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BOOM! Got the job!!!! Band is called Fraudio btw. Absolutely stoked and in need of a beer or two. Now begins the hard work!

Bass Players be warned.

I recently quit a blues band I'd been in for the last five years to avoid the routine of Saturday night gigs at pubs up to 50 miles away to indifferent audiences. Last year I played 50-60 gigs, this year about 20, plus five I am proud of that were played with a band who share my taste in music, to an audience who know the music and are there just to see us. I'd say think about what you really want to be playing, find some people who share that dream and get a band together, and you'll find an audience. You won't get anything like as many gigs as the local standard covers band but you'll feel so much better about yourself.

I do it because I've seen other bass players do it, and I think it will give the illusion that I'm quite professional. 😁

I never understood this. You're literally giving away your bank details [*] to strangers all the time. It's good to be cautious but... On the other hand, bringing a stranger to my place, I may be more cautious about that. [*] By bank details, I mean account/sort code. There's nothing anybody can do with that other than put money into your account If that's a scam, scam me all the way to Chicago.

Just for balance... Several years ago now, I saw an ad (not on BC...) for a Hiwatt amp I was keen on. Isn't it always the way; I didn't have the £600 asking price. The amp was in Kingston-on-Thames; I'm in France. Not deterred, I asked the seller if I could buy it, but pay in instalments, 3 x £200. To my surprise, he agreed. I paid using Paypal (not into his account, but his father's...), and three month's later, with Our Youngest, took the ferry to Portsmouth, then train to Basingstoke, from where my elder brother drove us to Kingston to collect it. Uber-heavy, in a new flight case, it almost had to be crow-barred into the boot of the Jaguar. Some folks can be trusted; some folks are trusting. It may be rare, but sometimes the two go together. The amp (DR205...) is now our principal bass amp. A Good Deal; it does work out, sometimes. Just for the anecdote, the car was parked in the only space available, quite far down the road from the address. My brother stayed in the car; Our Youngest and myself went in to see the amp. The bloke had it set up in the back kitchen, with a 4x12 cab. He handed me a Telecaster, to try it out; I plucked away a few chords, testing the inputs, listening for pot crackles; it seemed fine. I handed the Tele back, and the fellow turned the master to full and hit a chord. Our son and I both jumped back a metre or so; it was loud; very, very loud. Lugging the brute out to the car, my brother, who had been quietly listening to the radio in the car the while, asked what the heck that noise had been..? That power chord had woken up half of Kingston; it was audible, and bloomin' loud, all around the block..! No, we don't play that loud, but I'm ccomforted in the knowledge that we have 'headroom', and that it can deliver..!

My truss rod looks like that. Not wishing to teach anyone to suck eggs, but you do know the Maruszczyk truss rod is backwards to other truss rods don’t you?

For me Aladdin Sane is TB’s finest work. It’s possibly my favourite record of all time any road (certainly the one that never strays from being in the top 3) and would be my recommendation to any budding bassist in terms of an album to listen to that inspires. The title track is sheer perfection. And of course he also had those amazing sidies!!

Now that my Reincarnate bass is almost finished and I still haven't decided how to move forward on the neck thru build!! I thought its time to start planning an new build It's either going to be a 5 or 6 string depends on what donor bass I can get hold of?? This is the shape it's going to be: I'm thinking (at the moment but it could all change?? ) of doing a wood and resin body, I can get for a very reasonable price from a fella that lives in my village and sells 'character timber!! ' a nice looking lump of live edge Spalted Ash which I think would look really nice teamed up with some Black resin I haven't decided if it's going to be trans black or opaque yet??............. 😀

[Long-winded old-man alert!] Reading this may alter your mind. "Retirement" is only a modern-day phenomenon. We've forgotten that in past centuries, people never retired. They belonged to guilds as shoemakers and blacksmiths, ...etc. When they became old and feeble, they simply cut back until they could no longer pass muster and hopefully, they were wise enough to save for their twilight years. Or successful enough for apprentices to take up the slack. Perhaps retirement was born as a military contractual benefit, to entice men to join such a thing. But, everyone else couldn't just stop working and "retire", as their work, proprietary profession and business was certainly their only means of livelihood. No cushy pension schemes. Life was short and brutal. Most people dropped dead on the job, before they could worry much about "retirement". You bopped till you dropped. Today, most of us work as employees for corps and gov't. Retirement schemes abound. Even doctors and lawyers are salaried, now. Of course, it's a ponzie scheme waiting to collapse as demographics invert. Hence, the big push for immigration. Soon, we'll all witness abrubt and impending retirement upheavals and the fallout of lowered expectations. If you can still command an audience, carry on. Back in the 1980s I watched Peter Noone (aged 71) performing Hermin's Hermits songs for twenty-five people in an open-air park at the CNE fair in Toronto. While sitting on a park bench, I had to wonder how this could be. But I was still young. You're all in for a surprise at 52. That's when you find out how stupid you really are. Things get better after that. By the way, he's still performing. I'm 64 and have long moonlighted as a BP. I have no intention of working the careers that I chose to raise a family and earn a living. But last week I joined a bar band. Why? Because bass playing is my passion. Knocking those four strings about makes me feel like I'm flying. I know that I'm a denizen of the far tail on the BP bell curve and can shake a dance-floor better than most. So why not? (I'd rather recline, drink coffee and watch House MD, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Law & Order and Tommy Cooper; but I seen 'em already. Besides, the actors are really the ones having all the fun. A bar band provides human interaction on a grand scale.) Why is age a factor? Is it youth that is the real commodity? Do you go to a concert to see youth or hear music? Dancer or lurker? That's the part that makes no sense. Mass youth was simply a property of the post-war baby-boom. It's not a religion. Why would anyone seek after a youthful face when they really just want musical entertainment. It's not a romp in a cat-house. It's only entertainment for bar hoppers and pub punters to immerse themselves in a joyful noise and dimness so they feel more secure as they seek a buzz or a mate or give the baggage a good shake in public. Those who like music based on the Fender bass have grown-up and aged. But they still like this music. Look at the Stones. Look at their audience. The sixties was not just a youth rebellion. Most of us were not rebelling. We just liked to hear the drum kits, the Fender basses, the 'lectric guitars, and the vocalists with colourful voices and magical, meaningful lyrics. Trump is 71. Merkle is ? McCartney? Richards? I'd bet that even Elvis would still be gyrating today at 83. Why do they do it, the OP asks? Because there is a public need... Because passion rivals money... Because they can... and they're good at it! Satisfaction trumps waiting to die. Live the life you love... till it's time to die. Let's not call it a disorder. It's a blessing.

OMG, I do that too!!! Black ones, obvs. In all seriousness, I do find them useful during the summer months if your fingers are getting a bit sweaty!!

10 holes and only 2 screws. Just like my last visit to a swingers club. Looks very nice though.

I just couldn't stand the 'no pickguard'' thing any longer. It's just not me. I tried tort, black, gold and white, they all looked terrible. So I went with this cream job. I hope you like it. If you don't - too bad!

This. It takes less than a second and avoids that schoolboy-error embarrassment as your lead comes out and you look like a total twât. Or more of one.

I can't be the only one wanting to know the name of the band surely?

I have this in a week or so's time but as I keep telling myself, joining a band is a two way thing and you are auditioning them too! To make a band that works needs so many different stars to align that if you don't get the gig it's to be expected in many way - getting the gig is a bit of a miracle! Good luck!

It's what keeps him going; he loves it. Same reason most on here will travel 60 miles to a gig on a Saturday, spend 2 hours setting up, play for 3 hours, spend another hour breaking down, then drive home, and maybe get £30.

I dont have much time for Cliff's music, he was a late 50s/60s artist to me, but to suggest someone should stop doing something they love seems strange. If what he was doing was important to well being in any way (Yes I know ) then yes, give it up, but its just music and if he and the audience enjoy it then why not? Its his job after all. My old man loved his work as a carpenter and did his job till he was 76, not cos he was desperate for the money but because he loved it.

Hi guys. Here you can find all the Basschat Podcast episodes. You can listen here and/or subscribe to the podcast using the services below. Enjoy and please let us know your feedback! Listen in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-basschat-podcast/id1428552711?mt=2 Listen via Stitcher: Download the Stitcher app on either your iOS or Android device and search for the Basschat.co.uk podcast to listen and subscribe. Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1AXD0U4t9RxZaFw2R29FnH?si=-GaKSpyaR7qswB-8mal9VQ Listen in browser: Pilot Episode July 2018: @SpondonBassed talks about necks with @Akio Dāku - Also the amazing @Chownybass kindly donated his time to join us over video chat for a wonderful interview. https://soundcloud.com/basschat/the-basschat-podcast-pilot Episode 1 August 2018: @Akio Dāku speaks to @Sibob about the nature of bass playing, how it fits in with the reality of having a job and family and about how to approach playing different genres of music and keeping an open mind. Episode 2 September 2018: Episode 2 has forum member and podcast host @Akio Dāku (Bo) & forum member & moderator @Sibob (Si) talking about performance, talent, learning & the late Dave Hall. Before that though, Bo talks to @TrevorR (Trevor Raggatt) of the Wal Bass History Blog, taking us through all things Wal. You can find Trevor's blog here: http://walbasshistory.blogspot.com Episode 3 March 2019: In this episode, @Sibob talks to Jack Roan from Noble Amps. Then our host @Akio Dāku chats to Sibob about their favourite items for sale in the Basschat Marketplace this month.

Literally for the body & back of the neck (if lacquered) spray disinfectant, Dettol maybe? As for the fingerboard, if you want it CLEAN like NO gunk & other peoples finger juice CLEAN: Warm water, fairy dish soap and a handheld bristle brush. Scrub the fingerboard with the grain lightly and when the soap suds build up wipe off with kitchen roll. Examine the disgusting green & brown goo that’s off countless other bass paws and wretch in pure and utter shock. After the thorough scrub, dry the fingerboard off with kitchen roll and leave to sit 10 mins to air dry. The fretboard should now look somewhat dry and maybe feel slightly “crispy” DONT LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. You’ll end up with sharp fret ends if you do because it’ll shrink. First pass of oil after a deep clean should be a flood coat. I’ve found Linseed oil/Mineral oil to be the best. Lemon oil is a waste of time and money if you ask me and will not help condition the fingerboard as most lemon oils sold on the market contain alcohol and drying agents (which is actually unhealthy for a fingerboard, it will tighten the grain and overall make the fretboard shrink) Linseed/ Mineral oil fingerboard and let sit to soak in for around 15 minutes. Wipe off any excess and if the fretboard doesn’t look well enough conditioned go over it a second time with the oil, sparingly however. Polish for the body/ any lacquered parts and Mineral oil I’d recommend are by Music Nomad, best stuff available if you ask me.

Cheers RB, great to hear positive feedback from a reggae afficionado 👊

I'll add this in case anyone isn't aware: https://www.musicianshearingservices.co.uk/musicians-union/musicans-hearing-health-scheme/ £40 (£30 mu member) and you get a pro consultation, ear test, and a pair of custom moulded ACS pro ear plugs with choice of filters (and colours). Amazing deal I reckon. The ear plug technology has come on a bit (I had my last pair made 12 years ago) and they are now vented which apparently helps the feeling of being shut in. My ears were doing ok last time I had them tested in 2006, slight dip around 4k. However the test I did yesterday shows the 4k dip is now into the zone where it is classified as slight hearing loss, and as you may know there is no coming back once it's gone. I was surprised to learn that it is ALL frequencies of prolonged volume that cause the damage, not just the high end. I will be much more careful going forward - my last pair of plugs spent 99% of their life in the drawer. I went to a bar a few weeks ago (Heavenly Social upstairs) and it had the worst loudest sound I have heard in years. I was there for a mate's record launch and I felt embarrassed about constantly asking the djs to turn down, and also I didn't want to leave early. Stupid decision - that 3 hour period (spent mostly with my finger in one ear) appears to have brought on tinnitus and sensitvity that wasn't there previously. 2 weeks later and it's still the same, hence the visit to the ear specialist. Be careful out there!

I always sell musical equipment at my mums as she doesn't have the aladdins cave of basses and guitars that is my living room.

Buying and selling has become a bit of a minefield. The Warwick i picked up a couple of weeks ago was local collection but the seller wanted me to buy on ebay and pay through Paypal even though I offered cash on collection. He was really reluctant to give me his address, wanting me to make the payment first. In my head I was thinking he'll then claim I've had the bass (and not give me it)and I'm sure he was thinking if he gives me his address prior to payment I'll just go round and steal it ! We sorted it out in the end and when we met got on really well and talked about basses for ages. But the suspicion of being scammed on both sides almost ruined a brilliant deal.Not every one is out to scam you but caution is definitely the name of the game.

Something else to remember before anyone even walks through the door; when you’re taking photos of whatever is for sale, make sure nothing expensive is visible. I know we’re all proud of our nice instruments, but let’s not show them off to every crook and scammer.

The position of the adjuster looks correct it is in the same place on my Jake 4 I haven't had any creaks from my neck but I have only changed strings once from rounds to Maruszczyk Flats and it seems to be very stable, I have only adjusted the neck by 1/6 turn either way from where it was when I bought it, it seems pretty sensitive to adjustment - 1/3 turn was about 1mm variance in relief around the 7th fret with the rounds that were on it - , D'addario exl 160s, they are medium gauge, tensions will be on D'addarios site; since I set it up with the flats I haven't adjusted it - I only fully loosened the middle two strings to move them aside for good tool access, the outers I only loosen a little ( say a tone) before adjusting the truss rod so some string tension still on I don't know what tension M's strings are but they are excellent value for money and I figured they should be right for it and I'm happy with them

Steve we are living parallel lives. Sennheiser 935's and AKG D5's are what I've ended up with. I think you'll like the 935's. They are actually similar sounding to the AKG D5's but the D5's are incredibly directional and I can't keep my head still enough when I'm playing bass, great sounding for the money though. That's a great price for the Sennie's too, way less than I paid a couple of years ago. The only alternative I'd have recommended without going to silly money would be the D5C's, AKG have bought out a cardioid version of the D5 which wasn't available when I bought my 935. Haven't had a chance to try one yet but I love the sound of the D5 so if it provided that sound but was more tolerant of a hyperactive bass player it would be very interesting. My other mic? An EV 757 PS for anyone looking at the Behringer, it's OK we did an A/B with an sm58 years ago and it possibly sounds better (but not by much) but it's supercardioid and has worse handling noise, ours needed a wire resoldering which had been cut too short in the factory straining the soldered connection but otherwise it seemed pretty solid.

Personally, I have very good experience with responding kindly, politely and with humour, pointing out to them that there's a worrying pattern, and asking them to see it from my side if they can. IME, genuine customers will see and admit this, and do something reassuring. YMMV.

Back in the days of cheques, we were all giving our bank details away to stangers whenever we wrote a cheque. There's no scam in that respect. PP, yes ... but they're not involved. The only thing i would say to anyone coming to your house to pick up pricey equipment, is that you will only let one person into your home. If they turn up with more than one, they stay outside in the car.

@Planemo That's a nightmare to have such a major fault on a brand new bass, but I'm glad you finally got it sorted. Great job fitting the extension - it really makes the Steinberger a giggable bass where before the ergonomics of the bass were, for me anyway, very uncomfortable. Feel free to use my design if you want to. I just cut myself a template from a Cornflakes box (very hi-tec. ) to check and refine the shape and new strap position until I got a design I was happy with. I started out thinking I would need much thicker carbon fibre. I considered 10mm but quickly found out that carbon fibre is very strong. I hope you get as much use and enjoyment from your modified Steinberger as I do. It's the perfect campervan and small pub gig bass. I can do small gigs with the Steinberger, Barefaced one10 and GK MB200 amp. How's that for lightweight and minimal? 😉 Frank.

Bienvenue 😎🇫🇷

Sounds great. All you've got to do now is choose the colour!! And there are a few to choose from. They and great basses and the new ones are even better. Here's my latest.

This is my great, great uncle; Webster Booth.

I don't get this Pro/Semi Pro/Amateur musician distinction. How you earn your income has nothing to do with your muscicianship. I wouldn't normally call a record producer a musician, but Nile Rodgers doesn't become a lesser musician when he's producing records does he?

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, withour very own @Etienne on bass. Very good they were too

Reminds me of the little girl hearing a Toad near a pond : "Hey, I'm a musician, I've been cursed by a witch, just kiss me, I'll become normal again and marry you …". Then the girl just puts him in her Pocket, and goes away, saying "I'll earn way more money with a speaking Toad".

All went good! :

I do the neck carve over two or three days. I do the carve with a combination of templates - based on profile drawings I got the prospective owner to take off his favourite playing bass - and feel. The bit that takes the longest, usually, is the heel where the feel of the transition is what matters most. However, when you do things by feel, I find it helps if you come back to it from time to time when your hand has forgotten the shape and is re-sensitised. I’m pleased, though, with the first day’s progress. First, I cut a stiff plasticard template from the measurements sent. It's based on a Lakland 44-64 and it's interesting that it's very subtly asymmetric. The closest equivalent I can think of is a Stevie Ray Vaughan 6 string electric : As with @eude's, I use a spokeshave for the very early bulk removal: But quickly move over to microplane and cabinet scrapers to give me a much more controllable cut: This is the result of the first stage: It’s getting relatively close to the template shapes but, more to the point, it is starting to feel right. You can see why I leave the back carve to late in the process. If I get it right, the neck radius will smoothly disappear as the player progresses into the full body thickness at the upper frets. This is the demarcation you get from doing that slightly odd back-to front-binding. It looks great when you add luminlay black-surround side dots in the middle

Polytune.

Sweeper

(Just for clarity, my “effectively zero” is about 0.03ms I reckon, assuming that the cable is pretty efficient and the signal is close to SOL)

Great monitors.Take them away. One has blown the preamp, I think as someone plugged a bass directly into the monitor. Shouldn't cost a lot to fix. The other is good. A few small scratches. If known wants them I'm gonna throw them away.

Coming up at the end of November at Aintree Racecourse. I go to this and its sister show at Hadock Park every year. Thay are a good day out, plenty of kit, yep there are usually quite a few of our beloved 4 stringers, with live acts, and just about edible food. http://www.guitarshows.co.uk/ARPages/Merseyside.html

Why not? In the right context it sounds fantastic...