FinnDave

Just back from a gig in central Swindon. We've plated the venue quite a few times, but this time saw the smallest audience. I was half expecting it when we had had our start time knocked back by half an hour earlier in the week so they could televise the football match. We had a similar thing a couple of year ago when we had to delay our start so Australia could thrash England at Rugby, and the general mood of the audience was so low that most of them went home as soon as it finished. Same tonight, when Liverpool (I think) were beaten by whoever they were playing, the place more or less emptied. It picked up a bit later, but it wasn't much of a crowd for a Saturday night. Quite enthusiastic, but lack enough people to get it going. Drove home through a landscape lit by continual lightening, though it didn't start raining until the last 2 or 3 miles. Playing an outdoor festival tomorrow, so hope the weather blows through overnight!

So you did, I will have to nip up to Leamington Spa once they're available and have play on one.

I'd be interested to know why the scale length has been shortened, having played 34" scale for the last 45 years, I'm not sure that even only a slightly shorter scale would fit so naturally under my fingers now.

I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Chowny, if they aren't all short scale, then I could well be interested once I've sold a couple of Precisions! (sock report: blue/yellow/grey stripes on right foot, black & 2 shades of green strips on the left. Couldn't find any sunburst socks to go with the Jazz bass I am paying just now)

My 'logic' for wanting another JCB is that it would suit the Grateful Dead tribute band I play in, one of the guitarists saw a pic of me with it (probably the one I posted here this morning) and said I should play that with the band... In answer to point two, you (we) just need to be a little more creative in our thinking. So the only sound you like from the JCB is a sound you already have...OK, but suppose something happens to the Ibanez? Just when you need that sound...you turn to the trusty JCB, crank the switch to 500, and there you go. Or perhaps the Ibby's colour doesn't go with today's socks...a black or gold JCB would go with anything...I currently have 4 Fender Precisions, because you never know!!!

I'd say that the only real reason for buying a very different bass like the Casady is to have access to some different sounds. If you are 100% happy with the sound you get from your current basses, then you need to find another excuse to add to your collection!

You've a good memory, Al! I liked the varitone rotary switch, which I understand is an impedance selector, tapping off different points on some kind of transformer in the guitar, but I'm not a technically minded person so may have got that wrong. I found it much better than the tone control for changing the sound of the guitar. I used it mainly in the central (250) position where the bass sounded very Precision like. In the 50 position, it had a more acoustic sound to it, and the 500 position really growled, the guitarist I play with called it the 'monster setting', and called for it on some of the noisier songs. I did get some acoustic feedback if I stood too close to the amp and didn't damp the strings with the edge of my right hand, but it was very controllable and I used it deliberately sometimes as an infinite sustain. I don't remember any problems with the width of the fingerboard, but I am one of those people who switches between Jazz and Precision basses without really noticing the difference in the necks, so not the best person to ask. I don't think I often played mine above the 12th fret, though. The body style and the voicing just didn't seem to encourage it, no reason for not playing up there, just felt it suited the bass better to stay in the lower register. Now I'm off to take another look at the 'for sale' section, but I need to sell something before I can afford another JCB, I am also pushed for storage space!

I think one of the main reasons that fewer and fewer youngsters are getting into bikes is the mountain of regulations and tests you face to get a licence these days. I gave up biking a couple of years ago after 40 years on 2 wheels, my test consisted of a couple of observed circuits round some suburban back streets. These days it is far more complicated!

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to try it through an amp, though the opportunity may arise in the future. I hadn't heard of them until I was shown his collection of several, but he doesn't play any of them, just collects them as he likes the aesthetics. As far as I can tell, the Chowny is only available as a short scale, which rules it out for many, including myself. But I really miss my JCB and may end up replacing it once I've sold a couple of currently underused basses.

This is still one of my bands' Facebook banner pic, only taken a year ago and I sold the bass last autumn, no idea what possessed me to do so!

I'd ask in that shop that sells harps in Totnes, if they don't know themselves, then I'm sure they'll know who to ask

If I was in the market for a semi again, I'd go straight to the Epiphone JCB. I've owned two, and regretted selling both of them. No idea why I let the second go, it was a lovely bass and surprisingly versatile. It'd fit in so well with the early Grateful Dead stuff I play now as well. I could talk myself into another one so easily! There's a local studio owner who has several Duesenbergs, I have played one acoustically, I thought it all bling and little substance, but some people seem to be impressed by them. Really regret reading this thread now, it has reignited my JCB gas!

Had an interesting gig in all but name tonight. Had arranged to go to a blues jam with a couple of guys from one of my bands, plus a very good Australian guitarist who flew in this morning. Hacked our way round Oxford to the venue where we discovered that it was cancelled. So we went back to the village we'd started in and managed to persuade the landlady at a pub there to host us, so we played as a 4 piece without a drummer. Surprisingly, it went down a storm and we have an open invite to do that again anytime we want! Got bought a couple of beers, had a good time and basically saved the cost of a rehearsal studio. I was surprised and pleased by the reaction of the customers who commented on the job I was doing as a solo rhythm section, especially when my greatest supporter bought me a drink. Got home shortly before midnight having snatched a good evening from the jaws of a very disappointing one.

One of my bands is playing at a small venue next month and needs to use a cut-down version of the full band, so are going with singer/guitar, lead guitar, and bass. I'll probably take my acoustic and plug it into the PA.

Sounds very much like a couple of the bands I'm in, one even has 'good time blues-rock band' prints in the business cards. Taking it seriously (for me) means turning up on time, with the necessary gear and knowing what we're going to play. It definitely doesn't exclude having fun while playing! Edited for an addition : Taking it seriously not only means turning up on time, it should also include being in a fit state to play the gig, not incapacitated by drink and/or drugs (like some guitarists and drummers I could name, I'm afraid!)

And anyway, there ain't no such thing...

But it's summer time!

It's a useful get-out clause, though (or get-out claws if the lions are involved)

PMT is the worst, especially the one in Oxford. They're so accommodating and let you try stuff, bend over backwards not to look happy when you hand over your card...I once went in for a plectrum and walked out with two new amps! I think I forgot the pick, too.

Nope, because even if you think you've no intention of buying anything, if you're like the rest of us, you will anyway. If not on that visit, then the next, or the one after that. They rely on it!

Oh yeah, I can really see that working! I'd probably find myself driving home with a couple of Alembics and a monstrous credit card bill! In fact, I won't even phone them, just order on on line, late at night.

I was planning to drive up there soon to get some more strings and a bridge, but I think I'll avoid the temptation and order them by mail.

I'm not so keen on recording stuff in studios either, always sounds sterile as the engineers strive for perfection, which is not what music is about in my opinion. But I d record a 5 song CD with the band I played with last weekend and we will be selling them at gigs, apparently.

Got home 45 mins ago from a gig in Didcot. Same line up as last night's gig, if we keep doing this, we might start to sound like we know what we're doing! Bigger, more enthusiastic audience than we had last night in Reading, but the on-stage sound was poor as we were in a box with one end open and sound bouncing back all over the place. I believe it sounded fine out front, just a bit difficult to hear what was going on where we were. Easy parking and load/load out, home by midnight, so a good night, with a few memorable moments. Can't think of a better way to be spending Saturday evening.

We very rarely get fellow musicians at our gigs, and if any are there, one has to wonder why they are watching us instead of playing their own gig. It's the voice of the punters that the bookers listen to, not the voices of a few unemployed musicians.