Dankology

Only seen Michael Kiwanuka's set but thought the sound in general was a world better than anything I've heard on the Glastonbury TV broadcasts for many years.

Just do it! I love mine - sounds great, really useful eq and it's phenomenally powerful. I think I turned it up to 3 in a 200-capacity venue... Only had it above that level once when I first got it - vibrated every light fitting in the entire house. It's not light but it's not immovable either. I think I paid just over £200 for mine about a year ago.

What a great idea... No idea what it is though. Although it is maddeningly familiar.

We should probably talk...

We've found it easier with slightly bigger promoters - the smaller single-handed guys seem to much prefer putting on a night of solo performers but when we've contacted the bigger outfits we've had more luck getting support slots and the dreaded multi-band nights. I think it's key to personalise your overtures- if a promoter or venue can tell that you're familar with them and have identified them as appropriate it surely goes down better than a blanket one size fits all message. Getting to know the promoters and other bands pays massive dividends - we're not shy about turning up to other people's gigs with a pile of CDrs that we hand out as people are leaving. I'd also make sure you have stuff on all the major online platforms so that you can email someone a list of easily clickable links to suss you out. And videos - always videos, good quality ones, including at least one of you nailing it onstage. The other thing we've done is just cutting out the middleman and putting our own gig on - even (or especially) off the beaten track to build a local following and then later on you get to drag them all into town for a big night out 🐵 Apologies if this is all eggs and grannies but it's what's been working for us. Good luck!

If they are not of sufficient musical or historical interest, I bet a craft-y person could do something nice with them. Might even be a nice idea for a gift for said relatives. If they're pretty I might be interested in a couple of charts to frame etc. But only if they're truly not of any other worth - be terrible to lose something that might be the only record of local musical interest.

Snap:

Staytrem bridge (with the sleeves for the bridge poles) plus the Newtone strings transformed mine from a fun toy to a giggable instrument.

I bought I lovely Les Paul Custom a few years back from a guy that clearly had Rory Gallagher levels of acidity in his sweat. It has aged in a completely natural but entirely unattractive way. I've discussed refinishing at least the top with a couple of luthiers but they feel that that would have an adverse effect on the value. Personally, I feel faintly ridiculous playing an instrument that looks like it has been deliberately aged - even though this is a truly battered, heavily gigged guitar. My VW though is what might be described as an heavy relic. To the point that you can poke holes in it with your finger. As soon as I have enough money it's going to look like it's just rolled off the production line.... Then again, it'll aways have plates clearly stating its true age. For the guitars it just seems like wearing someone else's medals to me. As ever, something other than music itself is being used as a marketing tool...

That would've been sensible. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-American-Professional-Jazz-Bass-V-String/183647177551

Ah, my 40th is looming and I'm possibly in the market for something. I've spotted what is listed as an American Pro Jazz V on Ebay that I really fancy but there are a couple of things that aren't clicking. One is that the headstock has "made in USA" under the logo whereas all the others I've seen (on the net) have "Corona, Ca" instead. Also, when I've Googled the serial it comes up as an American Standard V rather than the Pro. So, what do you reckon? Is it a wrong un or possibly just a mis-listed standard? As I understand it the Pro series is essentially the new name for the US Standards - am I right there?

There are some misguided sorts around though. I've bought a couple of large (but not necessarily terribly valuable) items on Ebay recently that have required collection. I always offer to pay in cash on collection -primarily so the seller doesn't lose out on the 3% or whatever it is that PayPal takes- but they invariably insist on a PayPal payment - presumably because they perceive some security in doing so. Not sure they recognize that a buyer could simply report the item as not received and have the PayPal payment reversed... But I'm slightly amazed by people quite happy at the same time to invite a total stranger into a front room that resembles a better than averagely stocked music shop - weird mix of suspicion and complete trust there.

Caught this by chance over the weekend and really enjoyed it, especially the segments with Bill Ward and the chap from the Libertines. I won't repeat what our drummer said about the guy who had six footpedals.

Surely something "offensive" is something which is defined as contravening the overarching social/legal/personal/sexual norms of the day/region/person. So, I suppose, yes nothing is intrinsically offensive in a way that you might be able to apply a physical test to it - but only in the same way that nothing is intrinsically "red": that is simply a word which we use to describe a phenomenon that satisfies certain criteria. I'm not sure how useful it is focus on this point. Two thoughts occurred to me while reading through this thread, as a white male of just less than 40 with a very foreign name and 50% Asian parents: 1) As a youngster on holiday, the wee chap who came up to me and announced "you're a Paki" was using that language deliberately to offend, intimidate and injure. The word may not be intrinsically offensive but his use of it was deliberately so. Ditto the woman who came up to my mum in a shop, pointed at my dad and said "my father was killed by one of them in the war" (one of what? - no epithet was used but the insult is explicit.) 2) A more trite example. There are probably over 30 of us at work who share the communal milk. There are no rules applied to its use but if someone came in and used all of it to themselves every day, it would not make them a champion of libertarian values: it would make them a selfish oaf, unwilling or unable to see the consequences of their actions on others. Which is my long-winded way of saying that while I would in no way support a ban on any language that pub covers bands might choose to use, it has to be acknowledged that language is a phenomenally powerful tool, even a weapon, and those that use it indiscriminately (or childishly seek to offend simply for the sake of doing so) must be prepared to accept to the opprobrium of those with a broader scope of experience.

Having just re-strung my 330/12 for the first time, Rickenbacker is certainly a dirty word round here at present. Off-topic, I know - but I had to vent... As nice as the R-tailpiece and 12-way headstock are to look at they are definitely not user friendly. It'll be another 8 years before I attempt that again.

Amazing, thank you. The preconfigured set they have on their website looks like a good place to start.

I picked up a Squier VI secondhand on a whim this weekend and am already in love with it. Not really sure how to string it though - the low E is a bit too floppy for my tastes so I assume that it is probably the .084 that they come shipped with. I'm keen to keep it strung with rounds as my other bases are all flats and I'd like to have a bit of variety but I'd like to do it without breaking the bank - especially as this may well only be used for a couple of songs per set. In terms of budget options: The Ernie Ball Slinkies seem to have a meatier bottom E but seem a bit light on the treble strings (https://www.gak.co.uk/en/ernie-ball-6-string-bass-vi-slinky-guitar-strings/85534) - but are these even the right length??? The D'addarios look better for the top E but has the dreaded .084 on the low E (https://www.amazon.co.uk/DAddario-EXL156-Fender-Electric-Strings/dp/B00E9SXJNY). La Bellas look perfect but are about double the price of the two above options (https://www.thomann.de/gb/la_bella_767_6s_bass_vi.htm) Then I started looking at the "build a custom set" option on La Bella's website (which may well work out to be the best option) but was a little uncertain of what to choose: I definitely want something heavier down the bottom end but I'm not really sure how low to go or what to go for for the other strings - please could I have some ideas?

That's amazing. He's a great singer and I'd heard he'd given up music for good... The Boos are well worth investigating beyond Wake Up Boo for those that haven't done so 😊

I love my Aerodyne Jazz: light, PJ configuration, looks great... Probably just in budget if you trawl the ads long enough (as I did).

Have just picked up a GP12 SMX 15" combo from a fine chap in Harogate. Already love it, although going beyond 2.5 on the main volume seems to be threatening the integrity of the house. As long as the roof doesn't come down this might be the best £200 I've spent for a good while. Thanks once again for all the comments and advice.

I'm north of Manchester...

Now there's an interesting thought... I might borrow a cab and see how things sound. Thank you all for your opinions. I strongly suspect that I'll be going the Trace route, if only because its what we use in rehearsals and I know I can get it to sound exactly as I want. Will just have to invest in one of those fold-up trolleys too.

Thanks for the replies. Budget is probably £300 - £400 absolute tops so secondhand TE gear is attractive from that point of view too. I gave up looking at Ashdown when I got too confused by all Mag/Evo/etc variations. I do keep scanning around for a Rumble but was worried it might be less bang for buck than the Trace. Would one of those really dinky heads I keep seeing be a bit of a letdown?

Over the last year or so I've gone from being a guitar player who always had a bass at home for demos and to muck about with to being the bassist in an increasingly active originals band. At home I gave a Laney Richter 2×10 thing that is fine for home use but can't really cut it live even when reinforced through the PA. Our rehearsal room has an old Trace 15" combo which I love and have borrowed a couple of times - but this isn't a long term option. My question is this: do I just pick up something similar to the TE and take the hit on the weight and whatever other issues come with 20 year old gear or is there something modern, light and similar in price that will do the trick? I have neither the time nor robustness of ego to haul myself round shops trying amps out in person so I'm just going to defer to the Basschat panel's opinion...

Our drummer *is* a metronome. His tempo is so consistent I was recently able to mix and match bits of the multitrack from three different takes of the same song. Was impressed.