ivansc

yeah - the guy asking is a long standing musical friend & I now find that the gig is in a pub in Cambridge, so I can go along to both keep an eye on the stuff, offer help where needed and of course, enjoy the music. Happy ending so far. Hope she likes the bass.

MY last experience with the MU (I was a member for many years way back when) was that they have slowly but surely shrunk their sphere of interest and therefore action to mostly pit players, orchestral players and folks who work in tv and to a lesser extent radio and film. Sad really.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1481225627' post='3190829'] I used to play Chapman Stick & Pedal Steel Guitar. [/quote] Had forgotten I played pedal steel extremely badly. So I sold it to the guitar player in my current band back when he was around 20 - he turned into a pretty good steelie. (grin) I didnt!

Not bad for a youngster....

Just went and had a look round the other instruments area - never noticed it before. Bugger, what a lot of tumbleweed! I own and play at varying levels of proficiency: Mandolin Mandola Mandouki (in between Octave Mandolin and Bouzouki) square neck dobro lap steel upright bass drums keyboards Ukulele Tenor ukulele Swanee whistle (no really!) Ocarina 5 string banjo (abut to be sold or traded for a Tenor Banjo) assorted acoustic and electric guitars including an alto and a baritone er think that covers it all. Oh! Forgot to add bass guitar and upright bass! Wish I could say I played them all well, but I am mostly a dabbler. I actually program brass parts fairly well but cant play much on any of the "blowing" instruments. And I was once badly frightened by an accordion ...

A singer acquaintance who I know gigs quite regularly in France put out a call to borrow a bass or upright and amp for a one-off gig locally. Lady bassist fom Nice who is visiting. Without thinking it through, I responded that she could borrow my MB rig and either a bass guitar or my electric upright. Wondering if this was a good idea now but not sure how to say "I changed my mind".

Dealt with Thomann for years & of course as time has gone by and the pound has dropped against the euro, they have become a less and less attractive option. All software I buy is from the USA and although I have used Bax several times and am very pleased with their service, you DO have to cherry pick the prices. But ny experience with Bax has been 100% reliable in terms of delivery and after sales support. Last I looked they still have the best prices on Thomastik Infeld.

I paid £120 for a 12 fret job on my Tokai a couple of years ago. Chap in Northamptonshire who came very highly recommended by friends whose opinion I respect. Many years previously, a 1970 telecaster done by a chap (again recommended) at Chandlers. £100 so I guess the prices dont change a huge amount....

My first band the drummer was 7, trumpet 15, clarinet 17, me on banjo and my mate Dave on trombone both 10. As far as I know I am the only one still playing and sadly I have never been even close to that sort of level of technical virutousity. Too lazy and like "performing" too much I guess. Oh and probably because they all have a zillion time more natural ability than me. My actual excuse is "I would never want to play like that"

The only time I ever rehearse LOUD (gig volume) is with a new band right before we do the first gig. And we generally rent an actual venue. Although on one occasion we borrowed a large grain silo (mostly empty, but enough in there to soak up the reverberation off tin walls) and had a deputation from the nearby village asking when we would be coming back and could we do it in the village hall next time please! Rather gratifying, even if the band didn't last.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1481100407' post='3189625'] Because, as equinox put it in their documentary, the electric guitar can move the spirit. Bass merely moves their bowels; which do you think the audience find preferable ? [/quote] A distinct advantage when playing to an older crowd, like I mostly do.... some of them are absurdly grateful.

Played a private party for a farmer some years back. At the end of the night, he came chugging into the party room (barn) in a dump truck and emptied the hopper out onto the "dance floor" ....it was full of icy cold water he had scooped from the nearby livestock pond. Happily, we were on a raised stage, but it DID clear both the punters and the party refuse out pretty quickly!

....and I LOVE his carpet slippers!

Some of the stuff Stipe and Buck did with Robyn Hitchcock was interesting - actually liked a lot of it more than the original REM stuff.

Weirdest gig was showing up at an agency-booked gig and finding myself billed as a "hilarious standup comedian".... Mind you I did the gig AND got paid! (NOT telling jokes though)

As my dad used to say, "Well you wont do THAT again in a hurry, will you?"

Not cheap but Thomastik!!!!! Supple as a very supple thing

StingrayPete has it. Sell more beer, your fee should go up.

[quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1480697483' post='3186564'] Still...if somebody would like to pop a Thunderbird pickup into a P-bass (the placements are as near-as-bugger-it), perhaps we could test this out! [size=3]*Yes, I'm another dusty-end botherer; I'll take my place in the stocks next to UK_lefty![/size] [/quote] A pal has a very well worn TBird with Precision pickup on it. Sounds more punchy than a regular TBird to my ears.

Odd - I am the exact opposite. Never played through an Ampeg that wasn't all valve. But I am VERY old of course....

Billy Bent/Sparkle the drummer was a pal back in the day. Excellent band. I still hum Percy the Penguin to myself on occasion. Had no Idea Mutter was still doing anything. Billy ended up as George Martin`s gardener at one stage!

Worst experience I ever had was at the end of the first set, the drummer got up off his kit, walked to the front of the stage and keeled over. Ambulance was called and the paramedics did the full CPR deal then carted him off to hospital. A coronary, which happily he survived to gig again! Not much you do to prepare for that though, is there?

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1480068904' post='3181399'] Miles Davis seemed to be in agreement with me when he once said, when asked do you have to be a "poor boy" in order to play the blues with conviction...."MY daddy's rich, and MY mamma's good looking, and I can play the blues". [/quote] Miles Davis... the blues.... Hm. I prefer to think of him as the man who finally nailed the coffin shut on Jazz. Just so you know, I worked for Big Bear Records in the seventies providing backing musicians for visiting chicago (mostly) blues players that BB Records brought over to do college gig tours. Big John Wrencher was the most memorable! One-armed harmonica player/singer with a penchant for emerald green suits, tyrolean hats and Courvoisier. What a character! We were down in south wales and stopped so he could check out the scenery. He stooped beside a mountian stream and scooped up some of the water for a drink.... a local who saw this said "Dont do that, boyo - there are sheep shitting in there, just upstream from you" Due to his bottle a day habit, he finished up the last date of the tour at London`s City University with his foot resting on an inflatable model of the goodyear blimp, as he was suffering badly with "the gouch"!. You want to hear blues with a raw edge of pain in the vocal? He would get into it and start stomping his feet in the middle of a song.... A million miles from anything Miles Davis ever did in his life. He was about as far from, if not further from the roots of blues music as any of the white boy sing de blooze contenders. But of course this is all just my opinion,

Worked the seaside circuit back in the seventies and worked with Shaking Stevens many times. Cracking band, especially his piano player. Wish I could remember his name - big black chap who blew us away every time.

Stay with me bass line is essentially Plonk Lane jamming it all the way through. Prepared to bet HE never played it the same twice, either. Just get the feel and let the rest take care of itself.