Paul S

TI Flats on everything for me Love the sound, love the feel.

Your post could be a copy and paste of my thoughts on these little beauties. I put a Hipshot bridge on mine, much more confortable for palm muting as well as any other benefits. What is the pickup you have?

For my blues rock trio I have a tablet attached to the mic stand. Even though it is all about the guitarist I actually do most of the mc stuff. On it I have the set list with some notes such as key, who wrote it and when. The latter two I like to throw in occasionally, a few folk who see us regulalry have said they find it interesting. I can usually remember the key (though not always!), most often remember who wrote it but certainly struggle to remember when certain songs were written. But I don't sing at all so when we are playing I am nowhere near the mic stand anyway. Well, small pubs I am but not through choice. Going to be adding a smartphone holder soon as we are trying out some lights that are controlled via an app, if I actually need or want to change settings - for some reason the app isn't available for my tablet, which is a shame. But big names using scrolling screens - seems to me to be very common. A few times at the O2 we've had seats right to one side of the stage and you can see the screens on the front edge of the stage, plus the tech sitting at the side with his laptop controlling the screens. Bottom line - I'm not sure I like to see a singer staring fixedly at words when singing but if it is just a safety net I really don't see what the fuss is about.

I had to count up. 12, plus an EUB and an electroacoustic (but they don't count, do they) 12 is too many, I need to shed a few.

Absolutely. His solo in The King Will Come on Live Dates has one of the best uses of wah-wah I have ever heard.

That doesn't surprise me. MT's sense of entitlement and indignation comes across so strongly it was beginning to overshadow the evening - one of the reasons I left early, couldn't be doing with it. I can easily imagine he was a nightmare to be in a band with. Nevertheless, I will spend this afternoon trying to somehow dial in a similar tone to his Thunderbird out of my Epiphone Classic Pro I'm thinking more high mids.... we'll see.

I just had a little read up about the twists and turns of the band. Apparently Andy Powell sued Martin Turner to stop him using the name 'Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash' so I guess that puts a future reunion off the table.

I would imagine that ship sailed a while back, sadly. Be nice, though. And Ted Turner.

Consecutive nights and a massive contrast. Thursday I saw Level 42 at the IndigO2 and it was just about as good a live performance as you could wish to see at one of my favourite venues. Last night I went to Hockley Community Centre at a recently re-opened venue calling themselves 'The Soundry' to see Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash. For contextv the Wishbone Ash album Live Dates from 1973 remains to this day one of my favourite albums and when they played the Kursaal at Southend the same year it, again, was up there with the best gigs I have ever seen. God they were bad, I left at half time as I didn't want to hear them massacre any more of my favourite songs. Both guitarists were mechanical with absolutely no spark, feel or soul. Chap on the left looked like a rabbit caught in the headlamps and was WAY out of his depth. Chap on the right was better but you'll see better players most weekends in most towns. Martin Turner's voice - never the strongest - was weak and flat, backing vocals were flat - a shame given that vocal harmonies are such an important part of the songs. I didn't appreciate the 3 or 4 minute lectures about the inspiration for writing the lyrics of each song. They just didn't gel as a band. The one saving grace for me was Martin's bass playing. I think he had the most amazing tone out of his Thunderbird, one of the best live bass sounds I have ever heard. But even then he made a couple of shockinigly bad bum notes. Maybe the clues were there - playing a 200 capacity venue must be indicative of something. I've read interviews with MT and he seems very bitter about the success Andy Powell is having, referring to them as a 'Tribute band' as they hadn't written the songs and therefore had no meaning. Well, he certainly laboured that point. My advice to you, as a fan, is get a better band to do your wonderful songs justice.

I was there Thursday, superb. You mentioned your mate is the drum tech. Any idea what the weird mis-shapen cymbal is? I don't recall seeing it before.

That's what I do, except I usually spend 30 mins or so scouring the house looking for them when next needed.

So they just refund you once they have it back, just like before? That is excellent news.

Pre-Brexit I bought loads of stuff, including my band's PA. The only time I ever had a prioblem was trying to do this ^^ so my fault, really. Post Brexit - how does the whole VAT thing work now with returns?

My hands shake too much to do any soldering but something like this works just fine.

Ready, Willing and Able by Whitesnake. I'm ready I'm willing I'm Mable. Explains the hair, I guess.

I am considering getting a mic stand holder for my phone. Standard smart phone size 75mm x 160mm. I don't 'need' one but it would be handy if it was there in front of me. Does anyone have any personal recommendations? Looks like the bottom end of the market isn't worth getting but possibly something sub £20 OK? Stuff like K&M or Hercules is going to be good but seems expensive. Muchas gracias

I'd always summarily dismissed Rickenbackers as one trick clank planks that were too heavy and over priced. By chance I happened upon an accurate, quality, early 70s Japanese faker that was an affordable punt and it completely reversed my opinion about them being one trick clank planks, finding it to be just as versatile as any other bass, just 'different'. I had to move it on as it was too heavy, more is the pity. So now I just consider Rics as being too heavy and over priced

I thought it was 'wake up in the morning baked beans for breakfast. Sold out to every moth and beef-head. Ooooh oh, my ears are alight.

Two I like, because they turn macho rock songs into something banal and fluffy: Judas Priest - 'Rakin' The Lawn' Thin Lizzy - 'Kitten on the Roof' (... a kitten on the roof again, a baby kitten on roof'

I had one that was rehomed in a standard ABS 2U rack case. Worked a treat and saved a lot of weight, too.

I say, well done.

It's your bass so do whatever you feel you want to. Having said that, if it were mine, I'd leave it be and buy a fretted bass. There's plenty out there.