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Showing content with the highest reputation on 18/06/22 in Posts

  1. A wee update. We got the guitarist I had been speaking to on the phone the other week down to the studio. The guy was superb! He has all the gear, SG with Angus Young`s sig pickups, 100 watt Marshall head and cab with an attenuator thank God and all the licks and tones. Turns out he is a doctor who played guitar in bands a few years back but always wanted to play in an ac/dc band but never had the chance. Super nice guy and he was smiling so much whilst playing that at first it was a bit freaky as I`m not used to happy guitar players! So it just goes to show that some people who answer Gumtree adverts are alright.
    13 points
  2. I’ve got sad love for gigging at the moment. Terry, one of the guitarists in my covers band, Night Shift, has stage 4 cancer. He’s undergoing the treatment and has been told it’s controllable but not curable. He wants to gig as much as he can, while he can - music means so much to him. The previous two weekends to this one we gigged three times in each. He’s shattered after each one and sleeps for 12 hours. We carry and set up all his gear for him. We are having some great times, but it’s bitter-sweet.
    9 points
  3. A few years back, I was in a four piece covers band - 2 x guitar, bass and drums. One of the guitars was always moaning about something and saying he was going to call it quits. He was just somewhat draining, a real energy vampire. He once more said he was about to quit to the other guitarist a day or two before a gig. On the night of the gig, the good guitarist announced over the mic the "Ladies and gentlemen, sadly this is ******'s last gig. He's decided to hang up his guitar. Let's give him a night to remember!" Suffice to say, he wasn't expecting that and was rather taken aback. I mean all we did was help him make that final step We carried on as a three piece after that and were much happier!
    8 points
  4. That's lovely Barrie, but the scale's a bit too long for me sadly. The maximum I can manage is 8 metres.
    7 points
  5. Hi All, Now withdrawn, too good of a backup bass. I have had this a while and it is a very capable active 5 string. When I bought it it had a bit of damage on the back of the guitar, doesn't affect playability in any way, purely cosmetic and as it is at the back no-one sees it! I put a little black paint on it and it has never caused me an issue. The bass plays well, sounds good and is a great back up bass for a gig, or main gig bass for those gigs you don't want to take your £3k pride and joy too. http://www.squierwiki.com/Deluxe-Dimension-Bass-V
    6 points
  6. No, old as I am, I was only 8 when it was built
    6 points
  7. Hi, The time has come for me to part ways with some of my collection of lovely Warwick basses. These instruments get occasionally played/cleaned and waxed/returned to their classes, and deserve to go to someone who will give them the play time they deserve. After owning a few other thumbs (limited 03 & 06, 98nt) I finally got the “one” I was looking for. This bass is the lightest thumb I have played with the thinnest/fastest neck which plays and sounds great. I bought this bass from the original owner on eBay.de, and the instrument is in excellent original condition except for some blemishing of the paint on the bridge which does not affect its function or the playability. A couple of years ago I had the frets crowned/levelled and the bass set up by Chris Eccleshall guitars, and there is plenty of life left on the frets. Everything else on the bass works as expected. I wrote to Warwick about the spec for the bass and had a prompt reply from H.P. Wilfer, see below. Bass Thumb Bass NT 4 string Serial Number E xxx 87 Year 1987 Month May Number 852 Neck Wood Wenge Wood with Bubinga Strips Fingerboard Wenge Wood, with Mother of Peal Inlays Frets Bronce Warwick Frets Nut Just a Nut Brass Version Neck construction NeckThrough hidden neck construction Body 3 pcs. solid Bubinga Wood Surface Oil Finish / Beewax Pickups active EMG JJ Pickups Electronic 2 Band Electronic by MEC Hardware Schaller Hardware made for Warwick Made in Germany / Pretzfeld (West Germany) Included is a Warwick heavy duty flight case (black), and strap locks £1650 GBP collected, or worldwide shipping at buyers expense. No Trades
    5 points
  8. With a new Ritter incoming, I decided that one of my old Fenders had to go. As this is the only original finish one I have, I thought it deserved a new home with someone who would play and cherish it. It’s a truly lovely thing and in amazing condition for a ‘68 original finish. It’s been played but, I think, it’s been well looked after during its 55 year life! Currently for sale at BassBross where people can visit, try and talk about PX deals etc. I don’t want to betray any trust with Will so it’s only available for sale direct with him. The description from BassBross is: ”This 1968 Fender Jazz Bass has all the looks and mojo you would expect! Featuring blocks/binding, lollypop tuners, pickup covers, original hardcase. This really is a classic mid-late 60’s look! Everything is original apart from the addition of the some extra screw holes that brings the bridge cover further forward, these can be seen in the photos. This bass has had a life and has quite rightly been played extensively, there are plenty of dings and areas of wear to show this, we think this just adds to making this bass so classic. Please get in touch for any more info/photos. Serial number suggests early 68 Neck dated 7 Feb 68 Pots serial is 6631 = 1966 Pickups dated 3-8-68 = March 68 – Part Exchange Welcome – SPEC Serial Number – 218045 Year – 1968 Colour – Three Tone Sunburst Body Finish – Gloss Body Wood – Alder Neck Finish – Gloss Neck Wood – Maple Fretboard – Rosewood Frets – 20 Scale Length – 34’ Weight – 9lbs8oz/4.3kgs Electronics – Passive Pickups – Orignal Fender Gigbag/Hardcase – Original Hardcase Lots more pics here: https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1968-fender-jazz-bass/
    5 points
  9. Hi Guys, Not much going on with me. As you know I'm 68 and have been an amature type performer since 1965 I'm lucky in the sense that my whole summer is booked. That means I have gigs every weekend. Most are pretty decent gigs. Decent hours and respectable compensation. We landed another opening slot with Collective Soul next month. Just a couple of comments since I haven't posted in a while. I read allot of the " I Hate Gigging" thread. My take away was nobody actually hates gigging. Most hate certain aspects of gigging; 1. Bad gigs 2. Bad long hours 3. Bad band 4. Traveling 5. Low pay 6. Personality Issues We all have some degree of power to avoid the 6 bullet points above. While I gig allot my issue with gigging is a little different than most. I found myself in this position where I'm one of the few that needs the money. That in itself puts me in a bad spot. I would say I'm the only guy in my band who needs the money. The other member all have full time traditional careers. What do you think? What kind of questionable band circumstances are you dealing with and how you plan to change them. I guess at some point I'm going to simply say" I'm sick of it" that hasn't happened yet. Blue
    5 points
  10. In 2 different bands. One earns good money but up till now haven't gigged a lot due to a combination of things including Covid. Main one being guitarist works as a carer every 2nd weekend so fitting in rehearsals was difficult to even get onto gigging. We started 4 yrs ago but he worked a standard 9-5 job in the beginning. I found that a bit frustrating as i was retired i had plenty of free time but fully understood his circumstances. He has recently decided its time to quit and let the band move on. New guitarists are geared up for auditions this week coming. The other band is a punk band that gigs a lot in comparison 2-4 times a month. No hassles with them, all easy going and no ego involved. Its just a nice band to play in but we would need to play 3-4 gigs to earn same money as one gig with the 70's Glam covers band. I've never played as much in a band before in 40yrs of playing. Altho i dont specifically need the money i am finding that i dont want to play gigs these days where i just "break even". I guess that's more money driven than anything else which is a slight change for me. The more i play the more profit i want to see. Maybe its because i'm working more. Thoroughly enjoying it all at the moment. Think the unloading and loading at gigs is my pet hate especially with the Glam band as they are usually bigger venues and require full PA with van hire required for most. I'm the designated driver and have the added pain of picking up and returning the van. That really can be a pain the day after a late night when it has to be returned for 9am the following morning. DA
    5 points
  11. From my experience Blue, it’s usually a problem if the financial circumstances of the band vary a great deal. Years ago I was in a pro function band, with some members also holding down teaching jobs. This made attitudes to our gigs radically different, with some who relied on the money (like me) getting fed up of having to allow for lateness and even not being able to take work if school got in the way. This ended up with quite a few dep players being used which didn’t always work well. My current band have been going now for around 15 years. All the members are in the same boat i.e the band is their first call and primary source of income. We don’t use any deps either, and it works really well. Reminds me of ( I think ) Count Basie and a journalist asking him how keeps an 18 piece band on the road, to which Basie replied ‘ I pay them money....’ 😆
    5 points
  12. LTD 8 string active bass for sale. Presently set up as a 4 string. Rare, inusual and effective bass in very good good condition. Produces a very full sound.
    4 points
  13. I bought this a few years back after falling in love with the look and the heritage. I’ve never seen another! I did a lot of research before buying and there seems to be some evidence that these were genuinely made as test runs for the Fender Custom Shop. It’s certainly recorded that one of the very first P basses out of the CS was a ‘Mary Kaye’ model. From my experience as an ex-CS dealer, the build quality is certainly up there with the CS. Unfortunately my wimpy left wrist, damaged a few years back in a motorcycle accident, means I really struggle with the classic P bass neck profile so I decided to sell it. It’s currently for sale at BassBross in Leominster. This gives people the opportunity to give it a try in the relaxed atmosphere at his showroom. It is only for sale via BassBross (which also allows for various purchase or trade options). From Will’s text: ”This is a very rare bass indeed! Rumour has it that these were early builds for the US Custom Shop. They made a limited run of Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazz basses and Precisions. The P-basses and Telecaster 6 strings are generally believed to be the rarest. Fender Custom Shop have recently revisited this model in bring out the 57 Mary Kaye Journeyman relic model. But this one here is the original version! This bass features the full size 13′ body width making it slightly chunkier than the modern day P basses. There are a couple of marks on the side of the body and pickguard, other than that is is in outstanding condition for its age. Serial Number – V034979 Year – 1987 Colour – Olympic White Body Finish – Gloss Body Wood – Alder Neck Finish – Gloss Neck Wood – Maple Fretboard – Maple Frets – 20 Scale Length – 34” Weight – 9lbs8oz/4.3kgs Electronics – Passive Pickups – Orignal Fender Gigbag/Hardcase – Hardcase Lots of pics here: https://bassbros.co.uk/product/1987-fender-mary-kaye-1957-reissue-precision-bass/
    4 points
  14. Probably not HEADLINE news but for us married folk - this is BIG NEWS !! i think the heat is getting to her just wanted to tell someone
    4 points
  15. A mic is better anyway, as it captures the same thing that you hear. But all is for naught if the guy behind the console doesn't know what he's doing. IME, which includes just about every top touring act of the last 20 years. most don't.
    4 points
  16. I’ve used Roqsolid several times. Probably not the cheapest but, in my experience, good quality and certainly durable.
    4 points
  17. My Mum told me if I kept playing with it I'd go blind. So I just played with it a little bit and now I wear glasses.
    4 points
  18. If you mean cool as in it should be dropped in the Antarctic, never to be seen again, then I'm with you entirely 😁
    4 points
  19. This Tuesday 8pm. You remember the Radio right? 🤔😝
    3 points
  20. I’ve been gigging for about 30 years on and off, but I’ve always had to have a day job to make ends meet. So I feel a bit like a superhero when I step onstage in my alter ego! I’d love to be in a position to make enough money from just music - however it would mean taking every paid gig available whether good or bad, which isn’t a great life/work balance as an exhausted dad/husband in his late 40s. But I love gigging, and good bits massively outweigh the few bad bits. The standard I perform to is professional, even if my circumstances mean I’m not there full time yet.
    3 points
  21. Absolutely stonking gig last night at the Farmyard bikers rally in Helmsley. A packed house of hundreds inside the marquee and apparently just as many dancing outside who couldn’t get in. The organiser was so chuffed he sorted a photo session at the end of the set. Love gigs like this 😁
    3 points
  22. This is on way. 1991 SB310 - need to sort knobs
    3 points
  23. We played an acoustic gig last night. It was a private high school graduation party with an unappreciative crowd. The weather was great, the sound was great, we worked our butts off. They slipped every member an extra hundred bucks. I've always been an amature with a professional attitude. Blue
    3 points
  24. I just bought a new ABM 600.... I love my Rootmaster but I just want that added... Wait for it.......... Heft. There are features I've come to rely on from Ashdown amps: EQ button to go to flat, switchable drive, I even use the sub harmonics. Whenever I've used ABMs in the past, just in rehearsal rooms, and found them excellent for passive P basses, so I'm hoping that with some dedicated time I can get a fantastic Stingray tone from it too. Really looking forward to having the extra headroom and meatiness to the sound!
    3 points
  25. I’m really envious, would love to play in any band again* *Hyperbole, I do have certain red lines
    3 points
  26. Nice to see Ultravox getting some love recently. I always forget how much I like them. Anyway... Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai
    3 points
  27. I had a great one in Hereford last night. I dropped my budget transmitter in favour of a custom-made dual guitar/IEM cable (like a hosepipe!) and it felt much better! I was always uncomfortable with the transmitter hanging out the stupid Ibanez recessed socket. Crowd was amazing, up dancing from the first song. Whole place was rammed and the boss was so pleased that he paid us extra. Off to a more local place tonight.
    3 points
  28. I am the singer as well as the bass player and I have always found that a couple of beers loosens my voice. Any timeI have played totally sober I feel my throat tightening after a while. I have no clue if it's in my head or what but it happens every time. There is a fine line between just enough and too much right enough.
    3 points
  29. Great thread this one, glad it’s been brought into the spotlight. worst part of any gig is 10 mins before you go on in my experience, that stomach tightening feeling. Going over the songs in your head and hoping it’s not you who messes up and makes the band look unrehearsed. At its very worst your muscles tense up to a point where your hands think you’re wearing thick gloves and you feel like your moving in slow motion, hard to explain it properly unless you’ve experienced it. Usually it passes after the first song and I relax into it. The level of anxiety is usually affected by the size of the gig and the audience too.
    3 points
  30. I'm totally the opposite and have a well-paid permanent job that allows me to use music as a release from a stressful working week. Am I less committed to the bands compared to someone who earns money as a primary source of income from gigging? I'd say no. In fact, I've found quite the opposite in some instances, whereby the musicians who consider themselves "professional' as it is what they they use as their main job are often a bit more sniffy, often derogatory about certain gigs than other members. I appreciate that it's obviously an earning issue for them and that they could probably earn more elsewhere, but I've always thought if that's the case then please do so. If the band is made up of a majority of hobbyists, then that's likely the direction the band will run in. It's a bit like me turning up to play for (I don't know) Old Haberdashers 4th XV and being upset because they're not very fit and don't take it seriously. It doesn't mean their commitment is any less and maybe I should read the runes before joining. Of course YMMV and this is only based on my only limited experiences with bands. I have never been or never will be a pro musician and I have endless admiration for anyone talented and dedicated enough to make a living out of their passion, but I think it's important that people have a release they can use from the stresses of their "real lives" and sometimes those two paths of pros vs. rank amateurs collide.
    3 points
  31. I've been in the position, in years gone by, where gigging was my main source of income and every gig was a good gig (even when we played in dives to a less than appreciative audience), as long as I got paid. 10 years later and I continued to gig but the money I received from playing in a band was no longer my main source of income. That's when I started to be picky about where I played, and with whom I played. I've refused to play gigs where I was concerned about my personal safety (I got kicked out of that band because I didn't fancy playing in a dodgy bar where people regularly got stabbed/glassed). I've also refused to play with certain other musicians that I wasn't a fan of, or I thought weren't up to the job. I refused to play at a political party's rally (although the money was good), as I didn't believe in their politics. I still love gigging though and I still take it very seriously, as even though it's no longer my main source of income, I have a professional attitude to getting things right even though, in reality, I'm no longer a professional musician.
    3 points
  32. Repeat after me: I own this stage. This stage is mine. You below may now bask in glorious bass. Silently of course. As many times as necessary.
    3 points
  33. Korea Opportunities ~ The Clash
    3 points
  34. Rocket Man - Kim Jong-Un Sir Elton
    3 points
  35. Just leave the important ones on all the time, problem solved.
    3 points
  36. Stereophonics on BBC2 at moment, a gig from Cardiff, really good, thoroughly enjoying it.
    2 points
  37. I have a fantastic Noble valve pre-amp which has an equally fantastic valve DI
    2 points
  38. The hassles are minor when your band mates are wonderful. I should say wonderful and smart. Blue
    2 points
  39. Did a one-off 2000's indie rock night last night. Had to learn eight new songs to get a full set of rockers from 2000-2010 but then disaster struck! We managed only one rehearsal with the new songs then both the lead guitarist and I came down with bad illnesses. I almost didn't make the gig. Well... It was hot yesterday wasn't it? We had a small audience, less than thirty I think, which isn't great for us at all, but they all wanted to be there and LOVED the set list. It makes a difference when they're smiling, singing, dancing and staying to the end. In the new songs I think we found a few "keepers" so all the sweat was probably worth it in the long run.
    2 points
  40. Then it's an SB310. There's only 24 pages of this topic ... surely you've read them all? 🤨
    2 points
  41. It's not me, it's you.
    2 points
  42. Well. I’ve been after one since I picked one up for @TheGreek and @Machines has spotted one in the wild…and picked it up for me. need 2 sgc knobs as it has some speed ones on happy though
    2 points
  43. I feel the same way - I have been playing for 45 years or more, have spent money or decent basses and amplifiers including back ups, have a larger car than I need simply to be able to transport my gear around - so when I am asked to play somewhere miles away for a free beer or two, I refuse to do so. I am also in two bands at the moment, one used to gig every weekend until the drummer left and then Covid struck - we are still trying to find time when all three of us are able to rehearse so that the new drummer is up to speed on the set. I could do with getting that band back to regular gigs as the money was useful. Other band is a six piece Grateful Dead covers band, based in Oxford, which often plays at multi-band afternoons arranged by a 'promoter' who gets paid by the venue, but the 4-6 bands he talks into playing for him don't. I simply do not understand why anyone would play under those conditions. For me it means driving 30 minutes each way, parking invariably means paying for the privilege, and I am supposed to be grateful for the 'exposure'. I always think that anything is worth what you pay for it. When the blues band goes out for a decent fee, we are treated well by the venue as they are investing in us. When I have played free gigs, the bands are usually treated as worthless because they are costing the venue nothing. I have never had a paid gig cancelled because the venue will lose money - but I have schlepped my gear to free gigs and back several times and been told there is no time for us to play - thus wasting my time and money for nothing except increasing anger and bitterness about the whole process.
    2 points
  44. Today I removed the neck of my Reggie Hamilton jazz to adjust the truss rod. I had to remove a relatively new set of SS Dunlop Super Bright as well. Upon restringing the A string is emitting a strange fizz/buzz which sounded like a loose bridge spring, but it wasn't. The A string was also dead. I've had this problem before with new strings but this one was good and zingy minutes before. I loosened the string to allow the ball end to find its untwisted position in the bridge and retuned; still dead. So the outer winding is rattling on the core wire is my conclusion. Next I loosen the string and twist it in the direction of the wind allowing the ball end to spin in the bridge. Once I can feel the string is tight, 3 to 6 twists, I tightened the string without letting the ball spin back. Hey presto, the zing is back. This method seems to remove the slack between the core and the winding that can occur during stringing. It's worth a try if you hear the same on a new set
    2 points
  45. Jesus Built My Hotrod ~ Ministry
    2 points
  46. Think i must have have been in grumpy middle aged man mode. This song is brilliant and growing on me like a fungus. Very talented lady and i am a sucker for Chaka Khan types. I take it all back.
    2 points
  47. I love my ABM to bits. I bought this EvoII Rc 5 years ago, it's a 2008 model. After gigging it with a cheap furry Chinese case that I got for about 20€ I bought a Gator case for it in 2020. The weight is more of course but it has fallen two times with no damage and I think it looks good as hell. Having bought the 3 space tack version, I managed to mount a small power strip to power the head, the pedalboard and the Mooer Radar with a single socket, I also store all the cables I need for it in the remaining room on top of the head. I play with my P basses and a Gallien Krueger CX 210 cab, at times I also use it combined with the CX 410 cab.
    2 points
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