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I have vivid and fond memories of watching my (South African) mate giving an excellent and very well received impromptu version of "We Will Rock You" on the highland pipes while dressed in full Scottish regalia, accompanied by a German oompah band, also wearing their traditional costumes, late at night at an open-air riverside café in Turku, Finland in the summer of 2017 during the Europeade (European folk dance) festival. Pick the cultural bones out of that one!

I've only ever depped a few times and only for people I know. Last time was a young girl who occasionally songs with my band gave me about 48hrs notice that her bassist couldn't do a festival gig. She got her band moved to be on just before mine so I'd be there and sent me the set list of covers... i got introduced as a last minute cover and got through the first few songs including an improv section I wasn't prior warned about and all went well. Then Seven Nation Army was up next. I just stood there. Singer says "it's you". I had ear plugs in. "It's you. Now, it's you" I'm just standing there. "It's you" "what?" "Play the riff" "what riff?" This went on for ages until she basically spoke like to an elderly relative who thinks he's escaping from the nursing home "seven nation army. It starts with the bass riff. You need to start playing it"

I'm looking forward to going down my next blues jam night to check passports, and I'll be requiring written proof that the singer's dog has actually died, his woman did indeed done him wrong, etc. 😁 I used to go to the Bier Keller in Manchester when standing on tables and hurling steinfuls of lager around the place was a big night out, and the house band there (definitely Oompah) covered Like A Virgin...it was a life-changing experience... 😁

"Music eh...shit business int'it?"

Two things: first, Bob Marley's dad was a white guy from Liverpool. Second: you live in a flipping colony!!!

@The59Sound do you need to take a break?! How about it, or do you think you can behave like a grown up for a bit? Calm down.

Been in the news a bit this week following Michelle Obama’s speech. How many of you guys have been in this situation? I did a dep gig on Saturday night. Was sent the set list, had a brief look through it, met the guitarist and ran through a few numbers. Didn’t seem anything too complex. Turned up to the gig unloaded and set up and then realised I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Not practiced any of the tunes at home, didn’t know the structure to half the tunes, no ideas of intros or endings. I was screwed. Anyway, felt my way through the gig by using my eyes and ears and smiling a lot. The band thought I was great, the audience thought we were great. We got paid and the band leader was asked for cards. I suppose really that’s what musicians do when they play properly and all this endless rehearsals and preparation with semi-pro bands is mainly just to stoke the singer/guitarists ego. Quite honestly I’d prefer to dep all gigs. Keeps it fresh and reminds me of what a real musician is.

This. When I started, I was the worst musician in the room, but - I was a musician! Our om community was truly appreciative of the people who came every week just to listen, but as soon as I crossed that line it became completely different. I'm usually still the worst musician in the room, but that's because I keep pushing myself, and trying to play with better musicians, because it's the only way I'll get better myself. Many years ago a sprinter who came last in the Olympic 100m final was asked how he felt about coming last. His answer: "Being the 8th fastest man in the world ain't bad."

Flight cased in ears porn.

Remember , unlike my generation, I'm 65, no longer is every kid in the neighborhood buying a guitar and starting a band. There aren't that many guys in their 20s & 30s interested in bands or gigging. But there's a ton of us older guys not willing to give up our rock & roll spot light quite yet I'm not Blue

I had some trouble with Twist and Shout once I realised I was a different colour than the people who first sang it. Or is it a different nationality? Or religion? The Isley Brothers (who were the first to chart with it) were Seventh Day Adventists...

He's currently on a hiatus. God knows what he's going to be like when he finally decides he loves playing bass again.

It's a good thing to be helpful, right? Apparently the cry has gone out that the 2nd market is slowing (see that other thread). How could what we are signing up to do here (led by our pied piper moderator @Sibob) be described in any shape or form as being "helpful" on that score? 😄

My current fretless squeeze... OLP Ray body, Jaydee neck with mostly-unlined ebony board, EMG-HZ pickup, as yet passive electrics. Future plans are to squeeze some sort of 3-band eq in there. For the moment, I'm loving it just as it is. It plays beautifully and sounds better.

I fully understand. I just wish that big events like this weren't always so London-centric.

How did the Hipster burn his hand? He changed the light bulb before it was cool.

Next time I gig my Super Twin, I'll have to take an umph meter and see what is lacking

all brands of IPA available in the UK for a Yule long tasting session 🍻

A bit of peace and quiet hopefully.

Have you planted the Helix Stomp seed yet? I love how you have named your P2s too. I'm going to call mine Stan.

You can download them yes. Click on the 3 dots at the side of the video, that should give you the option to download. I've attached a photo of one of mine.

Unless you have a Mark King complex, you'll probably find that 4kHz isn't much of a limitation at all.

@Paul S Good luck. They won’t be expecting too much. Have fun.

I play in a ska band. I thought I was a bass player. I never realised I was a thief, coloniser and oppressor too. Thanks for the heads up.

You really are an over opinionated racist fool aren't you i grew up in Tottenham listening to reggae [both uk and Jamaican] and have played it for most of my fifty years i play with a band that consists of Jamaican, Indian ,Polish, Bermudan, mixed heritage and uk born some of the white members of the band have played with some of the biggest names in reggae without any problem i play the music from the streets i grew up in but reggae music is loved the world over ,and its message of unity and love is open to all.

I started in live music by playing at one of the better jams in West London (the Drayton Arms, Ealing, formerly the King's Head, Acton jam). Quite literally everybody in the room was a better musician than me, and the great majority (including the guitarists) were better bass players than me. So? You have to start somewhere. If I could get in a time machine and go back those years - taking my bass with me, natch - there would still be plenty of better musicians there. There will always be better musicians than yourself somewhere, if you look hard enough. So stop looking and enjoy what you do.

Good luck with your endeavours. If anyone, of whatever colour, tries to tell you that you shouldn't be playing a particular type of music because of your ethnic background, then they are being racist, and should be ignored, however much they may try to conceal their racism behind such fatuous pc terms as "cultural appropriation". It's no different from someone telling a black person that they shouldn't be performing opera or playing in a string quartet. Music is music, and has always benefitted from cross-cultural fertilization, without which much of the music we enjoy, and which has enriched our lives, simply would not exist. Enjoy!

Why are you being rude? What an odd reply. Literally an opinion, a point of view - my 2p. The concept of a cheaper (‘kiddy’) Flea bass in itself was acknowledged by Flea when he brought out the “fleabass” range of instruments and further addressed by the introduction of a lower price point Fleabass (street bass). I was just pointing out that Fender may have missed a trick by only having the one price point which would be out of reach for younger/less affluent fans when they’ve done broader attempts to previously... Mike Dirnt has/had a Fender and a Squier model simultaneously BB King had a Gibson and Epiphone version of Lucille (there are plenty more examples) It just broadens their buying audience somewhat and more buyers means more money. Makes more business sense. And having left the guitar/bass retail industry after 12 years in 2015 - I might have an idea of what people buy into. As a point, the cheap fleabass instruments weren’t that great - but we sold 100’s of them because people bought into the Flea name/image. But what would I know, I’m only a child.

Went along to a start-up originals audition once. The band were pretty good and (along with myself) had largely done their homework - except for the potential singer/guitarist/front man, who clearly was unable to fulfil any of those roles. It became obvious that he had made no effort to listen to any of the material, but this turned out to be irrelevant as he just plain couldn't sing, sounded as if he'd never ever picked up a guitar before and had all the charisma and personality of a canoe. BUT he thought he was great! The band played the songs while he made a terrible howling noise like an aphasic drunk falling down an escalator with a cutlery drawer, gurning horribly and throwing weird stunted shapes like an arthritic gnome with terminal hemarroids. The band immediately avoided each other's gaze. Rarely have I been so embarrassed yet so wanted to laugh as never before. No-one stepped in to stop it, we just kept going on and on through the set. It was absolutely interminable. We never met again, but later I heard he had persistently phoned the band leader pleading for the job, claiming he was obviously the best choice! And in the end actually got weird and threatening. Steps had to be taken. I've met some deluded flakes in my time - comes with the territory - but I won't forget this one in a hurry.

What fun paul_c2! Thanks for all the good ideas - I think there's no substitute for being in practice. I think it'll be alright on the night, and the band leader has come up with a bassoon part for the one that was most challenging. Sounds more like a baboon part the way I play it, but still ... Oddly enough I'm really looking forward to the concert tomorrow. It's been years and years since I've done this kind of thing, and it's a lot of fun. The band sounds good and everyone seems pleased to see me.

Ah that old chestnut, compression is fine in the studio, but live has little or no place...... But as @HazBeen says, the right choice for people is the right choice for people

E- All of the above 😂

RIP Pete. I was thrilled to see them back in '93, not too long after they'd relaunched. They'd released a new album at the time as well, and it was great to see them on the up again. Less than a year later, they were out with Nirvana! Place was tiny, so we were right up close. Awesome gig. He had such a way with melody and delivery. Those records are timeless. I really like the later stuff he wrote at the end of their first incarnation - stuff like 'Strange Thing' - really underrated.

It doesn't make any real difference to me which side of London it's on... it's still on the other side of the bleeding country to me

Thanks for posting this.....Great to hear it again.....I was an 18 year old drummer at the time but loved the bassline as i did pretty much every funky bassline from the era. This tune set the clubs on fire, in particular for me, The Durham Ox Grantham, The Painted lady on the Melton/Leicester road, The Barn in Hockley Heath [revolving stainless steel dance floor with huge glitter ball hanging over it...If you wasn't 'getting down' yourself it was a great vantage point to scan the chics in the whole room] and another old haunt, Millionaires in B'ham city centre. The music was the scene.....Great days indeed!

A Basschat Bitser - ex-Beedster 70's neck on a stripped 90-'s re-issue body, with DiMarzios. Luverly...

That was hilarious. *joins Bavarian Oom-pah band just for the hell of it*

Yes. I have the syndrome. Officially. Something about being a perfectionist and when I know, I put a comma in the wrong spot, I keep having this expectation of being found out. 😉 The following however is not the syndrome: Depping as a pianist for jazz bands, often with minutes or a few hours of notice, just because they were desperate enough and because I was available and had the gear, I always was the worst guy on stage. This after I'd agreed with them that a sax player or similar would have to play instead of the expected piano solo. Of course they always forgot, and when it was time for the piano solo, they all gave me the look, and I gave them the look whilst playing just the chords. Worked a treat: sometimes, someone would remember and get some solo notes in before the eight bars were finished! 😁

I still think Flea sounds better with a humbucker in the sweet spot, despite his Jazz bass sounding fantastic. It really pops for that aggressive rock/funk.

S'easy..! You capo, too..!

Thanks for this thread, its made me remember things! Personally my ideal sound is basically anything REM have recorded, particularly Orange Crush. Or Duff Mckagan on anything Velvet Revolver. Its a shame Scott Weiland was such a nong, VR were good up until the occasionally WTAPF?! jarring lyric... See particularly: and:

Bounce, and hit the notes on the bounce. And wind the tone knob back aaaaaaaaaaaall the way... In self-pluggage as an example news, we done that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCiwFVon05k (warning. sweary!) and it was originally intended to sound like Motorhead (we were very very cross). Its 'donor song' for feel is Ghost Town by the Specials which our Canadian chum might be unaware of, and is an example of Two-tone*, pretty much the first UK multicultural youth culture (probably) - that was basically ska, reggae and punk all mixed together... Equally reggae massively influenced the Clash, the Police and obvs UB40 so its really been part of protesty type music and alternative culture in the UK since Windrush! And apparently the Queen Mother had a massive ska collection..! *Black and white, geddit?

One of the challenging things about a through neck is that you can't fettle a neck pocket to correct any build, er-hum, 'vagaries'. So neck angle for bridge height has to be pretty spot on as does the sideways straightness to make sure that the strings all line up with the fretboard and the pickup poles. This is particularly important for a P pickup because any misalignment is very obvious. As such, if is a case of 'check ten times, cut once. On a PJ, I always start with the P and then double check the J position once those chambers have been cut. Also, as described in more detail in the Len_Derby thread, I just don't trust router templates. Instead I: Drill a hole for each pickup corner, 1mm greater dia than the actual corner radius Forstner a hole for each lug - again using a bit 1mm greater dia than the lug Forstner out the bulk Clean up the top edges with some careful chisel work Check the fit against one of the pickup covers Clean up the sides and chamber bottom with a short bearing-guided trimmer router bit - which is now captive and therefore can't go on a holiday through the nicely carved top! The result is this: Which is then double checked with the two covers: And then checked against each of the string positions: You can see on the pencil marked position of the J pickup where I've moved it across 1mm from the original position...which is exactly why I do it this way round and always use the actual bridge and the actual pickup covers and some strings in the nut position. It's a bit old fashioned, maybe, but it is less often now that I end up saying 'Well, it was right when I measured it against the drawing in the first place!'

Quickly. That went quickly. Please remember the suffix on adverbs.

Every little helps - another tick off the To Do list. Magnets on the truss rod cover: I know it's tempting fate but, from a build point of view rather than the additional wait time for the finish to fully harden (probably a further week), this should be finished this week

We'll see what happen, I guess. These are one-off builds for personal use, not sale, so as far as I know, that's perfectly legal under US copyright, not sure about UK. You can paint a copy of a Van Gogh and hang it on your wall, but if you try to sell it..... There must be 20 similar Ric inspired personal builds on US Talkbass, no negative words from Rickenbacker so far. I'll understand if the moderators want to pull the thread, no harm done. In the meantime, here's one I finished last year, a 4003 clone in Jetglo finish with checker binding. Sorry for the crappy photos, anybody interested in the whole wretched slog of a 4-year build thread can check it out here: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-hossenfeffer-bass-build.1102535/#post-16376432 It differs from a genuine Ric in a few ways, one DA trussrod, a volute at the headstock/neck joint, dowel reinforced construction at the wings, fully shielded, etc. The goal was to re-create a 4001 bass I once owned, with some technical improvements and, of course, checker binding. As expected, it sounds.... like a Ric, not surprising since the pups are OEM Ric standard hi-gain. Also bought the electronics harness from Pick of the Ricks, who buys them from Rickenbacker Inc and marks them up, so Rickenbacker Inc. has already had a bit of profit from me in parts alone. I will NEVER sell either of these basses, the Walnut one will be a college graduation present for my son.