chris_b

You're behind me in the queue!!

My ideal fretted bass would be a 5 string Overwater Jazz. I know that's ignoring your budget. Overwaters are heavy, or I'd already own several, but if weight isn't a problem, IMO it would be a no-brainer.

. . . . and fighting Swiss chocolate, too!!

IMO changing your appearance in an attempt to look younger never really works. You can always see it's old person trying to look young. The only thing I'd suggest to "older" men is lose the gut.

If I wore a balaclava and sunglasses I might be able to get away with knocking a few years off my age, but I'd come unstuck with the "routines". I'd fall flat on my face within 2 steps.

IME all long scale strings should 35" basses. I mostly used DR Lo-Riders and Hi-Beams on my Laklands. I never thought there was a noticeable difference between the two ways of stringing. After a couple of attempts I just strung through the bridge. PS nice basses

Door open and close all the time. You just know when it's time to go.

Learn your scales and play them across all frets and all strings. . . up and down the neck. Or, you could just play your favorite songs. Then you could work out those notes and the rest will start to come to you.

I can't believe we thought that was normal and heavy meant better!!!!

I do too. . . . it is. That's why I used "many".

There is nothing that makes a blues band a better band to play in than a top 40 cover band. I've played in blues bands for the last 50 years and the way many play is unimaginative and dull. Many blues musicians are boring and the endless, unimaginative solos are tedious as hell. There is not a lot to like about many blues bands. I enjoy playing bass, in a band, of good players, to an appreciative audience, and getting paid for it. All that is the biggest part of what makes playing in a band satisfying and fun. IME good bands usually chose good songs. Good players playing well means I don't care what the songs are. I'm having a blast being on a stage with talented people.

The heaviest rig I owned is a toss up between a Marshall Super Lead 100 and an Ampeg 215, a Musicman HD150 and a Peavey 215 and, the rig that finally wrecked my back, a Mesa Boogie 400+ (later replaced by an Ampeg), and Mesa RR210EV and RR115EV cabs. I used the Marshall in my 20's, the Musicman in my 30's and the Mesa in my 50's. I also owned a stupidly heavy Dynacord combo in my 40's. Finally in my 60's I saw sense and technology gave me a sensible solution with neo and d class.

I played a Fodera at the old Bass Gear shop in Twyford. Ditto, the best bass I've played . . . ever. I was never going to spend £6k on a bass but it was really something special.

Firefox, with duck duck go.

I grew up when the choice was a Precision and a Jazz bass. Over the years I've owned a few others (Wal, Lakland, MM, Ibanez). The list of basses I haven't tried is long and uninteresting. I'm more than happy to be back with P and J basses.

Thanks for that @lowdown but when FB is stopped, for any reason, when it starts up again FBP doesn't come up with it, and I have to re-install. Is there a way of making this happen automatically?

I'm probably missing something, but is there any way to pin FBP so it's active when FB starts up? So far it doesn't come up with FB and I have to re-install every time.

If I have more than 3 of anything that's too much gear. Right now I have too many basses (5), too many amps (4) and too many cabs (5).

Getting nit-picky. . . . according to Labella, Jamerson and Duck Dunn used the 0760M Deep Talkin’ Bass, 1954 “Original” Style strings.

To all the guys who are fed up with the hassles brought to the table by band members. . . . choose better band members. I've played with hundreds of musicians, but I can't remember playing with anyone who was a "problem", or interfered with the running of the band. Some definitely has issues but they were professional enough to leave their problems at the door. They always gave 100% on the gig and to the band.

Thanks guys. FBP now installed and, hopefully, working. Cheers

Bob Glaub was being interviewed and he said the 42 year old flats on his Precision bass made it sound like a million dollars. So you have a way to go before you think about changing those strings.

I chart most of the songs I have to learn. Then I play them until I remember them. I take the charts to gigs as a backup.

I've been in bands run by autocratic and unpleasant dictators through to benevolent nice guys, but they all wanted the same thing, to make the decisions. If the band is good enough then I'm happy to play with any of those personality types and let them steer the ship. IMO I do one thing well and it's not organisation!!

How do I do this? You're talking to an IT idiot here!!