Stub Mandrel

Not actually a 'board' yet. I need to convert it and the DOD delay to work off a standard connector (I'm worried that using a 3.5mm jack creates the risk of a short when it's not plugged in). I had to do a simple (reversible) mod to the HM2 to run off 9V supply. TheHM2 is as good as its reputation. The BEQ7 seems happy despite technically wanting the old BOSS 12V ACA, I used to use it for quick changes of sound rather than on all the time. The Ibanez chorus works really well with bass, possibly the best of all the effects. The Toyo flanger is a good budget one but sounds ckanky and makes extra noises when dialled. The DOD delay works well but needs great care in setting up. I discovered that if I play staccato single notes I can get a convincing 'gated' effect for Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Very dated but has a good, long 4-second max delay which made it very expensive back when I bought it! I like the compressor too, it's a fairly budget one but very robust. It's just a sort of 'better knob' - it makes the sound richer and evens out my playing on quick passages. The Wah is cheap plastic crap, but it's the same basic Cry-Baby circuit as found in every wah ever made... (I once did a component for component comparison of my old (cheap but quality and much missed) wah with a Cry Baby and all the values were the same and with one difference - the cheap one had an extra resistor). I might fit it into a good quality s/h volume pedal. The tuner replaces my awful analogue (yes with a meter in it!) Vox one that was really, really tricky to use. I hate most clip ons because they are so slow to react, the Boss tuner even reacts to how a note changes pitch from attack to sustain. Not shown I also have a one-knob Melos Mini-Fazer (the various brands it sold under are legendary for their sound) but I can't find it and it needs converting to external power.

To be fair, will the event costs be covered by the door?

I've got one of those, didn't think of trying it. It's not very good but it works and I can give it a go. I charted the chords based on the bass tab I've got - and they didn't fit with what I got from jamming along - all the Fs were missing. Just looked up the chords and I should have trusted my ear! I'll shout if I can't fix up something!

Me showing my age again. Back in the 80s/90s pub gigs meant backline for all the instruments and a vocal PA and maybe miked up snare and bass drum on the rare occasions we played a small club. I get the feeling that many bands now use smaller backline and have much more go through the PA (helped no doubt by mics and PA getting ridiculously cheap?) It appears the line between big practice amp and small stage amp is blurring away, with about 30W being seen as enough for guitar and 50W combo for bass for less rowdy musical styles?

One of my brother's band is playing at my other brother's wife's 60th this autumn. It involves a ~700 mile round trip and an overnight so it's been sorted so the rest of the band gets paid, and they are happy to sleep on floors etc. Much better to have everything agreed in advance. Looks like I will be playing some semi-acoustic stuff with my bro' and his wife - probably some bass and some mandolin (I've never played mandolin for people, ever - eek!) and probably some other guys playing as well, I predict chaos, random jamming and a ridiculously good time had by all!

Frustration for me is that I can't get a cd written on my PC to play in the car; some of these songs I want to hear over and again. First rehearsal is on Tuesday and I can now play all but two of my twelve right through, with just polishing left to do 🙂 Very pleased with how Balckberry way and Crazy Little Thing Called Love have started to 'embed' in my brain! Last two? Sunny Afternoon - which is one of those where no two tabs or videos are the same, just a few bars of the bridge to unpick from a video which seems to be the most accurate source. Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting - a simple structure but the bass seems to be so raucous and varied I've decided to use this one as my opportunity to improvise and throw in whatever fills and runs I feel like, there's just one distinctive chromatic run I want to get right - the tab doesn't sound quite right, but it might be my lack of familiarity with the song.

Nothing against relicing, but we should accept it's just shabby chic for boys... Is this any different?

Me too... but Amazon reckon I can still buy it... for £55! Worth going to local Consumer Rights?

Crazy Little Thing called Love is on my list of 12 (not 140, thank goodness). Not at all technical but great fun to play, in his lines the spaces mean as much as the notes. My weak point is remembering the way that good players vary their runs at the end of sections

Curious! I have two of that style strap and they both have 'Fender' so that they are the right way up if the buckle is at the back. My other fender strap has the logo running along the length. Perhaps the straps are randomly oriented? My other two 'orientable' straps are the same (though the Ace Peace and Dove has to be used upside down to match Neil Young's 🙂 )

Try finding mature elm trees...

I'll be scared to buy a ticket! 😲

Well I failed utterly to keep a build diary, but the 'Deathburger III' is now complete, strung with the four middle strings froma guitar and tuned ADGC for the time being as a sort of 'piccolo bass'. Learnt a lot, chiefly don't trust spray varnish and don't fit your pickup to the scratchplate (or move its pole pieces) before you know where the strings will end up! Still it works, on both magnetic pickup and the piezo one in the bridge.

How did he get the logo upside down on the strap at the non-adjustable end? Hiram will struggle to get one to match that!

Brilliant, I have an 8 metre high polystyrene Stonehenge I found round the back of Hammy Odeon once.

Try Neil Murray You Tube Channel

Today I met the legendary and very lovely Sybil, as well as the legendary Ped himself 🙂 Just picking up a 'recycled' item, but a great guy to deal with. Many thanks Chris.

He's going to fit the legs back on...

It's surprising how much information people give in their threads, a too-specific location under your avatar might not be a good idea if you have a dozen boutique basses at home...

Learning this the bit I'm struggling with is the slower part of the chorus, just a repeated arpeggio of G major, but it's hard to make out the rhythm.

Ha. Fairport fan here so Wadworth's 6X every time 😜

Increasingly I see that instead of taking these videos down, You Tube are licensing the content. We have to either watch ads (I completely blank them out TBH) or susbcribe and that partly funds YT licensing the content. I work in publishing a lot so I'm quite keen to see copyrighted material licensed. If you view Troy's video on you Tube and click 'see more' you get the information below. Neil may eventually get a tiny amount of performer's royalties (I hope!) but unfortunately no writer's royalty 😞 Morally no different to your pub venue paying PRS to cover the songs performed by cover bands.

We're not back to Julian Assange's cat are we?

I saw Chumbawumba supported by Oysterband (as they were styling themselves then). The Oyster Band were phenomenally good.