WalMan

Another loooooooooooooooong weekend setting up, not doing this year , then taking it all back down again. Mind I have other things happening with work Friday evening that could stick a spoke in the plans. Here's hoping the weather picks up. 'Twas a laff last year. You can probably just about watch it set up, happen & break down from the webcam [url="http://www.allaboutsussex.co.uk/webcam/webcambase.asp?queryon=1"]HERE[/url]

Just found this from a few years back recorded on my Shergold Marathon bass & it's lovely & high in the mix and I think the guitarist may have had a Shergold Meteor(?) as well [url="http://tideway-la.co.uk/ATF/girl_on_my_wall.mp3"]Girl On My Wall - All That's Fiction[/url] - © ATF Did we possibly want to be The Police? I think this may have been recorded on a 4 track reel to reel, but to my knack'd ears it sounds pretty good even so

[quote name='algmusic' post='921402' date='Aug 11 2010, 11:12 AM']Wow, give them a ring, to try and sort that out. I've used them many times over the years (not a custom order though) and had no problems, I order something yesterday via ebay and it's coming today[/quote] Ditto. I bought a B stock leads case off them last year with no probs - there is a snag on one of the edge metals pieces that I should really file down before it rips my legs to shreds, but it is small & hasn't yet so I keep putting it off

[quote name='tauzero' post='920752' date='Aug 10 2010, 04:05 PM']If you're PAYE and want to declare expenditure and earnings, can you just do the music expenditure and earnings and rely on HMRC to tie the two together or do you need to declare both? And I'm still not clear as to whether (if I'm running at a loss) that would result in a rebate.[/quote] You need to complete a return with it all on. As before a bit of hobby income creating a loss might get you a refund initially, but is likely to be knocked back by HMRC if it carries on year after year, and they [i]could[/i] go back and unwind previous refunds by discovering that you weren't really "trading with a view to profit". Probably not if the numbers are small but there was a case recently where they did - though in that case the person involved was frankly taking the p155 [quote name='Bilbo' post='920758' date='Aug 10 2010, 04:20 PM']I do my return on-line now and its really easy. Your PAYE stuff is all on your P60 and another document relating to expenses paid (P16 or something like that) and your music income is 4 figures income, expenses capital expsnditure profit/loss. Takes no time at all if you have the figures to hand. I earned around £6k 3 years ago, £4K 2 years ago and £3.3K last year. It was just as easy each time. I work on 40p per miles for travel and the rest is just figures you have spent on gear/accessories.[/quote] One other thing you might want to watch Bilbo, and anyone else who is PAYE and self employed, is the NIC's. You will, or could be paying Classes 1, 2 & 4 contributions (probably not Class 4 on the numbers you quoted) and there is an overriding maximum of contributions. You [i]might [/i]consider applying to defer the Class 2 & 4 (the bits on self employment)

[quote name='bassace' post='920314' date='Aug 10 2010, 08:32 AM']It's very easy to knock up more that 10k if you claim mileage for the day job.[/quote] Indeed, but if they are separate & distinct there should be no issue in claiming the higher rate for 10k on the employment and 10k on your personal musician business. Although the HMRC Manuals do not say this as such re claims for employment business & separate musician business, in connection with business miles claims for journeys for employment they do say[quote][b]If you work for different employers[/b] If you have two or more employers which are independent of each other, you're due the higher mileage rate for business mileage in each job.[/quote]

[quote name='TimR' post='919704' date='Aug 9 2010, 03:29 PM']It's August now. Just keep a record of everything you spend and receive. Keep receipts and write it all in a book. By the time January comes you will have a fair idea of what sums are going to be involved. When you know then ask an Accountant. The IR can't ask you for anything until the TAX year is complete anyway. Can they?[/quote]For a small source like this, and assuming you are employed otherwise, then any tax becomes due on 31 Jan following the end of the tax year. So tax on income in the year ended 5 April 2010 is due by 31 Jan 2011. Interest runs from then and if you have not paid by the end of Feb there is a 5% surcharge [quote name='TimR' post='919704' date='Aug 9 2010, 03:29 PM']I just kept a list of all the gigs I had done and how much I got paid for each one. If you also keep a list of all the rehearsal dates and how much the rooms cost. Put receipts for gear in an envelope. You can easily do a googlemaps for mileage at a later date if it comes to that. You'll probably then find out how much your hobby is actually costing you.[/quote] That's about the size of it. Calculate mileage costs @ 40p/mile for the first 10k business miles, 25p/mile thereafter but does anyone do more than 10k a year!! Claim up to £4/week for use of home for personal practice time, presuming you do practice, You do practice don't you?

[quote name='Chris2112' post='919612' date='Aug 9 2010, 01:44 PM']I'm not sure thats worth it - at the very most, hire an accountant for an hour at the end of the tax year, present them with your books and proof of expenses and ask them to do the number crunching so you can present a feasible looking tax return. You'll pay your £30 or £40 and at least you know your stuff is sorted.[/quote] I think you might pay a bit more than that. There is a basic minimum to cover overheads that would probably make it more like £100-200. I seem to recall the couple of ads from music specialist accountants that used to appear in the MU mag tended to quote around £150 for accounts and return. Handed over a file for ma-in-laws tax return to her accountant (a small local firm she has used for years because I prefer not to get involved in dealing with friends & family other than casting an eye over stuff - it has the potential to lose a friend or make family occasions awkward) with everything scheduled and reconciled and the bill was still in that range. If you are going to use an accountant do make sure you write up a decent set of records, keep it on a spreadsheet or similar. Don't just turn up with a carrier bag full of receipts and expect him to sort it out for you, 'cos he won't - or if he does it'll cost you. If you have the time to check through the notes to the return it is fairly easy. Beware of phoning the HMRC helplines and necessarily relying on the response you get. With the best will in the world the person you speak to will be an undertrained call centre drone talking from a script. For example [quote name='hubrad' post='918901' date='Aug 8 2010, 06:09 PM']'chattels' was the word the HMRC fellow used when I asked about the [u]occasional[/u] buying and selling of gear and its relevance (or, as he put it, lack of relevance in this case) to the tax return.[/quote] Now it depends how you broached the question, and so far as it goes he was correct, but it overlooked either [list] [*]the reversal of relief you might have claimed for the gear against gigging income, or [*]the possibility that if you make a habit of buying & selling stuff (perhaps picking up bargains on eBay and selling them on fairly quickly) you are almost certainly in business as a retailer and liable to income tax on the profits you make [/list]

[quote name='Rayman' post='917497' date='Aug 6 2010, 10:14 PM']Stingrays are fab, I've had two of them, but now I've got a couple of G&Ls, I'm in no hurry to find another 'ray. If I found a grand to spend tomorrow, I wouldn't be looking for another Musicman, I'd be looking for another G&L.[/quote] Your twins are almost the same as mine Must get some photos of mine sorted for the twins thread

Loads of love for my L2.5k's. Really versatile. Sound great. Not actually that heavy, and have put my Wal Pro1/Custom hybrid into semi retirement. I LOVE'EM!!!

I will probably get shouted at for this but I have some sympathy with the seller. The suggestion from your original post (and follow up) was [list] [*]you offered 2/3 of the BIN [*]He accepted and sent it to you [*]You took one look and decided you didn't like it, not that there was anything actually wrong with it, and that you wanted to back out having metaphorically kicked the wheels [/list] Ebay can be a pain at times but I think if I was the seller I'd be a bit pi55ed off at being expected to take back something sold in good faith that the buyer decided was fine/as advertised but just not for him after all. Yes there may be DSR's but......... Just my 2p, and at the end of a SH177Y day so I may think better of this tomorrow

In case anyone cares The Alibi gig that was supposed to be at The Red Lion Stubbington tomorrow (6 Aug 2010) is off. Apparently [list] [*]he didn't have it in the diary - cr@p I know I booked it with the previous landlady a year ago, [*]the previous landlady left the gigs in a mess - did she bollox, she was one of the best prepared people we deal with [*]he didn't get the posters - again cr@p, I know they get sent regular as clockwork a month in advance [*]when I spoke to him in May I said "Everything still on?" [i]"Yes"[/i]. "See you in August then" [i]"OK then"[/i] - but he hadn't bothered to check the diary in front of him just said OK - and to cap it all [*]"the band I had in cancelled earlier in the week and I had to book someone else last minute [/list] Why do I have to deal with these @rseholes!!? Last Saturday we had a great gig at our favourite venue to a good crowd who were well up for it & didn't want us to stop. Landlord was made up with the night, and I was looking forward to one more before the holiday layoff [color="#FF0000"][size=7]GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!![/size][/color] [url="http://planetsmilies.net"][/url] [url="http://www.smileyvault.com/"][/url]

Kaipa - Angling Feelings

Don't really know as to the original question (it would be nice as one of mine could be fairly early in the model line up) but as a G&L convert I have to say don't buy them as an investment, buy them as bloody marvellous basses. I now have the twin L2500's - red 4+1 headstock, fretted that might be earlyish going by the serial stamped on the neck plate, and green 3+2 fretless and both play and sound just great. The Wal is in semi retirement for the occasional gig with the prog covers band, when we have room for all the gear, and recording at home. The G&L's are the main basses now, and the fretless was only originally bought for use with the prog band, but is now coming to Alibi gigs as well

The Fountain in Chichester..........................damn I love that place it's always (there I've jinxed it now) a great night. Crowd up for it & singing along. The fretless was sounding gorgeous again tonight, and I even managed to get through White Punks as the last song in the first set on it No time to change. Some barking mad female punters, frankly scary, but they were getting into it so really who cares. Plenty of totty about, and quite a lot of people down from Goodwood who had been tucking into the alc all day but all friendly enough. Had one guy in the first set staggering up to Steve 1the vocalist who made some jokey comment about not really wanting to be so close as to share DNA and he was off out the door - I thought it might have been Steve's comment, but apparently someone else in the crowd tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to get out of the way Checked levels with the drummer after the first couple & he asked me to back it off a bit, but a little later asked me to turn back up...RESULT! I so wish every gig was like last night. Back to the Red Lion Stubbington after a long lay off next Friday and I fear it will be average. Hey ho.

Said it before, but do please bear in mind that whilst you might get away with some of the suggestions, as Beedster says HMRC are not fools and have plenty of people who know about these things. Getting an under declaration of value or trying to walk it through in a battered case, or in pieces in a suitcase [i]could[/i] get your exchange rate bargain confiscated so you'd be out the cost of the bass, and trip if that's the option you tried, with nothing to show for it. And it does happen. In the last of these threads I quoted bits of a tax tribunal case where just that happened, and the fact that the bloke doing the importing said the pricing "error" on the Customs slip was down to the seller not him made no difference. At the end of the day you would be trying to avoid the duty and smuggling. For purchases from outside the EU the limit for charge is £18, and if it comes through in the post there will be a handling charge by Parcelfarce or whoever - the last item I bought for #2 son that came in from the US was a shirt that got hit with £8 VAT & £8 handling charge. Basically, always factor in VAT & a handling charge when deciding whether it's a good deal. If it still is, and you're not bothered about dealing with any issues over a distance rather than being able to take it back to the shop personally, then by al means go for it. Sometimes things do slip through the net through without a charge by the courier, but don't bank on it.

Yup. Used StringsDirect in the end. Ordered Monday night, arrived yesterday. Can't say better than that really. It would be nice to support a local shop, and one did offer to order in for me, but that then meant order last Sat & I couldn't get back to pick them up 'til next Sat, and I really wanted then sooner to get them on and adjusted before Sat evenings gig. Could have got MrsW to do the collection (assuming they had arrived & she wasn't working) but.... Like I said at the start of this thread I suspect that with 'tinternet string shops the local music shops[list] [*]cannot compete, so [*]just carry a few of one or two brands; and [*]are really not interested in holding much stock for walk ins, certainly so far as bass & >4 string sets are concerned [/list] And, despite the feeling that they were more regularly used nowadays, it seems that basses with >4 strings remain the exception

[quote name='johnnylager' post='907826' date='Jul 28 2010, 08:24 AM']Guitar Junction? Not tried the Hartkes mate - tapered B? I should really file the Spectors bridge to get a normal one in there![/quote] No, Guitar Junction (now behind the Guildbourne) had a few Ropewounds otherwise nowt. Music World was the one I was thinking of & apparently shut a couple of Saturday's ago - well it said "Last day Saturday - Cash Sales Only" but was in darkness last Saturday. Didn't get out to Drum'n'Strum, but Monster was a bit of a let down Hartkes don't have tapers at all IIRC. I'll double check tonight

[quote name='johnnylager' post='907566' date='Jul 27 2010, 08:42 PM']Nowt in Worthing Al, except Rotos. I have tried and failed to buy a whole bunch of varied things locally lately, trawled round the shops, failed every time and ended up purchasing from the internet. For example, I phoned a local guitar shop to see if they had what I wanted [aged white Strat knobs] - 'Yep, no problem', went to collect 'em - 'No, we don't have those - we can't carry everything, try Allparts on the web'. So I did. And will in the future. At least they sell Roto 4-string sets though. Great. I wouldn't buy strings from anyone but Stringbusters now - fantastic service, great advice and they put a low B with a 4-set to cater for my odd requirements for no extra cost over a 5-set. 45-65-85-105- tapered 130 long scale D'Adds.[/quote] I know. That was my fruitless Saturday. Didn't even realise the one out towards the Aquarena had shut! Mind the new one in Warwick Street was the one that offered to order in a set at internet prices. I really ought to go back & support that one before it dies on the vine!! BTW did you say you liked the Hartkes? I've two sets of the 50-135's that are too short for the new G&L fretless strung through body if you're interested

Circus Maximus - Isolate had a bit of a going over this afternoon. Suited my mood. Dare I say Norwegian Dream Theater and a find from eMusic - I love the guitar solo in this. Don't know why but it gives me goosebumps EDIT ....and I do realise it is largely technical w@nk but I like it

[quote name='woodster' post='907506' date='Jul 27 2010, 07:51 PM']Whereabouts are you Walman? Nevada Music in Portsmouth usually have A half decent selection?[/quote] Between there and GAK - pretty much bang smack in the middle, but though gigs are Portsmouth way for some reason I tend to head towards Brighton & GAK. From memory Nevada do seem to have an apparently larger selection of bass string brands, but again (and it may be because I wasn't really looking for strings last time I was in there) my recollection was of more 4's than 5's What particularly surprised me was Andertons (I work in Guildford) who were the ones with three 5 string sets of Rotosound and one of Elites in a pile on the floor at the bottom of the large display of mostly Rotosound 4's on the wall. Ah well

I suspect that I know the answer to the following - and it's internet retailers like Strings Direct) but I have spent three fruitless days trawling shops for a new set of strings for the fretless, preferably 50-135, but 45-130 would have done and either Elixirs or a half/ground wound set and being an awkward b@st@rd preferably not Rotosound, as I don't really like them but would have taken a set at a push. Oh and they needed to be long scale as I am stringing through body and the temporary set I have on at the mo put barely a wind on the D string Found loads of sets of Rotosound 4's but only a couple of sets of 5's that were generally 40-100. The one shop that did have a solitary set of Elixirs, and a 5 string set at that , wanted full list of nearly £60 Another (admittedly predominently a g####r) shop that has only a couple of basses in only had a few sets of Ropewounds - sorry Rotosound - and generally all that was on offer was that or the odd set of Elites nearly all 4 string sets. One newish shop in town at the w/e offered to order in Elixirs and matched the usual web price, but other than that the choice across two towns and a couple of big stores was pretty poor IMO, especially if you wanted a 5 string set. Ended up ordering from StringsDirect last night, but really I wanted a new set sooner than that to get them played in for the w/e. Now as I said at the start I suspect that the web retailers are the main reason for this dearth of choice and no doubt shops cannot afford to carry a stock of all shapes & sizes against me coming in one day for a set, but I was surprised how difficult it was to find a 5 string set in stores generally. Found perhaps 20-30 assorted 4 string sets to no more than 5, and often just 1 or two 5 string sets which seemed a little odd. Perhaps 4 strings remains by far the norm and 5 + string basses are still unusual? I know I used 4 strings for an awful lot of years before getting the first 5'er a couple of years back. Anyway.... end rant

Solid bottom with a bright top, but not hugely scooped mids, and with a smidge of grit. Settings tend to be [list] [*]EQ flat on the MB [*]Slight boost to treble & bass on channel A of the EBS MicrobassII with treble boost on [*]On the L2500's [*]either both pups or just the front [*]Series/parallel switch forwards to series [*]preamp switch on (middle) or sometimes forwards for treble boost [*]bass & treble normally full, but occasionally roll back a bit on the treble [/list] Until I actually sat down to try & learn the Chris Squire line to Astral Traveller I would have said I was after his sort of sound, but listening last week it sounded horrid. Love the sound Dave Meros of Spocks Beard gets, and the guy who plays in Neal Morse's European touring band also has a great sound (IMO) on the recent live CD.

[quote name='Merton' post='900903' date='Jul 21 2010, 12:57 PM']Oh, bugger. Best start saving now [/quote] Indeed. If Andertons had had an LB in stock I might have had one last w/e, but the desire is waning now. A small valve amp that could be DI'd looked good to me, but I wanted to try it with one of my basses and the cab I would have been using with it for a final check - and then they confirmed that the ones they are advertising are not the UK ones, which are an additional £100. Think I'll wait to see what's in the pipeline now

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='900739' date='Jul 21 2010, 09:28 AM']There's a company around my way called "Sofa King". Although to be fair they stole the name - it's far from unique. However, they have huge billboards all over the place "Sofa King Cheap", "Sofa King Easy" etc. It's an old gag, but how they get away with it I don't know....[/quote] ...and of course [list] [*]there used to be a company called "Knobs & Knockers". Marvellous [*]Ashdown have jumped on the bandwagon with the Little B@st@rd [/list]

[quote name='hubrad' post='899857' date='Jul 20 2010, 11:48 AM']I'm not 100% sure on this point, but ref. selling gear later, I think that if you've claimed it as a capital expenditure (i.e. it's machinery!) then the proceeds of selling it come under Capital Gains Tax, for which there is a separate allowance. Other items like profits (and losses) from buying and selling shares also get lumped into CGT>[/quote] You're not sure, but I am and am afraid I have to tell you you're wrong. You have a pool of capital expenditure. You add to it and claim relevant reliefs. You sell an asset from within that pool and the proceeds (up to original cost of the asset sold comes back in as a receipt in the pool, which if it has a value of nil will give you a charge, and a charge in any event when you eventually retire from gigging/making money (do we ever!). If you are lucky enough to have a bass that has appreciated in value through being a vintage rarity and make a profit over cost then that profit will be a capital gain, but [i]probably[/i] exempt due to CGT rules on chattels EDITs to tweak the answer for correctness / hopefully help in understanding. If you are not sure ask someone in the know, which sadly nowadays [i]probably[/i] does not mean the HMRC Telephone Helplines as recent experience suggests you will get a variety of answers that may well not be correct