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Yesterday's theme was blue:

Three-hour gig with the Otis Jay Blues Band in Bournemouth. Singer-harmonica player in Japan so we had two deps for the price of one! Not to mention a guest sax player… All good clean fun. PS: Sandberg VM4 through Elf plus Barefaced One10. Plenty loud!

New addition Warwick tubepath 10.1. Damn this has become my new favourite... What a hidden gem of an amp,A real sleeper 💪. Ampeg full tube sound ☑️ Clean,modern and punchy ☑️

You need one of these: https://www.russandrews.com/kimber-select-usb-ag/

He said 'Most adults lose the top octave (nominally above 10kHz) by the age of 25...'

More better photos of Hurtsfall from the Goth Friday gig:

😄 I know it sounds a bit ridiculous, but I quite liked not having the option of multiple bases. I just got on with that bass and focussed on playing. I also didn’t have to worry about maintaining multiple basses, buying strings for them, finding space to store them etc. I am tempted to add another into rotation though.

As some of you may have noticed, I'm a massive fan of Cardiacs music. Tim Smith (RIP) was the driving force and composer extraordinaire behind the band, but never overlook the complex and cleverly crafted basslines played by his brother Jim. So, here's a guy who only describes himself as 'G' doing a pretty well note perfect cover of the acrobatic bass line to 'Dog Like Sparky' B****y genius in my opinion, both the original and this cover. 🙂

I'm juggling three projects at the moment, two guitars and a bass. Today I did some work on the "Double Denim" bass. I glued an old pair of jeans (deemed too tatty for the charity shop to sell, except to me) onto the body and headstock using pva . I then put a double layer of masking tape around the edge and checked that it was level... Then I poured the resin. It's darker than I thought but who knows what it will look like on the finished bass Now we wait....

Ooooh! Talk about case candy. Even has a foam mute strip for the bridge cover. And a hootenany button. Reverse tuners. Tug bar. From the wonderful A Strings in Pontypridd who even made me tea and did a quick setup for me while I made a deal with old nick. And not only did they have it in stock, they jad the best shop price in the UK. You cannot be serious... World's coolest wash bag?

'Annoy-a-teen'... best app yet. High frequency generator that I'm too old to hear!

Current rig with the 2x10 for the more "intimate" venues...........the 2112 with the RM800 EQ set flat is beautiful....and the RBI is A/B'd to shift the tone if desired.......75 re-issue Jazz has a Badass II fitted and a set of Geddy Tom Brantley pups await to be fitted. The MXR fuzz and OC3 Octave works wonders for a Muse style....

Due to a move I am constrained to one Chapman Stick. With twelve strings, I can play as many wrong notes as I need.

Don't think thats correct. It is a midi audio interface as well as a stomp fx box. Deffo check you have the right drivers installed unusual for a USB cable not to work but its possible its faulty. Also change the USB hub on the PC if you have more than one. And if not succesful, try uninstalling the software and reinstalling in a new usb slot.

He must have really wanted that bass to go to such lengths!!

You're letting the side down... This is tantamount to GAS neglect..

Best recording bass I own. Won’t gig it these days though as I find it heavy, even with a huge strap.

I have a late 80s / early 90s custom Thumb NT and used to have a more recent bolt on version as well. My impression was that sonically they were pretty similar. There is a video on youtube where somebody compared a Thumb BO with a NT, and I think it answered that question pretty decently. Fretboard wood (notwithstanding the scepticism surrounding the topic) might make a difference, especially with NT with an ebony fretboard. In any event, the characteristic sound is given by the pick up position rather than anything else. I second those who said that a Thumb's voice is absolutely unique. Other Warwick basses, especially with MEC pick ups, are voiced somewhat similarly, but they do not sound the same on account of the rather unique pick up placement. I don't use mine as much as I'd like, but there is no arguing that it is an incredible instrument. In terms of versatility, it depends. I find that it goes well with a number of genres—much like a Stingray does—though of course if you are aiming for a fat P bass tone you are probably doing it wrong.

New project last night , brought two cabs although I certainly could have survived using just one. HDN cabs , Monique driving a Forte amp. Sounded warm and thick.

I lent my bass out a few weeks ago. It was to Martin Turner though (ex-Wishbone Ash), who had travelled 100 miles or so to a gig without his bass. Luckily I have a Thunderbird and was not too far away... Oh, and I hung around to make sure he took care of it... and buy me dinner too

My 76 jazz is pretty much my #1. my first car was a dyane too !

I’m sure we have more than two pages worth of Mustang players on Bc? I’ve seen loads taking up the JMJ recently. Here’s my modified 66 because I haven’t added it yet!

A Warwick Thumb NT is like a Rickenbacker to me; if you want that unique sound you need to adjust your playing technique from the more common FSO position. If you're not able to do that then walk away. End of.

Fresh roundwounds and judicious use of the tone control, sorted.

A number of Chimps have successfully learned to use American Sign Language... Make of that what you will.

What are these 'very different sounds' of which you speak..?

I think you're going to find it easy enough to cope. I went for a period of some years with only one bass ...no problems at all. In fact, I've recently downgraded from three to two as I don't like extra instruments laying around that don't get much playing time. I could never be a collector 😉

It would be hard these days to find a IC with as low slew rate and supposedly “bad” performance as the one they use.

It’s quite liberating going down to one bass. I have just played my stingray for about 6 years now, but am tempted to get a P or J or PJ for my 40th for a change.

Mystery raffle prize...

Last time I lent a bass to a "mate" (an old Columbus Jazz) he promptly moved house, left no forwarding address and dropped off the world. Mike Hague, I hope it exploded in your stupid hippy face.

There was an excellent one on every Saturday we used to go to in Leeds - 99. We'd go after the Cosmo club... Meanwhile:

I remember only having one bass. Terrible terrible times but I had no money. Needs must etc I still have that bass and a few others but I only ever play my JMJ mustang now

No comment. Nice to get a look at it though. Thanks Funkle and Passinwind!

I'm an old, miserable, crusty paying punter, so maybe I'm one of Ralph's audience. I'm not at the gig because I want to hear musos getting uber precious about their popular songs, I'm paying to be entertained, not the band to entertained, it's a huge difference ...the hits are popular for a reason, we like them and we want to, what's the word.... 'resonate' along to them or there's a danger of feeling hard done by. It's a delicate path, get it right and it's great, but more often... And it's usually the same 'remix' too, slowed right down like a musty folky open mic night, a lot of wailing, a solo bit on an odd 'hey nony nony' woodwind instrument, and more than few in the audience looking about thinking, ney hoping, it will suddenly stop, then leap into something more recognisable....maybe harsh but rarely do I think "that worked well". A few very random examples. I've heard Mozza do it, was shockingly bad, even his hardcore had raised brows....did someone at the back here say it must of been an improvement? Been there when Rose Royce did it all night, and it was all night... punters leaving by any open door and, the band calling the audience out between songs, "wheres your respect" and worse. Was the Winter Gardens, not some chic, prosecco infested jazz bar, with a silent audience, nodding approvingly at the alternative tunings and chordal theorise. The exception that proves the rule: My mate got free tickets for Transvision Vamp (remember them) from Wendy James dad. As we were working 5 mins from the gig, we thought what's to loose. To be fair they were very good live, tight as, but, had about 5 songs. We were treated to more versions of I Want Your Love, than I thought possible, but without those erm, remixes it would of been a long wait outside for our lift, and it was middle of winter. Mate of mines good friends with Dave Hill of Slade fame, met Mr Hill a couple of times albeit few years back now, a real fun straight up fella. Definitely not, a case of never meet ya hero's as I was a real fan back in the day. His take on doing the same tunes?.... why not, and why wouldn't you, they are good earners, pay the bills, and he enjoys smiles on the punters faces and they are paying guests. Music is/was his business, he remembers when didn't have pot to urinate in. OK Slade have been and gone, but I think it's still a fair example. Or to summarise. Give us what we want, not what you want, or we may not pay again.

Ha ha! Ever seen Dylan live? It can be a struggle even to recognise what he's playing.

Tonight's practice, the new cheapie bass surprised me, I've got a new Kiogon loom and Toltec 'Hot' pickup on the way for it, but it was no slouch as it came.