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If you don't feel like reading, just pass this one by. Nothing is simple anymore. Montreal, 1971, Shed 25. Owned by a football player (Montreal Alouettes) down by the docks (where the large storage sheds were numbered). At night, the area was so dark you had to be careful carrying gear. There was nothing else around but a small restaurant 5 or 6 blocks away where you had to swim through the snow drift as you went down several steps with red and green neon lights flashing in the snow. I remember fueling up on cheap scotch, fried eggs and two cups of coffee. The waitress was Muriel with the nice smile. An establishment feeding beer daily to longshoremen and motorcycle gangs. Long torn down. We were 15/16 and it was our blues band with blues harp: Messin' With The Kid, Jumpin' Jack Flash/Johnny Winter and Johnny B Goode. Don't even tell your parents about it. By day it was the hangout of the notorious Dubois Freres Gang. Lucky for us they never were around at night. The women wore nothing and were very young. It was all new to me then. They used to rush us when we came in saying, "Ooh! Les Musiciens! Gadze! Gadze!" There were actually very sweet. The older ones were much more street savy. The customers were all old enough to be daddies, but their tips probably fed them. This was when Montreal had been long established as an open city and just before the modesty laws were instituted. First time we saw bouncers in action. Some drunk decided to argue football with the owner. They took him outside. They came back in without him. We got nosey between sets and witnessed more blood on cement than we imagined possible from one guy. We were going to ask for more money. Another night I sensed something while playing, only to see this hand twice the size of mine playing along the neck with me. Everyone was laughing. I felt like Pee-Wee Herman in the bikers bar. I was glad when he finally sat down. It was the Outlaws having a beer stop. The old guys driving the little sidewalk sized snow plows would drive like speed demons down their routes and then stop in for a couple of hours to have a few beer and sell pot. Then we had to play for women who were auditioning their dance routine. We'd play Help Me Baby and Green Onions. They liked it. It was mind boggling for a teenager. I can still smell the tobacco and beer stained carpet if I think on this too long. I don't think this routine exists anywhere today, except maybe Calcutta or the Barbary Coast. We split $40 for each night, six nights a week and stopped after three weeks as we all had day jobs. That's my lurid little tale of musical debauchery. Now tell us what the cute lady is doing with the price tag around her neck...?.

Our old singer had a habit of running up mid song and taking my hat off me..... annoying but she thought it was funny, until one gig I’d turned around and was facing the drummer and she tried it as I turned back around... not quite a black eye by the end of the gig but close. Thankfully my bass was ok. 😂😂

Well apart from a string tree it's finished and I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out........... 😀

Grrrrr……………….😣

A white or chrome cover, a lipstick or bronco type PU would have been nicer IMO.

On the subject of t-shirts, mine's not bass clef but definitely bass (and me 😁) on my long sleeved tee.

You could always try a collaboration with this guy: https://www.joinmyband.co.uk/classifieds/hear-goes-nothing-t1126047.html Now you be sure to keep us all posted, y'hear?

It sounds like he is a control freak , if the band is a multiple album selling outfit earning you a great living, then he is also a great guy to play with , if you are pub covers band, he is a knob

BOOM! Got the job!!!! Band is called Fraudio btw. Absolutely stoked and in need of a beer or two. Now begins the hard work!

Hi, I'm currently studying music at uni and am in the middle of a business module. As part of this module we have to create a musical brand and work out how to market it through market research and other forms of marketing theory. I've chosen to go down the route of a session bassist, as this is what I aspire to do in the future and therefore am collecting market research for this. I know we're all mainly bassists here, but it would be much appreciated if you could fill in the survey, particularly anyone with experience of producing, songwriting or leading a band. The questions are pretty basic and it should only take a few minutes. If you think I have left anything important out, please let me know! Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TJ7MPS2 Many thanks!

I often think some covers bands aren't genre specific enough, a lot of people who go to gigs regularly are loyal to their genre, Mod, Ska and punk are popular in my area, you can please some of the people all the time, you can't please all the people all the time

Black scratchplates rule. You are all wrong with your fake toilet seats and horse brass preferences.

Have you tried messaging @KiOgon (John) he's usually pretty prompt replying.

never ashamed of anywhere I've played, but plenty of pubs that I wouldn't ever drink in. Not the rough ones - that's most of my drinking life - but the awful, Stella Artois & John Smiths serving town centre pubs who have an entertainment budget to spend on bands, or awful dance around your handbag type bars, Weirdly all of those were played in a punk covers band, and we got repeat bookings at some of them

Oh and this was the first outing for the famous UPS Saga bass! Sounds pretty damn sexy I think.

This isn't technically true. Some session bassists are brands (Will Lee, Pino Palladino etc.) but they develop their brand through years of playing and exposure, not because they simply tell people they're great.

Hey Blue, I understand your pain. I also didn't want anyone to see me when I played one of those basses!

Hiya, I'm not really trying to make the case for the gt1b, each to their own etc. Just thought folk might like to know about the assignable pedals. That said, I'll try to answer these questions as I've had the gt1b myself. 1) at a gig or rehearsal I don't think you'd want to be messing around with assigning switches. I think you'd want to set that up at home. That doesn't prevent you tweaking effects units 'on the fly' though. 2) sound and tone etc are subjective but to these ears the effects sound very good. The amp models and overdrives were really good in particular I would be very happy to gig or record with them. But, as ever, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 3) Is there an OC-2 in there? Almost. The octave is an OC2 clone and, again, I thought it sounded pretty good. I was using the -1 sound and liked it as an OC2 sound-alike. I didn't use the -2 sound so can't comment on that, or on the other synth sounds which I didn't use. In general, I think you'd set up your 'board' at home and then tweak it easily at the gig / jam. That is very doable. I still think the best multi for on stage tweakability is the Boss ME80b, which is an oldie but a goodie! In the end I couldn't quite get a driven OC2 sound that I liked from it, (despite liking the octave and overdrives individually!) . I also prefer the simplicity of analogue units with a single knob or maybe two. ... the gt1b sounds great though.

The best at different things can come at different times in our lives. My best as a university lecturer was about 15 years ago, and I recognised that and gave it up 10 years ago. I will almost certainly never be as good a bass player as I was a lecturer, but my best as a bass player is yet to come. With care and practice and a following wind I won't live to "cessation". I don't want to.

Here's my twin Stingrays....and my real twins 😍 They're my babies, all four of them.

Not a bass - my first-ever 6-string guitar was a quite decent Columbus SG copy which I had in 1980. Aside from a bolt-neck & fake humbuckers, it was a pretty reasonable facsimile of the original, down to having a very slender, volute-free neck/headstock junction. Can't quite remember how it happened but it probably involved the enthusiastic execution of inept powerchords, playing along with Motorhead or somesuch, and a surprise meeting of Columbus headstock and bedroom wall. I do remember a sudden loss of string tension and very rapid de-tuning. And then the "plop" as the newly-liberated headstock hit the floor. I lacked the skills to correctly repair my newly decapitated guitar - but I didn't lack imagination: I've still got it now.

I bought this Precision bass just over 3 years ago I think. It's originally a Squier VM and had satin finished maple neck/fretboard. Not long ago I'd had it up for sale as I'd sort of 'gone off of it'. However, I bought a Mexican Blacktop P bass neck for it. It's now my number 1 bass. The new neck has lacquer finish, which I prefer, and the much nicer looking spaghetti style Fender logo on the headstock. I went the whole way and got an F neck plate as well I shouldn't like this bass at all as I've never been one for natural finishes, but this is now such a lovely bass. It feels nice, and with some flatwounds on it, it sounds gorgeous. They're not the best photos, but here we go...

Adam Clayton managed two gigs in a row once without a new signature model for the third gig, does that count?

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may the 4's be with you

Yes folks, it's official! Flushed by our previous successes in '17 and '18, we're going for the hat-trick. The location will be the same (The Memorial Hall TA2 8JY just outside Cheddon Fitzpaine village), the format the same or similar (suggestions for improvements welcomed from previous bashers), the price is £10 including all you can eat and drink. YOU KNOW ABOUT THE CATERING - if not from experience then by reputation (this is really a gourmet blow-out with a Bass Bash tagged on as an afterthought). This post is just to get the ball rolling with a date for your diaries - watch this space for more details! In the meantime, if you've already decided you're coming cos you know how good it is, just let me know and I'll start the list. Yippeeee - something to look forward to during the cold and miserable winter months 😍

And Diabetics, Lactose Intolerants, Gluten Intolerants and whatever else my band suffers from! We are difficult to cater for!

Welcome!

Nice the way the E string hangs off the fretboard at the bridge end then curves back in to meet the nut. Great design if you've always wanted to control the volume with your armpit . Currently 4 bids !

I've only had it a month or so, but I'm making progress of sorts! If you've experience of keys, it'll help. I don't. I'm finding the bass strings being tuned in 5ths the most "unusual" part, though I understand why they're that way (range and ability to play chords vs. 4ths) The other hard part is where does it fit in the music?🤔

Sounds good. Shame you can't fit a 100mm port in there, but you should find the 75mm one an improvement on what you have. I wouldn't recommend you keep the small port, but you can always experiment and it's your choice. To get the tuning frequency for the port arrangement you have now, I split the difference between your original port tuning and what a 75mm hole would give you. I wouldn't bet my life on it though.

That was my very first thought.

Hi Damian

Talking of Mr Bowie, I'm in a Bowie Tribute band and am lovin it. When we play to an appreciative audience it's brilliant (they know all the words too!) but we don't go down well in a covers type pub - except when we play Starman and Dudes. If it folded I'd look for something else...I might go for a functions band for the money.

Awesome pic and what a great looking. room. I love hearing about gigs like this. We have a few cool gigs like this, but usually the next weekend it's back to the real world. Blue

Don’t 👀

Played it live

We've been looking forward to this one for a while: We were so grateful to be asked back to play the John Peel Centre. Shortly after arrival the exited manager tells us its sold out! We knew we were in for a good one! Sound was awesome, crowd were awesome, no technical hitches. Why aren't they all like this?

BB King and "Lucille".

IMO The Shadows were absolutely amazing and Hank Marvin was truly inspirational to a generation of guitarists, among whom Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Andy Summers, Syd Barrett, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Brian May, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Steve Howe, Roy Wood,Pete Townshend, Ritchie Blackmore and Jeff Beck all cite him as an influence. Now I don't know about you, but I reckon if someone can influence a list of influential guitarists like that, they must be doing something right. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of guitarists who try to emulate Hank Marvin's sound too. Oh, and his name is also a phrase used to tell everyone how hungry you are. Now if that isn't a legacy to live up to, then nothing is!

Many thanks for the podcasts guys, really enjoyed them. The Wal discussion has ramped my gas for another up to dangerous levels 😍

I do it because I've seen other bass players do it, and I think it will give the illusion that I'm quite professional. 😁

And here is said Italian bass player, Simone with his wonderful old bass.

I use the Boss TU3 one, seems good enough and it's free.

Mostly good memories of The Bass Centre ~ Wapping (during the 90's, when I started playing Bass); Chris (the tech) was a good guy to know and Nick, Alex Carter were always helpful (excellent players' themselves) - and pretty much left you to your own devices. Grant, on the other hand .......... let's leave it here >>> $$$$$$ One of the best things I ever acquired from BC was a Trace Elliot GP12XV pre-amp that MK was moving on via the shop. I still have it and will never part with it. I've nearly always played Jaydee's and one day, curiosity got the better of me. BC had an Alembic Signature 4-string for sale, and without really playing it - just bought it, and even had to buy a case! I don't have many regrets, but buying that Bass is one of them. You live and learn. Jaydee or Alembic? A J.D. every single time.