Paul S

Last night my blues rock trio Toredown played at the Black Bear Harley Davidson dealership in Newmarket. Fabulous place, the largest in Europe apparently, huge swanky showroom filled with bikes and merch. Lots of chrome. Very nicely done. Anyhoo, we set up under the huge front canopy over the entrance. The evening was one of their music nights, free to turn up with a BBQ laid on. Great place to play, load in/out couldn't have been easier. Weather ws amazing, warm with the setting sun in front of us. We played well, sounded good but the crowd - around 40 or 50 I suppose - didn't ever seem to get into it. Must be the first gig we have played where we didn't play an encore. I felt a little bit down as a result until the manager came out, told us how good we were and he'd like us to play at their anniversary event next summer, expecting around 1000 punters. Strange but good! A rare outing for my Epiphone Classic Pro Thunderbird which was growling away nicely - I avoid using it in pubs as I usually hit something with the headstock. Here are a couple of videos - FB I am afraid - a couple of Lonnie Mack songs Cincinnati jail. https://fb.watch/mv0pWb14I_/ Riding the Blinds https://fb.watch/mv0eja7X2t/

I'd second the Tonerider. To my ears it doesn't sound a whole pile different to the Fender 62 Custom. Fat, lots of oomph, nice bite.

Looks like the guitarist didn't get the dress code memo

Kramer Duke or Hondo Alien.

Hamish has always used a pick when playing bass, too.

Another vote against the vocals, I just can't get past them so avoid listening to Rush at all costs now. I'm sure a lot of the stuff I enjoy would have folks reaching for the off switch - we're all different 🙂

As an aside, some years ago I saw the Average White Band with Alan Gorrie. I enjoyed them a lot, always one of my favourite bands, but there was a spark missing. Then, a few years later, I saw the Hamish Stuart band at a tiny local venue. He was the clearly the source of the funk because the band were amazing. Steve Pearce on bass. Then a few years after that I saw the 360 Band, Hamishes other lot, which had Steve Ferrone on drums and Steve Pearce on bass. What a rhythm section! Hamish has lost the voice but hasn't lost the funk.

My blues/rock trio Toredown are playing a music night at BlackBear Harley Davidson, Newmarket on 17th August. Event is 6.30-9pm, we are playing 7-8.30pm. Food, biker type stuff. And us, of course

I get that English isn't your first language but suspect you are just as rude to people in Danish Arrogance knows no boundaries!

i did the same - sdtopped playing in my early 20s and hadn't joined a band when I was 45. That was 20 years ago. What you need more than anything is a positive outlook - anything else will come from that.

Not as quickly as my choice of basses

Genius. Why not?

Could always stick the dongle in a strap-mounted holder and use an extension lead into the output jack?

I've been wireless for a few years now because of all the reasons above. I've played theatres, I've played pubs that struggle to fit in more than 30 people. I don't see what venue size has to do with it, really - many big name bands I have seen live use instrument leads, many don't. I see it as more of a choice thing. I use a Boss WL-50 - have done for 3 years or more and it has never put a foot wrong. It costs £180 +/-. The Shure kit costs £540 +/- and by all accounts doesn't put a foot wrong. But I wonder what extra value I would get from the Shure that the Boss doesn't deliver, given that it has been 100% on point? But then my main gigging bass at the moment is a 70s Eros short scale EB-3 that cost me £220. Maybe I am just a tightwad I have dispensed with the mains lead, too, by using a rechargeable power brick for my rudimentary pedalboard. I already DI into the pa so that leaves one more to ditch - is it possible to go wireless between the pedalboard and the desk? I see no reason why not. There's a thought....

It entirely depends upon which model. The Classic Pro iV and Vintage Pro (now called the 60s bass) are fabulous. I had a Gibson T Bird, sold it, missed it, bought a Classic Pro and it sounds and feels the same but is better finished than the Gibson was. I think the tuners might be a little clunkier but they are fine as is. If weight is an issue it pays to shop around as they can vary - my Classic Pro is exceptionally light at 8lbs. They don't feel like Jazz bases when you wear them, the neck seems very long and the first fret seems a long way away, but once you get used to them they are fab. Look cool as flip, even on a thick waisted ugly old guy like me 3 point bridge on the Classic Pro is a problem if you don't like them but there are drop in replacemets. I got used to them. But other than that, both have set neck and Gibson pickups. The big trip wire on these is getting a hard case that fits. These two models have extra large headstocks (yet no neck dive?!) so early Epiphone T Bird cases don't fit. Edit - Snap! Another edit.

Saturday night we 'headlined' the Beetroot, Beer and Blues Festival, held at the Wheatsheaf, Tattingstone - a lovely country village pub a few miles east of Ipswich. There were bands all through from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. Food and drink free top bands, camping available for those who wished. It had been raining the night before but Saturday was just very windy - the small tent we played in was blowing aorund, as was everything else. Still, it calmed down a lot by the time we were on - 8pm-10pm. I saw all of the band before us - Joel Fisk and the Breakdown. Great set from them, really good band. Some lovely slide guitar on show. We decided to use our own pa - 2 x RCF EVOX 8 - which doesn't take us long to set up and it means we can sit it at the back and dispense with monitors. Rain clouds gathered during our set which, because of the wind, would have meant finishing but - luckily - it held off all night. I reckon there were probably 120 or so people there, many of whom migrated indoors once the sun set and it got a bit chilly. So it did seem a bit lonely outside, playing to the 50 or so die-hards who stayed outside to listen and dance. Still, we played well, were well received and got fed, watered and paid. A12 was shut, went home along the back roads but still only just over an hour, so all good. Here are a couple of vids someone took on an iPad, now uploaded to our Facebook page. Shows how clearly the pa, which was still coasting, comes across even outside. Bass sounds fab, by some measure my best and favourite at the moment- a 70s Eros EB=3 short scale. Unusually one of our regulars who came to see us made a point of mentioning it. Sweet Home Chicago - we usualy play through the last bit, don't do the stop https://fb.watch/lQQPuW29P8/ Jesus Just Left Chicago. https://fb.watch/lQRKWoPpzJ/ Two of the less challenging bass lines

I like Precision basses. I've owned loads, handled even more. The two that have stayed with me are a Squier JV and a 70s Antoria.

Everything is pointless, right up until there is a point to it. The point may evade some people, individually, in which case it may appear, to them, to be pointless. But for others there is a point, in which case it is not pointless. The thing is to appreciate the point as it applies to others, even if it is pointless to you personally. I might keep this on my clipboartd and paste it into every thread

My blues-rock trio Toredown are 'headlining' the Beetroot, Beer and Blues Festival at The Wheatsheaf, Tattingstone, tomorrow 8pm-10pm. I think the downpours and thunderstorms will have finished by the time we are on, leaving just the 50mph gusts of wind to contend with. Do pop along if you fancy holding down a corner of our banner or gazebo. Eating beetroot isn't compulsory so don't let that put you off.

What my lot did was this. I bought the pa for £2K. Working on a nominal depreciation of 50% over 3 years, losing £1K which was divided by the 3 of us, the other 2 band members each paid me £130 each year for the first 3 years. We are now looking at the next 3 years, 50% depreciation, so £500 over 3 years divided by the 3 of us so I expect to get £65 from them both each year for 3 years. But the pa is still mine, they are just covering their share of the depreciation costs as opposed to part ownership. Not sure what happens if any of us leave the band, though. If it is me I guess I sell it to the others but if either of them go then it is less straight forward. We'll work it out in the event anything happens, so hopefully won't need to.

Yes, that's right Warren, although it was some years ago now and not via eBay. I bought a Yamaha BB8000 via Danny aka Bass Hunter then 3 other medium scale jobs direct via Ishibashi. At the time it was financially viable with a decent exchange rate plus it opened the door to models that were extremely hard to find over here. The service and transactions were totally trouble free - the biggest drawback was Parcel Force dragging their feet but for a couple I went via DHL and it was a delight. They informed you it was about to arrive and sent a proforma for the import duty etc to pay ahead of time. I seem to recall one of the basses took just 3 days door to door from Tokyo.

I've been using one since they came out (3, 4 years?) for gigs and rehearsals and it hasn't ever distorted or had a drop out.