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Not sure if this counts, but just done my first school concert in my new job teaching primary age kids to play in rock bands. More terrifying than any gig I've ever done. Enjoyed it now that it's over... No crying, being sick or wet pants and the kids did pretty well too.

I'm involved with my mate's 'Rockschool' summer school project for the kids who take music lessons with him. They form groups of up to 5 and a tutor mentors them. It's scary how good some of them are. Last time I did it, the band of 14 and 15 year olds I tutored did three covers, wrote their own tune and, because they nailed it all early (the school runs for a week), they learnt Hotel California, complete with harmony guitar solo. At the end of the school, there's a concert in a decent venue with proper stage, sound and lights and they went down a storm.

After the sad departure of the Squier Sonic P-bass in California Blue, it's replacement has just arrived. And what a replacement! Just unboxing it, and it has already exceeded my expectations. The packaging itself is on another level between the Chinese Sonic and this Indonesian Classic Vibe 70s Precision. Quick tune up, not much needed. Action good, might be tweakable better. Intonation appears spot on, too, which I've never had even from a USA Fender...Relief could be a little better, maybe? The point is, this is playable right out of the box. My one trepidation was the spec saying the nut width was 1.685", which is between the two normal P sizes. Well, that's obvious garbage, just from feeling it. It's a 1.625", bang on. And slim front-to-back! It's just a great feeling neck. A quick noodle, and I feel right at home. Flatwounds will be installed soonest, because I have a phobia about rounds on a lacquered board! Because my first Fender Precision was a 75 Fullerton, I've always liked the shiny gloss-finished type of neck. This one is really nice, darker-coloured than I was expecting - vintage tint? - but not roasted dark. My other walnut P-bass was a 79 fretless, seen here with two nieces, the older of whome is nearly 50 now...eek!

FYI:

Latest version of my Cold War pedalboard. Mutron III+ Valco KGB Distortion Valco KGB Fuzz EHX Bassballs (underneath) MXR M87 Comp Broughton HPF Warm Audio DI Cioks DC5

Tashes to rashes. DB

It must have been a similar shock when the first players to use an electric bass turned up, leaving the Luddites drop-jawed when they realised that there was no 'bass fiddle'. The Stratocaster looked a little strange, too, when it started to replace the Dreadnought folk guitars everyone was using. It's just the wheel turning, s'all; it's all done with software on an iPad now, anyway, so even these new-fangled novelties are 'old hat'. One gets used to it all after a few generations.

Eternal Phlegm ～ The Bangles

Saliva'n' Kicking ～ Simple Minds

Astral Reeks ～ Van Morrison

I'm sure I told you, white spirit with fish and fowl, meths with red meat.

'Coffee table' basses. I can't explain why but 99% of those exotic wood basses with an 'interesting' grain.....just leave me cold. Also relicing a bass......why pay good money for something I can do myself over a period of time by just playing it? Too weird for me.

This is going to be a long list. Singlecuts that look like a melted plastic toy whale. 38mm nut width. Satin finishes. The fact that virtually all basses have 40mm nuts nowadays as so many are made in the same factory. Cort, Schecter, ESP to name but a few. 3 point bridge. Headless basses. Basswood bodies. Humbuckers in the Musicman positions rather than the normal ones. Fender custom shop (You're not making a Wal. Cut the crap eh?). Warwicks. Mainly for pricing structure and plagiarism. Block markers that are a weird colour or just not white/pearloid/black. Foderas. Sorry, how much for a bass that's more polite and free of personality than my aunt? Dingwalls for the fact that every Nolly wannabe has to have one. Ashdown basses. They're really not great. Cheap tuning pegs. Just why? Oil finishes. It's not a deck chair, get it finished properly. Inaccessible truss rods. Figured necks. Planning on playing with your back to the audience the whole time? No? Well, you've just wasted your money on that roasted flamed maple neck. Logos on the body. If I wanted my bass to look like an advert, I'd put a Marlboro sticker on it just to be difficult. Candy Apple Red. Has anyone ever bought a bass this colour? I certainly don't want to go onstage looking like I'm about to play a stale Braeburn apple. Sparkle finishes. Good luck fixing that when it gets chipped. Racing stripes. Does a Mustang bass go faster? No, it just looks cheap because of it.

I can recommend the Acinonyx “Cat” bass. I love my V1. Don’t be put off by the tone buttons: I find them great when gigging. You get an instant and consistent tone change. Of course, if you don’t like the pre-sets, then it might not be your cup of tea but from my perspective, it beats twiddling knobs. Apart from that, the pickups are great, the whole thing weighs twice nothing and it is so easy to play. Just made for surviving those 3 hour gigs IMO. I was seriously tempted to add a V2 as well but when I heard Nordstrand are working on a 5 string version, I decided to keep my powder dry. It might actually be a 5 string I can play for more than 5 minutes without hand pain (arthritis).

The Gob on the Tyne - Lindisfarne

I just ordered a competition blue Mustang.... I'd love to have an original, but one of these will come out at 3,5 to 4,5 times the price of a Vintera. That's a bit too much for my liking. The vintera looks like the next best thing, and will probably have a better fit and finish than the original anyway. Hopefully I can update tomorrow 😙

Death or Grolly — The Clash

God Only Nose - The Beach Buoys

Whiff I was. - Midge Ure

You’re on a mission from God (aka mr jamerson) - those are earthly concerns

Dunlops on everything. Everything. Message ends.

Norman Watt Roy should be in the list I reckon

I have one of these in black (see below) and, for the time being, it's the main bass that I use. Mark

Didn't read that you could add another in before completing... so I'd like to offer up Rutger Gunnarsson and fave bass line of his, One Of Us.

We had our first proper rehearsal with our new drummer last night. It's coming together but we're still not at the point of being relaxed and riding the groove yet, although this will come. One thing that was really enjoyable was that without our old drummer, who had a very.... robust approach to backing vocals, there was space for myself and one of the guitarists to actually put together some far more enjoyable arrangements together, BV-wise, and they sounded really good. I'm pumped about the band and really enjoying it again. The groove thing will come with familiarity.

I have looked, and found nothing from the modern hymnal that fits. However, I was once in a ukulele band that did a swing version of Tainted Love, and realised that the chord sequence of Tainted Love was the same as that from Seven Nation Army, Stray Cat Strut, and Sweet Dreams Are Made of This. Thus it is my ambition to find a Worship song that uses the same chords. However, I am stuck with playing the bassline to a U2 song, to every worship song written in the past 10 years. So in both cases, I still haven't found what I am looking for.....

This video has a pretty good explanation of James Jamerson's methods and has a PDF attached with his 'cheat code' exercise. Might be useful?

Saw it on talkbass that there are some price drops on the old vintera range in the US. looks like some retailers are doing it here too, not quite as big a discount but not bad.

The only thing I can think of that is an absolute no-no under any circumstance is anything finished in Sunburst. Absolutely horrendous.

Painted necks, relics, stickers, Rick bridges, tort pick guards, plastic knobs, truss rods you have to take the neck off for access. Harley Benton, just the name irritates me! Schaller strap locks. Pickup height screws that don't work properly and get chewed up. Skinny straps, G&L headstocks.

Sunday's venue posted some lovely words and this photo.

She is done!

Hands Off... She's Mine - The Beat

Shave On Buddy Holly

Gobbin' Girl — Frank Zappa

Catarrh Man — Elvis Presley

Those Acinonyx are gorgeous things. I’ve been on the verge of buying one since they first appeared. And I’m quite happy to see they’re still cranking them out. So one of these days the inevitable will be inevitable.

About to add this lot in so hopefully they will get your respective top 3 votes!

Robbie Shakespeare? Bootsy Collins?

If I was Canadian I'd be looking at Traynor/Yorkville.

There are some DEEPLY weird headstocks out there. Someone has to design them. Some look as if they have been done in the dark. Control plates which are wooden. What gives?

Best sound I ever managed to get from a Metal Zone was the satisfying 'clang' as it hit the inside of a skip. Your mileage may vary though.

- bass ranges that don’t have a passive option. - single ply pick guards. - putting a Fender decal on a non-Fender bass.