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Decided it was time to treat myself to a new bass 😀, and what’s the point of that if I don’t share it with like-minded individuals. The look takes a little getting used to, but the comfort and finishing is top notch! The sound is very classy. Less agressive than my SR1200, and not as mellow as my 004. Much happiness.

Rather wonderful, actually. I began playing the nyckelharpa in 2015, and started attending a regular Scandinavian music session held in a room over a pub. Over the xmas period, we temporarily relocated to a room above a different pub, as our usual venue was booked up with parties. The lovely people at this second pub (which also regularly hosts gigs) then asked our session organizer to put on a monthly evening of Scandi music in the main bar for the regular punters, with a smaller group of players than regularly attend the session (which can get quite large and a bit ramshackle at times, with maybe 15-20 people of all levels of ability). Last night was the first one. I expressed an interest, and to my surprise (most of the session people are way better than me) I was invited along to play. I switched between playing nyckelharpa and percussion, as my repertoire on the harpa is fairly limited, and unlike the other players, I'm not up to sight-reading the tunes. The pub cleared a table for us in a corner of the bar, and we sat around it and played for over 2 hours. The other performers (there were eight of us altogether) are all really good, and also lovely people. Being a part of that performance, playing music I cared about with musicians I like, respect and admire, was a joyous thing indeed. The audience was small, but appreciative, and I went home through the snow with a feeling of great satisfaction.

0-0-0-1 I'm not in a band, but I've still fallen out with the guitarist.

In our secret mountaintop admin/mod headquarters the other evening, the 19th century cognac and Cuban cigars were on the go following our usual 7-course banquet** when one of my colleagues used an altogether different and rather, errm, earthier epithet than 'twerps'. I dare not repeat the word here, but suffice it to say that it was of such vehemence that charic nearly choked on a truffle and Silvia fainted. ** you didn't really think the marketplace subs were being spent on software upgrades, surely?

I wasn't in anyway, as I'm planning some experiments with strings this year, but my band (after last night's gig) seem to be heading for the collective purchase of at least a small mixer and some monitors. The good thing about that is that we've reached a level where we need them 🙂

OK fellow bass players. I've just done my first update of 2019 and uploaded a new batch of 30 bass transcriptions to the website. I've also made a few improvements to a handful of the existing ones. They are all completely FREE for you to download or view - please help yourselves. http://tomreadbass.co.uk To see which the new charts are, type "Feb 2019" into the search box! We've got new bass transcriptions for Jefferson Starship, Mumford & Sons, Manic Street Preachers, Ocean Colour Scene, Deep Blue Something, Simon & Garfunkel, Green Day, Blur, Killers, Coldplay and many more! We're now up to 651 free bass transcriptions - the biggest resource of its kind in the world. I found out yesterday that bass tutors around the world are using my site for learning resources for their students! I thought that was rather cool. Please do share this information, and let your fellow bassists know about this resource.

Well, I'm still in, and it's definitely important that I don't spend anything on gear, because I've just made a mockery of the whole thing by buying this: and also booking it in to have all the race parts swapped over from my other mini. So it seems like if I save money on one thing, that just creates a kind of pressure that makes me spend it on something different. If I'd have sworn not to spend any money on cars presumably I would now be negotiating the purchase of a nice Gyrocopter or something similarly daft.

Poor Silvia! You want to be careful with all that fine dining & whatnot - gout is a harsh mistress! Also, I hope the cigars were partaken on the verandah, rather than in the dining room. Mods HQ is defined a workplace in The Management of Health & Safety in the Workplace Regulations (1999). 😛

When I glanced down the topic list a few seconds ago, I read this as "2019 Gear Absinthe Challenge". I think I need a holiday.

1-0-0-1, if I'm being particularly hard on myself.

You hear horror stories about folks getting bits of gear nicked, in some cases entire van-loads. I myself was deprived of everything except my bass and amp many years ago by some lightfingered scumbag. So just in case, I have for some time been keeping a continually-updated Word document list of all my items of musical equipment worth over £50. There's a tabulated list of everything, with full descriptions and serial numbers and distinguishing features etc., plus some pages of photos. An example photo page is below, again with attention drawn to serial numbers and distinguishing marks. It takes a bit of time and care putting it together, but I think it's worth it because you never know. Does anyone else do anything like this, or am I alone in my paranoia?

4-0-0-3, but then again we're called The Rickenbackers (as the other three guys have the surname Hall) 😐

I have been involved with PAT testing since about 1990 and could relate many horror stories. Death or injury by electrocution is horrible and avoidable. I urge all BC'ers not to be negligent. http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/faq-portable-appliance-testing.htm

Our first Real Gig - as in, advertised on Facebook, and we had to set up for ourselves and got to do a soundcheck! (As opposed to om slots where we just had to walk up and plug in to the house band's rig.) Preparation a bit fraught, as the duo who were supposed to open for us had split up a few days before over the attitude of one of them to the venue organiser, so we had to make a well-rehearsed one-hour setlist last for two hours. It went well though. The Old Abbey Taphouse in south Mcr is a tiny place and most of the space is given to the band, so 15-20 people were a crowd! We don't have our own full rig yet, so the mics went through the house PA, and keys, two guitars, and bass each through our own amp. The drums were the drums... Despite that, the sound quality and balance were pretty good. First time I've taken my little Markbass 500 combo out to a proper venue, and it held its own really well in the mix 🙂 We were all nervous before, but as soon as we started playing we just remembered how much we love playing together, and it really flew. The "crowd" were obviously really into it too, and we've been asked back. Venue looked after us really well, an excellent night and looking forward to more to come.

Well, based on the fact that he didn't, then I'd have to say definitely not. However, based on him saying "Of course, you may disagree with some of my reasoning and want to tweak your bass in some way or another, which I hope you do." on his website I'd have to say he kind of gives his blessing.

No repeat bookings?

My tech guy said that when you get asked for your test certificates, always ask the venue for their certificate proving the electric supply to the stage is tested and safe. You may be surprised at the outcome I think....😉

I should totally do this but with the amount of GAS on here, I’d be updating daily😂

Shhhhh. All of the mods are wonderful, they do a difficult and dangerous job with little recognition and deserve what small comforts they can get. I would vote for them all to be King. Or Queen in at least one case.

Fair do's, he's not too bad ^^^^ 👍 Nice to get a glimpse of what the "illuminati" get up to. 😁

Oh, always with the 'it was Teebs!' I'm always in trouble!

I assumed the subs were going on boiler suits for the minions and golf carts for getting about the place. I'm just a little depressed that they're not. I assume we came into the conversation because it was our bedtime and none of you wanted to read us a story? But whatever we've done wrong, it was Teebs...

Great combination

If this gets out you'll be the first person to have their patio decking burgled.

I heard it from you! 😁

I resemble that remark!

Luckily , i wont be leaving the bass out in the weather. Then again, i have never seen a silvery grey bass body. Might be an option for another build in the future. Just leave it outside for a few years - voila !

I see what you mean. Darn it. Been sold the wrong ones. They said Precision but hey ho. Ah well, next time I'm in Guandong I'll take them back!

Topical one for me just now... 4/5 months ago my answer would have been 4-4-0-0. Today it's closer to 4-1-0-2. And yes, it's the same band. Change likely afoot...

1-1-0-0 THE BUCK STOPS WITH ME

OK, so you're a double act. He's old, you're annoying. 😜

We have this sorted now. Bring them down whenever you want, as long as it's during the working week.

I can't really help you, but just wanted to chime in to say hope the gig is good, I love Susan Tedeschi's (singing) voice and love her hubby's slide playing. It should be something that gets boring to me very quickly, but not with him. Massively jealous!

Opeth - Sorceress

They Shall Not Grow Old was absolutely superb! I'd even go as far as to say one of the greatest televisual experiences I've ever had. It gave a humanity and reality to WW1 that I've never come close to experiencing before with any other documentary I've ever seen. If you haven't already seen it. Please watch it. If the Beatles thing is only one tenth as good it'll still be the greatest music documentary ever made. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

A SS amp can stand an open circuit at the output but a valve amp has to see a load equivalent to the minimum Ohmage of the amp head. If not, the output transformer can fry.

That'll do me. Does she play bass or ride a bike ?

Daddy ran away with the milkman. I am your NEW daddy. Give me a hug. Or else.

BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz: "Ah divvent ner where yu nicked this from pal, but ah rert it originally, laike. Did yu steal wor quote?"

I may be incapacitated for a while...

Epic fail on at least two levels. 1. Define 'best' - best chops, best playing for the song, best songwriting...? Get promptly mired in controversy. 2. Last time I checked, people don't play bass with their genitals, therefore 'female bassist' is as relevant as 'gay bassist' or 'black bassist.'

*edited title* Follow this link. A friend has just turned me on to this Musicians Hearing Health Scheme https://www.hearformusicians.org.uk/

So me and the lady took a trip to Bass Direct this morning, went with my Ibanez SR1705B-NT to part exchange, wasn’t really playing it anymore and have grown tired of the shape of I’m honest. I went with an open mind but had a few basses in mind that I wanted to try: Mayones Jabba Classic Dirtyburst Mayones Prestige 4 Classic. Two very different basses, one being a Jazz style setup and the other with Dual coils and neck through Wenge construction. Got into Bass Direct to have a very warm greeting and Ashley sat me down with the basses I had pointed out while he sorted my Ibanez part ex stuffs. Tried both acoustically, both lovely instruments but immediately trying the Jabba acoustically I had decided it just wasn’t for me. The prestige however with the neck through Wenge/Padauk & swamp ash w/ quilt maple top was just sublime. Acoustically that bass had sustain only bestowed by gods. Harmonics just jumped out of it. I tried it through a Genz amp setup and it sounded fantastic, very versatile and definitely a usable EQ, people seem to complain about the Prestige Classic not having coil split ability but it didn’t really fuss me. Anyway I was loving just sitting noodling to myself messing with the EQ, however my partner had also seen a Satin Blueburst NYC Sadowsky Deluxe on the website that she was bugging me to try. I owned a MV5 for years and loved it but stupidly traded it to another BC’er who gave me a load of BS about how he missed it etc then moved it on within two weeks. So I asked Ashley if I could try the NYC, he took it down and left it with me to get to know, immediately I understood “that moment” that most musicians talk about, yano the moment where you find “the right one”. I just started smiling all over and huffing because I’d fallen for something moderately expensive. Harmonics and chords just came so fluid and it sounded crystal clear even with the EQ flat, weighed next to nothing because the body was chambered and had no sticky lacquer for me to deal with. Lex (my fiancé) instantly saw the look on my face and knew that I’d fallen in love with it...So the Ibanez went as part ex and Lex looked at me and said “that’s the one isn’t it, you’re getting it!” She treated me to something I never dreamt I’d own. So I’m feeling a very lucky man to have someone who knows how to read me so well and supports me in my passion for music and playing bass. I’d just like to thank Mark and Ashley (Marcus wasn’t in, but if you’re reading this, thanks Marcus!) at Bass Direct for being so welcoming and sorting me out with the basses I had in mind to try, loved chatting and talking all things bass!

Plays as good as it looks, first Ibby tried a few cheaper ones in past and they felt a bit lightweight and a bit like, for want of a better word toys, tried the natural coloured one in Gear4 in york and thought having this, but had to be the Mojito which looks a bit like a chocolate lime sweet. Been playing on it since i got home.