FinnDave

That's very kind of you, but I'd hate to put you to so much trouble. And there's always the risk that someone in your family may not realise what it is and barbecue it!

i would do, but the freezer's full right now. It's a hard life!

Yep, but sadly none of those basses are available. I have a scalpel ready for a bit of DIY surgery if once comes up though. Until that day, I will have to manage with my rather less exotic but perfectly workable Ibanez sixes.

I tried that a few years ago (well, 45 or so years ago) and I've frittered that money away already!

I don't think a well-used appendix would fetch enough to buy me a new pick, never mind a bass!

Played the Half Moon in Putney last night, had to rearrange the stage layout a couple of times to fit us all in comfortably, but once that was done, it was a great gig, probably one of, if not the, best I've been involved with. Good size audience, all ticket holders, so the payout was very pleasing! The band seemed to be inspired by both the enthusiasm of the audience and possibly the full moon, not to mention the fact that it was bicycle day. I don't think anyone there was celebrating that, but there was definitely something in the air (no, not that!). Some emotionally and physically draining jams evolved out of several of the songs, if it wasn't for the strict eleven o'clock curfew, I think we'd still be playing! And, as a special bonus, a former student of mine from Finland was in London, so she came to see us. Great to hear news of so many people I knew over there. I used my Ibanez SR1206, Ashdown ABM 600 and Barefaced cab last night. No problem with any of them other than difficulty in reaching the amp to adjust anything as it was fairly inaccessible squeezed between the drummers.

If something like that came up for sale, I'd be seriously investigating the going price for every internal organ I possess that I could struggle on without!

Well, that's certainly an 'interesting' design! I tend to go for fairly traditional looking basses, my widest purchase was a pair of Thunderbirds, both have since been moved on. I was aways slightly anxious about the Alembic at gigs, being a bit more valuable than the Fenders I was using then, spoiled my concentration on the music.

I'll give him a call after the weekend - anyone who wears tie-dye is Dead friendly!

Thanks, Stew, I've got quite a list of Swindon venues but the band would rather play Bristol - more people there. We need a venue with PA & sandman in situ as we are travelling without PA to Devon for the Friday gig. I played a lot of Swindon gigs with the Wirebirds, and most paces were a tight fit for a four piece, six including 2 full drum kits would be impossible in most regular pub scenarios. If Bristol doesn't pan out, I'll make a few calls around Swindon.

Thanks, I keep that one in mind, but this time we need a Saturday night gig, as we'll all be heading back to various parts of the country after playing in Tavistock on the Friday. We won't fit into a regular pub, as we are a six piece with two drummers and take up a fair bit of room, so we can only play music venues or festivals really (having said that, we are playing the Half Moon in Putney tonight, and that's a pub!).

The Alembic preamp is very, very good - but I preferred the East preamp in my Ibanez 1006. I sold it as it was too heavy for the long gigs we play, and was bitterly disappointed to discover that an East preamp won't fit in my 1206. I even took it to John East's house for him to see if it was possible, but sadly it wasn't. The sweepable midrange was the main reason I preferred the East.

I thought my Epic was wonderful, only sold as I needed money & space for the six strings. I played it at three gigs, only one of which was recorded:

My old band used to do at least two hours at the Brasenose, different pub but same village!

They are lovely basses, very expensive new but rapidly lose value. I bought an Alembic Epic last year for 1500 or 1600, used for a few Grateful Dudes gigs (Alembic was very much tied up with the Dead originally) but sold it this year as I have moved onto 6 string basses. It was not an easy decision to let it go, but I would have had even more trouble letting the Fenders I have had a few years than the Alembic high was only in my hands for 6 months or less. If a decent full scale Alembic six string bass came up for sale, I don't think I'd be able to resist it, but for now, I am content with my pair of Ibanez sixes, which cost FAR less than an Alembic.

We (the Grateful Dudes - a Dead tribute band) usually do between 8 and 10 songs per set - for every 20 minute plus 'Dark Star' or 'Playing in the Band' there will be several 3 minute blues/country songs. Our sets are usually around an hour for the first, and about an hour and a half for the second. Usually no gaps or banter between songs unless we need to tune, we make sure we can smoothly transition from one number to another with no breaks.

Cheers, will give them a call. (Just checked their website and the Fleece has got a band on that night already, but I'll try the Fiddlers).

Just taken a booking for the Grateful Dudes to play in Tavistock on the Friday of the late August Bank Holiday weekend. As this means a fair drive for some of the band (one guy lives near Leeds - and I'm probably the closest at 200 miles or so away) we would like to slot in an extra gig on the way back home on the Saturday. Anyone know any venues worth pursuing for a Grateful Dead tribute band around the Bristol/Bath/ Swindon/Oxford corridor (anywhere not too far off the M4, basically!)? We are a band with a decent following, playing Hebden Bridge Trades club, Half Moon, Putney, Tavistock Wharf and various festivals here and abroad (as the headline band). Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Anyone who is interested in the Grateful Dead might also be interested in our tribute band The Grateful Dudes when we play the Half Moon in Putney this coming Friday. Genuine DeadHead atmosphere guaranteed, and a good selection of some of the Dead's most popular songs, with one or two rarities thrown in to keep the aficionados happy. There will be very little of the set we played in Cockfosters recently in Friday's set, we aim to keep everyone on their toes (especially me!). Anyone who does come along, please say hello to the bass player!

My bass & other music related purchases this year are still zero, and I have sold three basses - so I'm still in!

Tervetuloa basschatiin, Marko!

Quite likely to be more than one or two...

I'm at least three bottoms on from that one now!

A TV programme I worked on in the late 80s had a segment called 'challenge Anneka's bottom' for which we used pics of my ex which I took in the back garden,

Your logo is much classier than mine! I took the top off a 24 pack of Karhu olut to the tattooist and they copied it. When i returned to Finland a couple of months later, my Finnish friends insisted on my showing the tattoo to everyone we met! Yours looks much more like something that belongs on a bass headstock, and as a six string player myself, I am turning somewhat green!