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I knew this would be nice to play and would look lovely, but I wasn't prepared for the monstrous sound to come out of it! I have various instruments, each of which has some good qualities but also some failings. This is just huge. Everything's there. I'm lost for words. It's a DiMarzio Billy Sheehan pickup. A Relentless, I think. I went to see The Raven of this parish, hoping to buy his Shuker PJ. I played it, liked it (though I was really looking for a passive P but of course it also works passive and it's not obligatory to use the J pickup) and was about to hand over the cash when, being a nosey sod, I said -what's in that other case? -oh, that's another Shuker, here, have a look. -I'll take it. -Done. Pleasure doing business with you. Might still have to go back for the PJ, mind.

Friday night Otis Jay Blues Band show at the Meeting House, Ringwood. Well-named, we had three ‘ringers’ as vocalist and drummer walked before Christmas. An art exhibition means the band photos are the weirdest ever… have attached a couple! Pulled 37 paying punters on a horrible night plus Sid, who walked in and ordered a bottle of red to go with the half bottle of vodka in his pocket. Our audience is nothing but select. Never before used (on stage) rig of Barefaced Two10, GK MB200 and Sandberg VM4 on Precision pickup. No-one noticed the difference…

First gig for my first originals band, been a year in the making after losing a couple of drummer on the way. Turned up expecting to play 45 minutes but were asked if we could do an hour as the other support couldn't play due to sickness. Bolstered the set with four covers, Psycho Killer, The Specials Concrete Jungle, Another Brick in the Wall part 2 and Tracks of my Tears. I'd describe us as a shouty punkish garageband so we caught a few out with Tracks but I loved it when Big Country used to do it live so we gave it a go. A good crowd and very responsive. I used Barefaced One10 stack with Markbass LM3 playing a Squier pj contemporary I bought from here last year. Everything sounded great from where I was and we had plenty of favourable comments after. Landlord wants us back even after we explained don't have a following.....which was nice.

Our first gig of the year last night at the Coach House in Paignton. A good crowd for us who got into it as the night went on. Towards the end of the first set our guitarist was out front soloing and told me after the song that I was not loud enough out front, so I duly boosted my PA level. Chatted to a couple of appreciative people along the way. My calouses felt like they got a work out as it been a couple of months since I've played live. Got a couple more gigs over the next month, but only 11 booked for this year so far. Using my usual Stingray 2eq, RM500 & BF210. I was also wearing my Sketchers.

Strangely, had a dream about this gig last night, though it was a good 46 years ago! Wasn't as exciting a dream as the gig, all that happened was I couldn't get my make-up off at the end of the night... At the actual gig we had actual stage divers dressed like Monty Python women!

‘Wrong’ side of the river for us last night - a gig in Barton upon Humber with the blues trio. Venue was an old pub, occasion being a 70th birthday for a guy who has seen us a few times. Set up in the main bar area, audience comprised birthday party guests and some locals too. We played 2x50 minute sets, to polite applause from the guests, who you could feel were thinking ‘why did you book a blues band?’ but didn’t want to offend the birthday boy. We had a couple of dancers, one of whom walked over to grab my mic - gave her my best look of disapproval and she retreated. Wasn’t sure if she was a party guest so didn’t want to upset things but nobody touches my stuff, ever! (Used my Sire U5 shortie into the usual Fender Rumble 500 combo.) Finished around 11.15pm, got paid and a quick pack away meant I was home by midnight. Not the most enjoyable gig, but not the worst either. No pics I’m afraid, must try harder. 😊

We got an extra band member with this one!

Good acoustic gig. Good crowd. There was a huge bike expo event in town. Good interaction with the crowd. I was home with my comped entree by 10. Daryl

I've just got home from my first U2 Tribe gig It was at The Horn in St Albans What a lovely venue, superb sound man. Had a nice IEM mix too The crowd was amazing, singing along from the start. Our singer knows how to work the audience I was nervous as it was my first gig with them, we've not managed a rehearsal either. I did really well, yes some mistakes, lost my way occasionally but sterling work from The Edge got me back to where I needed to be but mainly I nailed most of it Looking forward to the next one in Derby

I had joined a local band just before Xmas. Well when I say band, we had a good drummer, a very good singer and then me. I moved back to the skinny strings as it didn't really work with just bass, drums and a singer, but that was fine. I just wanted to have fun. We'd agreed a couple of up tempo jazz and blues covers to get going. Two sessions later, singer pulled out citing too much stuff in her life and somethings had to go. These things happen. So the drummer and myself had a session to try and work out what to do. She can sing, I didn't try as my voice dropped eight octaves when I was about 12 and hair appeared in odd places. We messed around with some covers, didn't really work, so I suggested she choose a beat/tempo she likes on the drums and I'll jam something, anything but it'll probably be blusey in nature 😊 Well 45 mins later, I put the guitar down, she put the sticks down and we smiled. We actually played properly as a duo. We clicked on timing and it just worked. I wouldn't quite say it was Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton at the Albert Hall but I thought it sounded great. We were tight and just knew when to start and finish. I suspect most other people who play in a band think I'm wittering on, but I was over the moon. It's been a loooong time since I've played with anybody and this felt great. I'm going to try and write something original so we have 3-4 songs that we can sing or more likely she can. AI technology has not moved fast enough to make my voice sound good, perhaps another ten years or so. I know many of you play gigs all the time but for me, this was a big step forward. Rob

completed first gig tonight. The Warwick Reverso sounds too scooped but it may the lighter strings detuned to E flat My P bass with a jazz neck sounded awesome Gig was awesome and I aquitted myself ok, considering we've not had a rehearsal Band were pleased and they love my bass sound

Been a while since I posted on this, done a bit of downsizing and now down to 2 standards and 2 shorties. I’m satisfied….for the moment 🤣

Body shot with black bridge, for 40 years old the condition is really good 👍🏼 I forgot to say I also cleaned up the pole pieces on the Benedetti pickups after fitting the bridge, nothing too harsh, q tips with a tiny dab of Solvol Autosol

It’s the word I probably hate more than any other when searching for a new bass……. “Upgraded”. The seller “upgraded” the tuners, pickups, bridge or whatever….. it’s a massive turn off to me, and usually turns me away from the sale. I want the bass to be as original as possible, so that I can decide wether or not the bass needs any customisation to suit me, not the previous owner. Always keep the original parts, and put them back on when selling (imo). “Upgrades” hardly ever equal higher value instrument from the original stock bass, and you can re-sell those “better” (subjective) parts separately, and possibly for better gain. Just my opinion, but I do like to see unaltered instruments (where possible) when I’m buying.

Great gig at the Earl Haig with Bluesfire. Numbers a bit down but somewhere north of sixty, not bad for a £3 cover charge on a really foul day (westher warning - wind and yellow rain 🤣). The big room with a proper stage and lights, but the lighting and smoke meant we could hardly see the audience (they could see us). We had a good time, played Spoonful - it was in a film I watched on Friday night, under the influence of jack Daniels and hobgoblin, I suggested it. we hadn't ever played it before, but we managed to nail all the stops and it was nearer to Cream than Howlin' Wolf. Some dancing (we aren't dancy) and at the end one woman assured us we were the best blues band she's ever seen 😎 Plenty of compliments for Al's guitar playing. Nice to see a friend who's a pro level musician there... and he was telling my SO how important it is I buy a real Bongo not a Sterling one 🤣 Used the Sire P10 for the first set and AVII Precision for the second. Took a while to get a good sound with the sire. The P... just plug it in. Video screenshot 280 views already!

Meant to post this last week but as is often the case life got in the way. We'd been unable to get into our usual rehearsal place, Eiger in Leeds, so decided to try the Old Chapel down the road. The place was very well appointed and had loads of equipment supplied for free thanks to the charity that helps fund it (apparently Kaiser Chiefs do as well as they maintain their own rehearsal facilities there), so I had the hilarious situation of putting my Elf through an Ashdown 8x10 cab, which looked ridiculous (I'll get a photo next time) but sounded amazing. On our breaks we got chatting with another group who were there, one of whom asked who was playing the bass and then complimented me, which was nice. We also had a good chat with the young woman running the place that day, and overall we really liked the place and have decided to move our rehearsals there.

Thanks, will definitely be contemplating being in touch in the near future about a refret..I recently did a trade for an excellent condition series 1 Arpege from Bass Direct..traded a very rare series 1 Arpege delta metal fretless for it..Sustains for months!!! Wonderful basses like your Cliff Bordwell..enjoy😉👍 .

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GNdAeRfSq/ I really liked this post I found. The keyboard layout and static root/tonic approach makes so much sense.

To me upgrades are things that make the instrument better, such as Hipshot tuners for stock Squier ones, or putting in higher quality pots and jack-plug on the electrics. Pickups can be subjective as one players better can be another players worse and different colour scratchplates, well that’s just different.

A tie in January between @Leonard Smalls and @upside downer with 2 cracking tunes, the first off the blocks to claim the honour of picture choice, was, the latter. A picture that might inspire a slow leisurely pace, or does it... "Hope this gives our marvellous minstrels plenty of ideas. The light at the end of the tunnel. Just about to exit the south side of Crick Tunnel on our narrowboat." Have a listen to the entries and choose your favourite 3 1 Lurksalot A metaphorical tunnel? 2 @Leonard Smalls Knowing that narrowboating and drum'n'bass go together like Chas'n'Dave I've done some jazzy fretless noodling. Roni Size eat yer heart out! 😁😎🤘 3 @MoonBassAlpha I'm trying to capture the feeling of a slow, peaceful trip along a canal. Things happen slowly and I've deliberately kept it repetitive and relatively uneventful. 4 @Jean-Luc Pickguard My recording is called 'To The Light' As posted above, this is a poem I wrote based on the pic read over a repeated chord sequence. 5 @AndyTravis I suppose it’s quite like a canal boat trip, various locks, different places and people - some parts are rocky, some calm…etc. 6 @kingofthestuntmen The title has a double meaning; I'm always happy around and/or in water. 7 @upside downer A slow, meandering, folky acoustic saunter through the musical tunnel towards a jaunty exit. 8 @Baloney Balderdash Kind of a Sonny Sharrock inspired piece. There we have the February offering for you, I would have had this up earlier but the weather appears to be having some fun with the stability of my internet connection. Vote for your favourite 3 tunes this month Voting ends at midnight on 28th Good luck.

Clone...

It sounds to me from reading this there are two types of buyers: 1) I want something with the original spec but second hand 2) I want an instrument and don't mind if it has a history Possibly the market for 1)'s is more lucrative than 2)'s, but I'd wager the 2)'s often play better! What we all seem to agree on is that a potential 3) "I've upgraded so pay me more" is a non-starter!

Just got home from my bands rehearsal. Me on bass, lead, rythm guitar and vocal, drums. Played all 6 songs we new, practicaly without any mistake and learned 3 new. Was a good rehearsal.

My current board for my fretless and I'm super happy with it now. Pedals are as follows, Zoom MS-60B - Tuner and TC Electronic Corona Chorus Ampeg Opto - Compressor Boss OC-5 - Octave MXR Envelop Filter - Used in conjunction with the Octave pedal for a slight tonal variation for certain songs Walrus Audio Slo Reverb - Used to create rising swirls, pads and to replicate a cello. Mooer A7 Ambient Reverb - Used as either a stand alone reverb or with the strings pad option. Sonicake Boost - Used to boost harmonics Sansamp Bass Driver DI - Pre-Amp My ideal set up would be a separate tuner, mini TC Electronic Corona chorus and possibly replace the Walrus Audio Slo reverb with a Strymon Cloudburst. Sadly I don't have the space and I don't want to go bigger on the pedalboard.

I bought my CS 63 Precision last year. Was horrified when I unboxed it because the set up was abysmal, it had had no love in the shop. Once I had it properly set up to my preference and strung with TI flats I’ve not really looked back, it’s a great instrument, very well made. Some bits of it are insane. The sanding down on the neck feels great but it doesn’t look natural. To get to the truss rod, it’s the old Fender style where you have to unscrew the entire neck. I’d have thought Fender might have considered binning that off at the expense of some of the vintage vibe they’re trying to achieve. But other than that I love it. Do I think it’s £2000 better than the American Vintage series or whatever. Yes and no. I owned a 2014 AVRI Precision which I liked but didn’t love, it lacked character to my ears, and so I do think it’s better in that respect. But my other P-Bass which I recently sold was an old battered Squier, one of the cheap ones from the 90s. That had a phenomenal sound / tone, and that cost me £50 second hand. That makes my CS over 60 times more expensive, which kind of puts things into perspective. I’m a semi-professional musician now, once a fully professional one but no longer - career and all that, and so I’m not at a stage in my 30s where I can afford a bass which I’ve wanted for a long time without having to eat only Pot Noodles for the next 12 months to afford. I get the reluctance around CS from some people who’d prefer to buy something that isn’t artificially aged and that would be perfect for them. But for me I’m very happy to own such a nice instrument.

I tried, but I´m too young to do it without a digital unit, which gives me COMP, EQ, DELAY, MODULATION, NOISE GATE & COMP again... 👾

I thought surgical appliances were tier 2?

I just wanted to make a point here. The tunes are selected for the website as opportunities to practice reading and not based on the popularity of the musicians or tunes featured. If you only 'have a go' at the tunes you 'like', you are missing the point. The idea is to find the ones that test you enough to move your reading forward. Some of these charts will test the best of us but some are really easy which is why they are on there. If you only have a look at the tunes you know, you are missing out on a lot of learning opportunities. Dive in - it's all good.

I'll pass your number onto my kids Brian, as it'll not be me that'll sell it 🤣

Nerds don't play bass. Nerd bass is the keyboard player's left hand.

But we'll laugh at you struggling back across the park carrying two basses, an amp, and a collapsible music stand "because they were on such good show offer prices."

I try to mod my instruments so that the mods are reversable if possible, so I can return everything back to stock if I do sell. Things like swapping out the pickguard, fitting a hi-mass bridge in place of a BBoT, replacing tuners for ones with the same footprint, and replacing pickups with ones of the same shape make this easy. A notable exception is that I fittied much larger gotoh GB640 tuners on all three of my vintage pro thunderbirds, but I'm not planning to ever sell those.

You know what, I take it back. The Jazz is cool compared to a Chapman stick.

Really? Most of my friends have been metal heads since I left school nearly 30 years ago and I've never got in a fight. The one time it got close, some idiot wouldn't stop bothering my girlfriend (now wife). In the end, me and my mates dragged him behind the pub and stole his clothes instead of beating him up.

Those are basses for stock brokers, dentists and lawyers. Nerds rarely have lots of money, they spent it all on dungeons and dragons.

Hardware changes are a personal decision, and it’s cool. What gets me is when people try and recoup the extra cost for these parts when pricing items. Just because you spent hundreds on a cheap bass it doesn’t make it an expensive one. Accept you won’t get the cash back if you make changes on a bass and move on.

Nerdiest bass: any 'coffee table' single-cut bass*. Ultranerd points for when you reel off all the exotic woods involved. 'Cos you sure as hell ain't buying one for the cool rock 'n' roll looks * for the record, I have one**. ** Wenge, Walnut and Flamed Maple.

As with most things, it depends. Normally I would agree with OP, but a counter example would be if I ever sold my G4M "rat" bass. I mean I'm keeping the Lace Aluma P, but I'm going to leave the Grover tuners I put on it. Not only was that a genuine upgrade versus the stock tuners but the stock tuners were so bad that I chucked them in the bin so that no other bass player ever has to encounter them again. I think I did the ecosystem a favour, personally

I ignore any part of a review which refers to setup out of the box - it's utterly irrelevant. If you go through life expecting every bass you receive to be set up to your exact liking, especially at the price points being discussed here, you're going to be disappointed - a lot. Either learn how to set up your instruments, or stop being a cheapskate and operate within the price points where you would expect this kind of service/attention to detail. I suspect it's used in reviews as a cheap shot just so they can have something negative to say about otherwise perfectly serviceable instruments.