bassbiscuits

That's interesting. I have a 1970 precision, based on its serial number, pot codes and pickup stamps. But it also has in the neck pocket a number 71 in a circle exactly like yours. I wasn't sure if that made it a 1971, but it could just as easily be a QC code. Hmm.

For the first time in about 15 years I'm not playing this NYE. In fact my whole December is unusually quiet for some reason. Like some of the others posting here, I've got a wife and young boy so I'm going to put my spare time to good use and spend some quality time with them. Quite looking forward to staying in for a change!

I've got a Rotosound bass flyer signed by Steve Harris - i queued for it for ages but was too starstruck to say anything when i got there! I had a signed Quireboys album from about 25 years ago, now long lost. Somehow I've also got a Shure Sm58 that used to belong to someone in Saxon!

Something in the back of my mind says that an amp presumably running at 8ohms (i.e. your combo and its internal speaker) will sound slightly different to when its running at 4ohms with another cabinet, (aside from the obvious volume difference I mean). Doesn't the greater impedance of an 8ohm load slightly tighten the sound up a bit? I don't know if that's imperceptible difference, or even if i'm talking cobblers - can anyone shed any light? FWIW I used to gig with an old Peavey TVX210 cab for years and it was brilliant. I flogged it in a part-ex and really wish i hadn't as it was a good smallish rig.

I've almost always been in a one-guitar band, sometimes just as a trio, and sometimes with an added piano player. I gotta say I love that format - it gives me lots of room to play a bit more freely, rather than just plunking away root notes at the back. I do tend to do things to try to emphasise quiet and loud (i.e. quieter in the verses, and flooring it for the choruses or big climaxes) for some dynamics. As long as you can strike the right balance between providing some full, interesting bass when need, and easing off to something very basic and restrained when needed, then its a very liberating format to play in, I find.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1448934572' post='2919436'] I probably didn't use effects for close to 40 years. I see plenty of guys that sound and play great without pedals. I also think it takes a while to fully understand how and when to use effects. My opinion managing a pedal board for bass players is more of a challenge than it is for guitar players. Blue [/quote] I think you're right Blue. With guitar its pretty obvious what sort of thing is needed, and how to use them. But for bass I imagine its a bit more open ended and room to be creative. I'm not against pedals at all - I just dont find I really need them with the music i play (rock, blues, pop covers). But i can't imagine something like Muse without some serious effects going on!

Personally I don't find I've ever needed one in the 30 years I've been playing bass. The range of fingerstyle, pick or slapping gives me plenty of sounds, plus my tone control, and seriously that is all I've used for 99 percent of gigs over the years. If you're a guitarist then yes, you need to be able to switch between a couple of different sounds, have a lead boost etc, but not for bass unless you really need multiple sounds. Fx boards can be good fun tho!

I took my 1995 USA precision to a gig on the weekend, for the first time in a few months. I'd used my Sandberg jazz-alike on the Friday night, but fancied some big fat P bass tones the following night, so took it along. Just reminded me that I'm definitely a P bass man at heart - I love the articulate clean sound of jazzes, and they way they let you play, but a big blurry fat P bass thump really sort of suits how I play. It was bass bliss and I feel better for the experience! Ahhh.

Great looking bass. I've got a California TT4 ( a straight passive jazz bass basically) and its a thing of wonder. the plek'd fret thing means mine also has the lowest action of any bass i've played, with no buzzing and spot-on intonation throughout. Surprised to hear about the bridge being wrongly placed - quite a major mistake really, and not what I'd expect from Sandberg, who seem all about German efficient engineering. good luck - hope you get to sorted.

USA P Bass, Markbass LM3 and Aguilar GS410. that'd keep me happy

I approve of the view taken by singer songwriter David Ford. He completely opposes encores because of the whole contrivance that goes with them - i.e. pretending you've finished the set, waiting till the audience has cheered for the regulation amount, and then re-appearing to play the two or three biggest hits that have been suspiciously missing from the set. A genuine encore is fine, on those marvellous nights when you really won't get away without playing more. But not the in-built one that you deliver regardless of whether anyone wanted it.

I was also in a position about 12 or 13 years ago when i didn't play bass at all for two years, following quite a bitter break-up of my band which left wanting to get away from music for a bit. I considered selling various bits of my gear, but I ended up moving away and joining another band, which I'm still with happily. It's not nice to get rid of gear you like unless you need the money or are sure you're never going to need it again. Sorry to hear about your health problems, and hope you get something fun sorted soon.

Bon Scott-era AC/DC, John Martyn, Queen and Stevie Ray Vaughan

Taped it. Will watch asap this week. I do like wilko.

Coldplay, at the Afan Lido Leisure Centre, in Aberavon, Port Talbot, South Wales in 2002 (it was just at the release of their second album). The venue was a small seaside sports centre, where basically they'd taken down the badminton net and put a stage up. I've no idea hope they ended up being booked to play there. The whole place stank of weed, and had a few hundred people wedged into it. My missus and I went to review it for the local paper, but didn't know much about the band or their material (and are still not exactly massive fans really). It was amazing tho - so much energy, great light show, proper 'swaying euphorically' stuff. Tickets cost just £18 apparently!

[quote name='walbassist' timestamp='1447836766' post='2910732'] Nice! Good timing too, as apparently the SE model is being discontinued in favour of a US-made version! [/quote] Really? Wow i bet that will be a bit of a monster! I saw an interview in which Bernie mentioned the possibility of a USA version but didn't realise it was on the cards. better get saving then ha ha. I gigged this for the first time last weekend and it sounded great - even the rest of the band noticed, which is high praise indeed...! I really like the size, shape and in this particular instance, light weight of it too. Makes it a very comfortable guitar for playing and singing, as it hangs just right and has plenty of poke.

Amy Winehouse in about 2009. Her band was amazing, but when she finally stumbled onstage about 10 mins into the set, she was absolutely dreadful. Actually Ryan Adams earlier this year was pretty poor too. His entire set was the downest of downbeat, slow-paced stoner country, with him occasionally mumbling incomprehensibly between songs. He cracked a few jokes which no-one got, and then shuffled into the next identically-paced, misery-fest of a tune. Found it really boring.

nice photos