Paul S

Related topic - I have re-valved mine and have the Di attenuator but now find the internal casing vibrates. I've taken it off and run a bead of silicone along the seams but it still happens a bit. Anyone else had this and found an easy fix?

Black, black, maple is my favourite. Here's my JV Squier that sports those materials.

Switched mine on, no probs.

Do you two want to get a room somewhere?

Interesting. I have one and the cooling fan isn't remotely noisy so maybe either you were unlucky or I am lucky? I wanted to have an all valve head but also wanted the very lightest one possible so bought the Prodigy Four:88 which comes in at 14kgs. I was pleased to be offered one secondhand in very good nick and paid a decent price accordingly. I like it very much, as you would expect there is a certain something about the tone that I don't get from any of my non-valve heads, even those with valve preamps. The controls are simple and easy to use. Oh, yes, it is loud and - you want heft? Here is heft! Downsides - 14kg naked equates to 17kgs in the flightcase (OK,hefty toolbox) I bought to keep it in which is pushing it for me. First time I gigged with it one of the valves blew on soundcheck and shorted across a fairly decent bit of the pcb. Repair bill was iro £250. Ouch! How much do I prefer it over my 'now back up but previously go-to' Trace Elliot head? Difficult question to answer but, if I am honest, probably not enough to justify keeping it. But having paid top dollar plus with the cost of repair it owes me too much to move on just yet so here it stays. Just need to wait fro my current lower back episode to improve and my hernia to be fixed before I use it again...

Heavy cabs - can't see me changing from my Supercompacts unless Alex produces something in his laboratory that sounds the same but even lighter. 4 string basses. I play 5 stringers now and already have three lonely 4 stringers, don't need any more. Effects. No longer use them. Anything else is probably still in play.

I saw them at the O2 last year and thought the same. It was at the core of why I didn't leave the venue on a high, really. He isn't Bernard - not his fault. He massively overplayed - very much his fault. A player of his calibre doesn't need to showboat and play for himself - he should play for the music.

I had one, briefly- imported it from Japan. Lovely thing, not overly heavy but too heavy for me - I believe I got the weight down to 9.3kg using ultralite tuners. VERY narrow spring spacing, especially at the bridge. I read somewhere that it was basically a BB3000 body and neck which, if it isn't true, gives an idea of the string spacing. Different tone to the later BBs and absolutely top quality. Lost a shed load of cash on mine when I sold it due to a truss rod issue.

I don't have short fingers but a narrow string spacing is important for me, too. I have a MM Sterling 5, Yamaha BB425, Fender MB-5 and Hohner BV - all these have slim necks with tight string spacing, especially at the nut. I found that 5 string Fender P or J generally have wider necks or are too heavy for me. Can't comment on Ibanez as I haven't tried one. I am sure there are plenty of others.

Assuming your reasoning to be correct, which it may not be

Not really, it is conjecture on your part as to why people might object rather than an explanation by someone as to why they object.

... and I haven't read a good reason why not What is the objection to it?

Certainly is....

Dep drummer was out of the picture - we do some very specific arrangements of stuff, not just standard covers. £100 was covered by £50 out of last Friday's gig and the next one. For me it is more about being presumptuous about spending the rest of our collective money. I wondered if there was some sort of protocol I had previously missed with the talk of 'code'. I'll ask him if he meant the Da Vinci next time I see him

Yes, of course... but... why? That was to Dad...

My little band had a gig scheduled for Christmas eve. Booked by the guitarist, who is a lovely old fella and a great player who also does nearly all the booking. The fee he arranged was our usual £250, which I thought was a bit low for a Christmas eve gig but, hey ho, not a big issue. It was a pub we have not played at before but who regularly have live music so it would be nice to think we'd be asked back. On the Friday before our drummer gets in touch and says he won't be fit for the gig as he had bad flu like symptom - dizzy, no voice, can't stand etc. No dep available, so my impression was that the gig would be cancelled. Shame, especially as it was a new venue for us but, well, stinky poo happens. Guitarist then took it upon himself to track down a replacement band, stays up until 2am brokering a deal on some Facebook page or other for a last minute replacement. However, the replacement band wouldn't turn out for £250, so guitarist offered them an extra £100, which he dropped round to them on the Saturday. He was very pleased with himself for having 'saved the day'. He said 'A lot of bands would have just phoned the pub and said the gig is off'. Also mumbled something about 'the code' . I am not that pleased about it, myself. Finding a replacement I can see was a nice thing to do. Paying the band extra money I think was totally unnecessary - if no band would do it for the money we had arranged then I guess it would have been a lesson to the pub to pay better money on Christmas eve. Also the drummer now feels guilty (who would have thought - a drummer with a conscience ) that because he wasn't well the rest of the band now have to stump up some cash. However, I am certain that if it were brought up he would say 'easy answer, find the gigs yourself' which is conversation I don't want to have. So I ask the good people of Basschat - and the bad ones, too, if they'd like to contribute - what would you have done? And are any of you in the band that had our extra money!?

No, I get that bit. It seems that some people don't want to give their location if it isn't absolutely necessary and I don't get that. It isn't as though you are doing anything sinister with the information, Ped. Or are you?....

I ask this out of genuine curiosity, not to start a fight, but exactly what is the issue behind stating your location? I really don't understand why it is a problem or why anyone would get upset over it. Ta!

Very useful information, I am sure, but not actually what the OP was asking about.

I recently bought a Fender MB-5 on here. Its a slim-necked 5 string, J/J pups, passive and weighs around 7lbs, narrow string spacing at the bridge. MIJ. That is the fiver, so a 4 string would be lighter still. Sounds like a slightly darker version of a Jazz, especially the blend of front and back which really has that burpy quality. It has satisfied my light-weight 5 string Jazz bass GAS for not much outlay and I am very pleased with it. Might be worth taking a look at an MB-4, if one comes along, as I am not sure they come into many folk's radar.

Just to say at this point that I have seen The ELO Experience a couple of times and they put on a totally fabulous show. Pete is spot on. Plus they have young ladies with short sparkly dresses! I think I did about 15 gigs this year. Room for more, I think, although I have other stuff in my life that probably takes up more time than playing live.

well, one has to make an effort, doesn't one.

Big band is easy. It is a Bon Jovi tribute so we generally don't get asked what type of music we play. Small band is difficult to categorise. It is more about what we don't play so answer to q1 is 'we don't play Sex on Fire or other popular Brit Pop/Indie stuff that a lot of bands play. But what we do play always has a element of musicality' Q2 once in a while we look at refreshing the set. Everyone will choose a couple of songs they fancy playing and we discuss it. Seems to work. Q3 - Very much matters to all of us that we play stuff we enjoy and avoid playing stuff we don't.

I am in a general if odd covers band and a Bon Jovi tribute. I use a variety of amps but always Barefaced Supercompact cab. Either one or two depending upon how decadent I feel

I thought that WAS what jazz was about?