Paul S

There, that's fixed. Makes a difference to some people - me included. Although FOR ME it is actually string spacing, rather than the actual width of the neck. I struggle to play a 4 string bass with a neck that is 43mm wide at the nut but happily play a 5 string bass with a 45mm neck.

Anyway, anyone who thinks the Bon Jovi puns are finished please Raise Your Hands. Have a Nice Day!

No, These Days I am Just Older. I guess I need to Keep The Faith that I can keep up with the young'uns. And I don't suppose it will be for Always.

That must be the definitive reply. How did you choose your online name, tall_martin?

I hope so. Not so easy now I am turned sixty but I reckon I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.

Not guaranteed - Tribute bands are potentially a Bed of Roses.

But 6" would be far too long, surely? I'm 5'10", pretty chunky and, before migrating to 5 strings was forced on me, had an array of short scale basses as well as medium scale and long scale. My favourite was a Squier VM Mustang - something about the tone and playability hit the spot for me. I didn't think twice about how a small bass looks. If there comes a time when I sell my 5 strngers I will go straight onto eBay to seek out a Mustang.

No Bon Jovi, either - maybe an opportunity.... Bilbo - what is the air like up there atop your ivory tower? I get an idea of the view from what you post.

Also saw Rhonda Smith using one quite a bit at a gig with Jeff Beck - pizz and arco - also Ged Grimes using one with Simple Minds, albeit more style over substance in that case.

Last night saw the Hamish Stewart Band at the Maritime room at the Cliff's Pavilion. A small (200max) informal venue - Mrs S and I were sat at the first set of tables so i could have leaned forward and touched the guitar player, had I the inclination. Saw them here last year, too,so I knew what to expect. I've seen and enjoyed the current Average White Band but IMO it is Hamish that ignites a performance, raises it to another level. The man just oozes funk and rhythm. Helped by a band of superlative musicans - Steve Pearce has to be the bassist I enjoy listening to live more than any other at the moment. He stays in the pocket, branching out with some fantastic runs once in a while, but always being creative - an absolutely masterclass of funky, soulful bass playing. The whole band are constantly laughing and just having a blast. Hamish's voice isn't what it was but he can still turn in a powerful vocal performance 'A Love Of My Own' being a beautiful example.

Didn't spot her. Any reason she would be?

Saw Go West at the Apex theatre in Bury St Edmunds last night. Mrs S and I go to see Go West whenever they are in striking distance of home, usually 3 or 4 times a year. Apex is a good venue - 500 seater, sound is always crisp. Peter Cox's voice was very slightly under par for this gig but the band were totally on the money. We both reckon, having seen them since they started, that this is the best incarnation of the band. Bassist Vinzenz Benjamin is phenomenal and the new young guitarist squarely ticks the Alan Murphy boxes. (there is a tenuous connection - his dad was in the band when Alan Murphy was) This was part of their 35th anniversary tour, not bad going. Downside being caught in Bury St Edmunds rush hour lockdown - our 30 minute 'flex time' was used up sitting in a jam in Parkway. Bonus for the night free parking in the short stay car park after 3pm on a Tuesday and 'The Sheesh' Turkish restaurant, just 3 minute walk from the Apex, was superb. Not tried it before but it will be our regular now when going to this venue. Note to self - arrive before rush hour.

Still, on the plus side the scratchplate is a nice cheery shade of orange

Go on then. 30 secs in is the reason the adolescent me watched this religiously every week

Early Black Sabbath for me. First time I heard Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath it was like suddenly entering a different time zone or dimension. All very dark and sinister.

To be fair, chaps, it would have been a rather lengthy poll had I split it down to 4 string 10% 5 string 90% 4 string 20% 5 string 80% 4 string 30% 5 string 70% etc. And then someone would have complained that it didn't have an option for using a 4 string 25% of the time so couldn't possibly vote

Her other claim to fame...

I feel much the same way. 99.9% of punters don't give a rat's arse about the sound of the bass, but I do so I go to some length to get the best sound 'for me'. Which is generally speaking a Precision bass with a slight mid-scoop eq.

I would say, with complete lack of sympathy, that your main concern is missing out. If you had been that bothered, you would have remembered and the bass would have been yours. Lesson learnt, move on.

I am curious as to what kind of percentage of us use various stringed basses. These days I use 5 string only - how about you?

That's where it works for me, Marc - at some gigs I switched from one to the other and this makes it much simpler. That plus an A/B box. I think a cymbal stand would probably be more secure - the downside of this is that it feels a little bit lightweight. Then again, it has never been a problem. I also moved the end piece up a touch so I could use normal size strings - now sporting a set of Innovation black rockerbillies, which look and sound vastly better. And pretty much as soon as I had done that we changed the format of the set and I don't play it any more!

Re. stand, I bodged a stand for my Stag that actually works pretty well. The donor was a tattoo leg/arm rest - took off the pad and it gave me this quick release jobbie. Once it is folded up it (nearly) fits into the bow pocket on the carry bag, too.

I had my Line 6 wireless transmitter do an HJ on me once, I managed to do the same thing in roughly the same amount of time. Battery indicators on those seem to work in a different time continuum. Start of gig, 6hrs battery life left. 1hr 30 mins into gig, oops... Lesson learnt - use new batteries each gig. More recently a newly acquired Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 suddenly made a loud distorted noise accompanied by the very expensive smell of burning electrics. Luckily at the sound check, if you can say any aspect of an expensive amp blowing up is lucky. Went to the boot, got my back up amp, not a problem. Well, except my nose was spot on - cost me £250 to have some innards replaced. My main thought at receiving that news was 'I could have got a new Trace Elliot head for less than that'.

Likewise. I saw them on the 'Burn' tour with Coverdale and Hughes - missed MkII by a year or so. It was at the Kursaal in Southend and I have an enduring memory from that night of a girl without a stitch on getting on stage and jumping onto Ritchie Blackmore. He had the presence of mind to unsling his guitar and strum it on her backside. It remains one of the best gigs I have seen. Saw them again with Morse some years later and found them a little disappointing - it seemed rather churlish that they didn't play anything from the period Gillan wasn't in the band. Plus by that time his voice was shot to bits.

I think it is a bit like volcanoes. They sit there doing not much then periodically erupt. You'll have your Pompeii moment soon enough.