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On the 22nd December 1989, I narrowly scraped into the 80s with my first live performance. It was a less than impressive slot as the band that played the Sixth Form Pantomime in our school production of Cinderella... I'm not sure if she'd have wanted her shoe back after that racket! Fast forward through thirty years and I've definitely had a lot of fun sharing some great, and occasionally not so great stages, with some amazing friends, meeting many of my best mates and generally having a blast. Not sure if I have another thirty years in me but I guess the fun is in the finding out. And 2020 is already looking pretty good for the first few months. Rock on! *Fun fact but the top 3 photos were the same bass, a Fender Precision MIJ 57RI from 1989 that lasted until I went online and discovered GAS. The bottom right photo is a Fender Precision MIJ 57RI from 2016 that shows how life sometimes goes full circle!

Despite fearing the worst all day - one band member is notorious for leaving sarcastic messages regarding sound etc - last night's gig was an absolute belter from the word go. A really good crowd that ebbed flowed through the night but a solid core of die-hard rock fans remained throughout and grew steadily. Punters dancing on tables, beer everywhere, near disasters with beer, monitors and people falling over - just what a rock pub gig should be! Got home with a massive grin on my face and looking forward to doing it all again this Friday

I started giving this some thought, then realised I don't really care and it’s none of my business. Here’s Tom with the weather.

Despite my current wrist problems and our drummer forgetting to pack his cymbals yesterday! resulting in driving off to get them, we had a brilliant gig. I managed to get through it due to having been prescribed some fairly eyebrow raising drugs but played like an absolute knob with my hand over the top of the neck for many of the numbers. Our guitarist took the booking for an Xmas party. We assumed it was a company thing. Turned out to be a home for the intellectually disabled, in a room no bigger than my lounge. One P.A. top was all it needed😂 Our technical performance was lac-luster to say the least, (totally down to my current health issues) but I don't think I've ever played to a more appreciative and enthusiastic audience and our singer bless her, really engaged with the crowd and whipped them up into quite a frenzy at times. It felt really good to know that we'd actually (according to the home director) made a difference to their lives albeit for one evening. We felt quite bad afterwards taking the arranged fee so we've decided to approach them to maybe do a free gig just for the fun of it.

Oh no ! I sense another potential flats vs rounds Basschat family row brewing here! - and just before Christmas too, like all the best family rows.

Have a look at Sugar Ray's Vintage Recording Studio in Wickford: http://sugarraysvintagerecordings.co.uk/the-studio/ https://www.facebook.com/SugarRaysStudioUK/ All vintage 50s gear - you can't get much more authentic. Single-track recording can be a bit nerve-wracking, so you've got to be good and tight - or willing to do lots of takes without anyone losing their temper! 😆

Sounds like somebody's asking permission to buy another bass just to keep the new strings on..😉😉

Hey guys picked up a '67 bassmaster mark II and man am I impressed with this thing! It was just re cap'd, re tubed and the output transformer was re built. Everything is original (except for the capacitors). For a 90 watt amp this thing is loud as hell and when you patch the 2 channels together you can get some pretty awesome overdriven tube distortion. Anyways here's some pics of the bad boy.

I'm finally back in the Alembic fold after a fairly long absence. I have wanted a Spyder for some considerable time and had all but given up on the the chances of getting one after an initial quote ran into five figure territory - and it didn't start with a '1' either! It's a limited run of 50, but they have been available for over a decade and Alembic still haven't made all of them yet. Also, they have not been made sequentially either. The last time I checked the following were still available, although I think one of them has been commissioned since: 22 of 50 27 of 50 28 of 50 29 of 50 35 of 50 48 of 50 It's bit of a beast and I accept it's not for everyone, especially those that have bad backs, but I have to say it doesn't feel that heavy. I think part of that is that it's well balanced. It's 10 years old this year and has been a Case Queen for all of its life. It's set up ridiculously low and really is everything I hoped it would be. That said, I haven't put it through my gig rig yet, so I have that to look forward to in 2020. The case is an absolute monster (see photo for comparison with a standard size case) and the bass in its case weighs just under 42lbs.

I bought mine from @TheGreek... ...ahem.

They sound better without one 🤣🤣🤣

The Basses for Sale section says it is the best place to sell basses in Europe. Why are we even debating selling or buying outside UK, I must be missing something. For clarity I spent my youth in UK, living in NL for at least 35 years.

No. It's not that desolate. 😂

Some interesting stuff about Entwistle’s basses here: http://www.thewho.net/whotabs/gear/bass/bass7585.html Normally it’s only the Series basses that run in stereo, but as with everything else Alembic, there are doubtless exceptions. John’s Alembic tone is just stellar, one of my absolute favourite tones.

I have recorded at Reservoir Studios with Chris Clarke (producer; also bassist for Danny and The Champions of the World and for bluegrass outfit Foghorn Leghorn). Chris plays DB so will be sympathetic to recording. Reservoir is near Finsbury Park so more NE London. If you contact him, please mention Clarky ex All The Queens Ravens recommended him https://www.reservoirstudios.co.uk/contact

One of my favourite places to play last night. No stage, no lighting, squashed in a corner by the door to the toilets, in a pub supposedly in a very rough part of town . But you know what? The people are just great. No pretensions, always welcoming and up for a good time. Sure they will join in on the mic at unexpected moments (a small child even joined in on the keys at one point) and yell at you for their favourite songs irrespective of your planned set list. But if you roll with it, you can have a brilliant night. Compulsory rig shot..

I used one of these for a whole gig on Friday due to it being a narrower neck than any of my 5 strings. An Aria Pro 11 Jazz. Didn't miss a beat. Comfey, typical Jazz tone, stayed in tune all night and you can pick them up for about £80. Well impressed. In fact, apart from the build finish and component quality, the difference between this and my last custom built Jazz with all the good stuff on it didn't warrant the difference of £1500.

That's unfair, some rickenbackers sound ok!

Morning all, After an impromptu purchase yesterday and no time to put on my usual flats, I giggled our second set with roundwounds. They were VERY punchy. Band loved them. So....I may be switching back to rounds in time. But, what is everyone using now? (it's a while since I bought any). These will be strung on a fender p bass. Ideally I'd like some punch with a bit of warmth, and I'd like them to last. All I remember about previous roundwounds is they seemed to die quite quickly. Or are flats still king on a p bass?

Someone sent me this on FB and thought it was too good not to share with everyone.

We don’t know anything yet. In the long term it could all be rather positive.

What you actually want is the speaking length. This will be the same for a fixed BBOT bridge but will be longer than the scale length if you have through-body stringing or a tailpiece. For example my Duesenberg is a short-scale bass which uses medium-scale strings.

Just do it 😀 Life's too short to think "what if", give it a whirl and see how you get on. Until relatively recently I was of the mindset that if I bought a new bass that made the old one redundant and I'd have to sell it. Now I take two basses to a gig and play whatever one I fancy playing on the night. Plus I still get my Harley Benton out on occasion.

Think the build quality and finish is or should be better but playability not so much. Agree i've played some cheap basses that are far superior to more expensive ones i've tried.

🙂 I've just got the treble pickup added; I had to cut the treble pickup mount to fit it to a normal humbucker mount...

I think some of the Signatures can run in stereo, and the Anniversary. John's WGFA at Shepperton tone was one of the first that really made my ears prick up as a kid. It just sounded like nothing else. Still doesn't!

I did it. Physically it wasn’t an issue other than getting used to damping the B, it was more a mental readjustment. I then went from 6 to 5 then back to 4 again. In the end I found I just preferred playing 4s; I preferred the sound of mine to any of the 5s and 6s I had/tried.

A 5 string bass is not a stepping stone to playing a 6. Play the bass that gets you the sound you want in a way that you feel is comfortable to play.

Some folks describe a 35” scale B string as being piano like. I’d say that’s a similar way of describing a 34” E string over a 30” short scale E but the short scale may have a warmer less piano like quality but that’s not to say it’s muddy. I have rounds in my jmj and it sounds great. It may be worth mentioning that the jmj is constructed differently to the new short scales with a thicker headstock, more tradition p type neck rather than a slim j and these differences add up to a very capable sounding bass. I think of it as a mini p and it’s not failed me yet in any context I’ve used it with flats or rounds.

Elixirs all the way. Round and coated. Gimme zing over dull thud every time.

Sorry Jack not local, but Western Star near Bath kinda specialise in the genre. Alan Wilson has a good reputation. Probably not helpful, but in case you don’t find anything nearby. Best wishes with your search. John

Listen to this album then, sort of milestone in his career :

Jings that's 5 yrs later and he's grown his hair and dyed it black. Is there anything this guy can't do. He's not bad on the bass too. Sorted. I picked it up wrong when it was sent to me on FB. Having never heard of him i just assumed it was live in Minnieapolis 1987. Bit of a DOH !!!! moment

You know what, the funniest think is that I read what you wrote before posting. Young Teebs has surely been taking control of my brain, or maybe Dr. Mondeaux. Shouldn't have assisted last night board meeting. Was feeling dizzy just afterwards. 🤣 But why would I bother reading before posting. 😁 Thanks for noticing it. 👍

Ah. Really? I stopped paying attention after the third.

Rick content! Run for your lives!!!

The tune is called 'Minneapolis 1987'...I think it is from a live gig earlier this year sometime, not live, 1987. Thanks for posting. It's amazing to think he is playing again after the terrible accident he had. A massive effort from him, mentally and physically. https://brianbromberg.net/bio

Here we go! The UK Bass Guitar Show is a two day event, dedicated wholly to all things low-end at one of Manchester’s top venue’s, Manchester Central. Organised by GME, the same team that delivers the UK’s biggest percussion event The UK Drum Show, this modern and perfectly located venue in the heart of Manchester City centre, has fantastic local and national transport links, along with an 800 seated auditorium to witness your bass heroes demonstrate their skills and musicality. Whether you are new to bass, or a well versed professional, The UK Bass Guitar Show provides a variety of different experiences over the weekend of the 28th & 29th March 2020. This action packed weekend provides show visitors with the opportunity of hearing and learning from some of the most respected artist and educators from around the world, along with trying and buying the very latest gear innovations from the best brands in the business. Visit any one of the fantastic brand booths and learn from the folks that make or distribute bass guitars, amps’ effects or related accessories that is available on the market, all under one roof. So whether you wish to seek out your latest low-end purchase, see bass legends appear on the main stage, take in a one of our masterclasses or one of the many live educationexperiences over the weekend, come and be part of this national event that celebrates all things bass. A word from the organiser, Neil Golding: Quote “I originally launched the London Bass Guitar Show several years ago for a small family publisher. It changed hands from one publisher to another, finally to be amalgamated into a general guitar show. Following comments observed on Basschat I made the decision to present once again a dedicated show exclusively for bass players! The bass community is an important one and like it’s rhythm section drumming brothers and sisters, it deserves its very own spotlight to champion the art of playing bass; it’s cool, why wouldn’t you! Artists Richard Bona, Jerry Barnes, Leland Sklar, Marco Mendoza have all been confirmed, with other great names in the mix we hope to announce soon! Bass players, this is the single show for you – It’s for your community of low-end lovers, so spread the word, come and see what we can offer you and come and hang out for the weekend at a show just for you. Like before, we want to prove to all the cynics, bass players are worthy of a dedicated show just for them – so help me prove them wrong and once again, come along. Love and Peace" Organisers of The UK Bass Guitar Show have teamed up with Bass Chat to offer forum members a Basschat Early-Bird offer just for you. The offer runs from now until the end of Jan 2020, so grab a saving and we hope to see you all in the New Year. Saturday ticket Sunday ticket Weekend ticket http://theukbassguitarshow.com

Slightly better than expected considering it was a fill in gig that we weren't originally planning to do. New drummer only got 2 rehearsals in with us prior to gig so one or two songs a bit rough round the edges. Not a big turnout which from experience as a punter at that pub on previous Fridays is completely normal, Saturday is their big night. Those that were there gave good feedback and the venue want us back in April so job done.

I think we're straying from the important points here. These are, in no particular order: prettiness, heft, and, well actually that's it.

Er, shouldn’t that be Bromberg? 😉

Not the best pics, but here's my current Trace rig - AH600SMX with matching 2 x10 and 1x15 cabs, drivers in the cabs have been replaced with modern Eminence units so they're 400w RMS (/ 8 ohms) each. For gigging it normally gets usurped by my "compact" rig (Ashdown MK500 head with 4x8 and 1x15 mini-cabs) but for the bigger venues it's just sublime, and the UV facia lighting is soooooo cool.... My 3rd Trace rig in the past 30 years or so - 1st was an '80's GP7 4x10 combo, then a Twinvalve head thru Mesa 1516 cab.

Yep........i started 2019 being really strict with myself and limiting where I looked so that I wouldn't fall victim to GAS. Just like Paul, Stewie and many others.......I failed miserably. Ended up with 8 additional basses, one combo, a HX Stomp and I'm happier than ever. I reasoned that you only live once!!

Alright, I discovered that there are more photos on the Warwick Customshop website...

Wow! Who knew - something worth going to Wickford for!

Had a few moments to myself today, a real rarity, so rather than having a wee noodle, I took some shots of my amazing ACGs. Enjoy... Eude