chris_b

I used to select the bass based on the sound required for each band, but I was told I make my J5 and PJ5 sound pretty similar so these days I just play what I fancy on the day.

I have 2 gig bags; Mono M80 Vertigo and a leather Harvest Buffalo Retro Vintage bag. Both give excellent protection and ease of use. If you play decent basses you have to protect them with the best.

Get some flats and never buy a set of strings again.

Duck Dunn Wilton Felder James Jamerson Nathan East Tommy Cogbill

People buy bass gear for a number of reasons: They like the look. They like the sound. They think it's better. Their hero plays one. That's all they can afford. They joined the club. They joined a tribute band. They have a wad of cash burning a hole. The became a session bass player in New York. CNC and automation has made the bass we play pretty irrelevant to the sound we make. The players from the 50's, 60's and 70's etc, would still recognise the basses we play today, but the bass gear, amps, cabs and pedals have totally changed the game. In reality, all the songs I've played in the last 30 years could just as easily have been played on a second-hand Squier, Sire or Sue Ryder bass, and would have sounded just as good to an audience, and many of the bands. The basses I bought were actually my vanity project. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

At least you got there. So did I, and in the process I learnt that having to take wild swings at the EQ, meant I had the wrong amp.

. . . . or equally bad. I'm not judging.

That's the beauty of most musical instruments, you can be an idiot or have a PhD in Music and you can make an equally good sound.

A flat sounding amp is like cooking without salt. Boring. Find the amp that sounds good with the controls at 12 0'clock. Congratulations, you've found the amp for you.

I use the foam filled aluminum cases. Similar to this one. . . .

Can you get a 4 ohm 212 of the same make as your 8 ohm 112? As your amp can run at 2.67 ohms, you'll have the option of 112, 212 and 312 rigs.

Nothing is perfect, but I'd vote for The Band, brown album https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPbIbHUem0&list=PLE31AAD9114F343C4&ab_channel=Nalencer Little Feat, Feats Don't Fail Me Now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-bfli0B4ss&list=PLz6cAheObZcg_WXTIn-YKPOr3PUOkrXG0&ab_channel=SouthernRocker

I always use the unused fingers on both hands for muting.

We used to play a particularly nice pub near Reading, which was somehow full of the scummiest people you could imagine. They had every last detail mentioned in this post off pat. Including the guy who stood in front of the singer and pulled his pants down (his, not the singer's) to display his massive pink torpedo! Some sort of weird local mating ritual or just boasting? Our singer was an ugly 60 year old bloke, so we were never sure what his objective was!!

So far I haven't had a bad experience in the 6-8 times I've sent bass gear with Interparcel and DHL. I hope that doesn't mean I'm due one soon!!

Hendrix - Wild Thing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFlw-hojM6I

I've been using Dunlops strap locks on all my basses since the 80's and never had a failure. Lubricating them? That's the first time I've heard that one!!

Rule of thumb.. . . add 25%.

These bags are buy once and use for at least 2 generations.

I had a panic attack just looking at the photo!!

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.