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I turned 21 in 2005. I had a mortgage, was living with the mother of my first child… when I turned 21, my mum and dad - who I’ve battled with, but have been incredibly supportive of my musical endeavours asked me what I wanted. ”Musicman Bongo” And they gave me £800. So I put the rest to it and I got one of the early bongos. They didn’t come with a case originally. i took a case…but was later informed it was a £120 optional extra 😕 Returned it. Anyhow, 4 years later - my partner wrote her car off and quit her job on the same day when we had a brand new baby…so a massive bass sale began. @LukeFRCand @Etienne got some basses… the Bongo went, at a huge loss… they weren’t popular at all at the time. now I’m 37, the “brand new baby” is a 13 year old bass playing emo. Its time found the same age, spec, colour… It’s in Northern Ireland. i debate a flight. And then I remember my good mate @briansbrewis in Derry. and here’s where a person shows their worth. A message last night to Bri. “Yeah it’s near me, I know him - let me work on it” and nothing…for a bit. this afternoon “I’ve gone out for a drive…here it is…got £150 knocked off and I’ll get it ready to ship…” it’s in his lounge. He’s bought the bloody bass! What an absolute hero - Bri is no middleman…he is the man. I never in a million years expected him to do this - I thought he was going to talk the guy into shipping the bass (listing was collection only) I cannot express my thanks enough (I’ve paid him back - financially at least.) A depressing thing is that I don’t have any pictures of me with my original bongo. Anyhow - Publicly, thank you Brian.

I was on a business trip near Swansea today and as I sometimes do, decided to see if there was anything for sale in the local area. There was; a super condition Hohner Jack Bass from 1988 that was virtually on my way home. I of course had to go and see it as I'd lusted after one of these for the best part of 30 years. Where I was at school, just over the other side of a dual carriageway that backed on to to our sports fields was a guitar shop where I spent many a lunch break. They had a Jack Bass in a dark natural finish that I used to make a beeline for every time I went there. God it was lovely and I always dreamt of owning it one day but it was way out of my price range (which was approximately £0-£2). This would've been the early 90's I guess and I've held a candle for these Jacks ever since, so when I saw this one advertised for a very good price in remarkable condition with (unbelievably) a working preamp and (even more unbelievably) a battery cover I was caught hook line and sinker. It even came with a case. The only thing that could've made it better for me was if it were in the dark natural finish. It needs a set up and a new set of strings but it's fabulous. It's one of least expensive basses I've ever bought but definitely in my top three basses I've always wanted to own. In fact, I'd go as far to say it's my number one bass I always wanted, sentimental fool that I am.

I got up yesterday morning as I had to take the day off for a funeral when I noticed a message from Andy via Basschat with the subject HELP ! so I knew this had to be something important As luck had it I had the guys number and he was only contactable with e-mail in the ad, so I called him and he agreed to meet me, was a lovely sunny day so I didn't mind the drive up, we had a good chat about basses and gear, as you do with fellow bassists.. We done the deal there and then, had a wee noodle on it when I got home, cracker basses with plenty of tone. It was only after I got it when Andy explained about selling his and regretting it, so I thought I have a decent box to ship it and arranged for the collection today, which has been picked up by the way Andy, winging its way to you as I write this I was really happy to do my bit and get this sorted for Andy as I know it would have been difficult to arrange otherwise.. Its was a pleasure and was worth it to see a happy camper and thank you for your lovely comments...

I would just like to put a last point in here about Vigier basses.. I have owned now, 7 different Vigiers! Very very fortunate to still own 3! Three Arpege basses, a series 1V (2005) and two Series 1 (1984) and (1986) Passion basses. 2 Series 11 (1986) and (1987) and 1 series 111 (1992) and fairly recently an Excess original (2015) Everyone of these beautiful instruments over the evolution of Vigier history, have had the most stable and ridiculously comfortable necks! The early series 1 Arpege basses only needed the minimal amount of truss rod adjustment. You really, if given a chance to play a Vigier, will then wholey fully appreciate just how amazing the necks and these basses are.. Good luck again Patrice and thankyou for the giving the pleasure to bass playing👍😃

I gave in...

Bonding time restringing... Flats for the starboi, rounds for the copper Ander.

mate it’s surreal, thanks! the dropped copper ain’t too shabby either - hope the video below loads…! IMG_0392.MOV

Yep, being good enough to gig includes being good enough to carry on when you - or another band member - makes a mistake, rather than just stopping or the song falling apart. Because mistakes are inevitable, it’s how you deal with them that counts.

A few months before I even flirted with playing bass, I was getting into very different music to that i'd grown up with (hard rock/grunge) and bought on recommendation 'Dream Theater - Live Scenes from New York' in ~2001/2002. On bass, was John Myung, sporting a rather immense looking 6 blue string bass. I was utterly blown away by how well he played and sounded, and am still a Dream Theater fan today. A year or so later I got into bass, and my parents gave me a very generous £500 budget for a 21st birthday present, that ended up as a Yamaha RBX775 in Flat Blue, because it looks a bit like the RBX6JM, but it was cheaper. The years went by, and I still have it - just defretted and refinished (red goat leather, yes really). Anyway - late 2020, I see an RBXJM2 in Plum Pearl appear locally on Facebook market, for a decent price. I really wanted that turquoise RBX6JM, but this was the next best thing. It was a little messy, but i've replaced the rusty pickup and it's now sounding great - it's a 6 string Stingray at heart. April 2021, I see an RBX6JM in Turquoise appear on FB market, at a good price ! Quickly I message the seller...he replies fast. It sold 30 minutes ago to someone in Europe, but they hadn't paid yet. I offered a cash deal the next day (a drive to Bristol for me), alas he honourably sold it to the first buyer, after they paid him the next day _ don't begrudge it, but I was gutted for the sake of half an hour. OK - well i'll find another one ! The Bass Gallery had 2 on their website, both at £999. This is by far the most expensive i've ever seen these basses, gave them a call and they wouldn't budge more than £100 on price, I wasn't going to be robbed, so held out. eBay alerts, daily checks of the big (and small) websites second hand sections, online pawn brokers..... nothing. *10 months of checking daily later* Friday PM, I load up eBay on the morning catch up of newly listed items, scroll... scroll... oh man. A turquoise RBX6JM, at the right price, I contacted the seller and saved a few quid buying it outside eBay, it took a little while longer than expected to arrive. But it did, along with a genuine fitted Yamaha hard case (never seen one of these before) Behold - the bucket lister.

New amp day here at JPJ towers thanks to our very own ryancowell25. Having used nothing but SWR for the last 15 odd years (save for a brief flirtation with an Aguilar AG500) I decided to try something different as I’m being drawn more towards that lightly overdriven valve sound. I’ve posted before how despite wanting to, I could never get on with the Ashdown ABM range so this was a bit of a leap of faith. So far I’ve only been able to play this through a little TC 2x8 cab at low volume but it sounds mighty and sort of reminds me of someone but I can’t quite put my finger on who? 🤔😉😎 Thanks to Hermes, the amp has obviously had a knock in transit damaging the Subs control knob and thank the gods Ryan opted to ship in the Gator gig bag or who knows how much worse things could have been. Quick order fired off to Ashdown for a set of 5 replacement knobs so she should be looking at her sexiest best for her first public outing next weekend.

This. The one rule about mistakes is that everyone just keeps going. Find your place and join back in, the song doesn't stop.

Ahhh, 'rockumentaries'...it's a grey area, really; I rather thought Metallica at least were acting like weapons-grade numpties throughout theirs...

1-2-4 means Index, middle and pinky. So instead of trying to cover 4 frets with a finger span, which is what 1FPF would do, you cover 3 frets, or root (index) and octave (pinky). 1FPF is basically a guitar technique. On a bass it can work higher up the neck, where the frets are closer together, but lower down the larger spaces between frets can require stretching to reach some notes. If you have shovel hands you can cover more area but most of us don't and need a technique that makes playing easier, less tiring and the lines flow more easily. 1-2-4 does that. Also, make sure your thumb (and whole hand) easily moves up and down the neck. If you anchor your thumb you will have to stretch to reach some notes, but if your thumb follows your fingers your whole hand will be moving and it will make your playing less stressful. +1 for the turmeric.

Your almost certainly going to be technically a better player than me, and I've managed to persuade people play music with me on stage and in the studio for over 40 years now. The thing you need to remember is that at a gig any mistakes are over in less then a second, and unless you bring the whole song to a grinding halt within 30 seconds of it starting no-one in the audience is likely to notice.

Just imagine making a few c0ck ups during one song, being broadcast live on the BBC!! You just smile and keep going. A bum note is history, as soon as it's happened.

A few changes since last time! Si

That's absolutely outstanding! Well done Brian!

The 2022 abstinence thread is so far away in your rear view mirror, it’s a tiny speck. 😂 Amazing story, amazing friend. It’s the best colour too. Congrats.

One that's big enough for your own gear but not so big that you're obliged to shlep round the countryside dropping off every bugger else's gear and their semiconscious owners at some ungodly hour. Take it from someone who's been driving a Renault Trafic for the last 6 years.

Does cliff Richard in summer holiday count 😁, or the Spice movie

I'm afraid mine is rather simple but I think it's now right how I want it Harley Benton power supply Boss TU3 tuner Origin Effects Cali76 compressor Darkglass vintage microtubes overdrive Two Notes LeBass preamp. The Le Bass has a beautiful creamy clean channel and the dirty channel just adds a nice, light valve overdrive. The vintage microtubes is set to give a really nice dirty tone when combined with the Le Bass clean channel. The compressor is just always on. It's all a bit monochrome looking but gives the sounds I want. I am very tempted to replace the Le Bass with a Origin Effects bassrig super vintage.

This is why I like selling through Basschat. Usually for a lower price than I would elsewhere, because the community here is, 99% well behaved and respectful! Absolutely hate selling through Gumtree and FB, the amount of ridiculous offers, rudeness and no-shows, it's not worth the hassle.

Oh that is properly bad. "I am an off duty policeman, may I be of some assistance!"

Lord Jesus Christ, I lift up @Richard R to You and to ask You give him confidence on Sunday, to allow him a flawless performance and to fill his fingers with a groove so holy that even Lazarus himself would rise up to strut his stuff, and as we ponder on the miracle that is the empty tomb, we know that You will be here for us always, thank You, Risen King, Amen

Another new track - Pretty good I think

You are probably more than "good enough" to gig! This sounds like 99% of bands out there doing pub gigs, and I do not mean that as a disparaging comment at all, just that we all make mistakes. Two of my old bandmates came to watch my new band last week, I made TONS of mistakes, guitarist did too, they said the only way they knew was from the apologetic looks we were all giving each other across the stage. Just because a band is gigging doesn't mean they're a highly polished and well rehearsed unit. Mistakes do happen - you're bound to - I play in a punk rock band and I nearly ALWAYS make a bum note mistake or two, through the set. Long as you recover or is just that, a blip, you're good. Also, the audience will not notice - even if you tell them where... Live performance is not about perfection but about engagement and having a good time, and putting in the work to make sure you recover from those minor blips if they happen, swiftly!

An orange Bongo in a local shop window caught my eye last year (or has been not sure if they still have it, price has been reducing). It’s a 2004

Ouch! On both counts. I wouldn't play on Sunday @Sardonicus, politely decline as you have made other plans. @oldslapper- tell the minister's wife that your calling requires that you take a sabatical as you've been doing this over seven years. Preferably a paid sabatical like ministers have. I've been very fortunate in that the vicar in the church where I became a Christian gave me very sound advice 30+ years ago: "The order of priority is: God, Spouse, Dependent Children, Everything Else. Church is not the same as God. The order within Everything Else will change and vary over time, but if pushed then family and paid employment have to take precedence over church activities" I've made that position quite clear ever since and while I will happily work my socks off to keep things running I have also stepped down and let things fail when necessary.

Charisma, talent and a boyish charm! Oh and delusion, definitely delusion.

In 34yrs of playing I have only ever broken one string and had one amp let me down so I am very much a bass / amp with a few spare leads / cables etc if I remember kind of player.

Nice one @briansbrew, true legend ☝️

Elvis done a couple of films too.

Say Hello Wave Goodbye - Soft Cell

Me and my mate sat in the cinema and watched “Slade in Flame” on repeat. That’s when we decided to form our first band. Happy memories

Goodbye Toulouse - Stranglers

What about David Essex in "That'll Be The Day" and "Stardust"?

I’d say those are the ones that are over indulging and not a real issue for most.

Thank you Mr GAK for the kind review... The cheques in the post. Love Mr Laney.

Hm, this is interesting. Some 6-7 years ago I told my wife, passing through New Cross Inn blasting music, 'I'd like to play there some day' - I had no idea of the scene and had never been in a band. I know it's a small joint (part of the international circuit tho) in London, but that goal got ticked last Monday, and did my proudest performance. I've been too familiar with forming bands, looking for bandmates, creating songs, frustrations from others personalities and egos, the band coasting.... semi-dissolving, getting rid of a band member.... seeing that the rest don't push to do what we've got to do... and simply, I am TIRED of leading a band - I've realised it's a role that makes me feel like I've a 2nd job. Having said that, whilst NOT looking for a band at all, the desperation of this band to find a bass player led to me learning a setlist and being a permanent band member in 2 weeks. I felt very positively challenged to learn the songs and get on to stage again.... and I was in love with the silly gigs jokes and drives to, like you said, play in front of 20 drunk folk. I have performed in a sold out Scala show (1200 people) and felt the same rush. I think that music is an egotistic exercise in many ways - what I'm saying is that I play for myself and to enjoy myself, and have finally found a band where I am a contributor rather than the only leading person. Very few of us get to live from this and have a whole nother life besides this - just make sure you enjoy the ride. Ander.

Ah yes, the old joke... What's the difference between a used tyre and 365 used condoms? One's a Goodyear, the other's a ****ing brilliant year.

After a lifetime waiting for Hipshot to deliver the bridge unit, we are finally back moving!

No, it’s a wonderful pedal (I won’t sell it), but the BB has better EQ and can be run as a clean boost too. Clean with a big of booster treble is a nice extra bit of clank to be able to kick in and out. The Cog Fuzz is giving me all the proper dirt on that board. Si