Paul S

I always ask for breast of rusk. Can't be doing with bones.

If I ever knew that info has long gone to the far recesses of my brain, never to resurface. I've had a few of these in various formats. B2, passive. B2V passive 5er, B2A, active. B2ABD with the drop tuner. B2B which was passive with a bolt on neck and P/J pups. The latter was my favourite.

I've had a few of these, couple of pics to hand. One had 'EMG Select' on the picups, one had nothing just like yours.

I get the same thing that I'd left at home by the door, which is a TC Spectradrive and a tuner of some sort. Saves having to learn anything new.

I've been playing with a pick for years and still feel like an ungainly tool 😂

Sold a Thunderbird to Quent in the most straightforward of transactions. Great coms, kept me informed at each stage. Met up this morning to hand the bass over - nice friendly chap A pleasure doing business. Enjoy the bass and I hope you don't get found out!

If we are doing sad 'love has gone' stuff, this one will bring a lump nto my throat. Then I look at his hat and it cheers me up

Fabulous little amps.

I wonder if a strat pickup cover might fit?

My lot are supporting Dr Feelgood (again!) this coming Thursday at the Waterfront, Norwich. It's a flippin' long way for me to travel but we couldn't turn it down, once asked.

I tried my hardest - attired in a fancy western shirt and cowboy boots.

Bit of an odd one. We were at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket last night, support for Spanish blues/rock artist Susan Santos who is doing a UK tour. Lovely venue, which I am told will hold 250 at capacity - we've played there before to a packed crowd supporting Danny Bryant so we were all looking forward to this one immensely. Easy load in, very relaxed, great soundman. Mezzanine area for the bands and staff to sit and relax. Susan was very nice, as were her band - bass and drum session players hired for the tour. Sound was brilliant, great big stage. I don't know whay went wrong but only 34 people turned up and they sat, poker faced, through our set with polite applause between songs. Then exactly the same during Susan Santos' set - which was fabulous. She is very good - good guitar player, some very good songs. Session guys were amazing. Difficult to get into it when there is nothing coming back at you although we had a number of people come up to us at the end to say nice things. Sold one CD and had the promise of a future booking in our own right but I'll believe that when it happens. Susan Santos at soundcheck - my guitarists picture.

Big shoes to fill, Pete.

The perfect tribute band name, right there.

The best tone I got aside from heavy Trace Elliot gear was from a Tecamp Puma. Looks like Bass Bros has a 900 in stock. https://bassbros.co.uk/product/tecamp-puma-900/ That'll fit in your back pocket.

Def. keep the Encore. What I would consider doing in your situation, assuming you have any DIY skills whatsoever, is very carefully dismantle it. Keeping note of where everything went with lots of pictures or diagrams at every stage. Take your time. See how it all comes apart, which bits are connected to whic other bits. Gives you the opportunity to give it all a damned good clean. Put it back together. Precision basses are pretty straightforward and you'll learn tons doing it.

You have clearly made this up. The clouds don't ever part for long enough for the moon to shiine in south Wales.

This is even more fascinating that Kniphofia northiae offsets In a strange reversal I have no idea what you are doing but it is magnifcent 😂

No, not yet. I haven't bothered my own GP with it thus far. But it is nice to know there might be something to help further on down the line.

It's a nuisance, for sure. Left hand is worse but right hand also not great. My job was designing gardens and I drew the plans by hand but unfortunately I haven't been able to do that for some while. One reason I retired early. A good mate of mine is a GP and he is keeping tabs on it, thankfully.

Reminds me of the joke. Advice for travelling through bear country. Sew or otherwise fasten small silver bells into your clothing - the tinkling noise scares them off. FAQ. How do you know you are in bear country? Check for bear poo. How do you recognise bear poo? It's usually got small silver bells in it.

Saw them at the Cliff's Pavilion, Westcliff last night. Great show. Since I saw them last MK has shed a decent amount of weight and looked great. His voice was even better - best singing from him for years. I wonder if the two are related? Great set, too - loads of oldies. Not heard them play Microkid for yonks. Technical problems - something in his board went wrong and he ended up playing the last few songs and encores going straight into the amp with a lead. And his white bass developed a problem with the output jack so he abandoned it and stuck with the red one. It did impact on the sound but I thought it was interesting to hear the band without his effects in the mix. Someone in another post mentioned a rumour that this was going to be their last tour. I don't know if that is right but they kicked off with 'Almost there' which I haven't heard them play for years. When they started to gig after COVID they kicked off with 'To See You Again'. I wonder if MK enjoys playing around like that, giving off little clues? Also on the last few tours he has always ended the night by saying 'See you in 2 years' and he didn't this time.

I'm 66 and feel every bit as energised about a forthcoming gig and, on the night, playing as I ever have. Next day is another matter... I have a low-level neurological condition called 'essential tremor' that makes my hands shake. It's getting worse - a full mug of tea rarely stays full for long - and I guess this will ultimately decide for me when to pull the plug once I can't play accurately any more. Given that I don't play anything complicated that day is most likely a long way off

My 3 piece blues/rock oufit get £300 for our monthly residency - guaranteed 12 gigs this year and we've been booked for all of 2024, too. I am pleased with that. We do go out for £250-£270 if it is a new place we want to try out but ask for £300 for a repeat. We got door money at a blues club a couple of weeks ago and walked away with £500, which was a pleasant surprise. Conversely we get support gigs and music festival gigs that barely cover expenses but we consider to be worth doing for the old 'raising our profile' thing - which has actually happened so we continue to do them. Plus we have got some great media showing us playing bigger stages by doing that - which is priceless. What other hobby does this?! At the end of the night you have a smile on your face and some cash in your wallet. Long may it continue.

I used to think that once bands/performers had started to lose it they should pack up. I've probably said as much on here before now. But I have recently had a shift in mindset. If they want to carry on that's entirely up to them. The main question is - do I want to see them? That's up to me. Example. Last week I saw the Hamish Stuart Band at The Maritime Room in the fabulous local venue The Cliff's Pavilion. You can maybe squeeze 200 in there, tops. Now Hamish lost the power and control of his magnificent falsetto many years ago and some might find his vocal performances in recent years to be toe-curlingly awful. But he still has the funk and he still draws in a band of top session musicians. Rhythm section was Ash Soan and Steve Pierce. Playing in a small room. It was a total thrill to hear them improvise thier way through some of Hamish's most famous songs. As a vocal performance it was not great (he has been worse, tbh, but I guess his voice is well oiled, fresh from a tour with Ringo Starr) but as an enjoyable gig it was stupendous.