PaulWarning

I've been giving this some thought, I hardly ever use Amazon, I use Amazon market place, which, I presume are small independent traders, but I mostly use Ebay, again, small independent traders, better prices and usually free postage.

I'm sure M & S don't pay more tax then they have too, it's their business model that forces them. I say again it's the Tax rules that are the problem not the companies. I think most internet business get a bad rep for looking after staff, let's be honest it's hardly rocket science selecting and packing items, they don't seem to have problems getting people to work for them, and most retail jobs are poorly paid not just Warehouse staff, now if you're saying we should stop subsidising wages with benefits I'm all for it, but it would affect most retail business In a few years all the selection and packing with done by robot anyway, may be a harsh thing to say but increasing the wages will only accelerate the process. It's tough in the retail world and if you're not competitive you die like a lot of the High St is doing. Personally I hate shopping and most of my purchases are done online

so did almost every other songwiter, there's influences and there's plagiarism,. I've listened to some of those and I wouldn't have said they sounded the same unless someone had pointed it out, which is where I draw the line between influences and plagiarism

plenty of examples on the internet https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelins-10-boldest-rip-offs-223419/

he didn't have to, it's so bloody obvious

a lot of song writers are inspired by other people's songs, sometimes they just don't change them enough of them to hide that fact, Led Zepplin hardly tried, some of Paul Weller's songs seem very similar to other songs that have gone before, some of it's deliberate plagiarism and some accidental, they can play a riff and think "hey that Sounds really good" without realising it's sounds good because it's familiar. I once wrote a song round a bass line, and thought I must have copied that from somewhere, I asked the band and they said "no, can't think of anything" after we'd been knocking it about for a couple of months the singer suddenly said "Is Vic there", we still did the song though

yeah my 3 point bridge was bowed, I filed out the saddle slots to compensate, which, I suppose could account for it not sounding very good, I thought about buying another bridge, but decided it wasn't worth it

as a matter of interest, where did H-10105 model number come from? there's no such number on mine, that I can find anyway

I've found the page where were having this very conversation https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/7473-japcrap-spotting/?page=123 you did indeed think it might be a Matsumoku, the fact it doesn't have steel adjustable on the plate seems to cast doubt in some eyes, I think I had PM conversation NoelK27 about it, but I think they all got lost in the move to the new site, anyway it really isn't that good a bass.

tbh, that's probably all it's worth, IMO they're not a patch on even Squire Affinity basses, as I said earlier, I loved mine until I got a Fender Precision, I've now got a Vintage V4 (about £120 new) which knocks the spots of it, which is why our drummers now got it

I've still got one I payed £40 for, thought it was good till I got a Fender precision, our drummer's got it at the moment on extended loan, it's a bit battered converted to a lefty as well so not worth selling tbh, I remember it was quite heavy and I think it's a ply body, so 10lbs sounds about right, it's got good stock pickups on it, I think they're Seymour Duncans. Made in Japan but not a Matsumoku, according to the the Jap expert on here, sorry cant remember his name. Just found it NoelK27

I was the same, in fact when I first learnt guitar I tuned it to E and just used one finger to barre the bottom three strings, proper punk rock , but I know what you mean I use open chords on acoustic except where I've no choice like the pesky B and Bb chords

Guitarist that can't play barre chords? and I thought my guitar playing was limited

I do have mental blocks when playing bass, but I've had a mental block trying to think of one. I also do open mics playing acoustic guitar and singing, on one occasion I was asked to go up and sing Copperhead Rd with no guitar, made a right mess of the lyrics, it's surprising how certain things trigger the memory and get you out of jail at the last moment when you've got a mental block

I always say to the band when someone suggests doing something a bit obscure "Nobody will know it so we may as well do one of our own songs"

indeed, the audience is less likely enjoy the show if the band don't look like you're enjoying themselves

Brexiteers and Remainers, I'll get me coat

I think amazon get bad press because they don't pay enough tax, I blame Governments for that, nobody pays more tax than they've got to, but their business model and customer service is spot on in my experience, which is why they're so successful

I do seem to have ruffled a few feathers, not my intention, I fully expected not everyone to agree with me, but not the hostility from a few, the slightest form of criticism does seem to bring the worst out in some doesn't it? in my OP I did allude standing there with a smug look as well as removing the hand from the neck, the comment came after watching a Bass player doing it while pouting like Victoria Beckham (he had a strange sound as well, rather like someone knocking on a front door, that didn't help)

I think maybe they need to look more like Sabbath if they go down the tribute route

thankfully, you don't know me at all

yep, that's another one, we supported the Anti Nowhere League once and the bass player did it all gig when playing open A and there's a lot of open A in league songs

not many share my opinion then, us bass players are the most underrated members in the band, guitarist's think it's easier and the public don't really know what we do, not helped by being low in the mix a lot of the time, and only last night someone said to me " I've tried guitar and couldn't do it, might try bass it looks easier". So standing there playing an open string with the freting hand dangling by your side sort of disrespects us IMO YMMV

is it just me or does anybody else find it irritating when bassists take their hand off the neck when playing an open string, usually with a 'look at me aren't I clever' look on their faces? when it's exactly the opposite to being clever.

colleagues then?