Paul S

@hiram.k.hackenbacker has encyclopedic knowledge of such stuff. Warren to the bridge!

I was a late starter! Had my first gig in front of real people in 2008 aged 51. Marconi Social Club in Chelmsford. Band was called 'Still The Thrill', I'd just bought a 'proper' bass - that Hayman 4040 - and was still concentrating hard where to put my fingers. Edit - notice Frankenstein's monster on keys.

Those two basses must be the most pointless custom jobs I have ever seen. What on earth was he thinking?

always get one bigger than you think because it doesn't take long to fillet. Sorry.

Very definitely this. You get a wave of appreciation coming back at you that is nothing remotely like what you get as a pub band. Above all it is immense fun, which is what it is all about. I'm in a Bon Jovi tribute - Just Jovi. For reasons I can't quite still understand we have no professionally shot film yet but this is what we have by way of a demo. (plug - next gig 23rd Feb Leigh Community Centre)

OOh yes! Gonna have to check that out. Delighted to see he is still the showman, still pulling the faces, still got the touch. Thank you.

Well, there you are - do it!

I saw them as support for Black Sabbath 'The End' at the O2 Arena. Fab band! I liked this an awful lot when I first heard it, still do. Seen them a couple of times.

Los Lobos it aint...

The other skill is realising when you've got there, and not selling it on to find something better 😢 Edit - that's what you said. I am a dimwit. I had a beauty - MIJ P bass body, lots of mojo, light as a feather. Mighty Mite maple Jazz neck, Wizard Trad pup, P retro, Hipshot tuners, Hipshot A style bridge.

Best not bought used, either 🤢

And another!

That is some memory to have. Some while back - think it was 1973 - I saw a fledgling SAHB and Uriah Heep on the same bill at an all day bash at the Ally Pally. Went on to see SAHB another half dozen times over the years, plus SAHB without Alex. Couldn't agree more about Zal Cleminson, an absolutely one-off creative genius. I wonder what he is doing now?

I still can't get past my Trace Elliot amps. My 'go to' is an AH300 that had been mounted in an ABS Gator 2U case and weighs just 12kg all in. A compromise that works well enough for me, despite the fragile back. There is something about the tone that just does it for me. I've spent a fortune on an enormous variety of class D heads, an even bigger fortune on a Mesa Boogie. Plug me into my Trace Elliot, run through a Barefaced Supercompact - job done, big smile.

I would imagine the choice is narrowed by it being a 5string. Otherwise I'd suggest a B2b, which has a bolt- on neck (and p/j pups too)

There is a gym instructor - as in the bottom rung 'putting the weights back in the rack' level - at the place I go to, barely earning minimum wage, who will tell anyone that listens that he was a fully qualified solicitor. Also he was on course to be a professional footballer until injury got in the way. I sometimes wonder if he did both lots of training simultaneously.

Can't find an existing topic so it gives me great pleasure to leave feedback for Rod, who just bought my Mesa Prodigy Four:88 amp. Had a nice chat, really friendly fellow, left me with an nevnelope of folding stuff. A pleasure doing business!

This - absolutely this - sums up my view. There is music I like and music I don't like. Genre is irrelevant. Of course music, like any art form, is so subjective so I try to shy away from using terms like 'good music' or 'bad music' because what I consider to be bad, someone might consider to be good.

Being a cheapskate I often go to boot sales and one time picked up 2m of this stuff for £5. It is smelly and heavy! Does the job perfectly though.

Yeah, me too. I spent a family holiday's worth of cash on my Mesa Prodigy Four:88. OK, it is too heavy for me otherwise I would still be using it but, ultimately, I was just trying to get it to sound like a slightly sparklier version of my TE head.

It is a constant trickle of irritation in my little band. Drummer and I take pains to get note/beat perfect if practicable or necessary (although not always). Guitarist (who else?) is an exceptionally capable and talented player but always tries to shoehorn in 'doing our own version' because I believe his memory is failing - he prefers to busk things. Sometimes, as a result, we end up doing some very good alternative versions but, sometimes, it all sounds much the same. One tune in particular irritates the tits off me - no idea why particularly - we do Roachford's 'Cuddly Toy'. He insists on playing over the breakdown where there should be no guitar. Kills the song stone dead by taking away the light and shade. There, unloaded that, feels much better [/rant]

Not looking good, frankly

My Bon Jovi tribute band, Just Jovi, are playing at Leigh Community Centre, Leigh-on-sea, Essex on Saturday 23rd Feb £12 on the door, £10 in advance from this link Support will be 80s rock covers extravaganza Yankee Rose Be great if any of you could come along To give an idea of what we sound like - here is 'Living on a Prayer' recorded from the desk at our last gig. Audio only at the moment.