pete.young

Well, it looks like I have an Anderwood solid Koa wood Type 1 incoming, in the next few days. TPJ - can you explain something to me - how do you play a harmonic with a steel slide, without it just 'fretting' the note?

Ry Cooder, in the Stadschouwberg, Antwerp. His passion for the music and his ability to put on a great show are undiminished by the years. He even turned the stage power going off into a triumph, by playing a totally acoustic version of '13 question method' while the techs got things working again. We're neither of us getting any younger, so this might have been the last opportunity I have to see him.

If it's worth more than £500 quid, go and pick it up yourself.

Yes, it's open D, but dropped a tone to open C - CGCEGC . I think they call this Vestapol in the former colonies 🙂 He seems to use the same trick of tuning down a whole tone for some of his acoustic guitar vids as well. Like the great Nic Jones also did. I was in Eagle Music this weekend and tried an Asher which has a solid koa wood top and laminated sides. It sounded a whole lot better than my entry-level box, but not quite enough for me to buy it on the spot. I think a trip to Anderwood is on the cards first to see what they have.

Frank, that is a magnificent offer. I can feel a trip to Sarfend coming on, I will ping you a PM and see if we can get together for a chat some time.

Well, I've been listening to this, and trying to work it out. I've just reached the point of reaching for the matches and kindling, and adding my Weissenborn to the fire! Perhaps things will seem better tomorrow|

I think you might have a reason to be deeply hacked off if you'd bought a Magellan, gone out and bought a Thumpinator and then discovered you could have saved yourself £120 .

Does anyone have a copy of the manual for the DHA VT1 Pro Bass Drive? I bought mine second-hand, it arrived without a manual. I found a copy on the DHA web site, but since Dave has sadly died the site has been taken down and all the documentation has gone missing.

EI Publican Partnerships also own the Swan Inn in Ipswich, another music venue which has recently and unexpectedly closed amid various rumours. EI hoping to re-open it, presumably they are looking for another landlord. Unfortunately I think your petition has no chance.

If it has black hardware and a rosewood fingerboard it's possibly a 410, these were apparently a lot more common in the US than Europe. My 321 has an ebony fingerboard and gold hardware. The first two digits of the serial number should confirm the year of manufacture.

It's not all about the diameter, the tension is primarily a function of the string core. Might work out well. The new bass looks excellent from the photos - by the sound of it this is as close to a happy ending as you were likely to get from an off-the-shelf solution.

Give your guide dog a pat and a biscuit from me.

Stairville from Thomann. BLS-315. Bought as a replacement for the cheap crap aluminium stand that came with my Equinox light, much better quality and about a metre taller.

Wonder if some banjo tuners would give you a bit more room?

My Fylde acoustic has a cedar top. That was made in about 1975 and isn't showing any signs of wearing out.

Have you thought about a Bass Collection 5? I've just weighed my SB465 at 8.6lbs, and that has an ebony fretboard and a dense hardwood cap - a standard SB315 might get under the 8.5lb mark. String spacing is 19mm.

And lets not forget sheer dogged determination, hard graft - 600+ gigs in 2 or 3 years, sleeping on people's sofas, the underground. He's paid his dues and deserves all the success he's had if you ask me.

Axes 'R' Us have a fine selection.

I don't agree - the TRB5P and TRB4P from the early nineties were better and more versatile instruments imo.

I have a BB800 from '79 which is like this, and I think the BB1000 from the same era did too.