Cat Burrito

The answer is purely financial for me. If money is a worry and buying a bass is going to cause issues, don't buy it. I scaled right back when I got divorced many years ago and then played catch up when I came out the other side. I think with the cost of living right now I am playing things very cautiously but my finances will change again in a few years so I can relax then.

I grew up in a small rural town and was (& remain) an avid consumer of music. My journey went something like; The cooler elements of my parents record collection Through friends at junior school / Top of the Pops Being stuck at the parties of my parents' friends with their older cooler kids introducing me to their tastes Discovering stuff through the Rock / Alternative charts on mainstream shows like The Chart Show Reading the music press and learning which journalists I liked and taking chances.

Quite literally a case of "No good for metal" then 😸

Just seen this thread. I never used effects before but over lockdown I got into an 80a alternative duo and have been using the EHX pedals with that. I quite like the Big Muff but I use it sparingly and in combination with other effects. Reading this makes me wonder if I should have tried other brands but as I liked the EHX stuff I just stayed with the brand and the sound is great, for my needs. We have jangly 12 string guitar and drum machine / programmed keys so perhaps it would be a little more lost in a regular band set up.

Great thread! Onstage at The Marquee in the early 90s. That Jazz was also used on a Total Guitar session that was included in Issue 10. Same band maxing out our "leaning against a wall skills" (second left) The Ex-Boyfriends backstage at Caeser's Palace in Luton - I've discovered the early Manic Street Preachers! (second left again) Insert from a German punk CD released in the 90s.

Didn't he borrow a T-bird for one tour circa 1975? If that ain't worthy of a tribute model, I don't know what is!

Paddy bought a pickguard from me. Prompt payment and easy comms - all in the spirit of an effortless Basschat transaction.

It's 2022. I'm genre fluid. 😺

Slightly smaller crowd than the one from Nash's post but at the weekend the 80s alternative duo from the ashes of my old Sixth Form Goth band played the local village open mic. Loving this minimalist set up with acoustic folk instruments and drum machines / synths. Plus it's nice just to hang out with one of my oldest friends. I love that we can do a Cult cover and bring the house down, only to follow it with a bit of Bauhaus and clear the pub!

We did a very rocking set at the Finsbury in London. Lots of comments on my bass - it's literally just some bits! 😸

I have a couple of band mates who were known in the 80s / 90s and apart from the odd story about touring with bigger bands, these days it means nothing (to them) as we're all at the same level now. Both are very pro and very down to earth to work with.

I remember my step son telling me that Justin Fletcher and Mr. Tumble were the same person. Then I showed him THIS photo! He felt pretty silly after that.

I was nervous for about my first 6 shows (1989 / 1990) and then decided that I needed to get past that, so i did. Not sure if I just bury it now but I have had maybe 3 or 4 shows where I have been nervous before but I have thankfully been able to deal with it - usually when it's a new band / big show. I think I am lucky because I appreciate not everyone can say the same.

I've used Orange for years. Neither are wrong. The OBC112 does seem to be the popular choice these days. Personally I have used a 2x10, 2x12 and now mostly 1x15 with a 4x10 - all Orange. It's a versatile head so most cabs sound great with it.

Don't drink too much! 😸 Seriously though (& the above is serious), I have picked up so many tips over the years that there isn't one stand out piece of advice. Practice, learn the set, show up on time and by the occasional round for the band. Best tip I can give.

In 34yrs of playing I have only ever broken one string and had one amp let me down so I am very much a bass / amp with a few spare leads / cables etc if I remember kind of player.

We thought it would be fun to do those old songs on folk instruments. Plus, there is some mandolin on stuff by The Mission so it isn't *that* much of a stretch. We have the acoustic side like this and then the more conventional electric stuff with a drum machine, sequenced keys etc.

It might be of minimal interest to in excess of 99.999% of the world's population, but last night 60% of my old Sixth Form goth band regrouped and played some of the old songs from back in 1990. The three of us hadn't played them in almost 32yrs and it was a blast. I absolutely loved it. A local open mic gig and it really was a firm favourite. Plus, it's nice to gig away from the bass and play my mandolin for a change.

My basses are both varied in what they do through to how much they cost - so ranging Gibson Thunderbird / USA Jazz / Rickenbacker 4003s through to a uke bass and a Burn Bass VI. The variety reflects the different range of projects I do and the costs reflect whether it is a main instrument or something just to muck about on.

I'm using microsoft edge in Dark theme and also have stopped getting any notifications. I figured it was an issue with the server running low on space.

Along with my basses, I have always liked my records. Around the time they suddenly became "vinyls" the prices shot up and I became accidentally fashionable. I kinda wish that hadn't happened, purely because it now costs me more. I don't really care about being in fashion or out of fashion - I'm 49 next month and I think I have always just done what I please for me. I like supporting the artists direct on sites like Bandcamp and the one plus side is that there have been some really colourful packages on recent releases. I still stream stuff when I work out and I like CDs in the car. I never really went in for snobbery. I like the ritual of putting an LP on. If your mega expensive Sonos reveals me to be a cloth-eared idiot, I can live with that.

My story with the Bass VI is that I bought the Burns take on it last year. I co-produce and play bass on the albums of one of my bands and we had a track that was calling out for a Glen Campbell type line. I like to think it is me who takes care of the low end in my bands so I bought it on a good deal. As it happens, the thing is crying out for a good set up and the frets are badly finished in places. I learned the part and then we dropped the song! So it sat in storage for a few months. I then dug out my old Cure LPs and the thing is all over those. I noticed in a few bands that could be filed under Goth (loosely speaking) it makes an appearance, although I always associate it with the 60s. So I dug it out and took it to a rehearsal with my 80s alternative duo. Suddenly it has a life, but just not the one that was its original purpose. I sometimes wish I had bought the Squier but the Burn s is a bit different and I like the baby blue colour (a pointless reference given the black and white photo). As a point of interest, the recent selling point seems to be "a bass that guitarists can play" which I would imagine might put a few bass players off. Certainly there is much more to it than that.

It's worth remembering that the vast majority of Basschat members go for years without any issues whatsoever. A tiny minority of members get a warning for behaviour. If this persists sometimes we wind up with either self imposed breaks, people leaving for a short time or occasionally a permanent ban. These are rare and not taken lightly. I don't think it would be appropriate to discuss any individual cases across a public forum so hopefully that answers any questions.