meterman

He hasn't got back to me yet. If I can get it, he'll be bringing it over from the UK as he's visiting me next month. Will keep everyone updated and take pictures if it works out. I hope it does 👍

Yes, I know - mandatory! That Bassmute looks a bit compimicated to me. I'm still using the bit of old acoustic foam that I nicked from a recording studio in 1989. I should have nicked a few more bits and started my own company - "ToneFoam" or something...

I think you folks have twisted my arm, I’ll give him a shout and see if the loaded body is still up for grabs 🙏 Thank you!

Oh wow, that looks great! What’s the thingy by the bridge? A custom mute or something?

That’s my default setting for everything 😂

As the title says, will a Fender (or Squier) be like for like at the heel end? I love my Jazz neck but also love the rock solid sound of a Precision. Could I do a swap? A friend has a Precision body he’s moving on and it’s tempting, if I can put a Jazz neck on it. Although I’ve done this many times with Fender Telecaster necks and bodies, I’ve never done it using Jazz and Precision parts. 🙏 Thank you in advance for any advice or help given, you lovely folks. Even if it’s just “buy another bass, you know you want to” 😂 (I mean, I don’t want to but, well, there’s plenty basses out there isn’t there? Hmmmm, I’m not really helping myself here am I?) (Mods please feel free to move this if it’s in the wrong section!)

Just thought of another. It’s a tiny little festival on the Isle Of Wight called Rhythmtree. Only a couple of thousand punters, and not at all corporate in the way that IOW is and Bestival was. Local food stalls, local beer tents, easy load in and out, and probably the nicest staff I’ve encountered at a festival in the UK. I have played there before with several different bands and artists but I would absolutely love to be able to play there again, even if it would be my last ever gig, I’d be well happy if it was that one. Btw, if you’ve never been, it’s quite family oriented, loads of kids activities, loads of boutique little stages set up in woodland areas etc, and the music often has a global slant to it, so there might be a number of African or Indian or Czech or Brazilian artists and so on. But the last two times I played we went on after The Blockheads one year and after The Orb on my last island gig. Definitely a great weekend if you can do it 👍

Although I never had a bucket list of venues as such, I’ve done almost all of the big festivals in the UK and Europe several times over, done pretty much every toilet venue in the UK and every pïśšhouse in London too. Done some fancy places like Sadler’s Wells, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Ally Pally, Tatton Gardens, Royal Festival Hall, Bloomsbury Theatre and stuff but the one place I always wanted to play was the Royal Albert Hall. Came close when I was depping for someone who was on the bill for the Ronnie Lane tribute concert there, but the band got bumped off the bill so that Midge Ure could come on and play instead : ( Even though I don’t play live anymore I’d change my mind in a second if RAH was a possibility 👍

Years ago I tried buying a book from Amazon because it couldn’t get it anywhere else. But they delivered a different book to what I’d ordered. Wasn’t impressed but I know all companies can make mistakes, it just happens. Sorting out the return was a pain in the ärśè as well. Tried buying an extension ladder from them and received a socket set instead. Again the return and refund process was a right old faff on. That was 12 years ago and I haven’t bothered with Amazon since. I’m sure they’re great for some folks but I wasn’t lucky enough with them to want to give them another go. Politics aside, they’ve been 100% rubbish with me, so I never use them.

Bloody hell, I'd rather have an accordion than that. Whatever it is, it makes my eyes hurt 😂

Saw them live (only once, sadly) and they were amazing, probably one of the best gigs I've seen, although I bet it would have been proper hard graft for them, absolutely belting it out 100% every night. Their guitarist was later involved with the Parisian band Elzef who I posted earlier in the thread. Les Negresses Vertes though 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@Bassman68 Blimmin’ kids, I don’t know what they’re all about these days!

He’ll get nowhere with that palaver!

They look alright online, and the prices are very enticing but a mate bought one of their 4-string P knockoffs and it took him a lot of work to turn it into something that isn’t even reliable enough to use as his backup bass for really dodgy pub gigs. Sharp fret ends on almost every fret, dead spots on the neck, crappy electrics, useless tuners... He salvaged the body, pickguard and neck but replaced or did serious work on everything else. However, he did only buy it because it was bright yellow and less than £100. Harley Benton could have saved him a lot of time for not much more money. Having said all that, I know someone else who has one of their super cheap violin basses, you know - the Chinese copies of the McCartney job - and that is surprisingly good. Thumps like a Hofner at a fraction of the price. You might get a good one, or you might get a stinker?

Saw him yesterday but he smelled of Bovril and he was wearing a sock on his elbow. Friendly as ever, though.

I think my uploaded ID card expires soon. I guess I’ll find out if Mr Reverb is keeping a serious watch on me if I get an email about it in the near future. Even if my details remain on their server for ages, I’ll be dead and gone before anything adverse happens. Probably 🤔

Piece of old foam under the strings right up against the bridge works for me, that might suit you better @JJMotown? Sometimes if I’m recording I’ll stuff a bit of foam behind the nut as well, as my cheap Precision is a bit of a lively bass, even with 10 year old La Bella flats on it. Overtones galore on that thing. Never ever thought about using a fret wrap though, I must admit. But then, I am a bit of an old duffer 😂

Well, it definitely works 👍

Nice understated playing, and the isolated tone in the 2nd one is good too, but if I didn’t know it was a Tele, I’d swear it was a different guitar. Neck pickup or middle position, or something else?

Bugger. Cheers for the heads up.Back to the drawing board...

Oh yeah, anywhere between 3 and 6 months notice in advance is normal, even longer depending on which festival it is.

For the big festivals, unless you're prepared to play for free in a 'local band tent' somewhere near the car park (been there, done that - thanks Isle Of Wight festival) you'll need to be with an agency or have a buzz surrounding your band, then they'll contact you. For smaller festivals, the same will apply, but if you have an 'in' with anyone doing the bookings or with PR or something, just be cheeky and ask. Send videos, band CDs, anything you've got. If it can work for dossers like me, then you'll easily have a decent chance. Good luck. 👍

No, for the full effect I'll be sleeping in a cardboard box in Bristol, dressed like a 1970's heroin addict. It's probably what the band would have wanted, although I haven't phoned ahead to check.

🙏 thank you I am googling Ryanair flights now...

That made me larf out loud, that did. (then I googled Woolworths - where are UK folks getting their pick'n'mix from now?)