Paul S

I have been gigging for 10 years - something of late-comer - and had an amp fail on me once at soundcheck. Mesa Boogie - one of the valves went and took an amount of the pcb with it. As usual I had my back up Quilter Basssblock in the car - so all was good. Could have got away with a DI from the BDI-121 I also carry but prefer to have backline. To my way of thinking the number of times I have used a back up amp is kind of a side issue. Same with taking a back up bass. It seems a bit like asking how many times you have had to claim on your house insurance - I guess most people will pay it annually regardless of claiming. But that is just me - I am very much a belt and braces type. .

Well that didn't take long. Insulting people who disagree with your own opinion isn't a great way to have a discussion.

By contrast I saw Rival Sons a couple of years back supporting Black Sabbath at O2 Arena and really enjoyed them. The Led Zep 'likeness' was there but that was all it was - the band played decent songs with power, skill and energy. Unlike Black Sabbath who, for me, had played a tour too long. I take everything I see on merit, not past performances.

Joe Walsh got a mention in the OP but his purple patch solo stuff was before he joined the Eagles. That isn't knocking him - I think he is one of the good guys - just adjusting the time line.

I did all my rock listening in the late 60s/early 70s and after reading the hyperbole soo wanted to like this bunch. But I don't. They simply aren't very good. Style over substance. They must have spent weeks in front of the mirror, trying to get the pose and clothes right but they don't have the spark or energy. The tunes are lack-lustre, the playing less than mediocre. Yes he sounds a bit like Plant but, to me he sounds more like 'Little Eva' - maybe they should consider a cover of 'The Locomotion'. Singer has a few scripted poses but otherwise has the presence of a shop dummy. Before heaping praise on these poorly manufactured imposters folks should watch footage of any of the rock greats from the late 60s early 70s - Led Zep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and there is just no comparison - they were even younger than this bunch when they started but they could PLAY - with energy and excitement. That ain't rose tinted glasses, it is having ears and a soul. Seems to me the fuss made about this lot has less to do with what they are like as a band but more about the state of modern rock music and the dearth of talent. 'In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king'. [/rant] IMO etc, obvs.

A little talc would do it. I use it when playing the rubber bands on the Uke bass which feel very sticky in no time.

The most unusual bass I own now is a recently acquired Yamaha BX-5. Unusual enough in black as a 4 string, let alone a white 5 string. Not my bass but it looks exactly like this: Edit - so there must be at least one other!! 😄

Bought some cables from John. Couldn't have been easier - good comms, immediate dispatch, well packaged. Deal with confidence!

I swapped to 5 from 4 a coupe of years ago. I am used to it now and, with no plans to mess my head up by swapping around, will stick to 5. Having said that, I recently acquired a Dean Pace 5 to see if a 5 string EUB worked for me. And in all honesty I prefer playing the 4 string Stagg I already have - the longer scale length, string spacing and curved fingerboard radius just seem easier for me to play upright. Maybe it is more a factor of how different the Dean Pace is rather than the extra string, but I reckon the Stagg's 4 strings will cater for all my EUB needs.

I have Line 6 G50 and it is very good. I had a better lead made by obbm for the transmitter unit>jack, as many people do. My only complaints about it are the battery life indicator on the transmitter tells outrageous lies and the whole unit is a little bit clumsy. Those are the main reasons why I ordered the Boss LW50 - I much prefer the idea of the direct plug-in bug, the rechargeable battery in the transmitter that docks into the base unit, plus the small size of the base unit. Incidentally, it isn't going to be available until Januray, it seems.

I think my biggest problem with effects was (still is, tbh) I never really understood how to get the best out of them and it always sounded, to me, rather clumsy. I went through a phase (!) of using a few pedals, then changed to a multi-effect pedal but for the past 3-4 years have been pedal free. I recently bought and now habitually use a compressor but I don't think of that in the same way as an 'effect'. I remember if felt quite liberating not using them, when it happened.

Unusual name - I have a number of large specimen 'tropical' plants in my garden bought from a nursery called Akamba. Turns out to be the same people. I knew they had diversified but had no idea there was a music venue as well.

I'm assuming the test was carried out around 11am when it was nice and quiet.

My Mesa Boogie is still here, Bas, if you are desperate to break your run. Just sayin'.

I see this as a reaction to wireless technology. Now all you simply do is connect Guitar>jeans>pedals>amp - as long as you either get a/ very long leads or b/ aren't very mobile I see a lot of mileage in this. You'll save a fortune in belts AND never be unplugged again accidentally. Bit complicated if you need to nip off to the loo, I'll grant you.

My experience of this is the old Trace Elliot scenario, discussed at length in other threads. My old AH250, with 250 Trace Elliot Watts, is the loudest amp I have ever owned - the list of shame includes TC Electronic RH750, GenzBenz Streamliner 900, Mark Bass Little Mark Tube 800 and currently (although the loudest of the bunch) Quilter Bass Block 800. Even the Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 is quieter. Edit, perversely it is louder than my AH300.

You may have to wait a while, it was gutted by fire in June, sadly. Like Old Slapper, I can't even cut straight to always stand in awe of people with the skills to carry out these builds and your Ric is absolutely beautiful. I've never played a Ric, not even picked one up. I had a Jolana copy for a short while but that was a copy in shape only. I absolutely love the look of them.

I can't speak for anyone else but I have never, ever bought anything - bass, car, stuff for the home - with impressing other people in mind. I get stuff for my own gratification.

There is an official Trace Elliot authorised agent/repairer, whatever that means, near to me in Southend and they haven't been able to get 'proper' rack ears for many years now. It is worth doing by whatever means, though - taking the heads out of the heavy wooden boxes lightens the load considerably. I have one which is the exact replica of Deedee's and it is very portable.

It is all clearly explained in this video, with graphs etc

For me - and I am sure an awful lot of us on this forum - the words 'need' and 'want' are very different things. The way I look at it - if I want something nice, have the money to spend on it and the space to keep it, then I will get it. The fact that I might not actually need it is largely irrelevant.