Rich

I hear ya. The dead circuit in my 1A has been replaced with an EMG 2-band and the result is, as you say, a lot easier and more flexible in operation. I've still got the series/parallel switch in place, but the redundant active/passive switch is now a simple kill switch. I'm pondering the idea of fitting a J bridge pickup...

Really? Blimey, I clicked on the 'join here' thingy and when I got to the bit that said "We will ask you for your contact details and some evidence to show that you are a professional musician" I figured that was that. Perhaps it's worth a punt after all! EDIT: have applied. Feck it. Nothing ventured, etc.

Another vote for Elixirs here.

From what I understand, it was found that faulty flux capacitors were delivering several jiggawatts of electric shock to anyone who attempted to play Stairway To Heaven on them.

I couldn't watch more than 20 seconds of that. Horrid, disgraceful waste. Unsafe my arrse. My opinion of Gibson, which was low to start with, has hit rockbottom and started to dig.

190+ miles for me... I love driving, but a 400 mile round trip is a bit much for a purely window-shopping trip

LOVE it. This is exactly the road I'd go down -- a YOB '65 Jazz looking stock at a glance but stuffed with hi tech bits. In car terms, somewhere between a restomod and a rat rod.

It's not that much of an OMG moment, but... back in 1986 the band I was in were rehearsing one Saturday afternoon at Angie's in Wokingham. We'd pretty much finished and were having a chat prior to packing up when a guy walked in at the back of the club. He was in shadows so I couldn't see his face. "Oh sorry", he said, "are you still playing? I can come back in a bit". We told him we were done and were about to pack up. He struck up a conversation, asked us what we were called etc., and being young and arrogant and convinced of our impending fame, we were a bit cheeky with some of our replies. He either didn't notice or wasn't bothered by it. After a few questions he says "Good stuff...", steps forward into the light to shake our hands, "my name's Herbie...". I mentally added the word 'Flowers' and my jaw did a clang. Turned out his jazz quartet were playing at Angie's that evening. After the greetings, he looked at us and reached into his pocket... "Well I dunno about you, but I'm skinning up...". Made one for us to pass round and one for himself, and my god it was good gear Thank god he turned up too late to hear me playing

Excellent potentially very useful. Now I know what I've been doing wrong for the last 30 years!

Mark King -- Jaydee (and to a lesser extent Status) basses

I like it. I need to fashion something similar for my V7.

I experimented with a homemade ramp on my Status S2, I liked it so much it stayed on there till I sold it (bottom pic). I made it from a piece of balsa wood clad in three different types of veneer, stuck to the bass with carpet tape. I think I did a half decent job of colour matching it! I had one built in to my Shuker bass (top pic). A much more sophisticated affair, height adjustable to match the pickups. I haven't got one on my Sire V7, and really miss it. I'm going to have to sort one out. I like the feel of it under my fingers.

If that was closer to home, I'd have it just for the bridge and the active guts.

There are many aspects that are a pain in the derrière, yes. But there were times during the last year when I wondered if I'd ever play again. Now thankfully I am, and I don't care how far the drive, how late the night, how tired the loadout -- I'm in two wonderful bands and loving every second of every gig, simply because I can.

I've got two Klotz cables that I bought in 1986; one or other of them still gets used at pretty much every rehearsal and most gigs. I haven't got anything older than that, because I had all my gear nicked apart from my bass and amp in early 1986.

The thing I love about a 5 is not so much the sub-E notes (although I play with brass, so they do come in handy), but the fact that I can play across the neck rather than just up and down. I find this very useful. Personally I would definitely stick with the 5. Persevere, it will all come good. There are loads of 18-19mm spaced fivers around. I believe the Yamahas are 19 or even 20 (my RBX certainly was), my Sire V7 is 18. If they were less than 18, I wouldn't get on with them either.

That is fabulous. Great job.

A lightweight rackmountable Trace Elliot head combining the GP12SMX preamp features with a Class D power amp. I would buy one in a heartbeat.

Alesis Quadraverb. You can pick them up for peanuts. e.g. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alesis-Quadraverb/303211425551?hash=item4698cf2f0f:g:gNwAAOSwQHBdHNP4

Good idea! He could do you a 3-string for massive hands.

I paid 120 for my BTB sixer. Mind you, it is a right mess yours (if I'm looking at the right one) is immeasurably better. Pay the money, keep it as a toy and try to get on with it, and chalk it up to experience.

I'm not jealous at all. Honest.