Leaderboard

We played at an open mic type evening yesterday. It’s a weekly session at St John’s pub in Hull, and run by an old friend of ours who is a sound engineer, and a lovely bloke. Anyway, each week they have an act on first ( who get paid) followed by various folk doing their thing, be it covers / originals / spoken word etc. Our friend has been asking us ( acoustic duo) to do the opening set for a while, so we relented and gave it a go. There was a great PA to use ( QSC etc) so a fairly easy job to set up in the tiny room. We did an hour of various stuff, working from a set list rather than our more usual requests format. I actually found it a bit daunting being in such a small room, crammed with people including a lot of musos. We settled into it after the first couple of tunes, opening with an instrumental version of ‘ I heard it through the grapevine’ and then working through some blues, country and rock stuff. It went very quickly, and we got an encore too so people seemed to like what we did. It made an interesting change from our usual gigs so glad we did it - we’ve been asked back so happy days. Fender Kingman bass / Rumble 100 / Clark’s boots

I had another recording 'gig' last night (I was the engineer). This time a 'band' - actually two 13 year olds with an original metal song but they wanted a full band sound. At that age, I was expecting it to be hard work but they were very mature about the whole thing with the only distraction being the obsession with capturing everything on their phones for later TikTok release. I had to remind them several times that they were paying for the time! Drums went down with a rhythm guitar guide track with only a couple of false starts. The guitar took a little longer and there were a couple of drop-ins necessary as they were losing track of time (the guitarist wanted to re-do the whole track but most of it was fine). The vocals started out being a bit lacklustre (think 'Disney sings metal') given they were about revolution and rebellion, but once I'd got the singer to tell me why he'd written them, and how he felt, the anger came across in the third take. The guitarist also played bass through the house amp which I recorded DI and with the room vocal mic. It was a nice old Ampeg 15" combo - not sure of the model but great sound DI and with mic. We overran the session by about 30 minutes - mostly TikTok video - and we had to stop for a few minutes while the thunder storm raged overhead. All in all a good session and it restored my faith in the younger musicians who are coming to take over from me. 😀

This is what I love about BC. The commonalities. Pub/bar gigs are always hit or miss. In my neck of the woods mostly miss. We hadn't played a bar in years but we played one last Saturday night and it was disappointing for a myriad of reasons. I do contend that bands can and probably should out grow pubs and bars. I would call our bar gig last Saturday more of a " money grab" than a paid rehearsal. Or maybe a little of both. I'm better suited for upscale show case gigs. Lol Daryl

A Japanese bass with a Spanish name which bears an uncanny resemblance to an American bass with a German name ... what on earth could it be? Personally, I blame @pete.young

Pfft, you guys and your "green" rooms. Next you'll be telling me you get to play on stages.

The dressing / green room provided to us at Edison Hall. Not bad at all. Daryl

Dave, 2 months ago we played The Anodyne in Milwaukee. Big " green room" with a private bathroom. We had an opening act and we were to be on stage at 8:00. Some day I'll have to share the story of why I was walking around in that bathroom completely naked at 7:50. Daryl

So Pete is in Hobgoblin Music in Cambridge and has stumbled across an all-original Maya which - from a distance - is the spitting image of Macca's later bass. You couldn't make it up. And the shop want silly money for it. As in seriously silly money in the right way ... it's like stumbing back into the 1990s. What did I say? I said BUY! BUY!! BUY!!! Bridge pickup cover is still in place and doesn't bother me at all. I can play the bass perfectly happily with that in place. Someone has clearly tried to differentiate between the V/T for neck and bridge. Somewhere along the line, they've mixed up the knobs so that neck volume and tone are the wrong way round. There are no grub screws and the knobs don't just pull off so I'm not sure how to swop them around. Original trc is utterly horrible ... but it's authentic. This is a very nice piece of wood. No boxwood or ply was used here. And the tuners are quality items.

In truth, it didn't start with a Spanish name. I recently joined a band that does an awful lot of Beatles stuff. It's a weird thing, but I grew up listening almost exclusively to The Beatles (essentially until I was about 15, which was 1971), they are and will always be my favourite band and the most important band in my musical life, yet I've played a ridiculously small number of their songs in all the years I've been gigging. So this band could be very important to me. I already have a 1964 Hofner 500/1 Violin bass (yes yes, I know it should be a 1963, but have you seen the prices?) so what I needed was a Rick. Do I go for an early version of Macca's bass (1965 Fireglo) or a later version (natural refin)? That's what sparked the 'Wanted' post for a decent Rickenfaker, and that produced a very nice bass from @Thor which - from a distance - is the spitting image of Macca's early bass. The hand-drawn trc in sharpie is a thing of wonder, the rather more professional fake jobbie has to go and will be replaced by a Shaftesbury trc. Bridge pickup cover has been replaced by the perspex bevel preferred by most Rick players. Reasonable amount of wear to the body, and it's the real thing rather than a pathetic 'relic' job. Tuners are much cleaner than you'd expect - usually these are covered with rust spots. Only major flaw is the nasty crack where the wing is glued to the neck-through. It's been stable the whole time that @Thor has owned it, and it doesn't worry me. Even if it gets worse it's an easy fix for any competent luthier.

That's a super elegant solution - and I may yet go for that (especially if I cut an access panel in the cutaway, as the only other way of getting it in would be via an F hole. If you don't mind me saying this - and it's a compliment - that's the sort of solution my father would have come up with - apprenticed in the REME and finally a Staff Sergeant instructor - before finishing his time (I think it was 21 years back then) and joining Westland on the Black Knight and Black Arrow rocket projects (and launching the Prospero satellite) - and moving on to British Hovercraft - before being made redundant and buying a hardware shop! The only issue I see is I'm not super convinced the heel block doesn't taper towards the bottom slightly ... of course that would mean that the drilling angle on the plate might not be exactly 90 degrees. I shall do a bit more measurement and find out. PS my grandad was an engineer too - my dad used to say he'd be surprised if lathe cutting lubricant didn't run in my veins. As it happens though I wound up as a feckless musician - though all that changed when I started my pickup manufacturing business fifteen years ago - now I design music electronics - so a bit light on the full on enginearing practise these days 🙂

U ok hun?

Sometimes its a choice between cupboard or disabled toilet. That's when we clarify our contract that states changing room. Most venues provide decent changing areas that we can lock and have enough space for 4 guys and a lady. Because we all wear outfits for the show we need somewhere secure to leave our normal clothes when on stage. Some would add that my stage clothes are my normal clothes but that's only at weekends and what i wear at home is my business. (see my avatar) 🤣 Dave

Before… … and after.

Hopefully this makes it clear enough (you'd never guess I worked as a draughtsman for 18 months!) Matt

Anything mangled by YouTube's compression then played through little phone, laptop or PC speakers is unlikely to sound anything like it does IRL.

Nice looking PA, I inherited a 90s Peavey (I think)...scares the beejeebers out of me when I switch it on. I reckon when humanity gets wiped from the planet only cockroaches and Peavey PAs will remain...I wonder if cockroaches make good sound engineers 🤔

Remember a cople of weeks ago when I said "For every decent gig I do, there's fifty rubbish pub gigs that make me think "Why do I bother...?""? Well, I did TWO of them this weekend with the Cantina Band. Friday was the Meathead's Arms in Sutton Coldfield, hardly anyone there, we played well, my current squeeze came to see us for the first time and loved it, which was nice. Saturday was a Rugby Club do - we assumed it would be a great gig and it was for the first five songs, then everyone started drifting away and by the end there were about ten people there. The highlight was going for a wireless wander (out of boredom) and discovering the cheese table at the back - I played half the last song one handed while eating celery and Red Leicester. Ho hum, paid rehearsals!

I think we’ve deduced it happened but isn’t a sign of originality that can be used to accurately date a Fender bass. An interesting find nevertheless.

I did physics at school - but preferred chemistry - as you could lean to blow stuff up 😁 I discovered ping pong balls dissolved in nitric acid can be used to make make 'gun cotton' - it's amazing how long it took for my eyebrows to grow back even with all the hormones of a fifteen year old at the time.

A lil box arrived yesterday afternoon, I’m looking forward to sticking the business end of my nifty-fifty up in the shiny-shiny’s goggle box. It’s going to be interesting to see how it compares sat next to the QC.

Anyway, here's my new pedalboard...

How about backstage at Lucy's at Wisconsin State Fair. We were sitting on folding chairs in the dirt next to several garbage dumpsters.lol Daryl

This is all very interesting stuff. I honestly thought the notch was a commonly known thing, but having Googled it… apparently not(ch).

Indeed. Those seem to be the reissue relic set now used on Roadworn and CS relic instruments.

It's not a huge kit but I think there's some wide angle distortion! Here's a more proportionate pic:

“Shall we fix it Leo?” “Nah who is ever going to notice that!” 60 years later….. 😂

This is one of those ironing board 15-strings, isn't it, not the next step up from a 12-string (a 5-string with two octave strings per base string). I'd take off the middle string, defret the treble half of the fretboard, and have a seven-string fretted alongside a seven-string fretless (B-F), like a bionic Ashula, then I'd never touch it again.

This bass also came strung with rounds, but I didn't like them - especially with the bridge pickup. There are a couple of setup issues that need to be addressed, one of which is the bridge pickup height, particularly under the E string. There's also a fair amount of tail-lift in the bridge and I may consider putting on a Hipshot replacement unit. So I shoved a set of La Bella flats on there and the difference was instant - a vast improvement, and the greatest amount of mwah I've ever heard on a fretted bass. I played it at rehearsal with the Beatles band last night for well over three hours and heard nothing but compliments. I'm a very happy bunny.

Sshh. He likes my board

Nice pics. You guys always look distinguished and " well heeled ". Daryl

And here notched on both sides, same supplier again:

I'm sorry two, but this is not a pedalboard. Those are two processors on a pedal stand. I do not see any pedals there.

Most of the venues I am playing now have "green room" which is for all the bands to use for relaxing, getting changed and storing cases and gear when not playing. One venue even has separate changing rooms for the headlining and support bands. I've not seen the headliner's room, but the support band's room is tiny. Whilst you could get a 4-piece band in there it would be so cramped that no-one would actually be able to get changed and one person would be in the toilet!

Don't forget about TC watts. 🤪

Curve ball! Notched both sides, which makes sense, particularly if they are cut in two or three operations. It's also the AVII 1960 P: And the Flea Jazz:

You get a cupboard?! Luxury!

The key update has now gone live. It’s now possible to create and hear presets in real time for any Source Audio pedal using just the mobile or desktop app - no pedals or instruments required. This means you can check out in depth how a pedal will function and sound. https://www.sourceaudio.net/soundcheck.html

Given the guy was a born distuptor I think he’d find the veneration of his 70 year old designs and manufacturing methods laughable. He’d also probably take offence at everyone saying he was a cheapskate.

They all look genuine to me and match perfectly, but the headstock might be a Rickenbacker re-mould of the Gibson copy of an original Guild, Gretsch rip-off? To be sure, I'd sell it, or swap for a microphone. 👍

I lived in Southern Spain from 1962-1966. Maybe some of my friends are still there. Lol Daryl