discreet

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1464022710' post='3055838'] How dare a sizeable group of people be interested in something other than music, eh? [/quote] That's how the Nazi party got started.

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1463990905' post='3055498'] Just goes to show sometimes it's worth sticking with things. [/quote] It certainly does. I usually make a decision pretty quickly, but there was something about this that kept me coming back to it. I'm glad I did now, it's certainly worth getting to know.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1463998021' post='3055593'] Trio FTW [/quote] No drummer FTW. [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1464006620' post='3055666'] ...looked at the space available and set up in a way that works best for everyone... like reasonable adults [/quote] 'Dad, when I grow up I want to be a musician.' 'You can't do both, son.'

Get into the habit of 'accidentally' smacking people round the back of the bonce with your headstock. You'll find that your allotted stage space will magically increase...

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1463992221' post='3055508'] There was somewhere/one on ebay that used to do replacement Lakland guards... Can't remember the name though... [/quote] I contacted the eBay people and they were remarkably lacking in enthusiasm for the job. I got a price in the end and was going to reluctantly go ahead with it, but then got a terse message saying, 'Can't find template can't do it' which didn't surprise me. Luckily I hadn't sent them a payment. Jack's Instrument Services in Manchester can do the job, but they want me to send the original guard as a template and I can't be without the bass for the time it would take. Plus Jack's mint looks a bit pale to me, I want a noticeably green mint.

Not just festival headline acts... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3138853/Britain-s-mid-life-crisis-UK-average-age-hits-40-time-population-jumps-500-000-64-6-million.html

[quote name='tredders' timestamp='1463944098' post='3055243'] Lovely bass, and some great playing. Sounds ace with those La Bellas on... [/quote] Thank you... yes, La Bellas are definitely my favourite strings atm. They are so consistent, you know exactly what you are going to get. Plus, they last forever! I transfer them from bass to bass when necessary. [quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1463989873' post='3055484'] Crying out for some tort... [/quote] Not a bad call, but any new guard is a custom job. This isn't a Fender P obviously, it's just not that easy to find off-the-shelf guards. Besides, so many people here and over on TB have said 'leave the pearl guard!' that I'm going to delay changing it and see if it grows on me. It IS quite a good fit for my retro-country band. And doing nothing is always strong motivation for me...

[quote name='thebuckets' timestamp='1463955111' post='3055358'] Ha ha sorry new bass fortnight. Saw it on here a few weeks ago and thought it a good idea to leave my review till after my honeymoon/buyers remorse had passed and id given it a gig [/quote] Good wheeze - NBF... add it to the list.

What's an NBF? Have I missed something..?

[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1463923767' post='3054982'] The bass sounds great as does the playing, love the little flourish at the end. [/quote] Thanks, Gary. The flourish is usually at the point where I'm thinking, 'OK, enough already!' YMMV of course.

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1463923534' post='3054977'] I had an ephiphany with precision and fold my jazz to buy one. Every so often I think it might be needed ve to have a jazz as "they are so much more versatile" then I realise I don't need one really [/quote] I know what you mean. I'm with Lozz, a P Bass man really, but there's something about twin Jazz pups I like, especially with flats! A Jazz with a P neck is definitely in my future somewhere. Or even a P with twin Jazz pups would do it... does that mean a Maru..?

Look forward to seeing that.

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1463876770' post='3054729'] P with a J neck [/quote] J with a P neck

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1463916715' post='3054900'] Great playing as ever Mark. Sounds a lot better than when I was abusing it. [/quote] Very kind sir - high praise indeed coming from yourself, I'll take that!

[b]NBD - Lakland Skyline Bob Glaub (44-64) *Audio*[/b] Bit of a weird one - initially I didn't like this bass much, having been drawn in by my favourite colour scheme, white and maple (even though I'm not one for pearl!) - I found the neck a bit too shallow front to back - and having decided to move it on almost immediately, I put it up for sale on here. Meanwhile, I had the bass on a stand in my room and began to pick it up and play it more and more as time went on and the bass didn't sell... Long story short, I eventually bonded with it - and now I absolutely love it. I fitted it with La Bella 760FS flats which transformed the bass for me, it came to life - and that sealed the deal. It sounds more P Bass than a P Bass, imho - it's got loads of natural low-end, with that little bit of bite in the upper mids that P Basses do so well, even with flats. I've got a mint guard in the pipeline too, though I have toyed with gold... maybe even black. time will tell. Build quality is very good indeed, the components are high quality and the stock pickup sounds amazing. Great feel in the hand, too. It may very well turn out to be the best Fender I've yet played... This is a very short jam I knocked out this morning. Bass is recorded a bit hot so there are one or two crackles. I can't be bothered to do it again. Hopefully you can hear that natural low-end - listen through decent monitors if possible. Direct through Edirol UA5 Audio Interface into FL Studio 12, no processing or FX except 3:1 compression. Rehearsal on Wednesday and gig on Saturday, will report back. [b]*[url="https://soundcloud.com/mark-smith-908669702/lakland-bass-jam"]Audio Clip[/url]*[/b] (2 mins)

It probably sounds a bit weedy.

[quote name='cameltoe' timestamp='1463867924' post='3054693'] Hopefully the BOOM TACK makes sense! [/quote] An explosion in a saddlery..?

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1463863488' post='3054669'] You can't play bass alongside a bad drummer, not if you want to enjoy yourself, not if you want to improve as a musician. Walk away. End of. [/quote] This is true unfortunately. I've been privileged to have worked with some world-class drummers and a really good drummer will make you sound like a genius bass player (if you're any good to start with) but a bad drummer will make the whole band sound terrible. It's really hard to find a good drummer, but if you don't have one, essentially you're wasting your time. The thing is, you CAN teach good timing and rhythm, but the very worst drummers think they don't need to learn. So they're crap AND deluded. My current band got round the problem by simply not having a drummer. One of the guitarists plays a kick and the singer plays percussion. This works really well for retro 1920s western swing/country music, but I'm not quite so convinced it would work very well for a rock band...

Oof, it really is a bit expensive. I'd rather have [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-Fender-Precision-Bass-55-Reissue-Custom-Shop-Relic-Blonde-Ash-Near-Mint/172154452396?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36558%26meid%3Dde3f133eb0324d02b0aac91ca4e6c3d5%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D162046087968"]this[/url] for the retro vibe...

[quote name='thegummy' timestamp='1463835701' post='3054451'] Sorry what does that mean? [/quote] It means I can't see the pic for some reason, but as umcoo obviously can, it must be my end. Fnarr.

Pic broken!

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1463822608' post='3054283'] Top chap to deal with, even if he did put the wrong address on it! [/quote] I got the road name right, I got the town right! Just the house number was a bit wrong, is all... Two out of three isn't bad, is it? What's the matter with UPS? Those guys want you to do their work for them!!

Sold Paul a bass. He is an excellent buyer, a fast payer and does good comms. He was even very tolerant of my cack-handed attempt to send his bass to the wrong house. Thanks, Paul!