Deep Thought

I've been contemplating uprating the bridge on my MIM P. When I do, I'm going for the Gotoh-I think Badasses are ugly things.

I've got one of these for one of my Precisions:- [url="http://www.herculesstands.co.uk/product/85308/GS302B/Mini_Stands/TravLite_electric_guitar_stand"]http://www.herculesstands.co.uk/product/85...ic_guitar_stand[/url] I've been delighted with it-takes up very little space, lightweight, and seems perfectly stable. I've also got a TGI A-frame job, which is also fine.

5-string P's seem to be a rare breed. I fancy one, but apart from a Squier I'm not sure you can get any more, Fender don't seem to do much, especially not in the mid-range. I'd love to see a MIM 5-string Precision. Otherwise it's the makers already mentioned, none of which are especially cheap, if, like me, you only want to dip your toe, so to speak.

Saturday started out badly-whilst having a lie-in, recovering from seeing the Hold Steady in Falmouth the night before (excellent!) I get a phone call from the drummer. We are due to play Woodrock that night, a kind of private party/mini-festival in the woods, as the support band. We actually formed the band in order to play there, and we played it last year. It was our first gig as a three-piece with me on lead vocals, and I don't consider it my finest hour-only half a set, singing stuff I had no business singing, hangovers from when we had a female singer. Anyway, it appears that the main band look like they aren't going to show-which is great in one way as we get the whole gig to ourselves, but we were due to use their PA as we don't own one. The one we usually borrow is in use, so I have to do some frantic phoning around to hire one at short notice on a bank holiday weekend. Thankfully my luck's in, and I manage to get a pretty decent one from a very nice chap down the road from me. He owns a pretty cool-looking studio which I expect we'll be making use of soon. The gig is a triumph, the gig I was hoping last year would have been-had a total blast, played well, went down well, everyone up dancing, and the organisers think we're wonderful 'cos we've saved the night. Superb weather too, and my missus still sober enough not to need carrying back to the tent afterwards. Up the next day, pack up and off to Trevone near Padstow for a charity beer festival in aid of FLEET, the Cornish ambulance service equipment trust. This time we're supporting Kernuyck, a local metal band who are doing pretty well. Great bunch of lads, happy for us to use their PA, totally laid-back and a pleasure to deal with. Our set goes well, a few too many cock-ups on my part, but we get away with it. Kernuyck play a storming set-I'm no metalhead, but I thoroughly enjoyed them, as did my 10-year old daughter, who begs me to buy her their EP! Cheap beer too, a fry-up in the morning, about £2500 raised so far, in all a damn fine weekend!

We used to do 'Black velvet' when we had a female singer. Hate the song, but used to like playing the bass line-shame I never had a fretless!

Well, used it for one rehearsal and one gig, and it was fantastic-running all over the stage, sounding great. At soundcheck for another gig, suddenly started getting dropouts in the sound. Close examination revealed that the end had fallen off the jackplug which connected to the bass. Thankfully it hadn't come off inside, and my daughter found it on the floor. Several attempts to reattach it failed, and I ended up doing that one on a good old fashioned cable. Chris at the Bass Merchant has been very good, and is giving me a refund with no quibbles, but I can't recommend the Nady on my experience. Chris recommends the Samson 'bug' style, but can't get hold of them at the moment. Back to the drawing board.

Many thanks to all, especially High Score-exactly what I was after, and much food for thought.

Yeah, I saw them when the Bass Thing was with them, when 'Hup' was released. Exeter Uni, bloody good gig.

Our 'fifth Beatle' or fourth Missile Man, a DJ who lends us his PA, hasn't in any way started denying us its use, and is as helpful as ever. However he has changed his tune from 'use mine whenever you like, and I'll be offended if you even think of buying your own' to not sounding at all put out when I mentioned we were thinking of buying our own the other day. This makes us think it's about time we started thinking seriously about getting our own. We're not exactly overburdened with gigs or money, and the system we've been using is a 400Watt Peavey with a couple of all in one speakers and a pair of floor monitors. It's done us fine so far for pub gigs, and we're probably looking at a similar setup to buy. We only use it for vocals, we don't put anything through it. I'm the singer, and I'll probably end up storing and transporting it, and I only just manage to fit it all in with my bass kit at the moment, so we don't want much more. Any recommendations for manufacturers, outlets or things to avoid? I like Peavey stuff, especially the older kit, but anybody else have any others they like?

Ordered yesterday, came today-excellent service. At first go seems pretty good-wandered all over the house playing with no loss of signal. Plastic, but seems fairly robust-only one frequency, but I guess you expect that for £100. Will be trying it out live at the weekend.

[quote name='misrule' post='492993' date='May 20 2009, 09:34 AM']The last time I took my bass for a set-up (with Chris McIntyre in Peckham) he told me to bend DR strings into a 90-degree angle then cut them past the bend. He claims they sound dead if you cut them straight.[/quote] The packet actually says to crimp them at 'at least a 45 degree angle' before cutting them. It says they have an 'anchor' built into the string or some such (I don't have a Hi-Beam packet kicking around right now). I guess this is similar to the bending thing.

[quote name='bythesea' post='491636' date='May 18 2009, 05:40 PM']Amazon have a four guitar one for £130 [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nady-uhf-guitar-wireless-system/dp/B001OIK7LO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1242664644&sr=8-1"]here[/url][/quote] It's the Encore 200 bass-specific one I was after. I've just ordered one from the Bass Merchant-£100. Should be here tomorrow, I'm told.

Where did you get it from? I'm after one too and I can't seem to find one online in the UK.

Another recommendation for Nick-although I've not had any lessons from him (although if he lived down this way I think I would!), he's been an absolute star in helping me with a claim against DHL (grrr!) who dropped and damaged a cab I was buying from him. I'm sure your dealings with him will be as positive as mine.

Bought a a pair of ABM custom cabs from Nick back in January. One arrived damaged, through no fault of Nick's (DHL-avoid!!) and he's been an absolute prince in pursuing a claim against them on my behalf, now satisfactorily resolved. No hesitation in recommending Nick-buy with confidence, he's one of the good guys!

Usually about an hour, but that's in a leisurely fashion without rushing. I dare say we could do it considerably quicker if the situation called for it-we've certainly gotten everything [i]off[/i] a stage in less than ten minutes to make way for the headliners.

[quote name='Delberthot' post='478492' date='May 3 2009, 08:22 PM']I thought it was from Tommy - I take it that part is a mickey take of the bit from Tommy then?[/quote] Sorry, no, just me acting the goat. It is from Tommy-must remember smilies-

Aah, the Ox's famous appearance in 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail'.

Best of the Doors-especially Riders on the Storm.

Also check out Louisiana Red, Lowell Fulsom, Sonny Boy Williamson-and don't forget Seasick Steve! Often overlooked as a more mainstream artist is Chris Rea, who's produced some cracking blues stuff. Another superb blues album is Aerosmith's 'Honking on Bobo'. America is crawling with superb, little-known blues acts-if you can get internet radio, there are several blues stations. My particular favourite are Omar and the Howlers, from Austin, Texas, but there are loads. Get out and see the blues live! To me it's the best way to hear the blues, and there are some fantastic home-grown acts out there touring-guys like Honey Boy Hickling, Larry Miller (we're supporting him on the 30th!), Paul Lamb and the Kingsnakes and of course the likes of the already-mentioned Dr.Feelgood, Wilko Johnson (with the man himself, Norman Watt-Roy, on bass!) and Nine Below Zero. There's loads of it.

57 grand US? S'off!

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='476036' date='Apr 30 2009, 02:29 PM']the (possibly soon-to-be late) Johnny Winter[/quote] I hope not! He's playing down here (Falmouth) on the 28th of May. I'm planning to go.

My own chariot is a 1995 Toyota Corolla hatch. Can just about get everything in with the back seats folded, it's old and battered and I don't give a hoot if it gets scratched or dented. Also it still has an actual engine and not a collection of plastic boxes filled with electronics, so it can be fixed by a mechanic and not a bloke with a laptop. Several of my mates have been driven to the brink of bankruptcy recently with the price of diagnostics and repairs on modern cars.

White. Or cream. Definitely not tort.