Boodang

Issues with my bass necks; NS Design EUB - truss rod needs adjusting from winter to summer. Sei custom - ludicrously thin neck needs adjusting everytime it comes out of its case. Squier Jazz - doesn't give a sh*t and never needs adjusting.

As a test, put your basses in a sauna then transfer them to the freezer and see how they get on.

Cliff Richard AND the Shadows... let's not forget them. They've been playing their movies on the old git channel recently (aka TalkingPics TV) and should definitely act as a warning to other bands. In one of them they jump from a moving train, throwing a Marshall valve head ahead of them... I didn't realise they were so robust!

Bad News the movie?

Is Elvis a band?

Led Zeps Song Remains the Same had some acting in the fantasy sections and that was cringeworthy... definitely to be discouraged at all costs.

That's why I'll only buy a car that doesn't have a computer onboard... of course that does rather restrict me to the classic car market.

If the music you want to do is quite niche, and given your circumstances, maybe the way forward for now is to write/record with like minded musicians as distance isn't so much an issue in these days of the internet. I have extended periods when I work away from the UK. During that time I bounce around musical ideas with the musicians I usually play with by sending them files I've recorded. It's a different creative process to normal but actually quite productive. The hard part, as always, is finding like minded musicians. Good luck and keep at it though, it's always worth it in the long run.

I've always hated doing pub gigs. Quality over quantity in terms of venues for me. Formed a band doing music I wanted to focus on with all like minded musicians (no mean feat as it turns out) and we only do proper venues and the summer festival circuit. Not so many gigs but each one is exciting. Also leaves more time for recording projects.

I was going to say this was the worst car for gigs but in retrospect it did remarkably well. Three piece, piano, bass, drums, plus PA.... it was a bit like a game of tetris to get it loaded but it did it without complaining. I wouldn't recommend it tho!

I've got a spare car on the roof! But it's a good point. Most of it I'm not going to cry over as it's all replaceable except maybe my custom bass which I wouldn't leave behind. As it happens (touch wood) the Volvo 240 has never let me down and I've had it for the last 12 years.

In 40yrs of playing I've never broken a string and yet I still can't help but take spare sets (plural) to a gig!

Looking through the 'what car do you use' thread and there seems to be a few people with small cars just taking one bass and one amp to a gig. So got me thinking, what do most people take... just the basics with no backup, or everything except the kitchen sink? I fall very much into the latter category and catastrophise at all the things that could go wrong. When I first started gigging I didn't even have spare strings, then one night the guitarist said 'what happens if you break one?'. Fair point, and from that point onwards I couldn't stop thinking about what would could go wrong. I usually bring 3 or 4 basses anyway but I also bring a spare amp/cab, obviously spare leads (usually quite a few), spare strings (each bass has a different set, so I bring spares for each), then there's my box of stuff with duck tap, soldering iron, selection of spare connectors (neutrix Jack's, xlr, jack chassis, 9v etc), spare psu's, fuses (various; mains but also the ones found inside the amps we're using), plus a few adapters (xlr to jack, stereo to mono jack etc), then a selection of extension leads, tools (snips, allen, screw drivers, etc), mains tester plug, multi meter.... I'm sure I've left some stuff off the list! Plus spare effect pedals for my favourite ones I can't do without. And I have even been known to carry spares for other musicians if I think they're not very prepared. Was in one band where I always brought along a spare snare and bass drum pedal, plus a spare mic for the vocalist. And that's why I need a Volvo 240 estate at least to get my gear to a gig!

Well, in fairness, there is a lot of 'Hot Tuna' involved.

Well, it's a personalised plate as my name is Mr Turbo!

Volvo 240 estate. I've got a 1989 version, £500, goes forever, never breakdown, no onboard computers to go wrong, volvo still make all the spares and great for those IKEA trips as well!

Absolutely! I do wonder sometimes what people are doing here when they post 'who cares' type replies when, as you adroitly put it, this is a discussion forum. Another 2 pennies worth from me on the OP... I would say 41hz E and a scale shorter than 41".

The KMA looks awesome, I can see a use for that on my board. As for a low end bump, the two things I'm currently using for this... the TC Electronic Spectracomp is 3 band, I've got a faster attack & higher ratio in the low frequencies, slower attack and less ratio in the mid/highs which that work nicely: and by accident found a great bass boost setting in the Seamoon Funk Machine where it effectively just works as an eq filter without a sweep... awesome lowend, in the Neil Jason video it's very dub but you can tune it higher so it doesn't evacuated your bowels every time you play.

I've found the tri parallel mixer to be so useful it's now at the heart of my pedalboard. Apart from being able to switch between channels, parallel effects blending has become a big thing for me, and some effects like my Solid Gold FX supa funk do not like a hot signal, so with this I can tame the level going to the unit but increase on return. A very versatile little mixer.

This defines what ISN'T a bass. They might have called it a bass guitar but at 24" scale it's more guitar than bass.

Well you could say that but you could also say why read a BC thread when you could be practicing! Of course, by discussing what defines bass guitar you are digging into it's provenance and the wider question of how we see its role in music.

Despite it being called a 'bass guitar' I always think of it as a solid body version of a double bass, so an extension of the violin family not the guitar.

EHX tri parallel mixer... would this work for you? It can switch between channels or you can have them in parallel.

For me the benchmark is the double bass where the low E is 41hz. After all the bass guitar is derived from this.

Hmm, let me think about that offer.. for a nano second!!!!