Deep Thought

Sometimes it can't be helped, things happen you don't bargain for-a while ago I had to back out of a deal. Agreed to buy a bass, had cash waiting, was just sorting out postage details-then the car broke down, and all the money set aside for the bass had to go on that. Had no choice but to apologise and pull out. Don't think the chap was too impressed, never replied to my apologetic PM, but I genuinely agreed to buy it in good faith, and was unable to proceed. I know some pillocks really don't mind who they muck about, but sometimes sh*t happens.

I used to have two black Precisions, one US with maple neck, one Mex with rosewood fingerboard. Still got the Mex, the US went in favour of my Shuker JJ.

Just bought a Shure SM58 from TG. Excellent price, exactly as described, well packaged. Splendid chap all round.

Why on Earth don't Schaller supply the perishing things with fatter screws? I just drilled out the Schaller buttons a bit and used the original screws on my Mex-hasn't come undone yet!

Corrr there isn't much that interests me bass-wise these days, but [i]that[/i] is a different animal entirely. Shame he won't ship outside the US-seems pretty adamant about it too.

Oh, is he back again? Evening!

Stone the crows! Stunning bass, you must be like a dog with two, er, appendages. Great story, perfect ending.

Also consider the Genz Benz Shuttles, which have a valve preamp, not unlike your ABM.

I don't claim to be an expert here, but I recall somebody here had a Comfort Strapp of some sort break-it had a plastic buckle that snapped. I have a feeling it wasn't one of the 'proper' Comfort Strapps, but one made by somebody else. Personally I hate the look of them, with those bare neoprene pads. I won't use a strap with any kind of buckle, especially plastic-I prefer the all-leather ones. I've recently been converted to the Grolsch washer system-my Shuker JJ came with standard strap buttons, and having spent ages in recent years trying to keep Schaller straplock buttons from coming unscrewed, I decided to stick with the Grolsch washers-even when Jon Shuker offered to send me a set of Schallers for free! So far I've been very pleased. Our drummer found me a nice blue washer from a bottle of water the other day-wish I knew which brand of water, he only could only get me one (from a posh hotel). It's a bit less obtrusive than the red ones.

[quote name='Born 2B Mild' post='666766' date='Nov 26 2009, 09:37 PM']Yes [b]Three [/b]shall be thy number for my membership ...And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to [b]three[/b]. No more. No less. [b]Three [/b]shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be [b]three[/b]. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to [b]three[/b]. Five is right out. Once at the number [b]three[/b], being the third number be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it."[/quote] "And Saint Atila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, 'Oh, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayest blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats....." I've dallied with other basses, but the Precision was always the bass I aspired to when I started playing. When I played my MIA Precision in the shop, I knew there was no point keeping the Ibanez which up 'til then I'd been quite happy with, because I knew it would never get played. The only thing I said I'd ever replace it with was a Shuker JJ Burnel, which I did-which is basically a super Precision. With the possible exception of a Rickenbacker, which is only idle curiousity, I can't think of another bass I'd rather own.

Stiff Little Fingers, Cornwall Coliseum, 1979ish.

Yeah, we used to do the DiVinyls one when we had a girly singer. I used to enjoy playing it. Actually, we're looking at working up four, possibly five new ones for our next gig in December. Mind you, it all hinges on everybody getting their finger out and learning their bits-have to say I am not optimistic.

My first band had our first gig at a brown-ricer cafe, now long demolished, in downtown St.Austell. We had no drummer, just a very basic drum machine through what if I remember correctly was a 100watt amp and a 4X10 cab, which eventually stopped working towards the end of the set. Singer couldn't sing to save his bloody life, but would kill you if you tried to tell him so. I got told to turn my bass down by a bloke I was later told was an ex-soundman for the Who!

JJ Burnel-Walk on by or Tank Norman Watt-Roy-has to be Hit me with your rhythm stick! Stuart Morrow (New Model Army)-Vengeance

Thanks all-some fine suggestions, and whilst looking at them I found this, which I think might do the trick:- [url="http://open.spotify.com/track/0vPDg3dtx6O7eV1kCEFHe1"]http://open.spotify.com/track/0vPDg3dtx6O7eV1kCEFHe1[/url] Fairytale of New York is in fact one of the few I like, although the fact that we're an all-male three-piece kind of puts the mockers on that one for us. A couple of years ago the Killers released this as a fairly little-known limited download, which I think is probably the best Xmas song I've ever heard. No good to us, but I love it. [url="http://open.spotify.com/track/10vW32JX9wfj9mA4qn6JFL"]http://open.spotify.com/track/10vW32JX9wfj9mA4qn6JFL[/url] No, I am not one of Santa's elves, just a humble ambulance technician. Cheers all.

It has been suggested (not by me) that our band should learn a Xmas song for our next gig in December. I'm of the opininon that there have only been about three decent Xmas songs ever written, and I cannot stomach the usual Slade/Wizzard etc. etc. Call me a miserable git if you will (guilty as charged) but the vast majority of Xmas songs make me cringe, especially lyrically. To be fair, the fact that I'm working nights from the 24th to the 26th of December does tend to knock some of the gilt off the gingerbread as far as me and Xmas are concerned. If left to me, it would be The Steely-eyed Missile Men's Bah Humbug, Boll*x to Xmas night, but I'm outvoted. Anybody know of any lesser-known Xmas songs, especially with something of a blues flavour? Or are we stuck with Ricky Tomlinson's 'Xmas my arse'?

Bugger, they played in Plymouth last week, and I was working. Rats.

Decent amplification is the priority here, I would say. A backup bass is nice (I personally wouldn't be without one-I once saw a bloke break a bottom E on a Gibson Thunderbird, and it took [i]ages[/i] to change-I prefer to have one that I can grab in a hurry), but you gotta have a decent amp. The backup bass can come later.

I'd keep my eye out for second hand Trace Elliot stuff. Always punched well above their weight. I had a 1998 7215 SMC 1x15 300 watt combo, admittedly needed an extension cab to get the full 300watts, but even without I never had any trouble keeping up with a loud drummer, and guitarist with a 100watt Marshall valve amp. I sold mine for £150. Similar ones, or heads with the same amp, come up fairly regularly on Ebay, and on the sales page here-which is probably the best place to be looking for used kit.

I use Kyser Klassics 'Dr.Stringfellow' guitar polish , which I got from one of our local emporia. Does the job fine.

Rickenbacker 4003, all black.

[quote name='ColinB' post='651878' date='Nov 11 2009, 07:05 PM']It sounds silly, but Fender's habit of putting the white side-dots half-and-half between the rosewood and the maple make them very difficult to see on a darkish stage for me with my poor eyesight - and I've found that very important. The black side-dots on the maple board instruments are much easier for me to see. YMMV[/quote] I've actually got pretty good eyesight, but I've found the same with my rosewood Precision. Much easier with the maple.