tegs07

Eye of the tiger - Survivor

Brown Eyed Girl - Captain Grumpy Pants

Misery is the river of the world - Tom Waits

Land of confusion - Genesis

Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys

Disintegration - The Cure

Shout - Tears for fears

A Forest- The Cure

Fever- Peggy Lee

Green Door - Shaking Stevens

Wooden heart - Elvis

Is there something in the water at the moment? Lot of anger around. I can’t comment on your experience of having frets levelled but as for set up this is a fairly personal thing. I have bought two basses in the past from semi-pro guys that had their tech set the bass up to their exact requirements. I had to set both up to my own liking. I can’t see every luthier being dodgy anymore than every mechanic. If the jobs not done to your satisfaction there are plenty of consumer rights acts and bodies to work on your behalf but a polite phone call is normally all that is required.

Just the two of us - Bill Withers

Glad your enjoying the Ray34! I have to agree. This was my old bass and It was the one I always picked up to practice at home even when I bought a US Ray. I can’t give you an accurate comparison in sound as my US Ray was a 2 band but I bought the Ray34 in a music shop and tried out a (Sterling) Sub4, Ray34 and a US Ray on the same day. I remember being really pleased with all of them. The Sub didn’t quite have the punch nor build quality of the US Ray, but for its price point was a good instrument. When it came to the Ray34 and the US Ray that gap narrowed considerably. I’m sure the Ray35 will be equally as good and second hand they are really great value. Around the price point of MIM Fender but far better instruments IMO.

It wasn’t me - Shaggy and the other bloke I can’t remember.

Jesse James - The Pogues

Night Train- G&R

Heart Attack and Vine- Tom Waits

I don’t like either of them but I do like sabbath and Tony bennet. People like what they like. I’m with Bill Hicks when it comes to marketing.

Jailhouse rock - Elvis

Now that is an immoral and deplorable development…

This is true and a dilemma. Its not compulsory though but a choice. Will the exposure be of long term benefit? A pro can tell their booking agent paid only but may well take that unpaid support slot or festival if it’s likely to lead to more work later on.

If your motivation is primarily enjoyment rather than profit then amateur would be a fitting description. (Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation). There are plenty of very accomplished and experienced amateurs in all walks of life. I have some hobbies that I would not want to do for a living as they would become work not leisure.

This chap has made a couple for me as well. He does good work and is a decent bloke as well. I had one guard that was bespoke and didn’t fit due to some miscommunication and he was very accommodating.

I went on a trip down memory lane to my old home town and one of the pubs that used to serve the local music scene. Back in the day it was a bit of a dump and an underage drinkers haven. Mid week unpaid, amateur acts could play. The good ones may even get invited to play the coverted Saturday night slot and get a small amount of pay but to a surprisingly large crowd. It’s now a tasteful gastro-pub. I had hand caught trout and a nice Chablis and put more in the till that afternoon than pretty much my entire teenage years drinking in the place. My middle aged, middle class self liked the place. My teenage self would have loathed it. In short I doubt any Stranglers or Jams will be emerging from that genteel corner of leafy Surrey in the near future.