oggiesnr

On it's back, on top of anything else and padded round with a couple of old blankets. Steve

I lent my bass to another player at a jam session last week. He didn't touch the controls, he didn't tweak the amp, I just want to get a tone that smooth Looked at objectively he plucked the strings in a slightly different place and he had equal finger strength across all his plucking fingers. His fretting hand had a hint of vibrato and a really crisp movement across the strings. Steve

Don't buy a cheap folding one, the bearings go in the wheels and the locking mechanism is also prone to breaking. A good selection here [url="http://www.sacktrucksdirect.co.uk/folding-sack-trucks.html"]http://www.sacktrucksdirect.co.uk/folding-sack-trucks.html[/url] Steve

Saw the Stranglers at Galtres Fest last summer, great fun and a good bass mix. Steve

Another plug and play merchant, still don't know what half the buttons on my amp are meant to do. Steve

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1394187018' post='2388814'] Mark, When I go to the GAK website the site offers "free postage over £99". However, put in an address in Scotland and you get told "you need to spend £299 for free shipping to Scotland" and instead offers you postage at £13.39... This crazy policy cost you a sale last week. I've never encountered a company that treats Scotland differently to the rest of the UK. Is there a reason for it? [/quote] I've met lots of them although usually it only applies if you get north of the central belt. Most of the couriers charge quite a hefty premium for deliveries in that area. Steve

I still run a Thorens TD 150 through a Goodmans Maxamp 30 and a pair of Acoustic Research AR2 speakers. Cost my dad about £200 way back when. I sometimes look at an upgrade. To hear the difference I'd have to spend silly money and this forty year old kit holds its own with anything less than that. I can't see me upgrading anytime soon. Steve

Done, and voted for some others that I know as well. A few tough choices there. Steve

Seriously impressed Great job. Steve

I have a FB page for my street trading activities on which I put when I'm going to be out and any stories that I collect along the way. I also sell a little through it as well as people who've seen me in York can't always get back if they need more names cutting. I also have an Etsy shop for which I have to pay, I actually sell more through FB than Etsy but it's getting to be expected that you'll have one. As far as likes are concerned, I don't solicit them from friends only when I'm out working is there a note on my price board inviting people to like me. Last time I looked, all bar 5 of the likes were from people who have seen me in action. FB does also allow a two way communication between you and your fans and I've had some great pictures and videos that have come through FB. Steve

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1393870838' post='2385329'] i awlays wondered what a bass made out of MDF would actually sound like with high quality pickups etc, as it has such an even density throughout. ? just a thought. not sure how much of a percentage of the wood is glue mind. and how that would effect sound. [/quote] Would probably depend on the MDF. Not all MDFs are created equal and not all of them are that consistent. I occasionally have to cut MDF with a fretsaw (usually about an inch thick) and the blade I have to use varies up to 5 sizes depending who made it. Even a single company will have several densities and compositions of board and that's not allowing for the variable quality of some makers within type. In the UK the best of the makers is probably MEDITE (based in Ireland) who also make Low and No Formaldahyde boards which is what I would use for an instrument. Caber Products stuff is hard as nails and blunts blades and router bits at a scary rate. Steve

Going back to the OP. Having spent £3,500 on the bass I would not start routing it or changing pickups as that IMHO would be a sure way of making sure it lost value. Steve

Basswood or Lime is a wonderful wood to work with. It cuts beautifully and holds a line, it is one of the favourite woods of carvers because it holds detail so well and doesn't split along the grain easily. It's one down side is that, as hard woods go, it is fairly light and so will mark more easily than denser woods. Any resemblance to MDF etc is wrong, lime is a specific group of trees, MDF is wood sweepings and glue! Furniture is not something I would use basswood/lime for, the very characteristics that make it great for carving and instruments don't work for furniture. Whilst not as expensive as some hardwoods it's nowhere like as cheap as it once was and large, clear pieces such as used by carvers and instrument makers are getting more expensive. I use it for complex solid jigsaws, jewelry and making whistles and recorders (although it's beena while since I last made one). Steve

[quote name='2wheeler' timestamp='1393761482' post='2384028'] Christian Topman does rockabilly gigs and knows slap inside out [/quote] I'll give him a call, thanks Steve

Not all guitars of the same make and model are created equal, I've been surprised over the years at just how different they can be. Decide on your budget and go out and play some guitars. My personal rule is that when I find one that speaks to me I stop and buy it otherwise I end up going round in ever increasing circles. Steve

It's worth registering your own domain name. [email protected] looks more impressive than [email protected] Steve

On another site there's been a spirited discussion on this after a booker said that they wouldn't book an act that didn't have a Facebook page because it didn't show any sort of commitment to trying to sell themselves or help the promoter to sell them. This obviously escalated into a discussion about all types of social media and websites with a very clear consensus (and most of the contributors were either artists or bookers) that if you wanted to be taken seriously you had to have as many outlets as possible. Anyone here got any thoughts? What do you have for your bands? Steve

Have fun spending your money Steve

I end up taking about one forged twenty pound note a year and that's after I've done my standard check on them. Regretfully all I can do is look at what it was that fooled me and mark it down to experience. Do not (especially after talking about it on this forum) try to pass it off, that just makes you a fraudster. If you are sure that you got it from that pub the by all means talk to them and see what they say. I notice from another post that this has happened from this pub before, if that is so then tell the police, I don't usually bother because by the time I realise it's a fake it's way too late. Steve

You're paying one hell of a premium buying any instrument in London (they have to pay the overhead somehow). Steve

[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1393182836' post='2377094'] ^Not necessarily... old Martin ukes had markers at fret 5, 7 and 10, the expensive ones 3, 5, 7, 10, 12. It's a bit of a uke tradition. Pre-'30s Larson Bros guitars were 10th fret too. When I was apprenticed as a luthier I once put an octave marker at the 11th. In my defence, I was terribly hungover. New fingerboard. Ouch. [/quote] Thanks for that. I also have a "custom built" mandolin with the octave marker at 13! Steve

In the case of basses it's probably because guitars are marked that way so why change a winning formula In guitar terms it actually makes sense as the third fret is a better marker for hand shape, in first position so to speak it marks the fret of the leading (furthest down the neck) finger for a whole host of chords so your hand shape falls into place behind them, and for the others (E, A etc) if you're at that fret marker you know you're a fret too far! After that 5 & 7 are the main tuning harmonics and so nine becomes logical as well (it also creates great progression following the dots which wouldn't happen on 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). Steve As an afterthought I've just discovered that the dots on the six string, tenor uke bodied guitar I've just bought are 3, 5, 7, [b]10[/b], 12. I suspect quality control issues!

Thanks Andy, all food for thought. Steve

Maybe they should have had these on and given the audience some real music and if you skip to the end (which I hope you don't) , some real audience reaction as well - [url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01skry5"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01skry5[/url] Steve

I watched the folk awards on line instead, great fun. Steve