Lozz196

I still think back to the 70s/80s where a musician would have one decent-ish guitar & one amp (often paid for by student grant, and said musician if no longer a student would more than likely be unemployed as unemployment was a big problem then), would be living in squalor eating virtually nothing all day (which is why they were all stick thin back then). Sure we have a cost of living problem at the moment but there were plenty of hard times years ago as well.

Yep, look at the current Post Office scandal and multiply that outrage several times should any government confiscate assets of any kind because it suited them let alone it being accommodation.

Much softer than my very hard & ham-fisted attack with a pick. I was always trying and failing badly to replicate that. Once I started to play softer with a pick I found finger style easier.

I remember back in the 80s it seemed that every band (from the punk/indie scene) that made it had lived together in squats. One of the reasons I decided against it, choosing to live in squalor when not needing to wasn`t for me.

For years I tried and swiftly gave up playing finger style. I then left my last band, tamed the way I played then found that it was trying to replicate that really hard digging in aggression with a pick that I was having problems with, not actually playing with fingers. From there on I’ve managed to get to grips with it. I still prefer using a pick tho, always will.

Ultex Triangle 1.0, essentially a more modern sounding Tortex.

Looking back to the 80s when I started playing and when I got into my first proper band in 87 at the age of 21: Bass - Yamaha BB1100s. Cost £450, on HP. Amp - Laney 1x15 Linebacker. Cost £260, on HP. Employment status - Fully employed, salary was £4750 so £400 a month before deductions. Living status - at my Mums. Transport - car at the time was broken and couldn’t afford to fix it. Used to get to rehearsals & gigs with the band leader doing a round-robin and picking us all up/dropping us all off in a van that was probably unfit for even the scrapyard. It was a great time.

Hamster sandwiches?

Steady on, we’ve only just got Christmas out of the way

Agree, a both difficult but fulfilling role for the bassist

146cm for me

Yep, I’ve seen bands empty rooms due to the volume they play at.

That’s a proper set up Blue, looks great

The main thing for me is that the youth don’t seem to go out to pubs/clubs/venues as much as previous generations, be that due to cost or that they just seem to live healthier lives than my generation did. As such it’s a question of how to tap into your intended audience.

We’re not doing very well, are we?

Being in punk/Oi/heavy rock a low slung guitar is generally the norm, however for me as well as the look it’s for practical reasons, having a shoulder injury it helps having my right arm down by my side rather than if the instrument is higher up.

Yep

EBS has more eq options, HPF, contour switch, sounds louder, has to be that one to keep.

Of course you can @Alfie, I was 48 (we were all of similar age) when I joined my last band, an originals street-punk/Oi band. We played all over GB and Europe, released 4 albums, did festivals etc. I left 4 years ago but they’re still going strong. Age isn’t a barrier once you find like-minded individuals to work with.

Nice one 👍

Reminds me of what I read re Darryl Jones when he joined The Rolling Stones and when he asked Keef how the basslines went. The reply was “you tell me, you’re the bassist”.

I had one of the white ones and agree, really good instruments.

Think you made the right call there

In a similar vein when I was a teenager I had a dog chain fixed around my wrist, when I got a job as an engineer the manager said at the interview it would have to come off as I could potentially lose my hand on the machines I would be working on. I’m glad to say that my punky teenage self thought far more of keeping my hands than of fashion sense.