Jackroadkill

Extra points if you can name them all (no reverse-Googling allowed!). Cliff Burton, obviously, too.

Not had a drink since May 27th 1994, when I was fifteen.

I have a simple metric which I apply to my non-essential purchases, be they bass-related or otherwise; when I'm not at school (I work as a teacher in a small independent SEN school) I supplement my income by working on a farm, mostly doing the menial jobs. If I want to buy something, I work out how many hours of sh*t shovelling I have to do in order to fund that purchase. If it seems like a fair trade, I buy the item. If not, I manage without. I'm not that bothered by the cost, necessarily, in terms of pounds, but knowing that hard graft in the piddling rain on Tom Owen's farm funds such purchases makes me take a long hard look before I spend the profits of those hours on stuff I don't really need (like the American Original J-Bass I have my eye on, for example).

Two updates in a week?! It must be the solvents going to my head... I managed to get a flash coat of primer on the body tonight. Initial prognosis is good, although there are a few very tiny dings that need filling once the paint is dry. I'll attend to these tomorrow, hopefully, and then get a full primer coat on over the weekend. Cheers, JRK

I'm kind of stuck with this one until the weather warms and dries up for any length of time so that I can paint it. I did, however, buy my paint the other day, so have been able to produce this: From left to right we have four bands of colour: grey primer, silver metallic coat and two thin trans red coats; grey primer, sparkle silver metallic coat and two trans red coats; white primer, silver metallic coat and then the TR coats; lastly, white primer, silver sparkle metallic coat and the TR coats. All have a dust coat of clear gloss on top. The photo was taken on a crummy iPhone camera, the board is an old bit of MDF I had kicking around and I didn't do any sanding between coats, so the results are rough and ready but I think I'm going to opt for the last combination (white and silver sparkle). Obviously there'll be much better preparation and flatting between coats, and the clear coat will be a bit thicker and will be properly cut back before polishing, so I'm hoping to get a decent result. Other than that there's not much going on with the build; I have most of the hardware other than the electrics and control plate ready to go, though, so once the paint is finished (hopefully early summer) I might actually have something that resembles a bass. I'm planning to use this one for drop D tunings (which aren't my favourite, but ho-hum). Cheers, JRK

I've just started to learn Holiday in Cambodia - not massively complicated but it's got a kick like an angry Shetland pony.

I bought a Boss CE-1, a real one, not a reissue, for a hundred quid about twenty five years ago. I sold it for £250 five or so years later.... Should have held onto it and sold it in the last few years.

Was that on OK Computer?

Nice to have you with us, my friend.

Woah, that takes me back a bit!

He's not, but I bet he's thinking "Lads, Don't Stand So Close To Me"...

We play that version and I really enjoy it, even though it's not much of a workout it just sounds cool, somehow. Our band has not been onstage since November (we changed our drummer etc etc) but we have a gig at the end of next month, so I'm looking forward to that. We then have another six gigs in five weeks, which will either kill us or sharpen us up nicely! I hope all goes well for you next week.

For me it's finding myself in a flow state. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's incredible.

Die, Die My Darling (I'm suggesting that because my band plays it!).

At the moment it's You Could Be Mine, by Guns 'N' Roses. It's bloody fantastic!

A thought on the backbone; could it be thinner if it was on the top of the body, and therefore subject to less moment from the strings? This may make it able to be a bit thinner and lighter.

She's looking great, Rob. I really like her.

That's fecking outrageous.

I was born in 1979, so no.

I'd have one of those, that's for sure.

That's a heartbreaking circumstance. Sincere condolences, Gasman.

I wallowed in despair, then fired the drummer.

That looks like an early 70's case...

That's superb; it takes me right back to my Slimelight days and the bands I never quite got off the ground. I must come and see you play.