Paul S

As a side issue to another thread this came up. What gigs have you left early? As in 'I don't want to waste any more of my life watching this nonsense' as opposed to 'Ill miss the last train if I don't leave'. I'll start with 5 off the top of my head. Maceo Parker at the O2 Brooklyn Bowl (How I miss that venue!). The guy is a legend. But I didn't want to hear of the same phrase being repeated for 10 mins while another band member told us how much of a legend he was. Then Maceo spent 10 mins doing the same thing for all the rest of the band at the start of the next few songs. I didn't particularly care that the backing singer was one of James Brown's backing singers, I wanted to hear some funk. It was so much of a gig as a who's who. Left after an hour. Snarky Puppy O2 Brooklynn Bowl. Sorry, I know. The bass player is a legend. Self indulgent tosh IMO. Left after 40 mins. Stereophonics at the O2. Awful racket. Left after 30 mins. Govnt. Mule. O2 Booklyn Bowl. Same old licks song after song. left after 40 mins. Christopher Cross at the Cliffs Pavilion, Westcliff. Failed to reach any of his high notes and his voice, never strong, was a pathetic whining noise. Inappropriate guitar solos. Left at half time. Who made you get up a leave?

What terrible pictures! 😂

Having read most of what @Bassassin has to say about Antoria and having recently bought an Antoria short scale EB-3 that I'm very pleased with, I saw an Antoria Precision come up on eBay. 70s. Black with maple neck. I didn't reach as much as I thought it would so is now here with me. So, 70s Antoria are Fujigen, which implies a certain quality (I won't say the word 'lawsuit'), and this would have been (according to Jon who Knows Things) the same as an Ibanez 2366B. No meaningful serial numbers so difficult to date precisely, Jon reckons possibly mid-70s. So, yes, a well used body, maple neck, aftermarket black pickguard. Was strung with rounds when I got it and sounded very much like a P bass. Tone fully open it can get quite brittle but rolled off a bit you get a lovely sweet spot. Weighs a decently lightweight 3.8kg, so about 8.3lbs. Nut width is 40mm but the neck is deep. Actually very comfortable. Nothing on the headstock other than a nicely done MOP Antoria inlay. Tuners are 3/8" shafts and a bit clunky. Under the hood is really messy and needs some work as someone with worse soldering skills that I have was let loose on it. I wondered how it stacked up against my JV Squier Precision that was also Fujigen but an '83. JV is 3.4kg. The body shamfers are bigger in the JV. The neck a tad wider at the nut 42mm but shallower. The headstock is a thinner bit of wood and the carving from neck to headstock more elegant. Overall fit and finish are better, the tuners are better quality 1/2" shafts. The maple has aged to a beautiful caramel with some slight figuring about it and almost holographic as you move it around in the light. The tone of the JV is more woody and organic with more character. Pretty much across the board the JV is better. And, tbh, I expected that. But, for what it cost I think it is an excellent bass and I am pleased I bought it. I would gig with it, no hesitation, as the differences to anyone but me would be negligible. But I won't be selling the JV any time soon.

I did mine the other way with a recessed Dunlop straplock fixed into the back of the body which alleviated the garrote effect... Bass was still to bloody heavy though. Now moved on

Now that would make an interesting thread on it's own. Gigs you left early and why (other than 'to catch a train') or have we done it before?

+2. I like it nude.

Exactly so. each to their own. Which is why I find it hard to understand when some folk react so negatively at the idea of taking a spare just because they don't. Like the very possibility of a spare makes their gonads wither, or something.

That was the only time, Bas. At one gig my old Trace Elliot appeared to cause some buzzing over in ears/monitors when muted for some reason but that only happened once so was perhaps a vagary of the venue.

Unfortunately shelling out for expensive stuff is no guarantee. As I said a few posts earlier, the first time I used my Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 it blew up and I paid about as much as a family holiday for it. I had a back up (which cost to buy about as much as it cost me to get the Mesa Boogie repaired).

Odd isn't it. They are 32" scale length strings, so the name is a little misleading. Having said that, I have them fitted to three 30" scale basses with absolutely no issues at all about winding the over the post other than looking a bit clunky.

I like that. I didn't know a/ Pete Way had a younger brother and b/ he was your singer.

Yeah, one of the huge tragedies of the music business. So very, very sad. 'Come and Get It' was written and I think produced by McCartney - his fingerprints are all over it.

I go through the pa via a DI these days but when I used amps I always took a spare. One time I'd bought a Mesa Boogie Prodigy Four:88 and was looking forward to my first outing with it. Turned it on and a short while later during the sound check it packed up accompanied by an expensive burning smell! It transpired one of the valves blew taking half the pcb with it. Took my trusty Quilter BB800 out of the boot and the day was saved.

Early Dr Who. William Hartnell era, b&w.

Actually thinking about it, you could choose a Black Sabbath tune at random from the early albums and it will have a strange increase in tempo in the middle. Not that I care, I love those albums.

'Black Betty' is similar, I always thought.

Also 'Cities On Flame With Rock and Roll' by BOC

'Stay With Me' also.

I think the couriers are highly motivated - their families will be shot if the mess up. Then they will. A system that works but is perhaps a bit brutal for basses

Thanks for that. I was actually thinking of a ready made enclosure to save my pitiful DIY skills being tested any further than they need be. ... 🥴

Daft question #1. Would it work to mount this into an aluminium flight case if there was an appropriate size?

Damnation! You didn't sell the Alocasia macrorrhizos did you? 😨

My entry into the world of 5 string basses was actually having a need to learn how to play one. Before then I had tried a couple out of curiosity but not gelled so I didn't pursue it. Then my band changed direction and I needed to have a 5er as a lot of the new material has low notes. The best advice I was given was to shut away my 4 string basses and just use the 5er until I got used to it. It took a while but eventually I 'got' the whole thing - not just the extra low notes but the ergonomics of playing across the neck etc etc. It also made me rethink my whole approach to the neck of a bass as, up until then, I had convinced myself I only liked slim necks. So I firmly believe that is the thing with 5ers - you need to have a strong enough incentive to keep at it because it does need some reconfiguring of your mind. Or start with one from scratch, of course. A few years on and I now flit between 4 and 5 string. Truth be told I actually prefer playing 4 strings but having the 5er there is still a necessary thing for me.

And, just for variety, I always use TI Flats. The short scale ones are actually 32" but have always fitted OK.

yes, of course this was insured for £1000 instruments. Should have added that.