discreet

It's mad isn't It? I wouldn't want to watch even my favourite bands for 3 hours!

Good work. I find gigs always seem longer than any similar-length rehearsal but I suppose that's understandable...

Good Lord. You want to borrow my 7lb Jazz..?

+1. I've got La Bella Through-Body flats on a bass that cost little more than twice the price of the strings. But they make that bass far more playable and better-sounding than it ever was with its stock strings.

Sweet! But the headstock colour - is it a trick of the light?

+1 Absolutely. And very, very hard to find. I'm on my second good one in 40-odd years, feeling happy - and grateful.

Ha! Mine too. If only.

There seems to be some kind of weird 'honour' in playing very long sets. I say they're vastly overrated.I'd much rather watch a great band for 30 minutes than a mediocre one for two hours. Some covers bands in particular seem to think that quantity is the equal of quality. it is not. That's a sweet cherry. Makes life much, much easier. And more pleasant.

Round Core GHS Bass Boomers? I've not tried them myself, but can be got for around £25-ish, I think.

I dunno, I'd still be annoyed if someone put a ding in a Road Worn. The problem is in finding it...

Not at all, that's just what it looks like. If you're a rock 'n' roll band it doesn't matter. If you're a pro function band it matters. YMMV.

+1 The few times I've allowed people to use my rig the first thing they did was whack everything up to eleven. Thus demonstrating a lack of intelligence and a lack of regard for other people's kit that was so profound that I now won't lend my gear to anyone under any circumstances. Nope!

Me too. Makes it look like the band are such alkies that they can't wait until they've finished their set before they have a drink. I'll take water onstage because I need it, but I'm always very careful where it goes (i.e. in my gob).

Yes, or if GG Allin wanted to borrow a microphone.

Arf! Arf!

I'd rather lend stuff to complete strangers than friends. It's a lot more trouble when you break a friend's nose. Just joking - I'd never do that to anyone, especially a friend. I'd leer at his girlfriend, though.

Oww, my brain!!

I thought I was reading the bum wipes thread for a minute. Micromesh is fantastic. It doesn't clog like sandpaper, it's really fast and it doesn't wear out. You just rinse it under the tap, dry it and reuse it. Great stuff.

It may even have been a CMI, it was a long time ago.

Actually I agree. What I do is drill then finish. But I plug the holes and cavities first with tissue and tape. If you're filling and/or painting and/or wet-sanding you don't want any moisture in the holes - it will expand the wood and blow your finish.

Absolutely. I well remember my Avon EB0 copy and my Kay bass with Audition amp. Terrible - and would put off all but the most starry-eyed from ever taking up the bass. And my current go-to bass is a HB PB-50 Precision. Modded admittedly, but that's what it is. Sweet!

That's right - you can fiddle with them for a while, then leg it.

I didn't buy it as an investment, but you never know... another 20 years it might be worth £70! You still get a lot of Strat for £68.

Harley is a Thomann brand. Got mine before the £ went tits-up, but you can still score a Strat there for around £68.