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Started out playing the fiddle. When I got into my teens and wanted to play music with friends in the late 1960s/early 1970s, a fiddle was not cool or desirable. Everyone wanted to play guitar, so I figured playing bass was more likely to get me into bands, which proved to be right. I'd always had a decent ear and was able to pick out bass parts. I loved Motown/Stax and soul, so that was my homework in early days and got me off to a good start. I kept up the fiddle and later learned to play mandolin and guitar, but the bass has stayed with me and is virtually all I play these days. I've even had brief periods of playing it for a (sort of) living.

UPDATE: We’ve finally wrapped up the warehouse move! The new pre-owned showroom is now open too, so if you’re in the area swing by, grab a coffee/tea/beer, and check out some lovely basses. Always happy to talk gear and hang out.

A Day In The Life - The Beatles

I find that a good quality low B IS crystal clear and that’s what I want not something that’s muddy and inaudible

The next evolution of my Nano Rock Covers pedalboard: R-L 1. Korg Pitch Black Bass Tuner. 2. Microthumpinator v2 (underneath). 3. Grimalkin. It's like a posh fuzz that does so much more. It's very cool. 4. Origin Effects DCX Bass sparkle box. Makes Spector basses more Spector than is appropriate in most circumstances. 5. Origin Effects Cali76. A compressor that I actually understand and get to work for me easily. 6. Aguilar Chorusaurus v2 analogue Bass chorus. It's lovely, so much so it's turned me into a Chorus-whore-us. I can't turn it off.

Anyone can ask for over £9000 for a used one. It would take a prize pillock to actually pay it.

I had mates (very good 14/15 year old drummer and a fast learning guitarist) who wanted to start a band, and I had access to a bass. Do I still have passion for it? In all honesty that ship sailed a while ago. I pick up the bass and noodle. Lack the inertia to do band stuff.

Ive bene using the new-ish Xvive A58's recently and love them. Got fed up with the size of my Lekato's, and they dont seem to be screen very well (at all even). The A58 also have a user replaceable battery in them, so should last quite a long time.

I wanted to play drums when I was 12 or 13. Mum said no, so a guitar playing friend of mine suggested bass. I saved my pocket money and did some jobs for neighbours for a few quid; I went to my local small guitar shop (Sam's Guitars in Bangor, North Wales ) and bought a black Charvette bass (budget charvel). I was gifted an old 50w combo by a family friend. My guitarist friend (a year or so ahead of me in learning) taught me the basics, then I was largely self taught until lessons for a year or so later in school. From then on I was obsessed. My life was almost entirely music. Then at age 20 I got my first drum kit, and was obsessed with that for several years. I came back to playing bass (casually) 3-4 years ago. We moved house and drums were not practical.

I started in 1980 at 15 I think. I was learning guitar, but then I heard the Stranglers and everything changed. I just wanted to be the guy that made that bass sound. I was into heavy rock at the time, the NWOBHM was in full swing, but after I’d heard the Stranglers I started to diversify, and soon after heard Tina Weymouth on Once In A Lifetime…. and I was hooked. My musical tastes have always been diverse since then, and playing bass has opened up many doors with regards to that. I basically love pretty much all genres….. but rock is still primary in terms of playing live. I’ve had every bass…… like ALL of them over the last 40yrs! So it I guess my taste in basses has also been pretty diverse, and I never get attached to them, they’re tools to me, nothing more really, although, I do love my Thunderbirds these days. First bass was a Columbus Jazz and this morning an old, tired and very dirty Yamaha RBX A2 5 string arrived via crack converters as my next project. I absolutely love “doing up” old basses.

I wanted to be a guitarist when I was 13/14 after watching my Uncle's (he's a drummer) cover band play, my Dad managed to put me onto bass knowing that with hands like mine (large) and reduced dexterity in my right hand the chances of me being able to play more than a few open chords was very slim. So Christmas came and there was Peavey Milestone III waiting for me, not long after that I was unable to walk for 6 weeks following surgery, so what else was there to do than learn to play. Since then music has been my life and my life line where other things and people have come and gone and many a dark moment has come my way, I made the decision to play every style possible that was available to me - I've gigged everything from music for amateur panto, music hall on an EUB, right through to classic heavy metal and everything in between. My favourite bass has always been a P (I have 4) but with the current collection standing at 10, the latest being a Rick 4001V63 I'm very fortunate to have such a variety of sounds available. The one thing I have never gotten on with is a fretted jazz bass, fretless jazz bass I love to play but a fretted just sounds wrong when I play it, oh and there was the one time I (unknowingly) said that Musicman basses are too aggressive sounding for me, in front of the UK Rep sponsoring a competition in which I'd gotten down to the final five...