Big_Stu

The lyrics of the hit medley of "De Do Do Do" and "Da Do Ron Ron" started life as a short-story competition in Liverpool.

Before I did the factory tour in '08 I met the whole family that worked there. Then got the in-depth on the Lemmy stack before being shown round & watched the 4x15's being built. Jim Marshall gave me his auto-biog/souvenir of the day too, though I was trying for a discounted Lemmy amp it wasn't going to happen. In the Marshall reception there's a huge glass display case/museum holding an amp of every model they've made, Marshall & Park & others. It's open to the public by prior appointment. The mock theatre where you can trial most of the amp range past & present is - IIRC - only open to serious buyers and/or "names". [i]Might be an idea for a Basschat outing on the ol' Charabanc?[/i]

[quote name='cybertect' timestamp='1417087637' post='2616902']For a UK comparison, Fish (of Marillion fame) put together a breakdown of costs of touring on his blog last year[/quote] I used to drink with a mate in Fish's local boozer many years ago, up until my mate died suddenly & I coincidentally moved away not long after. Fish is a grand lad, takes stick & giggles very well, gives as good as he gets & not shy at getting his round in.

[quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416950847' post='2615491']I spoke to Jimmy Moon also. That way if Overwater is out of my league, or the distance presents an issue, I've got someone good closer to home. Still want to guitar to go back to it's maker though! Even if it means driving to and from Carlisle.Not too far from Glasgow in the greater scheme of things.[/quote] One of the most gorgeous basses I ever saw was a Jimmy Moon. Purple fake finish, kinda Overwater in shape with MOP crescent moons for markers. A BC-er had got it cheap off him, sold in lieu of payment IIRC. You shouldn't go far wrong with Jimmy Moon, though last I heard he was only building acoustics in recent years.

Judas Priest was related to Steve, the bassist from The Sweet.

The writers of the Scooby-Doo cartoons got the idea for the name from the fade-out of Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night".

Link Wray had a brother in The Police who had a submarine named after him. Good old U619 on the Met!

Aerosmith were named after the guy whose job it is to blow the bubbles into chocolate.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1416940371' post='2615323'] [media]http://youtu.be/NzlG28B-R8Y[/media] [/quote] Or

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1416829134' post='2613908'] Most youtube ads can be skipped after a few seconds, though some sites seem to force you to run through a full ad. Depending on my mood, I usually just go somewhere else - which is the other advantage of having an effectively infinite amount of online choice rather than being limited to a relatively few TV channels. I only mentioned there is life after TV to give you the self-satisfaction of pointing out how self-satisfying it sounds [/quote] Channel 5's "iPlayer" now forces you to allow ads on any AdBlocker. Bah, "Under The Dome" had gone cr@p anyway! Currently wallowing in nostalgia of an evening watching the whole of 1972's "Colditz" series on Youtube! Major Mohn has yet to make his appearance.

Jools Holland, Clive Anderson and Sandy Toksvig had a race, Jools Holland won it by a short neck.

I can see your point, I wouldn't necessarily say he had something to hide, especially if he's a badge-wearing rep for them. He should be happy to show the profits they made for the charity so it is a strange reaction. Many years ago I worked on the stationery for a major UK charity, every alteration, comma, full stop etc was subject to a meeting. Any change to the job took 2-3 months of delay while they had a meeting about it. I don't give to that charity anymore.

[quote name='DavidMcKay' timestamp='1416771940' post='2613450'] [/quote] Are those saddles original? I'm getting vertigo looking at them. If they were shorter - and there's enough drop on the pickups then the short shim could work.

[quote name='yorks5stringer' timestamp='1416759685' post='2613250'] I'm sure you could have shoe-horned Van Der Graf Generator into there and maybe even Wire? [/quote] Dang! should have thought of VDGG!!

AC/DC made Sparks in The Power Station into 5000 Volts.

James Brown's Papa took it back to M&S for a refund.

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1416581401' post='2611666'] Why would he give you the number of a sunday league club instead of his mobile phone or home number? Even if he does run the Sunday league club, unless he's there more than he's at home (and I doubt it), then it's kind of odd to give that out instead of mobile or landline number. Mother-in-law who was discharged on her own? And then she just let herself into her daughter's/son-in-laws house? Still sounds a bit odd (especially since you also now know it's a 1-bed house). When I was in hospital, they wouldn't even discharge a 20 year old unless there was somebody there to pick them up. I doubt hospitals are waving bye-bye to frail, deaf 80 year olds, and not even telling the family. Sorry, but it all still sounds very suspicious to me. [/quote] [size=5][b]EGAD!![/b][/size] Though I do agree entirely, more holes in that story than in Blackburn, Lancashire!

Not mine, but a mate of mine had a [i]spontaneous jamming session down the pub last night[/i] & let me have a tinker with it.... Pity about the mobile phone pic, didn't think to take a camera.

I bought a case from Maplins, the foam is in 1cm column pieces, stuck together, that you just pull out to make the shape you want. Once I pulled out what i needed the case was empty & I use it for spare leads, strings & spares. [url="http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/flight-case-with-foam-n70ap"]http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/flight-case-with-foam-n70ap[/url] I've also bought it at a place that cuts foam to size for cushions and mattresses etc. They did it with an electric carving knife while I waited.

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1416404821' post='2609821'] [attachment=176717:fender.jpg] [/quote] If that's in your living room I hope that's a tele-coaster it's stood on!

[quote name='NJE' timestamp='1415814994' post='2604083'] Not a bass but a very close friend of mine had a VIP session with Steve Vai once and got to play his main JEM, he said it was horrendous to play, action all over the place and generally uncomfortable. I think he expected it to be a 'excalibur' type guitar. [/quote] Week before last Steve Cropper let me have an unplugged strum or ten on his Peavey Custom Tele. It recently came a Cropper (see what I did there?) in that while it was in a gig bag someone managed to drive over it, it's rammed the controls into the body a touch, luckily with them set how he wants them. He's using it on this tour rather than a back-up because it's the best neck he's ever played - there's not a scrap of finish left on it. He's got big hands so I found it nice to play - and a lot lighter than my own Tele.

[quote name='Ziphoblat' timestamp='1415449403' post='2600428'] Hi folks, It's chucking it down right now and I've got somewhere to be with my bass... just wondering if anyone has any experiences with the Fender SKB hard cases in the rain? It's one of the square 2008+ ones. I reckon it'll be fine, but I don't want to take any risks with my bass getting wet. Cheers [/quote] My Fender SKB case is almost 25 years old, it has interlocking aluminium edges on both sides all round. Never had any serious problem with rain getting in. In a real downpour it's sometimes had the black fur around the edges a bit damp - but never enough to reach the guitar itself.

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1413803983' post='2582017'] Scott is a top bloke. I am having some lessons from him atm. [/quote] Saw Cropper again last night & spoke with them all at the soundcheck. I had a wtf moment when Scott was up; he appeared to be playing a ukelele but upon asking it's a Bass Centre Ltd Ed Bill Wyman bass. Very nice! Incredibly reedy, woody tone just right for 60s material (though Chas Chandler would have wondered what the hell was happening in Scott's slap solo ) ........... & back on the jazz for when Cropper came on.

[quote name='Ben Jamin' timestamp='1415231011' post='2598329'][color=#000000][font=open-sans, arial, helvetica, sans-serif][size=4]“Using a highly sophisticated Ionic Vapor Process™ developed by Acoustic Science™, proprietary compounds are activated in a glow discharge electromagnetic plasma, modifying the string’s entire surface,”[/size][/font][/color][/quote] The rest of their time they convert 7 string guitars into 6-ers for blokes with big hands.

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1415224186' post='2598224']What surprise me on here sometimes is that here is a guy that is so interesting and important as far as Basses go but there is little interest. On the other hand there are 40+ posts in a thread about zombies. BC can be a very strange place at times. [/quote] Well that's that mystery solved - we should have known. If you're a slapper you get attention off guys (the next installment is on, about Mark King)