uk_lefty

I've already got Fender P and J basses. I like them both so a PJ makes sense. But I don't have a (fretted) double soap bar pickup bass so that's tempting too...

You and me both! But I can't decide between the Vintage V7 five string, the V9 in either four or five, the M7 and the PJ both in fiver... Oh yeah, the fretless has a coated board so I want that too.

I'm getting quite miffed with buying old albums I used to have on cassette or vinyl to find they've been "digitally remastered". I seem to always end up with something where the bass drums are brought too far forward or little unnecessary guitar twiddles are brought forward, weird backing vocals, or whatever. From my experience of these it seems one person from the band has taken control of the mix, the drummer or the "second guitarist" and they just ram themselves to the front of the mix at the expense of the rest of the band, often taking away from the original not adding to it. Anyone else find this? Are remasters a good or bad idea? Can anyone tell me a remaster that enhanced their enjoyment of a song or album? I'm yet to find one!

Call me age-ist but I don't think you are going to make it big in alt-rock in your forties. I'm mid 30's and I wouldn't be able to put up with the lack of sleep from touring. It just seems like one of those ads from a complete dreamer who doesn't understand what they're saying. Wouldn't be surprised if he's never taken his guitar out of his bedroom.

Give it to charity. You don't know how to spend it so it give it to someone who does. Only joking, get on the phone to the Fender Custom Shop and make them build you something like a Gibson Thunderbird.

I would have thought that in most of these they want some actual experienced talent rather than just kids who'll pee themselves when given an actual microphone, audience and backing band. It is difficult to sing live just to get cues right etc. So I bet they do loads of scouting. The Voice seems to position itself as less of a "laugh at the mentally ill person who thinks they're good" and more a second-chance saloon for veteran performers to get on telly and show what they can do, IMO having only dipped in and out of each. I have no idea if anyone off the Voice ever made anything out of it though?

My view is that if you have had the space to keep it for so long you may try holding on to it in case there's a surge in demand for the inimitable trace sound in future. It's a gamble but may be worth it.

I'm sure there would be some healthy interest in this if you were to put it up for sale. Just depends where you live as it's something someone would need to collect due to size and weight. I'd try selling it on here or somewhere else for "specialists". It would be a shame to split it when there are so many good value trace head units about and an enthusiast may want it all in one piece.

Thankfully England made that very easy to drive to the gig at half time then play to an enthusiastic and very happy crowd. I was terrified that there would be nobody at the event at all. While it seemed quieter than last year we still got good numbers in and we got them singing along and dancing. A bit fraught when the guys running the stage said we'd overrun and made the next band late... We weren't aware we were over time and we aren't selfish enough to carry on regardless... But they were just stressed and disheveled in the heat and were cool about it later. Also, not related to football. This was my first gig with my daughter watching. She couldn't watch the last one because there wasn't enough space for her to be far away enough from the huge noise. She's only 18months. She was pointing at me on stage and generally enjoying herself and dancing with her mum on and off through the set, a great experience for me seeing my daughter enjoy it. For five minutes, then she saw a balloon.

I think the title says it all! I want to add a reverb to my board to help me get to that classic 80s fretless sound. I've got the Eden chorus, I use my Ashdown amp built in sub effect for octave, for fretless I use the enhance setting on my Boss Limiter/ Enhancer and I use rounds on my fretless... I just feel I need some reverb to finish it off. I don't want to spend a lot, so have seen the Biyang going at low prices, but don't know if it's any good or not? Ideally want a smaller footprint on the board too. Happy to look at more budget brands like Harley Benton, NUX, Chord etc. Or things that go cheap second hand like the Marshall guitar pedals. Just want to make sure I can get that fullness and warmth to the mwaaaah. Recommendations gratefully received.

Excellent review. I had seen the shiny fretboard but didn't know they had been epoxy coated. And they do it in lefty... So tempting.

The only problem I had with the Ashdown was that it was HUGE, but it was accurate. Traded in and got a Korg pitch black, it's solid but unspectacular.

Depends on the sound man/ person

It is. People want to be in front of a screen beforehand, not packing up after a gig

Well if England go to extra time on Saturday we may just sit on the stage and wait. At the other end of the site there will be a TV on showing the game, so if it goes over the usual 90mins, as it probably will, we would be ruining everyone's viewing by drowning out Glenn Hoddle's bullsh!t say-what-you-see commentary.... Hang on! I think we're on to something.

My band got a call about Saturdays gig asking if we could move from 5pm to either 2 or 3. Seems some bands won't play when the footy is on. I can sort of understand, why play to absolutely nobody?? But a commitment is a commitment, I feel for the organisers. It's a charity event and they might really miss out. Had England won their group they'd have had Belgium's fixtures, which would have not affected this Saturday at all.

Funny you mention that... I did jokingly suggest it.

To set on fire on stage?

Never mind practice it's going to ruin my gig this weekend! If the England game ends in "regulation time" we are on stage ten mins later. Playing to.... Probably the festival organisers and a few people who despise football. I won't get to see any of the game because I'll be driving the forty five mins to the gig and getting set up. We were so excited about this gig until I realised the clash with the footy. While it's not during the game, being realistic, playing just ten mins after the game we are not getting the crowd we wanted.

What was it with 1978??? I only ever see 1978 left handed precisions. Never any other year.

Or to quote Jimmy Carr: "oi, I'm trying to work here! How rude to interrupt. I don't come down your place of work and knock all the sailors c*cks out your mouth"

Honestly an Ashdown Toneman 300 combo. I sold my huge trace stack because of the weight but was not wanting to spend big bucks. I wanted to buy new as you can't always be sure with second hand Amps and my experience of Ashdown was limited to beaten up and abused practice room amps. I bought it expecting nothing. Ok, it didn't give the full ballsy grunt of a trace or the power of an old Peavey but it did the job for gigs. It then started an affinity with Ashdown and I'm now using a Rootmaster head and cabs. I could still be using the Toneman but the portability of the Rootmaster stuff and the higher quality, lower weight just all tipped it for me.

It looks like a DIY job my wife has reminded me about for three months... Then the result reminds her why I don't do DIY.

There's not a lot of capability on show

Always great when you meet someone you admire and they're a cool person!! Would hate to be disappointed by one of my heroes. Well done!!