4000

I’m assuming you mean Jaco. Actually he had loads at various times.😂

The one I regret most is the ‘64 Ric 4001 RM1999 I could’ve bought the other year and didn’t. It was a very large amount of money, but it was worth more and how many come up for sale? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Actually found out about that one when ringing to see if the ‘72 4000 I’d returned was still in the shop (it wasn’t).

There are none I regret dreadfully, and almost all will have been sold for a valid reason (not working for me, to fund something else or because I needed the money), but there are some I wish I still had, in a perfect world: My black ‘73 Ric 4000, which I sold to help pay off some debt, and because at the time it had fallen out of favour. It was the most aggressive sounding bass Ive ever played; I briefly had my final Status at the same time and it made the Status sound like a banjo. It was also great for slap. My Wal Pro II, swapped for 2 other instruments, partly due to weight issues and partly to tray and raise cash (by selling the others) for my cat’s vet backup fund (she had long term health conditions). Now belongs to another BC-er who had it defretted. My Sei Flamboyant 4, sold to help fund my 2nd Ric 4001CS. There were things wrong with it; I specified too-wide string spacing when it was built because at the time I was playing a Warwick Dolphin Pro 1 that I liked the neck on but it felt nothing like the Warwick when finished, and it had a Barts, which I eventually realised I don’t like (they were the pickups du jour at the time). Now belongs to a BC-er who sensibly won’t sell. My Alembic Triple Omega; incredible bass which I sold because it became a tad too heavy to play standing (I have back problems) and I couldn’t play it seated because of the shape. My Rick 4004 Cheyenne, sold because I had some issues with the body shape - which would likely still remain - but it was a fabulous bass. I’d have that back tomorrow. Also belongs to another BC-er. A rare but rough ‘72 neck through Ric 4000 which needed quite a bit of work that I bought for peanuts, then my anxiety kicked in and I started to fret about the cost of the work and took it back to the shop. Should have kept that and fixed it up over time; stupid. My Pedulla MVP, which I don’t have a digital photo of, px’d against a Wal Custom that didn’t really work for me.

This. At the moment - well, pre and hopefully post lockdown - any spare money I have is going on driving lessons (40 years too late), but driving lessons aside - and all the associated costs involved in driving, which I’ve managed to avoid for those 40 years - I don’t have much else I want to spend my money on. I give quite a bit to charities each month, haven’t been on holiday for years, am not really that interested in gadgets or clothes or anything that many people spend money on, so guitars it is, when I can afford them. The main problem I will likely have in the future - apart from actually having any spare money 😂- is there are so few I can actually use, so it’s left me a bit gun shy about buying stuff.

Of course it’s possible. Acoustic aside, I have 3 of one type of bass. One is used mainly for recording now, one for gigging, and one as a spare for the others. Theoretically I only need one, although I’d worry not having a spare. Still, I worry about everything anyway.😉

If my bass doesn’t do that, I know it’s set up wrong.😉

He’s one of my favourite players. He always plays for the song. Can’t say I’ve ever been the slightest bit interested in hearing him solo though. 😉

Well, that’s certainly an interesting take.

If you think that’s better than the original, I honestly have no words.

This is really sad. Steve always brings back happy memories from when I was a kid of my mum watching Blockbuster on TOTPs, before my parents split up. When he did his little bit in the middle my mum started laughing and couldn’t stop. She thought he was hilarious, in a good way, and looked forward to him being on, although she wasn’t much of a pop or rock music fan. Great band. One of my best mates auditioned as drummer once, although he didn’t get it. R.I.P. Steve.

And you’d be wrong. 😉

I’m the same. After lockdown I went through a mad GAS phase for a while but seem to have pretty much come out of it now, and have hardly touched my basses in the last couple of months. Having said that, if we’re talking GAS, then at the moment I’d still like another Wal Pro, there are 2 Seis I’d like (one 6 currently not for sale and a custom 4) and I’d quite like my old 4004 back. Or a ‘72 Burgundyglo 4001 I’ve seen in the States. Oh, I’d quite like a Musicman in the Starry Night finish, simply because of the finish.

Pint-sized Palladino? I’ll get me coat......😂

Tried the U bass, really didn’t get on with it. That said I do quite a bit of high register melodic stuff which really doesn’t work on it.

My hands hardly sweat at all. To be honest, I spend most of the year freezing, so never get the opportunity!

Can’t say I care if my bass is nice and shiny. I don’t really like nice and shiny. I only wash my hands before playing if I’ve either been doing something that means they’re actually dirty for some reason (gardening, painting, DIY etc) or if I’ve been eating something with my hands that might affect the strings or finish (e.g salt from crisps).

I cut a piece off the first finger of my left hand a few years back, chopping salad. The bandage they put on was huge and I couldn’t use that finger at all for a good few months. I carried on playing though. It was difficult (and probably looked ridiculous), but I adapted, and I’m a fairly busy player. It’s do-able. I’d second the calls to get it checked though, just in case.

Well the other guys could actually, but it’s irrelevant anyway, because I could hear me. They don’t really need to hear me. It’s a run through, not a gig. Your comment has made me wonder how loud some people are playing acoustically. My acoustic bass doesn’t project well enough to be giggable without amplification, but it’s certainly capable of holding its own in an acoustic rehearsal (cajon and 2 acoustic guitars/mandolin).; the other guys in the band can hear it ok.

Nope, nothing like that. I wipe my basses down after a gig or rehearsal, maybe for 5-10 seconds? I’ll often give the strings and neck a brief wipe after playing at home, but it’s 5 seconds at best, unless I’m actually cleaning the bass, which is a different thing (and which I don’t do very often TBH).

My amps are all under the stairs so it’s a bit of a faff getting them out to play, and my opportunities to play plugged in at home are few and far between anyway. I tend to just play my electrics unplugged at home, but the acoustic gets easily as much use as my electrics do plugged in. Acoustically, I find it really useful for working stuff out on. I’ve also just done a socially distanced acoustic rehearsal in my mate’s yard and I could hear it fine.

I may be the only person on BC that doesn’t know, but what’s the story behind the inlay and name?

Simon King and Alan Powell. They’re both on Warrior on the Edge of Time.