Old Horse Murphy

Throw in the ability to play finger cymbals and it could well be a Bristol band....🙄

The best one we had was a very drunk Captain come up to us and ask if we did requests. We asked him what he wanted and he said "oh, anything...."

Before I went to university I was in a band of American chaps called the AB Blues Band who toured the US army/ airforce bases in the UK (what a great gap year). I must say, the Americans are a darn sight more reserved and well-behaved than their UK counterparts (especially the lads down in Portsmouth!)

My Precisions (or Precisionishes)

I'd also add G&L's. I'd say they are criminally underrated.

The Guild Starfire I Bass. Granted they're relatively new but there seems to have been very little fanfare about them compared to other basses that have been launched recently. They certainly seem to have missed the short-scale band wagon that's been gathering momentum steadily over the last year or so. For under £500 they really are excellent instruments and built to a high standard.

Dave came to my rescue for a second time and sent me a pair of Schaller Strap buttons. Again, he asked for no payment but requested I make a donation to a charity. Thanks to him, I've got the strap locks I was looking for and Cancer Research has benefited from a donation in return for Dave's generosity. A top guy and highly recommended.

It's a real lottery. In all the gigs I've played over the last 10 years or so (well in to the hundreds) apart from one wedding we've never needed PAT testing. The wedding venue actually organised it for us, so when we turned up there was a sparky ready test all our kit and put stickers on it. I think it cost us £30 all in.

Take a day off work and read through this

I've still got a short scale (the Guild) but found the Mustang just felt a bit too small for me. The Guild has a bigger body and just puts the neck in a more comfortable position for me without feeling cramped.

Good choice Rich, that's very classy

I'm afraid I don't have a scooby either, sorry. It's all a clusterf*ck

What do you mean by Ireland? Eire or NI?

Good point re the Fretless and yes, not having strings on it helps massively! I find the EMG's offer a bit more than other Jazz pickups and prefer Jazz pickups on a Fretless for some bizarre reason. I love the Guild and find the shorter scale actually works better for me with the larger Semi body. The neck seems to sit "right" for me and doesn't push the nut too far to the left. I've tried a few short scales before and agree with your own experiences. I find them cramped and uncomfortable. These Guilds really are something else though.

So, after making a resolution that 2021 was going to be a fallow period, I well and truly fell off the wagon in terms of bass purchases. The positive side to it is that I actually sold a lot more gear than I bought and managed to recoup quite a bit of money net net. I think this really has to be it though for a considerable time. Funny, I always seem to buy more gear when I'm not gigging. It must be some form of comfort blanket. Anyway, from left to right: - Custom Fretless with Fender Japan neck - G&L CLF L-2000 - Stingray Special 5 String - 4003S - Guild Starfire 1 - Fender US P Bass - Lakland 44-64 No Jazz Basses? Nah, I've had plenty of those and they don't work for me sound-wise or ergonomically. Despite owning many of them I never seem to learn!

You're absolutely right of course. It's staying

So 2021 was due to be a fallow year in terms of gear buying for me but I fell off the wagon early and to say I didn't buy much gear this year couldn't be further from the truth. So, to finish off the year in style I decided I wanted to add another P Bass to my collection, before trying (really trying) to be sensible next year with my purchases. I wanted something different to my number 1 P bass that I could primarily string with round wounds, but similar enough that I could dial those buttery P Bass tones in when needed. I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money though. Anyway, speaking to an old mucker of mine yesterday who plays mainly keys, he told me he had just got hold of a new Lakland Skyline Special Edition 44-64 that he can't quite gel with. He said wasn't too far from me this weekend so we arranged to meet up and he popped over today with the bass. It's in an Ice Blue Metallic finish with a Jazz width neck and for something I wouldn't usually like, it sort of works for me looks-wise. Practically it's a wee bit heavier than I would usually feel comfortable with (it's 9 1/2lbs) and I'm not a fan of PJ's but I forgot just how good Laklands are to play. This one is exceptionally playable and on a strap it really doesn't feel heavier than my other basses at all. Sound-wise the Jazz pickup is noticeably quieter than the P bass one (as I've found with most PJ's) and even when both are blended in I can't hear any discernible difference to a usual P Bass pickup. Build quality is right up there as it is with any other Lakland I've played and man, that neck is just something else. I've got it for today and tomorrow to see how I get on with it. Weight aside (it really doesn't feel that heavy on a strap) and the fact it's a bit gaudy for my usual tastes: Oh, and the fact it's a PJ, it just plays so well. I'm really tempted, especially as GG has them in their sale currently (£899) which is less than annex-demo they're also advertising with a bit of damage!

Hmmm. They're hitting the spot for me. That Candy Tangerine one is lovely. The only thing that's a bit weird is the presenter's Lancashire/US accent. A bit like Phoenix Nights meets The Sopranos

I don't know where to start. It's been quite a year for purchases....the only consolation is what I've bought has been considerably less in terms of value than what I've sold and on the whole I'm actually down 5 instruments than when we started the year. That makes me a good boy, right?

Hmmm. I smell bullsh*t, Peter. I couldn't possibly be the guitarist's fault so somebody else has to carry the can. Most bands I know would give their right arm for a bassist who has the skill set and dedication you display, so I'd suck it up, shake it off and move on. I can 100% guarantee you were not the problem.

more like a harpbreak

it's a Curruthers apparently 🤷‍♀️

I did