Lozz196

Yep, I took a break from music in general from 1991 to 1996, didn`t play at all, go to any gigs or even buy any music. I was just sick of gigging and playing every weekend, and wanted to be in the pub with my mates - some ambition huh. Then I started up again, just buying CDs, bought myself a Fender Stratocaster and started up a punk covers band, one gig say every 2 months or so, fizzled out after a couple of years but the flame had been re-ignited. Been in bands ever since then and have realised that a lot of my dislike for gigging in my early years, without going into it too much was actually signs of a drink problem. Now unshackled from booze I love gigging, but at 56 have to accept my limits.

At present aside from going to see The Drifters with my Mum I’ve nothing planned, tho as Dirt Box Disco are playing not far from me later in the year this may well change.

Our younglings at work are pretty much the same. They’ve all recently been to see Coldplay but wouldn’t dream of local live music.

I bought something from them a couple of weeks ago, stupidly ordered the wrong variant. One e-Mail to them and it was agreed to do a swap. Sadly by the time I returned my item the intended one had sold out so they offered instant refund or to wait until it was back in stock. Refund please, sorted straightaway. This might be slightly against the grain of this thread but I think it’s only fair to show that BD aren’t all doom & gloom.

The 2008-12 had a flatter (and wider as a result of this) feeling neck to me, the 13-16 being deeper in the hand. The 13-16s had the Custom Shop 62 pickups, going back to a more vintage sound in comparison to the 08-12s which I found to be more modern sounding.

You’ll pick up an Ashdown MAG for a pretty reasonable price.

For bass, yes. Not good with length of notes or speeds etc but where the notes are on the stave I’m fine with.

Without sounding flippant, visit a shop and play one, only your hands will be able to tell you. Pretty much any Precision works for me, but I’ve found my faves (US Standard 2013-16 range) via trial & error. For me I just enjoy playing them more than any others, but they’re all Precisions. So take your own Player along (tell the staff of course) and play a Performer, see where you go from there.

Yep, Markbass amps also - imo - take pedals pretty nicely too. The CMD121 & NY121 is a decent rig, plenty of power.

Definitely, size of the audience should have no bearings on the amount of effort put in to a performance.

For me it depends on both the size of the stage, and how many people in the band. If in a 3-piece like my last band then some form of movement is needed as the singer/guitarist was firmly rooted to his mic aside from in solos. I say some form of movement, in my head I was running all over the stage, in reality it was slow ambling that Brian The Snail from The Magic Roundabout could have equaled. Bizarrely it also depends for me on instrument colour - I find if I`m playing a white bass I`m a bit more "showy" whereas with my black basses I tend to stay a bit more firmly rooted in one spot. But my preference is always for the Cliff Williams style of stand at the back and only move forwards when doing backing vocals. Leave the showy stuff for the singers & guitarists.

Yeah, until I was in my last band the only similar aged (late 40s/early 50s) musicians I encountered were all about covers. Maybe it`s down to venues and their wants that leads this?

You’ve had some good fortune there, the stock Aerodyne pickups were ok but Wizards are in a much different league.

They sound really nice on the few clips that are available

The most successful band I’ve been in was an originals band which I joined at 48 and left at 54, played 50+ gigs a year, festivals, toured overseas, albums released by record companies (tho not signed to them) etc. It’s never too late, tho at 56 I now acknowledge my limits a bit better - hence why I left the above, but I’m still in an originals band. So don’t give up hope, and even if taking a few years off if you have a bass you really connect with put it in its case under the bed/on top of the wardrobe, at some point you’ll most likely get the urge to play again.

Same for me Mick, great single, the rest of their material largely passed me by.

Afraid I used a box every time Ped, they’re not gonna get broken but a box offers some protection against cosmetic damage.

Strangely I’ve found that using a thinner pick, around 0.88mm gets me a sound fairly near to finger style, anything more and the sharpness of the attack makes it evident it’s now a pick.

Re new amp or go for the modelling stuff, well if you can guarantee you’ll always be going through the PA from now on then it might be worth a try. That said you’ve got that great BF cab, so in your position I’d sort either a new amp or get that one fixed, then have a preamp/DI pedal in the chain connected to FOH at all gigs. Pedal doesn’t need to be switched on unless needed, so a Behringer BDI21 would be ideal, cheap, sound great.

I rather like Zephyr Song too

Kermits bass maybe…..

Agree, nowt wrong with supporting home grown businesses, but for me I’d be wanting something “extra” if the price was more than a comparable item manufactured elsewhere. Dr Martens spring to mind, their UK made boots are of a much better quality than the overseas made ones - with a price tag to reflect this of course.