Doctor J

It’s the way of things now, they want their customers on an annual subscription and the latest version rather than with a permanent licence and several versions old software. It’s not just them, pretty much all plugin providers are the same, removing access to standalone installers and having you go through a portal to access the software you own so they can police it. I’ll be in the same boat at some stage. As long as my current version of ProTools works with the plugins I have, it stays disconnected from the internet as I’m happy with it as it is. Once it dies, however, I expect to go through the same dance you’re doing now. Then I go offline again and we repeat.

Cory Wong in Cork on Thursday. My mate went last night in Bristol and said it was brilliant, so I’m very much looking forward to it.

And the three-day week?

At first glance, the US economy has rarely looked stronger but, sooner or later, they're going to have to start paying some bills. Just like any musician applying for a visa.

Gibson have issued a cease and desist letter to Kiesel over their Ultra-V, introduced in 1986 🤣

Actually the other SB, the Aria, is a winner too

Ibanez skinny SB

Wait a minute, I think we're going off topic, here. Someone doesn't like Aja?

Nice. Very nice. My old ESP 400 Series Jazz has been with me since 1992, I think. It has seen off title challenges from the likes of Sadowsky, Fender old and new) and so many more but remains the Jazz by which all others are judged. Lovely instruments.

Keeping them relevant to bass in an effort to narrow the list down somewhat... From Out of Nowhere - Faith No More (we played it in my school band, a very important song in my bass life) Unconditional - Prong (still the playalong benchmark, once I can play this I know my fingers are in good shape) These Boots... - Megadeth (Seeing them draw out the intro to this live made it the song where the “I simply must play bass!” lightbulb went on in my head and the reason I play bass)

Sad news. I have never played one of his basses, but they are incredibly well respected.

I’m on my way back to the airport to fly home, having come over to Brum to celebrate the anniversary yesterday. Zakk played like a fella who got paid by the note, the Buzz Lightyear of guitar solos. I really thought they were poor, to be honest. Great setlist, wakk execution. I still enjoyed the night though, I got to meet an old friend who lives over here. We redeemed the situation by heading down to Mapledurham Mill this morning for the obligatory picture opportunity. We met another Sabbath fan there who had the same idea, all trying to figure out a way to sneak in 🙂 As for that album, it’s timeless. It still sounds vital and fresh today and is just as relevant now as it was 50 years ago.

Been there. What was even more disturbing was when the rehearsal venue wanted to be paid for the room hire.

Horrible. Many Gibson owners can sympathise, to an extent.

Tasteful 👍

Put a hinge by the neck pocket and make a door knocker. It should produce a satisfying thud.

Q. What game does a ska band play while waiting for a generator to arrive during a power cut? A. Ska-lectrics I’ll get my coat.

Nnnnnice!

PJ is my absolute favourite setup, coming down on the side of the reverse P position.

I've never had an interest in playing covers, so almost every gig I have played (I have done stints helping out mates' cover bands when their bassist or drummer has flaked out on them) has been for the enjoyment as getting paid playing original music is seldom guaranteed. Some bands, we were deliberately pushing the tolerances of audiences as we didn't want to sound like the other bands around us. I have experienced some properly stinky reactions but I still recall the worst original gigs more fondly than the most lucrative cover gigs so, yeah, gigging for my own enjoyment is what I have always done.

I have to put weights in it to stop it floating away.

I just picked this up from a very sound gent from Kerry. It is, I believe, a 1991 SB311. I remember seeing these in the shops when I started playing in the late 80’s but, up until today, had never actually played one. First impressions? This is a really nice bass. The neck is quite similar to the early Ibanez SRs but with a wider nut. The pickups have balls to spare and I cannot imagine why they thought the EQ needed a bass boost. I am very impressed.

Bass GAS replaced by accommodation GAS, just transferred. It’ll be back to normal soon 🙂

Band member spouses/partners/mates at auditions. Nothing good ever comes of these things. Mega no-no.

Take the discarded piece of string you just cut, fold the last 1-2 cm of the end back into a v (like a hook), do the same with the full string and hook them together, then loop a long piece of thread wrapped tightly around to close the mouths of each v, locking the parts together. It works incredibly well.