Paul S

My blues rock trio Toredown finished off the evening at the Ipswich Weekender last night, set in the wonderful old docks at the heart of Ipswich. Big stage, lights, sound all supplied, marvellous. Parked just round the back of the stage, too. The band before us over ran slightly, we didn't get to do our fiull hour set but played well to a decent and appreciative crowd. Nice to have more space than our usual pub gigs! First outing for my newly acquired Gibson SG - loved it. Link to some vid recorded on an iPad and put of FB this morning, a Lonnie Mack song called Ride The Blinds, and a rare picture of me looking rather serious. https://fb.watch/nfKGl0iQC3/

I had a quality early '70s MIJ 'Faker that was accurate in every detail, especially the weight I absolutely loved it but it was too heavy - now residing with @silverfoxnik

A few posts down from that one I explain it.

For me the type of bass I play is very much a fluid situation. I had always played 4 string basses. Then one of the bands I was in morphed from doing 'rock covers' to a Bon Jovi tribute. A lot of Bon Jovi song basslines dip below E so I got myself a decent 5 string and, over a period of a few months, taught myself how to play one. I got used it it - liked it, even - more for the ease of playing across the neck rather than up and down it. Sold all my 4 strings apart from one, a JV Precision bass, which in hindsight was a mistake as I threw a couple of irreplaceable babies out with the bath water. Added a handful of other 5ers, as you do. After 3 years I stood down from the Bon Jovi band so my 'need' for a 5 string was no longer there. I joined my current blues rock trio and started to choose my Precision over the 5 strings. Gradually sold off my 5 strings and started accumulating 4 string basses again. I am currently finding I prefer playing short scale basses and my long scale basses are soon all going to be moved on.

I like the look of it, like the idea of the pickup position, like the idea of a better bridge than the 3-point. Bridge cover seems pointless but that is easily removed. The thing that puts me off is the bound edge to the body, I can't get around that - such a hard angle is impossible for me the way I play. I have a LP Jnr DC which has a slab body and is just about OK, but binding is too much. Oh, yes, plus the fact that it is £6.5K more than I would pay.

Thank you!

My blues rock trio Toredown have been invited to close the evening for Ipswich Weekender Festival, waterfront on Saturday 23rd 8-9pm. Marvellous! Should be a good event, music all day on a big stage, food, other stuff. Superb location on the heart of the historic docks No flash poster to post, though

C'mon, you do get a box of Gene Simmons picks. Well worth the £6.5K over the cost of a LP Jnr DC.

Riduculously cheap, these are decent basses if you can manage heavy ones. I had one for a while. Collection only from Camberwell. No affiliation with the seller etc. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364486752826?hash=item54dd1a7a3a%3Ag%3Ad4IAAOSwwCJlCIDy&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwA%2BNIFTCYWwa%2BtrNB1Sfd8EU25BA5skWVtbgd%2FRlYPc%2FK7a9f01MKYbN2nhM%2BQMkxeynysXYw%2BFdBLMoIOQq9%2Fofk4gbPNTwA%2FPv%2FCjax33jlm5LXRpFMukeA48s%2FsVT6DaWovf5ueJeU3ddpYdX4OFoU%2FKvLJGHeNuqGv1hzsjfN3fpAnru3EnkOs4KVdr0sAeyzJvy%2Bkxw1VaQGXwokPu1DFLlOif70aYg%2BzmehxGCjRrAJyT5WyICXI%2B8wXNHbw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9buo5TVYg&LH_ItemCondition=3000

I bought a reasonably cheap tattooist's arm rest on eBay, which has an easily detatchable padded, erm, pad that you would rest your arm on. I unscrewed the pad, worked out where the balance point was for the EUB to sit steadily on the stand (that is the important bit), then fixed the arm pad fixing to the back of the Stagg. It kind of straddled the access panel at the back. From there is was a simple matter to slide and unslide the bass into position. it isn't as heavy duty as a drum stand but good enough and very easily adapted. One of these, in fact: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394826558394?hash=item5bed7f2bba:g:q~UAAOSwAExjKfE-&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4BgNvAmcNs3MzccYnPanP%2BgqN6aWcGlKLUXtkH8uAzkLO6sqKhF3N0Se3D0JmJAdFixgNo9GajQ9tFaztK0jnzht8baAJJ7XGrGD3LyON7I2xoH%2BBfT2mE7c55tJUgVxeGXYoxZRJFvsvTpHulfAJCc18PGGFn9xz3c%2BwnEM7dOG9ByY4p6adU6lV3b05RYkM6uRSovdmGPLwNKZzzQ8nKqhIUcKL01l5JM7VoX1puIDvro4oTwx6Hy1IuLNx1pCbbh7qOkDg7Z%2F%2BBUxDefHR%2BxVg3JyVkysbslobPr9Th39|tkp%3ABk9SR6ScqvLUYg At the same time I removed the end pin, which saved weight and the inclination to rattle inside. I also moved the bridge tailpiece so it would take regular sized BD strings.

Another option might be a Dean Pace, although they dopn't appear very often. 35" scale, almost flat radius board, so not exactly a DB experience to play, but quite fun. They come with a *really* sturdy stand that has a nifty swivel joint that keeps it as whatever angle you'd like.

I modified my Stagg by fixing a stand to it - kept it fairly firmly in place for playing. I found it much easier than using the spike.

Somewhere in a 'sliding doors' parallel universe there's a version of me that is slim and handsome

Steve answered my plea for some TI flats, short scale. Refused to take any money for them. What else is there to be said?

I have more gear than I could possibly need or want but, yes, Gas strikes from out the sun when you least expect it. I decided a while ago that the word 'gas' was filled with negative connotations when it wasn't necessarily a negative state of mind. I tend to regard it as 'curiosity' now, rather than gas. So, rather than slavishly 'gassing' for something and then 'giving in' I now think positively 'I am curious about what that bit of gear is like so will buy and try'.

I think Joe Bonamassa's cover of Tim Curry's Sloe Gin, although not in itself that bad, lacks the poignancy and pathos of the original. Making the lyric 'family friendly' kind of misses the point, I think, and his assumed, pseudo-gravelly singing tends to grate on my nerves after a while.

If you don't know it, check out Backseat Education. The lyrics are the height of parody.

Tears for Fears 'Songs From The Big Chair' and Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' for me.

I've used Brian and Tim for different things and they are both too notch. But they offer different products so I guess it depends what you want. Brian will make any size or shape from regular 1,2or 3 ply material in a bewildering range of colours. Tim also makes any size or shape but uses clear perspex with any design you want printed on the underneath.

Isn't that just typical of Anna - next time she's round for lumch I'll buy in from Lidl and not Waitrose. She only picks at it it anyway so most likely won't notice.

Hell yeah! Good call. This track in particular IMO.

This reminds me about a story from a guitarist I was in a band with. His function band kicked around the idea of playing the Carpenter's 'Good-bye to Love' so he thought he'd get ahead of the curve and learnt the extended solo note for note. No mean task but, tbf, he was up to it. A couple of rehearsals passed with no mention of the song so he asked when they were going to be having a run through, eager to show off his prowess. Band leader said 'No, we decided against it in the end - didn't you get the email?'