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During my life I've certainly eaten for more than 10,000 hours but still regularly manage to spill food down my shirt. Clearly the theory is flawed

A pre-owned 2021 Jazz finished in Sonic Blue with 4 ply Tort pick-guard and all case candy, covers, certificate etc. It has a slab rosewood fingerboard and with the now standard v,v,t controls I guess it is based on a ‘62 JB. The neck has more meat on it than Custom Shop stack knobs I have played but still has the 38mm nut. it is fitted with a fresh set of Flea GHS boomers which will be coming straight off, might put a set of TIs on it. I’m now thinking about an off white/cream/parchment pick-guard......although the tort does look nice....!

Best I can do, plainly more hours required.

i absolutely see your point; I will counter it though. Band 1 - 1997-2000 youngsters playing, people went off to Uni etc. was best man for drummer and guitarist. Band 2 - 2000-2007 Remaining members plus new guy, did 2 albums. Was best man at new guys wedding. Band 3 - 2007-2013 Invited to join, 1 album, 1 EP - I left to be a dad, get married etc. Still talk to people from this band regularly. (break in playing) Band 4 - 2014-2017 Covers band - not really my thing, but did 3 years of it as we all got on (guitarist changed once - drummer changed once; neither enjoyed pub gigs) still talk to all members. Band 5 - 2017 Attempt at big Motown band. Met singer from last band here…he disliked the female vocalist - you know the scene in “The Commitments” when Deco has to play tambourine…? That. Still talk to 6 of the 7 members, the female singer moved to Spain. Band 6 - The 602 Original drummer cited mental health issues. Replaced with drummer who I’m still with. Guitarist relocated to Birmingham for work… Replaced with a chap who stayed into next iteration. Singer decided he wanted to stop. Covid etc occurs… Band 7 - Flying Oceans a rebranded 602, which I didn’t really understand the point of…singer returns. So…without an in depth life story of each band and other side projects - I’m not sure the problem is that close to home. As mentioned before, it’s not always going to be an easy ride. I’ve been really vague/polite about the circumstances - just so it doesn’t come across as a whinge. But the drummer wanting to carry on, and leaving “with” me…probably suggests i’m alright…

Granted that we're all on some sort of spectrum, and I'm far nearer the control-freak get-it-done-now-and-get-it-right end of that spectrum myself, but I'm forever astonished at how many of the people I've played with over the last 15 years have either had substance issues (usually booze or dope or both, of course) or self-worth issues or were just perfectly feckless in how they lived their lives. I'm only talking about people I've actually played with here, so a sample size of perhaps a hundred musos. If I were to include all the musos I've met but haven't played with (i.e. a group largely comprising flakes and fantasists) my sample size gets quite respectable. To me it's clear that a "career in music" (bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!) frequently attracts a certain personality type - along with plenty of perfectly sensible, hard-working folk of course - and that a lot of them work really hard to live down to the image of what a rock musician is supposed to be. One of the saddest things I ever hear is when some desperate Keef Richard wannabe sees me doing something he wouldn't do, and says "not very rock'n'roll, is it?" like there's a rule book which he memorised as a 14-year-old and can't let go of.

The 10,000 hours thing is such a nonsense. People with natural ability will ‘master’ (whatever that means) a skill far more quickly, whilst those without that natural ability may never get there, wherever ‘there’’ is. From my own experience, it’s all plateaus coupled with surges in perceived competence.

Ironically of course you're probably one of the very few of us in a domestic situation that's welcoming of new basses. Seems almost a waste of such extraordinary cunning.....? Unless of course it's s coded message to the rest of us 🤔

First gig of the year for the festival band I play in. We were at a local food festival. The drizzle put some of the audience off but we must have played to about 50-60 hardy souls and once the sun had made an appearance we had them dancing. It makes so much difference when the crowd are responsive. I went through my Laney Digbeth preamp into FOH with a tiny practice amp for monitoring.

It depends. You can have a wooden bodied Bogart if you prefer and the basses now come as standard with a rosewood fretboard, though you can still have it in the classic style with a composite fretboard if you prefer. The 'Blackstone' model refers to a composite foam coated in a resin shell. It was designed to be an analogue to alder wood, but unlike wood the bodies should be completely consistent. You know how you could occasionally get two basses of the same type made with the same wood and yet one would sound markedly different to the next because the wood was more 'tuneful' or where one bass might seem to suck up frequencies or simply weigh an absolute tonne more than another of it's kind (70's ash-bodied Fenders, I'm looking at you...). The Blackstone composite was made to get around that, to provide a base for the instrument that was absolutely consistent in terms of weight and tonal character, allowing for the electronics to make the real difference in the tone. It also allowed for some amazing colours and patterns because the builder, Stefan Hess, could layer colours directly into the resin. In truth, I don't know if the Blackstone idea was any better than just selecting good wood to make the basses out of but it was certainly unique and came from that period in the 80's where many bass builders were looking to innovate with materials and construction. I've had my own Bogart Blackstone for a good few years now. In a way it reminds me more of a 34" scale Modulus Quantum than it does the Status, Zoot or Zon graphite necked basses I've owned. It has Bartolini pickups but it is quite bright with an excellent balance across strings and all over the neck. If consistency was the goal when the bass was designed then I think it absolutely achieves that. It sounds absolutely great through a modern amp with a mild scoop on the mids, but it is not anywhere near as bright or aggressive as my Spector NS-5CR. So for anyone who labours under the old misapprehension that graphite/composite instruments sound sterile, I'd invite them to play this and see what they think. This is possibly the most fascinating era of bass design, for me. Kubicki, Status, Vigier, Bogart, Modulus etc were all trying new things. Stefan Hess was a bit like the Rob Green of Germany at the time as his graphite products were sold to a variety of other manufacturers in Germany to go into their own basses (I understand that his necks featured in both Clover and Schack basses at the time). Even a few days later I remain very sad that Status as we know it are done. I really hope they will continue to make new instruments in some form rather than just becoming a parts and spares shop. However, I would not like to see them going down the Wal route of scalping with ballooning prices and a slow, trickling output of builds to keep the bubble inflated.

I am still waiting for Yamaha to do something new with the bb to excite me. Yamaha BB’s mate? Completed it 😂👌🏻

A fun day yesterday at CarFest North, after 2 years of cancellations. We played on the Wigwam stage, which was fortunate, as that one was built, unlike the main stage, where they had a few issues, meaning they ran very late and Richard Ashcroft ended up not playing.

Don't get me started on pee'ing accuracy. Put it like this, I'd make your average Stormtrooper seem like the best shot in the galaxy.

When people at work find out I play, a good proportion say they wish they could play an instrument but they don't have the time to dedicate to it, and a fair few of those have quoted an arbitrary 'so-many-thousand hours to be proficient' figure that they've heard. I always just ask them to log on to their Steam (or whatever) account and show me how many hours they've clocked up playing Age of Assassins: Warfare and Witchcraft. You may be able to tell I don't game, but the people I'm talking to invariably do and their tally is usually somewhere near to (if not far in excess of) the number of thousands of hours they've just told me they don't have available. Fortunately I don't feel I need to achieve mastery to have fun ...and anyway, if complete mastery means playing every possible style then there aren't enough hours left until the heat death of the universe to make me want to learn how to slap 😉

I've been slappin' the same pentatonic scales with poor technique for about 10000 hours.

Use of the word 'plateaus' is of course complete bolleaux. 😉

I suspect that the '10,000 hours' is only one component of achieving mastery, Grasshopper.

It seems pretty good in my area. Having a university with an active and un-stuffy music faculty in the town helps. For example, the university has entered into a partnership with a local recording studio and rehearsal rooms business. Dubrek by name. I don’t know Cornwall very well, but could the lack of young bands reflect the demographic? Fewer young people living there as they are priced out of accommodation, resulting in the average age of the region moving up?

I initially misread this as “unfortunately music is full of DRUMMERS, weirdos etc…”

Sounded absolutely huge. Playing in what was essentially a giant tin box and standing on a giant wooden box so getting a good sound wasn't easy, however I couldn't be happier. Another unlikely win from Harley Benton.

There's a difference between enjoying a drink and a jam with some friends and trying to put a band together that has everyone pulling in the same direction. What works for me on the new band is we are all on a similar page in terms of age, family circumstances and work circumstances. So we all understand that if the guitarist has a work trip to France we can't rehearse, that's ok. We all have jobs that mean we don't rely on the gig money, so we don't end up traveling to sh*tholes to play for thirty quid each and we can protect the band image and our family time. If my kids are sick on the day of rehearsal we cancel with nobody whining because it can happen with any of the other guys too. And most crucially we all want the same thing for the band in terms of what type of venue we play, how far we will travel, what we want to charge, and how many gigs we can take on. I've never found another band with that type of cooperation and understanding and I don't think I ever will again until I'm in my late fifties or whatever with a load of other retired people!

No. The 602 is deffo dead. singer was in both. Drummer and I plan to move on together. Meeting some people next week.

I think I spontaneously combust if I cross the threshold of a church without 48hr prior notice @Eldon Tyrell

Absolutely J, I want to enjoy what I’m doing. When the fun stops…stop. It’s not affecting my enjoyment of playing, actually had my rig set up and enjoying playing my J bass the last couple of days - I’ve had it years and I forget how much I love it because shiny things get in the way.

10,000 is an arbitrary figure, but progress depends very much on how you spend the time spent working on acquiring a skill. When learning an instrument, quite a few people focus only on the instrument itself and neglect musical theory. That's OK (sort of) if they merely wish to play parts learned note for note, but they can find themselves all at sea when they need to improvise, because don't understand the "why", as opposed to the "how". You don't need to have a comprehensive understanding of orchestral arrangement, but it's helpful to know why something works. It will speed up the learning process immensely.

Played a pub gig Thursday night. Was warned that it's a very tight fit. Since it wasn't expected to be loud I took my Fender Rumble 100. It fitted perfectly into an alcove next to the drummer and about 18 inches up off the floor. Took my Ibanez Talman shorty which always sounds great and went through my pedalboard which is MicroThumpinator, Spectracomp and Sansamp Bassdriver. None of my sound went through the desk, but any concerns about lack of power were gone in seconds and ended up at about 30% volume. The band isn't what I'd call quiet so very happy with the outcome. Playing outside tonight though so will have to take some bigger stuff.

Last night at Lingfield Racecourse. Same tonight in a tiny pub? Hmm.

Loving this at the moment by the Heptones so working on the Bassline today

It feels like I've taken 10,000 hours practicing Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and I've definitely not mastered it!

MDP infection rates are up then.

Tonight's rig

Ready for its first outing

I know your pain. Music should be fun and you need to be around people you can disagree with and still get the job done. It takes a long time to get a band of like -minded people together, and unfortunately music is full of dreamers, weirdos, and people who can dish out criticism but can't take constructive suggestions. Stick at it, you'll get there!

Well, when you say 'while', I'd say rather in alternance, not necessarilly in the same session. BRX used the expression 'A/B' above, which is where one switches between two sounds, to compare them. We'd do this, for instance, in a HiFi shop, to compare pairs of speakers. That's not what we're doing with this reference song. We're not trying to get an exact copy of the reference, simply having in mind what it sounded like as we remember it. I've listen to Bowie's 'Five Years' I don't know how many times, and when I hear certain gutar players, it brings Ronson to mind. I also have The Doors 'Strange Days' in my memory; I can jear Robby Krieger's style in some players. If I'm recording guitar, I might want to sound like one of those (in reality, I'd favour more Jerry Garcia, the way I play, but still...). A good reference for me would be much of the work of JJ Cale, or early Fairport Convention. Your models will be different. Let's simplify this. What music (group, album, genre...) do you appreciate most..? Do any of them inspire the music you're composing..? Try to imagine what makes your favourite models sound the way they do, compared to your tracks..? Is there lots of delay on the vocals, or rather dry..? Any backing vocals..? Are the drums in the foreground, or in retreat..? A pounding bass, or more subtle..? How are the dynamics..? Constant barrage, wall of sound, or an ebb and flow..? Do all the instruments and voices blend together, or are they distinctly separate..? Lots of hard panning (left/right...)..? Does it seem as if they're on a stage in front of you, or all around the room..? Were they recorded in a cave or tunnel, or an open field..? All of these, and much more, is what one has in mind when aiming for a sound. There's little chance of actually imitating any of the models, and we're not trying to copy anyway; simply aiming to get a result that satisfies. Any help, or am I just confusing things further..?

They still are. 😉

Last night's action shot.... A couple of Barefaced BB3 cabs and a Mesa MPulse 600. A Quilter BB800 hiding on top just in case and me playing my Cort A4 being mesmerised by the intriguing carpet 😂 (Oh and mudpup junior hiding side stage after helping his old man shift everything as my back was broken. He's busy on his socials rather than appreciating his old mans rock godness)

Thanks for all the interesting replies, but I'm afraid @Old Horse Murphy wins the prize

It's actually the Warwick Rockbass version of the Sklar model: https://www.thomann.de/gb/warwick_artist_line_sklarbass_i_vsth.htm I really like it, it's been my main bass for the 2 years I've had it and I've not even been tempted to use anything else. I'd really like the team or masterbuilt version, but they are spendy, especially the masterbuilt one. I keep trying to tell Warwick that they need to lend me one, for when we tour with Kiefer Sutherland later in the year, but they seem to have my emails marked as "spam"... 🤣

At this point the most useful thing you can do is not to get bogged down with specific plug-ins. In fact as a starting point stick with the plug-ins that came free with your DAW and get to know how they work and what they do to sound of the track inside out. It might also be worth getting one of your songs professionally mastered to a standard you like, and then try and replicate that sound yourself. While you are unlikely to be able to copy and paste settings from one song to another with no further tweaking necessary, it should get you much closer to th required end result. The other thing you need to do is to know the sound of your monitoring system and listening environment inside out. Most people recording at home, will either be sharing the space with other living requirements, or if they do have a dedicated space for it, it will be too much small compared with a professional facility, and the overall sound will be compromised as a result. That's why it is important that you know how your space sounds. Spend time playing other people's music through your system so you are completely familiar with it's strengths and weaknesses. In the days when I was still recording at home, I discovered that my monitoring system had a peak at the frequencies that enhanced the sound of our vocalists voice, and therefore what sounded right on my system would result in the vocals sounding too quiet or indistinct on almost anything else. Therefore I had to learn to over-emphasise the vocals when mixing/mastering in order to get the right sound and balance. That's something you will only discover when you are completely familiar with how your speakers/room sound.

AFAIC, middle-aged musos are youngsters.

It may come as a surprise to you that there is a formula that can help you to play great sounding walking bass, but there is! Certain note choices just sound 'right' every time and the quicker you get to know those, the quicker you'll be able to play walking bass lines that work, sound great, and help support the band. Walking bass lines can be utilised in many style of music, Blues and Jazz are the obvious ones but you'll also find walking bass in Ska, Reggae, and Pop for example. In my latest YouTube video I show you this formula and how to pick the ‘best notes’ for your walking bass line. I use a simple Jazz progression but everything you learn in the lesson can be applied to any style of walking bass. This is a great starting point for improvising your own walking bass lines. Once you learn these walking basics you can develop them and start getting more creative with your note choices. There is a free downloadable PDF booklet in the video description. Enjoy!

Don't ask me, I'm just a middle aged muso...

Steinberger, Status and Gus all use completely different fabrication techniques. Steinberger use an injection mould based system with graphite fibre impregnated resin. A bit like fibreglass reinforced bitumen or concrete. I like these necks, they're warm sounding and fairly consistent. Everything that a graphite neck should be. Status (and Modulus) use monocoque construction which is the same technique used for making Formula 1 parts. That involves lining a mould with up to three layers of resin impregnated, woven composite sheets in the same way as fibreglass. It also gives the manufacturer control over directional stiffness through orientating the sheets in different directions as they're laid down. However it can produce issues if the design relies on a phenolic fingerboard for strength. Modulus had issues with their necks for both Alembic and Musicman due to the phenolic (aka Bakelite) fingerboards not being stiff enough in the early-mid 80's and then Modulus again around 1994. I've played necks by Vigier and my own Alembic which are superb but arguably over designed. The 80's Status Series 2000 basses also have fabulous necks when properly dressed. Gus, as has been mentioned, use pre-impregnated carbon fibre sheets wrapped around a wooden core. I think Status have used this technique on bodies as well. It's practical, relatively easy to set up and some forms don't even require a kiln to set the resin. There's a nice dampening effect from the wood core but still a feeling of evenness and consistency across the whole fingerboard. Rob played around with dampening in the Stealth 2 basses, injecting epoxy foam into the hollow shell, and it resulted in instruments that were still characteristically bright sounding in that Status way but with a pronounced upper midrange purr. Graphite composite neck, resin body. Status did something similar with it's Series 4000/5000 basses. A bass with a graphite neck needs some form of dampening for it to accentuate the warmer sounding frequencies. Traditional choices of ash or alder are too bright, mahogany is nice (and I used it on my self build) and maybe there are some softer, cheaper woods like paulownia or tulipwood which might work as well. Steinberger used maple in it's M series instruments which produced some pleasant sounding instruments but perhaps that wasn't just down to the wood. He actually messaged me last night and revealed that he's almost overwhelmed by emails these days. Last night alone he had thirty to respond to so yes, it seems like there's always a chance he might miss one or two. A call seems to be the most reliable way to get in touch, as I suggested before.

Thanks again all, especially @Matt P the boy is home and has been putting it through its paces and all seems well as per the wiring diagram. It is the rg120-210 and is a great bit of kit, but surplus to requirements as he's just bought a Vox AC30 C2.

to be fair, the chair does look comfy