Leaderboard

This arrived today! Status Stealth 5 string with side LEDs. 😊

So......Yet another thread wanders completely off the point and becomes a pointless argument, like two bald men fighting over a comb, and probably causing the OP to lose the will to live trawling through the last two pages trying to find out if there is actually any useful information to be found in them. The short answer is "No". Well done chaps. FWIW, and YMMV, we ran our band (bass, drums, guitar/vox and harmonica)very successfully for many years in pubs and small venues with a pair of passive 12" ElectroVoice, a Yamaha EMX512SC (light as a feather, enough effects for us) and backline. No monitors, and as Happy Jack said we could all hear one another very well at the volumes needed for those types of small spaces. If you can't, you are too loud anyway in my humble opinion. We figured that we were there to entertain, not to pin the punters to the back wall. Set up in 25mins, tear down the same, utterly reliable and easy to transport. And we also used to have the speakers behind us on occasions when space demanded: while we had to be careful about checking frequencies etc. and mic placement we managed it OK on many occasions. That was just us: other folks do it different. .

After really enjoying building Twiggy I'm enbarking on a second build (Boy is this compulsive!). Twiggy was a prototype made from a 2x4, she is lovely ... but a few things came up. Hey body has developed a crack. I was too ... enthusiastic ... carving the neck leaving me without adequate room to safely install a truss rod and my neck relief seems to increase weekly, tuning is a nightmare! I did not have enough room to house the electronics. I've decided I want an EndurNeck™ .strandberg* style neck, By pure luck, Twiggy's is close but not quite right, albeit very comfortable ... careful use of a CAD design will assist me here. Pine is not unattractive, but I'm going for Maple this time, both for appearance and stability. I found my multiscale approach was suboptimal. Lessons learned I can build a bass, she plays well and sounds nice (I've rotosound tru bas strings and they are gorgeous) it's been quiet a buzz the number of folks who come up after the gig to enquire what sort of bass she is. Plan 5 times, cut/carve once (or even 0.2 times and repeat) I can get a good sound tension from a 30 B0 STRING. Multiscale is hard, I don't like to look at the front of the fingerboard and I find it hard to figure the fret positions from just my side markings, esp for the treble side strings. Not using a trussrod -> too much relief so action is too high for comfortable playing. Similar to Twiggy 5 string fretless. Single piece construction Short scale of about 730mm Minimal overall length Changes for Flo Through documentation so I can remember everything for the next build lol Template based neck shape with adequate space for a truss rod. Loosely based on the Milled single aluminium string anchor at the head end. Finer threads on the tuners to allow for better tuning control, I mill mill the whole things and cut/die my own thread. Adequate width/depth in the body section to allow for embedding of electronics. Nice brass insert side fret markers, tho I am considering glow in the dark for dim environments. Battery state indicator. Some shape to bottom (or fold down support) to facilitate seated playing. I love the .strandberg cutouts bu fear the weight, perhaps some cavities/cutouts will keep the weight down. Self mad pickup. (No idea how just yet) Addition of piezo pickups (No idea how just yet) LED based side fret markers. I spoke to David Dyk of luthiersupplies.co.uk, (Thanks to @3below & @Andyjr1515 for pointing him out) what a delightful fellow! Their production centre is only 25miles from here and I was kindly invited to view the facility and even select some wood! So in the next week or so will begin the tale of Flo! S'manth x

This has been my view from the start. If you can write a song and sell a million copies, then it's a good song. Too may people confuse this with personal preferences.

I don't think he means you have to like it, I think he means that there is something about the composition of that song that appeals to a lot of people, which means there is something about it that is probably worth listening to / working out.

Interesting piece from yesterday's i paper. Musician Nile Rodgers has said the most valuable lesson he has learnt in his career has been "not to be a music snob". The Chic co-founder, 69, said " Any song in the top 40 is a great composition because it speaks to the souls of a million strangers. As an artist, that was the greatest lesson I ever got" I'm basically in agreement , just wondered what other BC folk make of this?

I doubt it, I don't think it meant anything to him

Yeah, the 3.1 is great. Compact, but flexible. I really enjoyed how I could get one row of mini pedals and one row of full-size pedals on there. Here are a couple of my old Rockboard 3.1 setups (used primarily for guitar, not bass):

Here's my 2 (taken at the super-secret underground bunker, my house isn't quite this messy). The short-scale is really nice, very light and plays really well straight out of the box. The fretless appears to be made from depleted uranium, as it's ridiculously heavy. Despite the weight, it plays really well and I used it on one song for our last album. I bought the short-scale on a whim, one of the downsides of looking on this forum after a drink or two 🤣. I might give it a run out on a gig next week, as we may have limited cargo space in the car, but we'll see.

Other than the heel, which I will shape once I have the screw holes drilled, I think the basic carve is done: I can feel a happy weekend of sanding coming on! Oh Joy

Feet of the tiger. Mud

Why is so much about playing music in public so a pain in the posterior? A few months back, not able to find the sort of night I wanted to play at, I decided to set it up myself. I found a venue which was reopening, and it just so happened my ‘night’ was the sort of thing they wanted to put on, so I booked a few evenings in and set about promoting it, and finding some musicians. I managed to get two (supposedly) likeminded fellows together, and we had a couple of rehearsals, and the first night was decently successful - hire costs for that evening covered, a good dent in the rest of the costs. The second one wasn’t as good - COVID meant only one rehearsal, so the focus we had on new or original music was necessarily put on the back burner in favour of some standards, and numbers were wildly down. Costs weren’t covered, so I’m a bit out of pocket. Oh, well, on to the next. Despite the date being in the diary for more than three months, and the knowledge of the last session fresh in our collective minds - but one of the other guys wouldn’t be pinned down, meaning even greater reliance on standards even if we had one rehearsal. As it turned out, he bailed on that, meaning we had to perform without any practice beforehand at all. Despite a renewed push on promotion, we had barely double digits turn up, so I was out of pocket again. I had been up front with the guys that if we didn’t break even I couldn’t keep subsidising it, so after three sessions I decided to knock it on the head, but with a view to us all playing together still, doing some recording of original music and trying to get gigs the old fashioned way. Anyway, I got contacted by someone who attended who said he was looking to put something similar on himself, so I dropped the chaps a line to see if they might be interested - only to get a response from the guy that couldn’t make rehearsals that he was not interested in just doing standards! I mean - the only reason we fell back on standards was because he couldn’t make any rehearsals - the plan from the outset was to perhaps do some weirder covers and original music, but because we didn’t have any time together that simply didn’t work. Just to cap it off, this evening I’ve had a couple of angry (and abusive) emails from people who clearly didn’t listen to the announcement at the last session saying we weren’t going ahead in August - there’s nothing online or on the venue’s website to say it was on, so not sure where that has come from! It’s been a bloody thankless task - I brought the backline, monitors, mics, did the sound at the gig, and basically ended up paying for other people to have a good time, and it has reminded me why I very much like being in other people’s bands, rather than trying to run my own. It was supposed to be fun but, other than the short time on stage, actually ended up as anything but.

My Hardly Bent One fretless. Great sound and playability straight out of the box. I wanted to try fretless bass without breaking the bank. As has been mentioned above, this one is heavy. Crafted, I believe, from a single piece of neutron star.

Rat'll Be The Day - The Crickets

Vermin the Mood for Dancing - The Nolan Sisters

This is awesome, I keep desperately wanting to be able to make my bass into a synth. Unfortunately I play in a rock band with rather limited scope for techno bass textures. Doesn't stop me trying though 😂😂

A sizeable update to Tomreadbass Transcriptions – the biggest online FREE resource in the world for bass charts in standard notation. Simply surf into https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/  Transcriptions, scroll down to the alphabetic index pages, and help yourself! The newly-added 66* charts now take the website to 1061 transcriptions. [*56 brand new charts + 10 rewrites] To see what’s new from within the website, surf to https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/transcriptions and enter “Aug 2022” in the search box. For the purposes of social media and other sites, here’s what’s been added, with direct links to the PDFs: I’ve been working on a couple of tribute projects – one for Pink Floyd, one for Coldplay. The Floyd charts include some classic basslines from iconic albums such as Dark Side of The Moon and The Wall. The Coldplay basslines are an interesting fusion dance/funk style playing with pop and rock. Another Brick In The Wall (part 1) - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_451143127a1c4839a363912937446a44.pdf Another Brick In The Wall (part 2) - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_7502563355b547c181f4e8c504d37380.pdf Another Brick In The Wall (part 3) – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_ae45b58c124c4c4da5b224d20d63155c.pdf The Happiest Days Of Our Lives - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_80a165f85b974c5c83180ba4fb810dda.pdf On Floyd’s “The Wall” album, Another Brick In The Wall (part 1), The Happiest Days of Our Lives, and Another Brick In The Wall (part 2) are presented as one continuous suite of music. I’ve done a chart for that too: Another Brick In The Wall (full suite) - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_ce9c22c907454c77afbb3ddaa708fe15.pdf Other Pink Floyd bass tracks transcribed: Brain Damage/Eclipse - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_4b88914893c74962abbf08e6cac65f6f.pdf (this one was already on the site, but included here for ‘completeness’. Comfortably Numb - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_c0dd4356827d4d9cae82b02d5d502c11.pdf (also not a new transcription, but edited to improve the appearance). Coming Back To Life – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_f9ab318b6bd746b195bd32fdec23c79f.pdf High Hopes – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_37a41249220444019528ad8135171fb1.pdf Learning To Fly – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_7b85dbbef91847c8aece324010d9f6bb.pdf Money – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_d233294536c444e29becf6e85c75a51f.pdf Mother – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_0c6a59d7b1ad4d4b9b49dd170adbb82e.pdf On The Turning Away – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e39c0c42752a4eaaa13a76d04e4b09c7.pdf Run Like Hell – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_b01aec9fd10b4960bbb0f41777003470.pdf Shine On You Crazy Diamond – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e046ae54abe8429bb6935557651041a5.pdf Sorrow – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_18c13b56b77c4b24972bb8bd24e22b4f.pdf Take It Back – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_7db16d0646434e8299c0c6cc0bec7c97.pdf The Great Gig In The Sky – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_7f794e28119f4269921a598c2cef3846.pdf Time – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_768bfcd6718d41909109f54aa7d74deb.pdf Wish You Were Here – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_d72a0e28b3334c1f8367ac92f7347555.pdf Young Lust - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_c014f4a99ba7477c9edc2604827c70dd.pdf The Pink Floyd show I’m working on will also include some of Dave Gilmour’s solo material: In Any Tongue - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_a93434d3b2a8488bb0adef5ad6755e32.pdf Murder - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e1de38cb57c14249b7c1e18a88c0f10a.pdf (not in the upcoming show, but included here for ‘completeness’) On An Island – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_5b9dc1a09fdc4fc99e25bcc0893c58c4.pdf Rattle That Lock – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_739544921a5c4c8caacb712cecd7fa50.pdf Take A Breath – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_48d4ce6e5ca9459bad922f0df2354775.pdf For the Coldplay shows, the following have been transcribed, with more expected to follow in coming months: Adventure Of A Lifetime – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_8ba1b415912b450b9c0d568213cd5406.pdf Charlie Brown – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_220074d762664b79b9765b66e40f39dc.pdf Fix You – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_f7022c8d28c6456a8c9c188bb7c53684.pdf In My Place – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_2668eb4fb8bd4dc6b3e8340587e7940e.pdf Paradise – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_62c13d988dbf40bf976ecf3584d7eb50.pdf Something Just Like This (with The Chainsmokers) - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_31564d346c4448999db694b7f009b385.pdf The Scientist – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_2b93dfb83dc742a7a46af85c42c2567e.pdf Viva La Vida – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_c742535f017d4c9a9e8a5d2949d083cc.pdf Yellow – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_72443092bfd9442ba5acaeee02a29693.pdf That still leaves a whole feast of new transcriptions I’ve written, mostly in preparation for dep gigs I’ve been called on. Some though were written ahead of a Bandeoke show with the Liam Read Band (where I’d had advance notice of what some people wanted to get up and sing), and some are bespoke transcriptions for my customers – who have agreed to have them published on the website. [NB – a small number of these are updates/display improvements to older charts, but the vast majority are brand new additions to the site] Ain’t No Love – Paul Carrack – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_bd694c8b0de4404c841eac915ca7505b.pdf Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City – Paul Carrack – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_448e2acda42b4a9fad2ba6b77dabf6f2.pdf Baby One More Time – Britney Spears – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_226b2c306158471bbab6d33e63911c23.pdf Bad Habits – Ed Sheeran – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_95baf0ee584f41a2b05ebb7127674166.pdf Budapest – Geroge Ezra – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_a6e0318712e946cebf0c161ba9b53994.pdf Can You Dig It? – Mock Turtles – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_bf110fa8548541ae8e2ea2491c4acf60.pdf Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_cd56d4703fe449a3828b28e8f9fb40bc.pdf Everlong – Foo Fighters – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_24ef43f7af124563bd9c4ce97fba26ee.pdf Faith – George Michael – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_56e2e0249cd5427ba6f0e5889ed93bf3.pdf Hotel California – Eagles – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_6fdcf244243f469da833c3560998185f.pdf I Can See Clearly Now – Hothouse Flowers – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_8a47b59264f843fdafb7a40e7229bf0e.pdf I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_fb189da896ac4ee888fb9343a4550191.pdf I Feel Fine – Jeff Cascaro – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_721d9b35ccdc475eb2713b31ffcc12ac.pdf I Wanna Be Like You (King Of The Swingers) – Jungle Book – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_d4cc8fa894ed4dd292af3a4ae72cc7f0.pdf I’ll Be There For You (Friends TV theme) – The Rembrandts – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_25cf63179e6545e8937054d5f98cb7f5.pdf I’m A Believer – Monkees – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_2a88e389e8db404fa0a7fb7d295b68fb.pdf It Must Be Love – Madness – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_451f2667619243e0859d6a90bc0178c4.pdf Laid – James – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_af172731b9354a5bbac3390015209092.pdf Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_566247c246704edd900e0e2e83aace4e.pdf Man, I Feel Like A Woman – Shania Twain – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_409245d510e2437e9b9902bf7b2d2b67.pdf My Sharona – The Knack – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_128daae982d943aea183ff4e38381257.pdf Naïve – The Kooks – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_66f2ca1adca7400283e3ba8fe11a1e9b.pdf Pan de Vida – Bob Hurd & Pia Moriaty – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_4be000b5848c480a95f9e866d04b6016.pdf Redneck Girl – Raven Cliff – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_9ff24163286440cb9ad89a2571e41000.pdf September – Earth, Wind & Fire – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_f618ff28d4b845adbdd3db4991d2157d.pdf Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_3391f6d4e8f443daa620ec7f1a00aad3.pdf Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e4d17715e98047299395408e577601c8.pdf Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_4096bf900dd34268b3ff20467450006e.pdf The Middle – Jimmy Eat World – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_80b0b42f2cdc430594c107b0cf138124.pdf Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_5527d7fca16943dba0c8b93fbeead4b2.pdf Wake Me Up – Avicii – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_3d9f5af5b39e420a96632a68361c75b8.pdf Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day – https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_706136cc893e43338041c9fbbccc2d5c.pdf You & Me Song – The Wannadies - https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_45eaedf6832d4543a7fcf720072312b7.pdf All the charts on the website are completely free and you can simply download the PDFs without log-on/registration etc. If you want a bespoke bass transcription (or even a full band arrangement) writing, please contact me directly. Many thanks to the supporters of the website that have clicked the “Buy Me A Beer” button. This is always much appreciated!

I will never have any respect for the Crazy Frog song!

No numbers on it at present so I'd have to say no! I've just had a blast with it in my living room. I think I've found the settings where it sounds best (from L to R in pic: Master, Bass, Mid-shift, Treble, Gain) but I may well re-work that tone stack. Unfortunately the oscillation at full volume is back, or it could be the pot wiper coming off the track when full clockwise. Sounds best with my Fender Precisions, doesn't seem to like my Dingwall so much!

Had a great catch up on the phone with @Cosmicrain yesterday (mostly to do with graphite necks and broken feet, don’t ask!), but the progress of this baby was mentioned and Mike has kindly sent across some photos this morning. Have to say it’s looking pretty damn fine. “Just” the painting and final assembly/set up to go now (essentially a creamy white is how it’ll end up, I think Mike can explain it better than I) - we all know Mike’s finishing is top notch so it’s going to be a cracker. Love the scratchplate, all those tort haters can shush 😀

Neighbours have fked off for a while, sun is shining into the office and my ABM polished metal front just glistened to me as I catch it with the corner of my eye. "later" I whisper....

Such a great record. I don't listen to Genesis much these days, but when I do, I usually reach for Foxtrot, especially Supper's Ready. I do still listen to Peter Gabriel quite a lot.

I have never listened to post-Gabriel Genesis, not for any real reason, I just didn't then and don't now. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is my favourite album. Once Gabriel left I suppose it was A Trick of the Tail or Peter Gabriel 1, why I didn't try both I don't know? The stupidity of youth I suppose. I kicked all my prog music into touch for years after deciding punk and new wave was 'my' music, it was lovely to get off my high horse and reconnect with bands from before 1976-77 years later. I'm waffling, sorry.

I had a BB614 that I put a 201 bridge on & it was ace, then I owned a 1024 & loved the standard Yamaha bridge so when I bought my 425 I wanted something similar to the Yamaha one, enter the Hipshot Vintage...........

First album I bought was Selling England By The Pound and have devoured everything they did before and since (apart from CAS obvs). Went through a phase of getting just about every bootleg I could lay my hands on. Some of them are rather excellent.

I love ginger oatterns, I’m hoping that they’ll bring out a chocolate covered one in the future.

The advice I got from Nathan East some years back when I met him back stage after one of his gigs was. Paraphrased "Take every gig you get offered even if it's music you are not familiar with. You will learn something about either the music, yourself as a musician or both." I've tried to do that as much as I can.

Well, the Fender Board are just operating in mysterious ways and still haven’t found what they are looking for in terms of profits.

I got my first Squier. It sounds different than the PJ 'Stang I have. An insect landed on it.

Thanks Lewis! I've tried absolutely all sorts including going the helix route... but the cheaper analogue EHX stuff does it for me to be honest. The octabvre mini is a dream, I use it solo'd for a fair chunk of our set. Between that and the C4, I seldom use a dry bass sound. My C4 covers filters, a more bass heavy sub octave than the octabvre, tremelo and saw wave stuff as well as some FM synth stuff... it's marvellous! Our latest promo (hopefully below). Was done first half C4, second half octabvre.

So what he's saying is that once a song is liked by one million people then the rest of humanity has to either a) like it too or b) be a snob? Or did I misunderstand the logic?

And so...probably around 50% through the final carve stage, which is mainly about rounding the sides and other sharp edge areas and scooping out some of the waist areas at the back. 2lbs 9 oz and falling. I will be routing a standard magnet-held-cover control chamber that will take out a decent amount more wood and should start getting close to my target weight. Pretty soon I will fit the drill holes in the neck pocket that will allow me to temporarily fit the neck and do a bit of air-bassing to see if there are any sticky out bits at the back that need shaving off. Oh - and the paint has arrived

Happy Hour - The Housemartins

Wait, what? There are people who reckon they know better than Joni Mitchell about what chord progressions she should have used? Can someone give me an example? See, for me this is exactly what makes songs like Coyote brilliant, and it's exactly the chord progression she chooses that makes it possible. If someone's concept of music theory tells them that's wrong, it's not Coyote that needs changing to suit, it's their concept of music theory.

First of all, well done for trying. If people didn't try things wouldn't happen. I don't think I would have the energy to form a band and arrange and promote a regular gig night. And that might be the issue here - working on all three at the same time. In my experience (just left a band, working to put a new project together) it's hard enough getting all the band elements in place, weaving practice and rehearsal into work and family schedules, agreeing on a set etc. I'm fortunate in that two thirds of the current project were in the last band so the set is pretty much agreed and I know their abilities and levels of commitment. But they both work and so far we've only managed one marathon set building session and a couple of rough run throughs of songs. We have one legacy gig lined up but I wouldn't be looking to get new gigs until we've rehearsed a few times, just so we're all comfortable that its working. Add to that the role of promoter and sound engineer and it becomes a lot of work for little extra return. Maybe you should get the band together first and get a couple of gigs under your belt with that line-up, generate a bit of interest etc? Look for like-minded bands to share a bill (and costs) and to bring extra punters in to the venue. They could also share to workload. At that point see about organising a venue. And if you're covering venue hire and backline costs then they need to be factored in to the fees for the bands - yours included. The danger with you as band member also being band manager and promoter is that the three roles do not get recognised properly and you end up out of pocket. Music should be fun (even if the rehearsals are sweaty, noisy and occasionally tense 😀). Wherever you go from here, good luck.

Ideally you want something that won't get compressed over time. When I did some research it seemed the ideal was a piece of maple veneer shaped/sanded down from 1.5mm (or whatever) at the pickup end to nothing at the headstock end of the pocket but covering the whole neck pocket area so you don't 'staircase' the neck: https://hazeguitars.com/blog/the-perils-of-bad-neck-shims You can get a maple veneer sample for a quid or so online and sand it down - I did that on a fretless I've got and it worked a treat. You can get different thicknesses of maple veneer depending on how much you want, but 1.5mm seemed good. Or you can get premade shims from stewmac.

I have to drive to work in my old HH VS because I can't afford petrol anymore & all my colleagues drive Audi's How embarrassing!

Got more flat cables and added DI box in for distorted channel 👍 much neater