Steve Browning

My good chum @rumblefish has a great Berg 2x12 and I was impressed with the sound. Similarly, my dream John Deacon rig was a mixture of 18s and 12s. This will be my version of that rig. Mind you, it's overkill on an heroic scale!!!

The amps finally got a run-out on Friday night. It was a pub gig so no need for PA support. In addition to the amps, I have invested in Evidence Audio cabling throughout the rack and put a Mike Hill hum loop eliminator in so the two amps are permanently ready to go. I used the Evidence Audio monorail cable with the solderless plugs. The speaker cables are also Evidence Audio. As I have two cabs I will take the rig to the rehearsal studio soon and do a side by side comparison of one wired with my previous cables and one with the EA Siren cable. Anyway. The amps. I was really pleased with the result. Depth, clarity and warmth. Note the rack has a graphic eq in the path but it was in by-pass mode so no influence on the final result. The amp was everything I liked about the Bass 400 and more. An awesome piece of kit. Given that the power rating of the TT is double that of the 400, I am glad I didn't have to lift a rack containing 4 of those!!!!

Finally got to use the amps in a gig last night. Just superb. There's a bit of a wait (I am waiting for a 2x12 to come next year) but it will be so worth it.

That reminded me that, in one band I was in, I would play some songs deliberately missing out a string just so I wouldn't be phased if it ever happened. I would be for changing the string in a break, if there was one (if I were carrying the one bass). Ironically, I did have a spare (as always) in that band but just gave myself the challenge. Reading that back, I don't know why either!! 🙂

I'm kind of going through that at the moment. I had one back in the mid 80s but am so dyed-in-the-wool Precision minded that I found the string tension where I plucked the string a bit disconcerting (the MM pickup being closer to the bridge). The current Sub has a Retrovibe eq and will get an Aguilar pickup and (when I pluck up courage) a fretless neck of some make. The aim is to have something to just noodle on without spending (or wasting) a fortune.

Not really a dream bass. I bought a 1961 ex-Entwistle Precision. Looked wonderful but the E string was just completely dead (even with new strings). No sustain at all. Never understood why.

James Jamerson also had one.

You can just picture the scene at Madison Square Garden as JPJ's bass suddenly dies and he walks across the stage forlornly - only to see Peter Grant waiting for him!!! ... or Ian Faith.

I do choose my basses quite carefully now. Much as though I like them, an early P-bass neck is not for me. I have had a couple of 50's reissues and moved them on. The fact that the neck was huge also figured in me parting company with my 1953 P-bass. It was just too uncomfortable to play over a prolonged period. I am too used to a B profile neck and all my basses have that profile (except the Tokai Jazz). That said. I could cope with a bass that was different if needed but it wouldn't be one I own.

There's a very nice Mustang in the For Sale section at the moment.

To be honest, I would take that as a given for a gig such as you would offer. Personally, I wouldn't do any gig without a spare and always have two of the same bass so that there is minimal impact if I have to change. Only ever actually needed a spare once in about 47 years but each to their own. I don't want to run the risk of anything happening but if people are then they accept the consequences if something does come unstuck. You'd be dead miffed if your emergency plumber turned up and his only 12mm spanner snapped.

You don't need one until the time your only bass doesn't work for some reason. Only you know if you're ok with the odds of that happening.

A little while since I had to do this but I tended to use arpeggios a little more and (when I had played with him a while longer I would know roughly where he's do go so I might 'follow' him. By that I mean if he played a scale downwards I might follow him two notes later so I came down in thirds. Probably a terrible explanation. I mainly stuck to the same pattern but used arpeggios etc as I said earlier.

Odd. Ditch a plan that 'will work' for something completely untried. I confess I do find that hard to understand but we all have different opinions.

The general view in these situation is pretty much always "get another, identical cab".

They weren't a tribute band but I always liked Frankie Goes To Holyhead.

Like basses with more than 4 strings. Oh, and rock'n'roll. It only exists because Frank says so. Nothing happens without Frank's say-so.

My favourite has always been Bye Jovi.

Not forgetting Pete Farndon in The Pretenders.

I use a folding picnic table. 15 quid.

To be fair, this is more pandemic related with factories not producing and (just as important) lots of shipping containers in completely the wrong place. The supply of components outside the EU is unaffected by Brexit itself. The lack of shipping containers has multiplied the cost of them at least seven-fold.

You're a (wait for it) bigger man for it!!

I had pretty much the very same scenario myself when I ordered mine. I have just checked and I initially ordered on 31/7/20 (from Andertons) and took delivery on 29/12/20.

I would expect Andertons to honour the price they you have paid. I would certainly be inclined to sit tight and wait. If you take the refund and re-order then there is a chance that the price could rise and you'll be worse off. There's no legal qualification behind that but I would suggest that you have established a contract and you have fulfilled your part of it and are now waiting for Andertons to do their bit.