Silvia Bluejay

It's always like this for this particular show. Someone clearly believes that keeping important details secret until late will create a buzz, while all it does is lose customers. We have gigs on both the possible weekends In September when the show may be on, and this time I'm giving priority to the gigs, not the show, which will mean I'll leave early or have to skip the show altogether.

It's going to be at the Business Centre again, some time in September 2020. That's all we know from their website. It's currently late February 2020. Frankly, that's pretty poor.

Thank you! Regarding the date, I'm as much in the dark as everybody else. The website only reads 'September 2020', which, to be honest, is just not good enough. Compare and contrast with Winter NAMM 2020, where the Winter NAMM 2021 dates were already being advertised, so people could get them in the diary. 🙄

Problem is, he wasn't at NAMM this year. We searched the exhibitor list but couldn't find him anywhere.

Take pics! And tell us how it feels after the work. It might even "play like butter"...

I think @Reggaebass is right, and yes, after having to wash my hands every 5 minutes while playing one of those basses, I decided to 'wash' the fretboards instead. They look even more luscious without that coating.

That's way better!

Does it smell of fish?

When I say protective properties, I mean for transport and storage at the factory, rather than once it reaches the end user. And the 'paint' on my uprights had a horrible fishy smell. 😮

What's the fretboard made of? I've noticed that there seems to be a trend for dark wood fretboards to be sprayed at the factory with some sort of black 'paint' (for lack of a better word). It's not dirt, and it probably has some protective properties, but I made sure to (gently, with a moist rag) wipe it off the Tiger or Macassar ebony fretboards of at least two of my bass guitars and two of my uprights.

In a gigging band (covers or function etc.), age doesn't matter - what really matters is what the audience/client likes. In a hobby band, usually what the band members like matters more than anything else, and that's where age may well influence the choice of repertoire. Guess which of the above types of band gigs regularly and gets paid...

Sorry to hear that. I've posted this thread on Basschat's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Hope you get it back - good luck.

Just referring to the word's etymology - as in 'bright', which you said the room wasn't.

Brilliant (npi). 👍

I would recommend low tension flats, such as Thomastik Infeld (mentioned above), D'Addario Chromes or Labella Low Tension (*not* normal Labellas). I have tried all of those, and would recommend you made sure to at least hear what any set of strings you decide on sounds like, before buying. Best of all, play someone's bass that has them. The TIs have a gorgeous, mellow sound, and a really soft feel under the fingertips. So soft, in fact, that sometimes they're simply not suitable to the kind of music you may be playing. D'Addario Chromes are my favourite strings, but they do have a bright, zingy sound that may not be your cup of tea. Labella Low Tension are as soft as D'Addarios but have a more traditional, less bright sound, while still producing a well defined sound on each note. Also make sure you're not allergic to one or more of the metals and coatings used in whatever strings you decide to use, as that can make things worse when your fingertips are already under stress.

Well, I've somehow ended up with four Warwick Corvettes, and I don't even gig... Should we create (and join) the Four Of A Kind Club?

I'll leave the advice about speakers etc. to others, but you could do worse than check out this thread re. the actual PA 'desk' unit. Wireless, cheap but excellent quality.

Looking good! 👍

Yes I remember. I meant to imply it's now a sort of secret way to spot a Basschatter at a band's gig... 😉

And you've got the Lidl extension lead too! 😎

Absolutely awesome.

Absolutely. And it helps you get familiar with how to plug everything together without having to think about it too hard. And at least, you get to try levels, effects, etc. so you know what to press/drag/mute at exactly what time.

Ha! 😎 Booking a hall for testing is fine, but only for the really basic stuff. If the hall is not full of people, or if it has got sparse upholstery, and/or reflective surfaces, much of the EQ and the levels, and quite a lot else, will end up being set all wrong, and will have to be re-done, differently, for each and every venue the band plays. This is especially true if the band mainly plays pubs, as HJ's two bands do. Don't ask me how I know...

Mind you, apparently Warwick Black Labels are made in the US too (I don't know where exactly), which opens some interesting possibilities. My head hurts.