neepheid

Carlos D is one of my favourite bass players - fantastic melodic player who apparently didn't even like playing bass (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/12/interpol-carlos-d-bass) - what?

Why was the thread title changed? As this is a yearly event, isn't the year an important part of the title? Apologies if that sounded aggro - I'm going through bass cold turkey here, it's bound to make a person tetchy sometimes

No.

Mentioned this class bit of hyperbole in the G&L thread but worth repeating here - "I bet Leo himself breathed the thin nitro coating on to it." Did Leo die from huffing nitro?

This thread's been quiet for a while - everyone left standing still being good? Anyone got anything they need to confess? I'm still in. No further horological purchases either.

This is the oldest one I could find of my first band Panda Eyes back in April 2010...

It's the first style SB-2, not an El Toro. The El Toro had mini humbucker MFDs (so many pole pieces!), not single coils, and it had L-2000 style controls. I used to own the above El Toro.

Is it blue, is it green? Depends upon what type of light is shining on it. Damn you, Emerald Blue, even though the clue's in the name!

Done

Bloody hell, did someone get hungry during a gig and try to eat the neck? Haggling ammo? Additional - barftastic seller hyperbole - "I bet Leo himself breathed the thin nitro coating on to it." Did Leo die from huffing nitro?

It has one too many strings for me but I've always dug the Big Al in the looks department. It's the cost of it that has always put me off - it would have to be perfect for me to spend that kind of cash and I can't help thinking that a Big Al would be utterly wasted on me. Good bass pr0n though

When I put the bass through the PA it's not set particlularly loud, the main source of volume is the bass cabs - it's more for "width" than anything else.

We don't have subs either. When I feel I need a little help, I use the amp's DI to go through the PA we have for a bit of extra coverage, still using the amp for the majority of bass volume. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell me what a terrible idea that is. 500W into 2x10" (vertical) FYI.

I'm omnivorous me. I don't have an official favourite. Whatever comes to hand, whatever takes my fancy, whatever clashes most spectacularly with what I'm wearing, what phase the moon is in, which one I haven't played in a while, home or away. I guess I slightly favour the Jack Casady at home, but only because it's got a bit more acoustic volume about it when I CBA plugging into anything - so it wins on utility and sheer laziness.

Far too many pieces of string of variable lengths to quantify. I'm same as you, sometimes I get it down in minutes, but I'll admit that there's some I give up and simplify a bit as they're beyond me. For me, the most satisfying one I do (mostly correct to the recording) is Hallowed Be Thy Name by Iron Maiden - love nailing that one and playing it well. I've got a bunch of songs to learn tonight and tomorrow - an original for the 'Spoons which the trombone player has written with an interesting bass line (aren't all bass lines written by non bassists "interesting"?), and a bunch of rock songs for the covers band. I'll let you know how I get on. Whisky helps, right?

Nothing like it at all, it's just a rotary 3 way pickup selector. No choke.

Persist. I think the first fob off/ignore is to weed out who's actually serious about getting a gig...

John Entwistle on The Who's "My Generation" Mic drop.

Buying batteries every month? How often are you playing? Are you leaving the bass plugged in when you're not playing?

Well, I'm still in. No bass gear purchased so far in 2022. Of course that doesn't stop me purchasing other gear I treated myself to a watch. Somehow I won unopposed the auction on eBay for this guy: Maybe the seller was far too honest with the photographs - the crystal looks pretty scratched up in this pic and I thought I'd have to do some polishing but it looks way better in person. This is the titanium version so even though it's a much larger watch than the one I have been wearing, it's 6g lighter than that one. Was quite chuffed to see stainless steel versions of this watch selling on different auctions for more... Pretty pleased with it - solar powered, atomic timekeeping and there's something about the numbers on the face, the font used or something on the very dark blue background that I find very pleasing to the eye. Did have some fettling time with it - I had to remove 4 links from the bracelet because of my dainty wrists... cue Blackadder S02E03 "Potato" and the scene where Blackadder wishes to hire Captain Rum's ship - "you have a woman's wrist, my lord!" Anyway, I'm still in, just thought I'd share some alternative retail therapy I indulged in this week

The old tort pickguards have a tendency to react negatively with the air around us it would seem and very slowly disintegrate over time - possibly emitting gases which may have a negative effect on your pickup windings if they're not potted or covered/sealed in some way. I can only speak from an official Gibson Ripper point of view having only worked on those. Everything should come off the pickguard, even the choke - Gibson did it two ways - early ones had a bracket soldered to one of the pot casings to which the choke is bolted, later ones had a bracket which was attached like a washer on one of the pot shafts before it pokes through the pickguard. The 1234 plate is a separate piece and be very careful with it - they're super rare and it took me ages to source one for my Ripper rebuild! Yes, you can use it with a replacement pickguard - it's just a giant washer with some number on it at the end of the day. I can't guarantee that a pickguard intended for a Gibson Ripper would directly fit this bass. Your best bet would be to get the existing one copied. It's probably too brittle to send to someone in the post so a tracing would be the next best thing. I'm sure there are folk who can make you a custom pickguard from a tracing. Good luck!

I disagree with the aversion to rehearsals. While I freely admit there is a social aspect to them (for us at least) it is critical for keeping us weekend warriors sounding tight. It pays off too - in both my bands it has been commented upon on several occasions how tight we sound. This would not happen if we rehearsed once in a blue moon, especially the originals band since it gigs less than once a month on average. Also the originals band uses weekly meetups to develop new songs - but that's out of the scope of what most people consider "rehearsal" (again, another example where originals and covers/tribute bands differ). Play a new song (or, *shudder* songs!) having never played it/them together before the gig? No thank you. I consider that to be folly and horribly underprepared but maybe that just means I'm a crap player and my band(s) are crap too because I'm surrounded by like minded folk who wouldn't want to do that either. So be it, it's not my profession and it isn't putting food on the table - more of a hobby that mostly pays for itself. I'm bloody great at other stuff - funnily enough some of that excellence corresponds with my day job. Also, I'm a lazy git - if I didn't have weekly rehearsals, I might not even pick up the bass between gigs

Neotech user here - their Mega Strap made 12lbs+ Gibsons tolerable to wear for a whole gig. Even though all my basses are lighter now, I still like 'em. Haven't tried a Comfort Strapp so I can't comment on those.

But I am an amateur, pumping out the same old shite every week! Is there more? Should I be doing more?

You could just play the damn thing, regardless of whether or not it's a P bass?