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Which is exactly how it should be! He decided he didn't want to play the music demanded by one audience, so he went out to find an audience who liked the same material as he enjoyed playing. Result, happy musician, happy audience. What annoys me is when musicians hate the music that their audience wants to hear, and yet they are unwilling to go an find a different audience, so the musician ends up calling the audience Philistines, and musically uneducated, and less discerning listeners. Go out and find a different audience. If you can't be bothered, then you are at fault, not the audience.

Vocalists. Bloody vocalists. That is all.

Told to me by a guitarist who played with a singer from the 60's, who had number 1 hits. This guy was an alcoholic and always got whizzed before the gig. One night he excelled himself and drank his supply and the green room dry. The band used to play the first number without him and then played him on. To get to the stage he had to walk down a flight of stairs. He got about half way before he started to fall. He was hanging on to the bannisters and doing a partially controlled tumble down the final flight. As he staggered down stage to the mic stand the band noticed (in horror) that during this entrance he'd plopped himself and a massive brown stain was spreading all over the back of his white trousers.

Sorry, we don't just close threads in a whim

Yes, it does happen sometimes, but when I then remember again, I just play my part from the very beginning but slightly faster, always making sure that I'm back in sync again just before the song finishes. Sadly not everyone in the band understands or appreciates this very demanding and highly musical approach, but I think they too will develop given time. I know the singer will. In fact she's already come far!

Well.... I find it hard to see Delano’s as being dead (you may have had a duff set), big chance it could be a dead instrument - did the sound change with a pick up change? So all in sandberg made basses..... I have played Delano’s in a VS, VM, 48, VT, TT. I’ve played original Sandberg pick ups in a VS and a MarloweDK (passive) Haussels in a TT (passive) Black labels in a TT and TM2 Now this pick up is very subjective, for example plenty like but I do not like turdstrand pick ups, but as a generalisation. Delano - yes more hifi, but not sterile in anyway, transparent in a good way with plenty of oomph. Haussel - Little German manufacturer, verry meaty and quite hot mid focussed jazz pick up, neck solo’d it’s as close to a P as a jazz pick up will get. Old Sandberg - more vintage sounding, less output, very very nice pick ups. Especially nice if you like pedals with preamps in as they are hot enough to be good on their own, but not too hot that they do not then fight with a pedal to over power it if that makes sense. Very easy to sculpt a sound. Black labels - blew my socks off - it’s like the Old Sandberg’s with More chutzpah, very punchy, great sound - sort of like all the best bits of the aforementioned ones rolled into a pick up. Played a TM2 before and after - transformed it. There is a basic guide - I would go for it, I think they are great. Happy for a PM if you want to further dissect the discussion.

Few yrs ago i was in a band that was playing Doobie Brothers style with some really nice bass runs to enjoy also did Steamy Windows of Tina Turner fame. The bass line was really simple but i just loved playing that song. The energy you could produce with that song just gave me a fantastic boost. One of those "happy" songs. Dave

Crikey, sorry to hear that mate. I hope you won't hesitate to use the feedback option, last time I had a bad experience here - and left negative feedback as the result - it was rather frustrating to receive PMs from a couple of members indicating that they'd had the same experience although had not left any feedback that could have prevented me losing my money. The feedback system works as an incentive to do things properly, but only if people use it when things go wrong. Hope you get it sorted. Chris

The P is definitely the best shape for standing up on the floor and leaning against things without falling over.

Being as the site owns the thread, would they be interested in selling it on? Best price guaranteed, ready cash, we collect, no hassle, no quibble.

On the plus side you get to see my lovely bass 3 times 👍

Might as well go out in style. My exit was a damp squib of a straight trade

The only trouble is that in the 8 years since I did this one, I've never seen another piece of walnut veneer the right size with this same pattern! I sold to the bass to a Nepalese Buddhist who played in a heavy metal band and was 'drawn spiritually' to it (really). Admittedly a niche market...

There you go!

Just stating facts, s'all. And I can't remember what I had for breakfast last Sunday, so four and a half years... Peace. Edit: I'm minded of a delightful anecdote from John Aubrey's 'Brief Lives' concerning memory... 'This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to Travell, 7 yeares. On his returne the Queen welcomed him home, and sayd, My Lord, I had forgott the Fart.'

Stinky poo?? My first post that's been obscenity filtered! Hurrah! 🙂

Blimey. I'm guessing he didn't go on to a wildly successful solo career after the band split? This isn't quite on the same scale, but despite several weeks off after the Xmas period, the keyboard player in a function band I play with announced that he didn't want to rehearse any more, apart from a couple of times just before gigs to refresh his memory, as he put it. As the band only just took on a new guitarist, the rest of us tried to point out that wasn't practical, especially as the said keyboard player was not up to speed himself, regularly going blank in the middle of songs, despite being in the band for over a year. He then proceeded to lecture the rest of us via WhatsApp about how much work he had put in, and how it was totally unreasonable to expect someone of his musical calibre to spend his hard-earned money on rehearsal if there wasn't an imminent gig to offset said outlay. No other bands he knew of worked like this, he went on, and as he gained his "musical satisfaction" elsewhere, he didn't need to "rehearse for fun" like the rest of us! In response, we took a slightly firmer position than perhaps he might have expected, pointing out that we would rehearse anyway, get another keyboard player to come down and help out, and that if the dep knew the set, we were far more likely to call him first when gigs went in the book. There then followed furious back-pedalling (again via WhatsApp) from Dr Dentures about how much we needed him to help with organisation, video editing, and "general musicality". I'm not sure how he thought that last point was going to win any friends, but suffice to say it went down like a cup of cold sick. He followed it up by warning that "an all-or-nothing approach would be making it hard for ourselves going forward"! Bloody keyboard players. They know they're hard to come by, so too often act like prima donnas. Bass players don't seem to suffer from this sort of bizarre egotism to anything like the same degree. Maybe I should form a band of only bass players... I know it's been done already, but it would be good for my mental health...

I've got a pile of Genz gear because of him!

Jeez Warren, why are you hanging around pal? You’ve been after one with a February stamp for ages Youre wife is awesome It’s dot and bound its got lollipops its in great condition. You just sold that car... I’ll call you the taxi myself for when you leave the abstinence club. Give Andy my regards while you’re there 🤣

I have to join in this one because I’m new and my girl is a beauty. 1973 model all original apart from knobs, nut and scratch plate which we’re missing or different when I bought her for a bargain. Bruised and battered but is just fantastic, recorded and toured with her and never ever let me down. Now she’s out of retirement for a bit. 👍

So here's a story for you. I am a music teacher at a secondary school here in Amsterdam. About five minutes walking from the school is a pawn shop, which occasionally sells guitars, mostly cheap knockoffs and old Cimars, Sigmas and the likes. I was checking out the Dutch marketplace website for acoustic guitars and there was a Fender guitar which I wanted to get (nylon strings but a slim neck, perfect for my students). And then I saw it: they were selling a G&L SB-2 for a little over €200. I thought: wow, a Tribute SB-2 for 200? That's a great deal. So I walked to the store and checked out the bass. It wasn't a Tribute. It was a 90's era USA SB-2! The neck was very hollow but not warped and it had some stickers on it. I even got a discount because it's damaged (it has some damage on the finish). This is how I got it: After a good clean, new strings, new pickguard screws and the likes, it now looks like this: I have to wait what the neck will do overnight. Hopefully it'll settle a little bit so it's more playable, but the whole bass works, the pots are silent and that MFD split coil is freakin' loud! Now, there's one more question: how can I date it? I've had the neck off and I can read "Jun 13 xxxxx" but the xxxxx is unreadable for me, I also can't read the date in the neck pocket.

Listened to this earlier after a while of hearing it, apart from being such a fantastic record, the bass playing is so great. Fits the feel of Eltons song so well. Holds the groove perfectly and and plays such great passing notes between the roots, as well as the subtle 16th notes now and again.

They're here, thanks to @Lozz196 Just placed them, no holes yet...

Today I think this - the Jazz is good. But the P is gooder. (see what I did there, Ricky?)

Realistically, we'll be looking at interest before looking too hard at bags and the like! Timeframe? Well, put it like this, both myself and Nick are chomping at the bit to be the recipients of the first two off the production line so we are somewhat focused! I don't think we'll ever put anything out that we don't think is right. We are having lots of conversations to make sure everything is absolutely spot on.

Another huge Dee Murray fan here!

This thread has made me dig out 17-11-70. Just a simple trio, beautifully mixed and recorded, absolutely full of energy. I love the sound of Dee Murray’s honky J bass on this, clear as a bell but still ballsy and never getting in EJ’s way. I don’t think EJ was ever better.

Me too! Streamliner and Uber 212 And a Music Man Big Al 5 because of this video:

Agreed. They're not very good at playing in a pub covers band. I'm definitely the least musically talented/technically capable person in the band. I've enjoyed learning basslines to reggae, soul, funk, soft-rock, pop, indie, and country songs. I'm sure that I don't play the bassline exactly as per the original on any song, but what I do play works well enough for where we play, and what I play fits the vibe of the original song. In my experience of covers bands, that's a where many people lose the plot - they don't learn their parts because they're more interested in playing their instruments than playing the song. When our lead guitarist reins himself in, he can play very tasteful licks and solos, and the result is sublime. But he's bored by that.

Ricky in his new T-shirt!

Oh yes, blame Teebs!

Hear hear. 👍 It's a nasty habit, and Teebs is one of the worst offenders. 😁

I’ve got the SCR-DI which is that plus a scrambler overdrive. I like it - it does a passable SVT ish tone and certainly adds something. The scrambler not so much..

That's beautiful. I couldn't get away with playing something like that - I'd look ridiculous - but it's awesome.

Snap. Amazing basses.

I do it all the time at rehersals. I usually just shoot daggers at the guitarist so everyone else thinks he's playing the wrong chords. 😂

My philosophy is, when in doubt..........play nowt.

Sometimes, the flakey vocalist is the reason the band is a draw - unpredictable, outrageous, entertaining, etc. But they are always 100% difficult to work with - unreliable, no concept of time or logistics, won't learn lyrics, insist on bringing equally flakey partner to rehearsals etc. It's a balancing act. Along time ago, a new band i was in got a support slot at a local theatre with a semi name band as headliners. The show was running very late due to PA problems so there was only time to play five songs, and this had been made perfectly clear to us before we started,. So after five songs the band left the stage but singer refused, and proceeded to give the stunned and silent sit down audience a five minute lecture about how he was going to be the biggest star in the whole world, ever, and no one would tell him when the show was over. He was eventually physically 'removed' from the stage by two roadies from the headline band. It was just about the most embarrassing five minutes of my life, and of course, the end of the band.

I got a double bass into my Smart car last year. The new windscreen was only £75.

I haven't even come up with a name for my kids yet. I just call them kid 1 and kid 2. Kid 1 is away at university now.

If you choose your gigs carefully you can target your music to an audience that wants to hear that style of music. Play Rock music in Rock venues. Punk music in punk venues, Blues in blues venues etc. In the more common venues they just want to hear a band play well known songs. That would be your Friday night pub gigs as mentioned before. It doesn't have to be perfect just good. Its horses for courses again. Dave

I don't play mine much these days as I prefer a wider spacing but I too can vouch for the humble BB, great platform for pimping too if that's the kinda thing that blows your head back!

Hmmm - GSR200 That was my first go at veneering on one of those - this: ...became this: It's where the whole modding malarkey came from ! Ideal basses. Always happy to demo, although, based on the last bash, I'd probably only get it half done and probably with dubious veneer. How bad do you want to make your Ibanez to look?

EJ's run of albums from 70 -75 are the best of his career IMO and if you listen closely you can hear the contribution from the rhythm section plays a big part. Dee Murray is definitely one of the most underrated bassmen, a great shame considering so many lesser talents are better known.

17/11/70 is a great live album, with just piano, drums and bass.

Final, final update. On impulse I sent a message to Schaller this evening using their webform. I got a reply a short while later from Dr Lars Bunning who is the Schaller managing director and owner asking me to send a picture of the damaged machine head and he would try to source a spare part. This is stunning service from Schaller in trying to support a part purchased over 28 years ago. It has completely made my day. John