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Woo!! Came with a free gig case!

Sire is here! Just arrived, now the question before i open it, do i just open it or do a video for youtube lol 😂

I keep getting notified over this post, so here's my current collection spending the lockdown with me

I've just stumbled across this - an amazing version of Air's "La Femme d'Argent" that I'd never seen before. Maybe I'll dust off my copy of "Moon Safari" and find my good headphones....

Well done P-A! To really fit in, you now have two weeks to buy a 2nd or 3rd bass 😀

Here's one a new one on me. From the FB Sandberg group, a California VS451P (BlackHardcoreReserve w/reversed headstock). Very cool! https://www.facebook.com/groups/159201517432057/permalink/3263082673710577/ Not sure if the link will work, it's to a closed FB group.

Great name for a thrash metal band. 😆

Haven't posted in here before but here's my VM4 that I bought from Paddy on here in ..err.. December. It's way too good a bass for my meagre talents (but then so's my much cheaper entry-level Yamaha BB!) but I do love playing it. The action is fantastic and it feels much more compact than the BB which is currently sporting flats and is currently taking the role of bludgeon compared to the VM4 rapier. I do definitely prefer the passive sound though (I only use it through Amplitube modelling or DI into reaper with a bit of compression). The active bass boost does help fatten up the rear humbucker but I generally find that I keep the active eq off. Not to everyone's taste I know but I love the off-white finish and, while not completely convinced by the ethical issues behind relic finishes, I think Sandberg do it well and at least I'm not precious about the odd scratch or ding!

Better late than never, here are my pair of Metros.

Too many knobs.... ....will tell you that you don't need that many knobs. Don't listen to 'em! 🤣

Woo!! Came with a free gig case! IMG_1628.MOV

Friday: scroll down for another! A glimpse of Utopia - from Rhinos Winos & Lunatics Poulseur – pronounced ‘pulls hair’ – is a little village in Belgium; 15 houses, a church, a bridge, a bar, and a large, civic building. Set picturesquely on the banks of a wide, slow-running river, I have yet to find it on a map. We arrived there on a blazing hot August day. It was in the middle of a two-week tour of the Low Countries we undertook straight after the Plymouth bust. It was late afternoon and the sun was having a final blast before knocking off for the day. Bits of white fluff – which I assumed to be some sort of plant-life – hung, motionless, in the still, heavy air. An occasional bee managed to summon up a perfunctory buzz. Of human life, there was no sign. We pulled up outside the large civic building, assuming it to be the gig. The doors were open. We looked inside. There was a stage and seating for about 400 people – wooden schoolchairs, joined together in groups of ten by a spar running along the backs. This must be the gig. We shouted hellos. Nothing. We set the gear up. As gig-time approached, we experienced a whiff of apprehension. Just as we were about to call it a day, a party of seven arrived; six teenagers and an adult. Introductions were effected and the kids ran off into the hall, while the adult started pottering around backstage, switching things on. Under questioning, he revealed that he was the promoter. He was also, he said, the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the Chairman of the Poulseur Chamber of Commerce. ‘Where are the audience?’ we asked. ‘You have just met them,’ he replied. He explained the situation. The city fathers – probably the Mayor, the Chief of Police, and the Chairman of the Poulseur Chamber of Commerce – in their benign wisdom, worried that the isolated location of their village would mean that the village youth would be culturally deprived, had given them an entertainment budget, which they could spend any way they liked. In previous years they had hired local bands, once a month. This year was different. They had decided to spend the whole year’s budget on us. As we walked onstage, the six kids sat in a line, halfway up the hall. The first number was a half-hour ‘Spunk Rock’. At the end of it, the six kids went apeshit, leaping to their feet, yelling and stamping. The more we played, the madder they got. By the end of the gig, they were on the stage with us. We did three encores and they screamed themselves hoarse. After the gig we were taken to the bar. The whole village was there and we ate a riotous supper. We asked the promoter if we could roll a joint. He convened an ad hoc meeting with the Mayor, The Chief of Police and the Chairman of the Poulseur Chamber of Commerce and, after due deliberation and careful consideration of all the relevant facts, he came to the unanimous decision that, yes, we could. Some hours later, we inquired about the sleeping arrangements. Poulseur, he apologised, had no hotel but they had fixed up something for us in the attic of the gig. We followed him up stairs, ladders and gantries to the attic, which ran the whole length of the building. It was totally empty except for a large square gymnasium mat, laid out in the centre. This was, said the promoter, the best they could do. Would it be alright? Yes, it would. We bedded down for the night. I managed half a page of The Sirens Of Titan before I fell asleep. We surfaced about noon into another blazing hot day. Everybody in the street waved cheerily to us and pointed towards the bar. We obeyed. Inside, the tables were laid and the staff were straining at the leash. We were shown to a table and given copious amounts of alcohol. Gradually, the place filled up and it became obvious that the whole village had turned out. A sumptuous meal arrived. The Mayor rose, unsteadily, and proposed a toast to the guests of honour. Martin reciprocated with a touching speech about the incalculable value of transitory friendship. The party spilled out into the garden and then the river-bank. Martin, swimming-trunkless, decided to cut his jeans into shorts and called for scissors. A pair were produced and Martin set to work, to the delight of the Poulseurians. As the legs of the jeans became available, they were snatched away. Somebody put ‘Two Ounces Of Plastic’ on the record player in the bar and villagers danced around the garden, tossing the legs back and forth to each other. Then, with due ceremony, they carried them, on high, into the bar. Someone found a stepladder and the legs were pinned, in crossed position, above the middle of the bar. The revelry continued, breaking off occasionally to toast the legs. Then, we had to heed the unforgiving call of duty; it was time to leave. As we drove off the entire village waved us goodbye. The Mayor was there, the Chief of Police was there, in charge, no doubt, of crowd control, and I think I spotted the Chairman of the Poulseur Chamber of Commerce, but I can’t be sure. We like to think that, now and again, they still put ‘Two Ounces Of Plastic’ on the record player and toast the legs. As for me, I would like, one day, to return to Poulseur, there to die.

Pictures or it didn't happen..........You can always tape it back up and do a video later 😂

Current crop...

I started on the slippery slope in around '86 with a black and white encore p bass copy... Gave me the taste but I quickly moved up to the harder stuff - a Westone Thunder II version 3 with super boomers and an xlr (still have it). It is so sad but I just cannot find my favorite tipple, so my quest has been a long whisky nosed tale through the following (none of which I can bear to lose - although the wife would happily lose all but one). A yamaha fretless (why, I don't know... ah yes Jaco), a natural vm jazz with flats (bloody Watt Roy and the like), a 2013 Gibson Thunderbird... just because I was holding down a good job and coz it looks and plays beautifully - oh yes and coz I got an Epi EBO thrown in (wouldn't give me an EB3). A gorgeous black classic vibe 70s P with flats (amazing for the price - I was made redundant from said good job),and a Vintera Mustang in sea foam green (came on Tuesday - I have been off work with suspected Covid19, felt better and.. well I fell off the wagon). My amp of choice is an Ashdown mag600 rack in a gator case with a 4x10. I also have an epi les Paul custom 3 pickup SG in antique ivory and an affinity tele. That is my long and difficult story of addiction. Any advice on what to cull from the herd will probably be ignored and when another great job arrives I will no doubt add an Old Smoothie to the mix. Anyhoo bye for now........... what to play today?????? Obligatory (crap) pic below

Just to be very clear. I don’t have metro express GAS.

Good idea! I'll get onto it tomorrow morning............cheers!😃👍

Here’s my current basses there is 11 but that includes a couple of bodies and some aren’t finished and some need strings so I don’t think they count??........🤔

Controls here...

::buys popcorn::

I was at the factory hanging out with Hölger and the gang, saw the whole operation first hand - it’s a class act. Stuff that was ready off the production line I got to play - pretty sure this was one of them, or one or two exactly like it. Also it’s where I played the first production Superlight bass, I suppose it could have been prototype/final product. I have to say I did tell him to make a short scale, cuzzie would have been a better name than Lionel, but it looks a cracking bass. @krispn also designed and named a new colour, but we are yet to see that - only a matter of time

I used to be at one Precision, but now at two! Picked up my brand new De Gier Soulmate last week. Custom options are an amázing Candy Apple Red finish, lollipop tuners (first De Gier bass éver to have lollipops), dots & binding (first Soulmate to have so). Fralin pickup. And it's brilliant.

The same can be said for so many of us that have 'collections' of instruments. No, I can't play 27 basses at once, but it's more than playing them for me. It's the thrill of the chase of a rare and exciting bass, it's having been able to play some of the very best instruments out there by trading up, selling on, switching around etc. I've forged a few good friendships out of it too with like minded people who enjoy trading and being able to sample other crazy instruments! It's all good fun! I absolutely agree it's not 'needed', but it's something I very much enjoy! I do love playing them in turn, but I also get a lot of satisfaction out of them all as displayed pieces of art and from building a collection. Keeps me out of trouble!

Jeez that looks like a festering cow-pat!

To my experience (pro over 40 years) it really doesn’t matter much at all. Some basses are ”snappier”, some ”punchier”, some ”warmer” etc, regardless if the pickups are positioned half an inch south or north. You might hear the difference between 60`s and 70`s bridge PU placement when listening Your Instrument carefully alone at home. When playing in a noisy club or stadium You are often lucky to hear it at all. Even when You hear it recorded in a studio, sometimes it is so heavily eq`d , compressed and destroyed in the mix to lack all the detail and dynamics so it really doesn’t matter if there is a bridge pickup at all.

The UK's at a standstill, too, as is most of the world. Stay safe.

Here you go Stew. 01 Ever played a gig sitting down? Yes, for a few years after a radical prostatectomy (sorry, too much information). Livened things up by fitting a butt-kicker to my stool so I could feel the bass. Nice. 02 Ever gigged on a different instrument? Trenance Infants, Newquay, Percussion Band on triangle 03 Ever shared a stage with a musical hero of yours? Not exactly a musical hero but once jammed with Denny Laine. 04 Any fan ever had a tattoo of your band's logo? No 05 Ever signed an autograph in a dressing room? What’s a dressing room? Oh you mean the men’s toilet. Definitely not. 06 Ever cried on stage? Only in despair 07 Ever worn a hat on stage? Many times; beanies and flat caps. Either to keep warm or keep off the sun. 08 Ever gigged with a band you hadn't met before the gig? Yes it was a bit grim. 09 Ever been in a relationship with a fellow band member? No 10 Ever played in different bands on the same day? Yes at a Farnham Free Music Festival, 2002, depped for a blues/rock band when their bass player was very late then gigged with my own band. I‘d depped for them before and eventually joined them permanently until there was disagreement over money and I was fired. 11 Ever had anything thrown at you while playing? No. 12 Ever crashed on the way to the gig? No but van broke down and we had to switch vans. 13 Ever left a band over the choice of set list? Yes. It was a start-up and the singer had very fixed ideas about the set list and how the money was to be split so I said goodbye. 14 Ever slept in the venue despite it not being a hotel? No 15 Ever been supported by a band clearly better than you? Oh yes 2005 at Willenhall in Staffordshire. We were headlining but were supported by the Trevor Burton Band (ex Move). They were very good, much better than us. 16 Ever played a gig suffering from some debilitating medical condition? Only alcohol related conditions but that was some years ago. 17 Ever been in a band where the guitarist was your favourite bandmate? My 1964-66 band, the Elite Clique. 18 Ever played in the grounds of a stately home? Some place in Hampshire for a wedding back in 2004. First we set up indoors and then someone had the bright idea of being out on the terrace at the other end of the building so we had to move. A right P.I.T.A. 19 Ever injured yourself on stage? Only my pride 20 Ever been told that your bass isn't loud enough? Yes because being a bit Mutt and Jeff I tend to be either too loud or too quiet.

Welcome and it looks great - we all hope our talents can grow into our fantastic basses

Mine arrived this morning, useful little item, the sound is excellent with no hiss/hum, well worth £9.99 John 😎

Massively reduced my board and feeling happier with it now than for a while. Wah is being replaced imminently with a freaker thays on its way, but really impressed with the volante and the cali76, and the spark drives my amp wonderfully.

Isn't this how a real washing line should look? 😁

First thing I found the best to do on these is: 1. have it in passive mode (switch towards you). 2. Put the pickup blend to middle (you'll feel it click). 3. Master all the way up. 4. Tone (the extra dial under the master volume) to fully open. Itll sing then!

Like this - Happy to start one/help with content for FRFR if people game?

Those ‘scratches’ are nothing compared to the pics supplied by Andertons; result!

Hey! I think they cleaned it up for me as much as they could as they are barely noticeable, also peeled off the protective sheet and looks perfect!

I like that, seems a nice intuitive layout.

That is very, very nice. And looks very cool I hope you have many hours of enjoyment playing it.

do you know what im not sure, but id hope make me a cuppa after all the stress of getting it 😂

That's a very lovely looking bass!

I’m on it lol! 😄

A tip that may help with longer pieces : start from the end. That's to say : learn the last section, then, when that's going well, learn the preceding section, and follow through to the end. Rinse and repeat. As you move towards the beginning, you're playing more and more into familiar territory. Hope this helps.

Network Rail would possibly disagree with you on that.

Excellent article btw. Full of things I'd thought but never managed to put into words. Had me snorting into my glass of red.....nerd that I am.

yep 18mm is good for a cab, better if you don't mind the weight, you have more than enough for one of these

For me it was bass lessons with @chrisaxe where he had me analyse JJ's bass line to Ain't no mountain high enough. The breathtaking ability - alchemy I should say - to create bass gold from the same mundane, every day scales we all have at our disposal. As a poet who, having no more than the same 26 letters that you and I employ to ask for directions to the bus stop, creates a delicate, unexpected and powerful piece of written art, so Jamerson's work, at its heart has nothing remarkable and yet is extraordinarily beautiful. The master indeed.