Trueno

You need the stage lighting to see through the fog from the smoke machine.

The same keyboardist used to whine that the stage lighting was giving him a headache. It's rock'n'roll FFS.

I remember a keyboard player once who turned up to a rehearsal with a huge cardboard box... "I've just bought a new keyboard" He spent the rest of the rehearsal unpacking it, reading the manual and making wibbley-weebley noises.

Disregarding pickguard issues... that bass looks great!

Yewww... hope that gets better soon. I only do budget short scales now. I don't have shoulder problems, other than age-related aches and pains... Granny in the Beverly Hillbillies used to call it rheumatizz. Anyway, I got a Hofner Ignition Club bass... unbelievably light and great value for money... you have to like the sound, though.

Anusol is more embarrassing than viagra. Anusol Plus is off the scale. I have to 'fess up and admit that Mrs Trueno buys mine. (Anusol, that is)

Fame is overrated. Would you really want to be recognised when you're in Boots buying your Anusol Plus?

Mel C is the only one that can sing.

If you're feeling flush buy a relic'd bass.

FinnDave has a good point. I never looked very rock'n'roll in my civvies. I looked more like a civil servant in search of a cup of tea and a kitkat. I had the opposite experience once. I went for a pee at half time in a venue. I was in my stage gear and had a sax sling round my neck. There was a guy there who didn't even know there was a band on. I told him they weren't worth watching and the sax player was really crap. He eventually came in during the second set and tried to chat up my missus.

A young guy asked me if I did bass lessons. I wasn't sure if he was asking whether I gave lessons or wanted to take some... heh! heh!

John Lennon... I was really shocked. I drew a portrait of him and put it in the wall at work. Someone nicked it. Also the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash... Ronnie van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines. I was a huge fan and ended up listening to their LPs for days afterward.

I really liked my MB amp. When I quit gigging I thought I could still use it as a practice amp (because it was so small and lightweight) but it just energised my small practice room too much. Nice to know I could pick another one up if I ever get the call to arms.

I used to use a trolley until the amp fell off and bounced down a load of stone steps. Even with strapping the amp in it would go askew when going round corners. Lockable castors sound great, but my own solution was lightweight Markbass amp. I only have an Orange practice amp now... that seems heavier than the Markbass ever was... or maybe I'm getting weaker.

It all seems familiar to me. Time to move on.

Yeh... post some photos when you get it in your sweaty hands. Might even tempt some bass players over to the dark side.

To my knowledge, all closed backs are resonators and have a tone ring... part of the definition, I suppose. I think mine was brass... hence the weight. Deering banjos made a resonator with a wooden tone ring (cocobolo ?) for a specific tone and it was expensive, but it didn't have the characteristic snap that Bluegrass players like.

All of the above... but just to reaffirm some points... Yes.. try the banjohangout forum. Yes.. try Andysbanjos... I got mine from there... good service. I think an open back will be better... for all kinds of reasons. I had a resonator for playing bluegrass... it weighed a ton (but was huge fun). You can sit on the sofa with an open back and noodle away.. if that's your thing.

I like this. Trans blue with the grain showing would look good. I always like honey coloured with 51 P basses... but if you're making it for yourself the world's your lobster.

I'm going cold turkey on Double Decker bars.

+1 for Jack's instruments. Great guy to deal with as well.

Saw them in the mid 90s at the Huddersfield stadium (whatever they called it then). Brilliant summer's day and Stipey was doing his stuff as the sun was going down. Magical. Tanya Donelly was also on the bill and I was a huge Throwing Muses fan at the time. The main support was supposed to be Oasis but they decided they had got too big to be a support. Beautiful South stood in... I don't really like them but full marks for jumping in at the last moment... and they had a full brass section... always a mighty thing... huge roar went up when they played an Oasis song. Back on topic... must start listening to REM again. I even went to Athens Georgia and had meals in Weaver D's and at the Grit. It's a very neat University town and every male student looked like Stipe... some of the women did too.

I know where you're coming from... I find bass playing without a band a bit strange. I've still got some excellent budget gear that doesn't take up much space and I never say die. Have fun with the acoustic.

I know I'm getting off the subject here, but I was once in a functions band that played in what seemed like a castle. We played in a massive baronial hall and got changed in the billiards room. I remember one of the women there saying in a very posh and too loud voice: I mean, look at them... they're no better than animals. We were a strange mixture at the time... a couple of guys on beneits, a car salesman, a Tory councillor at a large city council, a church organist and me (an accountant). on topic... I think we got fed there, though. Edit: I missed someone out. It was the drummer... he was... erm... a drummer.