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Options: 1: Fire A for the same reasons he has about other people. Replace him. 2: Leave the toxic environment completely, but throw that grenade on the way out - "I am leaving the band. I cannot believe A is secretly plotting to bin B and even set up an audition for C. That's is appalling. A band should be like a marriage - if it's not working you end it. Not try out a side piece first" 3: Seduce A's partner. (Seems to be a rule).

With friends like this who needs enemies mate. Personally I'd call it a day as these situations have a tendency to implode or at a minimum leave a sour taste in the mouth going forward.

Why don't you fire the trouble maker instead, so A, as he isn't as good as he thinks he is, which is way too frequent...

We've had reports in about an individual using multiple accounts approaching buyers in the market place after they've made an enquiry on a thread. The scammer's method is to reach out via PM with some information about the seller (who it's likely he has no actual connection with) then invite further conversations with that friend via email off site. Then, while impersonating the seller via fake email, offer to take a deposit which is never seen again. He seems friendly and has certainly posted on here to give off a friendly and laid back vibe but he is exploiting the trust and goodwill on here. We can't emphasise strongly enough that you don't reply to anyone claiming to know a seller, don't email any email address they provide and for anyone who is thinking about putting deposit down on any item in the market place, please use a form of payment that can be easily reversed. A reminder is below to advice already offered by members 15 years ago to avoid being ripped off. Also, if you are contacted by anyone else in the future with an invitation to continue the conversation via email, please flag it immediately with either myself or woodinblack. Thanks in advance for your help.

Quick shoutout for Ashley & the peeps at Bass Direct! Had a problem with the lining to a Mono Vertigo I bought 18 mths ago. Not only agreed a replacement after I sent a few photos but sent me a replacement BEFORE expecting the return so I wouldn’t be without it! Great service 👏👏. Much thanks…

I hate all this, the only bands that really work and have longevity are those that avoid all this. So as written is C the replacement for B and friend of A? If I'm reading this right then there must be a D and maybe an E??? My experience is that if C is a friend of A (and that may be the qualification that makes him 'better') then the two of them might potentially gang up on you andl become the united powerhouse of the band. You will then be the semi-detached bass player when decisions are made. We all have videos of ourselves playing at our best and in practice he/she/they might not be so proficient as the video shows. Ask yourself what you genuinely think of B's playing. Were you concerned before this all came up? If not then this is a stitch up, probably. Then there is the human and moral side of this. This is really awful treatment of B and you are clearly uncomfortable with it all. If B is genuinely holding you all back you need to be honest with them and give them the chance to fix any issues. Even if they are awful and you are confident that they will never be good enough then there are ways of dealing with this that are open and honest. It's never easy to say these things but it can be done kindly and decently even if it is tough at the time. I sense that you think this is a really S****y way of dealing with things. If there are a D and E then talk to them, see how they feel. If there are only you three then I'm afraid you have to choose between them. I know from past experience I'll go against the one making me choose. You need to tell A that you aren't happy. If you ant to stick with your current line up then say so. If you aren't happy with B then agree how you are going to deal with that without stabbing him in the back. I'd be saying that if you collectively want a replacement then you should audition several musicians and choose the best, not just hand it to a friend. Balance that against ending the band. I've been kicked out of bands for insisting we should all behave professionally. based on your post alone however A is a bully.

Been there. Trust noone.... Do what's right for you, because you can be sure that the rest of them won't care if it were you who was up for the chop.

If the band has stalled, start a new band with 'B'?

I have worked out which band you are a member of.

Traitors was on ITV 👍 All joking aside, if it was me I'd pick up the phone and tell B exactly what's going on, I'd then pick up the phone and tell A what I've just done. I;d then resign from the band, go to the pub and have a pint. The only way to change the membership of anything but a fully pro band is to resign from it (or allow someone else to do the same, which can be done sensitively if things have got to that point which they sometimes do). Sacking someone from an amateur band is bollocks, especially if done in an underhand way

Someone who plays what is right for the band as a team-player (i.e. perhaps some 'easy' subtle rhythm chords are better than a 'difficult' ear-splitting guitar solo), plays within their limits, spends the time learning the songs and being at rehearsals and is reliable for gigs (and helpful for setup etc) and is a decent person to be around are what are probably more important than technical ability. ....at least that is the case for the weekend warrior type stuff I do. I've been in bands that have been tempted by a technically better guitarist, but it turns out that their big guitar solos aren't really enjoyed by many and often don't serve the song as well as something more low-key, and things like them not haivng a car and always needing lifts is a bit of a faff, and that they only turn up to occasional rehearsals is not great for the band as a whole. In the end we'd be better of with the less technically gifted player.

It all sounds much like our current and previous governments.........

Indeed. It could be your turn next. I would guess that most of us have experienced both sides of this particular coin. If A isn't that good then the band is unlikely to improve overall. I'd consider your own situation carefully.

I could have sworn that I watched this series on Netflix.

What is B doing wrong that is preventing you from progressing? Where do you hope to progress to and when? Is everyone else 100% on board and capable of committing to playing at that new level? The best musician is the one that can make the gigs.

Hope you don't mind me editing your comment, it hit me solid in the face. 1. That's a good question I didn't and should have asked when the band discussed this at the rehearsal. Also I should have asked how many other bands the replacement guy (C) currently in. 2. In truth I wasn't really paying attention, more of a general listen to my cues etc. I was thinking perhaps B wasn't "leaning into it" as much as I would have thought. I happen to get into a convo about some other band related subject with B and I thought to raise the question, is there a problem. 3. 100% - you have me 100% I told the guys this is a bad thing to do, and repeated it many times. Call me a softy but I find it upsetting. I think the deep emotion is rooted in many years of scrapping. 4. When asked for my view about B, I gave a full speech, we should quietly speak with B, find out if there's any problems we could fix. I think this view comes with age, after being in a lot of scraps, when I've seen skilled negotiators at work, I'm very impressed at how they get a good solution and no one gets hurt. 5. Yes there are other band members, I think though as A's presentation was strong, the other guys just went along with it. It was mentioned if to move A into a different position in the band, but as we're not mainstream, finding another person will be nigh on impossible. 6. Yes I have advocated a "professional" approach. However that notion usually falls on inexperienced ears. Usually it's that ransom demand, "either he goes or I go". I have thought if to jump ship as overall the band is quite weak, nice enough guys but not really "doing the business". All the comments are good, making me think

It does sound a lot like A and C have intentions to control the entire thing together. If C is already in a band that is working why would he want 2 jobs that will clash. The more I read it, the more I think that A&C won't be waiting long before binning the OP as well and replacing with another pre-arranged mate. This sort of shite is why I'm not in a band at the moment.

Wise advice. I’ve been in a similar situation, played nice, and it has not always been reciprocated. As I gained more experience (and got older) my “being nice” hat is based on “if it suits my interests”. Sounds nasty but sometimes it’s a jungle out there.

Never mind the politics. Is the band any good? Are you working? Are the gigs good? Is C a better player than B? Are the rest of the band good players? Keep B or C (whoever is the better player), replace A (he's a troublemaker), end up with a better band and go from strength to strength.

Sometimes you can't be arsed to drag your rig out of the car and walk into a room thinking "I'll use whatever's in there tonight". Last night was such a night, and what a pleasant surprise it was, OK, the lows needed a bit of pulling with some push to the mids and highs, but wow, good old Peavey, and good old Orange 👍 Had a similar surprise with a rehearsal room Ashdown ABM a few years back, I'll see if I can did that pic out also 👍

The latest iteration of my board while I wait for my MXR Bass Synth pedal to arrive. The Dunlop 68 Shrine series uni-vibe I bought at the weekend on a whim. I've just been in a Hendrix / blues band so I couldn't resist it. It does however sound surprisingly good on bass with the sweep on min and the depth on max... almost like a phasor. The bodyrez I use on the EUB and I've really got the death ray dialled in now.

id rather have B who is possibly loyal and solid albeit sometimes may not be a virtuoso rather then A who is a troublemaker

I really feel for you. You are at least behaving decently. I really hope it works out for you

Well I wasn't criticising maple to try and hurt its feelings I like maple necks and all my current instruments have them. Was more just to point out that the urethane lacquers are actually quite effective at limiting moisture-related movement. The floor is parquet blocks, each one about the width of a neck and considerably shorter. The gaps between the blocks can open up by several mm. Different blocks move different amounts too, and swelling/cupping are noticeable despite being constrained by a very strong adhesive (these are old reclaimed blocks, never designed to float). FWIW maple seems to be very similar to beech in terms of hardness and relatively large moisture-related movement. Great furniture wood and lovely to work but a disaster as a kitchen worktop. In comparison a mahogany parquet floor laid the same way with the same oil treatment shows no sign of movement whatsoever across all ~35sqm. The tropical hardwoods are usually very stable.

When I bought my (nowformer) Stingray 5 in an eBay auction, the seller (the bass player of IONA) let me know his band would be coming to a venue near me in a few weeks time. Rather than shipping the bass to me, he suggested he'd put me on the guest list so he could hand it to me personally. I gladly accepted! To add to that, I was allowed to bring a friend, and he suggested I pay him my winning bid in Euros rather than Pounds (saved me about €100), plus I got a live DVD from their merch shop with the bass in action. The bass came in a well-traveled aluminium Stagg case with many airline stickers which I still have (I later bought a real Music Man case for it because the Stagg would leave sticky residue on the bass every time I used it). Very cool experience! The band played folky prog rock and I greatly enjoyed the evening, even if the band were very vocally christian and I'm usually not into religiously themed music. It was a wonderful bass too, that I kinda wish I still had. I traded it for a Status S2 Classic 5-string that is my current number one, so I guess it was a happy farewell!

Yeah those old Peavey - think TVX? - 410s were great cabs, but agree with Muzz, I`d never be able to shift one, I had the 115 version about 25 years ago and that was over 90lbs, wasn`t the ideal cab for living in a second floor flat (without lift).

Never been in this precise situation but I've been close enough (several times) that you could see it from here. In all of my experience, removal/replacement of any band member is only acceptable is everyone is on board right from the start. If everyone in your anonymous band agrees that 'B' has to go, then he has to go. If it's just 'A' who's pushing for it, then all the non-B members need to go to the pub and have a chat with Frank and Ernest.

As you've noticed I'm a straight person, so if you don't want to definitely destroy your pickup by, for instance, reverting the polarity (even if I'm quite confident Rob installed a diode in all his preamps) as you absolutely don't know what you're doing (you can't follow a wiring diagram, remember), go to someone who know what they are doing and save a lot of time and money. Sometimes admitting ones own limit his the biggest step forward. You'll thank me later (after swallowing the pill, I know).

Sky Arts trails programme about bass(ists), but for general consumption, not the 1% of the audience who are bassists... The 1% who are bassists:

Wood be woody.

I’m amazed Scott’s bass lessons hasn’t covered this.

Please see attached Poster & send email to the email address on poster if interested 😎👍

My SQ P bass wears 20 yr old dead Chromes. Pretty amazing. A light touch just behind the PU and its like a J bass bridge PU wth a bit more heft, incredibly dry and in a funny way kinda dull....but, sounds glorious out front. Cant ever imagine playing fresh rounds again.

Not necessarily talking about old strings, but I have certainly warmed to a bass because of the effect the strings had on the overall tone. Case in point, one of my students has a very nice bass and as we were chatting away, I complimented him on how great it sounded that day. Rich, resonant and full of harmonic overtones. It turns out, he'd taken the strings off the bass that I had sold him a little while ago (my preferred string) and put those on this bass!!

Taking torrification out of the equation for a moment, yes—there are a number of factors at play. The quality of the timber has already been mentioned. A piece of maple for a neck on a £100 guitar won’t even be in the same ballpark as that used by a top-tier brand like Shuker. Not all truss rods are created equal, and some have been found to be prone to failure in cheaper instruments. Poorly cut channels and ill-fitting rods can mean the truss rod is already operating outside its effective range. How is the neck wood cut? Is it quarter-sawn, for example? Is the neck laminated, and if so, what laminates are being used? This includes the fretboard. I’d describe this as a cross-grain laminate, since the fretboard grain runs perpendicular to the neck laminates, offering additional resistance to twisting and lateral movement. Is the fretboard a thin veneer, like on my cranky old P Bass (a “ball-bat” neck I’ve adjusted once, and it’s rock solid), or a thick cap? What timber has been used? How much of the neck length, up to the end of the fretboard is attached to the body? On a standard P Bass, it’s from around the 16th fret onwards. Some neck-through basses join the body at the 24th fret. On a 35" scale-plus instrument, that’s a longer length of neck for forces to act upon. We know from school physics it’s easier to bend a longer piece of material than a shorter one. I’ll leave the exact term for that to the physicists—Beam Theory, maybe? I also read about a guitar tech who highlighted issues caused by fret installation itself, which could effectively add uneven backbow to an otherwise relaxed board. I’m sure there are plenty more reasons why necks move around, but these are the ones that came to mind while having a cuppa!

f*** me that's grim

OP - where are you based? Maybe you are close enough to a friendly Basschatter to pop round and get it sorted. I believe the standard payment is a cuppa and a biscuit!

Our usual hall put up its prices, so I suggested using the rehearsal rooms at Absolute Music. These are well-equipped, but one of the guitarists insisted on taking his amp and the drummer said he did not like playing other kits, so would have to take his own. However, they have good rigs, TC, Orange and Blackstar. The College close by used to hire its music rooms out, and I used that with my previous band. They had Ampeg combos. Not my favourites.

'Torrefaction' is heat treating timber above 180⁰ causing the maillard reaction - there are many processes wikipedia lists hot nitrogen, steam, oil and even molten metal has been used. The extreme version prepares wood pellets for furnaces. A less extreme one produces cladding for use in saunas. It increases stability and resistance to humidity (to the extent guitar necks may not need lacquer) but reduces strength. Presumably the ideal is enough treatment to improve stability without causing brittleness. In the long run, therefore, it may not follow that more extreme or expensive processes are better - although I imagine a well controlled process is more predictable. No one seems to have actually tested or decided if they SOUND better or are more or less durable yet. But they look nice and the thin finishes that can be used feel nice. My guess is that Harley Benton's caramelisation and roasting differ in detail - if only by being done in different places.

My stingray neck needs adjustment quite often, it’s roasted (pretty sure anyway) . It’s one of the later ones, charcoal sparkle, yet my USA Sterling is very stable and a fair bit older. They’re both stored in the same room in the house too. X

Ashdown have partnered with.“Trees For life “an initiative to rewild and replant the Caledonian forest as part of our commitment to Net Carbon Zero . If you are happy with the service you have received then please visit : treesforlife.org.uk/groves/456580/ read about the scheme and plant a Tree or two [email protected] Technical Design Ashdown Design and Marketing Ltd The Old Maltings, Hall Rd, Heybridge Maldon. Essex UK CM9 4NJ Tel 01621 857853 Option 2 Technical and Spare parts

I heard he stopped after laddering his glove?