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Hey hey... the official pics have arrived. Here's some...

Just received my Comp. Frist impressions are very good. Other than the height of the knobs its actually smaller than the Spectracomp. Amazing size. I plugged in and first reaction was.....its broken. I noticed the meter was flashing and the power light was going on and off as i moved it, before anything was plugged in to it other than the power. When it was just sitting un touched it was fine. The PSU input is very wobbly, but this was with my One Spot, which has a short barrel length. The plan is to use it sitting on my amp, but this wouldn’t work as the vibration would cause noise. Using an adapter at the end of the 1Spot seems to fix this issue. Ill contact them but I think its fine. A bit worried about how long it will last, but I’m sure they know what they are doing. Using it though is a dream. I’m not sure if its just that i understand more what the knobs do, Becos has some very good explanations on thier website, but I found i could instantly dial in the effects i wanted, and see how much it was doing. Even just with headphones and nothing else playing I could hear the changes. Very happy. First time ive been able to get stuck in straight away with a comp. Here’s a photo showing it against the Spectracomp, and my BDDI for reference.

Agreed however it is a close run thing against the ‘Upright bass made from a wheelbarrow’ thread in the EUB and double bass section.

Can we all at least agree that they'd sell a shedload more if the headstock wasn't so polarising?

Had one of these basses last year. Sold it on. Great sound but they take 3 of these.

Right, so.. songs. Apologies for the length / unnecessary detail, but I need to get it out of my system. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help from My Friends An absolute blast to play, and hell of an opener, with Billy (show anchor) and the Auf Wiedersehen Pet cast. I played these on the Limelight P. Flats, pick, palm mute, and the bright switch on my otherwise completely flat HB R-400 - the tone was spot-on. We spent a bit of time on this earlier in the week to refine the brass parts 'cos they weren't quite right initially. 'With a Little Help...' is in a different key, so the transition between the two isn't quite as per the record. We also rehearsed a dead stop in the middle of the song ('..turn out the light.') at which point the entire Arena went dark for a few seconds, before coming back in on a build-up.. while still dark. If you didn't know where your next note was, you'd never find it in the dark, so we had to pre-empt it. Missed it at the first show so had to guess I was at the right place on the neck. Thank bejesus I was right, otherwise it could have been.. 'jazzy'. Jimmy N. is very focussed on what he wants to hear, so we spent a lot of time tweaking the arrangements on his tunes. All for the better, though. Constant Craving Jill Halfpenny sang this wonderfully. It's a song I was aware of, but hadn't listened to very closely. I assumed it was a three-chord R5 fest. I was wrong. It's quite an odd arrangement, with a specific lilt. We worked hard on the dynamic between verse and chorus otherwise it could have felt a bit linear in a big hall. It worked well, and we had a fantastic guest accordionist to help us out. Got My Mojo Woking Still on the P with flats - we didn't sweat too much over the arrangement for this. We just let it do what it wants to do. Such a good groove, and the years of playing tunes like this with Lonnie D's son paid off. It sounded immense with the brass, harp, Alan Clark's rollicking piano and big BV's. So much fun. Ain't No Doubt Jesus H. Christ. At least they didn't change the key. It's a great song, but I'm sure Guy Pratt wrote this deliberately to give lesser bass players anxiety attacks. I spent hours on this, thinking.. 'that's it. I've nailed(sic) it' only to go back for another listen a few days later and realised I've misheard it somewhere. I guess it's good to be challenged. And it was a challenge. First thing.. effects or no? It sounds like an octave thingy on there, at least on old live clips. In the end, I was paranoid about tracking etc. (I don't know enough about effects to rely on them with any confidence) so I did without, and relied on the big fat burp of the bridge humbucker on my Maruszczyk. Incredible for a passive bass. Sounded fine. Second thing... the section that starts 'There won't be somebody else, I love you...'. What the heck is going on there? How do even begin to play it? I don't have a Jazz with a neck like a pencil! I just had to work at it, more than I've worked on any bass park ever before. Provided the song is at the proper tempo or thereabouts, I'll be fine. The minute it starts to creep, I'm screwed. Third thing... Jimmy thought it would be good to start the song off with.. the bass. At the octave. He'd say 'it all started with a bass riff!' at which point Alan would count Ray & I in, and I'd play the into riff an octave up. I never go up there if I can help it, but since he asked... Fourth thing... the Director wanted to capture me playing the intro. Which meant that I had to turn away from the MD and the drummer to face a camera to my left, whilst listening for Jimmy's cue, looking over my right shoulder to watch for the MD's count, and making sure I play a bass part in time.. whilst not looking at what I'm playing. Ohhh... kay. ..it was fine. ha ha. Going Back The Carole King classic, arranged very ethereally, with a beautiful vocal, dry ice and a dance routine in the middle. Gorgeous, and didn't need much work other than.. what notes should we not play..? Flashdance... What a Feeling Another song I know, but hadn't paid much attention to. It's fab. We did it as the record - I copped the bass synth part, and didn't worry about the lack of a low B. Loads of octave pops on the Jake, all the knobs wide-open. At one point before rehearsals it was suggested I could play four on the floor roots to drive it along, but I took the synth part at the rehearsal, and it was fine. There was quite an industrial 'northern' dance troupe sequence before it, at which point the dancers throw off their overalls to reveal proper 80s fitness gear. Lorraine emerges down the walk way, and sings to roof off. It's going to look amazing on the DVD. Signed, Sealed, Delivered As the record. Back to the Limelight, leaving loads of space in the bass part. I really worked hard not to overplay. This really swang with the brass. Owner of a Lonely Heart Like Ain't No Doubt, I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge 'cos Trevor Horn was singing it, and a ) he produced the original, b ) he plays the bass on it at his own gigs and c ) the arrangement is absolutely crackers. We had to get it right 'cos our time without Trevor pre-show was going to be minimal. It was agreed that the samples would be triggered by Pete (keys #2). Unfortunately the samples provided were in the wrong key, he & I had to spend time (whenever we got any!) re-pitching them, and putting them back into the sample trigger (see my post elsewhere on BC 'Can anyone help me with this Akai thingy??'). A bit of trial-and-error, but we got there. The middle breakdown - with the offbeat accents - was a challenge, but it came together towards the end of rehearsals. It's a great song to play (Maruszczyk wide open, w/pick), and one of the only songs I know where the chorus is softer than the verse. Let's Work Together Like 'Mojo', this basically sorted itself out. Great fun. Midnight Train to Georgia Bit of a key change on this one, so I couldn't play the original line exactly. Got close, though, and it sounded great with the brass and BVs. We had to time the ending of it to coincide with the punchline of a sketch, so it was all eyes on the stage & MD. Somebody to Love Joe McElderry, man. What a voice. We did this as per his own abridged arrangement, which misses out the middle eight. Again, we had to rehearse this without him so it had to be spot-on for the production rehearsal... which it was. The intro of him, piano and BVs was gorgeous, and it sounded massive when it kicked in. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) As the original recording, and an absolute blast of drums and sprangy guitars. Playing root notes has never been so much fun, and that key change part-way through. Wonderful. Again, Limelight, flats, pick, palm-muting and bright switch. Run For Home The traditional show-closer, and contender for Geordie national anthem... we can play this with our eyes closed. Everyone joins us on stage for a singalong. ...and that's it. Two shows, each pushing four hours each(!), 14,000 punters, 200+ cast and crew, a maze of tech, logistics and choreography, hard-as-nails stage management.. and no notable problems. Apart from Johnny Vegas going SERIOUSLY off-piste in the matinee. ha ha. Back to real life now.

Any of you who are legends of the lathe, wizards of the workmate, genies of the jigsaw or maestros of the mortice joint can look away now! I've begun, in my own small way, to mess and meddle where I previously feared to tread. Mainly just decoratively but the screwdriver has been out. Behold my works ye mighty and despair. All I've done is replace the pos bridge supplied with the bass when I bought it (and at a mark up I might add) (must get that 'gullible' sticker removed from my forehead) which had curled like a week old leaf of lettuce. Oh and added no. 001 prototype Stew Black custom scratch plate. 002 will be significantly better, but we all must start somewhere. The bridge is a Wilkinson which brand seems both inexpensive and well thought of around here. I plan to introduce a little more of the black/gold so the bridge doesn't stand out like a blind cobblers thumb. Possibly at the nut, possibly at the nobs. Who knows? Now I've started this could go anywhere.

I’ve played there many times, both solo and with the band - great crowd (usually); the stage is rectangular, deep rather than wide so you should all fit on but some of you will be at the back. Tell your band mates to watch their heads though as there is a hefty wooden beam quite low over the stage. It has a hollow wooden stage so I always put my cab on a table otherwise it was too boomy. Load-in is through the beer garden at the back; there is a lay-by across the road for short term parking (I think it’s disabled parking) but there’s longer term (free at night) parking just around the corner. Annoyingly, the staff make frequent visits to the storage room, which is accessed down the side of the stage.... but there you go. It’s usually a good gig, when are you playing? I might pop down.

It’s a new trend, teacupping.

I finished my music degree and committed to several originals bands, which didn't pay, so I got some peripatetic teaching work, which led to me hiring others, and running a community group, and stressing every month about paying my bills but also worried about the security of my future as I've always been taught to save and I wasn't earning enough to. So I went the other way; I went from regular touring, dep work, teaching, into the classroom. I stopped playing with bands as music was a job, not fun like it used to be. Now I'm in a job I enjoy (Data Analyst) and gig with a covers band more than I have ever done (consistently up to 5 gigs a week every week). It pays and I love the material (blues, Rock & Roll etc), and I'm not wringing every penny out of something that I hate, which is where things have got before.

the bass just arrived safe and sound, how good is it? time will tell, never played a Ric so don't know how it compares. Seems a lot louder than my Precisions

I had a nervous breakdown around 2003, and my wife suggested I didn’t go back and made teaching and performing the ‘job’ still doing it today. I teach in 5 schools, with a healthy number of private students, and I play in 3 bands- 1 original recording band, a tribute, and a covers band. as well as doing dep work where needed

Aside from the quality of the photos one of things I have really enjoyed about this diary is the humility and self-deprocating humour with which you have written it. No swagger or boast for a gig that, I'd wager, most of us would give our right hands to play ( ?). Which is probably why you got it. Absolutely well done (but well deserved).

This is just stuff that gets me thinking how lucky some young musicians get. Keep in mind this is stuff I always wanted but was not in the cards for me. Nita's Tour Bus Nita In Action Blue

True. My 19 year old son signed a worldwide deal with a very major label last week. He’s massively talented and not a little driven, but the sheer amount of work, business, meetings, more work he’s had to put it is incredible, and would’ve been pretty much impossible to do with a day job. Ok, he hasn’t ‘made it ‘ yet, as a deal is no guarantee of success, but he’s on the way, and I’m glad that my allowing him not get ‘a proper job’ in order to concentrate on his music might just pay off.

Someone on TB shared this lovely article in the Seattle Times. Nice to see that they are carrying on, the article says at the end that his son will involved now. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mike-lull-the-boss-of-bass-guitars-for-bands-like-heart-cheap-trick-and-pearl-jam-dies-at-65/?fbclid=IwAR0q_27Fu4vupY4S9HFMRxOxzza5lVk3lj9a_WFNdcRGiH-RGK6ogBdafkM

..it's worth mentioning that most of the pics are mine, but the official gig shots (obv) and a handful of the earlier rehearsal shots are by the official tog.

Thank you 🙂 I did lodge an official protest when I saw the stage plan, but I was overruled. Drat. Obligatory 'Sirens of Scotswood' snap, taken from my position of limited visibility:

I’d soak them in luke warm tea while I waited though.

Wonderful stuff, so happy for you getting this gig again. You are modest to a fault, a great photographer and clearly an awesome bass player or they would not be asking you once never mind twice. I feel sorry for you that your view of the audience appears blocked by the dancing backing singer, but hopefully that's just camera angles and you had an unobstructed vista.

No. The kids have been having fun triggering them on my laptop 😄 One thing I didn't realise about that song until I listened to it closely - the guitar riff comes after a straight four count from the start of the sample. I expected it to be more complicated than that. Oh, and the marvellous jacket Trevor Horn wore at the gig (see above) was one he used to wear on the Yes Drama tour in 1980. He's in good shape.

@PJ-Bassist's Shuker:

It seems CNC is available to many these days, but it’s clearly the thought, planning and detail that is the differential here. Like the old argument about synthesisers or computer music - still takes talent to make it work to this level. Fekkin awesome!

I use a laptop or my desktop PC, connected to a PJB Bass Buddy and headphones. Yes, I know, that's the no-expense-spared solution. 🙄 On the desktop I've got Best Practice, which is free and OK. On the laptop I've got Phrase Trainer, which was £20 when I bought it and it's far better than BP (although BP will suffice for most uses).

Don't knock it till you've tried it! 😁

No that's not what they have done. They have take someone else's bass design and stuck a different headstock on it (which appears to be almost universally disliked) and then attempted to justify it for technical reasons which they are unable to back up with actual proof. That's what people have an issue with.

So I managed this very easily with some dettol spray and a cloth. And cleaned the whole bass while I was at it. Very glad I could do that, now a clean headstock on my project bass. I'm doing a restoration diary elsewhere in this section of the forum if anyone wants to go "NOOOOOOOO!" before I do something catastrophic to this already mistreated bass.

.... and tasty snacks to hand for a quick bite between numbers 😊

A bit general I know, but I do a lot of "small jazz gigs" and often find that they are neither as small or jazzy as the booker intended. The thing that works for me is a clean /small(ish) combo or head /cab but what gives me the extra is a warm sounding preamp pedal. For amps, it can be an SWR, Ashdown Retroglide or a Mambo (jazz guitar amp) and for preamp its either Sansamp, Sadowsky or Aguilar DB924. It all does the same thing, makes the amp sound a bit bigger and older than it is.

Of the small (ish) and affordable D Class Amps I've tried, then the Ashdown RM EVO 2 500 was the best! I ended up with an Ashdown ABM 600, but I would have been just as happy with the RM 500!

She can slice and dice alright. Respect!

Have a look here ... Amazon.co.uk : Electronics for musicians ... Start off with some simple stuff, soldering components to 'breadboards', maybe 3D-printing cases and knobs..? Have a look at Raspberry Pi and Arduino for more complex circuits..? Don't try valve stuff until you're up to speed on working with higher voltages and big capacitors (so safety precautions to dig deep into...). Have a lot of fun; make a lot of noise, become popular with your musician buddies and unpopular with your neighbours. Hope this helps...

She's a great player. Her solo stuff is pretty good too. Certainly fresher than the Satriani / Vai stuff that is sounding a bit tired now.

Is it good for metal?

Lived the dream for two years back in the early 70s. In a band with my mates, writing our own stuff, another mate with a transit and another who just loved to play with amps and the PA. Recorded a demo and hawked it round the record companies in London. Didnt get signed but played lots of gigs and had a great time. After starving for two years I met a girl who became my wife and I went back to the proper paying job. I would not have missed that two years for anything.

I've been having a bit of fun with a logo for the front of this cab, but first let me explain how the name Rubis came about. When I began my first guitar build a few years ago now, our two kids (now teenagers) were just toddlers really, and while they were 'helping' one day I said that we'd have to think of a name for our guitar company, and without hesitation the reply was Rubis…….their names are Ruby and Lewis, and so it seemed a perfectly sensible choice. So I was looking at the Ampeg script on the front of the B15 cabs and thought I could play around with it. I got one of these on Ebay, they're made of plastic and perfect for messing with I then began chopping and filing to try to make it say Rubis. The only problem I had was making a convincing letter 's'. I tried cutting a little sliver of the chrome effect finish to fill in a gap that shouldn't be there, but it didn't look right. So in the end, we decided to leave the repair out, it looks neater without it, not perfect, but better.

For anyone wondering whether they should bother, I'd just say that this is a very friendly and good-humoured get-together, extremely well organised, with a wide range of interesting gear on show, and some fabulous, home-cooked food. Don't hesitate!