LeftyP

Another vote for Maruszczyk straps. Only problem I have is spelling the name and getting the pronunciation right!

When I began playing bass in our church band last year, after about a 12 year lay-off, I received a great compliment. I will be 69 in October so when an attractive 17 year old girl came up and called me a "Super Cool Bass Man" I don't think that will be topped!

One of the problems of owning an unusual bass guitar is finding a suitable case or gigbag for it. My bass is an Italia short scale model which is too short for the usual bass cases and gigbags but too large for guitar cases/bags! Not having much in the way of music shops in the area I trawled the internet after measuring my bass to find a bag to fit. Enter the TGI Extreme Series bag for short scale basses. I found it on Bass Direct site and the dimensions seemed to match what I needed so I placed the order late on Monday evening and it arrived on Wednesday. I think the measurements on the website were external because, on paper, there should have been just enough room to fit the bass inside. As it is the fit is snug to say the least. I have to place the bass in neck first and then gently ease the body of the guitar into the other end. I think once the ample padding has settled and the bag softened it will be perfect. The bag is very well made and offers a lot of protection. The photo of the outside of the bag shows a reflective strip around a pocket - just big enough for A4 paper. The other photo's show just how neat a fit the bass is when placed into the bag. The bag has a side handle, two nicely padded shoulder straps and a small handle on the back of the bag plus a large rear pocket. All in all, I'm very pleased with the bag and the service from Bass Direct.

I won't criticize people who choose to boycott Amazon, even though I use them for most things I'm looking for. Their working practices are not the most ethical but the tax situation could be sorted by the government if they really were concerned about it. As for the working conditions of people directly employed by Amazon I would suggest that in the UK and across the EU there are laws to protect workers against exploitation so, again, the governments need to step up their game. Why single out Amazon? I can't defend them, but if you are really concerned about workers conditions then don't buy anything from China or some other far eastern countries. If you own anything from Nike or Apple, check out the reports on the internet about how their workers are treated. Do you know what conditions are like in the factory where your bass guitar was made? Many "name" guitar brands are made in the far east; China, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and South Korea. They are made there because of cheap labour and Cort guitars have not exactly covered themselves in glory concerning their treatment of workers in the past. I have no reason to believe that Cort are any worse than other manufacturers. I think things have improved somewhat but my own bass was made in South Korea by Mirr Music and I have no idea what conditions are like there. Taking a pop at Amazon is easy, but if you buy the same product from another dealer, it still will have been made in the same factory and under the same conditions as a one bought from Amazon. Business is designed to make money and profit is king the world over. Workers have always had to fight for better conditions which is why unions started. Fight on and make your stand but it is easy to be selective and take the easy option of hitting the obvious target.

I think you will find most hotels and food outlets match your opinion of Amazon. Not to mention products made in the far east. I know of one national outdoor activity shop that uses zero hours- min wage. You don't know how many high street treat their staff this way. Much of what I buy from Amazon actually comes from independent dealers who use the site as a shop window.

We have some of these at church as they take up less floor space. I play bass in the band about once a month and we only get to run through the songs together about 45 minutes before the service. The line-up of musicians changes each time and there are always songs we haven't played before or for some time. The band is tucked away in a corner so most of the congregation can't see us. If I was in a gigging band and playing the same set night after night I, hopefully, wouldn't need a music stand but as things are it's a great memory replacement!

They already have - just don't look at the price!

I have a Tanglewood copy of the Hofner violin bass that weighs in at 2.63Kg (5.80Ib) and an Italia Cavo bass that tips the scales at 3.31Kg (7.46Ib). They are both short scale and have hollow or semi-hollow bodies. I have back problems and find the Italia is about as heavy as I can cope with. The Tanglewood RVB-2 was bought about 12 years ago for under £200 including a very good hard case. If weight really is an issue the violin basses are worth considering. Not everyone likes the look of them but I do!

He doesn't sound like a team player. Would you really want to be stuck in a lift with him?

Any Johnny Cash song; root and fifth, anything more is showing off!

I think I mentioned this possibility when the subject last cropped up. Go into your nearest B&Q store and search out the Valspar paint department. They have hundreds of small cards covering the entire colour spectrum and sporting the most original names. Our bathroom is now a delicate shade of "Harp Strings" (no, I'm not making it up) and our kitchen is about to become "Snowdrop". Those names are almost normal compared to other shades of the pallet. I'm sure something will 'tickle your fancy' - now there's a name!

The name "Eurovision" was originally coined by British journalist George Campey when writing for the Evening Standard, and was adopted by the EBU for its network.[2] Eurovision is managed by the European Broadcasting Union’s Eurovision Operations Department and offers permanent coverage of Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as ad-hoc coverage of the African continent and the Pacific Rim. Not confined only to Europe, Eurovision currently encompasses 75 television broadcasting organizations located in 56 countries of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Furthermore, there are 61 associated broadcasting organizations in Europe, Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania. This is why countries outside of Europe can enter the contest e.g. Australia and Israel. It is easy to think that Eurovision is purely for Europe, or even the EU, but it is actually a broadcasting network that involves many far flung countries.

I'm in exactly the same situation at our church but I use chord charts which I produce on my computer, as a tablet thingy is not big enough for my eyesight!

I had the same problem finding a padded gig bag for my short scale Italia bass. I bought a cheap Stagg, unpadded, bag which is just a few inches long in the neck but otherwise OK. I then found some foam sheets that were used to pack audio gear and cut them to size. It's a little bit of a faff putting the guitar in the bag and making sure the foam is in place but it works! I emailed the distributors of Italia guitars (JHS) to see if they could recommend a gig bag but got no reply.

Yes, that stopped me in my tracks. I loved her voice and was a fan of Fotheringay, who I saw perform at Newcastle. She was so young and such a talent. The Fotheringay album is still one of my favourites plus many of her solo recordings. Then, of course, there was Karen Carpenter - another voice that will never be repeated. Harry Chapin was another that caught me off guard. I have most of his albums (many on 12" LP) and for him to be killed when his name was becoming known in the UK was very sad.

It was nice to watch but I do wish these programmes wouldn't take over two minutes to start. You get the same intro every episode then a menu - with clips - that you will see again later and after an age the actual programme gets started. Lots of padding that could be done without.

I've watched that video several times and it just keeps getting better! There's an almost telepathic connection between Scott and the drummer. It certainly isn't noodling as there is a clear structure to it. Thanks to the person who posted that young males would like it - at 68 years old I'll take that! I can listen to most styles of music; from Irish folk to country, pop, jazz and classical. I've spent nearly 50 years in broadcasting so have been exposed to just about every style of music. With the exception of rap - which is singing for people who can't sing - and heavy/thrash/death/whatever metal - which is noise - I can enjoy most forms of music. Scott's video has a great groove and I just wish I could play a tenth as well as he can.

My wife is a musician (got a degree and all that!) and was quite understanding when I bought my last bass. I only have two (basses that is, not wives!) and have no plans to expand the collection. Even if I did, I would need to obtain a lot of bass guitars to match the price of my wife's oboe and cor anglais!

Well, my "gig" took place this morning (Saturday 23/3/19) at a local church. There was a seminar for church youth and children's workers which attracted people form across the north of England to a very welcoming church on the outskirts of town - right beside the M6 motorway! The organizers wanted some worship music during the morning and three of us were drafted in. The trio consisted of our leader on semi-acoustic guitar and vocals, our church drummer who played the cajon and me on bass. The church did have its own Roland electronic drum kit but after giving it a try our drummer sat astride the cajon. We had about 40 minutes rehearsal before the delegates arrived but were familiar with the six songs from our own church services. I was not sure if my small 35 watt bass combo would be loud enough but it turned out to be an amazing little box of tricks; as did the small combo amp of the semi-acoustic guitarist. I bought the SubZero amp for use at home, but generally use headphones to spare the neighbours. This was the first time I had heard the unit in a gig situation and it really punched above its (light) weight. I had the volume at about a quarter full and kept the tone controls fairly neutral but the little combo really let the low end shine through. Despite our lead singer/guitarist playing a few wrong chords when his contact lenses dried out(!) the morning went well. The assembled throng drowned out our mistakes! I was using chord charts except for one song for which I had the bass guitar music. The attached photos show my bass and combo amp. The combo is a SubZero SZB 1035 which I bought from Gear for Music. It was my first "gig" outside of our own church environment so, another step on the road to stardom!

Thanks so much for posting that. There is a man who knows exactly what a bass guitar is for and how it fits into an ensemble and gives to the song. Love his sense of humour but am I glad I didn't have to lip read!

OK, I like the Beatles - especially their early albums up to Revolver and Rubber Soul (forget Sgt.Pepper). My first name is Paul, I'm left handed and I have a cheap version of the Hofner violin bass in my collection! Paul Mc. was and is one of the best bass players for popular music. As has already been said, he played to the song and, unless you are a bass player and listen out for his lines, his playing can go unnoticed. To me, that is the whole point of bass playing even in driving dance tracks. Most punters don't realise that it is the bass that makes dance tracks so good. I suspect that to many Beatles fans the songs are the main 'thing' and the instrumentation is secondary. I have watched many videos of "great" bass players and could never play like them with sparks flying off my fingers. However, I do not enjoy their music as, rather than being part of the song, their playing becomes a self important "Hey, look at me" performance that adds nothing to the event. Players like Joe Osborne on the Carpenters and 5th Dimension tracks knew when and how to use the bass. Paul Mc. was/is a master at finding just the right balance without detracting from the song.

Sometimes genuine wear and tare can tell a great tale!

I like to have a clean, new looking bass that can age in its own time. It's a bit like those folk who pay lots of money for jeans that have holes ripped in them. What's the point?

I haven't had the chance to hear my bass guitar through a powerful amp or PA. I use a small SubZero 35watt amp at home but, more often than not, use headphones to practice. At church I'm squeezed into a corner between the keyboard and drums and the whole band is behind the PA speakers - mounted above our heads and in front of us. My bass is DI'd into the church mixer and I get a monitor feed through a small speaker mounted on a mike stand in front of me.- - see photo. When the whole band in playing I often struggle to hear the bass and play from memory, hoping it sounds OK. I've had some nice comments from members of the congregation so I must be doing something right!