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We arrived at the pub to discover that, yet again, the band had been creatively renamed. They are called Damo And The Dynamites, but this is what the pub had put on their board. Damian & The Dynamoes? Null points for trying. And this is @Happy Jack sporting 'the look' and 'the bass'.. Note the Surf Green Lull with the equally Surf Green curly lead. We'll publish some videos tomorrow. Good night and Happy New Year to all!

All set up, in my lounge. We do a NYE party every year and set some stuff up for anyone who wants to play. (I can't play at the moment due to wrists) Had about 40 in the house last night including an elderly French couple who do old french show songs with backing trax. Brilliant. Had a French mate on the drums and a French guitar teacher there but the weird thing is, the drummer was complaining that he couldn't stand my snare drum or kick pedal so changed them for his stuff and then asked to go into a bedroom to practice😆 The guitarist only played two numbers as he can only play his Strat and couldn't achieve "his" sound!! And then asked if I had the chord chart for Rollover Beethoven??? FFS! It was a party for friends, not a gig. 😆. All the Brit players simply picked up anything with strings and got on with it. Talk about divas! Still, great party. Happy new year everyone.

New year, new rig 😎 I have been looking at getting an old Trace head for a while and this beauty came up for sale here along with the EBS cab. Huge sound and huge smiles all round, though probably not from the neighbours. It sounds epic using a Precision with flats, just so much punch! Love it.

Lines just cause problems for me - I read a post a long time ago about just 'listening' - it was a revelation. I play fretless short-scale mainly too and that just confuses the issue if moving from long-scale fretted to short fretless. This is what's getting most use at the moment

Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut) Mooooon river ... (ker-fut)

But criticising The Hootenanny is as traditional as, well NYE itself and frankly there’s normally bugger all else to watch, so perhaps it’s not as bad as we think (no, it is ).

Happy New Year everyone Final bits and pieces are on order and finished off the black scratchplate today - added the bevel, the countersinks, etc, and made sure it fits: Once I've fitted the bridge, I'll reshape the pickguard a touch so it sits evenly. Tomorrow's job is finally sanding and finishing the neck.

A good gig has always been my favourite way of seeing the New Year in, and that's exactly what I did last night with my 3 band-mates in Silverback. The venue was one of our fave's, Kildare Lodge in Minehead. The landlord and landlady are good people who love our classic rock set, the money was decent, and we had a good crowd who were all up for it. The sound was good and tight, the craic was right, and after Auld Lang Syne followed by several encores, the landlord insisted we play his favourite Whiskey In The Jar again!! With around two-and-a-half hours of 2020 on the clock, I hit the sack a happy man thinking (not for the first and hopefully not the last time): "Money just can't buy this much fun!!" 😊

As promised, one from last night.

Dire, just dire. Those 3 birds with colourful suits made me want to jump out of my window (mainly because none of us could find the remote to mute them).

1. Smoke ½ oz dub cabbage. 2. Summon ancestors. 3. Turn up at gig with golf clubs instead of bass. 4. Tee off.

A Pointer sisters track from the 70's, featuring a fantastic bass part from James Jamerson. I guess this is from his LA period. This is nothing like his Motown tone, but sounds equally good IMO. Impeccable playing a fat punchy tone. I can't see why those producers didn't like him. Enjoy.

Depends on the specs, baby ...

I almost did that once. I got to the gig and opened the gig bag, only to find an old bass that I had put in my usual gig bag a few days earlier. Problem was it wasn’t wired up as I had taken the pups out to use in another bass, and put that basses pups in place in this bass, and just left it. I had to wire the bass up using gaffa tape at the gig.

All the very best for 2020 everyone. Hope its a great year for you all. Dave

I’ve always had high action, mostly due to being heavy-handed. I’ve tried playing with a lighter touch and with lighter picks but it just feels like I’m not really trying so it doesn’t last for long. I’ve also found that, probably for the above reason, I’ve never strived for the perfect setup - action, neck relief, pickup height etc. As long as there’s no fret buzz when I’m playing then that’s fine with me.

Here's mine, put together on the cheap from an old Korean Cort (Hohner) body, Mighty Mite P neck (ebanol board) with a piezo bridge and Bartolini buffer pre. It's my around the house bass as I can't practically gig a 4 string now but can't bring myself to sell it, it sounds beautiful and has seen off some posher fretlesses even before getting the piezo bridge and Bart pre mod. I have a 5 string version of the Fishman piezo bridge squirrelled away for when I find a suitable body/neck to put it on. It goes mwah when you so much as look at it and it's effortless to get that classic tone, I always thought when you get a fretless that you click with you should keep it forever. My upper register laying is getting more tuneful now too!

Hire rig but still.... sounded awesome.

The same can be said about criticising those who are criticising the show on a thread set up as a place to be critical. If you don't want to read criticism, don't read the thread. But you have been, all day. It's no different.

I've seen a few bands who purport to be classic rock bands including songs by the above bands in their sets. Presumably the bands have agreed that such songs, rightly or wrongly, fall under their definition of classic rock. In my observation, bands who set out to play strictly Classic Rock covers find that they struggle to get many gigs and to maintain audience interest when they do play. Invariably they start adding the likes of Stereophonics, Chili Peppers and Green Day to their repertoire. Snobby people like me balk at this inauthenticity, but the punters seem to like it.

What, you mean you haven’t sat and watched something you didn’t like, then moaned about it online? 😁

I did an interesting thing this year, I used the TV remote and switched channels each time I wasn’t enjoying a programme. Its changed my life and those around me. 🥳

Fair point. There is nothing in my life that gets a higher priority than gigging, but that is a reflection on the fact that my family is small, my daughters grown & flown, and my social life mainly involves musicians.

Sorry mum 😋

Moi aussi.

Yes. Got three UF Fretless Jazzes. Here's a bitsa one with epoxied ebony 'board.

My other one has Fender flats on it and these seem very much brighter than the TIs; a bit cheaper as well. I completely agree about the lines/Fender etc. The worst bit is the side dots being in the wrong place; I could put up with lines but the dots throw me.

What strings please? I'm a fan of EB Cobalts but always keen to know what else is out there on the bright flat side. And regarding lines, agree with most here, silly things, can't see 'em anyway when you're playing and they get in the way of what really matters - ears and muscle memory. Why Fender USA seem to always put lines on beats me. Maybe a hangover of Jaco's Jazz, and the fact the makers aren't fretless players. PLUS, and let's be honest here - unlined looks very cool indeed. Lined looks a bit pony.

Blah blah blah. Moan whinge moan. Its not like it was in my day. What a load of whining old fa*ts. Watch Corrie or East Enders instead for some light relief.

Was he not there?! That means he’s done no work this year...

I put together a bitzer Precision about 17 years ago using a brandoni sunburst body & neck with an unlined ebony fingerboard. I whittled the nut from an imitation ivory chopstick from Wing Yip. Its a lovely bass and I've swapped out various bits & pieces over the years. It currently has hipshot lollipop tuners, a 1986 EMG active pickup powered with 2xA23 batteries (24v), a badass II bridge, rosewood thumbrest and a cheapo (£8) Chinese 4 ply torty pickguard which I think looks a lot nicer than it should. I don't find it particularly hard to play compared to a fretted bass and it sounds great - the EMG pickup suits it really well giving it a beautiful growl.

The only comments I've had (jazz jams) relating to the fretlessness of my instrument are along the lines of "Fretless, eh? Better make sure you play it in tune!" The first bass I ever had was unlined fretless. I now have two, my favourite being this. It sounds excellent with TI flats on. I tried a fretted bass once and though it was OK to start with it didn't last.

Well that didn't take long. Thanks to xzodar who actually delivered this to my gig this evening.

Hmmm, what is this that has just arrived in the post?

No, Richard Madeley was busy as lead singer of The Fall

Step 1. Check that my rig is still working and nothing is missing. Step 2. Check that my main bass and back up bass are in fully working order. Change strings if necessary. Step 3. Load gear into car/van. Step 4. Check where the gig is. Step 5. Unload gear again as gig is on another day.

Yep, I play unlined fretless almost all the time. In fact I've played unlined for so long now I am completely disorientated on a lined! Here's my squeeze: a beautiful Franz Sirius from Germany.

I've been hearing rumours about these for a while, and the embargo was lifted today, it appears. The details are on their EHB page. These are going up against Strandberg, Kiesel & others of that ilk, at what I guesstimate will be about half the price for the top range (1500 series), less for the 1000 range. The multiscale 6-string looks particularly nice to me, though its 32.5 - 35 inch scale won't satisfy folks looking at drop tunings below B, I think. The 5-string is 33 - 35 inch scale.

First time not playing in years, owing to temporary bandlessness. Went to the pub with my wife instead, drank loads and had a good laugh. Came home, drank more and watched Grease. Seems like I had a better night that those of you that bravely endured the Hootenanny 😁

Its not different at all. What do expect the content of a thread entitled "Jool's Hootenanny constructive criticism thread"? Surely you know beforehand it's going to be people being critical, so why bother to read it or comment on it?

Buttons: "Oh yes, it isn't!"

Nice.

Oooh count me in. I have a couple of ACG fretless basses:

I've had the lot, Mick, from high-end custom-built jobbies (built for someone else, mind) down to B-stock Thomann cheapies. In truth I love 'em, but only for the right project. I've used them for steampunk folk bands and for amateur-night Americana bands, and of course for jam sessions and frontroom parties, and they're absolutely right for all those jobs. IME by far the biggest difference is to do with string choice. The cheap nylon/rubber strings (like the ones on your old Ashbory) are a PITA to use, more so to tune, and above all to change; plus they give you such a flobbadob sound that they reduce all bass players to the same level. Unlike Jean-Luc, I actually prefer the Thunderguts to the Pahoehoes, but they're still nylon/rubber. Top tip, take a small can of talcum powder in your gig bag, use liberally before playing. The new Kala roundwounds (well, new two years ago) are a complete game-changer. They make a U-bass sound and (to some extent) play like a 'real' bass, if that's what you're after.

HJ has just raided the fridge too! What is it with you guys, who can eat and then go straight to bed? I can't sleep if I do that.

Adge Cutler's wife used to be a regular in that same pub I blew my chance with Michaela in. Absolutely lovely woman Yvonne. She came in one evening in great form and bought the whole pub a drink. That night she passed away peacefully in her sleep. I like to think she just kind of had an inkling and left us wanting more. I remember her very fondly.

Is it the alcohol or did I detect an actual bit of musical synergy between Rick Astley and that saxaphone player. He's always had a great voice but I'm sure there's an Astley shaped hole in a crusie ship cabaret somewhere.

I still love Michaela Strachan. She popped into a pub I worked in by the BBC in Bristol about a decade ago. She came in on an empty weekday afternoon and asked politely for a gin and tonic. I just said "a guh a huh" like a dumbstruck teenager. Damn my social awkwardness, she could have been my wife.