Cat Burrito

I had one and it is a fantastic sounding cab but I must confess as I am getting older, the weight beat me.

I was 4 when the Pistols were around, so can't pretend I am a dyed in the wool '77 punk but I have been a fan for 4 decades. I know it will really upset a lot of fans but personally I am okay with it. Lots of bands go out with one member. They are jobbing musicians who got ripped off at the time so if they want to make some money for themselves, it doesn't bother me. My take is that if you don't like it, don't go. Loads of people moaned in the 90s when they reformed and I don't think it tarnished their reputation longer term.

Sold a tuner pedal to Phil. Prompt and smooth transaction, recommended 😺

We strive to be balanced and fair in how we manage Basschat. Most of the time we get it right, very occasionally we don't. I think the ruling that we don't allow valuation threads is always going to appear contentious to a very small amount of users but this is offset by the fact that a small amount of the membership pay for running ads on a site that is run by volunteers & the valuation threads were being used as a sale opportunity by too many members in the past. We know this was not always the case but that's why the rule was put in. Most people accept it. Of course, we're not all the same. As per Kev's post, the "warning" literally opens with the line "this is not a warning as such" and carries no penalty points. It is never a reflection on someone's contribution to the wider BC community, just a response to that one post. I think we'd all agree that many people are generally just curious about value so it's why the message is worded in the way shared by Kev. We do what we can to promote the rules and the vast majority of all your posts / threads don't need any moderating. Most moderators put the rules in our signatures (sadly like many moderators, I spend more time on here moderating than I do posting). When you sign up, you agree to the rules (a long time ago for many of you!) and when you go on Marketplace the rules are there to be seen. We fully accept that BC rules are not always at the forefront of people's minds and that often small breaches are not intentional. We let this thread (& the previous one) run for a while. I think sufficient time has run on it for people to both comment and reply.

This weekend saw me venturing up to Lincoln for the Call of the Wild Festival. I was delighted when I saw the backline because after 20yrs of flitting between Ampeg and Orange, I have recently moved over to Blackstar. I realised that although this was our third gig with the new drummer Andy, it was actually our first rehearsal together. The rehearsal was great which is normally kiss of death. The weather wasn't on our side and with no pride whatsoever, I can confirm that I own absolutely no practical clothes whatsoever. I stopped at a shop and bought an umbrella (colour coordinated with my shoes and car, as you do). The rain came before we went on but we had a fair crowd and it really brightened up quickly during the set. I haven't really used the Thunderbird too much since my Americana days. I like to mix it up and avoid rock style basses for rock groups etc. However, it is a beautiful and lightweight bass that has been with me for nearly 10 years now. I was feeling it, so went with that. Thanks to Jackie Middleton, Mark Ellis and, um, Andy the drummer for these three images.

I love this guy’s ad https://www.facebook.com/share/cBeTWHWKS1b7zKsj/?mibextid=79PoIi

I did a more jokey post for last year's WGD2023, saying a similar thing to you and pointed out that the early Goth had a bit of humour to it. I think the reputation can be very downbeat but as with all things, it's never quite as seems.

For me there are three people who jump out. First up for his playing in the Sisters of Mercy particularly is Craig Adams. He never looked the coolest in the early videos but his bass playing was perfect and more than made up for his silly bopping about (he's calmed down with age!). I liked The Mission too (& his stuff with The Cult) but those early Sisters recordings were what I tried picking out from the records with a bass in my lap. I have his autograph on my living room wall. Next up with have Sami Yaffa from Hanoi Rocks. He went on to play with Jetboy, Demolition 23, Joan Jett and then New York Dolls. He was a role model in that I never wanted to be *famous* but I did want a career where I would be out playing music I wanted. I guess Sami did that. I met him in 2019 and he was the nicest, most humble guy. And finally, for both amazing bass lines and for looking cool as a cat, Simon Gallup. I have a mutual friend who got me his autograph. He's been sent stuff by my band and has said he'd like to come and see us. I suspect he's just being polite but it was nice to hear.

From the old; To the new (with a video set to old footage); Through to my latest release (out today to coincide with WGD24); Here's to the music that made many of us want to pick up the bass back in the old days!

Over the last few years I have been part of a gothic duo that can certainly share some experience here. We operate on two levels; there is the electric band with original material that can generally slot in to any indie or rock bill on that circuit, no issues. I say no issues, getting regular slots is a constant challenge but this seems to be standard with 50yr olds playing original material. Then there is the acoustic duo that does songs by The Cure, Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus etc and that goes out on the covers circuit. It's not been without challenges and the answer varies from venue to venue. Worst scenario was clearing an entire village pub opening with Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades" once (damn our belligerence but we have usually opened with it every time since to prove a point!). However, there is an appetite for this sort of music. We've found some venues book us, like us but don't want us to rebook us too soon. There have been a few festivals where I see the same old bands (friends of ours) are playing to an often lesser standard but they are playing all the well trodden favourites. I get it and accept it. At the weekend there was a massive beer festival and we looked like we'd been deliberately side stepped. I joke that we are like the weird cousin in the attic that nobody dares to mention. I think our strength is that 1) we mean it and genuinely care about the music we play, and 2) we use a lot of gentle humour, sometimes self-mocking, between songs which always goes down well. The other strength is that we stand out locally because there is nobody else doing what we do. That said, I've noticed a few of the more upbeat Cure songs have slipped into the sets of some of the other local bands since we started. There's a big difference between banging out Friday I'm in Love compared to Cold from Seventeen Seconds.

I started on a Squier back in the 80s and the current crop are great. Having spent several years of the last decade only owning two basses (both Squiers), I currently only have my bass vi that is a Squier bass. I also have a 6 & 12 string for writing songs.

That amp looks great. It all does, but that amp...

I have a bit of dyslexia but was only tested in later life. I think the issue is trying to learn everything at once. My advice is take it a piece at a time and learn just a few lower notes across a couple of strings or some notes on one string. Get comfortable with those and then build up slowly. Literally have a fair few practices where you are just concentrating on the few notes you have learned. The rest will come but just slow it down rather than overloading yourself. Good luck.

Thanks. We're both of that era where bass practice amps used to be terrible and they all sound pretty good to me these days. That Orange one I had was great too.

I always like my home practice amp to be similar to my main gigging rig. When I used Orange amplification, I had the Orange practice amp, same with Ampeg. Last year, I moved to Blackstar. I've long sold my Orange practice amp and the plan was always to get the Blackstar practice amp when I sold the Ampeg. Despite listing on here (& elsewhere), practice amps don't exactly sell like hot cakes. I'd considered getting a 0% finance deal on the Blackstar when the time comes but one popped up recently in immaculate condition for £120. When he lowered the price to £100 as he was moving and I saw he was just up the road, I thought it was now or never. Plugging it in, it doesn't even feel like an ex-display model, nevermind a second hand bargain. The seller said he'd only used it half a dozen times, having bought it from PMT just a few months back. Knowing the Blackstar sound, it took me just a few tweaks to find my sound at a sensible home volume. My niggles are that the control panel is on the top so I have to stand up to tweak it (is that a first world problem?) and the MP3 jack socket is on the back of the amp, but that's a great price to pay for such a cool looking frontage. Other than that, I can't really fault it. And I don't expect a sale from this thread but as Basschat rules state that if you mention kit you have for sale, the link should be posted, https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473415-ampeg-ba108-practice-amp-now-£75/

If you zoom in, you'll see the band logo! It was a Rally. However, I recommended one to a friend who bought the same model from the same shop, in the same year and it wasn't as good. I think I just got lucky with the wood. Absolutely everyone I know comments on my tone & as much as I would like to say it's all my fingers, I think occasionally companies make good and bad instruments within the same batch. I don't really see Rally stuff anymore but it was just a budget brand from possibly China. I could never sell it because I'd spend twice as much to get something not as good!

I got rid of everything in my life after my first marriage broke up in 2010, bar a small handful of items. The only musical instrument to survive from then was an F scroll black mandolin. It's solid wood and sounds like it cost ten times the £200 I paid for it in 2005. I've revamped it a few times with decals but it is essentially stock. For some reason, I also have the pickguard / wiring / pickup to my very original 89 MIJ Fender Precision. Because I thought I was so edgy (ahem!) back then, I used to stub cigarettes out on the pickguard. The 51yr old me wonders on what planet that was ever a good idea, on every level! Having owned more basses than most shops stock, I've actually kept the same few since around 2014-16 now and it's much healthier than the constant rotation I had for the decade or so beforehand.

I spent several years from the early noughties until about 5yrs ago playing on the UK Americana circuit. We did 4 albums, got on prime time CBS TV in the USA and did a few UK tours and festivals. There was definitely a scene but I thought it kind of fizzled out. Looking at Basschat over the last couple of days, it seems much like everything else, like it might be coming back. I enjoyed it at the time but I think having done it for so long in a really good band, it's something that I have a passing curiosity in, rather than wanting to return to it. Definitely loads of fun and I would recommend it to anyone.

Ours is held on PayPal as a balance with any cash in an envelope at my house. We put all of our money back into recording / band merch. I do a periodic message with where it has gone but as it's a duo consisting of two old school friends, I don't think Nick is worried I will do a Father Ted / Arthur Fowler type stitch up!