FinnDave

Those poor nails!

Yeah, I might have missed out a word somewhere there!

My hands don't sweat much, but I always have a bar towel on my amp and usually wipe the neck down between songs. Hate a sticky neck! (Not keen on a necky stick, either)

I can imagine! I can remember the flat, on the road out the back of TV Centre, and I think it was Hammy Lee (Furniture) who I used to visit there. He moved into a flat opposite mine in a building in Acton after that. All so long ago now.

A friend of mine lived in one of the Glitter band's former drummers in Shepherds' Bush back in the 80s. Totally irrelevant, but at least i remembered it!

Thanks for posting that - always a treat. Someone 'paged' me in this thread, we (the Grateful Dudes) have three drummers, of whom we usually play with two, though we did a couple of nights two years ago with all three (one on a regular kit, the other two swapping between kit and percussion) and a year ago in Germany we had a guest percussionist on some numbers, which was very enjoyable. We have also played with one when neither of the others is available. Playing bass standing between two drummers is an interesting experience, I can definitely recommend it.

I've been asked to play at an informal gathering of six people outside with enforced social distancing on the weekend, and was looking forward to it, but no idea whether I'll be able to now that I've burnt my fingers. Hospital said that the fact that it hurt like hell is a good sign, if a burn doesn't hurt it's more serious, apparently. Of course, the burns are on exactly that of the fingers that fret the strings….

So do I! Just checked NHS advice and they've told me to go to my local minor injuries dept. as the skin is definitely charred. I'd post a picture but it would put people off their lunches, especially if they're having toast!

Right now I'm glad we can't play for a while as I've just burnt the tips of the first two fingers on my left hand. something went wrong with the grill on the oven, it was incredibly hot when I tried to remove the grill to turn my toast over. Burnt through the oven glove and left two deep brown grooves across my fingers. Bloody painful. That's this afternoon's practice plans gone, then. I'm typing this one handed as the burnt hand is in a bowl of water to try and stop the pain. I'm saying very bad words but won't try typing them!

I'd normally suggest giving them my number, but I'm in no hurry to test the waters either.

Next one we've got that's not been cancelled yet is the end of July. Part of me hopes it can go ahead, another part hopes it can't.

I doubt that the band I'm in will rehearse until we know we can play some gigs. We had two booked for next weekend, we've lost more than we've played this year. Rehearsals for most the band involve quite a long drive, we rehearse in Leicester and come from London, Nottingham, Leeds & Oxford, so the rehearsal needs to be worth that effort.

I've bought a semi acoustic (Epiphone Casady) for those times when it's necessary to 'fit in' with acoustic guitars. Just have a small amp and cab hidden in the background. Probably wouldn't work for impromptu jams around the fire at a festival or remote campsite, though! I did buy a proper acoustic bass, but as most of the posts above have already said, too quiet to be heard with even one acoustic guitar.

Or your hearing...

Same as me, then, and I don't either!

As a pick player (last five years) after having been a finger player (previous 40 years), I am not sure I understand the question. Surely it's all down to the left hand (assuming a right handed player), release the pressure on the string and it stops instantly.

The wiring in my Jazz was slightly unconventional, from what I gathered, but he soon got it sorted out and his pre-amp installed, which he then tweaked to perfection for me.

I once met Felicity Kendall trying to find her way out of a car park and escorted her to the studio she was supposed to be in, but my daughter was named Suzi (though she adds an 'e' now) and not Felicity!!

John is a real gent, and a very knowledgeable one. I bought a Jazz Bass de Luxe from someone on this forum back in October/November and though I liked the bass, wasn't very impressed by the pre-amp. Had a word with John, he invited me over (I live about 20 minutes away) and spent an hour or more talking bass while swapping the Fender pre for one of his own. He was less than impressed by the standard of Fender's soldering and re-did it, in case anyone saw it and thought he'd done it!

Do you spend a lot of time hanging around hotel lifts? I only ask because it seems to be working well for you!

My Ibanez sixes had a fairly close string spacing and I play with a pick all the time now. In fact, I wonder how much room there'd have been had I tried to play fingerstyle.

I know someone locally who bought a Rolls Royce on eBay after a few drinks. Happens to us all.

I don't expect a strap to fail, but for the effort involved in having a spare in my bag of stuff I carry around, it makes sense to have one. No having six at home when the only you have with you at a gig fails! I can't recall ever having one fail, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I take two of everything, often including a spare speaker cab, though my primary 'amp failure' back up is a sansamp. I have played a gig where my amp failed during the first song, and my bass was damaged when it fell through the drum kit during a break. I had spares for both and neither caused mire than a couple of minutes delay. I work on the principle that if something can go wrong, eventually it will, and usually at the worst possible time!

I always have spare straps and leads within reach at gigs, couldn't imagine doing it any other way.