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Will be there on the Saturday. Be good to catch up with people over some mildly over-priced coffee.

Hello BassChat! Charlie here from The Gallery... Since BassChat is where you're all hanging out these days we thought we'd join in on the fun and start our own thread! We'll be keeping you up to date with new stock, shop news and all that jazz. This is also another way for you to reach us with any enquiries! If you've never heard of us, this is who we are and what we're about: We're a bass specialist shop situated in Camden, London. The Gallery opened in 1993 and since then has been London's largest bass-only store. We have a huge selection of basses, amps, effects and accessories (new, pre-owned and vintage!). The basement (bassment?) of the shop is home to Sei Bass, which comprises of top luthiers Martin Petersen & John Chapman. They build wonderful custom bass guitars and offer a long list of workshop services. Below are a few pictures of our shop plus a couple of photos of Sei Basses so you can get an idea of what we do... That's it from me for now but I'm sure you'll be seeing more of me on BC from now on! Love, Charlie & The Bass Gallery crew.

Just a quick heads up on this one folks and sorry if it has already been posted.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ernie-Ball-MusicMan-Sting-Ray-Bass-Guitar-in-MusicMan-Hard-Case-UK-SELLER/352279781214?hash=item520582df5e:g:phcAAOSwFnxaWe0Z I mailed the seller regarding the photos of the bass as it looks as though the frets had been removed.....seller replied "this is a fretless bass" that was it! They're not telling lies but they haven't been exactly forthcoming. Just beggars belief as some poor sod may buy this without realising the frets had been ripped out!! Rant over...

An easy way of distinguishing this is to play a piano recording through your speaker. You'll hear immediately what the cab is doing to the signal. It may sound odd, but IMO playing bass through your bass cab is not necessarily the best test.

So what's the score if the singer wants to sing a number slowly, and it turns the song into a pig's ear..? Go with the singer's choice..? Surely not..?

To expand briefly on my much-maligned laconic comment, I would just explain that the cost of producing a 3-way loudspeaker system with a high quality midrange driver and HF unit is much higher than the configuration of a single or twin driver with an optional small tweeter favoured by Barefaced and many others. Although it's fairly obvious that the drive units in a 3-way system cost more, many people don't appreciate that the crossover in a system like some of the early Barefaced models and the current Fearful range is a very high-cost item - not to mention quite difficult to design properly.

True

Tears of a Clown and What's Going On.

Things may be a bit different here in France as we always get fed before the gig, even if it's just a small bar that doesn't do food themselves. They'll buy in a pizza for the band. So no need to eat during the gig, but I wouldn't anyway as it's just plain rude. As for drink, we always get a free tab but as we all have to drive, we're on water. Being the main vocalist, I see nothing wrong in having a bottle of water on hand. And the same for the rest of the band, as it can get pretty warm here in summer...! As to TV, can't say we've ever been in a position to watch it during a gig. But we did have a regular gig at a bar that had a 50" TV right above the stage. They insisted on playing YouTube concerts (minus the sound) while we played our set and it annoyed the hell out of me. But they paid us well...! So one night, our lead guitarist finished a rather splendid solo and the crowd suddenly went ape... Looking at the stage, cheering, clapping and stamping their feet. I thought, well if they enjoyed it that much, I'll give him another solo after the next chorus...! It was then I noticed the bar owner sprinting across the room, diving over the drummer and between our amps, then flapping wildly at the TV trying to turn it off. I glanced up at the screen and found that some wag had got hold of the remote control and switched to a full on porn channel. But my man still got his solo in....

Except, as all gigging musicians will know, it never is just a "few hours work". If you add up the practice and rehearsal time, the travelling time and expenses and staff costs (all bands got ripped off by their "management" back then), then the true cost of being in a band and gigging emerges. Then you see how little the bands actually got to put in their pockets.

Agreed that a clean blend option would have been a useful addition on some of the models although I don't know how many of the models that they are emulating have clean blends? Having said that, Zoom have added clean blends to some of their drive sounds where the original pedals they are emulating didn't have them, so it can be done. Metering is useful too, I guess, although I always prefer to use my ears and dial in my compression sounds in the context of the band mix. I also find the M-Comp (my personal fave on the MS-60B) quick and easy to dial in for the punchy sound that I like Yes, the TCE SpectraComp is a thing of joy, it is paradoxically the simplest and most complex pedal compressor pedal available . I gig mine regularly love it. On those gigs where it's standing room only and I have no space for my pedal board, I use the MS-60B on top of my amp as a tuner and compressor. I just use the one, always on sound, so the limited form factor for chopping and changing patches all night isn't an issue for me. And although the SpectraComp performs 'better' IMO (possibly down to having a small amount of clean signal blended it along with a slight push in the higher frequencies?) (and depending on how you want to actually quantify 'better') the Zoom still holds its own in a live situation with a quality bass and rig.

some musicians should be committed

I used pound the strings like a ruddy jack hammer, Steve Harris style. I was always a heavy player with heavy strings, and it was a bit of a workout doing gigs, especially being the singer too. Then I watched Gary Willis play. Effortless technique and beautiful tone. He looked like he might doze off mid song it was that easy. Now I'm with the Billy Gibbons school of thought. Make it easy for yourself. Lighter strings, lighter touch.... just turn your amp up!

On behalf of myself, Michael G and our Product Engineer Simon Austen, just putting a marker down that your friendly neighbourhood Basschat sponsor Gillett Guitars will be there on stand A0. We'll have our Contour Bass range, a couple of Ashdown amps (UK manufacturers only on our stand ), our bass buddy Freddie Draper, and an itinerant keyboard player to make it all feel like the cocktail lounge on the QE2. Very much looking forward to meeting fellow members of the Basschat gang over the weekend! Scrumpymike, aka Gillett Guitars Sales & Marketing Manager

Another reason I like P basses... as said above, they are very simple but instantly give you 'that' sound in a mix. So you can forget all about the 'tonequest', forget about GAS and get on with the business of actually playing the bloody thing. Which is why I don't much care for on-board preamps, active basses* and over-complicated amps - too much of a distraction. *Spectors excepted, obvs.

Even worse when the perp is the drummer! At least singers can be jollied along a bit by the rest of the band, whereas it's usually just down to the bassist to try and sort the tempos out if the drummer is at fault. I speak from bitter experience....

I have a Jazz neck on one of my Precisions. Some might argue that it changes the tone, but I’d say it has more of an impact on the way I play... which then changes the tone.

Burlesque by Family. And that tone - Wetton nailed it beyond the call of duty For younger members who dont know the band / track

Reef’s ‘Naked’, appropriate title for such a sparse bassline. It works perfectly for the song, but I hated playing this when my band had it in the set, bored me silly,

Well, I feel like browsing, so I thought it would be nice to compile a list of the various online shops selling vintage and used basses in the UK, or indeed the EU. I'll add your suggestions to the original post. Here's the list so far, in alphabetical order: The British Isles: Absolute Music (Bournemouth) Andy Baxter (London) AngelDust (Multi-location?) Bass Direct (Warwick/Leamington Spa) The Bass Gallery (London) Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience (Hampton Wick) Classic and Cool David J Pym (Hungerford) Guitar Classics (London) Guitar Village (Farnham) Jimi's Music Store (Dublin) Live Music (Edinburgh) London Vintage Guitar/Hanks (London) Lucky Fret (London) Mansons (Exeter) Mudpie Music (Brighton) The Music Locker (Ripley, Derbyshire - by appointment only) Nicks Guitars (Wetherby) New Kings Road Guitars (London) No.Tom (London) Oasis [Musical Instruments Ltd] (Ringwood) Promenade Music (Morecambe) Really Great Guitars (Ombersley) Rich Tone Music (Sheffield) Some Neck Guitars (Dublin) Strung Out Guitars (Glasgow) Tommy Twang's Guitars (Glasgow) Vintage and Modern Guitars (Thame) Vintage 'n' Rare (Bath) West End Music (Ipswich) Wunjo Guitars (London) Continental Europe: Bass Classics (Somewhere in the Netherlands) Bass Club Paris (Paris, France - can you believe it?) Bass N Guitar (Somewhere in France) Guitare Collection (Paris, France) Le Guitarium (Paris, France) Guitar Point (Maintal, Germany) Guitar Select (Lyon, France) Hendrix Guitars (Lavagna, Italy) (Truly ungodly prices) Kitarapaja (Helsinki, Finland) Paul's Bass Matters (Nijmegen, Netherlands) Scolopendra (Bologna, Italy) Tip Top (Stockholm, Sweden) Vintage Guitar (Oldenburg, Germany) Vintage Guitars (Rennes, France) Woodstock Guitars (Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark)

For the quality, ingenuity, style, groove rather than the money it generated..

It's ages since I last saw School Of Rock.

looks stunning so far!

Guys - be nice! The Bass Gallery is a GREAT place and Charlie thank you again for putting up with @CameronJ trying out VK and BF cabs for a couple of hours (with our own gear!) and then leaving without buying anything and even refusing to let us even make a contribution to treating your place as a studio for a couple of hours. You have some awesome gear and some of the finest luthiers in town. I'm certainly looking forward to popping by again.

I wouldn't leave those Basses out on the pavement overnight.......someone may trip over them.

Good man. Glad to see someone taking their blinkers off. Now, that really is codswallop. Evidence? Steve Lawson's gig at the weekend with artist Poppy Porter. He played, she drew from what she felt from his playing

Woodstock only became "free" when the crowds broke down the fences. That's when the promoters tried to get out of paying the bands.

No one spotted i put the handles on upside down ?

On the theme of simple, driving bass playing that makes the song work: this belter! Award winning but long-winded cinematic short rambles on but the song starts at 1:25. One of my favourite mini 'bass solo's' kicks in just after 3:15 Listen as loud as you can! Apologies that this is contributing to thread sliding from 'sparse' to 'simple'. There is an important difference I know. Just couldn't resist this one!

I wish I'd written this bass line. I love it. In fact the whole album has great bass playing on it.

I've seen some pictures and it looked amazing. I hope I can make it next year

I now have neck in rosewood (60s logo) arrived @Groove Harder three hole jazz plate arrived @Rumple wiring kit arrived @greenolive shielding foil arrived tug bar arrived deluxe neckplate (wonky corner) arrived BUT now sold on ebay so to be replaced with a Fender badged normal one. ARRIVED geddy lee jazz bass pickups arrived concentric knobs incoming BBOT bridge with threaded saddles arrived from US straplocks arrived chrome ferrules arrived tort celluloid plate stock DARK tort pawlownia body from ebay arrived paint - white blonde in a nitrocellulose burst arrived Teak grain filler to really stand out under the blonde burst arrived sanding sealer arrived All items now ordered - £12.44 to pay on the bridge from US was a nasty surprise. £8 of that was RM handling charge ! I've been inspired by that video of Rutger Gunnarson playing Dancing Queen on his 61 jazz Having trouble with OneDrive so all photos are now attached - starting page 4

I did. I put a lefty HB Jazz neck on my PB50 body. Sounds good!

I'm going to work, and I happen to have a very fun job, playing rock music for money. I don't drink alcohol, but if I did, I would never drink on the job. No mind altering anything. I got into this business partly because I love being in control. With drinking or substance that alter the mind, I'm no longer in control. Gig nights, I'll have a light lunch and won't eat again until breakfast. I never eat at gigs even when great food is available and offered. Blue

If only @Bill Fitzmaurice was a member around here!

You want high performance, low weight, cheap cabs - trouble is you can't have all 3! Either compromise or start saving.

Loads of them from and around Bristol Here is Becky from IDestroy and Baz from the Funkinsteins for a start.

Some and some, although I don’t drink much at all these days. If it’s an informal pub gig I usually have a pint on the floor behind me for a swig here and there. If it’s a stage none at all. But I’ve got some good memories: on NYE 1961 we were playing support to the Acker Bilk band at Reading Town Hall. Quite a big gig for a load of youngsters. On first handover the Bilks came on stage with two carrier bags each loaded to the gunwales with beer and scotch and proceeded to set up a bar on two tables at the back of the stage. They invited us to share and for the two final numbers of the evening we joined them for a very boozy jam. And some of the European festivals were a bit hairy, especially in Holland where each stage had a stage manager whose main job seemed to make sure that the band never ran out of free beer.

Nice Elwood & with a Westone Thunder 1A in the background? We clearly have the same bass tastes!!

A 63' what?

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac.I love playing along with that one.

Great band, criminal dress sense, criminal...

Just remembered this belter!

Hello fellow four-stringers! Just thought I'd give a quick review of the Ashdown Envelope Filter Bass Pedal, which I have absolutely fallen I love with! So, here we go...... Price paid: £49 at Bonners First Impressions: Nice packaging. Opened the box, and found a nicely packed pedal, with an informative manual (which doubles as advertising...it features all the pedals on the sheet). I quickly got the pedal out, and plugged her in! Ease of Use: I'm no pedal freak, so alot of the phrases used in manuals meen nothing to me! I have to just try and experiment. Even with my lack of experience it took me a mere 15 minutes to find something I liked, Ive been tweaking ever since, and found some great sounds. There a 5 pots, and a standard on/off stomp switch. The five pots are labled as: Input, Peak, UP/DOWN, BP/LP, Output. The first and last pot, allow you to make sure you don't loose any volume when the pedal is engaged. The peak, well as I said, I dont have a great knowledge about technical stuff, but it seems to limit the sweep. The up down pot selects whether the sweep goes up the frequency or down. For example, full anit-clockwise is a full sweep up, and the same fully clockwise for down. Bang on 12 o'clock means little or now sweep. BP/LP stands for what i believe Band Pass and Low Bass, Low Bass seems to keep all your bass in, while Band Pass takes it out. The VU meter (which nicely glows, with a white light, just like the amps) helps you set the input level. A small red L.E.D. states whether the effect is engaged or not. On the back of the unit, there is a jack in (from guitar) and jack out to amp. Nice and simple. There is also a 9V input, for an adaptor, or there is a battery compartment (under the unit secured with a single screw). Not to easy for battery changes, but it doesnt matter too much. Rating: 9.5 Sound: So far I've only put this pedal through my Squier P-Bass and my small Fender Rumble 15. I do have higer end gear, but havent got it out yet. The one problem is my Rumble 15 has only an 8" inch speaker, so it cant handle some of the output of the pedal. None the less, there are some great sounds on offer, making some really funky and cool tones. You can go from sutle squelch to full on sweep. Whatever takes your fancy. The up and down pot also enables more control over you sound. To fully explain this, id have to type some wierd noises! I will suggest a peek on the Ashdown website, where you can hear sound clips of this (and the other) pedals. Rating: 9 (only because of my poor equipment organisation!) Reliability & Durability This pedal is built like a tank, as is any other Ashdown product. Its heavy and bigger than most stomp boxes, but this gives a feeling of never falling apart. The VU display has its own 'roll cage' so you cant stamp on it, and the pots are all secured, and are in their own 'trench' so you don't accidentaly change your settings. The stomp switch feels nice and secure and feels like it could withstand many a gig being stomped on. On a side note, I had a quiery about buying a power adaptor, seeing as a current isnt specified in the manual. I sent an email off to Ashdown relatively late one evening, went to bed, and work up to find my question answered in a really clear and friendly way. Customer service was second to none! Rating: 10 Final Impressions: I play mostly self penned stuff with my band, and there are alot of middle eights to fill. This allows me to bring a bit of interest to the bass sound. Im still an unexperienced at effects, so this has been a lovely pedal to start with. Reliable, sounds great, and looks amazing. If this was stolen, I'd repalce it instantly, especially at it's price point! I think I'm smitten! Long Live the Ashdown Bass Pedals! Overall Rating: 9.5 Cheers, hope this has helped some people. Josh