Deep Thought

Ever since it was on TV, I've had non-bass playing friends asking me if I saw Chic at Glastonbury (or 'Glastonberry' as every American artist called it). All of them were blown away by 'that bloke playing the bass '. He must be doing something right! I did see it, and despite being no disco fan, I was hugely impressed by the whole performance. Same also applies to Barry Gibb. I thought it was a particularly good Glastonbury this year.

The chap from Editors had a lovely all black one on Jools Holland a few years ago.

Anything I want when I've got money to pay for it (which is a rarity in itself). Also you can guarantee one will come up at a great price when I can't afford it.

These things definitely do happen, people do win these competitions. Our guitarist entered one at a guitar show years ago, a few weeks later he got a letter saying he'd won a USA Strat. Lovely it was too, but he sold it on eventually. Welcome to the P-bass appreciation society!

It's a laugh innit? Good though! Try this one-seriously weird, but also very funny-very Pixies-like. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7FA-U4Y9LOA&ebc=ANyPxKrk8EJM7MUVYz1Yp6r65eWqD3epkxVictlTzZBK9fYu16lfwz0QSmJ4zogLhTyEYo4MiaJReiRWWLhILuTRT840rgaTJA

Fender strings are made by D'Adarrio, I find those pretty good. I've recently removed a set of Dunlop Marcus Miller stainless which my local shop did for £18, and I was impressed how long they lasted.

For the past ten years three of us have been shift workers (ambulance). It's been both our curse and our blessing. It's meant that getting all of us together for a practice, much less a gig, has been a struggle to say the least-however we've always been able to get around it somehow. We could practice mid-week when everybody else was at work, and we could often get shifts reorganised if we needed to. The fact that all of us were in the same boat gave us some flexibility. Thankfully we aren't a busy band, we only ever did it for fun and not a living. Now two of us have changed jobs or reduced their hours, and it's becoming nigh on impossible to get together-we're lucky if we get a practice once a month. Our first gig this year is on Sunday. The drummer in particular is making loud noises about how much of an inconvenience it is every time we want to do something, which is pissing me and the guitarist off. Only the fact that we still love to play is keeping us going, but I fear the writing is on the wall. I think that it will then be impossible for me to be in another band with people from outside the ambulance service, as I won't be available when everyone else is. That's why I'm practicing guitar a lot, as I feel a solo career is my only option if I want to play live.

I will tune mine before a gig, but it probably won't be far off what it was the last time I played it! This is probably something to do with two carbon fibre rods in the neck, but tbh I've never had a bass that needed tuning very often. Our guitarist, on the other hand, is another of those who feels the need to retune after every song. Since I've been playing more guitar I have noted that they do need more retuning than a bass, but even so-there have been times when I have wanted to make an impact and get straight onstage and start playing, but no, he just has to tune up .

My first post over here in six-string territory. I've owned guitars for many years, just for fun really, but never really considered myself a guitarist. Last year I started having singing lessons, and my teacher encouraged me to get involved in a charity do she was having. I wasn't prepared to sing to a backing track, so I had to get my guitar-playing act together! Borrowed an electro acoustic, and got up in front of an audience and played guitar and sang (Hurt-Johnny Cash). I seemed to get away with it, and my teacher reckons if I can get a set together she can get me gigs. So as the band aren't doing much lately I've been spending most of my time playing guitar. I decided I didn't want to do the acoustic thing, so I've spent months eyeing up various electric guitars-the budget is very restricted so nothing too pricey-I nearly bought a Harley Benton HB-35, but then decided I wanted a telecaster. Unless I was lucky a Squier Affinity looked the most likely. On Tuesday I walked into a second hand joint-a particularly scuzzy one, the sort which caters to people flogging stuff to fund their drug habit. On the wall was a Vintage Zip-Les Paul Jr. shape, Wilkinson hardware, all black-filthy dirty, with a loose pot, but straight neck and generally in OK nick, played really nicely-sixty quid. When I asked the stoner twerp behind the counter if there was anything I could plug it into, he looked at me with complete apathy and said 'Not really mate'. I said 'OK', turned on my heel and left. I had a think about it, and decided that pots and pickups could be replaced, and if it was generally sound it might be worth a punt. I went back next day and bought it. Now I've given it a damn good clean, new strings, tightened up the loose pot, squirt of contact cleaner, and it's a different guitar. Little bit of mojo, but on the whole I'm delighted with it. Now I need to get a decent amp and start figuring out which effects I need!

Baba O'Reilly

It is true that D'Addario make Fender strings. I get them for about fourteen quid in my local emporium.

I'm the singer in our band, and I also find that it's easier to sing over faster stuff without too many gaps that need to be timed properly. I'm currently working on Rag and Bone Man's 'Human', and it's a sod. I'll get there, but it's taken several days already. Once I have both words and bass line nailed down so I don't have to think about them, it starts to drop into place. I have never been able to do 'Losing my Religion ' either-thankfully we don't do it. 'End of the World as we know it' would be almost impossible, I fear.

Yeah a bit 80's retro but I don't dislike it. Agree on the colour though.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1488545588' post='3249871'] I don't think there's a headstock shape i really like except for the Ibanez Musician style (but that only works with 4 strings) or the Stingray types without that big ball of wood in the top like Fenders (i do love 4+1 configs and really hate the Fender 5-in-line style). But i just posted to remind all you folks of this one: [/quote] Still reminds me of Peppa Pig.

Early 80's-Westone Concord I bass (still got it), Peavey Century head (damn good amp, I was advised not to sell it, but I did) and a pair of brand new Marshall 2x12's. No effects. I was told to turn down by a bloke who was an ex-soundman for the Who, which I'm very proud of.

The extended version of Black Betty by Ram Jam. Thankfully we only do the shortened version.

My Shuker JJ Burnel has stopped me buying another bass since 2009. Nothing I'd rather have. The only other bass I can envisage bettering it is the Carbonlite version.

In the 80's I was and still am a big fan of the Three Johns, to my disgust I missed them when they played Ziggy's in Plymouth. I was also very keen on James King and the lone wolves, who I did get to see live twice. There was also the Rose of Avalanche, Care, Miracle Legion and another vote for the Chameleons.

Stranglers-Rattus Norvegicus Pixies-Doolittle

That Petrol Emotion

One of my favourite bands, and 'Fall on me' is one of my top three favourite songs. Saw them on the 'Up' tour, was booked to see them on the tour they cancelled because of Bill Berry's brain haemorrhage. I agree their best years were behind them after he left, but I don't agree they should have split then, they still had some fantastic songs in them, like 'Leaving New York' and 'Daysleeper', but the later albums really only had one or two decent songs on them. Mike Mills is a great bassist and a brilliant musician, and they wouldn't have been the same band without him. They are adamant that they won't reform, but you never know.

Pretty-that bound edge digging in your arm will get on your wick after a while.

I've used D'Adarrio nickels for years (well Fenders actually, which are rebadged D'addarios, and cheaper) but last time I bought strings my local shop did me a good price on some Dunlop Marcus Miller stainless jobs, so I decided to give them a go. First thing, the G string broke when I was stretching it after putting it on, never had that on any string before-the shop gave me a replacement, so I persevered. Normally a set of nickels don't last more than a couple of gigs, but these have been on for months now and have yet to lose their zing, so on that count I'm quite impressed-not sure I'd buy another set after the breaking issue though.

We played at mine last year-it honestly never occurred to me to do anything else for my 50th. Our local band room doesn't charge to hire the place if you're providing your own band-it saves them paying for one. Good night had by all-over 100 people turned up, much to my surprise.