a few weeks you will probably know the answer to your own question Sell something else if you make up your mind to keep this one..... but giving it a fair crack of the whip, means you are making a more informed decision, either way Look at it this way, it's actually a "nice problem" to have, one bass too many, and no immediate financial pressure to sell. Let us know what you decide. Perhaps a few of us need to leave our new basses in the car overnight? More importantly though - congratulations, and I hope your new baby daughter is ok

Or, swap the tuners to black, leave the bridge and knobs but swap the scratchplate for a white pearl one. I liked that look on Newsted's jazz bass.

@Dan Dare Are we thinking about the same Gibson ? Word is morale in the Gibson factories was so bad that workers were sending out any old rubbish as an "FU" to the company. "don't have to abide by any workplace or materials regulations," Take it you forgot about the raid and fine over illegal timber. " They should go back to making things that are special/desirable " Aye,they should follow Fender's lead and start selling similar stuff to this

Drinking on the job, something I don't do and frown on. However, Musicians are going to drink, a battle I don't want to take on. Blue

😍 Wow. That looks great! I got to play a BBP35 a few days ago, reeeaaally liked it.

Good. I hope a sustainable, simplified quality conscious Gibson emerges from the ashes.

MarkBass through a barefaced cab is a winning combination

I used to play in a honky tonk/western swing band in the 1980s. We worked regularly - forces bases, functions, festivals, etc. Fiddle was my main instrument at the time, but we had an excellent fiddle player on board who was also a pal, so I played bass in the band. Said fiddle player got a good offer of work and left, so we decided I'd switch to the fiddle and we'd find a bass player. This did not work out - a succession of mainly pop/rock players auditioned and although some were good, they were out of sympathy with the music (didn't swing and played too many notes), so we opted for Plan B - find another fiddle player. It was decided that I'd field calls/replies, invite applicants to my place to check them out/play through a few things and arrange a full band meet with anyone who showed promise (this was pre-internet days, so no YouTube demos, etc). One character (who assured me he played in the style we were looking for when he phoned) turned up at my door. He was from Scandinavia and had a very intense, unsmiling manner. Introductions over, I got out my guitar and invited him to play something, suggesting we start with something simple as a warm-up. He fixed me with a stare and announced, "I shall play you something I wrote" and launched into a scratchy, frantic flurry of notes that seemed initially to be based on "The Devil's Dream" (an old-time fiddle tune), although the B part went all over the place. The tempo varied wildly. I stopped him and said "That sounds like the Devil's Dream", at which he glared at me and said, "No. I wrote that piece". He was obviously a folk fiddler (and a ropey one, at that), so I explained that we were looking for someone who played in the western swing/honky tonk style, at which he asked "Vot is honky tonk?" Life was too short to explain or play him examples from my record collection, so I suggested that he was not familiar enough with the idiom and thanked him for coming. He glared at me, informed me, "I am not satisfied vith your explanation" and remained sitting in his (my) chair. I decided that it would be best not to physically eject him and risk damaging my furniture or belongings, so I took out my fiddle and played him a brief example of what we were looking for. I also gave him a few bars of "The Devil's Dream" just to make the point. As politely as I could, I and informed him that he was in my home and that if I asked him to leave, he would do so. He gave me a terrible look and packed his instrument away. On speaking about the incident later with a friend, I learned that he had been answering ad's all over town and behaving similarly. How do wallies like him imagine they will fool anyone?

Just a reminder - here's its cousin!

Finished!! Well not quite, I haven’t installed the electrics or wired it up yet, but everything is together now and it’s looking awesome! I’ll replace the temporary strap buttons with Schaller strap locks, put on the string retainer and the tug bar once it’s strung. It’s the lightest Precision bass (or any bass for that matter) I’ve ever played. At just 6.5 lb it’s 3 whole lb lighter than my Fender Jazz, my shoulder says ‘yay!’ Looking forward to getting some flatwounds on it and seeing how it sounds!! Very pleased 🍊

There was a very interesting conversation on the recent Tone Talks podcast with John Suhr where they discuss the cost of making instruments in America, and how a lot of Americans talk about how much they want stuff to be made in America, but then balk at how much they’d have to pay for it. I think he mentioned how PRS would be in trouble if it weren’t for their SE series, etc. This is a business decision, I’m sure. I’ve visited Roger at his NYC workshop, own a Metro and an NYC guitar and have a Sadowsky preamp in another bass. I can understand why, in these times when inflation is pushing up the cost of US products, he sees the need to have something in his line that competes (and likely beats) with the likes of Fender et al.