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Got a very last minute gig on Sunday night for an end of season party for staff at a PGL centre (they run residential activity holidays for school kids) near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Amazing Manor House but when we arrived, realised that the crowd were pretty much all in their early 20's so a bit concerned about how they'd like our 60's/70's/80's funk and soul set. Needn't have worried. This audience, lubricated by some cheap sparkly, were determined to dance all night and loved the music. What a great night and no more assumptions from me about what people might or might not like! 8e5242bd-98c0-47a4-9234-ce3a4b4b074a.mov

Just a jam night, but gun to play some random stuff, all at a furious pace... steppin out, hide away, mojo working and something else! Gave my lovely old maya a workout.

Great gig on Friday. A longtime friend and former vocalist started playing guitar a few years ago and really started to put in extra effort over lockdown. His dream was to play a gigbat his 50th birthday so asked us lot if we would be his band. We roped in another friend, who is a great jazz/blues singer and lover of metal and got to work. A few months and 7 rehearsals later we had an hour set mostly Iron Maiden (Powerslave, 2 mins to midnight, moonchild, fear of the dark, losfer words, wrathchild), plus dio and priest. He said it was the best birthday present ever. 100 punters (mates), loads of positive feedback and we actually sounded really good. I was standing next to him onstage and he didn't stop grinning. Added bonus, I got to be Steve Harris for the night and got loads of compliments. Eventually the penny dropped that three of us had been in bands together for nigh on 30 years.

So I've been looking for a short scale bass for my son as a deserved "upgrade" from his Ibanez Mikro, he's been putting the time and effort in and showing progress and real enjoyment from playing. The Sire u5 seem to be on pre-order everywhere so I've been checking daily on various sites for a second hand one, specifically I was after the tobacco burst colour way. 11pm on Thursday I spot one on Facebook marketplace, turns out it's in the same County but not close, I asked if their was a way of getting it to me and by sheer coincidence they were planning on seeing friends in the town I live in on Sunday...but they would want a deposit as they'd had a lot of interest..I took the gamble & paid £100 through PayPal.. Had a couple of long days wondering if it was too good to be true but 3pm on Sunday met a lovely couple, the husband was the bassist looking to buy something else & selling the Sire, in immaculate condition. Very happy!😊

I am old enough to scoff at any thought that anything after 1965 is vintage. But I suppose vintage moves with the times and is defined by stuff that you wanted when you were in your teens but is now affordable when you have a job with disposable income. Is my 66 Jazz better than aything else I own? No. Will I be discussing that side of things when I come to sell it? Not a chance.

I've just ordered a custom bass body from guitar and bass build. Pretty exciting! James there was very good. He was nice enough to talk through what I wanted in excruciating detail. * Capri orange nitro finish as new * MM and P rout with MM in the sweet spot and the P reversed so that EA is in the traditional spot * Stingray body shape * 2 piece Sapele I've a roasted maple neck, pickups and Luistand Preamp from the previous incarnation. Just waiting to see how long it'll take - I expect in the new year sometime. MMP body pickup placement.pdf

I will know by this afternoon. Just heard from the courier

Well this is growing and changing.... Here it is as of yesterday. The TC Corona Chorus is fixed on the Duff Chorus setting. The HOF Reverb is "new" but it is for one echoey part of one song and the rest of the time for fretless use. I'm still madly in love with the Darkglass Duality and whenever the band wants to do a pop song with synth bass this is it, whether combined with the OC-2 or not. The Fender DT Express does its job and is always there in case the amp snuffs it. The AMT Wah has crept back onto the board. The recent "loss" from the board is my Boss SY-1 and Expression Pedal. It was a decent pedal but was hardly being used. I took the HOF and some cash for it and I'm happy with the deal. The drummer uses sample pads so has better access to synth sounds, I'll stick to OC-2 and fuzz for my synth parts. There's space for more pedals though....

My first ever bass bought recently, Player series PB in Tidepool blue. Yum. 😉

So it just seems to get smaller as I get older... but right now, this is about as good as I think I've ever had it. I swapped my Ashdown OriginAL for the MXR M81 (3rd time owning this and hopefully someone will slap some sense into me should I ever try and get rid of it again!) Happy as a clam

Realised i never updated this post. Well as it is finalised as of today Bass was returned to the reseller and i have been refunded even 4.5 months after buying it Long donkey story short - the neck on the bass was buggered and wouldn't straighten out, not to mention tooling marks all over it - glue showing on some frets, a P**S poor job of fret leveling and the nut needed work too. Obviously reluctant to take the bass back we ended up speaking the the distributor who sent out a new neck - only to find the truss rod didn't work on that one too. Clearly in disbelief they actually went and check their brand new stock only to find (to their shock) the truss rods on the new stock basses didn't work either - so needless to say refund was offered right away, very apologetic and they're sending a whole bunch of Indonesian basses back to the manufacturer this week.. Clearly something has gone very wrong in the factory and i just happened to highlight it to them - so silver lining i guess - at least some questionable basses are now off the shelf and not going to end up in some poor sods lap somewhere. Think i'm gonna go with what i was going to get in the 1st place and find me a nice Yamaha BB 435 or nice used BB 1025 - i just really liked the look and possibilities of this Sterling Ray35 HH - ah well lemon has gone back Onwards and upwards

As many of you know I have been making cables for some on BC since OBBM retired. Now like all things simple, the leads that connect us are more complex than meets the ear. I am happy to discuss on a 121 basis with anyone but wondered if an in-depth thread on cables and connectors would be useful. To me many things are second nature but I have had cases where players that spend £thousands on their bass/amp/cab combo will use a cheap and nasty cable. Of course it will be my opinion, but I have acquired a great deal of experience Audio connectors and cables over the years. I could tell you why I won’t use some brands and where I think Snake Oil is being peddled. However if dad ole me is the only one interested I will just go and cuddle some Neutriks.

Ordered the BB1025 so i can join the BB owners group real soon I tried a BB735A back when i bought my Eich T900 bass head - it felt great but paired with the Eich it was super clean. The band i mostly play in play a lot of rock - and the BB1025 should in theory sit very nicely in the mix with a rock band. i may down the line grab a 735A i defo think i'm going to stick to the BB range now - everyone one i've played from the budget ones to the P35 (i think that's what it's called) have been amazing to play from tone to just the feel of the instrument - so i think i'll stop looking at other brands for now (unless a sneaky lottery win comes in then i've got a couple of Warwicks i'd like haha) thanks all

Django Reinhardt did more than ok with just 2 fingers.

Yes. 16 now. It is a thing of truly extraordinary beauty. If I had bought a bass of this quality, second hand, for double what I paid, I would have felt guilty. It's not as light as my other HBs but thankfully not as heavy as my other HB Jazz. A comfortable weight. But oh my goodness it looks so nice

IMO the European Spector basses are great quality for a production line made instrument. Fantastic fit, finish, workmanship. Can't really fault them. I think you get an awful lot for your £££ compared to Fender/Gibson stuff.

Here is mine: The Poly Blue is in the Effects loop. The HX Stomp then goes to a Radial SB2. The Cioks is on the pedalboard because it doesn't fit under it. I need a new pedalboard...

There is a teeny tiny difference between a Stradivarius and a Fender, even one where Leo grew the tree himself using only Holy Water.

Pro bands under the age of 50 - most. Certainly on pop gigs, it's a given. Level 42 are in the old school scene - although you'll see PRB on inears/overears (at least with his own band) and on L42 for backing tracks and click. Most MDed gigs will be on in ears for talk back too. EDIT - just looking at L42 - theres a fair few of them on inears.

Aldi Small Things - Blink 182

"We'll be together, With a roof rack over our heads" Is This Love by Bob Marley.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head with Ashdown, the ABM600 will do exactly what you’re after. Also pairs well with Barefaced cabs.

"Anal love in the heart of the city.... Anal love in the heart of town...." Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City - Whitesnake

hx stomp

Hawkwind were about 50 years ahead of the neuroscientists

My latest practice routine - I humble-brag on basschat about my wonderful practice routine and detailed planning, to shame myself into actually practicing at all!

Gig at a club just outside Huddersfield on Saturday night. It was coupled with a bonfire night and the number of young kids was on the frightening side (the number of kids doing 'Peter Kay' knee slide dance was above the torment threashold). So the auspices were not great, thankfully many of the young uns disappeared after the first spot and normal service was resumed and a great night was had by all (especially the seriously big, semi pi55ed unit that teetered on the verge of falling into our lighting rig).

If you possibly can, buy from the Basschat marketplace. I wouldn't buy from anywhere else, it's a bunch of experts buying and selling second hand gear from other experts, so things that might be overpriced don't move or are commented on. My buying and selling experience on here has been 100% positive as has dealing with excellent people who know their stuff.

So a new pedal day, an Ashdown Geezer Butler Pedal of Doom. Now I’m not a particular fan of Geezer or Black Sabbath but am a big fan of Ashdown and this pedal looked on paper to do what I want - that is one good clean Ashdown tone, with the ability to add in a touch of drive/gain. And it does! At nearly £300 it’s not cheap, but it does have two separate channels each with their own independent eq (apart from shared treble) plus the Doom which can be applied on each so essentially four different sounds available. But the main reason for getting this was having a preamp/DI that could give me that lovely Ashdown tone for gigs where the rig is provided, as I’ve found recently that although I’ve used Tech21 gear for years my ears have gone off it, preferring more traditional amp sounds. I’m yet to use it in a band setting, I do have gigs on Thu & Fri but I’m using my ABM600 for those so I won’t have a chance to use it with a band before the return period is up so I’m gonna have to make sure I’m totally satisfied with it, but first impressions are good.

It sounds like you've pretty much made your mind up, but another vote for an ABM600 here. I gigged an Ampeg PF500 for years and it was good, but the Ashdown just sounds so much better to my ears. Much more versatile, articulate, easier to carry (yes, it's heavier but it has a handle!) and the valve drive really adds a bit of warmth and character. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Little weekend project - made a board for all my spare pedals out of a chopping board - works well so far! Need to raise the back up a bit with some feet though I think.

I book a fair amount of gigs and I've already said to one 'agent' for a 2023 gig, one band I book out won't be doing what would have been a welcome gig, simply because after fuel and a few expenses, each member would have got home after two days driving and a late night gig, with about £80. For older and those closer to being a professional aka earning from music as a living, we are all counting the cost of recent and exorbitant increases and so we should be trying to raise our fees many of which have simply not gone up for well over ten years and more! Maybe a little at a time but it simply has to be done.

I had the GK Legacy 800 and found it was too modern and harsh sounding for my ears, moved it on Shame as they have some great features but EQ points way off the likes of Ashdown or Ampeg

1952 Vincent Black Lightning. Richard Thompson

Two points: 1. As has been said the IR bass uses fret sensing to derive the pitch information which makes it much faster and more accurate than the alternative pitch-to-MIDI systems. 2. It's not a MIDI output on the Godin basses but a 13-pin connector that can be used to drive a separately bought pitch to MIDI convertor. The problem with pitch to MIDI is that it's slow and the conversion speed is dependant upon the pitch of the note being converted - the lower note, the slower the system will be to identify it. The very best of these systems require at least one and half cycles of the waveform in order to identify the pitch. Most of the time they require more, and they also demand a very clean and precise playing technique in order to get the best out of them. Low E on a bass is 41.2Hz which means that at the VERY BEST a pitch to MIDI system will take 36ms to correctly identify the note. That's slap-back echo territory and a noticeable delay. And that is before you factor additional delays caused by the conversion to actual MIDI data and transmission to a MIDI device. This why pitch to MIDI on its own is unworkable, and why the Industrial Radio system is the only realistic system available and so sought-after by those who can afford it and are prepared to wait for their bass to be built.

One of my favourite bands covering one of my favourite songs! It won't be to many people's tastes though, but that's ok.

Before superglue... check its not a LH thread... Maybe try a light wrap with ptfe plumbers tape if ya have any knocking about... at least it will come back out if needs be.

Still a pretty dead scene in my area and no gigs booked yet for 2023 for the seven piece jazz "little big band" which of course has a limited market. As mentioned above many venues are booking singles and duos instead of bands which saves them a lot of money and they can still offer live entertainment but makes it tough for bigger groups regardless of their genre.

I was going to sell on my M2 (4 string teal blue with maple board) but then realised it had one of the nicest neck profiles I've ever played. The neck also has a really luxury feeling satin finish on it. As well as this, the action on my M2 is the lowest of all my basses. Tonally the humbuckers on the M2 are a bit dark sounding and it could do with a bit more sizzle on the treble. My V3s were worlds apart from the M2 in this respect. Must be single coils vs humbuckers as they both use the same Sire Heritage preamp. Definitely think that the coil options via the switches on the higher end models would be a really good thing to have. For all that I'm really fond of my M2. For me the neck is way,way above its price point.

I didn't know who he is so googled him. In a Google image search, there aren't any pictures of him playing a black jazz bass. He may have owned it but was it something he used as a shelf in the shed and didn't actually play?

The Future Impact, with the C4 a close second. Managed to get the latter to function as a drum machine to when mucking about with its sequencers and creative routing.

That's good news. Full props to your nursey singperson for leaping into action so effectively, who knows, she may well have saved the lady's life.

After owning literally 100s of Pedals this is my current pedalboard! Obviously most individual pedals are better at their individual jobs, but most individual pedals on their own cost more than the Zoom, and played through an amp & cab competing with a band of other musicians it is difficult to hear much difference. All things considered for home practice and band practice this is convenient and sounds fine - fits in gig bag and runs off batteries, aux in, drum loops, looper, overdrive, effects (and option to quickly re-order them), eq, comp, tuner. Cheap but reasonably tough and reliable enough. My biggest issues with it are how difficult it is to see what the logos of effects represent in stomp mode - this photo is roughly what it looks like stood over it. It needs something like a big 'O' for overdrive, 'C' for chorus etc. And as with most multi fx it isn't obvious how the parameters of each effect are set without a bit of button pressing. Those two things mean there is potential for mistakes that are less likely with individual pedals. It's mostly for those reasons that I'd prefer a more surefire individual pedal setup for live stuff. If I had the spare £ and didn't mind dealing with the bulk/transport hassles this is the full pedalboard I'd want (I have owned almost all of these at some point): Board: Gator G-Tour Large £190 Power: Strymon Zuma £240 Tuner: D'Addario £60 Octave: Aguilar Octamizer £120 Phaser/Flanger/Chorus: Source Audio Gemini £150 Synth: Source Audio C4 £270 + Disaster Area Micro controller £150 Preamp/Overdrive - Distortion: Creation Audio Grizzly Bass £200 Preamp: One Control Crimson Red £110 Fuzz: MXR Brown Acid £130 Envelope Filters: MXR M82 £110 & Moog MF 101 £300 Compressor: Cali 76 £270 Delay & Reverb: Boss RE 202 £330 Switcher: Boss ES 5 £420 Looper/Drums: Boss RC 5 £200 EQ/DI: Tech 21 Q-Strip £300 .........nothing particularaly exotic there, but total cost (new) = £3,440 vs £65 for the Zoom B1-Four which does an alright aproximation of most of those pedals so the Zoom wins for the time being.

He should spend less time moaning and more time turning some screws. Why does he still have it? If it takes a rank amateur like me 30 mins or so of fettling to set up a bass then a "luthier" should be able to do it in less, I would think. If he can't dial in a playable setup then maybe the bass is genuinely faulty. It can happen. In that case then obviously it's back to the retailer with it. My answer to your question is to pay nothing and learn to set up your own basses. I find it quite theraputic, as well as empowering and keeps more money in my wallet so it's a no-brainer for me.