Norris

If you've played any musical instrument before, it will be an advantage but not a necessity. Natural aptitude is also not a necessity. The main thing that will keep you playing (and therefore improving) will be your enjoyment of it. The first few weeks will probably be the hardest - it's going to hurt your fingers until they are toughened up a bit. This is a stage you need to get through while retaining your enthusiasm, just don't over-do it and "burn out". Keep enjoying it and you will improve, whatever your natural aptitude is.

I'm looking to sell a US Jazz, but the prices are just going down all the time at the moment. I'm hanging on for as long as I don't need the cash, hoping things (i.e. second hand prices) will improve.

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1389177322' post='2330832'] I'm watching this in the office with the sound on mute and in no way do I feel I am missing out [/quote] +1 - it's great without the sound

R**********r for everything - rock, pop, funk, ballads. Trouble is everyone seems to be getting one recently so I might have to switch back to my other 'one trick pony' - the thunderbird

Back in the late 80's/early 90's we had another band that would turn up to most of our gigs and 'nick' the songs we were doing. It got a little tedious, but luckily most people realised, and besides we did them better. Also we had another band start up with an astoundingly similar-sounding name and similar set list to ours. Luckily they were crap and didn't last long. <irony>Oh to be an innovator in covering other peoples' songs...</irony>

There's always the Sabre Dance

What is this X factor you speak of?

I keep reading the thread title as "Fitting a Second Neck". Stop it!

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1386766240' post='2304176'] You could upset him more by buying a Rockingbetter and putting a Rickenbacker TRC on [/quote] From [url="http://www.rickenbacker.com/faq_item.asp?faq_id=7"]http://www.rickenbacker.com/faq_item.asp?faq_id=7[/url] : [quote] [b]I would like to buy a new truss rod cover or "R" Tailpiece. Why does Rickenbacker require me to trade in my old one? [/b] The recent spate of 'copy guitars' sporting genuine Rickenbacker nameplates and "R" Tailpieces, has forced us to adopt a stringent nameplate replacement policy. Customers must return at least half of any nameplate/"R" Tailpiece in order to purchase a new one. [/quote] ...and they are not listed in the "Boutique" so you would have to phone them to get hold of one

I've not gigged any of my other basses since I got one:) It's a lovely, lovely thing and you have to buy one . Buy second hand - it's cheaper, and you won't be filling JH's coffers. If JH has p*ssed you off too, remove the TRC like I did - no-one knows if mine is genuine or not unless they ask me...

My band is called The Cheeze, and we play classic rock

A swing-style medley of White Christmas & Rudolph

Shame you're not a bit closer as you could've tried mine. Both are fairly modern ones though. I've never tried an old T-bird.

[quote][color=#333333][font=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Z-Glide was also designed to trap moisture and sweat.[/font][/color][/quote] Nice...

Current band favourite is Witch Queen of New Orleans by Redbone, re-arranged and extended to suit our guitar-bass-drums trio Edit: or Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)

[quote name='roonjuice' timestamp='1386087617' post='2295545'] Just to add....he didn't even offer to buy me a fricken beer!!!!!!! [/quote] Sod the damage - this is the fail!

I play mine in (only slightly dropped) Eb tuning, using EB Regular Slinkys (105-50). If you want to drop it further you could probably use a slightly heavier gauge, although you'll probably have to widen the nut slots. I don't see any other problems with using dropped tuning though.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1385929555' post='2293794'] I think it would be a bit weird seeing a band all using curly leads again nowadays. That would be proper retro. On the subject of curly leads, there must have been a good reason why people stopped using them by the late 1980's , even if no one nowadays can remember exactly what it was. . [/quote] Because they were crap and lasted about 10 minutes before they broke. I still use them in my practise room to keep it tidier, but not for gigs.

I got a couple of large cheap sports holdalls from Sports Direct for carrying my par cans around in. They were much, MUCH cheaper than anything that you'd find if you searched for "PAR CAN case". The original, individual cardboard boxes provide a bit of padding for the lights, and in turn are protected by the holdall. Having only two lights in each holdall makes them easier to carry around & stack in the car, as individually they are not too big. For mic/leads/gaffa tape/spare strings/etc. I recently bought a small flight case like [url="http://www.pulse-audio.co.uk/5051259010635.shtml"]this[/url], which is actually quite robust.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1385486724' post='2288866'] I always like Meddle . Gets overshadowed by Dark Side Of The Moon , for obvious reasons, but it's the record where the Floyd first showed they had what it takes to be something special , in my opinion . [/quote] +1 for an under-rated album

I also use EBRS's and had to change to change a 'dead' set recently - again after about 9 months on the bass. I would normally expect them to last about 18 months before getting to that stage. I hope they haven't changed the 'formula' on them. Having said that, there's still not many strings around that would hold their tone for 9 months, and certainly not at the relatively cheap prices EB's go for.

I use an old 1x12 powered monitor as my practise amp. It's too scruffy to gig, but ideal as a general-purpose amp in my 'music corner'. I did buy a small bass practise amp, but it was pretty awful for bass at anything over whisper volume. However the electric drum kit sounds great through it.

And we need basschat gloves for loading the kit in & out!

Our guitar-bass-drums trio often does "25 or 6 to 4" by Chicago. Whatever you do with that line-up it's going to have a different spin...

In ye olde country pub: "There's a barn dance on at the other end of the village tonight, and lots of people are away for a big birthday party. I hope we get a few in..."