Happy Jack

Because I want rid of it, not an excuse to carry the bloody thing around the country! God's Teeth!

Most of the Japanese copies (you know, the ones we're not allowed to talk about that came from Fugi Gen Gakki and so on) were sold with a fitted, lightweight hard case that does ... erm ... exactly what it says on the case. Many of these copies + cases are still around, so long as you don't try to buy them on Basschat. Assuming a faithful copy, you could try to find a Japanese copy + case, then sell the bass. Having said all that, the hard case for my Iban*z (I trust I've disguised that sufficiently) is one step removed from useless because, being fitted, it's no better at being leant against things (chairs, bass cabs, drummers) than the bass itself - all it wants to do is fall over.

Depends on the venue, surely? If you're playing a recognised music venue (Half Moon in Putney right up to the Empire in Shepherds Bush) that's one thing, if you're playing a WMC with a proper stage then that's another, and if you're playing the Dog & Duck and setting up by the door to the Gents toilet then that's different again. In my pub band we always start with Down At The Doctors (Dr. Feelgood) which became our opening number many years ago, more-or-less by accident, and has never changed since. Why? Well, endless repetition over the years makes it one of our tightest numbers, it works really well as our soundcheck song because the whole band knows exactly how it should sound, it also has three verses and three band members sing so we can each take a verse and soundcheck the PA, it gives the crowd a reasonable idea of what to expect from us, and we like it.

Very surprised at the suggestions that a shortscale sounds just like a longscale. Quite clearly YMMV, but every shortscale I've owned (= lots) sounds markedly different to a longscale, with a greater degree of "thuddiness" which works very well for some things (blues, reggae, quite a bit of light jazz) but not so for other things.

This is an unbranded, lightweight (well, relatively) case in impact-moulded plastic, the sort of thing you normally see with a Stagg logo on it. It is not a particularly well-made thing, and certainly not worth a lot, but it'll do a job for you if you need it. It was too deep for the bass that I had in it (a 1959 Hofner 500/5) so I had padded out the bottom with bubble-wrap. That bass is now sold, and I no longer need the case. I'll be moving office in three weeks. If it hasn't gone by then I'll just leave it behind. Collection only from WC1E 7BD.

I've gigged a '57 and a '65. There's not much point in owning them if they're not going to get played. Those basses don't get much action because I mainly play 5-string basses these days, and I've been having the Devil's own time trying to fine a pre-CBS 5-string ...

If it's coming from Whales, it's probably a very rare SGC Humpback.

Trouble is, you're dealing with compatibility squared. It's not enough that the whole band be socially compatible, able to function as a team, be supportive of each other, equally hard-working for everything from the load-in to gig-hunting. The whole band must also be musically compatible, at (roughly) the same skill and experience level, with matching degrees of grooviness or rockiness or whatever is needed for that band. Achieving each of those two types of compatibility is bloody difficult. Achieving both at the same time is damned near impossible!

[quote name='John_P' timestamp='1501691711' post='3346628'] Is this too big? [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/PARTS-ACCESSORY-INCHES-ADJUSTABLE-COMPARTMENTS/dp/B012AVEOZI/ref=pd_sim_267_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=X7VMJ4W98FFKPG3YVW3C"]https://www.amazon.c...4W98FFKPG3YVW3C[/url] [/quote] I ordered one of these - just arrived. Build quality is as cheap as you'd expect, i.e. pretty flimsy, especially the zips, but the design is absolutely fine and the size seems about right. I'll load it up with cables, use it for some gigs, and report back.

Well my first thought is that neither the serial number sticker nor the Made In Japan sticker look like anything I've seen on an SGC Nanyo before. Have you checked inside the control plate cover?

[i]je la vends parce que entre la commande (Fevrier2014) et la livraison (Mai 2016), je suis passe à la 6 cordes, elle est comme neuve [/i] My French ain't great, but I think that means he placed the order for this custom build in Feb'14 but didn't take delivery until May'16.

Not my ad, but I loved it anyway. https://www.gumtree.com/p/vocalist-wanted/oddball-singer-and-bass-player-wanted-/1259657935

Or not, as the case may be.

Nah. All you need is to learn to drum. A bloke in a pub told me that so it must be true.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1501945401' post='3348399'] Or, putting the shoe on the other foot, if more bands protected their investments, their hard work then venues would understand that this should be normal process and common place. They are happy to take details for tax and accounting purposes and insist on PAT testing and insurance, but bands are expected to accept that they don't have a leg to stand on when the venue changes their mind? Yer avin a giraffe mate I mean, everyone moans about another venue closing but maybe what is needed is a more resilient and trustworthy model to work with. Bands are services to the venue and services need paying for. But ya know, if bands are happy for pubs to laugh them out the door, then it's no wonder that these problems (OP) exist. [/quote] Fair enough, Dood, but an obvious question for you - how many pub gigs a year do you (personally) go out and find & negotiate? I do this a lot, but I'm always happy to learn.

[quote name='mark76' timestamp='1501927437' post='3348255'] Hair bobble thugs sound like people I want to avoid. [/quote] +1 I've started using these because I'm having to use a pick a lot more for the stuff I'm playing in one particular band, and my palm-muting technique is just terrible. First time I brought one to rehearsal, the drummer asked me at the end why I was using a capo. I use the ridiculously expensive ones because I know they work. Si, are the Claire's Bobbins ones really as effective?

Still puzzled at the number of people who say we should all join the MU and start insisting on signed contracts before we play. I can only imagine that you guys play in more rarified levels of venue where you wouldn't get laughed out of the pub if you tried that line when fishing for gigs. I'm now also playing in a band on the club circuit and that's different, for sure, but pubs? Yer avin a giraffe mate.

Name & shame?

Can't help but feel that strapping that on at the Dog & Duck would be making a statement.

A quick spray of switch cleaner should sort that ...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Very-rare-bass-guitar-1960s-Made-by-Otwin-/322628471051?hash=item4b1e27c90b:g:M-sAAOSwJGlZgNEK

And the sudden power draw was ...?

[quote name='Hellzero' timestamp='1501712158' post='3346887'] It's a Musikraft copy of a Fender V : it's written in the description. Here is the link to Musikraft who is making necks and bodies for quite a long time now : [url="https://www.musikraft.com"]https://www.musikraft.com[/url] Hope this helps. [/quote] It does, but are Musikraft licensed by Fender to put a Fender decal on the headstock, I wonder?

Now there's a title you didn't expect to read. Kanye cancelled a string of concerts last year after displaying "strained, confused and erratic" behaviour at his concert in Sacramento. He then spent a week in a psychiatric hospital. Lloyds are refusing to cough up on the cancellation costs, on the grounds that the star's excessive use of marijuana had led to this behaviour. And where do I get this from? The BBC? The NME? Another 3-letter acronym? Nope. The Financial Times, Companies & Markets section.