Nicko

If you don't get any joy from the company I'd suggest you send a letter demanding a refund on the basis that the goods you bought were faulty, and in attempting the repair and return shipment the seller has rendered the goods unsaleable. I'm assuming that since as picked up the amp the second time after you complained about the damage they have already accepted that the damage was incurred during the shipment from them to you. If you have an email indicating this it's gold dust! If they fail to pay you could file a claim though the small claims court. You can do this online and it doesn't cost much. I did it a few years ago to when a computer I'd bought from Tiny (remember them?) was faulty and they a) charged me to contact tech services several times to seek "expert assistance" before they would get me a return authorisation, and b) failed to fix the problem. They didn't put up a defence and judgement was made in my favour, but they failed to pay and the court sent the bailiffs to recover the debt (which was a small extra charge).

Is it really though? Seems like a very long list of stuff that you hardly ever use. PA and mixing desks I understand, but the number of amps, cabs, guitars and basses is an indulgence that you seem to lack facility to keep. If these items were that important you's have them at home.

I used to have my MP3 player on random most of the time when I was working, but if I was about to go to a meeting I knew was going to be a bit confrontational I would choose music to set my mood. Sometimes Metallica if I fancied a fight.

You can get a 3 month free trial of Fender play. Might be worth a try and I'd have thought 3 months would be more than enough to play a few Oasis tracks.

I try to learn the bassline as it was originally played, but: a) what I hear isn't necessarily what the original line plays b) sometimes I am not technically competent enough to play the original version, and I might need to simplify it. c) sometimes I get bored and put some extra in d) there's no point in a covers band trying to recreate the original recording, The singer will likely sound different the guitarist will have different kit, and tbh the original artist won't play the same version when they do it live anyway. I don't always use a pick, but whether I choose to use one is largely dependant on whether I find it easier to use one, not whether the original artist used one. e) Punters will rarely notice if the bass isn't 100% right. Most would only notice if the bass player was out of time/tune unless it's an iconic line, some would barely notice if I didn't turn up at all. f) notwithstanding 4) above if anyone tells me that's not how it goes they get "it's how it goes when I play it" g) some basslines are instantly recognisable, but subtly change in each verse. Sometimes I just play one variation because I'm lazy or get lost (anything by Duff McKagen or Flea often falls into this category).

During the first lockdown online music stores were having record sales. Music stores may, sadly, go the way of most traditional retail. If they don't have an online presence they won't survive. See.......

I have given up on Fleabay after my last experience. I listed some antiques from my late MIL's house. All with detailed descriptions and loads of photos. Only one item was sold - a Royal Worcester plate for £10 - it was probably worth about £20. Unfortunately I'd forgotten to add the cost of packing it and posting it which cost me around £5. The seller got it and complained about the condition (which was clearly stated in the text and shown in the photos) and claimed it was a second (because she didn't understand the marks on the back of the plate - which were also shown in the pics). It wasn't a second, but she gave me a bad feedback score anyway. So she got a proper antique for a tenner, I got a fiver and a bad seller mark. Next time I'll just take it to a charity shop.

TBH if a bloke turned up at the pub and started singing I would do Anything for Love, I suspect the punters would have suggested that they didn't come back. In answer to the OP I'm also amazed that the agent has suggested this. I've been to loads of functions where the band is mixed - it depends what your set list is surely? My last band (admittedly pub covers) was two guys and two girls and the set list was selected to suit the singers voice. That made us different from the other bands on the circuit and I don't think we lost out because of it.

I don't know - it came as part of the Focusrite pack a few years back so it has Focusrite branding but presumably they just buy it in and rebrand it.

That's very kind.

Here's my entry to this months challenge. It's a little hastily composed so a bit rough around the edges. Recorded in Cubase LE. The keys are mainly Xpand 2, with some Bassstation as well. Drums are MT Powerdrums. Vocals are me, through a guitar pedal board created in Amplitude (Digital Delay, Chorus, Envelope Filter and Distortion pedal). Enjoy.

AFAIK the 60s and 70s CV Precision is identical except for maple with block inlays on the 70s compared to fake rosewood with dots on the 60s. I'm not sure if the electrics are identical. My own 70s CV is a couple of years old and has a hi mass brass bridge and a bridge cover, but these don't seem to feature on the new ones. I use it in preference to my US made precision and quality is good, except for a dodgy jack socket.

Ta, will be using the dynamic mic for the current project which will hopefully be done before the deadline. As for shock mount, I live very close to a tube station and have a car repair garage at the end of my garden.

I have a condenser mic that came as part of the Focusrite studio package. I haven't ever used it and so far have been using a dynamic mic which I have had to return to it's owner as I've quit the band and won't be doing BVs for them. The mic that came with the pack has no pop filter and no shock mount. It it worth using this mic without these two extras or am I just asking for handling noise and too much non vocal mouthiness. I do have an old dynamic mic which is a Samson S11 which I can use if the condenser isn't really going to work I realise the answer may well be to try both, but the condenser is in a box in the loft and not immediately to hand so reather then spend the time to track it down I thought you guys would be able ti offer some advice. My vocals are pretty poor, so a faithful reproduction of my voice isn't necessarily a good thing btw😁.

Presumably it will be exactly the same software that the use if stuff is imported from non EU countries at the present time. Or am I missing something?

Most people who have investments (and I include most private pensions in that) should have a diversified global portfolio, That means that for example any stocks they hold in US and Asia will increase in relative value if the pound falls. It's not necessary to short sterling if your investments are well chosen.

It was on the good ship Venus, by Christ you should've seen us The figure head was a whore in bed, and the mast a mammoth...... I'll get me coat

The answer is that nobody, at this point, knows. The EU are playing politics over a trade deal based on some bizarre "proximity of geography" that means they want our fish and won't allow state aid to industry to do a deal similar to the Canadian deal where no such access to Canadian waters or restrictions on state aid apply. In return the UK government are asking for what they had when we were members of the club, and we can't reasonably expect that. Short term, if there was something I think I'll need to buy in January I would be hedging my bets and buying it now. Long term we may find that non EU sourced stuff is cheaper than it is at the moment compared to the EU imports we currently rely on. More importantly long term we may actually develop some degree of self sufficiency. I'm also no economist, but when I was in sales the price of the product had as much to do with how much the customer was prepared to pay as it did with how much it cost to make. We had EU sourced products that were traded free of import duty, and US products that cost more to ship and we had to apply duty. The products that sold with the highest margins were the ones that had unique selling features and where we incorporated them into systems and added value to the customer, not necessarily the ones that were from the EU.

Following on from the New England lyric above, a few more corkers from the Bard of Barking Sometimes when we're as close as this, It's like we are in a dream How can you lie there and think of England, When you don't even know who's in the team (Shirley) In the end it took me a dictionary, to find out the meaning of unrequited While she was giving herself for free, At a party to which I was never invited (The Saturday Boy) Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, Are here to make everything right that's wrong Holland and Holland and Lamont Dozier too, Are here to make it all OK for you (Levi Stubbs Tears)

I still haven't worked out whether EVH invented the two handed tap, but he's one of the few who managed to make it musical. Bizarrely the two handed tapping bit in Eruption is the only bit I can even get close to playing.

Sad news. Eddie was doing stuff on guitar that was unthinkable in 1977. All the cool dudes were thinking punk was the way to go and unlearning guitar and along comes perhaps the most innovative guitar album of all time.

I've never been in a band where the guitarist has as good a knowledge of rhythm and harmony as me. I suspect a few of the guitarists could physically play me under the table, but IMHO that isn't what makes a great bass player. Having said that, playing in a covers band I guess they'd do just as good a job as me if, and only if, they could manage to refrain from unnecessary flashiness. When I've been in bands with two guitarists, I've almost always been a better guitarist than the rhythm player, but that's because they were rubbish, not because I'm that great.

And here's the album cover https://www.amazon.co.uk/Automobile-Maurizio-Miele-friends/dp/B000IFSDQU

I've seen this design before in an old guitar mag. It was an article on a bloke from Dewsbury (I think) that called himself the upside down man. Apparently he "discovered" that if he played a left handed guitar using his right handed technique he stumbled across some mystical scales. The above design was his attempt at a completely upside down guitar. Apparently he released a few albums. I didn't buy the album, and I won't be buying the guitar either.

Seems to me that Fender instruments are seen by players as utilitarian tools and a certain amount of wear is inevitable. Old Fenders do tend to look a bit beaten up, whereas vintage Gibsons, Epiphones, Gretchs and others seem to look a bit more looked after.