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Hi everyone, after a very challenging year I'm now picking this project up again. A prototype (built onto a YI200 chassis) will be ready in next few working days. Been really struggling with the coffee maker attachment! The easiest thing would be to combine 2 x 6550/KT88 with a high voltage supply, say 650V. Most high power valve bass amps use this. It works, but high voltage is a valve killer. I've been working on increasing efficiency so I can use a regular 500V supply and prolong valve life. I've got a bit further to go but have just obtained 90 watts from 2 x KT88 with a 450V power supply which I'm excited about. This first prototype will put out about 90 watts, until I get a custom transformer set wound.

I love me some pointy headstock/garish coloured rock basses.... and they're getting harder to find. Every so often something cool will pop up though... and here are two such beauties that I recently purchased at ridiculously cheap prices (i.e. both for less than the usual price of one!): A thru neck 1986 Charvel Model 3B, with upgraded Seymour Duncan PJ pickups and a detuner: and a 2021 ESP Ltd 'Surveyor '87' in rainbow crackle finish, again with Seymour Duncan PJ pickups:

Thanks again all, basschat is such a fantastic resource. GAK have been very good with this, within the day they replied to say they were contacting Fender, then replied shortly after to offer me a full refund or swap. A like for like swap isn't possible as they have no stock on what was a limited run, which is a shame, but that just means I've spent a while browsing the GAK website! They also offered the opportunity to send DPD to collect if I packaged the bass up for return, which would save me the train fare down to Brighton. Apparently Fender replied to them that they thought it was a manufacturing error with the body joint. Edd

Hmm I don't know, applying E45 cream seems like a rash decision.

back in the abm club with cabs anyway

Current iteration. Terrible bout of gas earlier this month . . Oh well! Ps. The Dobsky fuzz is in the t65 loop! Mwahaha New Alma MK2 and ground and pound are awesome

Just in ! Any of you had to deal with short notice gigs? I received this message this morning. "Hey all, potential very last minute Maple Rd gig tomorrow night, Thurs. 8/17 for Music on Main in West Bend, 6:30-9:30. The band they had scheduled had to cancel do to illness. " Blue

Anyone going to The British Motor Show in Farnborough this weekend? We're playing there with not just one but two bands. Our established rock 'n' roll trio Damo And The Dynamites will be on stage twice every day of the show: Our new Classic Soul band Soul Purpose will be there on Sunday only: @Happy Jack will probably want to tell you about our trials and tribulations re. actually understanding what we're going to find the first time we set foot at the show, and how we may deal with the situation... 🙄

Yesterday's "gig" was a bit of a challenge, but unexpectedly rewarding - I worked as in-class support at a music summer school, playing bass with 8-12 year olds learning drums, guitar and keyboard. I showed an 8-year old to count in the song using his drum sticks over his head, we learned to swing quavers (no doubt letters from classical piano teachers will be coming in!), kept tight as a band, and learned to keep a nice steady beat over repeats.

I got this Small Hofner because it was cheap and got good reviews.

I think any 35" scale 5 string would get you there.

Irrespective of what you decide to do with this particular bass, I can thoroughly recommend that you try putting a “bitsa” together at some point. It’s not particularly difficult and there will be lots of BassChat help on hand if you need it. It’s a very satisfying experience and you’ll learn a lot in the process. 😉

Just to update you all: Four rehearsals in and I've decided that it really isn't for me and have resigned. The decider was that I just wasn't getting the buzz from it that I should have been. Now looking for a Bluesy/classic rock sort of band to join.

NPD lwa The Plague. Oh mama what a stonkingly good tweakable Rat.very pleased

I'm liking the sound of this, since I have leave days I need to use, but I'd be flying in from Dublin & taking trains. So I probably wouldn't want to carry a bass, just a few of my less-common pedals, maybe.

Grab a coffee and think outside the box. Consider your impressive experience and see if you could apply it in different ways. You're a professional musician, which has given you loads of skills: You could work with a music charity (which I do sometimes). In Bristol, where I live, there are sites dedicated to youth work, and I regularly see opportunities. It's not amazing pay, but it's better than nothing. You could move out of just bass, and do some tech work. I'm useless, and I did some work with a PA company. Much was lugging stuff and cable running, but my music knowledge helped. You may not want to go down this route, but I know a successful function band player who became a booker for other bands. He works with venues and arranges for high-quality bands to come in, and he takes a fee. If you're a good writer, you can apply to some magazines and websites and see if they need expert blogs written. Sounds mad, but this is how I got started (42group.co.uk is what I do now). OK, it was a long time ago, but you never know.

You should be covered if it was new. This is GAK's Warranty Statement off their website: "Warranty We want our customers to buy from us in confidence that their purchase is covered under warranty should anything go wrong. Some manufacturers may offer extended warranty periods if you choose to register the goods, so we always recommend checking the manufacturer’s website. All new items are covered by the manufacturer’s minimum 1-year warranty Second-Hand, B-stock and Ex-Display items have a 3-month warranty"

Nearly a year is less than a year and so it may well be still under warranty. And if it is still under warranty then it's definitely a warranty job - there is no 'misuse/abuse/lack of maintenance' that can cause that that wouldn't show signs of misuse elsewhere. If it is out of warranty and they start talking silly repair costs, shout - in terms of stabilising it rather than going for the 'invisible repair', there is a relatively simple and easy fix I can talk through with you that you would be able to do yourself. But only resort to that if a warranty claim is a complete no-no and they offer no other acceptable fix.

I was bored and I had a set of EB Group stainless steel flats lying about that I had taken off a bass when I sold the bass. They were only on for a week and were still bright and clanky. I used some E45 moisturiser and after 15 mins gave them a wipe with a dry sponge to remove excess and then put them on my ‘Berg TT4. The TT4 already had a set of the same strings on so I got to compare like for like. The difference was very noticeable. The moisturised ones sound very broken in, that’s something that takes months on these strings. I didn’t expect much of a difference to be honest, but there really is. I can only assume that the cream gets into the windings and deadens it, and maybe the effect is less pronounced on other strings that are polished so much that there really aren’t any gaps, like the Picato flats that are almost as smooth as solid solid wires. Maybe the stickiness of the cream also helps to attract dust and skin and gum up the gaps even more? I really like my TT4 having old sounding strings for big band work, so I am pleased.

Here’s a very lovely Forte 4 for sale at Bass Bros 😉 https://bassbros.co.uk/product/2018-spector-forte-4-usa/

I finally made up my mind and decided to go with the Enhanced MP-5MN as I've been hankering after a 5 string and a bass with a reverse P pickup.

Be sure to use SpeakOn cables with genuine Neutrik plugs. Some knock-offs can damage the amp’s jacks.

It’s taken ages, but after years of muti-effects, I find myself using individual pedals more as I don’t require much in the way of effects. Over the years I’ve collected a multitude of different pedals, having given away a few (regrettably now?). So, I decided to make up a pedalboard for what’s left over, much better than collecting dust on shelves…My collection goes from cheap & cheerful to more collectable items, I’m looking forward to using the board soon with my occasional rock band, I used to love the dirt with the EHX bassmuff…

The difference a year makes…

Not a particularly bad tune, I actually like it, but the bass line is ace

These two gigs are extremely competitive and difficult to get full time work in. The majority of musicians I went to uni with make a living from a mix of teaching, sound engineering and cover gigs (weddings ect). Our teacher in first year said only 2/15 in the class would make it full time and he was right. I’ve had a long journey in work in the decade since I graduated but work in finance. I could be doing music part time at the weekends but have chosen not to. Despite this, those three years studying music everyday were the best of my life and I still play as often as I can at a much higher level than I would had I not gone. For me that makes the degree worth every penny.

My oldest friend makes a very good living from music, but it took being open to any opportunity, flexible musically, and some clever ideas to find opportunities to make money in the less glamorous side of music. He has worked in a lot of library music for tv etc, done recording session work for musical artists and also composers. He wrote guitar backing tracks, did dressage music, lots of things that meant he could write music and play guitar. Through being professional and nice and easy guy to work with, he has now got movie credits to his name and is now getting into recording bands and producing, but that is not where the money has been for him. He is a guitarist first and foremost, but he’s a talented multi instrumentalist now, just down to necessity. He jokes with me that he’s made more money playing ukulele than guitar. So basically there is good money to be made, but be prepared to find a niche or make money from music in less obvious ways than being in a band, or recording bands, or even playing live at all.

Yes, we used to be the 'on call' back-up band for a local pub (I knew the landlord from school). We were just starting out playing mostly originals so we were desperate for any gigs. We got a few through cancellations and we always treated it as a no pressure gig as we were there as a favour to the venue. As a new band, the venue policy was 'no weekend gigs until you have a following', but as the back-up band it was almost always a Friday or Saturday night gig. Good luck with your gig. No pressure! 😄

Your daughter might envision a particular career path but flexibility and diversion might be what helps and sustains her long term. Two examples: One of my musician mates is a talented self-taught all rounder, he’d always got by, playing in bands, DJ-ing, doing production and remix work whenever possible, also putting on club nights, basically ducking and diving but doing okay. Then his girlfriend got pregnant and he enrolled on a music recording technology course and got serious. Now he’s a senior lecturer Monday to Friday in a music college and still doing all the other stuff as and when he can. He earns a decent wage, has a nice house and a viable career that he can evolve with over time. He’s sorted. Another musician mate was basically a child prodigy and studied at the Royal College of Music. He had a 20 year career playing in successful bands (as in daytime Radio 1 successful, multiple Glastonbury appearances, major label albums, tours with Oasis, Paul Weller, etc) and did pretty well financially because 20 years ago it was still easy to make money from records and tv and film syncs. But when his band wound down he moved to the US and got heavily into production and mixing, and is represented by Universal. He’s super sorted now but it’s taken him 25 years of hustle and graft and some luck to get to where he is. But times have definitely changed and I reckon now more than ever, unless you’re a genius cellist or composer or producer and get discovered early on, and have a single track to go down, diversity is the key to a music career. Be prepared to change tack if needs be. But lucky breaks and good connections are still part of it. I’ve scraped a career over 30-odd years by doing my own records and working as a session player and a sideman, but also by taking function band gigs when necessary or playing in covers bands or DJ-ing in crappy clubs for cash just to pay the mortgage. Single minded determination over talent has seen me through. If I hadn’t been prepared to be flexible I’d probably still be living at my Dad’s house recording demos on a 4-track, bitter as heck about not getting anywhere. But I’m mortgage free now and can pick and choose my projects so I’ve done okay. Not gold plated swimming pool and private jet level okay, but alright. It might be a good idea to try and find out what how / what / where your daughter envisions herself being in 5, 10, 20-plus years from now and if she’s prepared to have fallbacks in case of lean times? Above all, I wish her the best of luck. And maximum respect to you for supporting her dream 👍

Friend of mine's son has a BA in music and sound production and is making a very nice career for himself as a freelancer. Not sure of the details but he's in much demand and he's still only 21. From what he says it seems that's where the opportunities lie if you want to make a decent living

I would think a normal 5 string would be fine. Though I can vouch for Dingwalls. Great basses.

It’s nice to be on the call list when there is a last minute cancellation. Congratulations !

I suspect a lot of us who have experienced depressive illness will find those lines quite familiar. I certainly do.

In my previous band, we played functions all through the year. Christmas gigs started end of November and ran into January! We used to play at a local hotel for all their Christmas parties, often maybe up to 20 nights in December. November and February were probably our leanest times, (as you say few weddings etc) but company events sometimes turned up along with the odd birthday / retirement party etc. We usually made enough to see us through the quiet times, but some of the band did teach to supplement this. I started playing with a friend in an acoustic duo at this time, so any gigs we fitted in always helped out. Function work then (90’s / 2000’s) did generally seem more plentiful than now, and a lot of bands round here have struggled - most of them semi pro though so not their primary income source. With my current band, we play mainly theatres. December is always out for us due to the panto season, likewise summer holiday period when not so many punters around. Again, we do okay for the rest of the year, but some band members have side gigs they fit in around our schedule - our violinist runs a string trio doing weddings, and our keys player does deps with other bands. I still do gigs with my acoustic duo, and the occasional dep with pub bands. Not a lot of dosh but it all adds up.

I contacted the seller about the duff LED at the 24th fret and he's sending me a new neck. That's what I call good service (as long as it turns up!).

This is quite mesmerising.

My favourite "cover":

I'm late on this due to a mad week in the studio. We (Headsticks) played Gig In A Field at Wroot near Doncaster last Saturday 5th. The ground was saturated and I turned up in converse pumps with no spares. I kept getting stuck in the field and sliding around on stage. The audience didn't care at all. We went down really well and sold a huge amount of merch We went back to Rebellion festival on the Sunday to play the Pavillion stage. This was the biggest gig of ours for 2023 so obviously some nerves etc. but it went really well. The room was rammed. This is a photo from a minute after the end of our set - I'd just started packing away when I remembered to snap one! This weekend we did Down On The Farm festival in Herefordshire. It's a giant barn and honestly I didn't think the crowd would like us. I assumed most of them were there for the tributes and covers, but we got a great reception! It was the first time trying my new (old) drum kit. The bass drum is an old 26" x 9" marching bass drum and I thought everyone was going to hate it but they loved it. Insignificant in the grand scheme I'm sure but we all like to f*ck about with gear don't we Unfortunately the main reason for the kit is the look of the thing, and this is the only photo I can find with a hit of drum kit on it.