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I drove a band (who shall remain nameless) to their first European gig at the Paradiso in Amsterdam. Having set up and soundchecked I gave the band the usual warning (that probably doesn’t apply these days) about being wary of the higher quality weed there than back in Blighty and said I’d meet them back at the venue before on stage time. I get back only to find the drummer has a) over indulged in said weed and b) managed to bring a very old bottle of Kaolin and Morphine with him. Now Kaolin and Morphine, if left alone for many years, will separate out and the clear liquid at the top is (I’m led to believe) the morphine. Apparently the drummer had ‘had a swig or two’ of this clear liquid and was now on a sofa in the dressing room and in a deep sleep. I managed to get him sitting upright and conscious (barely) but his reactions and responses were massively impaired, as if he were in slow motion. At this point I realised I was going to have to be the drummist for this gig, I had a general idea of how all the songs went but lacked the knowledge of the finer points, but it was a punk band, how many finer points could there be? Anyway I did the gig and it was ok, I just hit everything hard and started and stopped in the right places. The next day on the way home the drummer finally regained his senses somewhere near Ghent, he thought we were still on the way to the gig and was actually quite angry that I’d taken his place. I pulled over at a rest point and dragged him out of the van. Held up against a tree by his throat being assured he would be left there if he carried on seemed to restore a modicum of democracy to the proceedings although he did kick off again when he realised I got paid his cut. I’d like to say it was a good lesson not to over indulge but if it was then it went unheeded, this behaviour continued and eventually he was kicked out. Little did I know that this lesson in dealing with idiots in bands was just a taster of what was to come!

Nah, the bloke who nicked it found out later that it wouldn't fit a Mondeo, so chucked it to the back of the depot. ... Possibly.

Done a few more bits and pieces on this in the last couple of days. I've finally settled on a EMG35 sized pickup for this as it suits the design. I've got an EMG35DC from another bass I'm going to use for this. So first thing is to make a template for the pickup route. I used my standard approach of nailing little bits of wood to make the pickup outline then using a router template cutter to cut this neatly. It sounds a bit crude but it makes very neat templates and I've found these to be accurate to within about 0.2mm. This ends up with a template looking like this: And a pickup route like this: I also made a cover for the control cavity: Next task is a load of sanding......

I'm not sure this counts as my worst gig, as it was also my first, last, and only. So also I suppose that would also sadly make it my best. It was back at high school around '91 at the height of the Manchester music and indie scene. There were maybe half a dozen people in the whole school of maybe a couple of thousand students who were into the rock / metal scene, and 3 of those was our band, plus one older lad who could barely play a note but he was in the band because he had a van and a PA. Anyhow. We turn up to the gig, which was supposed to be several bands supporting a local "professional" band who were actually signed and making records. So we get there having absolutely no clue how a proper sound setup works having only every played through practice amps. But we figure it'll be OK because we'll get time to suss it out watching the other bands before we go on. I still to this day don't know what happened but someone just came up and said you're on first. So off I went onto the stage with my bass, shaking like a sh#tting dog with no idea what I was doing. It was then I realized I didn't even have a guitar lead to plug in, I just assumed one would be provided. So off I went hunting around until a member of another band lent me a lead which I swear was about 3 feet long. Now it might be worth mentioning at this point that our drummer was also the singer, so I was essentially the "front man" as I did a few backing vocals. So here I was. Chained to an amp with a three foot lead trying my best to lean forward enough to get somewhere near the mic. I must have looked like a bulldog at the end of a chain trying to gnaw on a slightly out of reach bone. Looking out across the hall full with a couple of hundred floppy curtain haired indi fans, (I swear all I could see was hair and noses) who had never heard anything heavier than The Charlatans, we launched into our first song, Metallica's Seek and Destroy. ..........nothing ..........absolutely nothing. It was like watching 200 rabbits in headlights. I swear no one even moved an inch. Song 2, Am I Evil, by the aforementioned Metallica, and I'm sure I see a couple of people shuffling and moving around, probably going to the toilet or getting ready to leave. Song 3. Enter Sandman. Luckily this was in quite heavy rotation on MTV at the time so at least a few people had heard it. Then a miracle happened. The whole place was jumping around and moshing. I swear I may have even seen a forehead or two. I walked off the stage after those three songs feeling like a rock God! We found out later the whole thing had been videod and to this day the guitarist, who's still a very good friend of mine still has a copy and occasionally reminds me by sending me snippets. It always makes me laugh and cringe in equal measure.

My fave has gotta be Walking On The Moon by The Police. First bassline I ever learned and set me down the murky path I still tread today 😎

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Back in the early 90s my old punk-funk band's manager had managed to get 3 record label scouts to come and see one of our shows; we'd been favourably reviewed already in Sounds, Melody Maker and the NME, and had a small but crazed following... About an hour before the gig a friend of the keyboardist offered us all some pills, saying it'd improve our playing and stage show no end. So we foolishly took 3 or 4 each. We all became very wide-eyed and manic, and thirsty. So after at least 6 pints each we jumped onto the stage, all of us feeling like heroes despite our gritted teeth and heart rate of 250bpm. So we proceeded to play all of our songs at that sort of speed as well, though not with any accuracy or even at the same tempo as each other. We jumped about, postured like rock-gods and made possibly the worst racket any band this side of Lost Virgins From Outer Space had ever produced, much to the dismay of the crowd of 200+. Luckily the set ended a lot more quickly than it normally would, and we all went off to congratulate ourselves on our triumph, while awaiting the record company scouts who would be about to enter the business' biggest ever bidding war. Funnily enough we never heard from the scouts again, and it took nearly a year to build up any sort of audience! Needless to say, we never drank more than a pint before a gig after that, and the keyboardist's mate was banned.

Understandably, choosing just one may prove to be difficult, but if you could... Perhaps this is cheating a little, but everything Jaco does on this tune is just perfect... One of the greatest fusion performances ever:

Look Ped, those photos are just not appropriate for a family platform. I know you are immensely proud of it, but I simply can not “cup it for a while” 😂😂😂

Money, Amps, Money, Pedals, Money, Basses lol... oh and Money

There was the Halloween gig near Doncaster a few years ago when I felt so ill I had to keep pulling over on the way to vomit out of the car door. Spent most of the night in the car park in a cold sweat trying to get some fresh air and not barf. Managed the gig without passing out and succeeded in not spewing while singing which was a miracle. Seem to remember a big gang of lads singing some massively racist chanting as I was leaving too, which was nice.

Too many to list but here's a flavour. Surely most of us have experienced some or all of these? The one where, as the set drew towards its climax, we were interrupted and asked to draw the meat raffle. (And won a piece of meat) The one where we ended up soundtracking a fight between two women at a working men's club, not wanting either to up the tension or to go silent. Weirdest jam ever The one where I was dragged out of sick bay (glandular fever) to do a gig, despite my near-constant dribbling and loose grip on consciousness The 'regular' gig where the landlord told us we were brilliant if there were punters, and sh*t if there weren't, irrespective of how it had actually gone. The one where some fruity young music students invited us to 'headline' their gig, so as to borrow lights and sound equipment, then left (with the entire audience) before we started. The one where half the band were on one side of the toilet door and the other half were opposite, stuck behind the pub quiz machine. Stand-off every time someone needed a wee. The one where the football was on the pub's TV at the same time as us The one where we did a spot for a (now long defunct) ultra-local TV station, then were dropped (due to a 'misunderstanding' with the producer) in favour of a piece about Southampton Airport. It wasn't a Southampton TV station, either. The one where the depping drummer played everything a la Vic Reeves' club singer routine ... and as we packed up commented: "I thought that went pretty well." Could be worse. One of my bandmates remembers the landlord at one London venue having to pacify a bloke who had a gun. Another where they made it all the way to a gig in Cornwall, to find themselves double-booked and having to try every other pub in town on spec. And we've had our share of brilliant ones, too. Remember one where the singer had everyone in the pub doing percussion to a spur-of-the-moment Hawkwind improv, and two very nice German ladies insisting we signed their T-shirts. Maybe one for another thread.

Please don't take this the wrong way as clearly I don't know you, but personal hygiene. As well as having all the musical side of it covered be clean, deodorised and have fresh breath. You'd be amazed at the amount of stinkers in this business.

Don't underestimate the importance of correct nutrition when it comes to putting in a top notch musical performance. A dozen pickled eggs washed down with three pints of guiness is my personal recipe for musical success, but don't forget the cork - unfortunately being held in the Hague on charges of illegal use of biological weapons on civilians is somewhat hampering my availability for gigs at the moment.

That covers band Enigma have changed their name to The Bletchley Circle, now doing all original stuff, but not many people can work it out.

Make sure all your gear is working, no iffy leads/flat batteries etc. Pack your gear so that when you unpack it to set up it`s in the order of setting it all up - this conveys an image of being focused and reliable. Be early, if the journey should take 30mins allow for 45. Lastly make sure you`re well hydrated.

There have been lots of really nice instruments built here so why is there no (pinned?) gallery where users can just view the handiwork of our own builders? Some days I'd just like to look at some pictures of the builds for design ideas without having to trawl through all the threads. May act as inspiration for some too.

I've done plenty of sanding today and put the first coat of oil on. This first coat of oil is quite light and will show up any little flaws - there are a few that need sanding but generally I'm quite pleased so far. The top has got dome depth to in in quite a few places. I've assembled it again just to see how it looks together, took a few pictures and then dismantled it again to carry on working on the finish.

I'd need to speak to @Andyjr1515 and find out how to take decent photos first! But I'd be quite happy to add any pictures of my builds if folk are interested. I know what you mean @TheGreek, it would almost like a coffee table book that you can you just scroll though and look at the pictures. Be nice for reference and inspiration. Cheers

Due tomorrow. DPD will be in my prayers this evening 🙏

Been re thinking what i need recently, and have decided on these few. I intend to replace the Helix with a SA Lunar, so ill have chorus and Phaser in one box. My BDDI will now not be used as always on, as I’m trying to get away from using it. The COG is sounding nice and the first Chanel will now be my always on, and the second with higher gain will give me my dirt. Compressor has gone, and no one has writing any stern letters to me yet.....

I once got dragged out of bed to to a 70th birthday party for a band friend, rotten case of the flu, shivering and twitching so much I was actually picked up by a band mate (never happened again!) The hall his family had had picked had the worst acoustics in the county, not that I really noticed as I spent the whole gig propped against a wall, playing root notes and hoping to die. It was a 2 hander weekend too, the following night I don't even remember getting home, and had to get my good lady to give me a lift the following day to collect my car, and my rig......left in the pub. I got paid though, so autopilot is obviously a wonderful thing!

And now finished!! So..... USA Fender Alder Body Olympic White and High Mass Vintage Bridge made String through. Olive White Fender pickguard Status Jazz Neck Hipshot Ultralite tuners 1 Drop D Sandberg String retainer Seymour Duncan APB-1 active pick ups. Inside routed under pickguard for battery, but I have a battery box and will likely rout the back for this. DR DDT strings All that is left is to do another ground wire and shield the cavity (it’s noisy as hell). Thanks to everyone and in particular @HazBeen for lots of advice. Its loud and punchy as hell!! Think I may have to do another....

In all honesty, buying a cheap precision will give you the fastest, most consistent results. And you may even love the P bass enough to use it without the T16 too!

bass chat logo at end of video

Agreed. At this price point? Frankly, I’d be expecting near-perfection. Anything less is an insult to my intelligence and, arguably worse, my wallet.

Been to Marco's place yesterday. A very nice chap to talk to. We also had a very warm welcome. I tried all his basses and, even if there are some slight adjustments to be done, Marco has real skill for building basses with almost nothing. And even if he is saying the opposite, he is a good player too. His basses are not raw instruments, but very well done ones and sound very good in passive mode as it's his way of imagining a bass. The 36 inches fretless bass has a really nice tone, but I can't play 36 inches scale anymore for medical reasons. I guess it will be the Infinga 4 that will be touring.

Don’t think I’d be happy with that neck pocket either, I’ve had it and accepted it on £150 basses but at £2000+ I’d expect much better. I’m assuming this crept through QC - don’t think I’ve ever had an MM like that.

Sounds as though you’ve got it covered, however, I would add listen to the other players, be responsive, don’t over play, have fun (hopefully) and remember, you are also auditioning them. Also, let us know how they got on. Good luck!

I used to be such a snob when writing and performing my own songs, such a sense of ludicrous superiority over musicians and their audience for daring to enjoy what they enjoy. I'm so glad I grew out of it

Well, they do, so you should be wondering why you don't understand something so fundamental to public musical performance.

That'll do.

I'd liken it to the take away food enigma. In an area like Alvaston in Derby, it starts to look a bit like every second building contains a fast-food take-away of some description. Each of them tries to cover all of the angles from British fish and chips through Americana, Africana and onto Asian. None of them concentrate on serving up what they are actually good at. They are compromising by offering all varieties. If we're lucky they end up being adequate. There is NO excellence. Drunken customers don't see it that way however and even if they did, they care not. It's lucrative for all concerned though. If you want an excellent meal you go to a restaurant. Same with music. If you want to hear excellence you go to the big venues. I wouldn't worry too much about the drop D in the greater scheme of things. I'd choose a line that serves the band that I am in. The exception? A replica band. Tribute bands can put a style of their own across while remaining true to the band they follow. In a replica band, you are under the close scrutiny of fans*. * It is important to remember that the word fan is a contraction of the word fanatic. OED - "Origin: Late 19th century (originally US): abbreviation of fanatic."

Couple of my favourites. Not complex but just define the song.

Not to be overweening and such, but I do sometimes wish people wouldn't get so precious over this song. Or Mustang Sally for that matter. Not to mention... If it's in your set and audiences like it, then what's the problem? Life would be great if we could all afford to only play songs we liked all the time (and if it's in your set then I'm guessing you play in either a covers band or a function band) but given the brief your band is likely to be working to, it's there for a reason. You're not there to express an opinion on the musical taste of your audience. By all means have one, but telling punters they are musical philistines for liking it probably won't get you a return booking. Back to the OP, I've never played it as a bass player, but in my guitarist days I seem to remember playing it in standard tuning and don't recall the bass player retuning to play it either. Depends how faithfully you want to reproduce the original I guess.

Just put Walking in the Shadow of the Blues in our set, cracking song.

Dialing in the beast.

I would almost dare any band to start jamming to this and keep it under 10 minutes.

There are not many bass lines that can match (Imo) this absolute classic. it seems very simple to the ones posted before, but I think its a bass line that make people tap there feet more. And isn't that what a bass line should do.? I think the former posted above are more bass performances than a solid bassline.

Bass playing - it's so hard getting it exactly right.................

Mine neither, I only mentioned it if people were interested in seeing them. Which I must admit I might if they were down my way!

I think there's enough choice of string in low tension, high tension, flat, round, half round, steel, nickel, tape, long scale, short scale, etc, etc these days that whatever style of string you choose you won't be particularly limited. After years I have settled on the type of string I like that suits my style and sound. I now just concentrate on my playing.

I play it in drop D because for me that's the easiest way to play on a 4 string bass. I suspect it goes down well because a lot of folk enjoy hearing stuff they know and can sign along to. Frankly, if you you are a bit sniffy about this then you probably shouldn't be in a covers band. Write you own stuff. I also play in an originals band. Maybe that makes me more chilled about playing jukebox rock in the covers band. Who knows, but taste is a very personal thing and if everyone had to like the same music as dictated by the taste police then what a dull world we would live in..

Absolutely awesome gig headlining the MAG rally on Friday Night at Duncombe Park in Helmsley, North Yorkshire. Outside gig, under canvas, great stage and sound and lights crew. Packed tent with very enthusiastic crowd. Crowd loved our, slightly rocked up set of 70s Glam Rock classics. Wish all gigs were like this.

Great gig last night - the sort that makes sit all worthwhile. A street party in Brighton - road closed for the day, all the residents and their kids having a lovely time. Set up a bit tricky - the road slopes and has quite a camber so had to keep the PA stands very low. No stage - we just set up across the road! Love to have a photo but didn't think to take one. Two sets with an hour in between so they can have their raffle: 7-8 and then 9-10 so a relatively early night although I had agreed to keep the PA up until 11 so they could play music through it (and I knew it would finish then because that was the curfew and time to reopen the road). One guy has asked to sit in on a couple of songs on keys ( we knew in advance and had OK'd it) so he brings out a very nice Fender electric piano. He turned out to be surprisingly good! We were well looked after, everyone was very nice and we had a lovely time: harmonica player brought his Fender Bassman and was like a dog with two doodahs as he got to turn it above above 2 for a change. People were dancing from moment one including a very nice lady right in front of me who had her shoes off dancing barefoot in the road within the first bar of the first song. A wonderful night, we played well even with a dep drummer (who is, to be fair, a great player and thoroughly nice guy) And we got paid. Great evening on all levels.

Metal Work 101, prototype to production. Steve Soar of ThunderBucker Ranch who makes most of the pickups I use is also collaborates on my bridges and tail pieces. Clockwise from bottom left: Prototo tailpiece from aluminium stock, ThunderBucker supplied nickel silver blank, drilled and polished, NS bridge channel with .020 AL insert. Assembly begins.

Personally, I've never, ever had the desire to solo or remotely show off so this is all quite comforting. I'm off to buy a very loud shirt!

First of all - 'calm down dear' - I'm sure you could play a lot more controlled! Second - not exactly low profile or pancake, but very solid and well made, the best bass lead I ever had and always use; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vox-VBC-13BL-Class-Professional-Cable/dp/B000Y7RQQA Better than many if not all above that price range IMHO. John