asingardenof

I often try not to use open strings in case I have occasion to play a song in a different key so it's less of a pain to figure out the fingering, and sometimes because the tone is nicer, but it's sometimes nice to use open strings where to not would be awkward.

I've been there, my dude. I managed to regain my enthusiasm only after some radical changes to other aspects of my life; in my case leaving a toxic workplace and moving across the country to be nearer family. After that it took me a couple of years but my enthusiasm came back with a vengeance and I joined my first band. My sincere condolences, and I hope you get your enthusiasm back soon.

Usually use two (or one if the song is extremely simple), but occasionally bust out the ring finger if a gallop is called for.

My guess is that this is a player who wants to make some additional cash by teaching people songs they want to learn, but doesn't have anything like a structured curriculum – I've been there and it's very frustrating. The fact they want to push you into only using tab, and have five guitar amps and only one bass amp, is a big hint that this is a guitarist who is looking to make some additional cash by teaching people learning guitar songs they want to learn, but is looking to branch out by offering this same unstructured approach to bass. If it were me I'd be looking elsewhere.

A lot of what my parents used to listen to. A lot of our long car trips involved a lot of Chris De Burgh being played, and while I think most of it is overblown rubbish, there are still a few songs I think of fondly because of the memories associated with them.

I fell in love with my Squier P when I bought it in 1998. I was a bit worried about the neck width, as the Hohner Rockwood P-adjacent bass I part-exed for it had a more Jazz-like profile, but the sound I got from it was immense. It persuaded me against buying the Fender Mexican Jazz the shop offered me as an alternative. I still have and use that P and will never part with it.

Sounds familiar

Oh man, that sucks. Hope you get your cab back soon. This reminds me that I had to take photos of the serial numbers of my gear just in case. Job for tonight, methinks.

The Guardian is doing one of those AMA things with Geddy Lee and is inviting questions here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/27/post-your-questions-for-rush-frontman-geddy-lee

I like to think I can play the stuff I can play pretty well, and can learn new songs within my capability pretty well, but I'm rubbish at improvising and composing, so it's the covers band life for me!

Another vote here for Roqsolid covers

Having lived in Stowmarket I feel your pain and desire to not go back.

I just about managed to buy a Squier P-bass with my grant in the late 90s. Tempus fugit I suppose. I do recall seeing a 70s Jazz in a second hand shop in Leeds in 1998 that would have only set me back £750 - at 20 years old I guess they wouldn't have been considered "vintage" yet, just heavy. I still have and love that Squier though.

I don't think that's limited to Tamworth though, although I admit I haven't spent an awful lot of time in Tamworth - an old colleague used to live in Wilnecote which was about as close as I got to Tamworth proper.

£200/wk? I assume that's all in because that's considerably more than I'm paying for a 3-bed house!

I'm the same, the extra money is definitely one of my main reasons for playing, although after the fun reasons. It's basically my fun money, funds for new gear, etc. as otherwise I'd be able to pay for necessities and not a lot else. This is why I'm the person in our band putting the effort in to find new gigs.

Wasn't my amp, and the amp owner who was the music organiser for the event basically told me in advance of the event that I had to use it.

Nope, you've read the situation correctly. Amp was supplied by the band that was due to play before ours, whose bassist was the music organiser for the event but who was hospitalised the day before.

It sounded great through FOH and I'd love to try one properly in the future. But yes, you're right, I was basically shown it and told there you go literally minutes before we were due to go on.

Some do use FB groups for Google, but a lot of the time they're asking for opinions from people who have used certain bits of gear. Only up to a point though; asking for recommendations for strings is pretty pointless as you'd get 50 different suggestions, and unless someone has £2k around to spend on strings in one go one may as well just pick a brand at random and try it. There are certain types of post that do grind my gears though: "I've just put an order in for this [brand] bass. What does everyone think of it?" - I've just bought this, look how great I am/please validate my impulse buy I did no research on "I've just bought this [brand] bass, what upgrades should I do?" - I've heard modding is cool but I've no idea what the failings of my current bass are or what I want to improve as I've never played it Pretty much anything from Jeff Berlin

User error (whatever the bass equivalent of PEBCAK is) strikes again. The sound guy told me that he'd turned off the distortion setting on the amp. What I didn't notice though is that he'd also helpfully turned down this rather crucial dial: FFS. Anyway, it's back to using my own gear in December and giving my ABM600 its first outing since June.

You can always sell on the original preamp, it'd make a great upgrade for someone and you could make some money back.

Nah, you've room for one more there

Ooooooooooooooooh!