Leaderboard

So the final piece of the collection arrived today, Fender Deluxe Precision, P/J configuration, active/passive. Had wanted a P/J in my fave black/black/maple but when I saw this one in pretty much my equal fave of white/black/rosewood it just had to be. Plays and sounds like a dream - am leaving it on passive as it just sounds so good like that.

That means something entirely different where I'm from 😉

Squier Matt Freeman Precision > Peavey Century 120 > Ampeg B115E (and a Fender Champ 600 just edging into the shot (not for bass)).

An oldie but a goodie.

These are the two I play. The electric is a parts guitar; Guitarbuild Jazzmaster body, Fender MIM Tele Deluxe neck, Duncan Jazz model bridge humbucker and a neck single coil I wound myself. It gets plugged into either of two amps I built. One is based on a Fender Princeton Reverb, the other is Marshall flavoured with added reverb. The acoustic is a Kalamazoo KG-21 from 1936. These were a lower priced Gibson brand made alongside the proper Gibsons in Kalamazoo.

Bought from Kevsy71 on the forum as I want to expand to a 5string having been inspired by some of the amazing gospel bassists on YouTube. After reading a lot of good reviews on Talkbass, this was too good pass up: Xotic XJ-1T 5 string Initial impression is that it is remarkably easy to play. Ran through some exercises then spent a while practicing sight reading to incorporate the low B. Have to move around fretting hand so much less. It sounds great already, and the B isn't floppy at all which is nice. Will post an update in a few more days. Haven't really had any issues with the extra string so far, if anything it might be easier due to the reduced movement! Thanks again to Kevsy71 for such an easy sale.

I really think some people should spend more time playing their basses! I have never, ever, considered whether the silk bindings on the strings line up. There are 5 or 6 basses upstairs and I couldn't even tell you what strings are on them, never mind the colour of the silk or whether they align. The bass is just a tool for making music. Like a screwdriver or a hammer, just more expensive!

That pale tolex is well smart !!

I probably have more money tied up in guitars than basses. When I was making valve amps about 15 years ago, I started building up a collection of guitar to take to shows, so I could demo my amps with all sorts. first up is my 1989 PRS signature guitar. This is a great guitar Then there is my bitsa strat, there with Uli. 1979 LP Deluxe My Gibson AFD Les Paul ( really good) There's a 67 SG jr, an old Ovation shallow bowl with cutaway, a couple of Vintage brand guitars (3 actually) I love em all

You can spit-roast somebody on an Ikea curtain pole.

I have a HB Tele with a similar finish - I think they're a couple of hundred quid new..

Added a gold anodized pickguard to my Squier and put in a Kiogon wiring loom with Bourns mini pots because the stock mini pots had a smaller thread size and wouldn't have fitted. Having a decent tone pot makes a huge difference! The eagle-eyed will notice that there's a screw missing between the knobs because the hole sits over the cavity slightly, but I'll sort that eventually.

NOW IN THE LATE 70s When Tina Turner came to town, my social life went into overdrive. She was such an incendiary performer that it was almost impossible to miss any opportunity to see her. Another thing that made her gigs unmissable was her superlative band, all seasoned American pros, who made the impossible seem effortless. I went to all her London gigs. She was a sweetheart, who wore her superstar status lightly. There were no fits of pique, no temper tantrums and no tearful demands at three o’clock in the morning, just down-to-earth, common sense, wrapped up in grace and humour. And I got to know the band, particularly Lenny Macaluso, the guitar player and musical director, Billy Haynes, the bass-player with a gorgeous basso profundo voice, and Kenny Moore, a keyboard wizard with a stunning tenor voice, who sung the opening song of the set before introducing the star of the show. They knew I was a musician and they knew that Barrie was my manager, so I was accepted as one of the team, inside the bubble that envelopes a touring band. After every show, all the principals went for a slap-up meal in a posh restaurant, and I was always invited. One night I found myself sitting next to Lenny Macaluso. I knew nothing about him, so I gently probed for information. He was an Italian-American from Philadelphia. He’d worked with some of the biggest names in the business – none of which I can now remember – in a variety of roles; sometimes as guitar-player, sometimes as MD, sometimes writing arrangements, sometimes producing the albums. He spent most of his time in the studio and he only went out on the road when he had an offer he couldn’t refuse. “How can you say no to Tina Turner?” he said. “Ever been in a regular band?” I asked. “Only twice,” he said. “Booker T & the MGs and Redbone.” I gulped. Booker T & the MGs, as I’m sure you know, were a seminal band from Memphis. You must have heard ‘Green Onions’, arguably the greatest instrumental of all time, and, if you’re a cricket aficionado, you will be aware that their ‘Soul Limbo’ is the signature tune for BBC Radio’s Test Match Special. And Redbone? I’d begun to think they were a figment of my imagination. They were a Native American band who fused dirty, swamp music with irresistible tribal rhythms, creating a highly-individualistic style that was instantly recognizable. Their big hit was ‘Crazy Cajun Cakewalk Man’, but every track was a corker. “Not a bad CV,” I said. But it was a two-way conversation. He seemed just as interested in my past as I had obviously been about his. Maybe he was just being polite? So I gave him a potted history of the Manband, mentioning a gig we’d played in his home town. What did I think of Philly, he asked? “I can only remember the gig and the hotel,” I said. “Where d’you play?” “I can’t remember the name of the gig.” “Philly made a big impression on you, then?” he said. “Unforgettable,” I said. During the rest of the evening we did some serious muso-bonding. At one point, I mentioned the recent demise of my beloved Manband. I told him that, after a long sabbatical, I intended to resume my solo career. Probably make an album, probably put together another Iceberg, and probably hit the road again. “Well,” he said, “if you need any brass arrangements for the new album just call me.” “Are you serious” I said? “Just call me,” he said. “Ooh, I will,” I said. One night after a London show, Tina felt the need to shake a tail feather so Barry made a few phonecalls, booking tables and stuff, and off we went. The assembled company comprised Tina, Barrie and Jenny, me, Eryl (my significant other at the time) and Martin Ace (who just happened to be in town). A photographer snapped us as we arrived at the first club. We were ushered to a suitable table and drinks were ordered. The club was dimly-lit and almost empty and the music wasn’t too loud to preclude civilised conversation, so we decided to have a drink or two before moving on. At one point, Eryl wandered off to find a toilet, but she didn’t come back. While she was away, Barrie suggested it was indeed time to move on, so I went to find her. She was sitting at the bar, deep in conversation with a familiar face – Phil Lynott. He was leaning on the bar, with his face close to hers, talking conspiratorially. Eryl had never met him so I knew they weren’t talking about old times. Lynott was chatting up my bird, so I strolled over to them. “Hello, Phillip,” I said, “What’s shaking?” “Oh, hello, Deke,” he said, flashing me a look that said, “f@ck off, you silly billy, can’t you see I’m on the pull?” I ignored him, and started talking shop. I talked about the old days when Thin Lizzy and the Manband had shared many a stage. I told him I still had the Telecaster that he’d loved so much that he’d tried to buy it off me. I’d refused to sell it, but, to alleviate his disappointment, I allowed him to borrow it every night for ‘Whisky In The Jar’. But he wasn’t listening. He started to shift back and forth on his feet, firing filthy looks in my direction, while Eryl sat in inscrutable silence. I continued to talk shop while Lynott got more and more irritated. Surreptitiously, he started kicking my legs and jerking his head in the general direction of Mars, where, no doubt, he would like me to go. Suddenly, I broke off. “Oh, I’m sorry, Phillip,” I said, nodding in Eryl’s direction. “Are you trying to f@ck this bird?” Surprised by the directness of my question, he got flustered and started to splutter. This was brilliant. I’d never seen Lynott lost for words before. “You’re doing it wrong,” I said. “This is how you do it.” I looked directly at Eryl. “Fancy a f@ck, love?” I asked. She looked me up and down. “OK,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I’ve got nothing better to do.” Lynott looked astounded. His mouth moved but no sound came out. I let him stew for a delicious moment or two, before plunging a metaphorical dagger into his promiscuous heart. “This is my bird,” said, pointing at Eryl. “You’re trying to f@ck my bird.” A look of horror flashed across his face, and he began apologising profusely. Suddenly, he stopped and burst out laughing. “You bastard, Leonard,” he said, and, shaking his head, stalked off looking for his next victim. When Eryl and I got back to our table, a move was in progress. Tina had pointed out that, much as she liked our present location, her tail feather remained unshaken. So we moved on. As we left the club I looked over at the bar, where Lynott was talking conspiratorially to a giggly blonde, obviously successfully negotiating an alternative exchange of bodily fluids. I waved but he ignored me. Phil Lynott died long before his time. Why do they always take the good ones? Why didn’t they take Chris de Burgh instead?. After another club, where nothing of note happened, we decided to call it a day. In due course, the Tina Turner band went back to America, and normal service was resumed. I may have given you the impression that my life was a an endless round of celebrity hobnobbing, but these superstar visits were occasional highlights, only lumped into a single chapter for editorial convenience, rather than consecutive events. Between these seismic events, my life reverted to its default position – doing f@ck all.

In terms of cleaning up the edges, this is closer to how it should be with the demarcation stripe fully visible: The fretboard isn't fixed yet - I have a feeling the truss rod's not going to arrive anytime soon so I've ordered a second one from a different supplier. If/when the original one arrives, it'll just go in my bits box ready for the next build

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Recently got a Ric in pillar box red been ages since ive had a Rickenbacker.... Looks like the new designed bridge too..... it has threaded rollers, already changed the string spacing and its an allen key for height adjustment and for intonation when moving the sadles.. Plenty of adjustment room up and down. 👍 Definitely a better design and saves me buying the new babicz Ric bridge when it comes to market☺️. Now do i get a nordenbocker... 🤔🤔🤔 😁

Lee's back with Stratus (off the Spectrum album by Billy Cobham). I have attempted to play this in the past (but never actually gigged it) and it is a real exercise in stamina. My right hand is cramping up just at the thought of it. I haven't had chance to watch this all the way through, so I will look forward to doing so tomorrow. One of the seminal albums he has contributed to and I am sure that he will have an interesting anecdote about making it to share.

Not like me to be in with time to spare, but did this Sunday afternoon, with a bit of editing tonight. As it says in the notes, my first end to end tune done in Reaper. I tried to keep the processing to a minimum, but couldn't resist using the Leslie speaker fx chain for the 12 string rhythm guitar. I'm still working, but have had more time in the evenings to play the drums. Hope there's small green shoots of hope there. I deliberately constrained myself by playing the tune in octaves. Without constraint, I found myself playing inappropriately fancy rock star guitar that ruined the mood.

Collected from the people it was accidentally (or carelessly) delivered to and it's great. Spent an hour or more this evening playing along to some live Dead in the lounge without disturbing my wife - just what I wanted. The session cake is a decent piece of kit well put together and easy to use.

mini review Bought some of these late last year, very impressed. Hand made (sic) Uk company not too cheap, but for high quality and supporting small business price is acceptable. First up a set of Platinum Nickle hex cores, put these on my Jazz bass as a like a more worn in warm set of strings on my jazz. You must take care when cutting the string ends and i would advise you follow the cutting interactions fully. these sound fantastic, i have always liked a set of well worn in Rotosound 66 nickels on this bass and i got this sound straight out of the packet. They have been on since November and tone has stayed the same, i have ordered another set as the strings are pretty much made to order and take 14-21 days to arrive (longer during lockdown) so i expect i will be looking at changing these in another 4-8 weeks and they are getting a hammering during lockdown. Second ordered a diamond stainless steel set hex core to my Gibson EB4 (2019) as i like a really bright sound with the twin humbuckers, previously used Rotosound 66 steel or Dunlop super brights. These have great bright tone but really rounded harmonics and plenty of zing without being too harshly zingy, the Dunlops are a bit too zingy out of the packet. Again been on since November and this is probably my main bass (i only have 3 bass's in Total) just noticed a drop of in tone and these are ready for changing, not dead but past there peak ordered a new set and these will be replaced as soon as they arrive. These are slightly cheaper than the platinum sets and are a bit rougher to feel but still very smooth and more aggressive sounding string, so have been well worth the price and great value. both sets of stings are .45 -.105 the spring selector allows you choice of nickel or steel on both types of strings and options for sets of gauges. you can also completely customise a set of strings but at additional costs. a set of Diamond and a set of platinum set me back around £55 including a small uk deliver charge so around £27 a set which is not silly money. you can get 10% of first order if you sign up to news letter. To sum up, if you like a particular sound and specification they pretty much cater for all. If you want quality, great tone ,longevity and do not mine paying a bit of a premium these are for you.

I'm a big fan of Joyo pedals. They sent me this discount code today, should work for anyone:

Hello. So, I'm newbie in editing and everything. My first YT channel with bass stuff. Have fun! I hope so...

I just inherited a bass ukulele. It's an Ibanez AEB5E-BK 3U01. Hey, it's portable, I can play it at a party or the park (oops. not for awhile) without amplification, NOT like my Stick or electric bass, and...it has a U in it's name, so there. (and wimmen LOVE bass players)

Got this baby coming tomorrow ..... Really excited !!!

Looks like we are good to go with FW 2.9 https://line6.com/software/index.html Helix / HX 2.90 | Helix Native 1.90 “The Always Level Presets By Ear at Stage Volume with the Rest of the Band Playing Update” Helix / HX 2.90 and Helix Native 1.90 include new amps, cabs, effects, features, and bug fixes, and is strongly recommended for all Helix and HX owners. Updating to 2.90 Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, HX Effects, HX Stomp STEP 1 — Updating HX Edit to 2.90 1. Log onto line6.com, download, and install HX Edit 2.90: Mac OS X: link Windows 7/8/10: link STEP 2 — Updating Helix / HX Firmware to 2.90 If you have Helix Rack/Control, turn off Helix Control. Also, shut down all Line 6 software or any programs that use audio, like DAWs, iTunes, Spotify, video games, etc. Connect your Helix/HX device to a Mac or PC via USB (do not use any sort of USB hub, which may include the front USB ports on towers) and turn it on. Launch the new version of HX Edit 2.90 you installed in Step 1 above. If you’re not signed in, click “Check for Updates” in the lower right corner and sign in. If you’re already signed in, a dialog panel appears, indicating an update is available. Click “Update Now.” A window appears, asking you to back up your Helix/HX hardware. Click OK, optionally rename the backup and / or choose a different destination folder, and then click “Create Backup.” Continue following the prompts. Once updated, the window reads “Update Complete” and your Helix / HX hardware begins rebuilding its presets; wait for this to complete and click “Back to HX Edit.” If you have Helix Control connected to Helix Rack, turn on Helix Control. Helix Rack reads “Helix Control must be updated to work properly.” Press Knob 6 (OK). New Amp Models in 2.90 Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Stomp Revv Gen Purple, based on* the purple (Gain 1) channel of the Revv® Generator 120 New Cab Models in 2.90 Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Stomp 1x12 Fullerton, based on* the classic 1958 Fender® 5C3 Tweed Deluxe 1x12 Grammatico, based on* the modern 2016 Grammatico LaGrange New Effects Models in 2.90 Helix Floor, Helix Rack, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Effects, HX Stomp Distortion > Alpaca Rouge (Mono, Stereo), inspired by* the Way Huge® Red Llama (modded) Distortion > Legendary Drive (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Carvin VLD1 Legacy Drive (high gain channel) Distortion > Xenomorph Fuzz (Mono, Stereo), inspired by* the Subdecay Harmonic Antagonizer Dynamics > Rochester Comp (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Ashly® CLX-52 and created in conjunction with Billy Sheehan Modulation> Pebble Phaser (Mono, Stereo), based on* the Electro-Harmonix® Small Stone phaser Split > Dynamic, Line 6 original. This new Split block type lets you dynamically route signals to Path B, depending on how hard you play. For example, you could roll your guitar’s volume back a bit and play clean chords through a Grammatico on Path A and then roll it back up and dig in to blend in a searing Revv Gen Purple lead on Path B Knob 1 (Threshold) — Signals below the Threshold are routed to Path A; signals above the Threshold are routed to Path B Knob 2 (Attack) — Determines how fast the signal routes to Path B once reaching the Threshold Knob 3 (Decay) — Determines how fast the signal returns to Path A once falling below the Threshold Knob 4 (Reverse) — Swaps dynamic path routing. When set to “On”, signals below the Threshold are routed to Path B and signals above the Threshold are routed to Path A NOTE: All product names used in this document are trademarks of their respective owners and neither Yamaha Guitar Group nor Line 6 are associated or affiliated with them. These trademarks appear solely to identify products whose tones and sounds were studied by Line 6 during sound model development. New Features in Helix/HX Firmware 2.90 Output Meters Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT The following block types display output meters in the inspector when selected: Output Send/Return > Send Send/Return > FX Loop IMPORTANT! Meters (in any product, not just Helix) are never appropriate for ensuring consistent levels from preset to preset. The models you use, the preset's frequency and dynamic response, your guitar or bass, your pickups, your playback system, your environment, your location in front of (or behind!) your playback system, and especially your bandmates all radically affect the perceived loudness of various presets. It's very common for the meters of one preset to show it's louder than another, while what you hear is the exact opposite. ALWAYS trust your ears when leveling presets, and whenever possible, level presets at stage volume, with the rest of the band playing. Gain Reduction Meters Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT The following block types display a gain reduction meter in the inspector when selected: Dynamics > Compressor (the 3-Band Comp displays three meters) Dynamics > Gate Signal Present/Clip Indicators Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Stomp The following block types now display a pale green background when signal is present and a bright red background if the block clips: Input Output Send/Return > Send (clip indication only) Send/Return > Return (clip indication only) Send/Return > FX Loop (clip indication only) Improved IR Referencing Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, Helix Native, HX Effects, HX Stomp Impulse Response blocks now reference each IR file by waveform instead of index number. This means that when presets are shared and the recipient has the same IRs, they'll appear in the right place without having to manually reorder all IRs to match. IMPORTANT! For improved IR referencing to take place, all presets must be rebuilt. Presets should've automatically been rebuilt after updating to 2.90, but if they didn't, you can manually rebuild them: Helix, Helix LT: While holding FS10 and FS11 (bottom row), turn on Helix. Wait for "Will rebuild all Presets..." to appear and let go Helix Rack: While holding Knobs 1 and 3 below the screen, turn on Helix Rack. Wait for "Will rebuild all Presets..." to appear and let go HX Effects: No preset rebuild necessary HX Stomp: While holding both the Upper and Lower Knobs, turn on HX Stomp. Wait for "Will rebuild Presets..." to appear and let go Helix Native: The first time you open the plug-in, a dialog appears, reading "Your presets are being parsed to associate IR blocks intelligently with the IRs they reference." Click OK. Command Center > HX Preset Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Effects A new Command Center command type lets you assign any preset (or Next Preset or Previous Preset) to any stomp switch. Together with HX Snapshot and HX Looper commands, you can now customize Stomp footswitch mode to your liking. From the Command Center, select a stomp switch and turn Knob 1 (Command) to select "HX Preset." Turn Knob 2 (Preset) to choose Next Preset, Previous Preset, or any single preset within the current setlist. IMPORTANT! Although stomp mode switches can be assigned to multiple functions, to avoid unintended behavior, we strongly recommend HX Preset commands be assigned to empty footswitches. Command Center > HX Snapshot Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Effects A new Command Center command type lets you assign any snapshot (or Snapshot Up or Snapshot Down) to any stomp switch. Together with HX Preset and HX Looper commands, you can now customize Stomp footswitch mode to your liking. From the Command Center, select a stomp switch and turn Knob 1 (Command) to select "HX Snapshot." Turn Knob 2 (Behavior) to set the behavior of the stomp switch: Press / Release — Pressing the switch engages the Knob 3 (Press) function; releasing the switch engages the Knob 4 (Release) function. Press / Hold — Briefly pressing the switch engages the Knob 3 (Press) function; pressing and holding the switch for 1 second engages the Knob 4 (Hold) function IMPORTANT! Although stomp mode switches can be assigned to multiple functions, to avoid unintended behavior, we strongly recommend HX Snapshot commands be assigned to empty footswitches. Command Center > HX Looper Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Effects A new Command Center command type lets you assign any Looper function to any stomp mode switch or instant command. Together with HX Preset and HX Looper commands, you can now customize Stomp footswitch mode to your liking. Note that a 6 Switch Looper or 1 Switch Looper block must be present in your preset for HX Looper commands to function properly. Also, caution should be taken when assigning HX Looper commands, as only the Press function is displayed on the scribble strip (Performance View on Helix LT); Release and Hold functions are not displayed. From the Command Center, select a stomp switch and turn Knob 1 (Command) to select "HX Looper." Turn Knob 2 (Behavior) to set the behavior of the stomp switch: Press / Release — Pressing the switch engages the Knob 3 (Press) function; releasing the switch engages the Knob 4 (Release) function. Press / Hold—Briefly pressing the switch engages the Knob 3 (Press) function; pressing and holding the switch for 1 second engages the Knob 4 (Hold) function. IMPORTANT! Although stomp mode switches can be assigned to multiple functions, to avoid unintended behavior, we strongly recommend HX Looper commands be assigned to empty footswitches. Shortcut > Model Subcategory Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Effects, HX Stomp You can now quickly skip through model subcategories without ever having to open the model list. Finding a specific amp or effect is now faster than ever. Helix / Helix Rack / Helix LT — From the Home screen, hold to jump to the the next subcategory. Hold PAGE> and press HX Effects — From Stomp view, press and turn the Big Knob to skip subcategories, then turn normally to select models within that subcategory HX Stomp — From Edit view, press and turnthe Lower Knob to skip subcategories, then turn normally to select models within that subcategory For example, if you have HX Stomp and have selected an empty block location, pressing and turning the Lower Knob will jump to the first model in each subcategory: Distortion > Mono, Distortion > Stereo, Distortion > Legacy, Dynamics > Mono, Dynamics > Stereo, Dynamics > Legacy, EQ > Mono, EQ > Stereo, Modulation > Mono, Modulation > Stereo, and so on. Update Firmware From HX Edit Helix Floor, Helix Rack / Control, Helix LT, HX Effects, HX Stomp Instead of hanging out on social media, desperately asking when the next firmware’s dropping, you can now, I dunno, actually play guitar? As soon as a new update becomes available, HX Editwill tell you, and all you gotta do is follow the prompts.

If anyone is interested, one of the recordings that we made during this session a couple of months ago is now available online here:

I'm very glad I finally got my Session Cake (is there a prize for the stupidest name for a bit of kit?) as this afternoon I am sitting in the sun with a Jazz bass plugged into it, my phone plugged in and playing along the Grateful Dead on this day in 1971. Bloody great, and my neighbours are in their garden and can't hear a thing!!

Won't stretch my workshop's facilities much, but i'm happy to do it if you post them to me, drop me a PM and I'll reply with my address 🙂

My contribution: I actually own this (but lefty, of course). It looks ridiculous and is really weird and uncomfortable to play due to no neck profile whatsoever, but it's loads of fun. And actually surprisingly well-made! Recessed monorail bridges, strings-through-body, custom-made stacked humbucker pickups per string and a real bone nut. It sounds remarkably like an upright bass with flatwounds.

I saw that, missed out on it! So Mark sorted a black one.

Photos were asked for so here's my EKO ranger 12 string. I love the neck on this so I'm keeping my eyes open for a 6 string too.

I don't think Mark worked for SBL but he's mates with Scott and certainly used to turn up on some of his videos. Geoff Chalmers (of this parish) used to work for SBL but moved off to start Discover Double Bass https://courses.discoverdoublebass.com/courses I've not done any of the courses from that site, but Geoff is a top bloke and knows his stuff.

I want this. I'm not even kidding. That's a Squier Bronco bridge and I need one for my Kay I've just restored as it's 17mm spacing. He can save on postage by burning the rest and sending me the bridge.

Indeed

The Salvador Dali Signature Precision?

Every time I read the title my mind says: Absolutely nothing. Say it again UH! for some reason.

A chance to drop in some interview material from a chat with Eric Bell in 2010 about Phil. Most not published...forgive the thread derailment! Philip said he wanted to start playing the bass, he said he was taking lessons, and secondly he wanted to do some of his original songs onstage. I said fair enough as long as I can hear you playing bass and hear some of your songs. He hadn’t much of a clue about the bass but he had a great feel and he was very unorthodox because he hadn’t played it. He came up with these lines which were pretty original. One of his bass heroes was Paul McCartney and heard McCartney sang his bass patterns a lot of the time and then learned them on the bass. So Philip started doing that and that’s how he came up with a lot of those lines. He used a Ricky? The thing was he was insecure because I’d been playing guitar for quite a while and Brian had been playing drums for quite a while, so when Phil picked up an instrument he felt intimidated. So he would be working at it day and night and in the dressing room before a gig, sitting there with his bass. The other thing was that any money he got, royalties or anything, he would… It was like every time I went to rehearsal he would have a different bass guitar or a different amp. He said he wasn’t the best bass player in the world but wanted to have to get the best sound. He had a Dan Armstrong see thru bass (Top Of The Pops) and a very old Fender Jazz that got stolen. Then he got a Rickenbacker and then a Fender Precision. He had different amps: he had a Marshall and when we did the Slade tour the tone that the Slade bass player Jim Lea got was excellent. He used Acoustic amps so a month later Philip got an Acoustic amp. He was always chopping and changing his equipment. In the studio – vocal after backing track? He’d put a guide vocal on as we did the songs, a rough vocal, and then he’d put the vocal on after. But sometimes the guide vocal came out with a better feel, more spontaneous, and they would clean up the track when Philip said No, man, I wanna keep that one. If it wasn’t too rough we would go with it. Bass became more prominent as albums passed – Vagabonds, Gonna Creep Up – helps define the song. It does. Like I said he as a bit insecure about his bass playing so he worked at it very hard. He knew Brian Downey for a long long time before I ever came on the scene and he understood his drumming and would fit in his bass playing with it. Some rehearsals when we’d be trying a new song for the first time I’d be sitting in the corner reading Melody Maker for 45 minutes, not having played one note. He’d be saying Hey Brian, what’s that break you play after this? Brian would play it and Phil would pattern his bass playing around the drum break. It took forever, but he got the results. Was that good to play over? Absolutely! I didn’t realise at the time but it was the best rhythm section I ever played with. Singing lead over bass. Not easy. You have to develop an independence of the vocal form the bass line. It seemed to come very natural to him. The thing was anyway that Phil would play guitar while he was writing songs, he would play a nylon-strung acoustic to work out the chord patterns, so he actually approached the bass as a rhythm guitar in a way, all down strokes with the plectrum. He would get the basic rhythm, dum dum dum, and then he would start flowering it up, adding different patterns and so on. I think it was his lack of knowledge on the bass that worked for him rather than against him.