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I suspect the headline would be very different if it had been. My point was really the shudder that goes through you just looking at the headline itself, without having to read any more.

Our singer has just upgraded her Shure SM58 to an AKG D7S which provides much better directionality and lower feedback. She would like to add a really good wireless adaptor which is hopefully not massively expensive. What would you recommend?

I could barely slap back then. Never had any issues with fretboard length. My Fender Performer was designed to meet the needs of 80s players, including slap. It has 24 frets and close string spacing.

Had I been able to come up with the flimsiest of excuses to hang on to this bass then I'd have done just that ... but unfortunately that line of reasoning leads to madness. 🙄

He’s Pete the poster!

I always liked the look of a Fender PBAC, they don't appear often so even the chance to just try one out is very rare. Having waited a few years for one to appear, to my amazement one did appear, not only that, it was being sold by none other than @Happy Jack, so no worries about, well, anything really. I wasn't the first to see the ad but I was the first to say I'd have it if it hadn't already gone..? 🤞 Phew, it hadn't. I drove over to Jack's the next day. I'm not one for sitting down with an instrument and noodling for hours before deciding if I like it, I am impetuous to the point of foolish and have bought a few basses only having played a few notes. However, in this case, I think I'm right in saying I didn't play it at all, just seeing it was enough, let's just say we hit it off instantly. I had briefly seen @Silvia Bluejay at the front door on the way in and before Jack knew it I was off. I should apologise really for not hanging around longer being sociable but on the way I realised I had double booked my self and had to rush back to do some archery coaching! I got home and, as ever when I buy a new bass, I put it in the rack and forgot about it for a few days. I don't know why I do this but I do, I also always take my basses straight to Guitar Technical Services as soon as I get them for a set up, luckily he could fit me in that weekend. I drove up to Warwick, the bass was checked over and was in top order, he did remark (something I had noticed too) that the fingerboard was screaming out for some oil! I left it with him to fettle and tweak, he knows how I like my basses set up. As I was driving back I realised I still hadn't played a note on it (I don't think). I'm rambling, anyway, a week later I got it home and on the following Friday I used it during a rehearsal. Although I have very much got used to short scales I adapted pretty quickly (which is odd for me). All my basses have thumb rests, the PBAC doesn't have one so I rest my thumb on the very bottom of the fingerboard, the notes really bloom on this bass when played in this position, playing there also helped with the shift from short to long scale. We played several of our songs and the difference with a full sized bass was huge, a real improvement all round. Having had it a few months now I have to say I am loving it. The other fretted basses are lingering and looking like they need to be moved on. The chrome flats on the PBAC fit most of our songs, my new Sire GB5-4 (stupid name) will fit the few that need that bright metallic twang, but it's going to be difficult, the PBAC is the sort of bass that fits with an acoustic duo perfectly, it might have to be prized out of my cold, dead hands. Now I have a wait of Bog knows how long until a fretless version appears...

Which in turn are just a rebadged MIM Std series being produced in the USA. By that logic anyway…

it’s how we know it’s you, Pete, and not an imposter.

Complexity, solved.

Right, the new speakers are here and I've degunked the internals of the cabinet in preparation for fitting them. Whilst doing this I looked at the cabling and wondered if it's going to be up to the job or potentially going to melt under the workload. It wouldn't be a big job to replace the existing wiring with some heavier-duty copper, after all, so I may well invest in some for this project. What do the BC hive mind think? Once it's all together I'll get the Tolex cleaned up; the grille cloth is also disgusting (it's had 40 years - minimum - of spit, beer and bodily fluilds rained down upon it, so that's coming to work for a pressure wash and trauma counselling before it goes back on. Side by side comparison. A (nearly) clean interior; whatever has caused the splashes in the bottom port isn't keen on coming off with water and elbow grease so I may have to get a bit medieval on it. This is the wiring; do we reckon it's up to the task? 800w each at peak power should be enough.... Sprung connectors, though. I might need to do something about those to ensure that the wiring stays attached. So, things are coming on, and hopefully I can get the drivers (which actually fit in the holes cut in the baffle!) fitted soon. Cheers, JRK

Maybe you had the good taste not to slap.

It's not like a Streamliner, it's just got a fatness rather than a clinical tone

TBF, it didn't say whether the chainsaw was running.

A short transcription I did just to see what was going on. Dave Holland's part to the Doug Hammond tune 'Brother Ty' from the same Holland Quintet album, 'The Razor's Edge'. Just some weird notes going which creates some beautiful tension. I may get the the rest of it one day but we shall see. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/brother-ty-bass-part-for-head-dave-holland-quintet/

I have a few active basses and they all behave so differently from one another. One is really quite mellow and I like it, another is so powerful it distorts on anything approaching full volume. And I never know if the battery is going to last or not. I feel your pain.