martin8708

If I’m not in a band , I will rarely play bass at home , I much prefer to pick up a Classical guitar and play that until I manage to wheedle my way into a band as a bassist . As previously said , there is always the natural ebb and flow of playing music , I don’t think you can sustain 110% effort all the time without some burnout or disinterest. My current band suits me very well , we mainly gig in Summer, our rehearsals are very low stress social events , lots of chat and cups of tea , lots of varied and unusual material to try , we all know we are never going to play Wembley , For me , the key is to enjoy music / playing bass.

Bass direct is on an industrial estate in Warwick , which probably has zero footfall compared to the guitar shops in Denmark Street where everybody come in has a twiddle and then leaves without buying anything . Most people who visit will have driven there with the express purpose to buy , or at least be interested in something the shop has to offer . For myself , it involves an expensive ferry crossing and 300 mile round trip , but it’s worth it to try out the different amps and cabs which are not available anywhere else and get some forthright advise from the proprietor of the establishment. ( most of the people who worked in guitar shops in London were wannabe rock stars who were only interested in themselves , hence there lack of interest in the customer ) I agree 100% , if the support staff are not up to the job , find someone who is .

If I’m in a band where there’s lots of show -off guitarists /keyboards / singers , I’m generally safe , as I can chug around most songs in time with a ( decent ) drummer keeping the song together . ( this has got me a suprising amount of gigs ) If they want solo’s / Wootton / Jaco / Sheehan type stuff - I’m stuffed .

When I joined Basschat in 2010 , the marketplace was a veritable free for all with instruments seemingly flying off the shelves ( and sometimes being relisted soon after) I remember fondly the starwalds of the marketplace ( Clarky / Beedster / Bouvier / Chilliwailer ) and many others who I apologise for not mentioning . Interest rates were low , the economy was doing OK , the world was at relative peace . Fast forward to today , we’ve been through the Pandemic / Ukraine war / Liz Truss / interest rate hikes / cost of living Crisis , I guess most of us are feeling a little less secure and less inclined to spend money on what are essentially luxuries and focus on the more important financial commitments to keep our heads above the water

I spent 6 months in the States some time ago ( Dallas ,TX) and I bought a Steinberger XL at the Dallas Guitar show . On my arrival at Heathrow , customs were much relieved it was a music instrument and not a gun , so I was waved through . Haven’t bought anything too dodgy recently , just the occational jumbo box of Golden Virginia for a work mate , still waved through.

Ska bands definitely seem to be the landlords favourite genre, maybe there’s something about Madness and working in a Pub . A lot of well established bands have venues all sewn up , so even if we do a sudden cancellation gig , there’s no room in the diary for any further bookings .

We have noticed this in some of the “music “ pubs on the Isle of Wight . Our set list comprises of eclectic/ oddities from the 70’s and 80’s which most people know but have forgotten about , so most people say how different and refreshing our gigs are , but they don’t seem to sit well with the landlord’s expectations of what a pub band should be . If we played Ska or Dad rock , we would have loads more gigs , but we enjoy being on the fringe of popular music , so we just play where we are welcome , even if they are low paid or freebies .

I owned a 66 Hofner bass. Struggled to play it . Struggled to sell it . Certainly don’t want it back .

Same hear , ( here ) Eddie and David at their absolute best .

I responded to a wanted ad for an empty 2x12 cab , Peter was very patient with me as I sorted the packaging and postage of the cab , and kindly put a few extra £’s in as well to cover the cost of the packing tape . Very smooth transaction .

I suppose you will be judging all new applicants against your existing singer , who sounds fantastic, so you’re probably setting yourself up for disappointment if you’re looking for a direct replacement . As others have mentioned , perhaps try nurturing a less fantastic singer who may surprise you a little further down the line . Talking from personal experience , I’m a middle of the road bass player who has stepped into far bigger shoes than I deserve, but I offer other skills such as backing vocals / PA supply and set up , band promotion /getting gigs which previous bass players did not offer .

We have keyboard Tourette’s currently , but have been party to guitar / drummer Tourette’s as well. The new (ish) keyboard player always breaks into Bruce Hornsby’s “ The way it is “ , but just the intro between songs . We asked if he could play the rest of the song , umm , have not learnt it yet . We collectively decide to learn the song for the next rehearsal, come next week , he has not got round to learning it , despite the rest of us learning the track . Bruce Hornsby on the shelf , suddenly it’s the intro to “ Don’t let the Sun go down on me “ Do you know the song we all ask ? , No , just the intro is the reply . God knows what it will be in a fortnight.

Sold my Squier CV Mustang bass to Lozz , didn’t even haggle on the price ( a bit of Life of Brian there ) Many thanks for a smooth transaction . best wishes , Martin .

Albatross- Fleetwood Mac . ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!. Not a fan of You look wonderful tonight by Eric Crapton .

I think Warwickhunt has pretty much nailed it . If you’ve paid off your mortgage , have few / no dependants , a partner who is a hedge fund manager , then I would say go for it . I myself am not 100% happy at work , but it keeps a roof over my head , food on the table and occasional musical treats / purchases. I would rather put up with the stress of work , than the stress of wondering when my next gig / pay check is going to be . I do admire those who pursue their dream of living from music / art / acting .

In the old days (pre-pandemic?? ) , the second hand market value of instruments seemed to be approx 1/2 to 2/3 of new retail price , with factors such as condition / scarcity/ demand nudging the prices a bit higher or lower . Second hand prices are now a lot closer to retail price , and there seems little difference between private sale price and second hand from a music shop . I have been scanning the market for a nice second hand 000 acoustic guitar , and it’s the same guitars for months and months that sit on reverb /fretboard / eBay ( shudder ) and the music shops that I consider to be too expensive , nothing changes , nothing sells .

Just the one P bass , never had a bass fail me or break a string in 38 years . Regular inspection /maintenance is definitely a plus . Blown a few amps in gigs though .

I am happy to sell low-dollar items myself , but I am increasingly using shops/dealers for higher value items . I find it quite frustrating when deals are made , then radio silence with expensive instruments , or ridiculous low ball offers which take the p*ss. Andy Baxter achieved an excellent sale price for my 66 Hofner beatle bass , far more than a similar instrument listed on Basschat and some sold through Gardiner Houlgate .

As above . Ian Gillan from Deep Purple . And of course Freddie Mercury , the original Iron Man of vocalists

The second hand Vintage V4MTB Tony Butler signature Bass at GAK for £279. Looks similar to the Fender 57 AVRI that I’ve used for the last 20 years . ( I have no affiliation with GAK )

King of Pain - The Police .

I played in a duo for 10 years with a Singer/ guitarist with me on bass / backing vocals . He took two thirds of the gig money , but he was an established musician who had a diary full of gigs and he owned the PA. I was perfectly happy with this as my playing improved dramatically, played some great gigs , met loads of other musicians , so getting paid less was no big deal . If I was a more accomplished bass player , I would have asked for more money .

Just bought Dans JMJ Mustang , which he kindly sent to the ( not so ) sunny Isle of Wight . Prompt replies, super fast delivery , 100% recommended seller . Many thanks again ,Dan . Cheers , Martin