Leaderboard

A nice peaceful open mic night at the Shirley British Legion, as per normal Wednesday. It's possibly the penultimate night there, as Shirley Legion might be shutting up shop due to financial difficulties. Played a couple of my songs, accompanied a couple of people on bass doing a few blues songs. The difference between country music and blues music: Blues songs all sound the same, despite the best efforts of the bass player. Country songs all sound different, despite the best efforts of the bass player. Anyroadup, talking to the barmaid, she said she was having to clean up sick and it was making her feel ill. The guilty party was being rather mouthy and towards the end of the evening he got in one elderly woman's face, a situation which bubbled along for a short while before one of the performers punched him in the face. The two participants were separated, at which point the drunken vomity punchee rang the police and very loudly complained, and said it was racially aggravated (it wasn't, he was being a total dick regardless of race). He said he'd been hit by a bald bloke, at which point I may have upset him slightly by saying "I am Spartacus!" (followed by several other bald blokes also saying "I am Spartacus!". I'm not sure what the outcome was, the performer who'd delivered the punch left before the police (one copper) arrived, the copper had a look at the CCTV, and as I was leaving somebody (I'm not sure if it was the drunken punchee, seems fairly likely) was being escorted to the police car. Well, that was an unusually eventful night.

Gig last Saturday at a festival called Nashville Days in Swinford, Leicester. Headliner was Luke Combs UK Tribute and we were one of the support bands. Decent crowd, it was a ticketed event and had sold out so they were all up for it. The sound on stage was a bit meh as we were in a marquee but as backline was provided it was an easy set up. My Mike Lull P4 did the business as usual, not sure what make the rig was but it sounded ok. Some ladies did some line dancing while we were playing which added to the atmosphere, particularly when we played one of our own songs called 'End of the Line'

You might think, that if there’s adjustments to be made to your bass (and let’s face it, there usually is), or there’s an issue that needs fixing, you need to find someone to do the work for you. That means time, money, trust, and that also means you’re letting someone else understand your instrument. I’d strongly urge you to try doing your own work. It’s incredibly satisfying and fulfilling, and there’s absolutely no better way to understand and bond with your bass. It’s taken lots of hours, mistakes and triumphs, but I pretty much know how all of my basses tick. I know what’s going on ‘under the hood’ so to speak, and I understand the little faults and foibles that each bass has. Almost like learning the personality of your bass, because they all have one. There’s nothing to fear as long as you take your time, watch lots of YouTube videos, and just enjoy the process. Truss rods are a piece of pi$$, changing a pot is also very straightforward, nothing to fear at all. Make servicing your bass part of the experience of playing it. It’s a brilliant feeling to know that you can make your own bass awesome and solve your own problems without having to pay someone else to do it.

Musical wallpaper but one of the few major acts putting their money where their mouth is. Massive gesture and will be worth a lot of money to small venues.

I suspect they don't give a monkey's.

Finally got my hands on a Danelectro Longhorn, after years of wanting one or at least trying one out.... I believe it's 90's MIK 'Pro' version, with the fully adjustable bridge & better tuners. Got the rusty old roundwounds that came with it off & restrung it with some GHS Brite Flats. Really liking it so far. Though I'm not finding it the most comfortable body shape (for me) But it's lovely to play & has a big sound for it's size, and has quite a unique but useable tone IMHO. Will see if I can bond with it, and if it's a keeper 🙂

NBD! Thumb & Streamer & Corvette $$ combination made a cool soundin' bass

Regarding vintage basses, I've had good experiences with ATB Guitars, Bass Bros, @briansbrew and @CHRISDABASS. @walshy has also been a star, sending me vintage parts for nothing and doing a deal on a couple of more recent basses. Anyway, the reason for this post, look at this '69 Jazz that Bassbros have just got in. It's absolutely minty! https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1969-fender-jazz-bass/ Rob

Another one...

That's great to read and hear you are coming along nicely. I wouldn't mind getting mine looked at as well as I'm not sure the volume balance is equal across all 4 strings. My journey is going very well. I recently purchased a EBS Microbass II from @Happy Jack solely for the use with my Ibanez UB804. So far so good although I have no idea what the best settings are for it yet so I'm just running it flat. I've spent the last week playing on mine in prep for last nights gig which was an absolute storm. This was a very stripped back version of our band that I would normally be playing fretless on with some effects. It turned out to be one of our best performances to date with lots of positive comments on my playing afterwards, I even got asked by another artists who loved my playing and tone if I would like to play on some of her tracks at some point. I'm a big fan of her music so I was over the moon for her to ask.

Just read about this, could be an interesting show. https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/events/pino-palladino

Once wet, the boxing will have pretty well no protective qualities, so any mishandling from then on will result in disproportionate damage. May I suggest, for future shipments, by any carrier, to sacrifice a roll of cling film, wrapped around the entire box..? This will keep water out in most reasonable (and some unreasonable...) situations. The cost is slight, but will ensure that all the contents are kept dry.

One day I will understand, but that day is not today.

Three experiences with vintage dealers over the years - these are dedicated vintage-focused operators, rather than someone stocking vintage basses as part of a broader offering. A ‘62 Precision sold with a split in the fretboard at the first fret - “it’s just the grain”. It turned out that there was a problem with the truss rod, and the fretboard had fractured. A ‘64 Jazz that had a protruding fret - “we’ll just our tech to tap it down, no problem”. It turned out there were larger neck problems and the fretboard had previously been repaired. A ‘62 Precision being sold as “completely original”. I asked for the store to provide images of the neck/date stamp and any other dating examples (body etc.). “No way. It’s never been taken apart and I’m not disturbing it now”. Bearing in mind the same operator had previously sold a guitar to someone I know which was returned/refunded due to there being ‘inconsistencies’ with the description, and what was modded and what wasn’t. If I ever were in the market for a vintage instrument again the only people I would deal with would be Andy Baxter and David Pym, though I’m not sure the latter is still involved in selling instruments. It’s such a minefield, and to echo what Burns Bass has said, the more navel gazing done on here and knowledge/experiences shared (even if sometimes we don’t always get it right!) the better…

They subcontracting to Oceangate now?

I can't comment on your personal issues, but things change so don't cancel everything, just enough to give you the break you need for now. You can always cancel more if necessary, but if you have something to look forward to or work towards, that may be something to help you out of the situation you are in. I hope things improve for you soon.

Really stunning in person. The combination of the brown exterior and orange-y/gold plush interior of the case is amazing! Been picking up my bass more than I used to. Here are some quick soundclips I've recorded. Pbass>Cali76>Capo>Audio Interface Disco Yes.wav Vultures.wav

I'm not usually into fancy experimental effects, but I'm currently having fun getting to know this pedal. Only just started trying it out, but so far have coaxed some good "Muse-A-Like™ " synthy, gated fuzzy sounds out of it, and a very convincing Stranglers "In The Shadows" squelchy, over the top fuzzy/distortion. It also sounds great running it through my Laney Nexus octaver and chorus effects too.

I sent an email to GK last week and asked if they still had any rack ears for the older RB series amps (they are showing out of stock on their US site). They kindly got back to me to say they would have a look. Anyway, they found some to fit the MK-III/IV, and posted me two sets, which arrived yesterday. Great service I must say. Here's the MK-III with its new rack ears, rack case incoming. Rob

If you’re referring to parallax error, the photo was taken head on. Questionable saddle positions and string spacing as well which of course are easily remedied, but FFS, if you’re asking that much for a bass, at least make it look presentable.

Yes, I don't put much credence into the high-mass bridge being better for sustain or whatever, though some people do. I certainly don't notice anything measurably different between these two. However, I do like the look of many high-mass bridges.

Aye, Walshy’s great to deal with…

Yup...half the fun of owning my basses is pulling em apart to see how they work! Or buying some old beater and tarting it up to my own particular ideas.

Could maybe fit a Twirl in there? Due to shrinkflation they’re approximately the size of a J pickup

I think a lot of people who're interested in these units have a sound that they're completely happy with already, they just want a more convenient form factor.

That's a cracking gig report 'drunken vomity punchee'..…...epic 👍

Mods can't see the same low level stuff that admins get to see though, so it is trickier there. And regardless to what others do, I try and get rid of that sort of stuff if I know about it.

When you play festivals you get what you get. You can have a good sound or a bad sound, it's in the lap of the gods. You won't sort out any FOH issues with your equipment. If your P bass sounds "perfect" through your rig, you don't need to do anything. For the situations where you might want something your bass can't give, try a preamp.

Every Day I Write The Book - Elvis Costello And The Attractions

There’s always someone, somewhere with a big nose who knows… (That’s a Smiths lyric, and meant affectionately and respectfully) This level of knowledge is why I love this forum. Last time I bought an expensive vintage bass I received the input from lots of experts before handing over the cash. It’s to be encouraged.

I have promised this to the rhythm guitarist in our band - when we make it, I'm hiring a guy who just follows us around, tuning our guitars. That includes church on Sundays.

Peterson is the gold standard and to be fair, even their app is brilliant.

Never paid to play but I have given my fee back a few times on gigs where there was a charity involved and there was a payment involved. Being a Yorkshireman I think it's illegal for me to pay to play.......almost a hanging offence, at the very least I'd expect to have my black pudding ration halved.

Someone asked about active ear defenders experience. I use Peltor active ear defenders for most noisy environments, and they work very well. They are definitely not just for amplifying speech. I've got hearing loss from a very short period of time playing a starting pistol in a samba band, and I can use the ear defenders as a hearing aid when I need to. I think they would work fine in a rehearsal, but depending on how loud the drums were, it might sound a bit unusual - they cut dangerously loud impacts like gunshots, so you might find the snare sounds muted. Peltor sell (expensive) gel cushions as an extra for them, which are much more comfortable than the standard foam ones. They also let you wear glasses without the legs of the frame digging into your head under the cushions.

Buy an old 80's hifi amp or receiver (anything from 2x20 W is good enough) and two used small hifi speakers. There's your cheap, quality sound.

Zooming in to see the headstock, I noticed the name Paul Lemmon scrawled on something. Looking the name up, I found this: Looking at his home page, I see that he takes scraps of old crap and arranges them into things that are difficult to look at…

This custom very solid English oak table 4-string bass guitar is a nightmare dream come true for anybody careless enough to gaze up on it music enthusiast. Crafted by a Custom Workshop that specialises in restoring Soviet WWII era tanks, this electric bass guitar features a rosewood fretboard and a neck made of both rosewood and maple. It has a unique, so unique that nobody has ever thought of doing this and my god there have been some weird, wonderful and crap ideas over the last 70 or so years, body shape, and should be played with a strap as it doesn't sit on your knee easily! It also doesn't sit on your shoulder much better as it weighs something close to a small Honda Civic. Best played using a crane to hold it in place unless you have 96" chest and pick full beer barrels up for fun. The 4/4 (beats, ft, inches, tonnes, miles?) size and light (as in colour as opposed to mass) Oak body colour make this bass guitar a stunning (this depends on your definition of the word stunning, I would assume that anybody seeing this would be stunned that anybody would pay for this) addition to any collection. The guitar is strung with 4 strings and has a solid (when we say solid, we mean solid) body material of oak. Whether you're a beginner (run away) or a sozzled seasoned player (run even further) , this bass guitar is perfect (for some definition of perfect I struggled to find in any online dictionary) for you. It can also be used to open 6ft tall beer bottles. It can be collected from Norbiton (this explains a very great deal) and, Southwest London for free, if you choose the every Evri delivery, it will be dismantled (do you possess 50mm spanners for the reassembly?) before dispatch as they only allow 1.2 meters long parcel ! (There's a reason for this and we've just found it) However if you choose Evri there is a very good , indeed excellent, chance that you will never receive it, which in this case is probably a very good thing indeed. Fixed the description. Rob

Well, that's the knobs sorted. As Baga Chipz would say, "MUCH BETTAH!"

You like your Pbass You like flat wound strings You like Ernie Ball strings So a set of their Cobalt flats could be the solution, as much more roundwound sounding than regular flats.

My new love arrived today. Added Rotosound 77s for reggae, 60s pop & Northern Soul.

I bought Mickey’s Dexy’s Midnight Runners book. Friendly Comms and quick delivery - 5 stars from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️