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Pub gig last night with blues band The Alligators. Venue was The Queens in Bridlington old town. Strange layout with a high stage somehow reminiscent of an old galleon! Lively sounding room so was pleased my Fender Rumble 500 combo coped with it okay. Used my Precision Lyte, which did the job rather well. One of those gigs where there was a constantly changing audience, probably due to a few other boozers nearby with other entertainment going on, so got used to seeing new faces all night. Only my 3rd gig with the band ( and just the 2nd time on bass! ) but it went pretty well - I didn’t drop any huge clangers and managed to style out the rest ( I think! ). Will need to be digging out some ear protection from now on though, am just not used to pub band levels. Next gig is this Friday, also in Bridlington town at The Stirling Castle. Apologies for the rather ordinary photos, it was better than it looked, honest!

We played the Major Goolsby stage at WI State Fair yesterday. 3:45-6:45. Good crowd with a lot of dancing. I was able to play the whole gig standing up. 91° so we all stayed hydrated. Lots of rules and regulations to get to the stage. You guys know I like some of the finer extras at gigs. We were told we'd have an air condition trailer with a stocked refrigerator. No band pics. However here are a few pics I took. Yes the trailer was luxurious. Lol Daryl

Just back from a Bendricks Rock gig at the Lamb in Newport. Much more room than we were expecting. A few friends as well as enthusiastic locals. We felt a few songs were rushed and/or scrappy. How did we manage to butcher a song as simple as Sex Bomb? But we went down well and the bar staff loved it. Major plus point was finding my cheap and cheerful Thomann powered speakers were more than adequate for a pub gig (4 vocals). Drummer Paul from Bluesfire was there and is practicing with us on monday ahead of a dep in September. After that NOTHING! until September: (

My first gig in two years last night was a dep job for rockabilly outfit 'The Rhythm Burners', whose DB player had broken his thumb. The 'sold out' event was brilliant, with a really good vibe to it. Some lovely comments on my playing/sound were greatly appreciated, as were the attentions of some rather pretty females 😊. I don't play DB, so it was '76 Jazz, RM800 evo2, Markbass 210 pure into desk. Oh, the van (drummers) ran out of diesel five miles from home 🙄. The joys of being back on the road 😄.

Nice gig at a fairly local gastro pub type place last night. Hopefully our recent drummer issues are now behind us; the dep brought in that did the last couple of gigs with us (after the drummer for the last 9 years left with no notice) sadly hit some personal issues which left us drummerless with only 4 days to the next gig. Fortunately the dep that was due to come on board in November stepped in and smashed it out of the park. I’m hoping he’ll come on board permanently as he’s a great communicator on stage.

£2000 is a very nice budget to have and covers a lot of new and second hand options. You'll get 100 different recommendations from 100 different people on here....all correct 😁 What might help to narrow down the options are things like: Preffered scale length Preffered string spacing No of frets No of pickups Bass shapes you like eg: jazz, P, headless, pointy What sounds you want to achieve What sort of music you'll be playing Finishes - solid colours or natural woods Have you tried any 5's already and what did you like / not like about them?

I thought I'd posted these up here already! Here's me playing Salisbury Live this year, we were the opening band for the whole event...so the audience was rather thin (but there was a bloke in a wheelchair who kept spinning round so we did alright 👍🏻). I'm sporting a fetching Lakland 55-02 that I purchased here about 5 years ago. It's Felis Leo btw, the band that is 😄 Pics by Christopher Jungo

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Mind the gap! All comments welcome.

Really annoys me when we are assured the Glam band have a changing room and we turn up and its a literally a cupboard that 5 adults with several Glam costumes need to get changed in. Some venues have suggested we could use the toilets and we have to say No thanks that's not suitable. That's probably why we mainly play clubs that usually have committee rooms we can use. I'd quite happily walk away from those venues as its hard enough changing in a tight space let alone coming off stage sweating like the proverbial and no area or space to cool down a bit before going back on stage for 2nd half. Dave

Me at the Banshee Labyrinth a week last Thursday. First outing for the Stingray!

Just played an hour and half acoustic set in the courtyard of the Star Inn, Harbottle, Northumberland. Great setting, and an attentive and appreciative crowd, many of whom will now be enjoying the acoustic night in the bar. The weather gods were good to us too and whilst the sun went into hiding shortly after we started, the rain that was threatening never made an appearance. Plenty of guests joining us, and at one stage we had a twelve string acoustic, a cellist, and a cajon’ist on ‘stage’. I love these stripped down acoustic gigs, oh and so does the landlady who has booked us back in November (this time in the bar). Today’s rig was my NS NXT, the TC Impulse with the 3Sigma German bass (mic 6) running into the EBS Stanley Clarke, then out to the desk and the TC 250 208 combo (for personal monitoring) via the SushiBox with bass in mind Finally valve DI. I think I am becoming addicted to double bass, and I can see the real thing making an appearance in my arsenal in the not too distant future.

Played a metalfest last night. Great gig, pretty busy and we seemed to go down pretty well. One of the warmest stages I’ve ever been on! We got a new drummer and he did very well. Few cock ups but no issues! Our IEMs had a weird issue (I’ve posted in the IEM bible thread), guitarist could hear everything but drummer, singer and I couldn’t hear right and i was getting weird interference. Crackling etc. need to figure that out. Sound was Quad Cortex direct with my Status Chris Wolstenholme (v1). Muchos compliments after! Venue used smoke so photos were… difficult!

It's not actually as bad as it sounds. 😆

Do it. I joined a music and performing arts educational trust about 12 years ago. I have learned a huge amount since then. reading skills will improve quickly. You won’t ever sight read a new tune at a gig. Put the time in at home and you’ll be fine. You’ll get used to playing in just about everything other than E and 4/4 as well.

Here’s a fine piece of antiquated firepower and technology. And a Vulcan bomber.

Used napkin? We used to dream of a used napkin, all we had had were a couple of broken leafs and twigs from t'tree that we glued together with our own spit and blood, and that was if we were lucky. Most of time, we'd just have to stand there and hit our heads with rocks to make us forget the rain.

Another seaside jaunt for us this Friday.

Thanks. Not a bad spot for a gig either. 😁

Thanks Dave. The guitarist uses a vintage Vox AC15 amp, which sounds wonderful but is quite loud! I couldn’t believe the PA set up too - a pair of Nova 10inch speakers ( made many years ago by my good friend Lynn Blakeston, a local legend), and they are powered by a truly ancient / vintage ( depending on your viewpoint) Peavey mixer amp, probably a PA-300. It doesn’t have XLR mic connections, just good old jacks. Incredibly, it doesn’t sound half bad either. Somehow matches the band’s ’old school’ vibe!

TBH unless the guitar is rare and valuable you are better off replacing the machine heads and then not keeping it in the barn.

After watching that Freddie Washington vid i listened to this. Listening to this record has taken up my ears for today. Fabulous record, Fabulous bass playing. Tight studio Washington bass playing on a Ken Smith. .Arrangements and drums and vocals by Phil Collins who i think is so so tallented... the Freddie Washington vid is below.

Just to note that we have a Freddie Washington thread that was started just a few days ago. Probably a good idea to merge the two threads.

It’s not allowed to say ‘76 Jazz’ without including a picture of it.

@bass_dinger It’s a great idea to get involved with these groups. I fell into playing for loads of amateur dramatic groups all over Essex and East London whilst I was at college and it was fantastic experience. As @harukimentioned earlier it’s brilliant for improving your sight-reading and you’ll get to play a huge variety of music in a multitude of styles. Also a great way to meet other musicians and build up some contacts. I’d recommend it to anyone

If I had to choose a rig from my collection on tone instead of power...

It is indeed a very sparkly Stingray. Shiny thing! Shiny thing! 😉

Lakland and Sadowsky are both good prospects, going on your stated preferences. The Lakland, however, is a 35 inch scale. With a budget of £2000 you could easily pick up a used Sadowsky Metroline, either made in Japan or, preferably in my opinion, a more recent made in Germany example. I was sceptical when Sadowsky went into partnership with Warwick, but I've been proved completely wrong by the stunning quality of the Metroline basses turned out in Germany. The more recent examples are chambered just like the NYC models and all the hardware and preamp is top notch. They are beautifully put together, too. The five string version is 34 inch scale with 19mm spacing and the low B sounds great.

For £35 I'd take it as a cheap life lesson and move on. There is a danger it will poison your mind for months otherwise. Life is too short.

I seek an adjudication from fellow Abstainers. In 2023, I knowingly purchased a £150 bass with a twisted neck, and had planned to buy a new neck when funds allowed. Full story here This month, the credit card bills for the new neck are due - thus, I am paying for the new neck (along with shipping, import duty and other taxes) in August, amounting to nearly £600. So, my question is, does this repair of a 2023 item count as a repair (which leaves me still in the game). Or does the fact that I willfully purchased something pre-broken make it a project rather than a repair? If so, am I out of game for 2024? Further arguments to consider: 1. Double Jeopardy. I was out of the 2023 Gear Abstinence Thread for the purchase of the same bass (plus its sister bass). Can I be convicted twice for the same "crime"? 2. Substance over Form. If the repair costs four times as much as the bass, is the repair the substantive purchase that we should be considering, and not the minimal purchase cost of what was effectively a neckless bass guitar. 3. If I pay to have this same bass refinished in 2025, would I be out a third time for the same bass? And if so, does it feel right that a project spanning three years should cause me to fail the Gear Abstinence challenge in three successive years, when I am seeking to reduce my expenditure on new bass guitars by spreading the costs. Yours, taking this thread far too seriously, Bass_dinger

Wife took a photo of me at my gig tonight. I look like it’s my first day of school. LEDs weren’t even on yet!

Me, looking uncharacteristically cheerful while holding a bass guitar (which is why my portraitist snapped the photo). I might use it as my avatar.

This one is the one for me, lightweight, plays and sounds great.

Last night was awesome! Tiny but rammed music pub, the Bush in upper Cwmbran. Some of our Bluesfire fans came but mostly locals, also two guys I know from the band playing there next week. We overfilled the space! We just really clicked, hardly missed a beat, really relaxed. Reaction was great, even got dancing in the tiny space. Lots of 'best band/gig' I've seen here, almost everyone came up to say how they enjoyed it. They were generouswith the 'magic hat' too. Al's guitar always gets praise but this time it was mostly people saying how good we were as a band. Felt like we levelled up last night. You can see how much of a squeeze it was...

Gumtree is for buying/selling when you can transact face to face.

I did it years ago with few groups. Not much money involved, but lots of playing, and nice people. If you can mute your instrument easily, learn to do it quickly now. A tab with scores, and a pedal page turner (like Dragonfly or similar) are worth a lot. Extra set of strings, cables, and batteries are a must. DI box may save you if your amp breaks. I remember that I drank somewhat during two weeks with one group, but found quickly, that it's one really bad habit: I wasn't that sharp anymore, and the amounts rose very quickly. Not to mention the costs. I played just fine, but I wanted to be sharp to support the band and the actors. Then I made a decision that playing and drinking in front of people is not my way to perform.

Don't listen to him, @lozkerr, he's using you as a smokescreen whilst he satisfies his own GAS! We know you've been itching for a 'Ray for ages, Dave!

I’ll chuck Mike Lull into the mix. You won’t get a new one for £2k, but you might score a used one for that ball park. The B on mine is fantastic. They are 35” scale tho. For my money, 35” scale basses shouldn’t be disregarded in terms of 5’ers. Mike Lull MV5 at Bass Direct.

I'm a little embarrassed by the amount of guitars as it suggests I'm much better than I actually am. But I enjoy messing about with them, pick up swapping, customising etc. But space constraints will mean a one in one out policy soon, I think. In the middle are three Yamaha MSGs (aka Image outside the UK). Yamaha's jump on the PRS bandwagon and their existing experience in copying Les Pauls for their Studio Lord range. As much as I would love to own a PRS or two, it's hard to justify when the MSGs are just as playable and (dare I say it?) look nicer. The far left one is my main guitar and had a black replacement trem installed after threads wore out on the original chrome one. It used to have the pickups in the one on the far right and the sound was very creamy - imagine the solo off Wuthering Heights. Currently has a DiMarzio Satur8 in the bridge and Air Zone in the neck positions but I'm not so enamoured with the sound. Middle one is an MSG Standard - more faithful to the LP concept and it has PRS Mira pickups for a classic rock sound. Far right one is slightly surplus but a little lighter, it has Armstrong humbuckers which sound like PAF's once they've been eq'd for recording. Smooth, nice midrange but also very balanced. The blue strat in the corner was originally a Chandler Custom Strat, their take on a Valley Arts but now the only thing that is still original is the body wood - a 2 piece slab of quilted maple. I made a neck for it last year because I was so comfortable with the 44mm wide nuts and ebony fingerboards on the Yamaha MSGs. And last summer I also made this in about a week - a hybrid of a MSG and an Aria RS Esprit (which featured low pass filters) but with a middle pickup and piezos. The pickups are passive Alembic Activators, the low pass filters are customised by Lusithand and the piezo is by Graphtec to fit the Wilkinson VSW100CV convertible trem. I'm still working on the electronics as the piezo saddles have proved to be both fragile and expensive to replace but it can do Go West after turning the bridge filter down and dialling back the neck filter a little. Piezo response is not as much like an acoustic guitar as I expected and there's a bit of a gain bump as they're going through two gain stages (filters and GHOST acousti-phonic preamp) but it'll do in a pinch...probably.

Well I appreciate you taking this thread seriously. I think repairs are fair game, rules say as much, so I reckon it passes for this time. That refinish you're proposing next year, well, it's an odd one but I would say that it's frivilous, even if the bass had no finish it doesn't stop it performing as a bass so I would argue that's an elective and therefore put you in jeopardy. How bad is the finish as it stands now?

I've got the Headrush Gigboard and am loving it. I believe the MX5 and Gigboard are based around the same effects and functions. Like most multi effects they're mainly set up and aimed at guitarists but I've played about with mine and got some great drive / envelope filter / chorus / octaver / flange sounds. The interface is a game changer for me as you just drag and drop effects to where you want them. I dont use any of the IR, amp or cab options. If mine dies tomorrow I'd be throwing £299 at Andersons straight away 👍

Thanks for the tip! Getting ready for another cover band pub gig tonight.

Quality 2 pole fit just as well as qualty 4 pole.