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Engaging in this thread has had a deleterious effect on my bass playing (some might say I do not actually play the bass, however I will not digress further). I started to think about my right hand technique and subsequently things that previously had automaticity have become challenging. Sartre, although in a different epistemological context, provides a transferable existentialist insight on the matter of right (and left) hand technique "No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point". A pragmatic simpler approach may be found by paraphrasing Sartre - "Bass playing is a question of absorbing other people's techniques and adding some of your own experience". Anyway, I have had a good lunch, it is time to take my medication and lie down.

So, after Saturday's 70th birthday gig, onto last night's wedding gig. Nice pub venue, but an interesting load-in through a rabbit warren of passages (Hello Cleveland) and up two flights of stairs, with the added complication that Mr Drums is currently suffering from a severe case of L5 nerve root compression, so a) can't walk far, and b) can't lift anything. Fortunately he lives about halfway between my place and the venue, so it was easy enough for me to stop off en route and help him load his gear, then we all mucked in the other end to unload and get him set up. The room we were in is normally used as a restaurant, and while there was plenty of width, there wasn't a whole lot of depth, so the "dancefloor" occupied about the same amount of space as we did. As it was, most people at the event only seemed to be interested in pouring booze down their necks and shouting at each other, so the area available was just big enough for the few people who did actually want to do a bit of dancing. Onstage sound was a constant battle between the monitors and the cackling crowd, but out front it apparently sounded good, as did my "Baby Trace" setup of AH200 head + BLX-110 cab. As nobody seemed to be in charge of proceedings, we just made it up as we went along, kicking off at 8pm and doing an hour, then resuming at 9:45pm and doing another hour. We dropped one longish, very wordy, song towards the end of the second set as Mr Singer was flagging a bit, but apart from that and a handful of off-piste moments, everything mostly went to plan. One moment in particular stands out - as we launched into our traditional second set opener "Call Me The Breeze", the front three all stopped playing when Mr Singer realised he'd forgotten to switch his new-fangled radio mic back on, but me and Mr Drums just kept the groove going until switches were switched and normal service was resumed, amazingly at the right point! All part of the act, obvs... 😉 We also managed to get the Happy Couple onto the dancefloor for our rendition of "You Do Something To Me" which went down well, and then the night ended with the pub manager joining us to do harmonies on "Stand By Me" - very good she was too. As the pub owner has invited us back to do one of their Sunday afternoon beer garden gigs next Summer, she may well get to sing with us again. Obviously, the most fun we had all evening was loading-out through a slightly diminished crowd of folks who seemingly had no homes to go to, but everybody was very polite, and also very complimentary. Quick stop on the way home to help Mr Drums unload his gear, and that was that. Mr Drums has been told by his physio to take at least two weeks off even touching his drums, so we're now on an enforced break from rehearsing and working up a number of new songs, but I guess it couldn't have come at a better time as we don't have any more gigs currently lined up. Onwards and upwards next year then, L5 compressions permitting. Postscript: Just had the following message from Mr Rhythm Guitar:- "Out of the gigs we've done, I've never had so many people come up to me and say what a brilliant band we are, and quite a few said how refreshing it was to hear songs that other bands don't play, and we play and sing them so well." Case in point - the number which got the most people up and grooving, and got the biggest reaction at the end, was Mr Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance". So, we must be doing summat right... ☺️

Bought this about a both ago…cash converters. Had an unoriginal neck. It was lovely…but then spotted a nice 70s Reissue P neck. Game on!

Tell me about it. You get up in the morning and drive the van round to collect the guys and the gear, then you motor over to the venue and unpack and set everything up. Then there’s the sound check and when everyone is happy you wander off looking for somewhere to eat. After that it’s a matter of killing time until you are ready to go on stage. As the evening wears on the punters get more raucous. The set is due to finish at 11.00 p.m. but the crowd keep calling for encores. Then someone wants you to accompany his granny singing Ten Guitars. You finally finish and then dismantle all the equipment when there are still bodies staggering about, getting in the way. Finally you escape around 1.00 a.m. drive home, drop everyone off and unload the gear. Back at your place you creep in the door not wanting to wake the family. You slip into bed and lay there exhausted. Then the wife slides her leg over your thigh and begins to nibble your ear. What a life!

Where's the loo? Couldn't hold on if I wanted to.

I think the last bit should read, 'You slip into bed and lay there exhausted and totally unable to fall asleep as you're still buzzing, analysing the gig, and thinking about how you played, how you could of played better, how the audience reacted, how your bass sounded, what new gear you should now buy, what someone said to you, how you're never going to play there again, do I need a wee, how you're going to tell the singer what you think, the girl on the left of the stage was super cute, why does the guitarist never lug any gear unless it's his own, what time is it, why does the drummer never buy anyone a drink, I definitely need a wee, why can I never hear myself on stage, when's the next gig, why can't I fall asleep, I'm going for a wee' 😂

It's home. First impressions - exactly what I was hoping for. The output level is INCREDIBLY loud - too beefy for my practice amp. So I'll have to dig out the big rig to give it a proper shakedown (and maybe make a video). Any riff requests? Interestingly, it has a big dose of that Wal flavour (it's got that "complexity" in the upper mids), but it's also retained some of its Music Man-ness, probably because the pickups aren't in the Wal positions.

Original and Copy:

Exactly. We’ve all typed out a message on a mobile and realised it’s full of mistakes later. Not a big deal! Here’s my new strap, anyway!

Short scale MM added...enjoy!

I blame my mother for my poor sex life. All she told me was 'the man goes on top and the woman underneath.' For three years my husband and I slept in bunk beds. Joan Rivers

My love for old peavey gear is getting out of hand! this is super clean, I’m gonna be taking it out of the flight case as that adds a lot of size and weight but can’t wait to plug this in alongside my 2x215 peaveys and my custom 215 when one popped up I had to grab it!!

Fixed 😂

Raven - Buddy Holly & The Crickets

I've got a few 31.5" ACG 6ers, and a 26.5"... . I have tuned the 26.5"er B to C, and it works, but I find it cool to have something tuned a little differently around too.

It's television. None of it is real.

The Needle And The Damage Sewn ～ Neïl Young

Should have brought her in a McDonalds seeing as she’s hungry 🍔

Or a prats?

Thatis scarily accurate

Sitting in a silent, empty, shop demoing basses is not for the faint hearted. The last time I did that was in my local Guitar, Guitar on a wet Wednesday afternoon. I was playing my usual bluesy, jazzy stuff and just for a laugh started to play the sailors hornpipe (it's actually a good warm up routine). At which point all the shop assistants burst out laughing. They listen to you, you know..... Every note. They probably have score cards n all.

I'm liking playing with my thumb these days, something I started doing when trying to emulate the feel of a double bass albeit on an electric. I find it slows me down, simplifies what I'm trying to do, makes me more attentive especially to the drummist, and at times produces a tone I can't get using any other method. Of course, this opens a whole new can of worms as to the correct placement of my fingers 👍

Clean everything with contact cleaner, including the pots, tube sockets and tube pins.

Gigging on Tuesday but which behemoth do I take with which cab? 1971 P Bass with flats - Shure Wireless - Cali Big Box Comp - Russian Muff - Sansamp BDDI = Perfection 👌 *still setting up home studio so pics not up yet.

I am with the posties, and the rest of the current striking workers. There is plenty of money in the system but most of It is in the hands of a few obscenely wealthy people, and their friends. We have raging inflation but it is caused by corporate greed, not inflationary wages. Most people are worse off in real terms than they were in 2008, and it looks like they have finally decided to fight back.

Patty is here! (And I am in love) Patty is my new peppermint green Ibanez TMB35. For those of us who prefer short scale five stringers ... there is not a lot of choice out there (certainly not in the affordable end of the spectrum). The TMB35 is a bass that has had fairly good reviews and does not break the bank. I finally pushed the button yesterday (birthday treat for myself) and Patty arrived this afternoon. Finish - Generally very tidy, the smallest of chips around the perimeter of the headstock (only visible from up close). Body finish is uniformly smooth, neck is nice and smooth. Frets seem to be level, no buzzing notes and their edges are clean with no sharp/jaggy bits. Weight - Not as bad as I was expecting (but definitively heavier than one might expect from a bass of this size). Neck weigh however ... argh!!! Maybe as it is the first bass I've ever had with neck dive I am sensitive to it, but it is ... not nice! (But I have a plan) Tuners - Seem OK, turn easily and gearing is acceptable. Strings - Ruff! I need to get some some flatwound (or ideally tapewound) on ASAP! Action and intonation not too bad for now, will tweak when I get new strings on. Tuning is BEADG ... the low B is not too bad not floppy, but does rattle a bit if I pluck it with any wellie. It's a 0.130, I might replace with a 0.135 which I've found to be great on a 760mm scale. Pickups+Wiring - PJ passive pair. The Neck P Type seems an OK middle of the road pup. The bridge J type is on the shrill side, hum noise is apparent. The controls are Vol/Vol/Tone ... not a huge fan, but easy enough to change to Vol/Blend/Tone (The tone control crackles). Jack socket is a bit wobbly, and some of my plugins ... won't! Feel - I like the feel of the neck and the width of the fingerboard. When sitting, with Patty on my left thigh (in a high neck classical position) I can comfortably reach the full extent of the fingerboard. When positioned on my right thigh or on a strap the head definitely wants to ostrich. Overall, given the price point, I am very pleased with Patty and I would be very surprised if she is not with me for many years to come. Whilst it would be possible to gig with her (once I've got some new strings on) I see her more as a strong foundation of a project bass ... I've already got some copper tape on the way from Amazon to line the cavities, I can definitely see myself changing out the pups and electronics ... most likely passive, not sure if I will stick with PJ or go another route, either way some channeling and probably a new pickguard will be called for. I've read reports of others putting on lighter tuners to help reduce neck dive, but I am seriously considering if I can go headless ... this would totally resolve neck dive (and might even let me pop a cavity or two in the body to reduce overall weight even further). But most importantly ... loads of playing TL;DR Patty is a keeper. For size comparison, here is Patty next to my Hohner Fiver 34inch scale The Hohner (and a couple of other long scalers) are likely to appear in the Marketplace ... I am now totally convinced that a scale length over 30 inch is just too long for me! S'manth x

Sooo, oops. I just had to look up my password and it's been 4 years since I logged on. So eermm, yeah, hi everyone. So still playing, giging, recording etc, some good stuff too. As I'm a bit rusty on how the forum works and etiquette can someone guide me to the selling bass stuff. I'm going to unload a few 5 strings... Nice ones If anyone wants to catch the worm it's likely to be a Warwick Streamer Stage 1 (wide neck) A nice red Stingray 5 and perhaps my Status S2 headed. Hope everyone is fine post pandemic an all that, interesting to read the still many many threads. We must all be mad to be so in love with the instrument we all chose! Anyway...Merry Christmas, healthy New Years and all that. Danny

Interesting how some the commentators on here, now seem to think about the huge wave of current disputes in such a polarised 'them and us' style. As far as I am aware, apart from employees with underlying health issues, none of the Royal Mail, NHS or railway and bus drivers etc, were given the opportunity to be furloughed and they carried on working, despite the risks, to keep the economy going, look after all of us in hospital, and keep the transport system running. People died doing this. The face masks and gowns supplied to hospitals, care homes etc did not arrive there by magic. The transport system needed to get nurses and health workers into their places of work? ... likewise. These workers carried on working for the benefit of our broader society. Not them. Us. All of us. Here we are now ... and workers that are asking for a pay rise that takes into account inflation are "shooting themselves in the foot" and should go and get a job elsewhere because otherwise 11,000 of them will be made redundant. Some of us have very short memories?

Get thyself to Ishibashi and trawl the u-box for an old Bacchus Grooveline. Scaled down J body with Stingray guts, weighs about 3.5kg. Not cheap but, still, a handmade Japanese bass for less than a US Stingray. Lovely.

And…done: some minor tweaks but seems pretty good. Id played it a fair bit with the 60’s reissue neck on it, but this looks better:

Hi, Thanks I'm not convinced it's the same Bass that J.D. thinks it is but, it's still a very early one. Apparently the wood is Zebrano which John was using quite a bit in the early years. I suspect that they have seen an increase. When I took mine in to be serviced, I was told that they had 200 jobs on the books. I don't know whether they are all new builds. I suspect it includes refurbs, refinishes, repairs etc. I believe they're planning to turn the existing workshop into a woodwork shop and that Toby is joining Jaydee full time rather than operating independently as T Dog to cope with the workload. They're certainly not short of work.

😄

"I hated that effing Columbus.. but the selmer bass twin in Croc skin I would like back now please. thank you" And in an incredible twist of fate, my original Crocbeast has been found!! Brought by my dad in ~1976 at a school auction in Knebworth for £5 earth pounds and allegedly donated by Henry Cobbold of Knebworth Festival fame, and moreover, left behind after their stint at Kfest with a bunch of other stinky poo by none other than The Pink Floyd in 1975... The Amp was rediscovered buried in a mates loft this year.. How it got there, why it was there, no one can remember. It is at the menders right now, as my mate rightly said when I went all teary eyed, "nope; you will just plug it in and kill yourself, I am going to get it checked out 1st" Now I am looking for a suitable cab to plop under her as the massive chipboard 1x18 blobjob my dad made me having been long turned to weetabix... will post pics when I have my grubby mitts on her again.

I'm sure they were just laughing at the alternate lyrics rather than the tune or playing skill though!

My two SVLs were £2,500 each (at artist rate). That is a lot to pay for what is, superficially, a fairly bog standard design etc. What I was happy to pay for was the craftmanship involved in creating them. For example,. how many Precisions have wiring of that standard in them? I doubt the Custom Shop are that meticulous. If I buy another bass, it will follow the trend that seems to have started. Both of my most recent purchases have been early Tokai or Greco basses at around £600 each. They are truly excellent instruments and so I am minded to look for Tokai/Fernandes/Greco basses, if one comes up.

One of the best most melodic bassists I have ever seen was playing a bassoon. He was a friend of mine and my accountant as well as a fellow church musician. He could play by sight reading, sing like a bird and learned drums as well. He later bought a bass guitar and asked if I could advise with teaching books etc, I asked him why he wanted to learn bass guitar when his bassoon playing was so beautiful. He said "ralph to be honest your beautiful melodic bass playing makes me feel inadequate" That made me cry and it still does leave me fighting back the tears as I write this today. I had felt the same about him. Moments like that don't come too often in life.

As above, it was me, done by Feline Guitars with Nova hardware. Turned out great. It’s the bass I leave around the house.

Obviously very similar, but different enough. The top horn is all but identical but the lower horn is a lot more round, also both upper and lower bouts are wider than a Reverend. I'll do a new bass day at the weekend when I've settled with it. The colour is great, shell pink but metallic. The flake gives it a very silvery edge when it catches the light but up close the flake is actually quite holographic, but not enough to have a cheap fairground look. It's a very classy shell pink, if that's your thing.

Doesn’t matter the reason, any professional company worth their salt will get things proofread. Even more so if your aware of a problem that could affect the outcome of the post. A web presence is the face of your company for many customers nowadays. It’s a shoddy post no matter how you look at it. Should it make a difference, that’s not the point, it does make a big difference to many people. It smacks of an unprofessional, uncaring attitude.

Mmm, matte black. Here's my Ric.

So in summary, this is now a Bong, yes?

I played my final show of 2022 last night, at Water Rats in London. From Swansea to Southampton, Glasgow to Bristol, Swindon to San Antonio Bay - it's been a good year for shows. More than double the shows of 2021, which was more than double the shows of 2020. Not quite pre-pandemic levels but probably around as busy as I want to be right now. I've enjoyed reading all your gigging tales on this thread and long may it continue.

Personally, im a big fan of the Schaller open backs with the chubby keys

Well it doesn't get much sexier than this, particularly if you're interested in Jaydee history. This has just been back to Jaydee for a service. I picked it up from there this morning. I knew it was an early example because of the serial number 51 but, when I collected it, Andrew and Michael stood grinning at me before calmly announcing that this was the second bass made by Jaydee. John recognized it as soon as he saw it. It was originally fretless which, apparently explains why it has a zero fret. John even knew who he built it for although neither of the guys could remember who he said it was !!! Number 1 is well known but is a different shape and has apparently had some modification? When I eventually managed to process what they were telling me; I asked the obvious question: "if it's the second one, why is the serial number 51" The answer is that John was originally making guitars. My Bass was the 51st instrument that he made but, only the second Bass. There was no indication that the Bass business was going to take off in the way that it did so there was no reason to number them separately. I'm told that this Bass was made before the Mark King bass (number 3) and could even have been made in the late '70s.