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Mine is to pick up the bass more often. No band situation currently so no real pressure but I'd just like to get back, playing-wise, to where I was a while back. Will be making the effort to find time for practising. Life has got way too hectic over the past couple of years and fun seems to have taken a back seat. No longer! It's time to recalibrate.

I just want to get a band formed again. It's eighteen months since my last (and favourite) band folded and I'm keen to play gigs again.

Am looking forward to getting my paws on the Sandberg Lionel Superlight I’ve commissioned, which fingers crossed will land by Xmas, other than that all I want for music and 2026 is rehearse with my non-gigging band and have a laugh.

I would love a pair of ATCs. That is not going to happen. I am a tragic fantasist embarking on his very own vanity project. I am looking at a pair of Yamaha NS8 as my monitors. I have borrowed a pair and they are in situ. I am struggling to think of a reason not to go with them. I am running Sonor Works which can deal with the less than epic placement. Does the £500ish have anything else that I REALLY should be considering as well? I am not hugely into buying 2nd hand for speakers like this, unless someone I know and trust is cutting me an extraordinary deal on a pair of ATC SCM20A boxes. TIA

Finish the move into the music room. Get some recording done of solo work. Finish at least some of the hardware projects I've started (cab, basses, electronics).

Complete and release my band's album. We have 4 songs finished, another 4 that are currently in the process of being mixed and 5 more that still need vocals recording and then mixing, plus one instrumental that needs a bit of additional production. That's almost 60 minutes worth of music. However once we've got over 40 minutes complete which means getting the vocals recorded for 2 of the songs that currently don't have them, then we'll probably release those and save the rest for the next album which hopefully won't take another four years to complete!

Seriously?!? I wish they’d told me about it! They could have at least sent me an email?! I’m totally sick of being stuck in one area of the fretboard..!

You could try checking out the usual places, JoinMyBand, BandMix, Facebook, Gumtree, and see if there are any music shops or rehearsal studios locally with noticeboards. Plus see if there are any open mics or jam nights near you that you might be able to do a bit of networking at, or at least a bit of playing.

Keep working on my consistency, articulation and musical vocabulary. And spend £0.00 on musical gear (except strings)

My main goal for 2026 is to stop buying music related gear. I have my expenses below my earnings, but still, too much money. Other than that, I think this next year I will probably have less gigs than in 2025, so I will keep on studying jazz and improvisation. Apart from that, I also want to start playing my synth again and keep on with guitar.

Are you playing covers or originals Steve? And already currently signed up with an agent or getting gigs mostly off your own bat as a band?

Indeed it was! How did you get on with trimming your collection down Davie? Although that was some years ago, it may well have grown again!

Yeah I know, I know… I don’t really need either right now to be fair, I’m just trying to be realistic as to what I’m going to use as I enter into the twilight years (43 tomorrow!). It’s funny though, the decision was so much easier on the ones I’ve sold so far… so I guess that’s my answer!

As a recent Jazz-itch-scratcher, I congratulate you!

My band could really do with a decent agent that can access Europe as well as the UK. We do ok but want to get out and about again.

You could try "Zinsser B-I-N Brush Cleaner & Restorer". Basically a detergent based paint stripper that will shift (AFAIK) any finish apart from a 2 pack.

Judging by the colour and type of case (as well as the lollipop tuners), it's an American Vintage II, isn't it? The smell of Nitro Cellulose varnish when you open the case is lovely on these. My American Original Jazz is seven years old now, and still has the smell every time I open the case. 🤪

If dipping I'd be less worried that it might fall apart than that it would distort.

Hopefully mine will arrive tomorrow - depends on how efficient Royal Mail are... 🤔

I'd be happy to get the ball rolling! My main music goal is actually the same both for me personally and the band I'm in: I'd like me and my crew to get "off book" so we can all play our rep without needing to look down at tablets or notes! I'm sure that this will improve our on-stage performance no end in terms of being engaged and communicating with each other, and equally with our audiences? Main hurdle: we've got about 6 hours of material, which gets rotated to keep things fresh for us and our audiences. Where there's a melodic element to a bass line or many chord pattern variations that actually seems to be quite a challenge, certainly for me! But I'm guessing making this a priority and maybe aiming to get chunks of sets off-pat will be a do-able way of getting there? The second goal for me, as band leader, is to add another 5 function gigs to the 15 or so we managed to do this year. For this one, the main "hurdle" is getting our 2025 showreel finished - and that's on me to finish up the video edits, and then getting signed up with a couple more agencies.