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Just out of curiosity last night I compared my Gibson EB-2 and Epiphone Jack Casady. The Gibson is 30" short scale but it is the same length overall as the 34" scale JC, and in fact they both have identical cases. Same as the 4030, the EB-2 has the same sized body but the bridge is in a different spot. So that was quite interesting.

Our musical leader got a stroke in an ambulance and clinically died there by Easter. Because of the personnel they were able to give the needed care, and we still have a leader. No one of us were ready to stop playing. Even our patient was driving us to play from the hospital. Now he is back and in good shape, although he cannot carry the stuff, but that's a small issue because he is alive and kicking. If I was you, I would continue making music with your group.

The case against Michael Mason was due to be heard at Leicester Crown Court, at 10:30am on 26th November. As the case moved from Leicester Magistrate's Court, to the Crown Court, it now has a additional and new reference (underlined, below, from the court listing below). "10:30am Michael MASON Leic Crown Sitting at Leic Mags Court #15 U20256478 (33JJ0821825)", taken from here https://courtlistings.co.uk/crown-court-listings/leicester#past-section and available for the next 10 days. The case has no status update against it, so I called the court for an update. I was told that the hearing was listed for a plea, and trial preparation; that Mr Mason entered Not Guilty plea; and that the case has been adjourned until February 2026. I also asked the clerk whether I was permitted to share the above information. Yes - it is all a matter of public record.

Everything sells if the price is right for the current market conditions. Everything. Even a Lost Prophets album only signed by the singer (who shall not be named) will sell at the market appropriate price. That may not be the same value as you place on the item so you have a choice of dropping the price or being patient or adding value - such as tuners. There's loads of strat and tele type necks on ebay - a quick look will show that the ones with tuners are only a little more expensive - not really covering the cost of the tuners themselves - but they do sell a lot easier because it reduces hassle for the buyer. The ones without tuners often sit there for ages or sell for a pittance.

Im in west byfleet , So near Woking .

The new bass cabs should just be in the devices i.e. the cab block (I assume those are available on the nano cortex?)

It's an interesting & quite layered question. I've been trying to think of a band/artist who's objectively rubbish on every level - but I don't have a single example. I can think of any number of bands who have members with no discernible ability - oddly it's usually the vocalist, and even more oddly (or is it?) you can be confident that if they didn't have that vocalist, you'd never have heard of them. As examples I give you Liam Gallagher, Axl Rose, Ian Brown - terrible, terrible nails-on-blackboard 'singers' but all absolutely central to their bands' success, despite the fact you're left thinking the only reason they got to be in their bands in the first place was because it was their van or their PA or something... I think I grew out of the 'that's rubbish because I don't like/get it' mindset by the time I hit my 20s, and while there's a lot of music across all genres that I don't like (I'm a prog fan who thinks Dream Theater are utter dogsh!t, for example) I think I can be analytical enough to appreciate (maybe not the right word) why something works, and usually how, even if I hate it.

A couple of years ago I replaced a bass player who had exactly the same experience. His wife wasn't well, and was finally diagnosed with dementia. He stopped playing to become a carer. I agree with Len, do everything,while you can.

Just ask Lon JR.

The old Kawai ES-100 (now replaced by the ES-120) has proven its ability to be roadworthy as it's been used and abused by countless pro and non pro player as stage piano. You should maybe both, you @bass_dinger and @SumOne have a look at the ES-120. And almost all modern keyboards have the new USB (Host) to MIDI connection instead of the now oldish typical MIDI 5 pin connection: it needs 3 connectors to do less than the USB MIDI protocol and the new MIDI 2.0 does even more.

I am over 60 now and it’s starting to be harder for me to hump my vintage bass rig around, so I am considering selling it, after owning it for around 30 years. It’s a Fender Bassman 135 head, recently serviced and tidied by one of the best classic valve amp techs in UK, with a new quad of TAD 6L6 fitted. The cab is a MusicMan HD115 fitted with a very good condition orange-frame JBL D140. The horns on top are an attenuate-able Randall bright box, which adds a great edge and full-range treble. I’ve gigged and recorded with this rig and always got great tone. There’s not much of this gear for sale anymore, so figuring out value is tricky. I nearly sold the head for £850 about 16 years ago though. What value would you put on this rig together and separately? Thanks.

Just as Farage, Trump, Putin and others 'speak to the souls of a million strangers'..? There is an objective 'some stuff is light-weight, 'throw-away', dross, whether popular or not.', I say. Who gets to judge..? Any and all of us; I have firm ideas on what I deem to be 'rubbish' (despite its popularity, not because of it...).

Send it back. It doesn't seem to have the things that would actually make it a bongo. It's just a 5 string you don't like at this point.

Agreed. I've made a not-altogether-good reputation for myself by walking out of a number of bands over the last 10 years, either because our 'vision' didn't align or because they proved to be just not good enough (IMHO, of course). Some of my current bandmates are surprised at the way I do this, perhaps even think I'm a bit of a loose cannon. Me? I've never lost a moment's sleep about it. I walked away from a very well-paid job four years early, not because I don't like money but because I was well aware that those four years were (at that moment) the best remaining years of my life. The same equation still applies. I'll be 69 next month (no, I can't believe it either) and I have no interest in allowing anyone or anything to waste the best remaining years of my life right now. Use them or lose them.

The marvelous, free Reverb/Delay FX, 'Super Massive' by Valhalla, has just had an update (V5.0.0) Valhalla Super Massive - Valhalla DSP

I have 6 x1GB and 2x8GB RAM boards if anyone needs to update their PC. The 8GB boards are new (I bought them mistakenly thinking the motherboard of our old PC could handle 16GB of RAM), so they were never used. Eventualy just had a new PC built. Just shoot me a PM.

Extract from an interview with Nile Rodgers:

Great advice, you do tend to go through life thinking that you would get round to all these things later, only for later to come and go a lot.