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While we're on the subject of Hobgoblin, a shout out to their London branch. Took my Albanian cifteli there as I couldn't work out how to restring it. The setup guy went through a bunch of different strings until he found one that would hold the tension. Forty minutes of his time and half a dozen strings. He charged me a not unreasonable £1.80, the cost of the banjo string that finally did the job.

Are these other projects more interesting/lucrative though? If so, I struggle to see why they turn up at the one that apparently isn't? Some people are just bone idle and there's no motivating them. I manage that by not being in the same room with them. If you can see my sig, you'll see that I'm in four bands and dep in two others. Most of the people I work with are the same. The one thing they all have in common is they love playing the music. Without that, you're on the back foot from the start. As @Lozz196 said, dedication + application and turn up with your game face on every time.

So, initial impressions, bearing in mind that I’ve only heard it using the phones out. Build quality appears to be very high with a robust metal body. All faders and controls are reassuringly ‘stiff’. The app connects seamlessly over Bluetooth, and there is a second Bluetooth connection for playing background/break music. The workflow of the app is good, and I was able to set up a mic channel (channel 1) and a line out device (bass preamp on channel 5) both easily. FX is quite powerful although you appear to be limited to adjusting just one parameter of each installed effect. The preamps are super quiet, as long as you set the input source correctly. I have a gig tomorrow with in-house PA so I won’t get to explore further until Sunday. That said, first impressions are very favourable.

I am in 3 full bands (bass) and 2 duos (guitar in one, bass in other). I learn my stuff and expect others will do likewise; if someone was patently putting in less than me 'with no genuine justifiable reason' I'd be letting them know. Lots of those band members are in other bands but when it comes to gigs, it's dead easy; EVERYONE, regardless of the band they are in, has to honour the gig that goes in first! Regardless of how good the gig is that someone subsequently gets, the first gig in the diary takes precedence.

That is some really great advice…..I have a dust extractor already so will hook that up. I have looked at some YouTube stuff and intend to use push stick and the fence where possible. The machine will take up to 3/4 blade but from what I have seen so far suggests that 1/2 width with 4-6tpi seems a good compromise for cutting a body as long as I don’t get to ambitious with too tight a radius. Would that be a good option for a general purpose blade? Tuffsaw blades appear to get a lot of recommendations on various sites. i have also seen the cautionary videos about cross cutting anything round as it can get a spin on unless it is clamped in something or wedge in a jig etc. I am going to practice on a load of scrap to get the feel of the bandsaw and dial it in. It seems that blade tensioning is a bit of a black art and the tension guide on the saw is just that…a guide. I am both excited and nervous about using it.

Phenomenal work Basschat. love to you all! Just chatting with Lee now - I’ll update him x

Just worked out I have seven gigs with three bands in July. 😱

Carry Me - Crosby & Nash

I use four outlets from a Cioks DC7 connected in a parallel chain with their "link cables" feeding the Anagram 2A at 12V. You could do 2A at 9V too, but since the Anagram can use both, I prefer 12V. 2A is enough.

Rubber ring. The smiths

Shit journey to Sheffield - 2 hours on the M25 and then 4 on the M1. Great gig though, lovely crowd again, probably the best we’ve played on this tour. The drummer and I were very much enjoying our groove on many of the tunes. As always we are getting well into the groove and the tours is nearly over! Shoes were Soul Cal & Co Converse lo top rip offs. Cheap and comfy and not too hot in this heat 🤓

You’d have to disassemble it each time but if you got one cheap then perhaps my rationale for a small pop up tent is that such things are regularly on offer at Lidl or Asda for about £20 and they pack away small

Kev's a pleasure to deal with, great comms and very prompt payment. Great to chat with too and generally a very nice chap!

Plastic green house

There have been so many (very good) covers of this tune I wouldn't know where to start. But Herb's version is the swinging 60's for me. Incidentally, Herb Alpert starts a short tour tonight....at the age of 90!!

Well, I'm not entirely sure what happened down at the pawn shop. I popped in to look for a passive footswitch but I now have a new (to me) Squier Active Jazz bass. I shouldn't have picked it up "just to see if it's any good". When I realised it was essentially unplayed and felt super comfortable I knew I was in trouble. After minor tweaks to intonation and action, and swapping the gleaming white pickguard for an old off-white one from the cupboard it is just the ticket. Looking forward to taking this along to a jam soon.

Are they good players? Then forget rehearsals and put gigs in the book. That'll focus their attention. You also need the numbers of a few deps.

And another - I just follow where my mind takes me and it went straight from Over The Rainbow to Michael Brecker's version of 'Don't Let me Be Lonely Tonight' from his 2001 album, 'Nearness Of You: The Ballad Book'. Charlie Haden again on bass. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/dont-let-me-be-lonely-tonight-michael-brecker/

It doesn't matter if they're in other bands, however it does matter if they use this as an excuse not to be prepared when it's time to be in your band. People who think it's ok to waste other's time need to be cut loose, in my experience, even if this means short term pain.

I don't know the amp you're using but I'm running my One10 with an 800 watt Thunderfunk. Even at a whisper it sounds great. I've also gigged my 2 One10's with an Aguilar TH500. I loved that tone.