meterman

Yes, different pickups. The 1970s original Musicmaster basses had a Stratocaster guitar pickup in them, whereas the late 90s Squier reissue had a decent 4-pole single coil bass pickup. I’ve had La Bella flats on both the originals and the reissues and they sound great.

Actually I wish Poly Styrene was still alive, her singing voice would have worked with the Pistols behind her.

I remember buying the “Rock And Roll Swindle” single on 7” when it came out, with the American Express picture sleeve, and although I knew the band had split (and PiL were at least a year into their career by then) the fact that John Lydon wasn’t singing on it didn’t bother me, I just liked the record. Not as much as “Public Image” but enough to spend some pocket money on it. I’ve met Frank Carter a few times when he was in Gallows (one of my mates did guitar tech for them) and I thought he was a really nice, thoughtful, actually fairly quietly spoken individual. And he could certainly give it some! But I’m not sure he’d be my first choice to stand in for John Lydon. I’d prefer to see the Pistols have an all-star band, where various singers come on and do a turn for each different song. Maybe Iggy, Siouxsie, or Spizz or Steve Ignorant and some of the old guard could do some, and some newer faces could do some too. My personal choice would have been Malcolm Owen from The Ruts, but that’s not possible, sadly.

Other folks on here will no doubt have better explanations of this than me, but in my case, the first album I had out with a band was in 1993. It got radio play at the time and a couple of tracks were used on TV shows. I received PRS royalties at the time and still do now, albeit much less. Unfortunately the label we were signed to turned out to be wrong’uns and to date, we have never received a penny in sales, despite owning our own masters, and challenging them in court (they went bankrupt to avoid paying any of their artists). So if someone wants to play a track from that album on the radio or use it for a tv sync or whatever, they have to pay us - PRS will collect the fees whether we ask them to or not. If, 30 years on, someone wants to use one of my old songs they can pay me for it, or choose to use some other music. Maybe royalty-free perhaps? Songwriting royalties just work like that. If I was a brickie, or a carpet fitter, or an astronomer then it would be a different story. Their one-off work from 30 years ago is done. But royalties are what they are, and I’m glad of them.

Oddly enough I still get PRS payments for 30+ year old records I co-wrote and played on. For things from the 1990s I don’t receive loadsamoney for what I did but when it comes in it’s usually enough for a night out or something. Not U2 or G’n’R level obviously, but it’s a nice little bonus when it happens. I have a ‘no streaming platforms’ clause in any contract I sign now, so rely on brokering licensing deals in foreign territories and receiving boxes of free stock from labels. That just about keeps things ticking over financially. Streaming has done büggér all for me in the past, either for royalties or exposure, so I don’t get involved with it now. For discovering new music there’s always the Bandcamp recommendations which you can tailor by genre (and if someone buys any of my releases from there I can have a look at what else they’ve bought - that’s been really good) and online websites (Outsideleft from Birmingham is a good one, Ban Ban Ton Ton from Japan is another, but there’s so many out there). Plus I find new music almost every day on Instagram. Otherwise, Radio Nova from Paris, or Soho Radio or NTS from the UK are good for contemporary things. I might not like all of it but at least I’m getting to hear it and I don’t have to sign up for anything to hear it. Not knocking anyone that chooses streaming as their way of listening to music at all, everything’s valid IMO.

Both No Tom, and Vintage & Rare buy from an auction company called Gardiner Houlgate https://www.gardinerhoulgate.co.uk/departments/6/Guitars and then whack the prices up on whatever they buy. You’ll find some really nice things there, but the prices... oof! Don’t know about Charlie Chandler nowadays, I haven’t visited his place for some time, but New Kings Road Guitars often had cool gear in. I’d always stop by there if I was anywhere near the area. To the OP: There’s a load of places in the North East and North West, I’ll ask my pals who’s worth a trip. 👍

Reverb fees only add up to around 10% of the asking price, which you easily can factor in by setting a price that incorporates this. Also, the low-ball bids? There's a function that allows you to automatically disable them, either by percentage or completely disable them. Having (briefly) worked on Denmark Street, I can say - without naming names - that certain independent stores will have no qualms about putting a 100% markup on your instrument, or more. I've personally seen a 300% markup put on a vintage Gibson SG that didn't even reach the shop floor, as the store had a 'wants list' book, with customers names and phone numbers in it ready for when a particular vintage item comes into the store. The SG sold within 24 hours to a 'friend' of the store owner. I use the term friend very loosely - the guy thought the store owner was his pal, but the store owner would fleece him regularly and laugh about it behind his back. I remember one customer asking me how come his vintage Tele Bass had a price tag on it that was close to 3 times his agreed commission price. What do you say? "The owner is simply a greedy b'stard"? After chatting amicably with the customer, and explaining that I was earning minimum wage anyway, and that prices were outside my remit, he took his bass elsewhere. Anyhow, that's by the by. Whatever the OP wants to do with his gear is his business. But lugging them to the UK? I wouldn't 😂

Depending on what the instruments are, and their worth, or collectibility etc, wouldn’t Reverb be worth a go from Denmark? If I was still living in the UK then selling on commission through a shop or right here on BC would be my main options. But from outside the UK, I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of selling there tbh. Just sold a couple of pedals on Reverb today. All I have to do now is wait for the courier to collect them and that’s it done. No schlepping on planes, trains or automobiles. No hotels. Just uploading a few decent pics to a website and write a quick description, set my price, and job done. Easy. When I start putting some of my more expensive or rare items on Reverb, I’ll have a clearer picture of it goes. But so far, so good 👍

Little update - I can say for sure that having my music related stuff posted on a dedicated Instagram page linked to a Bandcamp page has been quite good financially for me over the last 10 months. An album I made at the end of last year sold all the CD, then all the vinyl on pre-order and it’s now on its third vinyl pressing. Sales-wise I’m never going to trouble Beyonce or Dua Lipa or any of them lot, but having the Instagram page linked to Bandcamp has made my music earn enough for me to live off so far this year. FB and all the rest might work better for other folks but I definitely wouldn’t discount Instagram as a social media platform to promote your stuff, whether it be music, art, small business, etc. Or biscuits 🤤

I remember the hype surrounding this album at the time, and the crazy purchase price paid for it by Martin Shkreli. It seemed to be more of an ‘art world’ kind of thing than a regular album, possibly because none of the tracks have appeared elsewhere, to my knowledge at least. Always wanted to hear it though. There’s loads of ‘one-off’ releases in existence already, many of which haven’t made it into the digital realm in any form. But because this is a super rare Wu-Tang Clan album it garners more press coverage than it otherwise might.

This is brilliant! The only reason I suspect I used to get a slightly higher fee is because often I’d be doubling on lead guitar and keys (plus BV’s, maybe percussion if needed, etc) which meant an artist or band leader could go out as a four piece instead of having to hire an fifth player, thus saving two lots of session fees, or an extra hotel room or extra plane ticket, so I could ask for a bit of extra dough. Didn’t always get it, but if you’re doing ‘double bubble’ there’d be a good chance of slightly better pay. Plus, most of my touring post-2000 was done in Europe where you’d be paid more anyway. Session players in the UK shouldn’t still be on £150 a night in the UK if there’s artist management and crew involved. I don’t think it’s worth it if you’re having to learn two or three hours of repertoire, absolutely note for note as on the records, just for a one-nighter or maybe a pair of gigs at an 02 or somewhere. But plenty still do it.

I don’t have any Nashville experience but I do know quite a few session players in the UK that are still getting £150 per show or session, regardless of who they’re playing for. That’s the kind of money you’d expect maybe 20-25 years ago, which was okay then but not now. The money hasn’t changed with inflation. Unless you actually are Guy Pratt or Leland Sklar or somebody at that level, and can command whatever fee you like, you could possibly earn more money by working on construction sites than as a touring sideman now. And you’d be home each night having a cooked dinner and sleeping in your own bed, instead of eating at motorway service stations at odd times of the night and sleeping in a bunk on a tour bus.

I'd want a tribute band to dress exactly like the original band, and sound exactly like the original band, and have period correct looking instruments and road crew too. Maybe also comfortable seating and a roast dinner, perhaps with profiteroles or tiramisu for dessert.

I didn’t buy a bass until I was 20, I started out as a drummer. But even before I started playing bass I always liked the playing of Jean-Jacques Burnel of The Stranglers and Paul Gray from The Damned, and with Eddie & The Hot Rods and always Colin Moulding (XTC / The Dukes Of Stratosphear) Once I started playing I dug more into the great Jamaican players like Aston Barrett or Flabba Holt, and all the Stax and Motown players. Never had any ‘gods’ though. Don’t believe in them!

Having a ‘main’ Tele is perfectly normal behaviour. 😂 I’ve got two Fenders and two Squiers and one of the Squiers is my ‘main’ one. Multiples of everything is key. Would love to hear how yours turns out 👍

Well, the IKEA thing was a bit much, but that wasn’t done maliciously, just my wife’s a bit absent minded and that occasion happened before I had a mobile phone. Back then I relied on finding a pay phone somewhere at a convenient time which sometimes didn’t happen every day. Even when I got a phone it still would be tricky. Once I came offstage at a festival in France in 2007 to find something like 30 missed calls, all from my wife. I rang her back and she was frantic, as our flat had been burgled and loads of our stuff had been stolen. I felt like $hīt and not just because I still had one more festival to do before the band returned to London. Ordinarily I’d have just flown home, but when you’re on someone else’s payroll you cant just quit a tour before the last date. That’s a key thing about committing to a tour - once the schedule is in place, there’s not often much flexibility for you personally. You just have to do what’s expected of you at exact times every day. I sometimes miss doing one-nighters, but definitely don’t miss touring. Sorry, I’ve taken the thread off course - carry on folks 👍

Enviable gig, definitely, but that’s exactly what a lot of players don’t factor in - being away from home for a good part of the year really can ruin things between you and your other half, unless you’re super tight as a couple. Mind you, I used to come home after being away for a month and it’d be, “Can you unblock the toilet?” or “The washing machine’s packed in, can you fix it?” or “I bought a load of stuff at IKEA, can you put it all together by tomorrow, I’ve invited family to stay” - aaaarrrgh! I swear my wife just used to store things up for when I got home. 😂

By the last few tours I did, I was on £250 per gig. Sometimes restaurant meals were part of the deal, other times we got per diems to cover daily expenses. And this was playing as a sideman for signed artists, with record label support and gold discs etc. Very occasionally I might get a bit more (say £300 or £500) for festival gigs or one-off special events but otherwise it was always £250. Rehearsal fees would differ from artist to artist, as might studio sessions. Bear in mind I stopped touring in May 2018 and almost every tour I did between 2006 until 2018 was in Europe. And I was still living in the UK then. No idea what it's like now.

Love the blackguard! I had a black one too, very nice bass. Bought s/h off ebay. Liked it so much that I got a green one too, although they both went shortly after I got my first CIJ Fender Mustang, 2003-ish. Preferred the Jazz width neck on the Mustang but otherwise I would have kept the black Squier. I’ve still got the original Squier Vista catalogue somewhere. Not that I’m a hoarder or anything...

My Squier Affinity Jazz, in Charcoal Frost Metallic. I replaced the black pickguard with a cheap tort one and added a tugbar, as I’m probably one of the few people that use them on the treble side. It’s got La Bella flats on it now also. I originally wanted the Burgundy Mist Metallic version but everywhere was sold out so when Thomann were knocking these out for £175 I didn’t hesitate. Would have loved a blocks & bound neck on it but I think they only came with the 40th Anniversary Jazzes. Still an amazing bass regardless of cheapness 👍

Absolute beauty!

Bass: Shaftesbury Tele bass copy from 1989 until 2018 which was the first bass I bought. Before that, I just borrowed other people's basses. Otherwise it would be the Tanglewood kids sized Precision copy that I bought around 2011 and still have now. Guitar: 1997 Danelectro DC59 (2006 to present). Previously I had a 1968 Fender Telecaster from 1988 until 2018). Keys: Casio VL-Tone mini synth / calculator hybrid that I got for Christmas either 1980 or '81. Still have it and use it now. Also a Casio MT-65 keyboard that I bought secondhand in 1986 and still use today. Wife: 1993 to present. Bonkers, but a keeper. Some light relicing, etc... 👍

Would The Hanging Stars fit the bill? “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” era Byrds vibes meets Flying Burrito Brothers, sometimes a bit of Tom Petty influence too. Have been on a couple of festival bills in Oxford and London with them and they can really tear it up live. There’s definitely a ‘cosmic country’ / Americana overlap in the UK with folks like Bobby Lee, Joe Harvey-Whyte, Spencer Cullum, etc. And it’s funny how it’s all come around again. I remember The Rockingbirds doing country rock / Americana in the 1990s but not gaining much traction beyond the true believers. They were amazing live though, and if they were still going now they’d definitely be seen as keepers of the flame.