Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/10/23 in all areas
-
Played the 100 club last night with the Martin Abrahams band, Tuesday blues thingy, we played pretty good,nice to to able to hear my bvs clearly for a change. Took my old smithy BT4 with my MC 924 as spare in case. Nice that for once I didn’t have to drive either and also glad I didn’t book any work in for today! Looking forward to a bit of a lay in , int morning 😊x16 points
-
My rule is as soon as you arrive at a gig you put on a smile and act appreciative and gracious to everyone you make contact with. That means the patrons, staff and management. Remember they're paying you. Everyone in the band should do this. Blue11 points
-
Some fun featuring Charles Berthoud - thoroughly enjoyed this 😀9 points
-
I've received some 'punter' clips from our recent outing (23/09...) at the 'Welcome's Bar', Luitré, France. Nearly 18 minutes, if you can stomach it; the very last section shows the stoicism of Our Eldest doing what he can with a busted string. The all-round ambiance can be seen, I think. Here's the montage, enjoy ... Edit : I forgot to add a nod and a wink to @FinnDave . He'll understand (I hope...)...8 points
-
My sincere thank to @scrumpymike and his clan for organising another wonderful Bash. Everything went so smoothly, it's easy to overlook the amount of organisation that goes into staging this kind of event. The food was a highlight, of course, and the weather meant we could all eat lunch outside in the sunshine. Lovely! What a fantastic selection of basses to admire and try out! The early afternoon shootout seems to have become a regular event, and @Phil Starr's insightful comparison of a wide range of bass amps didn't disappoint. Hats off to @neepheid, who drove down from Aberdeen and - amazingly - completed the 550-mile return journey in one go in a car full of gear. It was also gratifying to see a fair number of Basschat DIY cab builds on display.8 points
-
I’ve got one. Albeit quite niche as made for me by a good friend, but it’s epic.7 points
-
All original comes with original case really lightweight about 8.4 pounds in nice condition any questions just ask may consider part exchange with a nice high end or rosewood board 70s precision bass Christmas price drop £29006 points -
And this below is the way I personally glue the bindings nowadays. And here, the disclaimer that I used to put on all of my build threads: "I'm always happy to describe what I do and why...but never assume that this is how it should be done and that I know what I'm doing. I simply find that it works for me with my (limited) skills and equipment" So why don't I apply bindings the 'normal' way? - Because I can't stand the 12 hours of sheer hope, once I've taped and bound the glued bindings, the hope that once I unbind it the joints are all going to be tight and gap-free. - Because, for me, they never were gap free. Oh, the dashed hopes! Oh, the anguish! And so a year or two back, I had a crazy idea. The way I apply veneer is that I apply a decent PVA wood glue to both surfaces, I let both surfaces fully dry unjoined, and then position the veneer and iron it on. Yes - with a standard household iron. There are tips and tricks, like all the things we do, but my veneer results have been pretty much successful from the first one I tried after learning of the method. So could it be done with bindings? Well. I tried it on a build a few years ago, and I've used the method ever since. And that is how I am going to do this one. I had already applied the purfling using the same method, but now it was time for the pre-bent ebony bindings. So, for what it's worth (and please do heed the above disclaimer), this is my method: - I tend to use the 'standard' white PVA Evostick wood glue simply because I know it works. I have successfully used Titebond also, but I am a creature of habit - I put a thin coat on ALL joining surfaces and let them dry (usually around 30 mins - longer is fine). Here below, the white bits are simply the areas that haven't yet dried - there is glue on every bit of every single joining surface ***this is important*** - Because the glue surfaces are then dry, I can position and re-position everything as often as I like until I'm happy I know where to start. I use the hot iron, an inch at a time, to melt the glue between the two surfaces. While the glue is molten, it melds together and the binding is moveable for final positioning. - While still hot, I press the binding from the top to fully seat it into the channel: - I then hold the binding in place with gloved hand for 15-20 seconds during which the melted glue re-solidifies and is fully re-solidified. - I then move round to the next inch or so - The melting is FULLY repeatable. So if I realise that it isn't quite seated properly, I just put the iron on it for a few seconds to remelt it, close the gap and hold it for the 15-20 seconds to resolidify - The binding is ready for trimming/scraping immediately. This whole side is around 20 minutes after I started ironing it on: - 30 minutes after starting the ironing, it's fully finished, ready to final sand and varnish if this is your last piece:6 points
-
The gig was taken by these guys ...6 points
-
The trouble with this bar is trying to track the owners down to be rebooked! When I was with Emergency Exit it was the very same! When I got the original booking it was a nightmare! I phoned several times and finally had to go to the venue and speak with the owner who told me her husband delt with the bands and she had no interest! Anyway we got booked 2 or 3 times then Covid came! The band I am in now did the gig last summer just before I joined! As usual on the night the owner praised them and said phone me during the week I don't have my diary. They could not get hold of him and gave up! I came onboard and tried on Facebook and phone to contact them. Managed to get the barmaid to give me both the owners mobile numbers...which just rung out! I gave up. Recently messaged them on Facebook and was told that the book wasn't open for next year and they will be in touch! Not heard anything yet! They still have live bands. As for the money...If you ask £300 and get it that's fine. If someone else comes in and say's £250....guess what!! A solo performer will get between £150 and £200 for a night so now that things are very tight that's a saving for the pub and in some pubs that's what they want! I play more or less every week. The band has 50 gigs this year but we have had to chase every single one and every follow up gig. One of the venues we play we go down great. Just got rebooked for next year and given 3 bookings same money as this year. Solo guitar player is in as well and has 4 booking to do...before the end of this year! Yes it's a bummer and it's not always good enough just to be a great band,good price and floor filler! Did a cracking gig in Stirling with Emergency Exit punk covers!. Won't mention the pub (Think Sherlock Holmes lol)Before lockdown. The place was packed and everyone enjoyed it! Local folk,tourists and the usual punk fans! We contacted the pub during the week to get another booking or bookings only to be fobbed off. I managed to speak to the manager only to be told that the person that booked us did not work there anymore. No one seemed to know who we were and what we did. Also she had never seen us so would we send some clips of the band.....I gave up!5 points
-
I think this stems from certain members who think they're above playing the venues. Usually its the members who don't actually book gigs and then complain that the band isn't getting any gigs. We did turn up to a gig once where the landlord said we weren't the kind of band he wanted paying at his pub. The pub had changed hands, he'd seen that "we were booked on Lemonrock, but he had no way of contacting us." He spent the entire night upstairs, the audience loved us, dancing and at the end had lots said we were better than the other bands he'd been putting on. He came down to pay us and said he wouldn't be rebooking us because his customers didn't want our kind of band. Anyway, he's gone now and we really should go and see the new landlord for a gig.5 points
-
SOLD My bass since bought new in 1977 and done countless gigs but had little use in recent years due to my Fodera and SEI and EB3 being more appropriate for the bands I'm in. Also it is not a lightweight so anyone with an aversion to thundering bass this is not the bass for you 😎 Great condition for a 47 year old bass with no major dinks on front or back but grazes to bottom due to not always being careful !!!!. Unusual checking on rear of neck but you can't feel when playing it. Recently had a full set up by Bass Doc and restrung with D'Addario flats (my preference as I don't slap but with steel round wounds you can get the Marcus sound with ease). New sponge under pick ups due to perishing and replacement bullet truss rod end. Sounds like a real 70's jazz should !!! Comes with an as new replacement tolex Fender case (old one did its job before the advent of robust gig bags) fender logo bridge cover and finger rest. Any trial welcome near York through either PJB or Stoneham valve amp Shipping included in price but pick up would be ideal. More pics can be supplied to interested purchasers. Feel free to make a sensible offer, you never know but don’t break my heart 🥲4 points -
I’ve had a rethink over the price. Reduced to £800. A seriously sorted bass. Offers or trade suggestions welcome, not necessarily bass. Here's is my MTD Lynn Keller Kingston 5 string. It has several upgrades. The bass has a 32" scale with a zero fret. 16.5mm string spacing and an asymmetric neck. It is lightweight at 8lb. It has Newtone Platinum strings fitted with little use on them. The bass cavities have been shielded with copper tape. A US Bartolini HR-5.3AP/918 3EQ preamp has been fitted. The bass has Volume(Active/Passive)/Volume/Bass/Middle/Treble with a 'High Middle Low' mid 3 way selector. There is an added 9v battery in the main cavity giving 18v total supply. It also has an upgraded Switchcraft jack. The original pickups had a very low output that seriously compromised the bass. They are also an unusual size. I had Mike Walsh of Zoot Bass remanufacture the pickups in the original cases and the result is stunning. Mike may be best known for making fine basses but his own pickups benefit from his depth of knowledge and attention to detail. The pickups now have a solid output comparable to vintage Fender pickups. Finally, the bass has US Ultralite Hipshot tuners, better quality black coated brass knobs and Dunlop strap locks. In excellent condition with no discernible wear orchids/damage, as can be seen from the photos. It will come with a good quality gig bag and I will ship at cost. It is a tone monster Inspection and trying the bass out is welcome. I can take more photos at a higher quality. I have the original Bartolini pre-amp (Chinese version?), tuners, jack socket, strap buttons and knobs that I will include in the sale. This is a great bass for those who favour a shorter scale and still want an effective 5 string bass. The zero fret, asymmetric neck and light weight make it a pleasure to play. It also has the Buzz Feiten tuning system. Peter4 points -
I had to take my 10-year old out for several hours today, to allow my wife some study time. He plays trombone (grade 2), and is curious about other brass instruments. So I took him up to London to visit the Yamaha shop (it’s the only brass store open on a Sunday that we could get to). Knowing we wouldn’t be purchasing, I was a bit sheepish about asking if he could play their Bb/F trombone. But they were SO helpful and welcoming. Not only did he play the £1400 trombone, they positively encouraged him to try a French Horn and a Tenor Horn. This weekend, it seems they’ve been having an event, so they also offered him a free 30-minute music lesson. We went downstairs to the guitar section and he was taught a few chords and, erm, Smoke on the Water (he plays it on trombone in his band) Meanwhile, I had time to try out a couple of basses, including a 5-string that has made me reconsider whether I should only have 4s. And an upright electric which has confirmed that I definitely shouldn’t go there. All in all, a great experience!4 points
-
Long day, feeling a bit stinky poo, nothing serious just first world crap. Then on the radio comes Tom. Feel better already4 points
-
Yep i'm always aware of the punk stigma from its heyday when audiences were a bit raucous and causing more of a disturbance but these days its anything but. Yes punks love to dance a lot but that creates atmosphere at a gig. Sometimes its difficult when you say you're a punk covers band the venue automatically thinks "trouble". If anything i've found the punk audiences are genuine fans of the music and are great fun to play for. And like you @theplumber i'm from a prog background and in no way a punk. Dave4 points
-
Stayed for the morning and helped to make this video with the guys at A Strings. Admittedly, I didn't know I was doing it until I turned up but here's a demo of the Ampeg Venture V3 through the DI and general thoughts on the series. Enjoy!4 points
-
Especially problematic when the sound engineer is also the bassist.4 points
-
I'm not usually one for brand loyalty but my recent pedal fetish is for the Boss compact. There's something OCD/stamp collector 'gotta catch 'em all' about getting colourful collection of them in a Boss hard case pedalboard. They're not particularaly cool or boutique (although the Waza ones are trying to tap into that market) but they are: Reasonably priced and are easily available second hand (usually). Tough and reliable (can often see 40+ year old Boss compact pedals still in use/for sale). Clear/simple/intuative for stage use (no hidden digital menus or masses of dials and small buttons/switches). Big/tough footstomp area (which is also good for home use non-shoe wearing stomping). On/off LEDs in the same place that aren't blindingly bright. Most are quite low power consumption, and have the option for battery. They tend to have sensible features like level and blend, crossover for the chorus, 2x outputs from the TU-3 and BB-1X, extra power outlets from the TU-3 and LS-2. All that combined makes them seem like 'get the job done' gig after gig year after year types of pedals. ....the eagle eyed will notice this is not real life - I did it on www.pedalplayground.com. I only currently own the TU-3 and LMB-3. A CEB-3, AW-3, and the BCB-90X (pedalboard) are on the way to me, and I'm tempted to get the LS-2 that's for sale on here. The PQ-3B will be the tricky one to get (anyone selling one give me a shout), I want it as I'd like some mid EQ control but want to avoid the GEB-7 (I had one and found it to be noisy, and those sliders seem delicate - not in keeping with the tough dials on all the others). The RE-2 might not make the final cut as it's expensive and isn't very useful for any Bass gigging I'm doing (and I'd prefer the RE 202), and for the sake of OCD I'm not sure I'd like one pedal being sideways. It isn't the most sensible plan as some are arguably industry standard (TU-3, LS-2, OC-5), but others (PH-3, AW-3) don't generally get much love as there are probably better alternatives from other companies....wouldn't fit the look though!4 points
-
Never ever say "Jim cannot make it that night" - instead say "I think we are booked for a private event that night" - and then give them your list of currently available nights. They have no way of checking if it is a private event, and it makes you seem more in demand.4 points
-
Nice one, love The 100 Club4 points
-
Then there is the bit where one particular member picks a fight with the sound engineer in every venue you play. That always helps.4 points
-
Yep, that sounds familiar. Never underestimate the effect of even a few seconds of rock-star arrogance between a band member and the venue to scupper future gigs irrespective of how well you went down. I've a mate who I used to gig with who is the most polite and respectful person you could hope to meet. Until around 2-hours ahead of a gig when he arrives at a venue and finds the slightest thing not to his liking and puts on just enough attitude to avoid a direct confrontation while still managing to fosters off people at the venue, IME gigs really can bring out the best or the worst in people, often because of a mix of excitement, anxiety, impatience, and ego. Not me of course, i'm lovely4 points
-
SOLD. Zon Sonus 4 string fretless Bass, Ash body, composite neck, JJ bartolini pick ups and active circuit. Up for sale is a truly astounding bass made by Joe Zon. It is very light-weight, coming in at 7 lbs, 13 ounces (3.53 kilos) The body is centre-seam two-piece solid ash, ergonomic and comfortable as can be, with an exaggerated belly-cut and forearm bevel. It has two Bartolini J-bass pickups and a Bartolini active 2-band EQ on a stacked, center-detent pot, in addition to a master volume and master centre-detent pickup blend control. This bass is in really nice condition, with a couple very minor nicks on the headstock and the end of the fingerboard with a virtually unmarked body. The phenowood fingerboard has some tiny almost invisible scratching from playing, it is so hard that whichever strings are used there are no issues. Currently strung with some rather nice Optima gold round wounds (50 to 105), included will be the plush tgi soft case or a hiscox hard case if preferred. The Zon Sonus model from this period have carbon-fibre composite necks. This is what Zon says about their composite necks: “The object of using composites for our necks is to integrate the stability and performance of these materials in a manner that enhances the tonal characteristics, reliability, and consistency of our basses, without losing the warmth and personality. “Our basses’ necks are fabricated in our Redwood City, California, facility. The base material is carbon fibre, developed for the aerospace industry. Carbon fibre is rayon extruded under extreme heat and pressure, a process that changes its molecular structure on a subatomic level. Engineered to have the highest strength-to-weight ratio possible (it’s six times stronger than steel), it also has the highest coefficient of stiffness and the lowest thermal coefficient, offering great stability and strength under compression, as well as tension. “However, carbon fibre isn’t the only material we employ. Our proprietary “recipe” incorporates wood and other materials, which allows us to tune the necks so every instrument retains that organic and musical earthiness so pleasingly familiar to the ear. “Because the neck has a “flatter” frequency response, it has less effect on coloring the wood body’s tone, therefore letting its true voice come through. With the neck material being so dense, the bass is very “live” and responsive. This condition is a function of a faster attack whereby the note comes into focus almost immediately and then swells with richness. Consequently, the tone has more clarity and the notes exhibit improved detail, projection, sustain, and evenness in volume, all across the fingerboard. This definition is particularly beneficial in lowered tunings, where the notes are usually lost or muddy. Instead, lowered tunings retain their clarity and don’t hide in the mix of the other instruments. “While the concept of using this material for a neck may seem unfamiliar, the feel of our necks is not. Contoured after some of the classic shapes we’ve come to know and love, the profile of our necks feels very natural to the hand and all of them are extremely comfortable and easy to play. The action is fast and smooth, making them suitable for any playing technique. Graphite string nuts are installed for the string-to-string evenness of tone and durability they offer.” The scale length is 34", there are no neck or electronics issues at all. The instrument is in perfect playing condition. Collection preferred or could meet up somewhere within a 30 mile radius of Daventry.3 points -
PRICE DROP £975 Boutique UK built all valve bass amp which achieved near cult status on this forum during its development in NE (and only a handful built to date) my Stoneham YI200 head and matching 4 x 10 cab. Converted to run on 6550 valves (like an Ampeg) by Martin Stoneham, head is housed in a swan flight case, and is much lighter than a Marshall VBA400 head, the cab is loaded with Celestion BN10-200 speakers and comes with a custom cover. Cab is very light and on castors. Monster sounding rig for any genre and looks great . Specification: 280w rms, 4 x 6550 power valves Fully hand-wired, turret board construction stainless steel chassis Weight 18Kg XLR D.I output Current price for head only is £1499, so nearest to. £1050 secures both, Meet up in NE or Yorkshire possible but courier is not feasible unless organised by a buyer but collection from near York preferable. Gigs with my Free tribute band are few and far between so needs to be used, it is floor shaking and so deep but clear as a bell with my old EB3 and 77 Jazz, this really recaptured the sound of my Marshall Superbass 100 and 2 4x12’s without the exceptional heavy weight 😎 Both head and cab are in excellent condition. Any Vanderkley Spartans or vintage Fenders would be a great trade 😎3 points -
1997 Jazz Deluxe original Deluxe hardcase. Can’t say vintage for a bass that’s younger than me(!) but it’s an iconic 90s American made bass. https://youtu.be/pATcvr3zAhg?si=r-AvpJosXE0kx7tL Not a standard jazz but the deluxe model which has 22 fret neck, smaller body, preamp, and Suhr pickups. If you know your stuff I don’t need to say much more! Great condition cosmetically and no issues with playing. Can be strung through body or bridge. It’s currently through the bridge as I usually have flatwounds on. Collection Cheshire. Or post +£353 points -
Never underestimate the power of chat. If you turn up and say you're the band where do you want us and then practically ignore the landlord you just won't be on their radar. You'll just be the band they booked last week. Some people just have the gift of talking to people and making them their friend. Arrive, introduce yourself by name, find out their name. Ask how business is, strike up a conversation. Literally get to know them and make them your friend. Then talk to them in the break and then again after you've played. My local landlady seems to only book the acts she can relate to on a personal level, it's certainly not due to their musicianship, and when the artist turns up they spend a long time chatting to her before they start playing. Artists who don't do the chat don't seem to get booked again. And that's pretty how 80% of any jobs go, when everyones CV is the same, you get the job in the interview because you get along on that personal level.3 points
-
By far the most common reason we're given is3 points
-
100% all chart hits that people of a certain age will remember. Mostly played on Radio 1 back in the day. Dave3 points
-
Yes it's that punk tag that puts folk off. In all fairness the music was the chart hits of punk and it all sounded like great pop music anyway!3 points
-
Good thread .. We don’t play big venues so mostly pubs / clubs and I do the band bookings My discovery is the venues are really not music venues as such and run by folk who are not the best judge of who comes through the door to play. We actually packed out to the rafters a venue last year in Bury St Ed’s and expected a few comments of praise as it was a great gig. When asking them a few weeks later to book us later in the year or next year they didn’t even respond !! Total bell ends !! For that reason we dismiss them off our target list and find more appreciative venues who are keen to book you and repeat book you !3 points
-
Agog. Simply agog. Wasted on the little blighters who will doubtless swing it about like extravagant troubadours, and then use it to surf down the stairs when they discover how awkward playing an F is.3 points
-
I've said before to new builders, 'It isn't that experienced builders don't frequently make rookie mistakes - it's just that they get much better at hiding them!' And a case in point: "When you use a binding router, don't forget to put in a temporary end graft in the slot" Because if you don't, then the router guide will drop into the slot and your binding channel will suddenly become 2mm deeper than you intended" Which is why, all of a sudden, I've decided to fit some herringbone purfling on the back! Back binding now done, ironed on as above, ready for some serious sanding: Folks who have followed some of my other builds will know that I generally use the Tru-oil slurry and buff method to prepare the finish even if I am going to ultimately varnish it. This is no exception. The back of the neck will be left slurry-and-buffed, but the body and headstock will be eventually gloss coated with standard, brushed-on high volatiles (sorry!) polyurethane varnish. What I use the tru-oil slurry for is to grain-fill, gap-fill and to prepare the surface for finish varnishing. And don't you just have to love what Tru-oil does for wood! First coat applied with 180 grit emery and wiped off. The top is at the moment simply plain sanded - tru-oil won't be used here as it has too strong a colour and so,at the appropriate stage, I will apply just polyurethane varnish to it: So, starting to get there. But it may well be at least a couple of weeks - MrsAndyjr1515 is starting to recover from Covid and is finding many more jobs for me to "more usefully occupy your (my) time with" - and we have the said little people here over next week and so it's all going to have to be tidied and hidden away!3 points
-
Would you not be better dropping the blues band part and just go with Maple Road which sounds great to me. Dave3 points
-
I get it and agree with the sentiment, however we can't travel, provide quality sound and lighting and a 3 hour show, load in and tear down for low pay or free. I doubt any band can. Blue3 points
-
One of the main rock venues in our area which i play with both bands also told us that punk bands dont go down so well on a Sat night in the venue and we were usually on a Fri night with punk band and Sat night with Glam band. I don't think punk was pulling in as much of an audience so a Fri night suited it better but he did say things tend to change thru time and we are now doing Sat nights with punk band too. This guy really knows his audience to be fair and puts bands on that he knows will pull a decent crowd. Its a 80/20 ticket split so everyone's a winner the more crowd you get in the more he makes at the bar too. Dave3 points
-
Yeah, Zeibek! The original version had 2 knobs and no switches. The Designer version added one more knob and 4 switches to the OG design. It's my second oldest pedal, clocking close to 2 decades of use on all my rigs, since 2005. For almost 5 years, my "amp" was VT Bass + Sub designer into crest power amp.3 points
-
Sometimes managers/owners/promoters just take a dislike to bands, it`s happened with bands I was in in the past, looking back most were warranted imo but in one case it wasn`t, no reason for it at all but we just couldn`t get repeat bookings despite filling the place.3 points
-
IME the problem is members with limited availability, you can't afford to keep turning down gigs that you would like to do because some of the band have other commitments. Venues and promoters will generally give you 2 chances (maybe 3 if they really like you), but after that they'll stop calling and ask bands who are always going to say "yes", because they are less hassle.3 points
-
I love dear old TW to bits. Have been most fortunate to have seen him live twice. Love all of his work. This one has worked wonders for me on occasion.3 points
-
We have noticed this in some of the “music “ pubs on the Isle of Wight . Our set list comprises of eclectic/ oddities from the 70’s and 80’s which most people know but have forgotten about , so most people say how different and refreshing our gigs are , but they don’t seem to sit well with the landlord’s expectations of what a pub band should be . If we played Ska or Dad rock , we would have loads more gigs , but we enjoy being on the fringe of popular music , so we just play where we are welcome , even if they are low paid or freebies .3 points
-
Soundguys/girls really do have to put up with a load of utter onanists don't they 😀3 points
-
Although primarily a sax and bass player I worked hard on my flauting some years back and still love it as an instrument, but in my band at the time the only opportunity to use it was for 16 bars of Nights in White Satin and some riffs and a chorus on Moondance, so it gradually fell out of use - I’ve not used it in any of my following three bands for seven years. I need to get off my a*se and start playing it again (even if just in private); what a waste of a sweet sound otherwise...3 points
-
Many years ago I was in a great trio - we were tight, the set list was good and we were playing two or maybe three times a week. Some of the work was through an agent but perhaps half was in local pubs and clubs with no middle man. We had residencies in two places (gigs every 4-6 weeks booked in advance for the year). Then it all started to dwindle. We didn't get advanced bookings for our regulars, places we'd played where I know we'd gone down well were no longer in the diary. I wasn't the main booker (that was our singer/guitarist) and when we asked him, he had stories about venues stopping live music or having no money to pay bands. My suspicions, and those of the drummer, were aroused when after a charity gig in a local club where we'd been received really well, the singer said they didn't like us and would never book us again, The drummer happened to know the people who organised it and they confirmed my interpretation of the night having been a total success. It turned out that for whatever reason, the singer was upsetting the venue owners with his pre and post gig attitude. I saw this first hand when we were asked to play a high profile venue launch with several local celebrities. The drummer and I turned up looking our usual smart selves (I decided to treat it as a club gig and although there'd been no discussion about dress code, so did the drummer). The singer turned up looking scruffy and proceeded to have a stand up argument with the guy who had organised the gig about his appearance and because we were late. It turned out the organiser had given the singer an earlier arrival time than the one he told us and had asked for a smart casual dress code, which the singer had also failed to mention. Although both the drummer and I witnessed the argument, the singer claimed he knew nothing about it and made up some story about being double booked. We played about 45 minutes and they paid us off as the singer just wasn't trying. One by one he managed to p*** off all our regular venues, and/or the word got about and we were left with out-of-town agent gigs - the kind that no one else would touch. If I hadn't seen the argument, and the drummer hadn't known the charity show organisers we would have been none-the-wiser.3 points
-
It's a Hofner long scale Verythin. I bought it new in 2016 and it's been all around Europe and maybe 6 tours of the UK. Probably one of my cheaper but most used basses.3 points
-
NBM = New Bass Month. Yes it's over a month since I acquired my latest bass. I prefer to post after I've done at least one gig, which in this case was last night. I bought a Dingwall Super PZ5 through BC some 4½ years ago and really enjoyed it. Earlier this year I got a D-Roc 4 and the longer scale was a revelation, which got me thinking about other Dingwall 5s. As luck would have it, another member was selling his NG2, was interested in the PZ5, and happened to live along my route to a gig. A meet took place and a deal was done - we each love what we got from the deal, so smiles all round. This is the third 5-er I've owned (the first being a G&L L1505) but I finally feel comfortable on a 5. The narrower neck (by 2mm) and longer and firmer low strings make it a joy to play, and the active electronics are another game-changer. By way of context, I had settled on Precisions as my bass 'home', which is one of the reasons that I went for the PZ5. You can do a lot with a Precision, but maybe not everything. I had also settled on passive electronics, so until recently this NG2 would not have got a second glance from me on the wall of a music shop - too many knobs, and not just one PP3 battery but two of the buggers! The plus points: Plays like a dream - if the action were any lower it would play itself. The Darkglass Tone Capsule - instead of a treble control it has high mids (2.8kHz) which is into the presence band - turn it up for MM-style sizzle. The mids control adds punch without too much honk, or you can dial it back for a more old-school sound. Emergency escape switch - if the batteries die, finish the gig in passive mode. Loads of excellent sounds to be had - a very modern-sounding bass on the whole. Plays in tune all the way up the neck on every string - not something I could depend on from a Fender. The white/tort colour combo is lush (originally came with a black scratchplate). The (lesser) minus points: No tone control in passive mode. At all. The jack socket doesn't like right-angle jacks, they tend to pop themselves out. However, the location is perfect for a wireless transmitter dongle. No Elixir strings is long enough for the low B position (please correct me if I'm wrong). Last week I rehearsed with a band playing a mix of pop, R'n'B, soul, electro-funk, and Afro-beat. Last night's gig with them was at Thatcham Festival. The guy in charge of the stage insisted that I put my amp stage right to 'balance' with the guitar amp stage left, but with no fewer than 4 vocal mics at the front, I had to stand back so that I was no further forward than the baffle of my Super Twin. Miraculously, I could still hear myself ok and I can report that the NG2 100% did the business. Never before have I played 10ths on a bass at the 16th fret, let alone live! Although you can get a kit to convert an NG2 to an NG3, I don't feel any need to do so, as the 4 pickup combinations already give me everything I need. And if I really want 3 pickups I can get my D-Roc out.3 points
-
You bought a Rickenbacker 4003 "for a laugh"? Nice position to be in2 points
-
Good point. My first band (we were in black and white, it was that long ago) weren't particularly good and played mostly originals. But we got loads of gigs because we were available, we told everyone we could do short notice gigs to fill in for cancellations and most importantly, we turned up.2 points
-
Cat Scratch Fever ～ Ted Oldgent2 points
-
Nope, sorry. Did nothing for me; my sky is still grey. A pity; I'd have liked a lift.2 points
.thumb.jpg.ed8058b86e488b118b7e898e5d68e3ca.jpg)
.thumb.jpg.479e4b8ac1d6260ac96cab0b087238e1.jpg)
