casapete

I needed an AB pedal a while ago, and settled on the Fender ABY which can currently be had for £31 new. Silent switching and battery only required for the LED. Great pedal, solid and no fuss. Thomann also do what looks like a similar version ‘Lead Foot ABY’ for £19.40, has good reviews. Handy pedals to have around. I’m not currently using mine but if I sold it no doubt I’d need another one soon after!

Do it!

That’s what I do Phil, main bass is active / passive back up.

Are you sure it’s the pickup that needs replacing - I had an Elfin and the pickup sounded great, loads of bottom end etc. May be worth checking the wiring / pots first?

Always have a spare with me, but never use it. My spare isn’t as good a bass as my main one, but good enough to use should it ever be needed. I probably subconsciously chose it to be like that to stop me being tempted to swap around during the show! I get using two or more basses if they are varied ( 4/5 string/fretted/fretless etc), but as I only use a standard 4 string I couldn’t be arsed to mess around on stage with similar instruments.

I’m sure it’s probably universally hated on here, but the Springsteen version ain’t too shabby either.

Maybe it’s similar to that naked butler thing? 😆 Just call Matt on 07……..

Me too! There’s a great Joe Ely song about this very thing.

IIRC the VL-503 was a 1x12 combo? Had a hefty speaker, maybe a Celestion or something I think.

Sounds like the Ampeg combo I had in the late70’s. If it was a valve 2x12 job it would most likely to have been the same as mine, an Ampeg VT22. 100 very loud watts, clean sounding up to a glorious sweet spot where it was sheer perfection. Mine had 2x12 inch Altecs fitted ( a factory fitted option) and weighed a ton. No wonder The Stones, The Faces and other bands used them for years.

Not again, recently did that to match my car reg number…..

I always keep my nails fairly short, not only because of the ‘plucking finger click’ thing but also because I can’t stand it when the nails on your fretting hand touch the fingerboard. 😖

I think it makes Noddy Holder and co-writer Jim Lea a shared £250,000 every year? Still a nice pension though.

I actually played this on a gig last year! Was my mate in our duo who suggested doing it, I wasn’t sure but it went down really well in the pub. Alcohol is a mysterious thing…..

I always wonder if the keys player could keep that opening figure going all the way through the song….😆

You obviously aren’t playing the ‘age card’ well enough then Paul! 😆

Same with my band - ages range from 70 to 25, and it's definitely good to have that mix of experience and youth! Everyone respects each other, and it works really well.

With me it’s that thing of when I move nearer to the drummer onstage, the drums get quieter! Still not got quite used to it yet after a number of years. (I’m the only dinosaur left in my band who still uses a wedge monitor, everyone else on IEMs….) I’ve spent all my previous time in bands with acoustic drums. I’m not wholly convinced by e-kits, but must admit they’ve got to a point where the difference is minimal. Our singer did insist on e-drums, and for our band the different sounds that can be had are an essential part of how we do stuff. I do like the fact that some gigs I can have the drums kicking if I want, then other nights just have a quieter stage level to suit me. ( Never got on with IEMs, and am leaving the band in Spring 2024 so whoever takes over from me will make the band 100% wedge monitor free.)

Final gig this year at my favourite venue ‘The Lookout on the Pier’ in Scarborough with our acoustic duo. It was their Christmas party for invited guests so plenty of familiar faces and song requests. We did a smattering of Christmas stuff, ( Run Rudolph Run, Please come home for Christmas etc) but also plenty of others including’Happy Together’ by The Turtles (great tune I’ve never played before) and ‘It’s getting better’ by Mama Cass ( ditto!). Played two sets, 1x45 and 1x70 mins, fingers aching a bit today! Used a little Rok Tek graphic eq for the first time which just cut an annoying touch of feedback. We have two gigs a month booked in starting Jan 2024, so really pleased. (Sorry for the crap pics, too busy playing to take any others)

Ampeg did make a 4x12 bass cab for a while, around the late 90’s I think. IIRC the model was something like SVT412HE. Never seen one in the flesh though!

Reading some of the comments on here, I’m amazed at how some of the bands mentioned manage to exist at all! Imagine the scenario with say a sports team, who have scheduled matches against others and then one or two of the players decide to arrive late / can’t make it / will only play if their other half is in a good mood etc etc. The team wouldn't last five minutes. Surely it’s no different with bands. Whether it’s just a hobby or something more serious, there is no point in band members having such a lack of commitment. Of course things in life occasionally happen which mean changes need to be made to rehearsal schedules, but isn’t it funny how when a paying gig is on the cards then people seem to be able to commit to them more readily? In an old band of mine, getting everyone to agree on a mid week rehearsal was a nightmare ( mainly down to two band members who were also full time teachers) but if we got a mid week gig offered they always seemed to manage it!

Are they generally light weight wise? Asking for a friend.

Totally with you on all these points. They’re almost Danelectro like in their appeal for me, albeit with more options and better built.

That’s a great looking bass Bill. Although not anywhere near as far away from Glasgow as you, it’s probably still why I haven’t managed to try out any Reverend stuff. One of those brands where I’m drawn to their entire range!

Tonight ( Friday 8th) at 9.15pm on Sky Arts - Carole King & James Taylor ‘Live at the Troubador’. Celebrating 50 years of the club, with the original band who played with them too.