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Rolled the clock back last night. Depped for the Madness tribute I used to play with. First time the original line up has been together for nearly ten years. I love playing with the drummer, we used to be in a Specials trib together many moons ago, and that bassist/drummer chemistry is still there between us. Used my Bruce Thomas Profile, Trace head into Barefaced cabs and for the first time in my life sight read an entire gig, from my own scores. Really chuffed.

I've been umming and ahing about getting a new amp/cab but I plugged in my recently acquired Sansamp into this today and it sounded bloody marvellous.

Very nice gig in a 17th century church in a little East Yorkshire village last night. A far cry from our normal haunts but enjoyable nonetheless

The voice of experience speaks? Yes, it is indeed. @Paul S, just a very cool night called What's Cookin'. I have played it a few times over the years and it is always great fun. @KK Jale, I saw a Laney combo on the side but I'd brought my smaller Orange rig. If whoever speaks with Steve queries it, I am sure if it works he'd be cool for you to use it. Everyone else will need their own backline. The band can move the cones and park right outside for free.

Looking forward to seeing how the Crimson lacquer turns out - I have a few projects needing refins & that's on the list, I've had good success with Danish Oil but it never cures to a completely hard finish. Anyway - look what I found at the back of a cupboard!

I've always referred to them as the port and starboard pickups. Isn't that the standard? Maybe upstream and downstream would clear up any confusion.

Old n lovely 😁

It gets better, I've just had a message from DPD saying Shaun will deliver my package today. I only rang PMT late morning yesterday. Come on Shaun, where are you? I'm going to go and stand by my gate and wait. 😁

Most powerful bit for me is McCartney's 'And then there were two...' as his eyes well up. He really wanted to keep the band together, didn't he?

It’s the late George Ford. He was in Cockney Rebel, and played on ‘Come up and see me, Make me Smile’. He also did various sessions including Cliff Richard, Linda Lewis, Al Stewart and Medicine Head. Great bass player.

Wee support gig tonight for The Gimmie Gimmies. 45 min set that seemed to go in very fast. Great feedback from audience and praise from the headliners on a fantastic set. After spending a wad of dosh on Mesa gear i played thru the venues Behringer head and old battered Ashdown 15" cab and it sounded fantastic. Plenty of depth and clarity and a nice slightly overdriven tone too. Only got one pic so far

Last nights gig was at a bar in the Essex Riviera's equivalent of St Tropez (or Sarfend as it is known locally). Freezing cold, wet and windy outside and the place had been really quiet all week - the landlord admitted he was a bit glum about the prospects of making any money on the night. We had a few gremlins during set up - singist getting a zap through the mic so we had to switch a load of mains cables around and then the geetard forgot to switch the sub back on. Consequently it all sounded weird and gutless when we soundchecked. I always stand out front whilst the geetard does the desk and it just sounded odd to me whatever we did but i was assuming it was an unfamiliar room. It was a big raised stage and you frequently find all the bass going into the floor into those sort of rooms. Eventually I figured out that he hadn't switched the sub back on!!! Fortunately we got about 60 people in so the evening ended up being a good one. Great lively crowd and we played pretty well and enjoyed ourselves playing some stuff that we can't normally do in a non rocky pub (Bark at the Moon and Get the Funk Out are always fun to play). Lots of nice comments at half time and afterwards and we came away with a glow on. Here's a pic from the crowd....

It’s not often I read the Sunday e-mail from Bass Direct. I kind of scan it and rely on looking at the photos of the used section on Monday to see what’s new. Well, I’m jolly glad I did read it Sunday just gone, because there was a Ken Smith BSR 4WT mentioned in the list that wasn’t on the site and I've been after one for a while now. I quickly e-mailed Mark and said I would have it subject to seeing photos and getting a bit more info on it. He came back to me quickly saying it was due in any day and that it was a 2015 build and in excellent condition. A home use ungigged kind of deal. A day or so went by and Mark sent me a couple of photos and it was exactly what I'd hoped it would be. There was a bit of confusion at one point when I received and e-mail addressed to someone else saying it was on hold. Apparently I was not the only one who was after it, so if anyone here was enquiring and lost out, I do apologise. Anyhow, I paid for it yesterday and it arrived just after lunch today - that’s under 24 hours folks! What a bass this is. Lovely weight and balance, plus the neck is just spot on for me - very Jazz like and not very deep either. It's set up quite low, possibly too low for me even, so I'll have a little adjustment session later. I haven’t had a chance to plug it in yet, but so far, so excellent. I know there are some here that don't like coffee table basses, but I think this one is quite understated compared to some.

Cheers, Val. The response has continued to be fantastic, especially from people who were completely unaware of the band, or only knew to a couple of tunes. Striking the balance between catering for them, and (and I don't mean this disparagingly) the anoraks, and doing it within 60 minutes, was a hell of a challenge. But everyone seems happy. 🙂 I'm just glad it's been made - Alan & the band have been unfairly overlooked (not 100% Gazza's fault, but unfortunately he didn't help), and I reckon this is going to help redress the balance.

A great home gig for us last night, at a little 100 seat venue. Everyone was on top form and really pulled together well.

A photo speaks a thousand words

I love my Ashdown gear. My gigging set up has been the same for a number of years now and I have no real reason to change it. (I have some other Ashdown bits at home) Klystron 500 with Neo 2x10 and Neo 1x15. Sansamp to make it .. me. Nearly always a P bass, always roundwound, SD Qpounders and 95% of the time a pic.

One other thing I would say about the easy build cab.... I have one without an HF horn (fitted, but not connected & no crossover inside) Even just as a 1 x 10 with a port they sound good If its the crossover side of things that's putting you off, then it may be worth trying without to begin with Certainly enough "top end" for my tastes

Welcome back. Glad to hear that it all went well. I can't cover each point in detail however here's what happened to me. My initial musical influences come from the late 1950s/1960s era and I started playing just pre-Beatles. After a few years of Pop, British R&B and Soul I took a 23 year break for career/family/other interests, etc. During that period I pretty much only listened to the pop music of the day. I eventually returned to music to find styles, techniques, etc. had all radically changed. Since then I've played in a number of bands each of a different genre and influence. This gave me the opportunity to discover some of what I'd missed during those 23 years and broaden my outlook. Following radical surgery 14 years ago I found that the side effects were too problematic and I was unable to even think about gigging for a couple of years. Eventually joined a covers band playing the area pubs however that was big mistake as I really wasn't right and after a year or so I walked. Eventually I had further surgery which fixed the problem meanwhile I had hooked up with a local Elvis, then in his late 70s, and played with him for 6 years. I was never a great fan of Elvis back in the day however learning his repertoire gave me a better appreciation of him and especially the TCB Band. I was in my early 70s and it allowed me to keep playing but at a much reduced level. It was a good band, no egos, only occasional rehearsals and all gigs were to raise money for local charities. Last year I moved away from the area and had to leave Elvis's band. I knew no-one in the new area and was definitely classed as old so I resigned myself to never being in another band. The local musicians wanted ads pretty much bore this out however a casual conversation whilst walking my dogs lead to an introduction to another similar aged musician who had a fairly new band playing funky blues and who just happened to be looking for a bass guitarist. He's plays keys and sax and is well known in Cornwall. The guitarist and the female singer are slightly younger. No drummer at present, just drum loops however one may be added later. The aim is to rehearse most weeks, in a morning, and gig once a month. They are a great bunch and very easy to get on with. No-one has any ambitions, we're all far too old for that but we enjoy making music and will continue to do so as long as we can and there is an audience who are prepared to listen. The current setlist is all covers however I have been categorically told that they are not as per the record and to play what I like so there is a mental and creative challenge for me. So at 75 I'm 3 rehearsals in and the first gig is in 2 weeks time. Trouble is the GAS has started again.

Great project you've got going on there. Here's my RS840BK Fretless.

And Billy, too. He seemed to be having a ball. I wonder how he felt about it, given the level of names he had played with before. Just go in for a chat and next thing you're the fifth Beatle 😂 Anyway, Good Lady J and I watched part 3 yesterday and loved it. Loved the whole thing. Lennon and McCartney could say so much to each other just using their eyes. I felt sorry for George, at times, he was just on the outside of this incredible relationship, Ringo too, but you could see how, once the music started to flow, they all lightened up and spent so much time laughing with each other. The Twickenham bits were hard to watch but I think served their purpose showing how things changed when they were in a more comfortable environment. Just seeing how hard they had to work at refining their ideas into the songs I know and love was such great insight for me. Glyn Johns deserves a mention for his incredible outfits too 😁 If/when this comes out on Bluray, I'll definitely pick it up, I could happily sit through it again and again.

I did a gig at The Crown in Southwell for a 'Rock Night' with a mixture scratch bands like us and established ones. Great night and a good crowd in, with the bonus of an excellent soundie who brought his 7k pa rig (slight overkill for a pub gig perhaps). Last band on was a scratch band made up of peeps there on the night. The singer for this band was well trolleyed and continued topping up his intake during the set. He's the singist for a very popular local rock covers band and had dragged in a few friends so the atmosphere was bouyant. He'd blotted his copybook earlier while sitting near the front while the previous band were playing and yawning dramatically for everyone to see, apparently commenting on the song choices and had to apologize to them before being allowed to do his set. His antics were capped off spectacularly at the end of his set when his alcohol intake got the better of him and at the end of the last song he fell backwards into the drum kit, spraying toms and cymbals all around! Rock n roll eh! Cheesy pick of our little band with Brian the drummer at the back - easily the best drummer I've ever played with. (that's me in the cap.....but not the corner)

A little bit of progress tonight. Too cold to venture into the workshop (shed) so I sat with the body on my knee in the office and carved the rebate around the battery box opening by hand. Pleased with the result as the battery box is now flush rather than raised.

So after the 'To Cold To Dip' trial i decided to put it all together as-is... just to see... I've swapped the pickup covers on the Kent Armstrong Vintage PJ set and thumb rest... so plastics in White, with Metalwork of Bridge, Neck Plate, Knobs 'n Tuners in Black. Body is in matt white primer ready for an 'Acid' psychedelic swirly paint job. Eldest's other half is into their art... (And a Jazz Sax player looking on getting a 6 string bass!) So might get them to Cosmic Paint by hand. Screw the bits together yesters, wired with a Kiogon VBT Loom, strung it up with rounds earlier... String alignment now good, Intonated OK by clip on tuner, but is a little out according to the Zoom B1on. Truss rod tweak to reduce the relief, action is about 3.5E to 2.5G... bit of buzz on the open strings, nut looks a little low, but might be down to a high 1st. Fretted it's generally OK across the fretboard. Overall, quite happy and a bit of 'Budget Fun'... First a P, Then the J... Then.?.

Well love him or hate him sting with his side kick dom Miller discuss there latest venture on YouTube talking to Rick Beato : some people often disregard sting as a pompous git , but he really is a modern day genius , his ability to write a 3 minute pop tune is amazing , but even he has come to the conclusion that music has hit the wall , but with his ever evolving talent and his quest to push himself to the next level and constant changing of the guard he has tried to make himself relevant . So for that alone I wish people would give him a break and stop starting sentences multimillionaire sting with personal fortune £300 million ! Yes he’s rich beyond comprehension and why not he’s works hard , yes that’s right hard. so base his success on his ability to do something not just well but to an amazing standard , check out his dedication to evolve to find the next big thing , Rick and dom have witnessed something quite special and I agree with them , sting is a modern day genius . Pj

Correct. Initially I traded under the brand name "bassic-bits" and then changed the company name to "Rock-Wire". I am now fully retired from cable making but still active in playing bass so still very much around this Forum.

Please stop right there. Haven't bought a bass for 21 months, would like to make that 24 months 👍

Why don’t I have any cupboards like yours?

It's the geese flying back home.

I'd like to join The Finger Tone Club also. I started on rhythm guitar age 12 playing rock n roll and shadows tunes, using a plectrum and bought my first bass at 17 it was a long time ago I'm now 60. So I don't remember there being a problem using my fingers or a plectrum..... I use either now, dependant on the song. I also dislike the fingernail click, it totally affects the way I play. Seems like I'm always cutting my nails...... Wish my hair grew as quickly 😁

/\ This. Not scripted, just four old mates trying to make music while the old "Gang" culture is melting. New Wives, girlfriends, kids etc start to become more important. Lets face it, we have mostly been there, without the blinding talent obviously.

So "The Real Me" isn't a good place to start then? 🤔 Series my ambition is modest, probably will try some dog noises on Let's Stick Together today...

I only hear the terms front and rear pickup in English, elsewhere it's neck, bridge or central (sometimes mid) pickup. Why not simply use this instead of confusing everybody. You could also use the terms close and far which are as useless... For the strings, there's also the confusion between going up and down the neck, lots of people are saying the opposite of what they are doing. Notes are going from low to high, and it's written in stone (no need to argue here), so you have to use the same wording when naming your movement or placement. According to this, the bottom string is the lowest and when going down the neck you are playing lower notes. And don't forget those manufacturers reversing the controls on a preamp, going from high to low, which is also very confusing. But people always find it hype to use their own different wording, that's how human beings are. The question is : Are you counting from 1 to 10 or doing what is called a countdown ?

I sold off a load of individual pedals to go to a Boss GT10B that needed a Mass megabrain to pilot it. I sold off that and an electric guitar multi to buy an HX Stomp. A lot of great pros and cons already given, but for my two Pence worth.... I now have a board that has my Helix Stomp, an extra two button footswitch to scroll through the presets, leaving the three onboard buttons for turning on and off individual effects, a separate tuner/mute so I don't keep to use a button on the Stomp for this, a separate wah because I can't have an expression pedal and the extra two buttons connected, a boost pedal for when I need to raise up the volume because I can't find a way to use presets with the limited number of buttons, and a powerbank to power all but the Helix. So my one pedal solution is anything but. I also use a two button footswitch for my Ashdown amp because I prefer the Ashdown sub function to the octave effects on the Helix for what I need right now, and I like going from my pedal board into the amp overdrive sometimes. Every extra that I have could be done by the Stomp, but I'm not sure it could be done in a live situation. And that's what I need. Individual pedals will sound better BUT if you have a number of very different basses how many pre amp pedals do you buy? Because some like passive basses and some like actives... The Helix has things I use then don't need for years like flangers, it lets me put a chorus into a chorus, etc. Overall, it's something I can't do without for my new band. I don't have the patience to learn how to use the full size Helix, maybe the Stomp XL would be better for me soon. Even then, though it's not what I set out for I'm happy with the set up as being better than good enough, it's just not perfect as others have said.

I can see why they’re rare.

I don't think you understand what kind of partial fret job it is, Mick. Read back what @Stub Mandrel wrote, it's clear enough that it's not a simple fret job, but a very complex one.

I used Planet Wave (subsequently D'Addario) American Stage cables for years (the ones with the Nuetrik/Rean jacks). I've also got Planet Waves XLR cables and Speaker Cables that I've gigged multiple times and never had a problem with any of them. I recommended them to another BC'er based on my experiences and the fact they have a life time warranty and they had nothing but problems with theirs :(. I guess like many other companies quality control has just gone out the window in favour of cheaper manufacturing. Last time I make a recommendation to anyone. The only cable I've ever had a serious problem with was an Evidence Audio cable, clearly had some fault but became unusable due to noise. I've been pretty happy with the Mogami instrument cables I've been using recently but I've not gigged them so don't know about durability. However all this talk about Van Damme cables has got me curious so I've ordered one in goblin green (to match my trace combo) to try one out.

I can't agree. He's been a tool on occasion, but haven't we all?

He writes some bloody good songs, tho.

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Currently watching it and loving it. So intimate, and the direction (both then and now) is beautiful.