Leaderboard

Sounds like my ideal gig, well paid, food, not using my own car and I don’t have to actually remember anything.

Turn up with a euphonium and mime with that.

First new bass in many years and I'm chuffed! Spector Euro LX4 DW (Doug Wimbush) in Amber. Great quality build, fantastic playable neck (and I'm digging the narrow nut) and a beautiful maple finish, reminds me of a Warwick thumb in many ways, but more 'grungy' Oh, and the pups are *really* hot! Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Yup, but not sure you'd have wanted to be there Si. During the breakdown after the gig there was a genuine, honest-to-God mass brawl on the dance floor. At least three very big guys on each side (it was hard to tell), sundry womenfolk either yelling "he's not worth it" or berating their men for their behaviour, four enormous bouncers trying to break it up, worried drunks getting knocked over in the excitement, and smashed glass all over the floor. Best fight I've seen in years, very entertaining.

NBD - Squier Deluxe Active Jazz IV *Revisited* I had been very smug and pleased with myself for getting down to just the one bass, a Bitsa Jazz that I assembled from parts and finished myself. Hipshot, Gotoh, KiOgon… all proper premium components, no tat! Very happy with it and its powerful Entwistle JBXNs, which sounds really killer through my 1997 Trace GP7 715 150W combo. BUT… dangerously, I allowed my mind to wander in an idle moment. What was the bass I most missed and most regretted moving on? Being absolutely honest with myself, it turned out to be (weirdly) a Squier Deluxe Active Jazz IV - which I bought and reviewed on this very board some four years ago and then sold, for a reason I can’t now remember. GAS, probably. So, as they’re not the world’s most expensive bass and as I was curious, I ordered one - an end-of-line display/demo model from Andertons. Notable features include a three-band active EQ circuit and an Ebonol fingerboard. As I understand it, Ebonol is a phenolic polymer that mimics the qualities of ebony in that it is hard and dense…but is synthetic and thus completely impermeable. I like it a lot. It’s a slab board basically and renders the underlying maple neck very stable indeed. The neck plays well with practically no relief in it and allows a lower (and more buzz-free) action than I would otherwise entertain with a more conventional wooden board. The neck is arrow-straight and the fretwork is superb. And I mean £1000+ superb. Completely level frets and not even a hint of an edge anywhere. To find this quality on a bass that cost less than £300 is truly remarkable. This board is smooth and fast and this neck alone is worth the price of admission. The controls comprise volume, pickup blend, stacked treble/bass and mid. There is also the so-called 'slap switch', essentially a mid-cut which boosts the lows and top end, ostensibly for slapping… I won’t be doing any of that, but it’s useful to have at your fingertips and in conjunction with the EQ allows for more tone-shaping options. The board radius is 12”, a little flat for me but I don't mind so much as the nut width and shallow neck are (unsurprisingly) very Jazz-like, so a flatter board suits me here. The bass feels good in the hand, isn't overly heavy (around 9lb) on the shoulder and balances well on the strap. It's effortless to play and after a few minutes the controls become completely intuitive and very easy to use. This bass punches WAY above its weight. There are always negatives of course - the bridge and tuners are not premium quality - especially when juxtaposed with the Hipshot Ultralights and Gotoh 201B fitted to my Bitsa. The bridge is a generic Gotoh-alike high-mass top-load affair with saddle-screw runners - and does its job perfectly well. The ubiquitous budget ‘vintage’ clover-leaf tuners work smoothly enough and adequately hold the bass in tune, which is all you can reasonably expect, so no complaints yet. The treble/bass stacked pot is quite a bit taller than the other controls and I can imagine it taking a knock or two. The pots could be smoother and more positive in their action and the midway detentes could be more obvious. But I’m guessing Squier had to cut costs somewhere. These are minor niggles. Would I use this as my main bass? With absolutely no hesitation, despite the fact I don’t much care for sunburst and especially not pickguard-free sunburst. But irrelevant cosmetic issues aside, it plays quite differently to my Bitsa Jazz and has WAY more tone options on tap. You can of course produce the generic vintage single-coil Jazz sound if you want it, but you can also quickly dial in more ‘modern’ sounds - and anything else you can think of - from fat, fingerstyle dub tones through clanky, gritty rock via hefty plectrum twang to full-on growl, burpy funk and mid-free hi-fi slap. It’s all in there. And you'd be very hard-pressed to tell the difference between this Indonesian Squier and a MIM Fender (or dare I say it, a MIA Fender) in a blind listening test. The Squier feels right, plays very nicely indeed and sounds fantastic. It’s essentially a wannabe boutique Super Jazz, but aimed at the budget-conscious entry-level buyer. Or those in my position - the seasoned (yet impecunious) overweight senior cheapskate-cynic. But is it as good as I remember? Very much so, and in some ways it’s better. Four years have passed since I owned one and my priorities have changed, my playing has changed and I see things a little differently now, as I’m sure we all do. But I’m very happy to have this back in the fold. I did have a little fantasy about refinishing it in vintage white (and I may yet do so), tinting the headstock, applying an F-decal and fitting a guard. But I don’t want to drill new guard holes in the body, the decal thing is really only of interest to bass players and other idiots and frankly I’m getting a bit bored with the ‘identity’ thing. Name-band pro players regularly rock up sporting the S-decal and if it’s good enough for them, etc. So for the moment at least it’s going to do its thing completely stock and original as nature (and Squier) intended - apart from the new DR Nickel Lo-Riders I fitted. Hardly a modification, but a very positive improvement on the iffy strings that came with the bass. I can easily see it becoming a bit of a workhorse and it’s already a go-to instrument. It’s one of those basses you just can’t walk past without picking it up and playing it. You won’t be surprised then if I recommend you add this particular arrow to your quiver - it can currently be got at a silly price, especially if you haggle - even if you’re not a Jazz person (and I'm not), you can’t fail to be impressed by the dead-straight and supremely playable neck, the smooth, hard and fast Ebonol board, the extremely versatile and intuitive EQ and the huge range of tones on offer. In short, it’s a bargain. But if you ARE up for it, get one ASAP - Squier seem to have discontinued this model and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Perhaps another reason why the marketplace seems slow is that a proportion of sellers (usually newbs but not always) fail to maximise their chances. Even now, people still put up an expensive instrument supported only by a couple of lines of waffly boilerplate and a single photo. So: * Before doing anything else, check out the 'Wanted' sub-forum. There may be someone who wants what you've got. Bingo! You didn't even have to post an ad. * When writing the ad please avoid cliches such as: 'Never thought I'd sell this' or 'Plays like buttah'. That's basically the same as 'Drives Superb, FTSWB' and frankly it sucks * I don't care if the bass has 'never been gigged' but I suppose some people might. Describe all faults accurately and honestly to avoid post-sale unpleasantness * If you don't want trades and you don't want low-ball offers just say so in bold text. Threats of physical violence towards time-wasters should be avoided * Me, I don't give a toss about 'smoke-free, pet-free homes' but some people do. If your bass is uncontaminated, say so. * Try to sound like a human being. Don't just write 'Here we have a ...' then paste specs off the manufacturer's web site. This isn't f**king Gumtree * If you've got the means to do do, measure the action at the 12th fret in mm. Most people won't know the difference but it makes you look like you know what you're talking about * Weigh the bass and post the result in lbs and kilos - it matters to some people and you don't need special kit. Just get on the bathroom scales, see how much you weigh, then do it again with the bass hung round your neck and note the difference. If you haven't got bathroom scales, buy some and tell the wife it's a Christmas present because she's looking a bit lardy * The more photos the better. Please don't ask people to request more photos by email - just post them in the ad for ffs * Don't post an ad that includes the words 'Photos coming soon'. You've just wasted my time and I won't come back because I'm a vindictive bastard like that. * If posting lots of close-up photos include at least one shot of the whole bass, preferably in landscape rather than portrait so we don't crick our necks looking at the screen sideways * Include a location preferably at town or city level. No one's going to burgle you based solely on the knowledge that you live in Greater Manchester * If you want to get the best possible price, be prepared to wait a few months * If you want a quick sale then get yourself noticed: research the going rate and offer the item at 5% less (then move more slowly on further discounts) * Don't pad your price up to allow for future discounts. That just makes you look expensive. Offer the going rate and just be firmer about holding your price * Don't post a price then drop it within 48 hours. It makes you look desperate. Not everyone comes here everyday so it'll take a week or two for most of the potential buyers to spot your item * Bump as often as you can within the forum rules. Once a week doesn't cut it. If someone comments on your ad there's no rule against responding to them or starting a conversation, afaik * If you're prepared to ship, say so. If you won't ship, say so. In bold letters. It will reduce the number of people asking if you'll ship. OTOH, people asking if you'll ship is a first stage in hooking them. Difficult one... * If a French dude asks you three times if you'll ship overseas and won't take no for an answer and bangs on about his 'standing' you have my permission to tell him to go f**k himself * If you're going to ship make people feel confident: offer to ship in a hard case inside a box or stipulate how you'll pack (box inside a box, packing peanuts / bubble wrap, etc) * If you won't ship then expect the sale to take longer * If you won't ship then offer a local (50 mile radius?) free delivery service or offer to meet halfway (within reason) for petrol at the going rate per mile * Don't get offended if someone low balls you. Smile sweetly, flip it back on them and ask them what their best price is. The only time to tell them to f**k off is if they get rude * If you sell the bass and the new owner flips it within a week for more than he paid you for it, don't come here complaining about it like a pissy b!tch. Find another way to take your revenge. Chaps - Please feel free to add any further suggestions

Yup, 'tis an Acus combo and it's fair to say that (on my brief experience with it) I wasn't impressed with it. Way way WAY too many knobs, dials and functions, and really not easy to get a tone I actually liked. We couldn't get any audible effect out of the on-board compressor either. The video that Umut shot with me playing through it (you can see it on his Facebook page) sounded like a tube train passing through a tunnel beneath us. It's one advantage, if that's what it is, is that it's a 3-channel amp which allows for magnetic + piezo + microphone and all passing through the same unit. Review? Well I've already covered most of the descriptive stuff already but ... It's an absolute beast. It looks great, huge and imposing, and it sounds just magnificent. Its bulk will not appeal to many bass players, but after years of playing a Takamine TB10 I find it strangely re-assuring. On a strap (Umut thinks of this as a lap bass, to be played sitting down) it hangs exactly the same way as my TB10, with the whole of the lower bout projecting to my right. This looks a bit odd, but makes the bass really very comfortable to play, and rock steady. The great depth of the body also makes a very comfortable arm rest. The internal bracing is excellent, with two carbon-fibre rods acting as a fixed truss rod and two more carbon fibre supports running under the entire archtop. Although it looks like a set-neck design, it is in fact a disguised bolt-on and the neck is apparently quite easy to remove if I should ever need to do it. The bridge is fully-floating. There's no access panel, so should any electrical work be needed I would have to remove and disconnect the jack socket and then pull the wiring back through the body to the two sound holes. Umut had been experimenting with a clip-in microphone system too and he brought that with him. We tried it together but I wasn't impressed by the small amount of 'atmosphere' that it added, even less by the enormous increase in feedback that came with it. If I'm looking for something to criticise, it would be the weight. The 4-string Iris is ridiculously light, not much more than 2Kg so about the same as a Hofner Violin bass. When I ordered this bass, Umut was sure that the weight would be little more than 3Kg - although I was puzzled by that. In the event, it weighs over 4Kg, which is hardly outrageous but is not particularly light either. I've had the bass for just three days so far, but something that has already become apparent is that this bass has no interest in being pigeon-holed into one sort of music. I've owned (and still own) basses which are perfect for blues or for rock or for country, but the Big Boss seems equally at home in all of them. It looks like the sort of thing you see YouTube clips of with some very talented bass player doing subtle licks involving intricate harmonics, and you think "yeh, but can you play Brown Sugar on it?". Well this bass is equally happy playing country, rock, blues, funk, reggae and rockabilly. I'd have no hesitation taking this along to pretty much any gig I play, and no doubt that I'd be able to get the right sound for that gig. It's a seriously lovely thing.

I think it is the absolute minutia of it - if you just pick a lesson to watch on his site it would be how to play some riff fast or how to do walking bass. But because this is a course you do “playing one note for ten minutes and listening to how it sounds and how your hand feels” and that sort of thing. And strangely, it makes a difference. I still think the mere fact of paying for it actually helps a lot

Being a long-time fan of Trevor Bolder, it's great to see this post recognising his bass playing and his musicality. I grew up in the early 1970s listening to his playing, along with other melodic bassists around at the time like Dennis Dunaway (Alice Cooper), and it definitely shaped my idea of what the bass player could contribute melodically as well as rhythmically to a great song. Later on, as my musical knowledge and tastes broadened out, I got to discover McCartney, Entwhistle, and James Jameson for example, who were absolute masters of melodic bass playing that not only carried the song rhythmically, but added a melodic sensibility too.. Of course, there are countless other great melodic bass players out there - some of whom I've heard, some I've not, and many more I don't even know about - but for my particular bass playing journey, it all started with Trevor Bolder.

The agent was at the previous one where I actually played and probably wouldn't care if he knew the situation for this time as long as he gets his money. It's a cocktail gig for a bank. They won't even notice anyone is there at all. We'll be stuck in a corner and mistaken for coat attendants and waiters😂

Hubby's a busy man, so I've been tasked with posting a few pics, before it all becomes utterly obsolete. 😉 It's a unique, 5-string semi-acoustic bass that Umut Dal created for Jack to his own specification. It has a stereo output and two pickups (piezo and magnetic) which can be blended into an amp through a splitter cable. These images are from my own 'propa photoshewt'. Jack prefers the natural, non-photoshopped look, but I found that I needed to get rid of as many of the harsh shadows as possible, at least from the background. Many, many more photos HERE.

Apologies for being so late to the party on this one (about 47 years late...) but I've recently started learning Bowie's Hunky Dory album ahead of a tribute gig I'm playing at in January. What a great bassist Trevor Bolder is! So much of what he plays isn't what I'd expect him to play, and I've had to learn some sections one note at a time thru headphones (Quicksand for a start!) Excellent stuff tho. Way ahead of its time. But you all already know that. It's just me who is just waking up to Bowie's music. Sorry to have taken so long.... Just got to learn the stuff now - luckily I'll be playing my short scale Japanese Mustang will hopefully give me a nod in the right direction tonewise.

Nah nah nah! I`m not having this! Mr Discreet without a P bass in his arsenal? This Jazz bass loving fool is an imposter and I demand that whoever has abducted the real Mr D gets him and his P bass back sharpish!! ( Nice bass by the way)

More explanations in the text to this video:

Thread's over - we have a winner

Here's my Shergold Marathon 8 string. I have read that they only made about 50 of them in total, so I reckon my lefty is probably unique.

Just a quick note for anyone thinking about attending any of the Bass Bashes listed in this section - go! The Bass Bashes are informal get togethers of all things bass with people of all abilities with all types of gear. Don't be put off going if you think that they will be dominated by exceptionally talented folk continually slapping on boutique basses as that isn't the case (there will be boutique basses and a bit of slapping but there is more to the bashes). Folk turn up will all sorts of gear and its a great opportunity to try different kit and put faces to the names seen on here. I've met some great folks of all abilities at these and picked up lots of useful info. I've tried lots of basses I wouldn't normally get the opportunity to try and discovered I dislike some I've previously drooled over and really liked others I've dismissed!! For info, I don't play in a band, I'm not a particularly good bassist, I can't read music, I can't slap but I have a pretty decent amp and I make my own basses. If you're thinking about it, try to come along to one if you can. It's great that someone organises these and attendance will reward their efforts and ensure these events keep going. Hope to see you there! And there's usually cake too.....

So, been offered a gig that normally just requires a duo ( sax, guitar + b.trax) However, for some strange reason, the agency now needs three people on stage ( it's actually a smooth cocktail set for an hour) so I've been asked. Last time, the sax player took the bass off the tracks and I played. This time is too short notice so I've been asked to mime as the setlist is different. Very good money at minimum 250 + for an hour and I'm being driven there and fed but not sure how I feel about doing it as now, he's asked me to bring an EUB that I've owned for only three weeks as it'll "look better" What can possibly go wrong?😂

Interesting that stuff often sells quicker and for a better price on eBay than is the case on BC, and ironically on occasion even to people who are BC members? Frankly I hate selling on eBay, but it's quicker and less hassle than BC; there's no endless PMs from folks who are definitely going to buy and will send PayPal payment later that day but then disappear, no silly/desultory cash offers (or at least they can be rejected automatically), no PX offers for gear that has been sitting in the FS forums for years, and no 'can you hold it for me until my ..... sells. That the final price on eBay is often quite high makes up for the commission, most of the time. More importantly, I'm finding I'm dealing with some really nice folks on eBay these days. And whilst I really hate to say it, I'm also getting a bit disillusioned buying on BC; I've been less than happy with the description and/or condition of about 50% of the stuff I've bought here recently, and whilst eBay gives you easy access to a claims process, BC doesn't. I just feel selling here has got a bit lazy, almost as if it relies on a community feel-good factor that is perhaps being taken for granted and/or abused. I'm seriously considering not using PayPal F&F option any more so that I can simply claim back money without hassle. I've bought three items in the last 10 days, and having got home and unpacked them this evening, two of them are going back, in both cases because the seller forgot to mention something pretty important in the description. Frankly, this really f***ks me off, and contrast with my recent experience on eBay So, IMO, if we want this market place to pick up, sellers have to up their game a bit to be honest, eBay sales show there's plenty of money changing hands for bass gear elsewhere.

For Sale - A particularly grim copy bass which frankly I can't wait to get rid of. £1 I've checked the wanted ads - nobody is going to want this sucker. From the minute I got this I knew I'd end up selling it - it plays like gristle. Never been gigged. No way I'd risk this in public Trades gracefully accepted - even for a pack of old used Ernie Ball flats I have dogs and smoke like a chimney. I let the dogs sleep on it and chain smoke when playing - it's the only thing that numbs the pain I'd link to my gumtree ad, but it makes me look like it's a scam. Action at 12th fret - about 1' 5" Weight - more than me, but less than the missus. No photos coming soon - it's hideous enough in the flesh without a permanent record I'm based just north of Peterborough. I'll wait for years if necessary to get rid of this. It's likely to be discounted tomorrow and every five minutes subsequently until I end up paying you. I'll ship this in a brown paper bag. It'll only improve it. I'm prepared to travel about 3 miles from home, on my pushbike, dragging it behind on a rope. Feel free to lowball me. I quite like it - it's a chance to feel someone actually wants to talk to me. Is this what you meant @skankdelvar?

Just slightly OT, there is a great production coming up next year about the life of Mick Ronson entitled 'Turn and face the Strange', with loads of Spiders references and songs. The band includes musicians who were involved in Hull band 'The Rats' which Mick was in, and goes on to tell the story of how he met David Bowie, along with Trevor and Woody. More details here - https://www.hulltruck.co.uk/whats-on/drama/turn-face-the-strange/?fbclid=IwAR3Yc8c5hVh5hzsbGfUE3b03YPnXBpnPfFX6k5FfNSESPnA46Z7_TZEscks Bass duties are handled ably by local legend John Bentley, ex-Squeeze. I've already seen this show twice, and it is excellent.

Aguilar 60s model. sound brilliant. And come up used on eBay occasionally too.

I've got 4 of them ranging from 0-11! Not young except maybe relatively speaking. I just reached the answer to the meaning of life.

There is a large thread here - https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/315455-interesting-frfr-story/ Myself, I use a SolidGoldFX Beta as a preamp and/or a Zoom MS-60B for eq, straight into an RCF, and I've never been happier. A small thing from a practical point of view - since the speaker's volume control is generally on the back panel, I find it useful to use a pedal with an output volume control.

Our old producer worked with Trevor Bolder, apparently he used lighter gauge strings in order to be able to put more bass into the sound, without the boom. Quite interesting I thought.

Me too! 😀

Paid for doing no work... what are you, a civil servant?

Made the one screw finger rest from maple headstock scrap. On screen is a Fneder CS '55 to make sure the one ply guard came out right and finger rest properly located. I aged the chrome and nickel in a muriatic (hydrochloric) acid fume bath. Takes about 30 minutes to get that level of patina. Aging the pure white pickguard starts with yellow dye stain. White guard is from a Squier 50s blonde P. Great bass for the price! 100 grit paper double stick taped to finger rest. After a few spins and some Minwax "Jacobean" oil stain for dirt and it looks like my actual '55 did... ...after the rattlecan black, yellow dye, and Jacobean treatment.

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I think if I was pretty sure I wouldnt be recognised and there was little chance of any muso's in the audience (as seems to be the case in the OP) I'd probably do it with xmas approaching.

I vote for a tenor uke and a wah-wah pedal. If any punters come up and talk to you, you can have some fun trying to BS your way through an explanation of how you use the wah to shape the uke's tone to sound more bass-heavy.

You can also play tapping. 🤣

That is one of the coolest promo vids for any instrument I've ever seen.

Her maiden name is Modulus (Graphite) Quantum 6 SPi Custom. Extras include that maple top, black hardware and the bartolinis. KLD (thousand = kilo ladies dancing) neck is not wide (it is already 6) nor tinted, but they had red, blue and green available as an option. There was also the fretboard option of chechen in stead of phenolic resin. SPi is bolt-on and TBX is neck-through. Hollow version has a stylish f. Mine is Modulus Graphite Quantum 5 SPi Custom, with bartolinis, gold hardware and a cocacola top, born 1991 - I am sorry for the last note because it is inappropriate to speak about the age of a lady.

You don't even need to set different patches or blocks - you use snapshots. This allows you to remain in the same patch but switch between different parameter settings for the same effect (or amp sim). Any effects you then kick in are applied to the selected snapshot. For instance I have a SVT setting with a clean snapshot, a snapshot using higher gain and lower volume for more crunch then another with even higher gain and lower volume for a dirty sound. A quick press switches the pedalboard from stomp/effects mode in to snapshot mode. I also dial in a little increase in bass in each snapshot to to compensate. It's very very clever.

Absolutely. I spent last night listening thru a load of tunes, sketching out the main sequences and arrangements and busking along to get the hang of them. But today I listened to them all again on the bus ride to work and they are full of little phrases and runs that just bring it all to life. He doesn't spend much time on his low E string at all - the majority of stuff seems an octave up and creating really melodic lines rather than my own usual approach of relying on volume and power and vamping away on some root notes. Ive really warmed to his approach tho and feel like it's time well spent retracing his steps for a couple of weeks until I've got the songs down.

The funny thing was that he also gave the guitarist a lecture on how to EQ his amp. The guitarist then went and fiddled about with the EQ knobs on his amp until the Sir Richard Head III bloke gave him a big thumbs up. The guitarist hadn't actually altered anything at all on the amp but Mr Sir Richard Head III told him after the gig that his sound was immeasurably better in the 2nd set. This was a few years back but I think he's now been banned from the pub for pi55ing too many people off.

How much stuff do we all need? I doubt I'll buy any more bass specific gear ever again, I haven't for quite a while not even strings!

Tell them you have a microscopic wireless system and mime from the bar 😝

Yeah. That’s me needing one of these...cheers @dadagoboi 🙄

Good afternoon, Julien, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Bonjour Julien, bienvenue.

I totally agree with @Jabba_the_gut. This year’s SEBB was my first and, as a foul-mouthed anti social misanthropist, I was quite nervous of attending, not just because of my borderline personality disorders but also for exactly the reasons @Jabba_the_gut mentioned... ...if you think that they will be dominated by exceptionally talented folk continually slapping on boutique basses. I do play in a band but I’m not a very good player, I dont read music nor do I slap yet I was made to feel very welcome despite only having one little amp and one little bass. Everyone was really friendly and I was surprised just how many people were interested in my little bass! Seriously I arrived and sat in the car park watching folk unload their gear and I almost drove back home, what an idiot. I had a top time with some genuinely lovely folk and I had a chance to drool over many, many gorgeous basses. The most difficult part of the day was stopping myself chinning @Jabba_the_gut and runnng off with one a bass he’s built and that I’ve fallen in love with. If you are sweating it, don’t, just go, you’ll have a time.

Green with envy, I absolutely love the look of these and really need to try one. I played a PJ Mustang in PMT a while ago and it was the most fun I have had on a bass in years. I was flying all over the neck with a big smile on my face. I need to see whether its the novelty or whether a short scale is going to be a good idea for me. The JMJ just looks so classic and would have to be what I go for if I delve into short scale.

Keep knocking back the cocktails at their expense - wont matter that you're slurring your mimed notes towards the end of set. Play with no lead in the jack socket and see if anyone will notice - I very much doubt it!!!

I actually think that this has been the problem that I have had with effects pedals - I love the sounds that they give but would prefer to still have my core bass sound being heard at the same time. It's only taken me 31 years to work this out

Wild night of swing and blues jamming at the Downend Tavern, Bristol last night. The place was full of musicians many wanting to play (we have a reputation of allowing people to join us onstage, give them a chance to blow). We had three extra harmonica players, Sean The Horn McBride on sax (damn fine player, stupidly good) plus the full band - busy. I was feeling a bit under the weather having just discovered a rather uncomfortable cheese intolerance so was grateful to step back and let others have a go. Punters loved it, best reaction we’ve had there. Next time there may be a flautist...apparently. How cool would that be?! Thanks to @Rich for coming down, sorry I wasn’t more chatty, hope to see you soon; and the first bassist I ever worked with when I moved to Bristol 40 years ago was also in the audience, nice to catch up. Back to Ed Sheeran today 😩 with the bonus of some “lute n vocal” practise hopefully.

Yes, and it sounds terrific with the action going from 1 mm under the C to 1,5 mm under the B at 12th fret without any buzz...

The Dreadful Gate, of course.

Same here. I appreciate how technically advanced a player may be, but 99% of the songs those players choose to parade their skills in are (to me at least) unbearable. Same with some guitarists. Other than a couple of exceptions Steve Vai or Joe Satriani tunes do absolutely nothing for me. Some of the greatest songs ever written have very simple basslines that fit the song perfectly. To me (cue the lynch mob and pitchforks) bass is best when it is in its supporting role. That doesn’t mean it needs to be basic, but it doesn’t mean it should be over complicated just for the sake of it either.