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Some fantastic comments made on here and I'm honestly choked up by ALL of the responses. Thank you all kindly and I've made note of all things mentioned to put into place. I do partly blame myself, being a perfectionist and I know my anxiety can have a field day on that alone but this seemed something to have been bothering me, I felt quite against picking up the bass to practice this week, knowing with the pressure, I wouldn't enjoy it. Not wanting to come across like a wimpy kid complaining "it's too much" either, if some of you already play that many or more or if some of you guys are like @Ricky 4000, playing 'what is hip' then I'd have nothing to complain about 😂 but this is my first time for me actually joining a band, premade, with such a catalogue of songs to get on with- and no wonder I've felt this way by the reactions posted on this thread. *Update* I went along tonight, felt a bit tense at first after a week of having these songs to conquer but in all fairness, we plugged in, tuned up and I was asked for what songs I wanted to do. I thought I'd just tell them to let me know what song and I'd do as best as I could to the songs they play. All went well, sat out another complex song but the rest all played well, a few bum notes but I actually enjoyed myself by the end of the night. We spoke about a setlist after I mentioned how many songs there were, feeling a little anxious about it. They had said in all respects that they sent me the list to know what to expect and that they've used certain songs for different gigs/events, venues and depending on what bands they were also playing with to make it work for them. We're going to make a setlist this week, drop a few songs off the list as well as adding a few new ones so we're all on the same page. I do feel less anxious about things now. Still quite a shock to the system but having put off playing this past week, I'm going to get back on it this week and try and do my best.

As the above posts ^^^^. Anxiety is like having a particularly sadistic and unpleasant interpreter in your ear. If the band leader says "Here's a huge list of all the songs we do / have done in the past - it's just to give you a feel for our style, and perhaps you might know some of them already". Anxiety is the sort of friend who translates that as "You should know how to play all of those perfectly, and more besides. You're really not very good, are you?". In other words - it's no friend at all.

Nice

is it missing a bridge by an chance?

I just took a jig saw to my Sire. Certainly better for me.

Go on then.... I’ll play.

OK - just to take everyone's mind off the f*****g headstock ( ), I knocked up a quick prototype of the pickup cover the Armstrong custom pickup is going to be built into: The real one will be all purpleheart. It took me a while to understand what Aaron Armstrong and @fleabag had in mind (I'm a bit dense at times) but basically, in the same way as a pickup is often expoxied or waxed into a metal of plastic housing, the pickup innards will be epoxied into this. There will be height adjusting screws in the two end pieces so it should act like a typical soapbar. What I am pleased with is that the purpleheart sliced readily down to 1.5mm for the top and sides and the box seems reassuringly rigid I'll make the final version over the next few days and get it over to Armstrong Pickups for them to build the pickup into it.

A set list , for your regular 45 min set x two , will be around 10 - 13 tracks per set, ( say 20-26 all in ) give or take depending on how long they are and how much babble there is between songs. Ask the band to make up the list for set 1 , and get that rehearsed, then again for set 2. They obviously have a lot of spares for longer gigs, or if they like to juggle the set lists about. It's a bit much to throw 40-50 songs at you straight off. They'll need to be patient.

1. It's not a Fender. 2. It's not ridiculously overpriced (like a Fender)

Printing The first shipments will be made tomorrow! I apologise its taken a little longer than expected for a few reasons. I can actually only print 4 at a time instead of 6. And the indent tap development has been a tricky issue to solve, but the additional ball bearing has solved the issue. Thanks for your patience.

I'll wait till it's on tape....... ..... like their live show..... 😂😉😂😉😂

well, to be fair, it probably could cover a pickup. honestly, some BCers are so fussy and so keen to split hairs! 🤣

Dude - remember this. You are the big smoke You will be killer Nuff said 👊🏾

I should point out that if you are considering going the wired rather than wireless route, from personal experience standard CAT5 ethernet cables are not suitably robust to withstand the rigours of a gigging environment. They are fine in the home or office where they are going to be used to connect a piece of static computer equipment to the network and never be touched again until said equipment is replaced. However don't expect them to last very long if you are connecting and disconnecting them at every gig, and even less time if you intent to coil them up with the rest of your leads. Most cheap CAT cables aren't designed to be coiled and eventually one of the conductors will break rendering the whole cable useless. Unless the retaining clip on the plugs breaks first. This clip is the only thing holding the plug properly in the socket and without it the electrical contacts between cable and equipment will not be properly maintained. There are two solutions to this problem. Either carry plenty of spares and throw out any cable that exhibits the slightest sign of unreliability. Alternatively get them made up with special coilable Van Damme CAT5 cable and heavy duty shrouded plugs (and carry a spare). From personal experience cheap cables being used twice a week for gigs or rehearsals lasted a maximum of 6 weeks before something broke. The Van Damme versions are good for a couple of years of careful use.

So another collection is looming 🙄. This time it's natural convection (no cooling fan) Trace Elliot heads. So far it comprises of a 150 watt Mk5 head extracted from a 1110 combo and a Series 6 AH200. I'm keeping them peeled for an AH250SMX now.

We finished six dates across the UK. I particularly enjoyed Nuneaton & Stoke but all six were fun. I used my Hofner verythin until the last date. I have a 6am flight to Italy in the morning to start the European leg.

The Truoil treatment on the back of the neck had turned out nicely. This stuff really is as great as everyone says it is. I've gone for a sort of 'in between' satin and gloss finish, it feels great, and is a huge improvement on the finish I removed. I'm contemplating re-doing my fretless neck when I finally finish this revamp - I'm already thinking I'm going to miss pottering around whenever I finally get this done. Before.... ......and after.....

I will find some fine quality biscuity products for your tastebuds!

March 22 on Netflix Popcorn ordered, comfy chair booked This'll be fun :-)

That would certainly warm yer cockles on stage! 😂

I never ask for jollyness to stop Mike

OK, so maybe this is a trick question from SB. Of course, it looks like Jed in 'rock'n'roll duds' - but did the script call for a visit from some distant cousin of Jed's who'd made the big time? I'm guessing that SB knows the answer - and the name 😊 fleabag, let us know if you're bored with this and we'll stop it immediately (or at least I will).

‘Andy, about the headstock on my bass’ @fleabag

Stiv Bators leaving Lords of the New Church. He found out the rest of the band had secretly placed an ad in the Melody Maker for his replacement. He had the advert printed large on a t shirt and wore it under another shirt during a gig (the Astoria from memory). He took the outer shirt off and did the reveal during the encore and thanked his band mates for being good pals and bid them a fond farewell, etc.

Massive Attack, O2 London this coming friday...... 21st Anniversary of Mezzanine My Christmas present from my kids, the eldest of whom I used to rock to sleep to "Teardrop".... All kinds of strange - good, though - feelings.

Here’s the latest incarnation.....Mesa M6 with a Berg CN212. 😃 lovin’ it!

It would make much more sense for them to decide on the set list for the next gig and let you learn that and practice it with the band. That way the gig should go well and the pressure will be off trying to learn a silly amount of songs. Then you could work up another 5 or 6 for the next gig. That way the whole band would bed in the songs with the new member without learning stuff they hardly ever play. That can always be done at a later date.

That's a great result. Anxiety is an absolute beach, you have my sympathy, you did the right thing coming here talking about it and being open about it with the band. When you say it out loud you take the power from it. Now you can enjoy yourself learning the songs. Keep us posted.

Argh! My eyes. All those cables!

Headstock needs holes through the middle of it, like an Ampeg. S.P.

We did McCooleys in Concert Sq last June, booked the following week for McCooleys in Matthew St. We did the 1st one, then cancelled the 2nd one. YOU REALLY NEED to keep somebody with the vehicles, especially at finishing time. I'm simply too old to be lugging gear 400 yards, stepping over trainee corpses. It was a fabulous gig though! Enjoy.

It's a pat on the back to be asked to join a band. If they think you're good enough, you are. You just need time to settle in, but dumping 50 songs on you is a pretty thoughtless and unhelpful thing to do. Get the repertoire broken down into smaller chunks. Don't get stressed, just remember. . . they want to play with you. Good luck.

Oooft, that's another "I could do it boss, but I'd have to charge by the note" kinda song. This is why you have a gig with a probably great soul bad - and I definitely don't. 😝

Donate to a school if the money is nothing to you. They are often crying out for such things and usually zero budget to purchase them new. Si

Got the Ernie ball Cobalt Flats, had em on about 2 hours, so far really great, tension is perfect and just the right brightness, thanks guys x

Yup. In my rockabilly 3-piece I can play much 'better' basslines on a Precision, I can play with more accuracy and consistency, yet the same songs played on a DB just sound like the real thing, and it feels to me like I'm playing the real thing.

We passed ours on to some young folks just starting out. They paid a small amount for the full rig, but we were happy to see it put to use and to help the youngsters out. We began gigging at 15, and now in our 60's can still remember how tough it was to get gear together for a full band...

Which Clampett?

What fretmeister said. Perfectly reasonable to ask them to prioritise a set list. I worked out a rehearsal schedule for myself when I last joined a band. Knew which songs I was learning on which day, with a few rest days factored in. Aimed to have all done a week earlier than I needed them to allow for problems / time to work on them as a whole set before the first gig. Worked like a charm. Showed the band the schedule so they knew which songs we could rehearse and when.

Yeah, that doesn't really work though does it? They're there to sell and if a punter wants to play loudly, they're not going to potentially hinder a possible sale by asking them to turn down. The Eich stand last year was a case in point, the exhibitor opposite must have been particularly irritated (I certainly didn't want to peruse their wares because of the adjacent racket and I was wearing earplugs!). Perhaps having the exhibitors have their own individual baffled areas within their stands is a compromise.

Three years is no big deal, and should be easily surmounted. What you really don't want to do is to get involved with a band who have played together for 10 years or more, and where you'll always be the 'outsider'. After three years together yes, they'll have stories to tell and shared experiences, but you have a fighting chance of becoming a fully paid-up member of the band. Musically, their tightness works to your advantage. Your inevitable mistakes will do far less damage and they'll be able to carry you to a certain extent while you get up to speed.

You can't expect him to just give it away now?

Playing stereo with two Trickfish Bullhead 1K heads driving two TF112 cabinets. Amazing power and clarity.

I very much hope this isn't an indication that a certain Milwaukee bassist is about to quit his band... But if so, here's how I do it: * Tip up for rehearsal without your gear * Tell them you've always hated them * Chin someone * Leave the room and go straight to the parking lot * Shove a potato up the tail-pipe of each of your bandmates' cars. Or p*ss in their tanks. It doesn't really matter. * Call the promoters for all the band's upcoming bookings and tell them the band can't do the dates. Let the band find out the hard way, the bastards. * Change your name and appearance (maybe shave your head and grow a moustache) and move to another city

I like it Blimey, £215 winning bid. I've seen stacks of overpriced badly built ' specials ' and for a lot more moolah. Cosmetic looks are too personal, so a pointless debate. Meat and poison, but it could play like a demon. No one here knows. Shame its a 5 er

That's definitely a 2R load then, and that's definitely below the rated safe impedance for your head. I just quickly checked the manual on my lunch break and it says: 'DO NOT connect amp to a load of less than 4ohms, outputs are wired in parallel'. Good question. I dunno, both? neither? one then the other? As I said before, most safety ratings are overly cautious, there may in fact be no repercussions at all. The speed rating on my car tyres is V, which is 149mph. What will happen if I go over 149mph? They might be fine, they might wear out faster and not last as long, or they might catastrophically fail and explode. The same is true of your amp. It's a bad idea.

For balance, here are the 2 SB’s I had last year