Marvin

The last bass I bought from a shop was 11 years ago, when I got back into playing again. Since then I've bought online unseen. Some have come from Basschatters the others from online stores. The only concern when buying unseen is if there's something wrong with the bass you're buying. However, as I've bought from here and online shops that reduces the risk a lot IMO. Trying a bass in a shop tells me very little to be honest. You get to try it maybe for an hour or so. One bass I bought, for the first week I thought it was the best bass I'd ever played. After that initial week it all went downhill. I'd had the bass for a month and hated everything about it. My current squeezes are a Jazz bass from Thomman and a Precision bass, second hand, from RichTone Music. I love them both

This was taken a couple of years ago, but I don't change much

I think I've only played 3 P basses, owned 2 of them. So, it's got to be my current bista. A Squier VM Precision with the neck from a Fender Precision Blacktop. The MIK Squier P bass comes a close second. Last was the MIM Fender P, very underwhelming to be honest (glad I didn't spend the extra £s on it) So here's my current P bass.

Indeed yes. If my memory serves me correctly did you not own a Westone Spectrum II at some point. I owned one, it was my first bass, it was complete garbage.

I have 4 pieces of 450mm x 1225mm 18mm ply. It's ok ply. I suspect it's not totally void free, but it's decent enough. Having read quite a few cab building threads over the years on here over the years, 12mm is the usual favourite. However, I got this 18mm free. It was supposed to be for something else but isn't suitable. To the speaker cab/audio boffins. Is it enough to make a speaker cab? If so, what speaker could I chuck in it? Cheers ta and etc.

I've used one of those amps, and can say with authority they are very, very stationery

Sire V7 (or the V3 if you want to keep a few quid back). I've got a Sire V7, one of the first 1000 that got signed, it's great and won't be going anywhere, and that's despite the fact I gave up playing bass 18 months ago (I literally haven't touched a bass since leaving my last band). I've also got a Squier P bass, which I love to bits, but the Sire walks all over the Squier. The Sire walks all over a Mex Fender to be honest. They are good. All the best

I'm not convinced by the substitution argument regards UK bands would get the gigs not being done by EU bands. That's not really how the industry works. You get booked by promoters who think they're going to make a profit from your gig...so ergo you get booked where your fanbase is. That being the case, UK bands will already have been booked. To some extent this will apply to individuals as well, they're hired for who they are and what they bring.

In a time when recorded music is all but a waste of time monetarily, and live performance is the way ahead, putting up barriers for musicians is nothing short of vandalism.

I bought a Quick Lok BS/317 combo stand. The spec states that it'll take up to 45kg, which I thought was ideal as my combo was 28kg...plenty of headroom. No. I went through 2 in a matter of weeks. They are dreadful, don't buy one. The adjustment/locking mechanism just won't take any weight at all. https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Quik-Lok-BS-317-Amp-Stand-For-Large-Amps-Combos/art-GIT0019894-000

For the next 12 months the UK is still in the Single Market and Customs Union (and must abide by all its rules), so for those 12 months there should be little or no change. After that is anyone's guess. In the UK we might not have to pay customs on items from the likes of Thomann after we leave properly, however, I can't see UK customers benefiting from distance selling protections they have now.

I saw the new basses being promoted on Facebook a few days ago. This morning there's a Strat, Les Paul and a large body Gibson style guitar on their pages. Seems they're moving into being a 'player' inn the market (excuse the pun).

Well,she's just ruined a Worzels song 😢😢😢😢😢

I haven't 😃

Stereophonics are ok, not my favourite band but listenable and entertaining. Kelly Jones had The Wind and the Wave support his solo tour this year, and I think The Wind and the Wave are great... so he's got decent taste in music. And there's nothing wrong with Rick Astley, if he can appear on stage with the Foos he's a rock legend (sort of). He's got a good voice and send a decent sorry if fellow. I might watch the programme, depends on whether I drink much more wine and decide t to either go to bed or go out 😎

That's how I got the push from my last band...the gutless low life's. Actually it was the second band to pull that trick on me. I have subsequently decided bands are not for me, I find the people in them to have the worst of manners... i.e none. In all seriousness, if I was never in a band again it'd be too soon. I think I've only been in one band where the other members were genuinely decent people.

I 've used the Zoom B1on for practice at home for the last few years, it's a great, economical piece of kit. I wouldn't be without one now. My middle son now uses it for practicing guitar...I've told him to buy the guitar version but he's too tight to part with his cash.

The best basses I've owned are the ones I have now. A 1st generation (and signed) Sire V7 and a P bass bitsa (Squier body Fender neck). Even though I don't play anymore I can't sell them, I like them too much.

It's inhabited by a group of people who should spend more time practicing but get distracted by shiny instruments on the interweb and then they like to talk about them...oh, and a diabolical sense of humour, that's a must.

1/ One of my customers is just learning to play guitar, he's in his mid 50s. His guitar tutor asked what his aim was and the chap said he just wanted to play one gig. The guitar tutor replied that he'd need a better guitar. The guitar in question is an Epiphone Les Paul copy. It's in good condition and very playable. My customer asked me what I thought, I said I thought his tutor was talking out of his rear exhaust pipe. 2/ The music teacher at my son's school told my son that bass players don't play with plectrums, so he should only use fingers when he was playing the bass at school. My son told me this so I suggested next time he 'plays' bass at school and the subject of plectrums comes up he just says Bobby Vega or Carol Kaye. I then told my son, who is learning to play guitar, that anyone who wants to be a well rounded player should try to get to grips with all techniques on their instrument. Being deadly serious, I don't think people, who regard themselves as Music Teachers, and make such nonsense statements should be teaching at all. They're doing a disservice to those they are supposed to be teaching. It may seem minor, however, such narrow minded ridiculousness...well, it boils my waste water!!!

The new format is awful. I couldn't abide the part where the Australian band viewed clips of... Australian bands, it was pointless. I've arrived at the conclusion that if you want to find the worst or blandest new music, you'll find it in the Guardian music section or on Later.....

I lasted 2 practices, and I say practices in the loosest sense of the word. Wednesday was the worst practice I've ever been to, an utter shambles. They hadn't even attempted to learn any of the songs. Neither guitarist bothered to bring a single lead (they had to borrow my spares). One guitarist didn't have his amp and couldn't even remember where he'd left it. That same guitarist turned up stoned off his face and went on to get more stoned...so I've walked. It'd be a miracle if this ever made it out of the practice room Trying to land a spot with 'better' musicians isn't particularly feasible. It's a closed shop in my experience, they all play musical band chairs. So I'm done. Wednesday concentrated many of the reasons I dislike bands into 3 hours, and why I'll not be playing again.

I'm assuming you're referring to the modified "Apple Logo". I haven't used that one for about 8 years @Happy Jack 😁. You've a very good memory