Jean-Luc Pickguard

Broke and Hungry — Blind Lemon Jefferson

I wouldn't be in a band with someone who has bigoted views. Several years ago I almost joined a band which was newly forming where the keyboard player told an unpleasant racist joke at the first rehearsal. This was the first time any of the band members had met each other and he probably felt that it was safe as everyone in the room was a white male old enough to remember the 70s. He was also more 'Jools Holland' than 'Booker T', overplaying rinky-dink piano over everything and polluting my sonic space with his left hand. I wouldn't be in a band with bigots like JK Rowking or Graham Lineham either.

Go Now — Bessie Banks

Disappointed Bride — The Hearts

Roundabout — Yes

They weren't really brothers so probably not.

The headstock shape looks pretty much the same to me if foreshortening due to perspective is taken into consideration.

The guitar looks like a Vox Super Ace https://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/vox/1963_Super_Ace.php

Looks like a Vox Symphonic Bass to me. https://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/vox/bass/

Me, Myself, and I — De La Soul

The socket isn’t marked. It isn’t as flimsy as the usual cheap ones and looks just like a switchcraft, just with without any makers mark and very slightly thinner metal used in its construction. I’m sure it would have been fine if I was using any other cable, but the weight of the cloth covered curly cable put more downward force on it than it was probably designed for.

I get mine from printed.com

To fit the specs given, I'd build my own using: Swamp ash PJ body from guitarbuild.co.uk - order one with nice looking grain and get the control cavity extended. Wipe on some Danish oil for a natural finish. Fender Precision to Jazz bass conversion neck - I was knocked sideways with how one of these necks has transformed a previously ignored bass into one of my favourites Schaller 3D bridge EMG GZR PJ Pickups £10 aliexpress pickguard Hipshot HB7 lollipop tuners gotoh bass string tree & strap buttons callaghan heavy knurl knobs Fender F neckplate Fender pickguard screws Ernie Ball 2815 cobalt flatwound strings self-adhesive copper anti-slug tape The parts should come to under £1000. If you don't want to assemble it yourself, take the bits to a luthier (or possibly an experienced basschatter) to put together.

I might be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that the last EMG pickup with wiring kit I installed included a switchcraft socket. (Please feel free to correct me if you know otherwise) When I installed the EMG GZR pickup I bought recently for my formerly fretless precision bitsa which now has a precision to jazz conversion neck, the first thing I noticed on opening the packaging was that the socket didn't seem to be as solid as the switchcrafts we all know & love. I think it is might be a neutrik as it uses USA sized hardware like switchcraft & pure tone. I fitted it anyway, but ever since, whenever I played the bass using my very heavy cloth coated Fender coiled cable, the signal would somethines cut out momentarily due to movement of the cable's plug. I'm not sure whether this was due to the plug's tip losing contact with the socket as it flexed, or the signal part of the socket contacting the copper anti-slug tape lining the control cavity. This didn't occur often enough for it to be much of an issue, but was a minor irritation. Today I had time to sort it out and fitted a puretone socket instead. I was pleased to find that the pure tone works with the slide-on connectors of the EMG solderless gubbins so it was a very easy job. As a belt & braces measure I also fashioned a plastic insulator from a thin water bottle to prevent any part of the socket touching the copper tape. Now the connection is rock-solid and no amount of force applied to the jack plug results in the sound cutting out.

I bought my first Fender, a new cherry sunburst 1981 Precision when I was 18 and had to work all Summer in Bejams to afford it. It has had a few upgrades - HiMass bridge, aged pearl pickguard, EMG GZR pickup but lives in its case as the body is made of a special kind of ash that seems to be closely related to concrete. My bitza precision is much nicer to play, but I can't bear to part with the old one even though I hardly play it.

Picked up a new guitar from GuitarGuitar Epsom yesterday, a Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘60s AAA Bourbon Burst (a GG exclusive model.) The AAA flame top is gorgeous and although it added to the price, I have no impulse control (I blamed my medication for that and the missus understood). GG had thirteen to choose from on the website and this one just seemed perfect, it was the lightest one at just over 9lb and it had the nicest flame in the top. My own photos wouldn't do it justice, so I’ve nicked the pics from the shop’s listing. It came strung with 10s and plays great straight out of the case with a super low action. I’ll probably swap to 9s at some point and might have to raise the bridge a touch then, but I think with the lighter strings it’ll feel even better. Tone-wise, it’s lovely. The ‘60s Burstbuckers both have their own vibe, and they sound fantastic whether clean or with some dirt.

I like boss compact pedals, and have over a dozen of them so I want to like this, but I don't like the idea of microtransactions.

Are Mice Electric? — Ivor Biggun

I'm waiting for Glen Campbell's Galveston to be re-recorded to advertise heartburn medication

Move Over Darjeeling — Doris Day

It would be far too embarrasing for me to post a photo of my desk. Lets just say it's not tidy.

Flying — UFO

Dick-a-Dum-Dum — Des O'Connor