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Am I the only person who has, until this thread, never heard of the term 'yacht rock'? 👽

As it makes good click bait. His posts recently seem to have become more like this, rather than his clever analysis of songs. I’m disappointed in him.

Actually my my biggest fear has been getting a call from the BL at 7:00pm on a Friday or Saturday night saying; " Where Are You? " lol Daryl

For some reason I've been targeted for "comedian DESTROYS Woke heckler" and a lot of "Western values" far-right pipeline stuff in my YouTube recommendations. I wouldn't even mind the odd boob or crotch by comparison with that stuff!

90% of YouTube summed up nicely in that one sentence. The other 30% being maths stuff I never watch.

You guys need to get out more ... 😂

Part of my retirement from the long term band plan is to have a go at learning to play a 5 string properly without the distraction of having to play a 4 string every weekend. I've tried a couple of times before...the first one was when I swapped my old 2 band Stingray for a beatiful USA G&L L2500 a few years ago. It was lovely, built like a tank and sounded great to me. I spent a month having a go at home on it and then tried it at a gig. Got through the first set sort of ok but then chickened out and swapped back to my 4 string as I kept doing the mental fluff that is forgetting the B string wasn't actually the E string 😂. Being mainly a pick player it seems harder to adjust (If I play finger style it seems to work a bit easier for me) Attempt number 2 was earlier this year. Ongoing back issues had me trying to find a superlight bass that I could afford and liked. Tried an Ibanez EHB1505 headless in a shop and liked the sound. Didn't want to splosh that sort of cash though and 4 string versions are quite rare. A few months later the cheaper EHB1005 version popped up locally on here so I grabbed it and had another go. Great bass, lovely and light but I couldn't get on with the super flat fretboard radius and kept tripping over my fingers. It felt a bit cheap to me too. The knobs and general build mainly. Sold it. So I'm idly pooching about on the web looking at combo's to replace the gig rig and tripped over something on the Andertons site by accident. Something I never would have looked at before. But it seemed a bit of a bargain so I did more research. Hardly anyone seems to have one which also appeals to me (I like underdogs and left of centre stuff generally). The stuff I found online seemed to be quite interesting and it sounded great to me so I hit the button on it and it arrived last week. It's a Markbass Gloxy GV5 in black with a maple board. A super jazz 5 string with a VVT tone and a Mark Bass 3 band active eq all in a Precision body and possibly with the most ridiculous name ever. Classic colour scheme and a bit stealth in terms of features. It was reduced from £770 to £385 inc a decent gig bag which seems a great price to me. I've had a Sire jazz in the past and I suppose it's the natural competitor to this bass but the build quality on the Mark Bass is way better and gettting on towards my old G&L I think. I'm a week in to it and I think it's going to stick (but I've said that before...). Haven't weighed it yet but it feels light to me. They come with a basswood or alder body and mine is alder. It was well set up when it arrived but I've got the action down to stupid low and it plays really easily. Loving it so far. No pics yet but here's a pretty good demo of it in the wrong colour with a bloke who actually knows how to play

Real Pirates don't surf.

Clicked and shared. That's some high-quality clickbaitin', yes ma'am.

I think any band is always so much more than the sum of it's parts. Sure, any musician can follow C, F and G (for example) but the dynamic changes. I guess this in part explains why when people leave (or get fired) from bigger name bands, the fans often pine for earlier line ups. The one (sort of) exception for me would be the fact that I play in a duo. We have a 35yr history and I co-write / co-produce and play several instruments. I don't doubt Nick could go solo or manage in another project BUT it wouldn't be *that* project. And, I hasten to add that this cuts both ways.

Though there are still a few days left I think it vanishingly unlikely I will be buying anything bass or music related. If @neepheid doesn't want to start next year's thread then I'm happy to. As long as we all accept that the idea is to basically be happy with what we have and to play more. However - arguing over ridiculous interpretations of what is a pretty straightforward principle is definitely part of the fun 😁

Thanks Dave, but it was a very long time ago. I made a point of talking to the undertakers when it was Dad's turn that she wouldn't be any where near. 😎

The better half got me this Squier VM Jaguar. It’s actually one I used to own then sold on a couple of years ago to a mate. He wanted rid and I always said I’d have it back if he let it go.

For me, it’s the SushiBoxFX Finally v2 ‘with bass in mind’ valve DI box. Calling it a DI does it a bit of a disservice as it also has a built-in fixed HPF and the ability to include or exclude the valve from the DI chain. It’s become a fixture on my meagre little board and just adds that valvy goodness to my otherwise quite sterile signal path.

At first I found them very esoteric to begin with, perhaps because of the way they're often explained. I can't recall my eureka moment though, but I think it was when someone suggested thinking more in terms of the scale degrees than notes that it started to come together. So many times I heard many many people saying something like "Dorian is just the major scale but starting on D", but that's not the way to think about it, and this confused me no end because there were other explanations. When I began to think of Dorian as the major scale with flat 3rd and flat 7th is when it clicked because it doesn't have to start on D(when using the C major scale to explain it). I think they're very important to be aware of because their theory relates to lots of other things too(such as the notes of each scale, more soloing possibilities, the family of chords in a chord progression. It enables you to understand why things work the way they do), but not particularly important for most regular bassists when playing day to day. I think they're important to be aware of too when wanting to improve because it shows you different options.

To be fair, this could be applied to 90% of boutique luthiers - including many established ones. It's INCREDIBLY difficult to come up with an appealing blend of familiar and novel aesthetic proportions, ergonomic elements, and something which also doesn't attract a Cease & Desist.

The term is blooming awful, and coined some 40/50 years after the music was first made. I'm totally with him on this.

I do feel like Beato's videos have taken a turn towards the tone being "You are not a big serious studio pro like me, and will simply never understand what makes me and <namedrop> pals so great". All a bit self-aggrandising and tiresome IMO.

Ex Mrs Staggering On (we're good friends) treated me to a new pot of Pop's rosin, I've been complaining about the dried out stuff I was using and she was listening and remembered! I am a lucky guy and now I have some fresh rosin to start the new year, it may even improve my playing...or not.🙄

From my reading since seeing this thread, it sounds like he already got in hot water from KS, and has since altered his designs enough that they are no longer interested. I could be wrong though, as it sounds like "heard from a guy who heard from a guy". He's also posted photos on insta to show the lack of neck dive, which I can't say I'm 100% convinced by, but it has a least got me slightly interested

I wonder if any of this will be useful in my parole hearing

Lovely Pre-Christmas Gig in a local country pub, great fun and the first outing with my new acquired Stingray Special. My Stingray Arsenal gets better. Merry Christmas All!

SUNDAY! There was a thing in the daytime first, I'll shout when I get to actual Last Night. The first outing was a Morris do (Morris haters (ie: anyone with any sense) close your eyes for a bit now, I'll tell you when you can open your eyes again). We (Beorma Morris (the answer to a question that nobody has ever asked)) had been invited to dance with the Witchmen (who are very well respected in the Morris world (and rightly ridiculed everywhere else)) along with five (?) other sides outside a pub (!) in Isham near Kettering (pronounced "Ket'rin"). Picked up Selly Oak's finest Japanese Trombonist, drove to Ket'rin in glorious sunshine, arrived to freezing cold, grey (gray?) skies and rain, stood round (outside, in the freezing cold and rain) watched idiots dance around, shout and clout sticks together for a bit, did a few dances (I didn't dance, I played Sousaphone but it was SOFJT's first ever public dance (she they dance as well as playing Trombone (and fiddle) but not at the same time)), questioned my sanity and life choices and complained about how cold it was. Quite a few people there, they enjoyed it, we were good (I found this out later, I can't tell), the rain eased off eventually and a good time was had by all (apart from the cold). Played the Sousaphone, wore New Rocks (Reactor 55s I think) and a kilt. All done, packed up, back to the car, heating on full, saw a garden with a full sized sleigh and two ghastly fibreglass Reindeer (I love a hideous christmas tableau), head off to Stratford (-upon-Avon) for the final gig of the weekend and year. Morris haters, open your eyes, we have finally reached actual last night. LAST NIGHT! The Sax Pistols at The Stratford Alehouse, Stratford (-upon-Avon)! Eight piece brass band (Two tenor saxes, alto sax, bari sax, trombone (SOFJT), drums, Sousaphone (me), BL alternates between trumpet and alto sax). Fantastic tiny little micropub, packed to the rafters when we got there, stage about the size of an EHX nano pedal so I had to stand in front of the door (!). I was still wearing my Morris hat and kilt when we arrived, it turns out (some of) the band have a (sort of) steampunk vibe anyway, so I just went with it. Very quick setup (I had to clear the stage to make enough room to get the Sousaphone out), pint of Stout (on the house!), all acoustic so no soundcheck or anything and then we were off. Opened with 'I wanna dance with somebody' and the full house absolutely loved it - it is a pretty impressive sound. We did a few carols in between the usual stuff, the BL was getting the audience involved ("Sing it for the baby Jesus!" sort of thing, hilarious), the drummer was brilliant (first time I've played with him), the BL is a fantastic player and proper lovely bloke, and the Trombone player (SOFJT) is just *superb* and really shines in that sort of lineup (funky pop tunes, do your own thing), harmonies, solos, countermelodies, joining me on Basslines... they're *such* a good musician, a real joy to play with. Went down a storm, I think most of the audience were friends of the band TBH but it was great to play a packed (if tiny) venue, and have a laugh with the audience between songs. (The place was so small and full, there was nowhere for me to park my pint, so I had to ask a woman right in front of me to loook after it and pass it over between songs. Hilarity ensued.) Played Sousy, wore animal print Converse. And a kilt. Highlights were the Trombone in 'Just a closer walk with thee' (Old New Orleans style hymn), the audience singing 'Sir Duke', the breakdown in 'Uptown Funk' and going for a walk into the audience in the last song - turned around to see the BL had joined me. Fantastic night and a really lovely last gig of the year.

I was just wondering what others felt about Modes. How did you learn them. Did you find it hard to get your head around. Do you find them interesting musically. I came to the end my journey thinking why I found them hard in the first place.

Few adults play musical instruments, and even fewer do so in a group, Caroline Mimbs Nyce writes. What health benefits might they be giving up? https://theatln.tc/oglkQfzJ “Kids receive plenty of music education, but as people get older, they fall out of practice. Many stop picking up their instrument,” Nyce writes. “This is unfortunate, in part because plenty of research shows that adults could benefit from playing music.” Playing music helps build larger brain networks and new pathways. “Musicians tend to have better attention than nonmusicians,” Nyce continues. “Banging on a drum or tooting a horn can also relieve stress, reduce burnout, and help with anxiety and depression. For older people specifically, research has shown potential cognitive benefits along with a possible decrease in dementia risk.” Adults may be skipping out in part because music education is associated with childhood and coursework. And after people grow out of music education in their childhood, they tend to think that music is a special talent, Nyce writes, not something that just anybody can learn. “Of course, people are busy; they simply may not have the luxury of sitting down to study Bach once a week, much less the money to pay for an instrument or private lessons,” Nyce writes. Playing music in groups has additional benefits, such as allowing adults to feel more trusting of and connected to one another, and to the world in general. But while it’s easy to go to a park or gym and pull together a game of pickup basketball, “piecing together people at the same skill level to play a concerto or even just jam in a garage is another matter.” Nyce herself recently began to play the recorder. “I plan to keep learning,” she writes, “not because it strengthens my neuropathways per se (though I certainly don’t mind that), but because making music, even when it’s silly—perhaps especially when it’s silly—is just a whole lot of fun.”

Right, last rearrangement for 2024 (and hopefully a while now) Added: Spectracomp Reinstated: Monomyth Removed: Battalion, Bass Sweeper, a defective D'addario offset coupler which was making hum intermittently due to ground becoming detached if moved the wrong way.

And the brand is called MN Guitars, Baiful being a bass model: https://www.facebook.com/mnguitars67/

I've got a couple of pedal kits from Fuzz Dog! It's been a long time since I attempted a pedal, so this will be interesting. Going to try the Acapulco Gold clone tonight. The Monolith will take a bit longer - there are loads more components.

Did a surprise birthday party on Sun last week same venue as our Sat night so all the gear was left in situ apart from taking my basses home but to be honest it turned out a great gig. Just have to make the best of it and just think about having fun with it. Enjoy what you do and the audience will follow suit. Have a good one Daryl. Look on the bright side, i have a gig 2hr drive to Dundee, up 3 flights of stairs and its a ticket deal so depending on numbers that turn up will determine my fee. All that with a badly twisted ankle from Xmas day. So bad i'm gonna use the venues bass cabinet to save trying to lift heavy gear up and down stairs. Got it strapped up for extra support. Good news is its an 11pm finish (2 x 1hr sets) so should be home by 2am. Thankfully my wife will be there as usual and will give me a hand with the little gear i'm taking. Dave

We gave my daughter a new Fender Jazz MIM Player series. I gave myself a used MIM Precision standard. The precision looks beautiful but needs some setting up. The Jazz looks and plays beautifully. Both came with white pick guards but black is more betterer

Probably sounds a bit nerdy but I really enjoyed learning my scales and modes, I went through many books and videos, if I’m learning a Bassline the first thing I do now is see how it’s related to a scale, I also found running up and down the 2 octave good exercises, love a pentatonic too

Are you even dressed in shiny silver clothes?

I'm getting old. I didn't remember I have a gig tomorrow night. I'm transparent to a fault so I'll share the text I received this text this morning. "Hey all! The scoop for Maple Road Saturday @Traditions; Surprise 40th Bday Party. I'll be there early to setup, you can all arrive anytime after 4 to load in. We need to be soundchecked by 5:40, the Bday girl arrives shortly before 6, set time is 6-9pm. Let me know if there are any questions!" I know some of you have played a lot of these Birthday parties. I guess they can be good or bad. Daryl

He just needs the clicks for cash. Fair play. I won’t waste time on it but his interviews can be excellent so will watch those.

It’s apparently now a requirement of the professional YouTubers to present their content in this way. I watched a Rhett Schull video recently, who explained how it all works, and that those dopey/angry/bewildered looks in the thumbnails, along with easy-to-digest, simplistic titles (“Is this the WORST pedal EVER for a Libran to use IN THE SHOWER?!?!!!!) are all there to ensure Mr/Mrs YouTube treats the videos kindly, and in a way that the money flows in more readily for the creator… I’m not particularly a fan of his (and aware that I’ve fallen into the cunning trap set by Mr Schull!), but here goes…

Pretty much what was previously referred to as AOR.

Volunteer for the role of Bassfinder General? The most feared GAS Detector in Christendom (and beyond!) That's a big ask!

I get it. I've been told I'm more of a presentation bass player. And I like owning my material too. And how about decades of experience understanding how to approach and handle all the curves gigging throws at us. The whole confidence thing is key. You cant be confident if your sliding up to hit the right note or hitting mysterious suspicious notes. I'm working on some new fills now that won't be usable until summer. Daryl

Airspeed velocity of unladen swallows, perhaps?

if you can get them into a conversation about the proper use of a box junction you can just sneak out while they are arguing.

We played at The Palm Court Hotel in Scarborough last night - Milestone duo. It’s a lovely hotel with great staff, and load in is very easy. We set up in the lounge whilst the customers were having their dinner in the restaurant, which made things easy. Used two JBL powered PA speakers which run on batteries! Sounded good too, although I took my Rumble 100 combo so I could monitor my Ibanez acoustic/ electric without overpowering the system and it worked fine. Did our requests thing, and had plenty of the usual tunes asked for, along with some rock stuff - did ‘Stairway…’ ‘Layla’ and ‘Dakota’!! Despite being a more mature audience, they wanted a wide range of songs, including the inevitable ‘Driving home for Christmas’. All in all an easy and relaxed evening. Played 3x40 min sets, and done by 10.30pm. We took our ladies with us, and they got free bubbly, whilst I availed myself of the excellent ‘Neck Oil’ IPA on draught as my buddy was driving. Some nice comments from the punters ( including cricket umpire Dickie Bird ), so hopefully will get the gig next year. Home by midnight which was fine by me as still fighting the tail end of manflu. We’re back there for NYE which is my next gig, so a week to rest up Seasons greetings to everyone on here, and all the best for 2025. Pete. ( Clip on tuner / music stand haters look away now….😆 )

I picked this up yesterday after having discussed the build with the luthier around 10 weeks ago. Walnut / maple / shedua body Maple / mahogany / cherry neck and board Herrick multicoil pickups Lusithand Double NFP Sandberg bridge. look close and you’ll see many differences compared to the bass it was inspired by.

Few of the pics - we'll get the rest on your band FB page when we can.

Ho ho oh!