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I found a couple of photos recently which I thought I’d share, I don’t know if they might be of interest to any of you. It’s my dad, Martyn Gibson, who played bass in the early sixties, before marriage and fatherhood took over. Dad played in a band in Stafford from 1963 to 1965, initially they were called The Countdowns, later The Sneakers, and they played originals and covers, a bit of RnB (Ray Charles etc). They played all around the Midlands. They supported Johnny Kidd and The Pirates, and often played with a band from Leicester who went one to become some of Showaddywaddy. My dad’s first bass was (possibly) a Hagstrom PB-24-G; from my research they were also branded Kent and Selmer but he can’t remember and the headstock isn’t visible in order to identify it properly, but as The Beatles became popular he splashed out on a Hofner 500/1. The shop in Stafford (H.E.Parkes & Sons of St Marys Gate, Stafford) ordered it direct from Hofner in Germany with a hard case for forty pounds (or guineas, he can’t remember). How I wish he’d kept it! He had a Vox amp (didn’t everyone then?) but he can’t remember exactly which model.

recorded at Homefire studios Harrogate. Please feel free to comment weather you like it or not,all feedback is very welcome, I love my bass tone on here,it really kicks derrière & DI'd straight to the desk from my Darkglass AOU If you live in the Harrogate are you can check us out at Bilton Working mens club this evening cheers

If Amazon has a translate function for user reviews, it was set to 'bonkers' on this day. I am none the wiser from this review that it is actually a Tanglewood acoustic guitar.

Probably a chance to stretch their arms, let the muscles relax for a moment

A quick mock up of what I'm thinking at the moment (can always change....)

Same here - nearly. I have a video (well, several actually) of me wandering round the house, pointing at bits of kit, hifi, computers and pretty much anything of value. Viewing them back now, I wish I’d been a) sober, b) coherent and c) fully clothed. i should take a leaf out of Rich and Teebs’ book and create a spreadsheet. But I probably won’t...

A short video from Ed Friedland aka the bass whisperer popped up on my YouTube feed this morning telling us he's going to be posting again after a gap of a few years and will be contributing to the new BassMagazine.com online you guessed it which appears to be the US staff from Bass Player set up on their own away from the corporate magazine world doing what they always did. No idea yet what a sub will cost as that page is still under construction but there's some articles posted to get you interested in what is to come. SylviaBluejay will probably know more

Pretty much what I was going to say! FFS what an inane topic for a thread...

In your pipe and smoke it.

If 'friends' includes 'family', it's been 5400 with our lot since formation. There have been a few changes in membership over the decades, but the formula has always been this way. Just lucky, I guess, or we're all easy-going, maybe. Band politics..? Nah, life's (far...) too short.

Well NB couple of Days if truth be told. Vintage Icon VJ74 (Jazz) and Vintage Reissued V4 (Precision) acquired within a few days of each other via the well known auction site. I'm almost exclusively a P-Bass player but I really like the look of the VJ74 from its photos, the price was good and I didn't have to travel far to collect. I've not been disappointed, it's brilliant. Previous owner had it set up spot on as well so I've not had to touch it. The V4 is a bit of a mystery. It's not the Tony Butler and I've only seen the maple neck on the white body. I can only speculate what may have happened, if anyone knows I'd be pleased to hear it? This one is going to need a bit of work to get playing right. But at a total spend of £295 plus a bit of diesel for the two I'm not complaining!

Whilst I love my '71 Precision, I wanted something a tiny bit more solid (it can be a little rickety), but mostly I've wanted a C width neck P-bass for a while. Lakland was the obvious choice for me (owning a couple already), so last year I ordered and paid for a 44-64. It arrived a day before I left for NAMM typically, so I've only just plugged it in (sounds awesome) and it's first gig will be this weekend. La Bella were also brilliant and sent over a set of 760FS flats over to Lakland for me, simply so I could have them setup at factory, rather than redo it all when it arrived. It joins my US 44-94 custom passive P/J & my upgraded 55-01. Cheers Si

It’s getting bloody worse! I got a phone call from the student loans company on Friday afternoon. Apparently I’m due a refund because I finally paid my loan off in April 2018 without knowing, so I’m due a refund of 9 months worth of payments. It is like the universe wants me to buy stuff! I think I will manage to hold off. Played my Walkabout again today, it is still awesome.

I think I was guilty of doing this until my brief period of playing Thunderbird basses. The neck dive into my pints cured me.

Exactly this with me, arthritis in my hands so it helps to drop my hand and let it rest a bit, and besides, it's usually only for a few seconds. I also suffer from shoulder problems, so again, it helps to ease the pain. Why do some people stop and have a rest when they are walking? there's usually a reason why they do.

We're cooler the less we try imho. Just get up and play bass. Coolest thing in the world 🙂

We NEVER have to try to be cool.

That's why I do it.

'And the winner of this year's Campaign for Plain English Award goes to...'

I've had a bit of a splurge on amps... I tend to go through fits and starts with this kind of thing and this last week has been a busy week of amp intakes! I picked up an Eden Metro 2x12 from here a week ago, I forgot how truly awesome these beasts are! Though they weigh the same as a small star... fantastic 'Rock' sound out of these... I also bought a PJB M300 and 8B cab, I truly love these cabs (already have an 8B cab I use with my MarkBass), probably the best sounding and most versatile cab I've played through. I wasn't so impressed with M300, a great sounding amp but a bit underpowered for me. And thirdly, after a partial trade with the aforementioned M300, I took delivery of two Aguilar DB112 cabs and a Tone Hammer 500. This is a superb rig, the head is remarkably light and powerful, the tone is varied and the EQ very useful. A top little rig. After getting rid of the M300 head, I used the 8B cab along side my other 8B cab and my MarkBass Multiamp Mono, this is simply excellent. Light, VERY powerful and hugely versatile, all the effects you could possible want and all controlled by a midi pedal that weights about 12 grams. Love this rig! So that's my current amp line up, the Aggie rigs the PJB/MB rig and the Eden combo. A great cross section of the amp world, all with their own merits but all fantasies things! No more amps for me for a while!

While it's a bit cold out, I'm doing the parts of this that I can get away with at the dining room table! I've cut all the frets to the right size and nipped off the ends of the tang. This will allow me to fill the ends of the fret slots to match the fretboard rather than having the slot visible. I've done this on all basses that I've made as I think it looks neater. Next task is to shape the neck - I enjoy this bit and I'm hoping it turns out as well as the last one to satisfy my engineering side! I'm looking at installing a single EMG J pickup in this. I think that will sound pretty good but will also leave the maximum amount of the buckeye showing. This is the first time I have used buckeye and really like the look of it so much so I ordered another piece for a bass but the delivery company lost it!! I'm in the process of sorting the replacement but that's for another project....

Finally managing to find some time to get on with this!! I've been itching to get on with this for a while but other more important things needed doing first. The first of these basses was 800mm (31.5") scale which was dictated by the length of the strings. The second one is going to have a slightly shorter scale length and I'm going to swap things about here a little and fit the original neck on the spalted beech body and make a new neck for the walnut bodied one. I've looked at string lengths, particularly between ball end and silk, of some short scale LaBella nylons and some D'Addario chromes which has determined rather than 762mm (30") scale the neck would need to be 750mmm (29.5") scale to suit the bridge layout how I currently have it. I've made a bass before at 750mm scale and that was really nice to play so I don't see any issues here (hopefully..!). First step is to create a new neck template in the same style as the previous one. As I'm fitting this to the previous body I'm keeping the neck tape the same as the previous neck, it will just be a bit shorter. The only affect this has is to make the neck marginally (about 1mm) wider at the nut. I've ordered a truss rod and nut to suit and now I'm just waiting for it to warm up a bit so I can go into the garage to work on this!

Ha ha something similar for me back in the nineties. Guitarist and me had a bust up on stage and I did the "it's me or him " strop afterwards.... They chose me. Interestingly a couple of years later I answered an ad for a bass player needed and it was him. He told me to audition anyway as it would be a band decision and he thought that I would be a good fit ( very decent of him I thought). I went ,full of trepidation and got the gig! we did a lot of function band stuff on the military basses here and in Germany but after a year or so his "gutarishness ( 😉 )" re -surfaced and every one fell out with him again...we just replaced him and his singer girlfriend and carried on😎 I have left my bass propped up against a wall a few times. always got it back, though once it was an anxious overnight wait until a guy who followed the band rang to say he had it...he'd found it on his way out of the venue!

Take your pills, HJ; take your pills. ...

I’d be as frustrated absolutely. But I was trying to put things into perspective. It seems well known that there was some design flaws earlier in the product development that maybe they are over now. They are are one of the rare Brit offerings in cabs that are respected home and abroad so I just don’t think the are that bad. Players like Messrs Wobble, Watt, Commerford are happy to take them out on the road. But, publicly airing customer service disputes is a risky business and risks brand damage. Maybe there a more suitable ways to handle this kind of situation. Anyway like I said earlier my personal experience has been very good. But perhaps it is time to review the customer service business model and take it to the next level to do their excellent product - imho 🙂 - justice.

Quickest solution would just be to do some identity theft and become Rich ... that way everything's already done for you.

... or even a big one!

That's how I look upon it. I don't have many 'friends' - people with whom I would discuss any aspect of my life, turn to in times of need or be there if they needed someone. I guess other people look at their Facebook account and see that they have hundreds.

Preface: I’ve always wanted a mustang bass in a pale blue / green. When they announced that they would be producing it in Sonic Blue my heart lept and with memories of the Sonic Blue Jagstang in mind, I went as quick as my hatchback could take me to the music shop to try it out. The spotty Saturday child proudly handed me the bass, proclaiming “Sonic Blue” in his squeaky voice. “Sorry Son, this might be your first day, but this is Olympic White”. He then handed me the Olympic White one, or was that the blue? They looked the same, far too pale. My tail drooped and I left the shop. My Dream Bass: 2018 arrives and I notice Fender release an overpriced Seafoam Green Mustang. It’s not the green / blue I wanted, so I start getting quotes to buy a new one and have it refinished in the colour I had in mind. While surfing the web for colour codes I spot it…my dream colour. And hang on….it’s on a mustang bass, and it’s for sale from an actual shop! Seconds later, it’s added to the cart and I hit check out. So end of story? No. The retailer says that they aren’t willing to ship the item outside of the U.S as they “won’t be to promise their usual high level of customer service”. I mail them, offering them whatever costs they need to send it, with the promise I won’t cause a fuss. They still refuse. Even more angering is the fact that this is an exclusive deal with Fender – They are the only shop in the world allowed to sell this bass and they wont ship it to me. I’m not willing to fly to Indiana. So the story ends. Against All Odds: A glass of wine or seven later (that’s only one in dog glasses) I have an idea and fire up Google maps. I find where Sweetwater are based and start looking for pawn shops / secondhand music shops in the area on the slim chance someone has part exchanged one. Highly unlikely as they have only been out a few months - Then the unthinkable happens…I spot one. I mail them asking about it, they respond within minutes explaining that it had a ding in the back, and the shop selling them could no way put that on the shop floor as an exclusive, so let him have it. He attached a photo of the tiny ding. For the princely sum of £120 he would courier it 3,875 miles to my front door. Done and Done. Customs: Five days later I get a phone call “Hello Mr Smith, it’s Customs and Excise here”. They had my guitar at the airport, it’s now only 30 miles away from me. They’re concerned that the fretboard is Rosewood (its not), and that it will need certification. They ask me to put it in writing that it is not rosewood, and that if I lie it’s a criminal offence etc. As she hangs up I swear her mutter something about Leroy getting a new twink for his cell. Hours later the same number pops up on my phone, the lady is a bit more chirpy and thanks me for my confirmation. “And it’s just the extra tax to pay before we can release it”. What? Why did no one mention the 20% import tax! I finish reading out my credit card number through gritted teeth. “Thank you Mr Smith, now I just need to take our admin fee for that transaction”. Arrival: The next day I hear the postman whistling as he walks down the path, I run to the door, tail wagging. Instead of something the size of a bass he hands me a box about the size of a pizza box. Minutes later I get a call from the customs lady, “We’ve tested your neck, and it’s not rosewood, we can now release it”. Oh FFS! “We just need to take the import fee for this oh and our admin fee”. For the next 24 hours I made suggestions about what she should do with the neck, that I won’t repeat here. Then I hear the whistling from the path… Like some sort of weird sommelier the postman is holding the neck like a posh bottle of wine, or the world cup. I bolt everything together, string it (hybrids) strap lock it (new Schaller S types) and it plays like a dream. Would I do it again? Not sure. But I now have my dream bass.

A bit of finesse needed around the pickups, and the treble horn, but from scratch...not bad. Our very own @TimAlis a patient genius.

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.

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....😉

You can buy the stickers online https://www.google.com/search?q=buy+pat+test+stickers&oq=buy+pattest&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l3.6932j1j7&client=ms-android-h3g-gb&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

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

My virginity! Best gig ever!

My dignity.

And here’s a publicity shot of the aforementioned:

At the risk of being pedantic, your hand is still on the neck.

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?

I love doing this, why do you find it irritating?

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

JMB and all the rest are full of blagging numpties. No different to dating websites. Profiles seem excellent till you meet up and find out that " good looking " advertiser has a face like a bag of smashed crabs. Better to be truthful upfront and stop wasting there's and your time. Besides, some people would be attracted to smashed crabs, if truth were told.