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There's still stuff to do, but visually this is pretty much there so I'll do the 'finished shots' Photographing this, with or without total cloud cover, is...er...challenging. Anyway, here's a few arty ones: And two or three in the great outdoors:

Second (and last) date of the Rascallion Village Hall Tour 2021 last night. Interesting setup - the folks at the hall had said they'd be removing the DJ desk for the night, but then decided it was too much hassle in between Friday night's regular "village pub" event and Sunday's Christmas Dinner, so we ended up with me and Mr Drums on the stage, and the other three down on the dancefloor, which made for occasionally interesting inter-band communications. Also possibly the ultimate in socially-distanced gigs, with us at one end of the hall, and the small but perfectly-formed audience seated at tables at the far end. Anyway, despite a few minor "incidents", with final choruses omitted, extended codas added where there shouldn't be any, and somebody down the front starting at least one song before everybody was ready - cue much scurrying to catch up - we got away with it, and the audience enjoyed themselves and were *very* complimentary at the end. On the strength of last night we've been booked for the hall booking fella's birthday bash in February plus the promise of four more dates through 2022, and also a slot at a local outdoor festival in July, so it presumably can't have been as bad as it occasionally felt from where we were sitting!!! 😎

Wahoo!

I assumed they just did a 50/50 split between Kings of Leon and Wilson Picket and figured they had it mostly sorted.

The Boss Tuner TU-3 App which is totally free for Android and Apple smartphones. https://www.boss.info/us/products/boss_tuner_app/

The Grolsch strap lock

Origin Effects Cali76 compressor. A subtle effect but makes a huge difference overall. You don't really notice it there but definitely notice when it's not there

The Guild Starfire I Bass. Granted they're relatively new but there seems to have been very little fanfare about them compared to other basses that have been launched recently. They certainly seem to have missed the short-scale band wagon that's been gathering momentum steadily over the last year or so. For under £500 they really are excellent instruments and built to a high standard.

Arrangements have been made…back in the club.

I always thought you had more stock than Bass Direct Andy….

Strange Brew - Cream I hope I don't get sued for suggesting this

I think generally just everything has gotten so much better these days. Growing up in an era of rubbish budget instruments and cheap practice amps, I am constantly amazed by how good most entry level stuff is these days. Maybe we understand a good setup better these days but I think it's hard to buy out and out rubbish now. Apps have been mentioned but you look at the online lessons and availability of tabs (okay, I'm sure someone will point out they are often wrong) but generally it's all a lot easier now. And making music should be accessible.

Clapton has a bit of cheek to go all legal at someone when he himself shot the sheriff.

Behringer BDI21 is an amazingly good bit of kit for the money. I also think that Ashdowns ABM600 should be raved about a bit more than it is. Sure it doesn’t compete with Class D weight & portability but it’s hardly heavyweight and the difference in its sound to Class D amps is easy to tell.

I love what you did there! I did something similar after I bought a Fender Rascal 5 years back. Loved everything about it except the quirky body shape - not an aesthetic issue, just that the body extending so far south of the bridge put everything in the wrong place for me. I bit the bullet and had the bass re-bodied a la P Lyte with a nice piece of walnut that I already had, and that's been my go-to gig bass ever since. I loved this bass so much that I decided to have the original body re-shaped as the basis for a similar build with the amazingly versatile Rascal pickup/control configuration. All in all, most satisfying thing that's ever happened in my bass world. You just have to be ready to take that leap of faith, but that's easier said than done! All work done by my Basschat buddy Andyjr1515 with build diaries to prove it.

I depped with some friends in their rock band last night at a pub in Beverley. The guitarist/ keys player and the drummer have been friends for nearly 50 years now, and it’s always great to sit in with them. Usual stuff - mainly dad rock with a bit of Slade at the end. Crowd loved it, and the gig made even more enjoyable by some people in fancy dress. I used my 63 P.bass into GKMB800 and Gen 1 BF Compact cab, and had forgotten how good a Precision sounds in these sort of situations ( or any other TBH). Hopefully not my last gig this month!

I have never found an Ashdown envelope I could use. And the Bassballs is a very acquired taste - even its biggest fans admit it can work on one bass and not another. Dont know the Malekko so I'll refrain. If I had to recommend one, guaranteed to work whatever the bass, and whatever sound you seek it would be the MXR Bass Envelope Filter. Utterly reliable, easy to dial in.

The La Bella 760FS-S flats are my choice. Pricey maybe but mine last so long that it's not an issue.

This is how it turned out, darker and less contrast than I'd hoped. Pure tung oil probably wasn't the best choice; I hadn't understood how different it is from tru-oil. Also, I think I overdid the stain, I should have sanded it back more. The restoration wax (satin finish), I could have built it up even more, but it was starting to leave white residue in the holes.

And... was this the first live appearance of the new BC t-shirt?

One subtle re-shaping later... Its broken nose bump is gone, and I've blunted the bottom point somewhat. You're right, it does look better for not being so spiky.

I’ve gigged quite a fair bit this year with the new Northern Soul band that started last year. Last night’s was a fosters poor turnout. Other bar (though all open plan as such), had a few, but we had maybe a handful. A few ventured in for a dance then went back. We were offered the chance before we started to get paid the full amount and pack up, or play- our choice. We played, as thought, we may as well. Everyone seems to have either been scared witless unnecessarily, or they’re frightened of having their Christmas screwed up with the dreaded ping. I don’t post in the vaccine topic, lest I get into an argument- even though I’ve been tripled. The venue are really whizzed off- lockdown in all but name, but minus the furlough. Anyway, I digress. Last night’s rig

I'd also add G&L's. I'd say they are criminally underrated.

A bit of a saga this one. In 1988 I finished my playing career. I was never going to make it and the residency in a pub on Hessle Rd (Hull reference) where the audience was mainly sex workers, burglars who wanted to fence gear and Norwegian sailors. I thought it’s time to call it a day. I was playing with a guitarist and drum machine and had two basses. A Fender P to play at the pub and another which I left at the guitarist’s house for rehearsals. So, one night in April 1988 (I remember as that famous Yorkshire song Reet Petite had just been re-released) I left a rehearsal never to return. The bass was left with the guitarist. It went out of my mind as I got a proper job and career. Fast forward 33 years and whilst I’ve resumed playing (acoustic guitar – yeah I know) I met up with a friend who knew the guitarist. He’d mentioned the bass and to cut a long story short I rang the guitarist (who at 75 does lighting and PA’s) and arranged to collect it. It’s been untouched apart from moving 6 times with him. His missus kept on nagging him “when are you going to give that bass back? Why does it move with us every 6 years?” It’s moved from Hull to Lincolnshire to Sheffield. I was in my 20’s last time I saw it. I acquired it new in 1979 by swapping a jetglow 4001. I’m now 63. He put a new set of strings on it and had it set up. As you can see it needs a bit of cleaning (where there's brass there's muck) and some screws are missing. It may be me getting old but it weighs a ton, much more than my Fenders or Rick. Still sounds good. I’ll post when I’ve got it back to it’s former glory.

Here's my pedal board! I feel a bit inadequate 😔

That's me out then. Actually it was my best friend's Uncle's wife, to be clear.

I play in a loud rock band with two guitarists and a heavy hitting drummer. My Barefaced Two10 destroyed them last week at rehearsal because I got a bit over-zealous with the volume control on my Glockenklang Blue Rock 😅

I reflected on that list and on my own history and thought, well, I've no moral authority at all except it wasn't a friend, more a colleague I occasionally had drinks with. .

Another Girl Another Planet - The Only Ones

To think, that was just a pile of wooden planks not so long ago. As ever, amazing!

True. Strictly speaking, if you perform someone else's song/music and it's still in copyright, you should pay a royalty to the composer, copyright owner et al. Obviously, it's impossible to police or monitor all occasions where this happens and the cost and effort of doing so would not be worth the return. Consequently, effort is directed towards situations where there is some sort of profile, rather than the band playing in the Dog & Duck on Tuesday evening. I'm surprised sometimes when I read my PRS statement and see where payments - often of only pennies - originate. It doesn't matter whether or not there is any financial benefit to the performers. If they are making use of someone's intellectual property, the property owner can pursue a royalty or seek to prevent them from using his/her property. Benefit to the performer is often not financial, in the immediate term, at any rate. It might take the form of pleasing or impressing friends, gaining followers, persuading potential bookers to hire them and so on. The fact that we can and do play music written and owned by others without paying for the privilege does not make it our legal right. It just means nobody has noticed, or that it isn't worth it for the owners to pursue us.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that, the related 'swappers remorse' and pit of the stomach feeling when you suddenly remember it. It was a 1973 with case and was a joy to play, I bought it second hand from a guy who was in an Eagles tribute band and wanted to be Randy Misner. My first bass was a Hondo copy, Chris Squire was a bass deity then, I suppose he still is. I lost one of the bridge saddles in 1977 and it took 3 months to get a replacement from Rickenbacker so in the meantime I bought a 73 Precision, put round wounds on it and became JJ Bunnel (can you see a pattern here). When I got the replacement bridge I swapped it for the Curlee about two months after. This is the one remaining picture of it from 1976. Behind is a Carlsborough 1x18" which weighed a ton and was eventually replaced by a Peavey 2x15". The picture was sent by the guy on the left who made his way to London, played sax with Joan Retailtrading and then saw sense and took up the bass. He made his money writing for some name acts just before Napster destroyed composing fees.

Neither is superior, both can be designed well - and not so well. They are a bit different, but both are complicated to design.

I think all the strings you mention there are good. In my experience there are intonation issues with Rotosound shorts, so I would avoid those. I am too mean to pay for Labellas but I have tried D’Addario and Dunlop. They were both pretty good and intonation was as good as you are going to get with short scale IMO. Loads of people swear by Labella, so maybe it is worth spending a bit more on them. All short scale strings are overpriced IMO but I guess they don’t make them in the same quantities as 34”, so there aren’t the same economies of scale (no pun intended!).

Played the Exchange in Risca last night. Not a huge crowd but really enthusiastic. We started a Our time management was dire and combined with the extended load out for the pa, I didn't get home until 2am (included a stop for an M.C. Plant). We get excellent FOH sound and lights, but at the cost of complexity. Lots of positive feedback, but I was plagued by sound issues... I had the bass Terror set as low as posiible to stop overwhelming the PA, had a huge resonance on A/Bb and for some reason my Voodoo fuzz made me sound like an angry wasp. On the plus side played my first ever proper solo on fretless.

Dawn razor - Fields of the nephilim

The shooting of the Deputy, however, remains unsolved

Any bass player with all his gear in any band…. 🤪

That Clapton German Bootleg Email Chain in Full German Widow: Sie können mich verklagen, wenn sie wollen Clapton Lawyer: Ich nichten lichten

"He also claimed that his reaction to the vaccine almost robbed him of his ability to play guitar, and that lockdowns stopped him from being able to make money from his music. Eric Clapton is one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, with a net worth of around $300 million. " Say no more. Never liked him...