chris_b

Last time I was at Reading was 1973. But I was at Windsor, the pre cursor to Reading, in 1966 and fold up wooden chairs were provided for the audience. It was on the Sunday and the Small Faces topped the bill. Towards the end a bunch of kids piled a lot of the chairs up and made a bonfire!!

There's a bass guitar line in there. Some sections are doubled up with keys/synth.

Good memory. My source at that time was Herbie Flowers!! Sorry about that.

I don't worry if I miss out on something. Another (maybe even better) will be long later.

Sorry for being a nerd. . . but I think Dave Richmond played some of those songs.

Thinking you are better is pointless. If those guys are getting the gigs and you are not, then they are doing something right and are doing something you can learn from. If you are working in "money bands", I guess that's function bands over here, then you are doing what's right for those guys. If you are trying to get into originals bands etc then that's a different set of skills. Seems like you haven't worked that out yet.

Sometimes you can't. Sometimes being better doesn't matter to a bandleader. There are many other reasons that guys are asked to join bands. Sometime you can the the best player in town and you still won't get the gig. If no one wants to use you, then you have to look very hard at your situation. Maybe you smell, turn up late, don't buy a round, have a nasty attitude or reputation. Or maybe you really aren't as good as you think you are. Or maybe it's none of those. I got kicked out of a band so the bandleader could get his mate in. His mate was nothing special, other than being a a mate! Being a mate is a surprisingly common reason for someone to be given the gig. I see guys getting gigs I can do, and many that I could do better. So why aren't I getting those phone calls? Becoming prominent in a local scene can take hard work, it can take time and sometimes it never happens. All you can do is be the best you can be. If that still gets you nowhere, the only thing you can do is start your own band.

The Haggis Horns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Khlv0odGDo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXnc4b1zkNM The New Mastersound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpiei6YUqV8 The Crusaders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRddCqC-vD8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUs1heMlxto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIk6WI07868

Fantasists in rock n roll? Who'd have believed it!

Most of the basses I've owned over the last 15 years were plek'ed as part of the manufacturing process. When I buy a new (to me) bass I have a set up and fret stone, if it needs it. No matter how good the bass was before, it always comes back playing much better.

I know a drummer who chose to go "off piste" for his solo. He shuffled to the front of the stage, to the astonishment of the band, and played the ocarina, not very well. I believe he wasn't asked back!

My preference is for 19mm, but I can do 18mm with no hassle. Any smaller feels awkward. I know I could adjust, but I'm happy with what I got. I played a Fender Precision for 25 years so when I switched to 5's I decided it made sense to stay with what I knew. I did play a MM SR5 for awhile but it always felt "cramped" and I didn't really get on with the sound.

I have a Harvest leather gig bag, which is very similar to yours. Good choice. They are fantastic pieces of kit.

My PJ Proby story. . . . In the 70's I was in a band with a trumpet player, David, who had worked with PJ Proby. Apparently he was a nightmare, drinking, unprofessional and the band weren't always getting paid on time. The band hated him and most were on the verge of leaving. In Maria the trumpet was supposed to quietly play a D and Proby would sing most of the song accapella. This time (it was his last gig) David played a Db. Proby did his thing and was a semitone flat when he hit his big note and the band came blasting in for the big crescendo, in D!

One rig for everything is a great idea. You've already got a powered cab. I'd find a way to use it. The Headrush is claiming 2000watts peak power. I would nominally expect a 112 cab to be good for 200-300 bass watts. If that's loud enough for your bands then you just need a preamp. You could run a preamp pedal into your active cab or get a D class amp and just use the preamp section, Aguilar, Quilter etc.

Awhile ago a friend started turning up at our jam. He's a singer, harp player and we've occasionally gigged together over the years. To our surprise he lugged in a keyboard. He was taking his playing from the front room to the stage. When he started he was terrible. But after a year or so with us he started playing keys in his band. The jam served it purpose, to have fun, learn and meet people.

A great learning experience then. You need to do more of this. . . . but preparation in a performance goes a long way!

Lots but I'll stick to this. . . . you've owned this bass for all of 3 days and you're asking us what mods you should be doing!!! If you don't like it, send it back and buy something that you do like!

For that very reason jamming should be in. They are the ideal places to work at all the things you know you can't do, in an environment where no one cares if you fail, as long as you try. Over the years I've seen people go from rank beginners to good players, from timid to brimming with confidence and guys have got together and formed their own bands.

Sad news.

Recently I was handed a chart for Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington. It meant the guy could play his song, that he'd been practising for a week. It went well, and we had one happy punter.

My Japanese Metro's components are the same as they put on the NYC basses. The Chinese built RSD basses are built to a very different spec, so I would expect the Warwick made Sadowsky pickups and electrics to sound better. How else would they justify the much higher cost? How much better, and would you notice in the mix? I wouldn't know.

First find out which bit failed. Until you know that you shouldn't plan on buying anything. Next replace or repair what failed. Also buy a backup amp.

Is it just Boomers who are buying vintage instruments? I would have thought they are actually being bought by a much wider range of ages.

I'm in the house band for a jam night. It's nominally labelled a blues jam, but we've had folk singers, a drum troupe, a guy on a didgeridoo and every permutation of 2 guitars, bass and drums. We also get the occasional keys players and a brass section. We've been going for over 20 years and have many regulars. We get serious people but the guys who get most out of it are there for a fun night. The one thing I hate with a passion is a badly played slow blues. . . . and Red House in particular. Jeez, show some imagination!! Anyway, turn up and tell the guy running it what you want to do. If they are any good at running jams, they'll try to put you together with people who will be able to support you. Of course you can end up with the guitarist from hell, but that's jam nights for you!