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What's the point of scientologists?.......................... ............................... It gives the Flat Earthers something to take the p1ss out of!

I suppose it's a bit early in the game to tell them to go fück themselves with a traffic cone

The songs. The absolutely blandness and whineyness of the songs - the voice just penetrates everything like chalk down a blackboard, and it is hard to separate from the covers. The generic dullness of a bunch of chords in the 'how did that get so big when it is so ordinary'. The groups of drunk blokes badly singing along to the songs. The 'there are a million better songs in the world, why on earth would you want to do that?' of them. Pretty well everything. I am not saying I am a fan of the gallagher brothers, but I am not one that lets my views on an artist affect my view on the music, or there would be loads of music I wouldn't listen to.

So this arrived today!! Can’t stop smiling 😁😄😃

The band I was in, Inter managed to get a record deal. We were part of the post brit-pop scene and worked our rears off playing as much as humanly possible to build up a following. Started to get a name for ourselves and released a song on the Pet Sounds label and then later on our first single, Happy Ending in 1997. This got noticed by John Peel who said it was his favourite single of 1997 and gave us our first John Peel Session. This promoted us even further and it got to the point where Virgin were trying to decide to sign either us or The Stereophonics. They chose the Stereophonics in the end but we still managed to get a half decent record deal. We were all about 28 and got about £36k advance each for 3 years plus £5k to buy gear and then royalties from merchandise, sales etc. Going to the Bass Centre with £5k to go buy whatever I wanted was the best feeling in the world. I bought a Stingray, a Status and a massive top of the range Hartke rig 😊 We recorded our debut album at Loco Studios in South Wales which was where Oasis, The Manics, Stereophonics and many others had recorded stuff. The studio was also owned by Geoff Downes of Buggles fame and John Payne of Asia who both played on the album. We lived at the studio for three months in our own cottage and even had our own chef 😊 Our producer was Mark Wallis who has recorded with everyone but is most famous for recording the IT Bites album, The Primatives album, The Smiths, The Travis album and was the engineer on U2's Joshua Tree. Prior to choosing this producer we came very close to going to Seatle and recording the album with Rick Parasher who recorded Pearl Jam's Ten album but we told the record company no as we wanted to sound English still and not end up sounding like an American band. The album, titled Got My Nine sold 7k copies in the first week and we released 3 singles, National Paranoia, Speed Racer and Radio Finland. All got mainstream radio airplay and led on to a second John Peel Session, a live Virgin Radio Session and an XFM session. Also one of our tracks was used to advertise Casio G Shock watches in an advert for Spanish cinemas. We also did other TV stuff with tracks being used on Eurosport and Rebel TV. Q Magazine gave the album 4 out of 5. We continued to tour which was amazing with our own crew etc. and were doing really well but then things started to go wrong. We were getting offered some big things like going on tour with Feeder in Germany, film soundtracks, gigs in the States but the record company was saying no to it all. To cut a long story short, we found out we were being ran as a tax loss so initially the record company were happy to pump money in to us (the album alone cost £120k to record etc.) but as we started to get more successful they put the brakes on. We were literally being hung out to dry and missing out on great opportunities which at the time made no sense. Anyway, they breached contracts so we sued them and won and that was the end of it. It was incredibly hard work, constantly recording, touring, song writing, promoting, photo shoots, interviews etc. but I have no regrets as I lived my dream for 4 years, the best time of my life with the most amazing experiences. Plus I still get the odd royalty payment now and again 😊 More details below. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inter_(band) Other things I've done is go on tour with Paul Weller in another band, supporting him for 4 nights at the Roundhouse in Camden and recorded an album at his studio in Ripley. He also played on the album and I had to teach him to play this piano part that we wanted. I've been the Bass player in a video for a charity song that ELO were recording. Played at Brixton Academy using The Levellers back line. Supported Cactus World News and Let Loose and best of all chatted to Andrea Corr whilst making a cup of tea 😍😍 Now I play in an amazing 50s and 60s cover band, doing about 100 gigs a year and totally loving it.

I got a thunderbird vintage pro a few weeks ago just after they leapt in price everywhere. I was initially after a white one but when I saw this sunbust one in stock & advertised as new/B-stock at a bargain price it would have been rude not to. The reason for the reduction is a tiny area of rub-through of the black finish at the far edge of the headstock which is only noticable when you look for it. It'll probably pick up dents in that area before too long if it collides with cymbals on a cramped stage. I normally use thomastik, La Bella or fender flats on my other basses but I wanted to get a brighter tone from this bass so I kept the stock roundwounds on until today when a couple of sets of La Bella 750T white nylon tapes arrived. I've just fitted a set to the t-bird and I'm knocked out by how well they work for me on this bass. They have a similar tension to Thomastik JF344 jazz flats so I can play with a lighter touch like I can with TIs, but the sound seems to lean more towards rounds more than flats & the ultra smooth surface feels perfect for me. Changing the strings showed the tuners as being less smooth than ones on my other basses, although they work fine for tuning up. If I do replace them I'll probably get a set of Gotoh GB-640 res-o-lites, but they aren't cheap. I can live with the existing ones though. Looking forward to my first rehearsal with the La Bellas next week and my gig with the bass next weekend.

Shall I change your username to Unluckystrike

In the very early seventies, I had the look. Lots of hair, 27" waist and sprayed on pants ( as in trousers, not Y-fronts) I auditioned for T-Rex (drums) and got a second audition. Unbeknown to me, and all of us at the auditions, Bill had already been approached and had already recorded a few tracks. Anyway, obviously, I didn't get the job. My then wife to be however, still maintains to this day that I lost out because I was too good looking for Marc Bolan to have on stage with him. Well that's her story and I'm making sure she's sticking to it 😂 Probably did me a favour really as I suppose he could've offered me a lift home at some point.

When we set up to play in a pub, the people who are there have chosen to be there. They could have gone somewhere else, but this is where they want to be. Some (a few, a very small number) are there specifically to see us, some are there to check out the music because it's a music pub, and some are there for all sorts of other random reasons. Once we start playing, those punters who don't like rock music will leave. Those punters who don't like our particular brand of rock music will also leave, but not so quickly. Meanwhile, those punters who DO like what we're doing will be texting or phoning their mates and saying "great band on tonight, you should come down here". By the time we play our last set, the people in the pub will have self-selected to be only those who actually like what we're doing, and who will respond to the music ... dance maybe, or sing along, or at least applaud after each song. The gig is far more involving for the band, far more fun for everyone, far more likely to bring repeat bookings. ************************************************************************************ When we set up to play in a club (Social, WMC, whatever), the people who are there are always there. Most of them cannot imagine going somewhere else on a Saturday night, and if they do their friends will ask where they were. They are there for the venue and to see their friends, and the music is almost incidental. They sit there with their arms folded, staring at us, and daring us to entertain them. It's THEIR club and we are the intruders. Once we start playing, those members who don't like rock music will complain. Those members who don't like our particular brand of rock music will also complain, but not so quickly. Meanwhile, those members who DO like what we're doing will NOT be texting or phoning their mates and saying "great band on tonight, you should come down here", because the club is Members Only. After the first set, one of the members (almost invariably a guitarist, allegedly) will buttonhole a bandmate and explain in enormous detail what we are 'doing wrong', advise the lead guitarist and the drummer to play louder because no one can hear them, and then disappear into the smoker's paradise for the rest of the evening. After the second set, there will be a 30-minute hiatus while everyone pretends they've joined the Jarrow Hunger March of 1936 so that they can get excited about the Meat Raffle. Have these people never heard of Sainsburys? By the time we play our last set, most of the people in the club will be sitting grim-faced and glowering their sense of entitlement at us, waiting for us to finish so that they can return to playing Abba on the jukebox (last Saturday it was Phil Collins!). Those who actually enjoy what we are doing and want to dance will be intimidated off the dancefloor by the drunken poseurs trying to throw shapes while playing air guitar, and stumbling into the PA. The club gigs are well-paid and the venues are usually excellent ... big stage, loads of power, built-in lightshow, etc. But in truth if I never play another club I won't miss it. Silvie and I do all the gig-getting for my main band, and we have already decided not to bother with clubs at all for 2019. Life's too short.

I managed to pickup an ebay bargain this week, this wonderful beast of a mesa 4x12. I picked it up yesterday but only just had chance to give it a proper test at volume. My word! What a body of sound, this is a seriously nice cab, warm where it matters and punchy with plenty of clarity and super tight bottom end. I was intending to use this just with my thrash band but it sounds so nice i might use it for my main melodic metal thing when we play bigger stages or headline gigs too. My trusty barefaced super 12t will take duties on smaller gigs and venues with stairs though, this thing aint light. Overall im very very pleased with it, to think i nearly didnt bid as i though it would be out of my budget lol :^)

The old dear has scrubbed-up pretty well.

Well this little puppy arrived last week... As I'm sure you can expect, I'm beyond delighted with it! It's exactly as I'd hoped, and so so compact and playable. I'll have to try and get a picture of it alongside a full sized Jazz Bass for reference. My other basses are both 31.5" 6 strings too, but they're headless, so even smaller as a result... As I hinted at, this bass is intended to be a bit of a homecoming, based on my first ACG but tweaked to match my now more refined and elegant tastes, and it's hit the spot perfectly More soon, and some proper pics taken in daylight, and maybe even some sound samples! Eude

I'd give onanism a miss for a while too!!

While you’re all waiting, let’s play the OCD game... who can stand it the longest?

I look forward to the free watch that comes with it!!

But with oasis, there really is. I get what you are saying but that is a minor point, I have nothing against, say, u2, I find their stuff uninteresting and overplayed, but fundamentally there isn’t anything wrong with it. But oasis, yes it is overplayed and overhyped but underneath that is that horrible whingeing voice doing those dull songs dumbed down for people that just want to shout a line to a juke box on a Saturday and think it’s singing

4 Non Blondes "What's Going On" with that woman bellowing like she's trying to $h1t a pumpkin. Hideous.

Mustang Sally is THE one, I hate with an utter passion. Most Coldplay would have me quitting the band as well.

Fixed....easy to make the spelling mistake with all that venom running round your system...

Looking for 100% committed and professional guitarists who “preferably have their own gear”?

For "numerous industry contacts" see the 'playing for nowt' thread.

Ask @Andyjr1515

An ACG Über Recurve 5 has been ordered.

Sounds like we're in favour here...I can't remember ever hearing anything negative about Yamahas - even the cheap ones.

Meat raffles? Bingo? What sort of clubs are you guys playing?

Don't forget the bingo! God forgive you if you make a sound.

At least you'll be able to sleep by the door for when it arrives.

Fairytale in New York is my favourite Christmas song, because it's not all about what a wonderful time we should be having because it's bloody Christmas bah humbug

It's tiny! 8" x 3".

Well, mine just arrived! Sadly, the wife is having a pre-holiday haircut in the music room, so I shall have to wait an hour. It looks lovely.

What’s happening then? Good to see the Ashdown crews customer service in action! They’ll get you back on the road in no time!

The hatred that many have for Oasis is based on unwaranted arrogance, chippiness & a snarky attitude when in fact the Gallaghers had /have little going for them. Oasis songs are derivative and simplistic singalongs for football crowds while LG is a one trick pony with a nasal snarl of a voice.

The singer/guitarist in my band leant his PRS against the back of the car while trying to get his stuff out of the garage. It turned out the car was too close to the garage door so he got in and, you guessed it, reversed over the guitar,. It snapped the glued in neck in half. As it turned out his insurance paid him a nice chunk of money, and the lead guitarist who is a bit of a luthier managed to repair the guitar. Its posssible to see a small crack in the neck but you wouldn't otherwise know. Theres still a tyre mark on teh PRS soft case. The singer is now the proud owner of the repaired PRS and a rather nice Telecaster that he bought with the insurance money.

Has to be Sweet Home Alabama for me. Music for toothless inbred rednecks.

eBay - if you search for guitar body blank (or bass) there are quite a few on there. I looked round to get one as this is actually quite long because of the horn. If I didn't get it from there I do have a local wood merchant but for my first I wanted some bits that were already level. It was £30.

Oasis

That's has to be a positive move. Stability and quality.

Exciting - it's odd that Yamaha buy a good brand and my natural reaction is "cool" if fender had bought them (not that they could afford) wewould all be like "oh no"

I can't stand the Pet Shop Boys

Most big power ballads. False sincerity, pomposity, masses of musical cliches...........................and punters love 'em! Special smelliest dogpoo award in this category goes to 'The Power of Love' - I remember playing this with several cover bands and wishing my life could end at that very moment the chorus started.............. "Cause I'm your lady"..............................Aaaaaaaaargh.........................................

Anything by ‘scouting for girls’.

Hey Joe? Sheer luxury! I was in a jam night house band when we had two guitarists in a row get up and play Red House. That's the song I hate the most bloody twice in 15 mins!!!

I've always assumed these to be a rebrand of the India - made FMIC Sunns, they are near-identical and share the same hardware. However that round sticker is what's generally used as a means of IDing a 70s/80s Korean-built Samick. Pics & some info here: http://samick.wikia.com/wiki/Baseball I've had four Fender-headstock Sunn Mustangs over the years & none of them had one of these stickers - whether that points to a different manufacturer or different era, I really don't know.

Also where are you based? Would likely be much easier and in fact better for us to sort directly for you rather than shipping unnecessarily to the retailer and back etc if they are a distance away as you say...

This started out as New Amp Day thread for my Genzler Magellan 800 but has grown a bit more than I was originally anticipating…. DISCLAIMER - what is stated below is just my opinion based on my experience with my bass and my cab being played at smallish pub gig volumes. I thought I'd throw that in because there might be 1 or 2 comments below that some people might not agree with. This thread just relays my experience, thoughts and feelings at the time. Having been in the market for a new amp for a while, I'd managed to narrow down a shortlist of amps that, on paper at least, ticked all my requirements; lightweight, plenty of power for bigger/outdoor gigs, more voiced towards a vintage rather than a toppy hi-fi tone, and, sensibly priced (not cheap as such, but nothing ludicrously expensive either). In the end I'd managed narrowed it down to the Aguilar Tone Hammer (either the 350 or more likely the 500), the Darkglass Microtubes 900, the Mesa Boogie Subway D-800 and the Genzler Magellan 800. A recent trip to Bass Direct armed with my own cab, a Tecamp M212 and my trusty passive Sandberg TT4 jazz bass, I had the chance to try out and compare the Darkglass (DG), Mesa (MB) and the Genzler (GZ). My test driving session was in BD's store room which is nothing more than an industrial unit full of boxes, so possibly not the best acoustic environment to test gear out, but that's how it was. I started off running each amp with all the tone controls at 12 o'clock. Any adjustable preshape filters were set to their off/minimum settings and the GZ and DG were set to their clean channels. All 3 amps the were broadly similar tonally, but there were differences. The MB had noticeably more bottom end than the others. The GZ sounded flat with no obvious frequencies either cut or boosted. The DG, somewhat surprisingly, had what sounded like a bit of a roll off at the lower end. Not much, but it was noticeable compared to the others. However, the DG had something more pleasing in the mids to my ear. It probably all comes down to what each manufacturer perceives a 'flat' sound to be. Next came an hour or so of finding out what each amp had to offer by going through various eq settings and swapping the amps over to compare each one with similar tones dialled in. Each amp yielded some fantastic tones and each had their own distinctive voice too. In fact I wasn't able to coax a bad or unusable sound out of any of them. It was a tough call as each amp has its own strengths. Mesa Boogie Subway D-800 The MB was the least versatile of the 3. Tonally, it goes from shouty and aggressive to really shouty and aggressive. Not that it has a bad tone, far from it, but it is anything but subtle. With the 4 eq points set to 12 o'clock and the voicing control set flat there was more inherent low end than the GZ and the DG in particular. Using the bass control, voicing filter and deep switch, you had 3 options to dial in even more bass. Not that you need any of them. I found that I was having to wind the bass eq back to 11 or even 10 o'clock and keep the deep switch off to stop it getting overpowering. Not that the bottom end was dominating the other frequencies, but I'd imagine that it could get overbearing in a band situation if you're not careful. The voicing control on the MB, which is an adjustable mid-scoop, has a wide range and to my ear but anything over about 9 or 10 o'clock and you were getting into 'sounds great on its own but makes you disappear from the mix' territory. Less is definitely more with that one. The tone that really put a smile on my face was playing the Sandberg on the neck pickup, the voicing set at about 8 o'clock, deep switch off, the bass eq set about 10 o'clock, low mid at 12, upper mid at about 1 and the treble at about 11. It pretty much turned the TT4 jazz into a Precision! This tone very nearly sold the Mesa to me there and then. But much as I loved the core tone of the MB, it was hard to make it sound anything other than aggressive and bass heavy. It felt like it was constantly having to be kept in check. Darkglass Microtubes 900 There's no denying that there's a lot of hype about the DG, and rightly so, it's a cracking amp. On the clean channel with the EQ set flat, it was the least bassy sounding of the 3 but had something going on in the mids that I really liked but can't quite describe. It was in no way thin sounding, it just didn't have quite as much low end as the other 2 with all bass eq at noon. Upping the bass eq to about 1 o'clock bought the low end back up to a similar level as the GZ. Of the 3 amps, the DG has the most comprehensive eq section which was quick and easy to get a great sound out of. It was the only amp not to have a preshape or contour feature, just a 4 band eq with each mid band having a switch for 3 preset frequencies. A setting that sounded great to my ear was bass between 1 and 2 o'clock, low mids at 11 on the 500hz setting, hi mids at 1 on the 750 hz setting and the treble just backed off a touch. The big selling point of the DG is the Microtubes circuit which has both the Vintage Microtubes and B3K voice settings available. Tonally, like a lot of guys, I want a bit of warmth/hair/grit/additional harmonic content (insert your favourite adjective here) in my sound, not overdrive as such, but something that is neither squeaky clean nor yet dirty. A bit grubby I suppose. I was expecting to get some mild warmth using the VMT setting at lower gain, but even with the drive and blend controls down in the 8 to 9 o'clock regions there was still too much on tap for what I am looking for. Switching to the B3K mode changed the voicing and actually sounded less driven to me, somewhat surprisingly. It also introduced a slight mid-scoop too. At higher gain settings there are some great overdrive and distortion sounds to be found, but these are way over the top for anything that I play these days, everything from 70's disco to contemporary indie. Having said that, the hairy teenage rocker in me who first picked up the bass more than 30 years ago was screaming at me to buy it for the fun factor alone. Unfortunately, the podgy, balding, middle aged man in me (which is me these days) was urging something more sensible. The DG was still tempting for the tone and flexibility of the clean channel alone but why pay extra for the Microtubes engine that I'm not going to use other than for a bit of fun? Just to be clear, I'm not saying that the Microtubes engine is inherently bad sounding or unusable, it's just that even at minimum drive settings it was too full on for my requirements. I read recently someone describing the DG sound as like the bass being played through both a bass amp and a guitar amp at the same time (or words to that effect) and I think that sums it up perfectly. It's not your classic Ampeg saturated valve bass sound, it more like a bass being played through a Mesa Boogie dual rectifier. Genzler Magellan 800 Of the 3 amps being compared, the GZ was a last minute addition to the short list. I'd borrowed a friends Genz Benz amp a few years ago (can't remember what model it was, unfortunately) and found that it had a bump in the boxy sounding low mids that I struggled to eq out. I'd just assumed that this would likely also be the case with the GZ. The good news is that this assumption was misplaced. On the clean channel with the tone controls at noon and the contour control wound right back the tone was to my ear the flattest of the 3 on trial. The blurb online talks about a “weighted feel to the notes” which I'd just assumed was the usual marketing claims. However, the low end is definitely forceful, punchy and powerful but without feeling overbearing like the MB. The mids and treble are equally present without being boxy or brittle. The eq section is simple and flexible and contains bass, treble and a single semi-parametric mid plus the contour control that has 2 different voicings, A & B. Voice A is a variable mid-scoop which doesn't have the range of the one on the MB but is far more usable for it. It was only when I cranked it up to 2 or 3 o'clock that it started to get into the realms of potentially not cutting through in a band situation. The MB voicing filter hit that spot much sooner. Voice B is a more vintage sounding mid bump with a slight low end roll off. Voice B set to about 10 o'clock with the bass pushed up between 1 and 2 o'clock gave a great, useable retro tone. Like the DG, the GZ has a dedicated drive channel, but even when ragging it the range of drive available on the GZ still seemed less driven than the DG at minimum settings. That's no bad thing. The drive sections on the DG and the GZ are very different creatures. The GZ is on the more subtle but extremely usable side. I've been through many different amps and pedals trying to find the perfect warmth/hair/etc. tone and the only that came close was the Aguilar Tone Hammer. The GZ drive (more warmth and enhanced harmonic content than a pedal style overdrive) is rich and creamy with plenty of clarity left in the underlying bass tone. There's no fizz either, just smooth, dynamic warmth. Think along the lines of the Tone Hammer but with more definition or a SansAmp at lower gain but without the mid-scoop. This was what convinced me to go with the Magellan. It just sounded right, my favourite settings being with both A or B contours at about 10 o'clock and the eq section all at noon. Even though I was looking for exactly the warm/hairy tone that the GZ delivers, the clean channel has a real immediacy about it. With contour A at about 9 o'clock, bass and mids at noon and the treble back at about 11'o clock, the tone was powerful, punchy and clear. Even now having played through the GZ for several hours I can't decide whether I prefer the punchy clean channel or the warmth of the drive channel the best. Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 I didn't try the Tone Hammer (TH) directly against the other 3 at the time, but having already played through a TH 500 a couple of weeks before, I was leaning more towards the other 3 over the TH which is lower powered (although in reality would probably have easily covered every possible gigging situation that I'd ever need it for) and although it does the warm, vintage tone brilliantly, it didn't seem to be massively versatile. Summary Without sounding like a cop out, these are all truly great amps and I could happily live with either of them. I wouldn't say that any one is any better than the others as each one has something different to offer. Ultimately I ended up buying the Genzler as that was the one that suits my needs. But it was a tough decision. The GZ also happened to be £150+ cheaper than the others, but that was in no way a deciding factor in my choice. If you want a set-and-forget single tone amp, the TH and MB are great choices if their inherent sounds are to your liking. The TH is perfect for warmer vintage tones and the MB is the ideal choice if you want something more aggressive. But if you're looking for subtlety you definitely won't find it in the MB. If you find yourself asking "is it any good for metal?" on a regular basis, the DG is the obvious choice, although the MB is definitely worth considering too. Don't write off the DG purely as a metal amp, the clean channel is good. Really good. For my needs, I found that I was having to reign back both the MB and DG to keep them under control. But I'm sure there are plenty of guys who would just let them rip and sound a damn sight better than I ever could! The simply great tone and the versatility of the Genzler is what made me choose it over the others. It doesn't do the insane drive and distortion of the DG but instead it delivers a convincing smooth valve like saturated sound that could be used across many different genres. It's not dissimilar in that respect to the Tone Hammer, but the GZ has more clarity to its drive sound. The clean channel has a lot of power behind it, real weight, dare I say the H word? The drive channel and the different voices of the contour are usable through pretty much their entire ranges. The only thing I don't like about it is its daft name

Kits and pre-shaped parts are a great place to start if you want a truly unique instrument. You'll get you a deeper understanding of your instrument. You will also get an idea of whether you want to progress onto a scratch build. It often comes down to you owning or having access to a thicknesser as to whether it is feasible to make a scratch built body. I think most good timber merchants will supply to a specified and uniform thickness however. Then it comes down to making (or sourcing) templates that will guide a router. After that, hand carving is always an option. I've yet to attempt a scratch build. I probably wont do it. I have to prioritise and playing better is higher up on my shortlist than gear acquisition or building.

As promised, they arrived late afternoon and I packed those bad boys up like a rabid mammal. They are officially “in the post” for tomorrow so no tracking numbers to have you refreshing and foaming. If it’s not in the post tomorrow then you should see it Saturday. It’s the kind of great system where you can’t track it until it’s delivered, god bless them. so it’s been a long wait, highs and lows, many posts, but you will like them. Ive just had a big go through a Matamp and two orange cabs. Yes my ears are stinging.