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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.

Up to 20 already!

Agreed, I've been in a lot of bands, and have fallen out with a lot of people in them - some of who I'm still great friends with and with who we still occasionally have a damn good laugh about it all, a couple of others I never spoke to again - and as the result have left a lot of bands over the years and also seen many others leave. But I've never been sacked and never sacked anyone, just seems an odd thing to do in a band....

I'm starting to have a slight change in plan. I currently have a Yamaha CK-61 for band stuff and it also sits in my front room for me and the kids to do piano playing.....now i think that something specifically designed as a home piano like the ES-60 is probably better for the home piano stuff (88 weighted keys, better speakers, a bit simpler interface, I wouldn't need to move it for rehearsals/gigs) and I'd also getting something like the Nord Electro 6 73 (or perhaps something cheaper) as a stage piano/organ/EP for playing with the band (better than the CK-61 for band stuff as it has the extra octave and is just generally better sound, keybed, and roadworthy build quality). I also have an MPC Key 37 for home production stuff, mostly I use it for sampling and drum loops and sequencing and then adding some simple keys ideas rather than seriously playing piano on its 3 octaves. Although I'm loving the MPC Key 37, I could actually sell it and do my home production stuff via Laptop software (keeping the MPC software synths etc) and controlling it via the new stage piano via midi. MPC Key 37 and the CK-61 would sell/part-ex for a total of roughly £1k. ES-60 and Nord Electro 6 73 (or similar) would cost roughly £2k. I've pretty much convinced myself that this £1k upgrade to home piano, stage piano, and home production/midi keyboard is probably worthwhile, we're talking things that should last 10 years and hold their value pretty well.

My two pennies worth? I don’t think situations like this ever end well. Doesn’t sound like the kind of relationships you need to sustain a solid, working band. If A isn’t much good anyway, then it’s probably less about B’s ability and more of a power thing against B. Again a fairly rubbish way to behave to anyone you’ve got a meaningful friendship or working relationship with. If there are other members of the band you like working with I’d be tempted to have a word with them about you leaving and taking them with you. Unless this is some very successful money spinner of a band where putting up with a temperamental band member is the price to pay for the financial security etc, then I don’t think I could be bothered to unpick it. I’d be looking for something else.

Unexpectedly saw The Australian Pink.Floyd Show last night when a chum offered me his wife's ticket as she got herself double booked. Have to say that they put on a cracking show, including the whole of Wish You Were Here - which is my fave Floyd album.

Not good. Unless A is your close mate or you genuinely love being in the band and see it as having a real future (neither of which comes through in your post, but that's just my reading of it) then walk away, Renee. If A thinks B is ropey and vice versa then it is probably not just the skill level at play on any case.

I'd get all the band members together in a room and bang their heads together.

I have a 2003 stingray 5 and the neck needs to be adjusted quite often...just learned to live with it.

Yes, obviously the graphite necks are the most stable and are usually 'fit it and forget it' spec where seasonal changes are concerned. I've never had any issues with my Status bass necks over the years. I haven't seen any real difference in stability between roasted and natural maple. It seems to vary from bass to bass. My 30 year old natural ash/maple Stingray seems totally oblivious to seasonal change and just stays set up exactly as it always has been. Whereas my GB Spitfire does increase it's action by about 1mm when it gets cold, but otherwise it's super stable. Maybe the one teller is the Cort Space 5, which has the roasted maple fingerboard on top of a 7-piece maple/walnut/purple heart neck. That thing lives in the boot of the car and never even needs tuning, whatever the weather outside, but that consistency seems to occur with most headless basses equipped with monorail tuners. I definitely see a small movement on my natural ash/maple Fender Elite Jazz (with the posiflex rods in the neck) which does display a small rise in the action, but only around 1mm difference, whereas my American Original Jazz (with no graphite rods) never seems to change at all, but it did arrive brand new seven years ago with plenty of relief in the neck from the factory and I've never needed to change it. I really don't know if it's down to the cut of the wood or the seasoning etc, but it may just be down to luck of the draw with maple necks in general.

To second Beedster's excellent points... As someone who has bought a neck without tuners (funnily enough exactly the same neck as you are selling - lovely neck if you like em chunky, ) I would not do it again as it is indeed a pain and quite an expense to get it sorted and even after measuring the holes I had to add some plumbers tape to get them to fit snugly. Even if you stick some bog standard ones on, it makes it something someone can use straight away and wait until they find better tuners if they want.

Its not bass related but in the 90's, when at University, my Dad was an avid car boot sale visiter. I was doing a project on why VHS prevailed and Betamax failed, so I asked him to see if he could find me an old Betamax machine that I could use to demonstrate the differences in design. He duly came back with a machine with a box full of free tapes, all with well known movie labels on them. I was pleased to find the machine worked, so set about testing it with the box of tapes. They were all p**n films.... I had to re-record over them before I could use them for my Uni demo. One of the tapes was marked "Jimi Hendrix Live". After I told that story at a job I later worked at, it became a running joke that if anyone was sharing mucky videos around. the question would be "Is Jimi Hendrix on tour at the moment?"