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Played our now monthly gig at the wonderful Sun Inn in Beverley. ( Milestone acoustic duo) It was Armed Forces day in the town, so instead of the usual acoustic guitarist who plays before us, they had booked a female singer ( with tracks) to do some wartime songs - Vera Lynn / swing stuff. Unfortunately this didn’t appear to be what the regulars wanted, so by the time we arrived to set up (an hour later than usual) most of them had departed. Anyway, we cracked on with our usual request format, and did 3x40 min sets. Had some great requests, including one from a couple who had just got engaged and asked for ’Stuck in the middle’ which got a laugh. Hardest songs of the day ( for me ) were a fast version of swing standard ‘Cheek to cheek’, (so many chords!) and then also a request for some Mark Knopfler stuff, so we played ‘Why worry’, which is a beautiful song written with the Everly Brothers in mind. It has a tricky count in a few places, but we managed it okay and you could have heard a pin drop in the room. Finished the gig with a singalong during Bowie’s ‘Starman’, the audience helping out with the ‘na-nas’ on the outro. Had a couple of booking enquiries after we’d played, so still a useful gig!

Tampa, Florida US

Hi folks I have always loved the look of Gibson EBs, possibly/probably influenced by some of my favourite bassists using them, but I have been able to find 'that' bass. Not easy to find a luthier who offers them either, however I noticed a build by Alex at AGH and asked him if he would make me something similar and here we are. Specs in brief are: Rosewood top over a 5-pc maple wenge neck through with cherry wings, 32" medium scale. Lower horn shaped to suit me so somewhat asymmetrical. Artec Mudbucker with series parallel switch and a Thunderbird style bridge pickup. V/V/T controls. Gotoh and BadAss harware (mostly because they were in my spares drawer). Sounds mega!

More local, Stormin the Castle. Main stage Saturday night, the slot just before the headliner “Phil Campbell & the Ba$tard Sons” 😎

Only 3 gigs this weekend, one busy Bandeoke, one quiet Bandeoke, one freezing outside gig. 10 new songs for the Bandeoke gigs, of which only four got chosen but hey ho, I now have them all. The originals band is fun because I busk off chord charts which equates to two hours of improvisation, way more fun than trying to remember!

In 2008, I had been on this forum for a while, and saw a Squier Precision 5 on Marketplace. I decided to buy it and if memory serves, made a rather large detour on my way back from a work trip to get it. The bass was in very good condition, but was an awful metallic green with white scratchplate. My intention was for this to be my first attempt at "modding" a guitar, and had grand ideas of stripping it, painting it, etc etc. To me, the pickups felt a bit weak, so got in touch with Andy at Wizard pickups who, after a couple of attempts, made me a set of lovely J pups (these early Squier P5s had two Jazz pickups in a P body, not P/J). I stuck some LaBella flats on it, and with these new pickups, did a lot of gigs (a lot for me). Over time, I fell in love with this bass, and its cricket bat sized neck. I then started to worry that if I messed around with it, and stripped the paint etc, I might ruin it, as I am no woodworker or Luthier! Therefore, I decided to buy a twin of it. I wasn't intending to, but ended up with an almost identical one in the same awful green metallic. I stripped that one, had the body routed (by a mate) for a P-pickup at the neck and a battery cavity at the back. It ended up black with a pearl pickguard. It looked really good, but have never managed to feel the mojo the original one had. I have also had an issue with the G string on it being quiet, but I have tried various strings and moving the pickups but it is always the same, so it never really gets played. I also found that after I had stripped it, the green metallic look had actually grown on me and the minute I saw it gone, I wished I hadn't done it! Fast forward a few years around 2015, a few of my pro mates were raving about the new Sire V7s as a quality budget instrument so I saw one come up on here and bagged it. It has been my main bass ever since. As I wasn't playing the Squier, I took pity on a young teenage son of a friend who was trying to play bass with his mates and was attempting do so with a homemade bass his grandad had tried to build "Brian May style", but was pretty much unplayable. I offered him a temp loan of my green P5. I figured he would get sick of the huge neck and give it back in a month or so once he'd found something better......but didn't! All the time he had it, I would see old pics of me playing it and the memories of those gigs would come flooding back and would miss it, mainly for the nostalgia aspect, I wasn't so sure about for the playing of it. Fast forward almost 10 years, and a week ago he messaged me to say he was moving out of his mum's and didn't have the space for it in his new place, so did I want it back? So, it appeared at a band rehearsal (minus the E String?) via his mother. Yesterday, I put a spare E string on it and took it to my weekly concert band rehearsal, thinking I'd start playing it and it would remind me not to think of things with rose-coloured spectacles on and I'd jump straight back on my Sire. However, wow! It was like having an old glove fit in my hands! The neck is still relatively straight (whereas the one I modded rarely stays still). Yes, it needs a bit of adjustment to string height for my preference but not a lot, and the lovely mellowness of those Wizard pups was sublime. I am resisting the urge to use terms such as butter but I really enjoyed playing it again and did the whole rehearsal with it. I don't think the kid is a smoker (his mother will kill him if he is) but the white scratchplate has now yellowed nicely in a vintage way, and that green is still growing on me massively as a different look. I'm o happy to have my old partner back. It will now be a struggle to choose between the Sire and this. I think I prefer the radiused board of the Sire, but the huge string spacing and feel of the Squier. I sure there are people out there scoffing with their expensive Wals and Overwaters (lots of other various boutique names are available) but these were all I could afford or justify at the time, (and still can!) Just thought I would share...... I'm one happy boy!

Can't fool me. You are ped but signed off as Chris, ergo your account has been hacked! 🥴

Bastile Days this Friday night. Bastile Days is one of Milwaukee's largest 3 day multi stage festivals. It's the first time we've played to a large night time crowd on the east side of Milwaukee. We have to be good. Here's the line up. I don't know how we got headliner status. Bastile Days Milwaukee 7/12 Beaux Art Stage 11:45am Tribal Belly Dance 1:15 Chris Pipkins 2:45 The Incorruptibles 6:00 Rebecca & The Grey Notes 9:15 Maple Road Daryl

Hi guys A Two Factor Authentication (2FA) option has just been enabled for all members. We strongly suggest you take advantage of this option to keep your account safe from anyone else logging in as you, for example if someone obtains your password or login credentials (particularly if you use the same details on other sites). If you're not familiar, it'll mean that you'll need to carry out a second step when logging in (or carrying out any of the actions below) by one of two methods - either entering the answers to three security questions which you can set up yourself, or by using Google Authenticator which generates a code for you to enter when prompted whilst logging in to BC. Other 2FA apps may be compatible in the future but for now the software supports these two options only. Rest assured it's easy and helps secure your account which is becoming increasingly important. If you use the 'remember me' box when logging in, you will not have to use 2FA every time you log in on that device. Access your 2FA setting here https://www.basschat.co.uk/settings/account-security/ 2FA is required when: Changing email address - The user will also need to re-enter their password. Logging in from a new device Managing Authorized Devices Logging into AdminCP Updating two-factor authentication setup, changing the online status visibility, requesting PII data or account deletion. Changing password Managing alternative contacts Viewing, withdrawing or topping up account credit Managing PayPal Subscriptions Managing stored cards Editing personal billing information Managing addresses Any questions or concerns just let me know! Cheers Chris

Last Saturday.

Looks more like a hoodie?

That's Dave. He works down the local chip shop. One eye, got a limp, smells of vinegar. You must know Dave?

I would have thought that the Epiphone Embassy would get you right in the ballpark for tone, playability and cost.

He's fine..... I beered with him a couple of weeks ago

What's that you say? Oh, go on then!

I don't know if it's happened here, but it happens to people all the time, people like my mum who use the same email/password combo on everything. If that information is leaked, then technically a third party can access lots of your information. Nowadays most sites require extra steps when doing anything sensitive such as making a payment (for example all our transactions happen via Stripe or Paypal, each requiring it's own layer of security) so generally it's more of an inconvenience nowadays. However I have seen cases where accounts have been hacked and items have been offered for sale fraudulently, trying to trade on the reputation built up by the seller previously. Usually easy to spot, it's happened to my friend on Facebook. Again I don't think this has happened here, at least I have no record of it. Another popular one is to list items that someone is genuinely selling as your own - happens LOADS on vintage car adverts on Facebook. Practices like putting a piece of paper with your username in shot (somewhere that it can't be easily cropped out) help against that. We recently changed the Wanted forum to make it visible to paid members only, because that attracted scammers to message people saying they had the item in question (usually for a bargain price). I feel that things have stepped up in the last couple of years, so we need to protect ourselves and pull together as a community to fight these knobs.

Fitted a little quality of life/aesthetic improvement - Sire style 3 string retainer, and thank you to whoever made this bass for putting the original string retainer in front of the A tuner, so could use existing hole and no holes to fill

TBH if I had a string winder the amount of time I'd spend looking for it first I would have probably been able to wind all the strings on my Bass VI by hand.

MusicMan Stingray Special and Mesa Subway 115s.

Here's my New Improved Enormous Pedalboard (NIEPB) The LS-2 flips between Soul Food -> Chorus and OC-2 -> C4 -> ODB-3, then TU-2 -> Thumpinator -> Comp -> Boost -> Preamp. I think. The Disaster Area controls the C4 patches, the remote is for the retina-searing LEDs, and yes there is something in the Altoids tin. Powered by a Voodoo Lab PP3+ I hope the slightly not-straight pedals don't trigger anyone's OCD. It's definitely 100% finished and I'm absolutely not going to buy anything else.

Southern Incorporated gig yesterday, social club in an old mining village in County Durham. Nice size room with plenty of enthusiastic audience members. We played really well, and slipped in a couple of newer songs as we ramp up to a major bike festival show at the end of August. Seemed to go down well with the audience as we received a standing ovation at the end of our second encore. Nice when the promoter hands you the money and says “after a performance like that I feel like I am ripping you off paying only this much” - job done 😎

Two gigs this weekend, and two new songs to add - blondie, call me, 4 semitones down, and BeeGees you should be dancing, which leads into Does your mother know, which was an existing song, same key, just faster, so expected some kind of an issue on them, and although there was, it was nothing unfixable. First gig at a pub that pays well, and we had a good crowd in there, some couple who were out to dance and did so from the start, and by the end the place was all moving, Could have done without the old guy who stood about 2 foot in front of me with his arm up for the last hour, but I guess he was happy. Also could have done without someone putting a pint of beer in front of the PA and then obviously kicking it over, which I had to stop to clear up. As it is I put stuff on the sub to ensure that people don't put their beer there 'Ooh, here is a not totally level vibrating surface, that is a perfect place to put a drink!' Second gig was an afternoon in a fixed marque on top of a hill, always good there although the weather wasn't good and it confirmed our suspicions about the quality of their wiring. The guitarist couldn't get his guitars not to be buzzing, adn then later on at the end of the gig, the singer sat down on the floor, which turned out to be wet, and when he hit his face with the microphone got an electric shock Someone is going to have a problem there! Anyway, apart from having to move slightly from the edge due to the rain, it went well, again the new songs went down well, all good.

Well that's a mouthfull. I've been playing Dingwalls for over a decade, starting with a Combustion and working up via an Afterburner 1 through to a Z3, and more recently have pretty much exclusively been gigging a ABII fretless, a mind blowing machine, but that's another story. Sometimes, you just hanker for something different, and I'm a sucker for anything in Lake Placid Blue. So I wandered over to Bassdirect, the dangerously close shop in my home town knowing this beast was there, with an idea I might have a bit of a noodle. Kind of flirting with a friends wife. I don't want to stretch the analogy too much, but she's absolutely a go-er. I can't say this bass is better than my Z3 or ABII Fretless, they are different beasts, but it absolutely is at the same level, and as with all these things on some aspects better. It has a fundamental mid grind and push that the Dingwalls don't do, or at least don't without fiddling, and just doesn't get in the way of your playing. And is very pretty. The shop was busy and I didn't even play through an amp - just a headphone amp - but was fairly obvious what it did. I "accidentally" tripped over a stand and the credit card I was holding fell into the card machine. Took it home and, after maybe half an hour actual playing time, took it out to gig at the festival we were playing that evening. A headline set, moving from the 37" multi-scale fretless I'd been playing the last 18 months to the 34" fretted Ken Smith. Ballsy (read dumb) move. But actually, there were a couple of hairy moments of adjustment, but man this thing kills in terms of sound

I collected this compact but weighty beast from Bristol today - a last bastion of the 'oldskool' Trace Elliot dating from Feb '99. I'll not fly into a drawn out essay here but history suggests this particular era of TE wasn't known for the same level of quality as their heyday but this example has stood the test of time. Everything works and it makes all the noises it's supposed to. Initial findings suggest the tonality is a little different than the SMX models and the additional features are very interesting so I'll do a review at some point. Did I need yet another black and green box with Trace Elliot written on it? Of course not, but I convinced myself 'something more compact' would no doubt 'come in useful' which if I'm being honest is at least half true. Anyways, I'm very pleased with my new toy as it sounds truly fantastic. ❤️

MS Authenticator seems to work OK as well Scan the QR code offered when Google Authenticator is chosen. I'm all in favour of 2FA for change of security parameters on web sites. It doesn't intrude on normal operation and it is best practice. And as bass players - we know all about Best Practice 😁

Taking Pictures - Janosch (I play lead guitar and sing backing vocals on this track, and I also shot the photo used for the cover)

I’d rather grab one of these, which also look like a new addition to the Squier stable: https://www.fender.com/en-GB/squier-electric-basses/jazz-bass/affinity-series-active-jazz-bass/0378700585.html

Over the decades, the stuff I bought has, maybe, changed in commercial value, but it doesn't interest me to even look it up, as I won't be selling any of it, anyway. Good when I bought 'em, and still good all this time later. I'd not hesitate to change a worn-out pot, or have a p/u re-wound; the 'collector' value (if any...) is of no interest to me. I'd rather have my stuff working at its best.

Silent Hedges — Bauhaus

That's true. Distance selling regulations are what's destroying local shops! I used to buy stuff online all the time (including Basschat) but I found that the expectation and reality would rarely match up. Best instruments I've bought (aside from the Grabber I got on here and picked up in a carpark which is sublime) have all been played and tested thoroughly before handing over the money.

Fair point on the first one. In a way it's better than trying in a shop - you can take it to a band rehearsal or some such setting and try the bass in the real world application you intend to play it in going forward. Just be careful with it during transportation and the session, of course! On the second one - people* who are fortunate enough to live near such places would do well to check their privilege before telling us chancers who buy sight unseen that we're doing it wrong. * (not having a dig at you here @TimR, merely using your sentence as a jumping off point)

I'm more a buy it then get used to playing it kind of person. You can get used to playing almost anything with a bit of time, and trying first is pretty much impossible where I live. Worst case scenario, move it on and buy something else.

Awesome - there are not many reverbs or delays out there with a low cut feature.

Confidence Daryl, you'll smash this one, its what you guys do. Dave

The Music Nomad one is excellent on bass and guitar tuners. Ball bearings baby... !

Dave, We have that 9:15 star billing for Bastille Days Friday night. We have an afternoon gig at The Ziegler Winery on Saturday. It's a 2 hour drive one way. Daryl

Thanks Dave, Everything looks good . Who knows what surprises we might be in for. Daryl

I picked up a Gretsch hollow body last December. It’s become my go to. I spend a lot of my practice time playing it. It does have a big body. It’s the G5123B model , a Korean made bass with TVJones pickups. Wonderful woody tone.

If you only have 2 or 3 windings around the post, how difficult is it to use your fingers?

I have a man to do mine for me.

Honestly if I had £500 for a Jazz Bass I’d 100% buy the Sadowsky MetroExpress JJ4 for sale in the classified section - it’s got the VTC preamp, upgraded pickups and even had the decal changed to the proper Sadowsky logo - once they’re setup properly with all the fretwork done and all the electronics are upgraded there’s very little out there comes close under 4 figures..

Not had a gig in ages. Rehearsal got cancelled at weekend too. Got a biker rally on Sat night tho but its a 4hr drive each way. Nightmare drive home but thankfully my wife is coming along and can share the driving. One of those gigs where the fee barely covers the fuel. Dave

We played a new venue for us called Inside the 22 in Rugby. So not only a reference to the game of Rugby in the town of Rugby, but the postcode is CV22 @Bluewine - the Zip code Daryl 😊. Nice big stage, decent PA and the sound guy Oli (also the owner) was excellent. We bashed through our set and included 3 originals, which went down really well. It's funny and flattering watching an audience trying to sing the words of an original cos they think they've heard it before somewhere. Used my goto rig of Mike Lull P4 with my Handbox R400 and matching cab, with the thumpinator in the effects loop. Band is called Southern Frontier Country Band so no prizes for guessing the genre. Here's that old chestnut Country Roads - actually one of my favourites to play - the middle eight really makes it. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/EkEq7M1eDtAWkSs2/

Would love to say I was killing some Kreator when this was taken but knowing me it was probably something saft like Def Leppard 😆