Rich

I guess this is my signature bass... my Shuker J. With the benefit of years of hindsight, were I to commission it tomorrow it would look broadly similar but it would be 32" scale, and headless, and would have P/MM pickups.

Aww man, I do love Sally she's a cracker.

Washboard. Spoons. Or with himself, perhaps. Anything other than a guitar. Then I wouldn't have been subjected to him at various points during my life. (And if there's one thing I've taken away from this thread, it's the pleasure of knowing that I'm not the only one who finds him mindbuggeringly tedious.)

I bought my Wal Pro back in '86 because I desperately needed a good bass, and I was in the right place at the right time to snap it up. I knew sod all about Wal and didn't know of any of their name players at the time. All I knew was that a.) I could afford it and b.) it was (still is) a fabulous instrument. When I bought it I was in the process of saving up my shekels for a new bass and had my sights set on a very lovely Pangborn Warlord I'd played at the Wapping Bass Centre (RIP); part of my reason for trying it out was that I had seen Mark King playing one and loved its looks. At the time I thought he was god, but I didn't want a Jaydee because I didn't want to look too much of a fanboi Buying the Wal instead saved me a shedload of cash and has proved to be a good long-term investment! I bought my Status fiver because I'd always liked Status basses (nothing to do with their Mark King connection) and I wanted a good five string. My Yamaha RBX was nice but the Status kicked its arrse. I bought my Sire V7 partly because of the Marcus Miller connection, which was what made me notice them in the first place, but mainly because I really fancied an active 5 string Jazz and they represented really stupid value for money. Bought it totally sight-unseen and was not disappointed. I'd very probably have given it a punt even without the MM connection. So... a couple of very tenuous artist associations in there.

I steer away from Rickies because I've played one

Smack My B!tch Up - The Prodigy

I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper - Sarah Brightman and getting my coat now

It's a shame that we don't seem to have widely-available class action (group litigation) in this country any more, as they do in the US. It seems that currently it is only certified for cases of breach of competition law.

Admins, ban this... this... HERETIC. Right now.

And antelope in three.

My fingers are gradually succumbing, one by one. My left pinky is useless, any movement in it is painful; right pinky is going the same way; end knuckles in my left index and middle fingers are becoming misshapen, index especially, and quite painful (see pic); same fingers on right hand also heading the same way. I've probably got 10 years playing left if I'm lucky.

There is only one mandolin song. https://youtu.be/qAXzzHM8zLw?t=146

Yup, hence my earlier comment re: quite liking (some of) Phil Collins' solo output. Yes, I really do. And for me, Dancing Queen is THE perfect pop song. Superb bassline too.

Yes, some of it I do (as well as Brand X). See, that's an opinion that's unpopular with you.

Of course, the elephant in the room when it comes to melodic basslines driving the song is McCartney's "Silly Love Songs". Zero cool points but a classic of the type. https://youtu.be/wh15LOppcWQ?t=15 And while we're in a poppy frame of mind, there's this classic from MJ which would be nothing without ol' Thunderthumbs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BfcRjZn6y4

I quite like them too. And Phil Collins.

Well if it's any help, I'd definitely do it if it was mine.

And the punters, bless 'em, don't they just love it? Guaranteed floor filler.

Importing the google calendar etc seems to be an option. I've been prompted to do it but I haven't said yes. I don't plan on doing either.

You obviously haven't met my bandmates... if we all lived together, there would be gruesome murders within a week

Two things spring to mind here... 1.) 'Nothing in his output' is a bit sweeping**... his recorded output is in excess of 39 albums, and I'll be super-impressed if as a non-fan you've listened to absolutely all of it. I certainly haven't, and I like him! 2.) taking Raspberry Beret as representative of 'much' of his output is a bit like judging Napalm Death's entire back catalogue using 'You Suffer' as a yardstick ** Having said that of course, I referred to the Stones as "overrated hackneyed old drivel" but I've certainly not listened to everything they've ever done, so you can probably ignore everything I just said.

I don't know quite what you're getting at, but the band has been together and working quite nicely since 1994, so it's not impossible at all. We've used Doodle just to make logistics and gig-getting easier, not to run the band or play the gigs, and up until recently it's been fine. I'm just after a Doodle-alternative, that's all.

Rolling Stones. Massively overrated hackneyed old drivel. The Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band In The World? My árse. They are the Luckiest Average Pub Band In The World.

Brixton's not North London though?