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Or you could just say, "That's a Godawful song and I have no intention of wasting any of my life playing it. Next?".

We solved that particular pattern with some clever behind the scenes gubbins. Any time there’s a problem with a seller we step in and either resolve it or end up removing the dodgy user. However I can honestly say that since opening the marketplace (paid) we’ve had very few problems. In fact I can’t recall one off the top of my head. As always my advice is to speak to the seller on the phone if in any doubt whatsoever and feel free to send the team a message if you’d like us to check them out (we can see if they’ve send an unusual amount of PMs or have used different IPs or have more than one account etc. Cheers ped

Is that a comment or a song suggestion?

The useful thing about doing this in parallel with @eude 's project is that, with setting up the equipment being a decent amount of the time involved, I can make progress on both at the same time. So as I was squaring up @eude 's neck blank and cutting the truss rod slot and the side profile, I did the same for this one. Here's the neck blank, almost ready for the rear ash wings to be glued on: ...and it's definitely starting to look like a bass now

...and we appreciate it.

Nope. Have exactly as much gear as you want and can comfortably afford. It's your passion and your money.

Here's my question: it seems that you're in a cover band, right? What kind of covers do you play and which audience do you appeal to? I'd only be in a cover band for 2 out of 3 reasons: 1) the money is good; 2) the songs we play are awesome; 3) it's a band with friends and we all have fun together. Now if you're going to play a completely random song by Jeff Beck I'm assuming that the band isn't actually making much money because no one is going to want to listen to that when they're checking a cover band at a pub. You're supposed to either bring out a theme (like a tribute band) or some very famous hits from the past decades. That's not one of them for sure. Why did the band leader choose that song? Just because he likes it and wants to play it? That doesn't seem very fair/smart to me. If I'm in a cover band I assume I'm gonna play some hits or some specific themes that will appeal to the audiences and bring out the masses for some cash flow, I'm not going to spend my time learning some songs just because someone wants to play it with a band. In your situation I'd just re-think what I'm doing in that band. Are you there for fun or for making money? Because, from what you just posted, it doesn't seem that you're getting any of those.

Don’t you mean “...my memories of highly desirable premium price point vintage 70s Fenders leave me reminiscing about what amazing instruments they were...” It makes me laugh/weep when I see late 70s early 80s Fenders described in these terms in ads these days. Like you I’ve been around long enough to remember what we really thought of them at the time and through the 80s and 90s. And before anyone gets all flamey... yes I know that your 70s Fender is the best built, best playing and best sounding bass in the history of the brand but 90+% really, really weren’t.

Absolutely, well put. This is why I build/use Fender-fit bitsas; I can simply source the bits that work best together at the same quality point but at a fraction of the price and risk of a CS instrument. The bass below cost less than £300 to build, but it sings, is extraordinarily versatile (helped by a Kiogon series/parallel circuit), and is a joy to play. It also allows me the non-Fender option of a Precision width neck on a Jazz Bass. Is it as good as a CS fretless jazz? I owned the(now ludicrously expensive) CS Jaco Relic, and this knocks the socks off it

I have 19, there's at least 4 I would happily sell but wouldn't get much for them so not really motivated to bother. I do enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I walk in my music room, that feeling is very difficult to put a price on.

I can no longer afford to drink, smoke or take drugs because all my money is now tied up in my gear 😂

I'm down to one bass. It will probably go to the grave with me. It's a Sei J 5 and it suprised me every time I play it. It's just superb.There is no competition. I will add the East pre brings out the best from it.

I've regrettted every bass I've sold and every bass I will sell. There was one bass I never regretted moving on, but I gave that away for free with the suggestion it should be used as firewood.

A bass one would be horrific. Man alive, it would just write itself and you can see it now; full of the usual suspects, the omission of loads who should be in there and a subtle nods to the likes of the previously unknown Blind Reggie Fingerblister who revolutionarily tuned to E/C/F#/H and played on a lone Sun Records b-side in 1957.

We hopefully get to weed out any scammers and get them sent off in to oblivion, so that you don't have to worry about dealing with them

We had a great night. The annual Oxjam Takeover in Nottingham. It was an evening where it easily could have crashed and burned but somehow everything just worked out, including: 1. According to the schedule, there was only 15 minutes to load all the drums and back-line in, set up and soundcheck after the acoustic acts had finished. Then the first proper band cancelled, so we sudden;y got an extra 40 minutes to load in. 2. Our drummer, who was providing the kit for two other bands, got held up in traffic. He also forgot his drum stool. See above. Extra 40 minute window. Everything started exactly on time and no-one over-ran. A bar chair sufficed. 3. There were no monitors. Fortunately, my old band were on straight after us and they had - randomly - brought monitors with them so we borrowed them. 4. As far as the actual set, we played averagely for us and only about 3 people present had ever heard us before or had any idea what to expect, it was very cramped on stage and we have a lot of pedals - but the place was rammed and our specific brand of epic atmospheric rock seemed to be exactly what they were in the mood for. Nobody noticed the mistakes except us. Lots of applause and cheering and general good vibes. There were even massed calls for an encore - we couldn't oblige due to the strict running time, but it was a good feeling. Somebody bought me a pint and we sold some CDs. Overall a win for us.

Hilarious! But you made me think, and it's only my biased opinion, but I feel that bass solos are over-rated... I enjoy trading fours with the drummer. I enjoy prominent bass lines. I enjoy playing tic-toc with the guitar. Throwing in double-stops. Even a four bar funk filled escapade alongside the drummer. I enjoy a fancy bass on the intro or finale with whomever. But if the band stops playing and the BP actually plays "solo" all alone... I feel like the night is over and it's time to consider if I should wander off to another locale... As SD said, "Bye." I'm a fairly good BP, but I would never solo in public. Only at home, alone. I play classical things and even Glen Cornick's Bouree solo. But I would never bore people for 15 minutes with a load of licks and tricks, 'cuz bass is best when in the mix.

Hi folks This arrived today finally after a Paypal delay (didn't realise the payment would go as an e-cheque which took ages to clear!) Anyway after lots of emails forward and back with BCer @bassvid75 I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase this bass. I have always loved the 'Smith sound' which I would describe as very 'hifi' with very plummy mids and compressed treble. It's a beautiful sound that cuts right through any mix. Unfortunately Smith basses are quite hard to get hold of in the UK - I don't know if there's a UK distributor now but I know there wasn't for some time, making second hand the only option. Most of my basses have been bought 'unseen' and have been a bit of a gamble, this one is no exception. It came from Portugal and although I was excited I was also nervous having not played it. All the time Bassvid was saying how great the bass is, that the neck is totally flat and the truss rod hasn't been adjusted for seven years. As a graphite neck enthusiast this was an important factor. Well, what can I say - right out of the (huge and well packed) box, the teardrop case was thrown open and the bass was finally exposed to the UK sunshine. Right out of the case it played fantastically. Bassvid said it had the original Smith strings and needed a battery, so I put one in and slapped a new set of Elixirs on it, the strings I use on all my basses. I don't have the correct allen key for the bridge saddles so I thought I'd give it a play and adjust it all later, but it's set up almost exactly as I'd like already, as bassvid said it would be! Super low. If you don't know these basses, it's hard to describe what they feel like; the body is really thin and rounded. They feel amazing. The pickups are great, they have always reminded me of a chesterfield sofa for some reason. It's got a 2 band EQ which is, according to enthusiasts, clearer and more sparkly than the 5 knob version. I can't say i've been able to compare but the previous owner had several. The top is Koa and it has all the Smith in house hardware, including aluminium cover plate and truss rod cover. Recessed Dunlop strap locks and that fantastic hand shaped brass nut. Here's what a Smith sounds like (not me playing lol) This guy demonstrates one here, which sounds bang on - skip ahead if you want to hear some nice really simple fat grooves and a bit of B string. Here are my piccies, light not very good today but hopefully you can see it OK! Also there's a bonus pic of Sybil.

Bit late with this one, but Friday night was support slot at the O2 Academy Leicester supporting The Men They Couldn’t Hang.. great venue, great gig and loads of fun..

Just got back from the rehearsal. Went OK actually. I spoke to the BL beforehand to tell him frankly about my trouble engaging with the song. So we all decided that we'd have a go at a section from the middle and not try the whole thing. And we'd do it as a link from one song to another; not as 5 minutes of torture. Better for me and more palatable for the audience (supposing there is another audience). We also spoke during the break about doing some vocals. The other guitarist has a decent voice so we're going to work on a few different songs now with him singing. Which could lead to a change of direction for the band. And it wasn't even a 'clear the air' discussion. Just mates talking about want we want to do. So, unless I get 'that call' from the BL in the next few days, it all seems to have gone quite well. So thanks to Team Basschat!

I like the Anti Nowhere League's version :D. I don't think I should be a bass player as nearly all the 'essential' albums and players are virtually unlistenable to me. Mingus, Clark, Jaco, Wooten, the list goes on. Bloody awful to my ears. Talented maybe, but talented at making a noise that makes me recoil.

This too! One silver lining to moving from a large house to a small flat is that the basses and guitars which used to be squashed into a broom-cupboard "third bedroom" are now pretty much everywhere. The whole place is effectively a music room. Always feels good to come home to 🙂

The OH (brass player) and I have a fun pastime where, when listening to some jazz, I will ask whether she thinks it's a bass guitar or double bass on this particular track. She will then give the traditional reply of "how am I supposed to know, they sound pretty much the same!" before making the wrong guess. I have, of course, cheated by looking the answer up.

In terms of listening enjoyment; of course. In terms of learning something new and possibly improving your musicianship, it's well worth a listen.

Grammatical sense? I can't read anyway, I just like the pictures....😍l

Surprised people don't know the tune - it's from Mingus Ah Um, which is generally considered an essential bass album. I'd happily play this, but the audience would vanish for sure.

It is an upgrade though, ok, you still only have a fender P bass, but now you have a few grand to spend on something decent!

With the likes of Limelight around, I have no idea why people even bother buying new CS relics.

Have a cull. Then enjoy building the collection back up.

Agree 100%... I don't drink, smoke or take drugs...all of that money is tied up in my gear.

I'd have to work it out and play it - even if I didn't like it - because I hate it when people turn up to rehearsal having not learned the material. But that's the only reason, to retain my personal 'reputation', such as it is. Doesn't mean I like the song or would want to play it - it's just my way of at least seeming to be 'professional'. You don't have to be in a pro band to have a pro attitude. But if and when you DO join a pro band, you're already in the game...

Shielding done, electrics fitted, bridge mounted. Annoyingly, I’ve now discovered that the pickup mounting screws I have are (a ) too big to fit through the holes in the pickup covers, and (b ) not long enough. I suspect the routing in the body is slightly deeper than normal as the pups themselves do seem to sit further into the cavity than I would normally expect. New screws needed *sigh*

It's a Charles Mingus tune, if you're band leader is suggesting the soulless Jeff Beck version then he needs his head reading. Here you go, learn this one instead:

I don’t even know where you live and I can tell you that he’s mistaken lol Si

Jeff is a true innovator, and is one of those players who you can pick out from all of the others. The recently aired documentary on BBC4 'Still on the run' was a brilliant film, highlighting his long and varied career. I wasn't a big fan of his, but watching this changed my perception a lot. Always uncompromising and with a wry sense of humour too, top feller.

I guess the band leader is a guitarist? I honestly don't know what guitarists see in Jeff Beck. IMO his high point was the Truth and Beck-Ola band! So, think of it as a slow blues, then it's pretty straight forward to play.

This is the approach I adopted many years ago when the singer in a band I was in announced that we were going to do Dance The Night Away by the Mavericks. He was adamant, but so was I. It became quite a frank exchange of views in the end, especially when I told him that if he insisted on doing it at a gig, I would put down my bass and head to the bar for the duration of the song.

ha ha, this reminds me why I've stopped playing in bands. In the last band I ever played in when the set began to feature more c@ck songs than good ones I jacked it in once and for all. And as for Jeff Beck, his appeal has totally passed me by. Maybe he's a groundbreaking player but boy is his jazz rock duller than any stretch of ditchwater

Well let’s see... I bought my No 1 bass in 1993 and my No 2 bass in 2001. And my amp rig in about 2006. Never been slightly tempted to change either since then so they must be doing something right for my ears and for my fingers.. 😉😁

I may be a bass player (of sorts) but my day job, for as long as I care to remember, is designing drums in all forms (kits, snares, marching, hardware etc etc). I know Steve White pretty well (we worked together at Premier where I designed a range of kits and snares with him as a consultant) and, as with all programs of this type, you can’t please everyone and not everyone’s favourite will be included. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good effort and most importantly didn’t fall into the ‘lowest common denominator’ style to pander to the masses which would have been just awful. I thought the last episode was a bit poor as lists are pretty pointless and the time would have been better spent interviewing some of the other great drummers mentioned in the previous comments on here.

I showed it some interesting local sights, have recorded a couple of short videos including a comparison with my Allen Eden Jazz. They will follow in a couple of hours once they are uploaded to Youtube.

Like this...

What sort of a sound is it you are after? I had a combustion, loved the neck, couldn't get on with the sound. Would certainly like to try one of the 3 pickup ones (and maybe regretting I didn't try other pickups).