Norris

The original preamp in the Sterling Sub Ray5 is not much cop. Chuck a Retrovibe Stinger 2-band preamp in there and it becomes an awesome bass and probably still within your budget. Sire P7-5 is also an excellent choice. I personally don't mind the preamp but 3-band with sweepable mid needs a bit more thought. Again it's well within your budget.

I still miss my old 4001. My current 4003 just hasn't got the same mojo. Back in 1986 I couldn't afford more than one bass at a time. Yours looks a beauty!

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt 😂. It was a meal in a posh restaurant with my then-girlfriend's family. Then there was that other time when the drummer had been on a bender all day and we had to send a couple of audience members to his house to wake him up 😂

Norrisson the elder bought me a new Comfort Strapp. I bought him a new 5-string set of D'Addario Pro Steels

My old Databass combo is in the garage - it looks very similar to your 260c. I think it's likely to stay there though as I've aged a bit since I last carried it into a gig. Massive enough to have its own gravitational field!

Last gig before Christmas was at the "Piv" in Nuneaton. We love a Sunday evening there (4-6pm) as it's nice and relaxed, plus a great musically-aware crowd. The guitarist's voice had also recovered enough overnight to get through. It was a bit of a strange start though, because for the first half an hour it was rammed with guests for the wedding reception in the other room, all togged up. A bit strange for an allotment society social club. Anyway eventually they drifted off into the other room, but leaving the bride who lingered for another half hour or so... plus the crowd that we were being paid to entertain. It's such a great sounding room. The Sterling was out again after enjoying it so much on Saturday, and I (and the others) could hear absolutely everything I played (luckily not too many cock-ups!). It was a picture of clarity. Footwear: black Docs Favourite compliment: it's great to hear a band that can really play their instruments My response: let me know when you find one! One day I'll have to get someone to take a photo while we're playing 😂 Two more for the year - NYE and NYEE (the night before, because they really wanted us for NYE but we were already booked!). Anyway, time to put the feet up for a few days. Have a great Christmas one and all!

Still being folically well endowed I tend to flaunt it. Tie it up in a ponytail? Never! * * Unless I'm spannering or something, but then I'll probably wear a cap

Just back from Thurmaston Conny Club (it's more like a big social club than anything political). Good gig, although the git/vox was very croaky. That meant more singing for me and the drummer - I actually quite enjoy singing now. Nice and busy. A few dancers, but most people just appreciating the music. I took my Sire and was going to swap over to it later on, but had so much fun with my Sterling Sub Ray5 (upgraded with Retrovibe Stinger '77 preamp) that it stayed out all night. The 2-band preamp is great and a lot easier to tweak than the Sire's 3-band with swept mid. The usual Fender Rumble v3 500 combo goodness. Feet were rock steady in the Solovair boots. I forgot to take any photos though. Naughty McDonalds on the way home because Mrs Norris and younger Norrisson were feeling hungry (you can't beat a quarter pounder imho) Best compliment was from a chap in the loo, swaying rather a lot at the urinal next to me... "great hair" 😂

If you can, have a try of a Hofner violin bass. Ok, it won't sound like a P bass, but it's small, light and loud enough for noodling on the sofa. Plus they are great fun to play and the cheap ones are only about £300. You may not like it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was when I bought one for my lad. (And I'm used to "proper" basses 😂) Shame he took it with him when he went off to university - I miss it

Try singing yourselves = no frontman issues + more money each

Very few "2" films are as good as the "1", and most are completely dreadful. I just hope it's a bit more Airplane and less Highlander in that respect. I do have a horrible feeling it's going to blight my favourite ever film though

Well done for having the same number of closing brackets as opening ones (even though they did get a bit (actually quite a lot) nested) in your update 👍

Great bass! Great shoes! 😂

The BL (keys) has been dead for many years now. His other half (vocals) is probably in her 90s by now. We had a bit of a falling out with the drummer in the 90s (we chat amicably when our paths cross, but wouldn't want to play with him again!). Last but not least I still play with the guitarist in my current band - it will be 40 years playing together in March next year

I bought a Retrovibe Stinger '77 preamp that transformed my Sterling Sub Ray5. That's the only bass-related gear I bought this year apart from a new set of strings. I've been pretty much GAS free for the last 2 years since I bought my Sire

😂

Don't cut the red wire!

Nope, that's exactly what it does. There's no clever circuitry or batteries in there

I had a play around with it at home but not live. Yes, you'll need a lead with a stereo jack plug one end, that splits into two mono cables to go to the two amps. You've basically then got two signal chains, one from each pickup, so could run whatever effects you want on each. I think most people don't bother because it's a lot of extra kit to carry around for little benefit tbh. It's a novelty that didn't really catch on. The vintage tone circuit is something completely different. That switches in a different value capacitor to make it sound like the early 4001/4002 basses did - less bottom end, more glorious clank. Modern basses have a deeper bottom end but with the loss of the clankiness. My 4003 is a fairly early one and didn't have the vintage tone circuit from the factory, so I retro-fitted one myself

My guitarist is pro and makes mistakes all the time. I don't often make mistakes, which is why he makes a big deal of it when I do - all good natured though. Anyone watching the band would know when someone has made a mistake because of the faces the others pull 😂 It happens. Try your best but don't beat yourself up if it's not perfect. I managed to play a phrase on the wrong string tonight - it sounded like a car crash. Back in on the right note on the 1 of the next bar, and no-one noticed apart from me 🤷‍♂️

Given the state of the weather it's surprising that anyone turned out, but turn out they did. A bit of a slow start at the Black Horse Whitwick, but it soon ramped up into a great evening Nice and Chrismassy and very hot indoors. We did our usual lot of Xmas songs plus a busked version of Mary's Boy Child which was rather fun and silly. Audience: Lots of drinking, lots of dancing, lots of jollity. Rig: The usual Sire P7-5 and Fender Rumble. Elf hat Footwear: Black DMs again

I use a Fender Rumble v3 500 combo as my normal bass guitar amp. On a few occasions in smaller pubs we go "acoustic" to keep the volume down a bit, and I then use my cheapo Stagg EUB (actually a "Rockett by Stagg") and back off the gain to clean the amp up a bit. It sounds pretty decent to me, and I've certainly not had the crowd rolling around the floor in laughter at the sound. Given the Stagg is not going to sound like a proper DB, but the amp makes a decent job of it - 2x 10", with horn switched off.

I can't help feeling that I need some midi foot pedals to control my Novation Bass Station 2, even though I really don't need them Stylophone theremin. Must have one I'm actually ok for basses. I'd rather get back to building them rather than buying

I don't mind the odd drift off topic. This is one of the better long running threads on the site imho. No "handbags" 😂

Maybe you need to start one for footwear for the discerning bassist too 😂