bass_dinger

On reflection, I too was once That Person without the necessary kit. I distinctly remember being given a battery about 15 years ago, and having cables that crackled like a short wave radio in a thunder storm. As a result, I have realised that life is better with backups and spares.

I am enjoying the stories of others - clearly, it's not just me! However, what I am struggling to understand is why others don't turn up with the necessary spare kit. Surely it is necessary to bring spares to enable one to be sure of playing.

That's unusual - a guitarist wanting to tune up. As for my Bass Case, I only have it because I was previously forgetting stuff. By putting everything in one place, it was easier to store at home, and would guarantee that when I picked it up, I would have everything that I needed. Tuner. Spanners. Screwdrivers. Battery. Capo. Guitar strings. Mandolin strings. Electric guitar strings. Contact cleaner spray. Swiss Army Knife. Everything that I need - but it turns out that the people who need it are the clowns with whom I play. As @lemmywinks said, I am becoming the band dad. That's great all the while I am helping the band out of an emergency. But it only became an emergency because they didn't plan for the eventuality of (say) a flat battery, or, oooh, the possibility that they might want to strum the guitar that they bought with them. Thinking back, I have needed five batteries before or during a gig. Two for me, which made me always have them with me. And three for other band members who think that the time to change the battery is 5 minutes after it fails. So far, it hasn't cost me much - three batteries from Pound-U-Love or whatever, is not going to break the bank. But it does show me that I am working with people who think that winging it is a lifestyle choice...

Sunday's gig was a record for providing stuff for other band members to use. I did not bring it for others - it is all my stuff, for me to use. I used a Philips screwdriver to tighten up my own strap button. But the drummer said "are there any headphones?" I had a set The electric guitarist asked for a plectrum. I had a dozen. The acoustic guitarist was complaining that his battery was faulty (it was 5 ½ years old), and I had bought a spare for my bass the day before. So, I handed it over. The electric guitarist asked for a cable extension for his IEMs. I had two. 5 items needed - only one by me, and four by others. I take the view that, if the other band members can't play, then I would be playing on my own - and I don't want that. However, I am wondering why the need for headphones, batteries, and a plectrum, took other musicians by surprise... Gentle rant over. I was happy to be able to help.

I have a bass tool kit, which contains nail clippers, pliers and a metal file. The pliers and a metal file are a backup for the nail clippers.

Too late, already! For myself, I felt your frustration at your previous church's serial incompetence. Even after you told them the problem, and they said that they would change, you were still mistreated. Enjoy your new setup, play bass as much as you can, and don't mind too much if it goes wrong occasionally.

SEO? Search Engine Optimisation, I see. When I did a search for "is Letts Bass any good?", this basschat.co.uk thread was the second result, after Letts Bass own website, with third place being taken by a Trust Pilot review page, showing an average of 2.8 Is that what @Burns-bass meant by SEO doing its work?

Allegedly.... We understand this for what it is - a humourous remark, so full of hyperbole that it is obviously not true. But let's not defame a person who is struggling (and perhaps failing) to maintain his own reputation. I am mindful of the thread about Mick Mason, that had to be pruned of various remarks, so that only the facts remained. Here, the facts regarding Letts are enough to tell the story about his business practices, and personal morality. Yours, taking this thread far too seriously. Bass_dinger

Dobieman Gray?

On reflection, @BigRedX is right. Indeed, the basses that I wanted did come up, and I now own them. Better stop looking at the website, therefore!

I am considering whether I want to look for a local amateur dramatic musical group, and audition as their bass player. So far, I have found a local group, which I will go to see shortly. But I wondered if anyone here has had experience of orchestra pit work. I am not a proficient reader, but can manage with a few hours of practice. Should I bother? Will it be a great musical experience? Or will I be beset by problems and stress?

https://intl.ishibashi.co.jp/?https://intl.ishibashi.co.jp/&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20615437353&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20615437353&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzby1BhCQARIsAJ_0t5OpPPUwo6wBvcIdgB4Fny2YDYbtH9YKW7-EaXLYZFsnRT4fF-1Xn_8aAgMxEALw_wcB This'll be the Ishibashi shop. I shall have a browse, safe in the knowledge that what I want is so obscure, that they won't have it in stock.

There is no finish on it at all - the previous owner stripped it off. ("I took the neck off. So, I may as well totally ruin it by taking the finish off too..."). I don't know what the original finish was, but I am guessing some kind of clearcoat with staining. I wondered if the refinish would count as a repair and a return to original - or if, as @neepheid says, a frivolous upgrade from a perfectly functional bare wood. Functional, but prone to damage (knocks, accidental staining, build up of skin oils). Consider this - the neck repair involved applying a finish to the replacement neck, and that is judged to be a repair that is acceptable within the rules. So, should the body refinish likewise count as a repair?

I seek an adjudication from fellow Abstainers. In 2023, I knowingly purchased a £150 bass with a twisted neck, and had planned to buy a new neck when funds allowed. Full story here This month, the credit card bills for the new neck are due - thus, I am paying for the new neck (along with shipping, import duty and other taxes) in August, amounting to nearly £600. So, my question is, does this repair of a 2023 item count as a repair (which leaves me still in the game). Or does the fact that I willfully purchased something pre-broken make it a project rather than a repair? If so, am I out of game for 2024? Further arguments to consider: 1. Double Jeopardy. I was out of the 2023 Gear Abstinence Thread for the purchase of the same bass (plus its sister bass). Can I be convicted twice for the same "crime"? 2. Substance over Form. If the repair costs four times as much as the bass, is the repair the substantive purchase that we should be considering, and not the minimal purchase cost of what was effectively a neckless bass guitar. 3. If I pay to have this same bass refinished in 2025, would I be out a third time for the same bass? And if so, does it feel right that a project spanning three years should cause me to fail the Gear Abstinence challenge in three successive years, when I am seeking to reduce my expenditure on new bass guitars by spreading the costs. Yours, taking this thread far too seriously, Bass_dinger

The dog barks were in time with the guitar intro - if each bark was a drum beat, it would amount to a nice drum break

Certainly, the short trousers add to that impression! You look very excited to be at the gig.

Me, looking uncharacteristically cheerful while holding a bass guitar (which is why my portraitist snapped the photo). I might use it as my avatar.

https://www.stevelawson.net/ His website is active, and takes me to his Facebook page, in which Steve Lawson himself is very active - bike rides, meeting Doug Wimbish, celebrating significant anniversaries. I am pleased to see that he is still posting, still active, and still studying for a PhD.

They were all furloughed. The government was paying them 80% of what they usually scammed from their victims...

It seems to me that churches with musicians end up with more musicians. That makes sense - a lone bassist in one congregation, a drummer alone in another congregation, a violinist elsewhere, can't do anything much. However, put them in a single church and they all benefit.

How did it go? Good practice with the little bass? How was the Sunday?

New rota should be out by now - how's it looking, for you?

Oh you tease! While we are waiting for you to reveal your GAS, can you share a little about why you won't be getting another cello?

On reflection, I like it enough to throw more money at it. So, I press on. Next step? 1. Find someone who can apply the finish 2. Contact the company who may have made the bridge, and ask if they have replacement parts. The company is based in Germany so I shall be asking my German wife to send an email in the appropriate language 3. Decide on the strings. I have a set of SIT strings on my other bass - pressure wound - that I like. 4. Find someone to rebuild the parts into a usable bass 5. Get a Hiscox Lite Flite case for it 6. Get a strap for it.

So, time for an update. I was expecting the new neck to click into the old body like a lego brick, but there is a gap. The luthier tells me that he left a gap to accommodate the finish. However, the original neck did not need a finish to bridge the gap. Perhaps he is right - maybe the finish will bridge the gap. Maybe I am right - I wanted a wood to wood joint. Whatever, I was so disappointed that I put the bits under the bed, and left it.... Here's some photos - bank card included to show the tight but extant gap. Very pretty, but not what I expected...