SpondonBassed

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1505113687' post='3369472'] Mine arrived in the weekend. It's great. I've put post-its over the tab to make it a proper music book. [/quote] Harharharhar. I like your style.

I did another Open Mic last night at the Holly Bush, Marehay. Mistakes were made and lessons learnt. I must apologise to anyone reading this who may have been there and suffered a proper earholing. I hear there is a FB clip up already. Perhaps someone can point to that in a reply here? This was my PitBull Bass kit's first outing. I was not let down by it. Rather I let myself down by not discussing arrangements better before dragging a drummer, guitarist and vocalist into my set. Next time I'd look for a better position from where I can hear the guitarist too. Alan is a cracking guitarist but he sets his sound behind everyone else. His cab was as far from me as it could have been and I had no line of sight to it. It meant that a lot of his sound was lost before it got to me. Mick's vocals were strong but I was mostly hearing them after they'd been through the lounge and back. I could not hear actual words even though I know Mick sings them well. The drummer wasn't phased by it at all and he was about the only one who kept it together throughout. Thanks Lozz, if you are reading this. I enjoyed the experience. With Paul and Wendy earlier this year and now this event I have doubled the number of times that I have been on the spot in my whole life. Shame it had to take thirty years before I came back to it. My main reason for getting back to bass recently is that I can no longer ride motorcycles and I wont have another car. Bass has been my saviour in that I had something to occupy my time while I was stuck at home. This year I've had to really push myself to get out more. The last few years of my life were not really my own given that I was looking out for an elderly relative all of the time. Despite lots of play along practice with clips and recordings my playing had stagnated due to mainly to my not getting to play with others. On the plus side; I've achieved a start on networking. I've been to a couple of gigs after a couple of decades of stopping in of a night. This year is good.

Welcome NB. Cool screen name. You'll feel right at home.

Welcome Pedro. Nice of you to join us.

[quote name='Burns-bass' timestamp='1505037460' post='3368964'] Hi all, i've got the stuff from Carol Kaye. Rather than post an open link, if you want me to share it with you, then pop me a PM. All free etc. [/quote] Many thanks.

Your bridges are always a marvel to look at. I am very interested in seeing how you radius your fretboard.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1505004704' post='3368828'] ...Ironically, 44 years ago (soon after I'd learnt and forgotten standard notation), when I thought I was a guitarist, I bought the sheet music for "Sylvia" and in order to play it, worked out what the notes were and wrote them down on the score. [/quote] A lot of the content of the last four pages is repetitive of the first six so you're not missing anything. By many accounts this is a seasonal topic anyway. I am quite sure that someone will start yet another debate about whether TAB is good or bad again. The indications suggest that, love it or hate it, TAB is here to stay. I'm another one who found notation less than memorable. Like yourself, I use whatever makes sense to me. I can not think like a classically trained muso so these days I don't waste any effort on trying. Funny how that causes annoyance to a few members.

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1505005223' post='3368830'] My back pain issues aren't weight related, so may not be relevant, but I use a stool on stage (not all the time, but it's always there if I need it). You might try sitting down when the pain starts kicking in, and if it helps, look at getting a stool (Kinsman/Harley Benton - incorporate a guitar stand too). [/quote] Interesting. [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_guitar_stool.htm"]https://www.thomann.d...uitar_stool.htm[/url]

[quote name='anzoid' timestamp='1504993551' post='3368791'] I didn't even register that So maybe a DBE B string would work... Anyone fancy buying one so we can find out? [/quote] Sure. I'll take a dozen or so. Have your people contact my people. Hahahahahaha! I wish.

[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1504963938' post='3368597'] ...male chickens... [/quote] Nicely put.

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1504954478' post='3368519'] It's like this. I do wonder what people are thinking sometimes. A white Hamer Cruisebass is my first choice. It's cheap (£300/zero bids). We'll see. If the neck and headstock are OK, then there's an easy demarcation line to getting the body re-done. I'd really want to preserve the headstock facia. P [/quote] Aw cute.

Welcome Quevlar. Beware the dreaded GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome will take up residence with you at some point after you've got your first bass and rig. Pretty soon you'll be looking at other basses, amps, cabs and all sorts of geeky stuff with raw lust whilst reaching for a remortgage application form. It's inevitable. Just thought I should warn you. Heeheehee Best of luck on your quest for the lower notes.

Welcome Duststorm. We have a healthy number of born again bassists here including myself. This time around I find the Internet and this forum in particular to be of great benefit. I'm sure you will too.

[quote name='anzoid' timestamp='1504958968' post='3368561'] ...I'm really overthinking this [/quote] Me too. It's a shorty as well remember. DOH!

I just found out that Donald Dunn wasn't actually a duck.

[b]Professional (prə-fĕshˈə-nəl)[/b] adj.[list] [*]Of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession: [i]lawyers, doctors, and other professional people. [/i] [*]adj. Conforming to the standards of a profession: [i]professional behavior. [/i] [*]adj. Engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood or as a career: [i]a professional writer. [/i] [/list] I thought I'd remind myself what the definition of professional is these days. I mean, we accept that there are people who call themselves professional dog walkers for gawd's sake. Large numbers of them are unqualified in anything past A-level, if that. Now to look up the definition of [i]Semi[/i]...

Yup. I made the right choice.

[quote name='anzoid' timestamp='1504888806' post='3368125'] One from Fodera (http://www.fodera.com/imperial-mini-mg/ - Imperial Mini – MG): [/quote] I wonder if that drop tuner (E to B was quoted) takes a single ball end string. That would be useful in the real world where there is little choice in DBE low-B strings.

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1504908368' post='3368308'] ...a custom designed individual string muting system - which Leo and mates brought over from the 60s Mustang bass... [/quote] I quite like that individual muting system in principle but I sometimes hear people [i]dissing[/i] it. One day I'll get to try it out.

[quote name='Mickeyboro' timestamp='1504715117' post='3366853'] If you are a semi-pro in a band with a former professional musician, how do you relate to them and vice versa? I ask as I have recently spent/wasted four months putting together a band with an ex-pro keyboardist whose musical abilities far outshine mine. I pushed him as the musical director, but he stubbornly refused to direct; instead, he'd spend hours on the phone moaning to me about the shortcomings of our bandmates, who were rotated in short order. We finally found people he could tolerate, though the complaints continued. Then the phonecalls stopped, and I now realise he was bending someone else's ear about me! Then came the email: 'It's not working, is it - everyone thinks so. I'm not the leader...' You can say that again. I now wish I'd tried to be more proactive in the rehearsal studio to fill the vacuum that so frustrated me. In future, I'll not be nearly as deferential. And I'll not be so available on the phone! Any parallel or more heartening tales? [/quote] Yes. I wasted two months. I asked the chap that runs a nearby Open Mic if I could record his set to practice with on my own and then be able to drop in at will on the quieter nights for practice. We arranged to meet at his. He assumed I wanted tuition and tried to impart a lot of stuff that was, frankly, a distraction from getting on with our aim. Okay. I can accept that I need tuition. It is quite different from wanting tuition though. I told him that I wasn't going to re-embark upon a training in classic notation but he could not grasp the concept at all. I went with it for a bit and learned a bit on the way and he started giving me exercises for home work! As tuition fees are dear and he was happy to take a mere twenty off me for two hours of his time I went along with it. One week I turned up at his for what had become the regular Thursday session and he'd bailed. Not in to a knock at the door. No answer or returned call on the 'phone. I suppose he finally got the message and binned the idea of me becoming some sort of student of his. I never got my recording. A pity. No great loss to me however and no-one fell out over it.

[quote name='Burns-bass' timestamp='1504899042' post='3368224'] If anyone is interested I interviewed Caroline Kaye about this stuff, but never published the article as I didn't get around to writing it. Anyway, can post the stuff somewhere of anyone is interested? Includes a load of her handwritten transcripts, contracts and stuff as well. [/quote] I'd read it if it were for free.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1473066538' post='3126456'] ...I will never sell as it has so much of my time and effort invested in it... [/quote] The following would be for valuation purposes then? I'm curious as to whether you get the offered the asking price. [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1504897560' post='3368212'] This? [url="https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/1980-vantage-va-900b-twin-p-bass-neck-thru-18v-3-band-eq-/1265258068"]https://www.gumtree....-eq-/1265258068[/url] [/quote]

That's a beautiful instrument. I'm glad you posted because I rarely see anything about Vantage bass. I own one that I bought new near the end of Matsumoku's era (1986/7) but I am thinking it is a rare example today. Maybe it's not [i]cool[/i] or something. It's lovely to play so I don't care about cool. I'm trying to decide now whether I need a neck shim or whether I'll steal your idea to sink the bridge a little to allow me better action adjustment on my Pit Bull kit build. The truss rod and saddle adjustment are both max'd out and I still have about the highest action I have ever played. I always ran with low action before with my other basses but I am getting accustomed to the higher action gradually. Neck angle or bridge height modifications are tweaks I might do but I'm thinking of upgrading my neck at some point so I might leave it seeing as it currently plays well. I'm taking it out for the first time tomorrow to an Open Mic. We'll see. The maple on my neck does not have the straightest of grains so I need to observe the stability of it over a longer period before I know what, if anything, is needed. I am curious about your finish. You say you used Danish Oil but you seem to have got a high gloss. Did you use a polishing paste to finish? Danish usually gives me a satin texture. I use Teak Oil for gloss rather than Danish. You did right to reveal the laminated neck at the headstock. The overall look of the instrument is tied together well as a result. I'd have tried to get all brass/gold effect or all polished chrome hardware but I know that can lead to a large bill when it's all added up. Very nicely done chap.

Welcome to the forum Chris. There is some excellent knowledge available here even if you don't find a local tutor.

Nice. A bit like Nora Batty's stockings... Um.