uk_lefty

I went there this weekend. It's impressive, even for me as a left handed bass player! It's a bit more of a "lifestyle" thingy, i.e. think of it as the Hard Rock Cafe but with guitars you won't buy instead of food you won't buy. People will go in there to gawp, as I did, at the guitars and it is worth a trip up that end of Oxford Street. On the ground floor it's all Gibson, tons of t shirts and hats etc. but get this, £69 for a Gibson t shirt(!!!). Or you can go downstairs to the Epiphone and Kramer area and pay half that for a t shirt that's just as good, I'm not joking. In the downstairs bit there's a stage set up where I guess they plan to have some minor performances and there's Mesa Boogie amps everywhere for people to try guitars and basses. Lefties are surprisingly well catered for, as are bassists. No left handed Jack Casady basses though, sadly. In fact, no lefty basses at all, but that didn't stop me having a go on an Epiphone Newport. Everything is at full RRP which is a bit silly as I can't imagine they provide a set up like the established decent guitar shops do. Also, there are security staff everywhere, as is understandable when there's probably well over £1m (at full RRP) worth of guitars in a very, very busy shop. They're also really bl00dy annoying, won't leave you alone for a second asking if everything is ok or if you like a guitar, but the staff that know the guitars etc are a lot better to be fair. I didn't think I was a Gibson person until I was in the shop and thought out of my five basses and one electric guitar I've got one Epiphone bass, one Kramer bass and an Epiphone electric. So I guess I am a "Gibson guy". Overall, whether you like Gibson or not, it's worth a visit.

I was in London this weekend and went to the Gibson Garage. It's one of those shops where it's a good experience just going in to look around. I didn't think I'm a Gibson person until I realised 50% of my instruments are Gibson brands (two Epiphones and a Kramer). There's some hideously expensive guitars and some reasonable stuff too. The t-shirts follow the same pricing as the guitars, with Epiphone and Kramer t shirts half the price of the Gibson t shirts which are mostly £69 each (not a typo). There's a good range of basses out if you look for them, Thunderbirds, non reverse Thunderbirds, EB-3s... Downstairs in the Epiphone area I had a go on a Newport. Obviously I had to play it upside down but impressions are... Felt nice to play. I don't think I've played a short scale before but this felt good, no big adjustment needed. The fit and finish seemed very good, nothing about it felt cheap which painted neck guitars often can. Surprising range of sounds from the pickups, the blend control really made a difference. There was a satisfying "fullness" to the low E string and nice clarity on the D and G. I'd imagine playing with a pick would be really good, or putting on some flats for finger style. I am tempted to get one and "reverse" it because I don't know of anything else out there like it at that price point or in left handed. Also the available colours are great, love the banana yellow!

@shoulderpet in true BC style, let us know when you're ready to trade in. The bass! I mean the bass, not the...

I owe you a huge "thank you"! That software was outstanding, really ahead of its time... As was the Boss GT10-B. Really made getting under the skin of that pedal easy for someone more interested in playing bass than programming. I reckon Line 6 owe you royalties!

Sorry for your loss, Andy.

Are you the chap who wrote the software for the Boss GT10-B?

Seconds after the recording stopped Jim Marshall appeared and scrubbed his name off the amp.

I just played that and now my dog won't be my best friend anymore.

That's awesome!

Nobody can afford a new Stingray anymore

Gorgeous, bet it sounds amazing. Proper bridge, proper logo on the headstock... Perfect!

2015/16 Honda Civic wagon or estate as we call them here. It was a nice little car. I have since graduated to a Volvo estate, the true classic "Dad car" but Volvo are also discontinuing them! Anyways, it was impossible to get changed in the Civic so I got changed outdoors, full outfit. It was ok, there was nobody around... Until I was halfway through changing into my trousers!!

Ah, my home town!! I am not at all surprised, sadly, though it always has been a fantastic place for live music it's also a place where idiots throwing punches is all part of the night out for them.

That sounds like a place I wouldn't want to go back to. Sorry that happened to your singer, some people think it's a laugh to go around doing that sort of thing, sad isn't it? Perhaps go back with a bouncer in front of the stage area?

The only way to find out is to go for it. See what you can try to create. Then I'm sure far more knowledgeable folk can help you with specifics like making the bass stand out more, is there enough compression, etc.

A wedding gig years back in a previous band...

I guess we need to know if there's anything else to be layered over it and the rest of the context of the piece to determine if it sounds "right" or not... Otherwise, on its own, I like it. I can't offer any technical recording advice I'm afraid but I like the sound and the playing, particularly the higher parts really come through well.

Ouch. I've been toying with the idea of getting one of these to replace my practice and gigging amps. My band gets a discount with Boss so I was very tempted, and I really like their stock bass effect sounds, particularly the amp Sims. I'm using the amp less and less these days as my DI pedal is very reliable, but I worry that there could be some gigs where I'm going bass amp only. It's a bit of an unreasonable worry because I haven't done this since the early days of my time in the band two years ago and we now have active subs for our PA or we play in venues with decent sound systems. But the worry remains!

Somewhere out on the internet there's a drum forum, a singers forum, a keyboard forum... Where every single one of us is getting a virtual kicking...

Keyboards Dave was almost as weird as the drummer.... So eight years ago I got together with a guitarist and singer to do 80s indie I guess you'd call it. I liked the two of them and we clicked so we got some songs together as bass, two guitars and vox and looked for a drummer. Drummer answers ad saying all the right things. Except he wants to rehearse a long way away, being the only one with a car out of the three of us I'm happy to drive us there. We get there and the drummer, I think also a Dave, is flapping around with the studio staff because the kit isn't right and he needs something really specific and can't believe they haven't got it... Etc. We play one or two songs and he's ok. He can't stop talking though. He keeps telling us how it would be great if we did Crazy Horses by the Osmonds, Robbie Williams Let Me Entertain You... We are fixed on Talking Heads, Camper Van Beethoven, the Waterboys so we don't think this will fit. The guy just doesn't stop talking about how his last bands were so great playing the Osmonds. We have a drinks break and we can't get a word in edgeways. Drummer keeps saying how some people don't like him because he has all these ideas but surely we should just talk about it and agree or disagree. This is a valid point though his actions are suggesting he will talk until you agree with him. He gave us a set list he thinks we should do... Having not met us before, not registered that we've already been working on something, and not registered that we aren't doing karaoke in a flat-roof pub type songs. We play some more. He tells us how on stage he wants us to set up with his drums at the front because nobody else does that. He tells us he has a headset mic and wants to lead vox on some songs. When we are leaving with all our gear packed up he runs over, slams the door shut, turns off the lights and then starts playing with glow in the dark drum sticks. We leave confused, slightly scared. And never contact him again.

I see your singers and raise you a keyboardist. This is where my lifelong distrust and aversion for keyboardists comes from... Once upon a time I answered an ad for a funk band with female singers. It was like an X factor style audition being run by the guitarist who was a decent enough chap but the songs were more indie rock. There were loads of other guitarists and drummers there but only me as a bassist so I was kept. A week later and we audition a keys player. Dave shows up, long hair, looks like he wants a job in IT support but isn't bright enough, spends forever setting up his scaffolding for all his keyboards while talking about all these festivals he's played where the soundman didn't even have x, y z but of kit we've never heard of. Eventually he's ready to play a song. He hasn't listened to the audition songs or come prepared in any way. Stereophonics song? "Oh..... Errrr, Welsh band aren't they? I think I might have heard them on a cassette. My girlfriend is Welsh." Ummm thanks Dave. He plink plonks a couple of notes while we play. He doesn't even try to overwhelm us with weird sound effects, he just stands there looking confused the whole night, even when we tell him the chords. Guitarist invites him back the next week if he can learn some of the songs. Next week. Dave has clearly not learned anything and I doubt if he could achieve Grade 1 piano. After bashing through some songs hoping he will catch up guitarists says "let's pack away and when he goes get all our gear back out". I've packed away and Dave is still dismantling his huge keys rig so I get bored and say F this I'm off home. Half an hour later I get a call from the guitarist through gritted teeth: "I know you haven't got them, but can you check all your pockets and cases for Dave's car keys? We've turned the place upside down and just can't find them." I didn't have them. A long while later I get a text. Dave's car keys were eventually found after checking everywhere including in the till of the pub. They were in the pocket of his hoodie all along. I never saw Dave again. I've never played with a keys player since.

It's possible!