Burns-bass

He looks like a super cool dude! It’s an ‘upgraded’ 60s or 70s Precision (I’d say 70s) jazz with a late 60s Telecaster neck fitted - check out the lollipop tuners.

That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll use a padded walking sock and see how I get on! I had considered cutting some foam to fit, but this is much more practical.

This is a weird question, but bear with me... We’ve converted our loft into and office/practice room which is amazing. I’ve got my DB set up but I find that lifting it off the stand often results in me hitting the eaves with the scroll. I could be careful, but I’m just a clumsy person, so wondered if anyone had any ideas on what I could put on top to protect the scroll. Any ideas?

He's now selling just the body on its own. Weird!

When you remove VAT and international shipping you’re left with, what, say £80. Given a 100% markup, these have to be landed in Germany for about £40, which is quite frankly incredible. I have a HB shirt scale which is amazing too.

And to be fair he appeared to have driven to most of these pubs himself and he is a self-confessed former alcoholic so I reckon he deserves a pass.

Watch the programme. It was actually really well made and Tom owns and runs 3 pubs himself, so certainly understands the business . My dad used to work in the trade, but I must admit to having almost no knowledge of how tough it is for publicans, particularly those in tied pubs. The concept of the show is Tom helping some amazing people make more money from their community pubs, and while I typically hate reality TV this was really good. The guys who run the pub in question seem like the perfect landlords, but the only ones losing out are them.

This.

My favourite sellers are the antagonistic ones that want to sell a vintage bass for £3000 but won’t ‘take it apart or photograph it’. ”Just trust me, it’s definitely legit. Honest...”

My point was a trained killer duffing up a drug-addled junkie hardly seems a fair fight. Do people even steal stereos anymore? If you do see someone, just phone the police. Personally, I’d rather they deal with it than someone (anyone) dispensing their own form of justice.

Not sure this sort of thing helps to be honest, but if it made him feel better then I’m sure that what matters.

There are potentially thousands of viruses that could transfer from animals to humans, apparently. It’s much more likely to happen if we continue to destroy their natural habitats such as the rainforests.

The future does look a little better today, but only for us in a rich country with socialised healthcare. The virus will still wreak havoc around the world, attacking the poorest and most vulnerable. Sometimes it’s worth ignoring the negativity, and recognising just how lucky we are to live in this country.

This is brilliant to hear. I used to use a service such as this for motorbikes. Worth the extra cost for the peace of mind. I hope it goes really well for you, I really do. If it’s being set up as a business, I’d keep an eye out for support grants and suchlike too.

Agreed. Without wanting to be boring about this (but I used to run a removals company, so I will be), unless you advise your insurance company you’re doing this your insurance will likely be invalidated. You’re driving for hire, which has high associated risks. Secondly, what happens if the instruments are damaged or stolen when in your possession? Without appropriate insurance you’re taking a huge risk, particular with high value instruments. There’s a reason that courier costs are high, and it’s not because people are particularly greedy. I wish you well in your endeavour.

They had a reasonably nice Antigua Precision in there too. All instruments came from Steve at Electric Ladyland apparently, so there’s half a chance they’re legit (and a 50% chance they’re fake). I explained to the manager that charging Denmark Street prices was a bit much, but he wasn’t really up for discussion. Seemed a nice guy though, and I reckon would be happy for you to take the bass apart and get it professionally appraised.

Did you pay with a credit card? If so, Section 75 might still be relevant (even after 6 months).

I run a Ltd company which pays most of my wages. I also have some self employed income, all of which I disclose. Hoped it may be enough as the Ltd company stuff is slow but it wasn’t!

You won’t be eligible if it’s not your primary income source. It’s easy to check, but you’re classed as a PAYE worker to the Treasury. I won’t comment on the morality of applying for the grant, but you have to earn over 50% of your income as self-employed to be eligible.