Dad3353

T'weren't just the punks, lad; we all had to do with whatever came to hand (or that we built ourselves..!) I could afford little, with my apprentice wages, except cheap chipboard for making my own 4 x 12 cab, 36" x 36", with the cheapest cones I could get from Exchange & Mart ads, trailing all the way to Tottenham Court Road to get 'em..! Fun times, but our gear (and most of the folks I knew and played with...) were much the same. I never saw a Fender bass until coming to France in '75. Happy daze.

The effects do take quite a while to wear off, don't they..? Don't drive, mate, please.

There is, indeed, a thriving market for old reel-to-reel tape decks, and many 'plug-ins' to replicate 'vintage' sounds. Our bass amp is a Hiwatt, I have a Fender Bassman 50 for guitar. 'Old school' is the new black, too..! Now, if only I could graft on a set of Jack Casady fingers...

Any reasoning behind that..?

Anything's better than the savage 'wah' trombone stuff, and we've agreed to let the bagpipes alone for ever, so 'Bring it on..!', I say. It can't be that bad, can it..? Can it..?

Yeah, but you're good, innit..! Although, I agree (without being good, or course...) that the stuff I use a DAW for is not the same as when I'm playing 'live', or noodling around. To me, the DAW is an extension of my thinking, and the Reason interface, good though it is, doesn't help me; in fact quite the opposite. I don't want to be thinking of how to plug stuff in; I want to think about how to create the sound or effect I'm after, and my mind doesn't run in terms of boxes, switches and dials. How does it run..? Dunno, mate; no idea at all. We each have different brain patterns, I suppose. I'm not helping, am I..?

Thanks, Lenny; you've given me a way into this. I'll see what I can do with the title 'Craterellus cornucopioides'. Hmm... Back soon...

I'm not clued up on basses to any great degree, but my Hofner guitars (and bass, come to think of it...) are over fifty years old. Why did I choose them, at the time of acquisition, over the 'new' equivalent..? Basically, price. The 'vintage' Verithin I bought for £250. The modern, very excellent Verythin (in some ways a superior instrument, I'll allow...) is well over £2500. If I had the money, would I buy the newer one..? Yes, I would, but if I had that sort of money, I'd buy the 'vintage' one as well..! Why..? Maybe in absolute quality terms, as an item, the new one is 'better', but my memories of learning to play guitar, listening to the '50s, '60s and '70s bands, have tuned my (now cloth ...) ears to 'that' sound. I've more modern electric guitars (and basses...), but 'my' music comes from the instruments I grew up with and loved at the time. Same with drums; my kit is from the '60s. Is it good..? Yes. Would I swap it for a new DW kit..? Not for a fortune, despite the absolute qualities of the latter. So, nostalgia..? Partly, surely. Mostly, though, because I find that my old, worn slippers bring me much more comfort that a new pair. Old dogs, and all that..? Just my tuppence-worth.

Wishing, for all, a better 2018 than 2017.

... ... ...

A close call, FB; a close call. Quality stuff. (Not that the others were totally without merit, of course..! )

Not much more and we'll have enough for a soap opera.

...and a Happy New Year to one and all.

And the winner is... The Lurks Family..! Here, then, is your Winner's Certificate (download and save as pdf file, then proudly print and frame...) ... BC_Chal_Cert_2017_12.pdf ... which looks like this (but bigger, of course..!)…

Can I press my luck with just one more..? Please..? No..? OK then.

I hope for your sake you never have to find out.

Indeed. Anyway, I can't think of any more puns. I've an iron deficiency.

I'm out of here, to get a fizzy drink. It's soda pressing.

No, just board.

That joke fell flat, I think. Be careful what you wish for. .

Q.E.D. I rest my case.

Dare..! No; double dare..!