OldGit

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='543349' date='Jul 17 2009, 04:21 PM']That goes for you at PC World who told me the modem I wanted to connect the missus's laptop to the internet was probably too difficult for me to use, so he recommended I pay ninety quid for them to come and do it. A mate did it for nothing.[/quote] A bit OT but fun and related .. My 75 year old neighbour went into PC World to buy a laptop. He asked for one with XP rather than Vista (this was an "upgrade" on some business systems at the time) The kid said that they couldn't supply it with XP, "Oh," says my neighbour "I'll just tave Vista off and load it with XP" "Can't" say the kid "you see there's something called the BIOS and they are different" "No problem" says my neighbour "I'll just rewrite the BIOS" .. kid falls on floor with shock that someone old knows something about difference engines.

Sounds like a picked P bass to me ...

[quote name='Clarky' post='556976' date='Jul 31 2009, 11:30 AM']Exactly right. We had acccepted a date which was then unilaterally changed by the promoter without asking us. I could not make the new date. This situation has not happened before. We have turned down quite a few gigs because one of the other guys (usually the drummer) is unavailable, including a high profile one with UK Subs.[/quote] Ah well then the situation is not the same and your precedent does not stand. Had you said no to the orginal date I suspect the band woud have said no to the date, not "yes and we'll get a dep for Clarky" ..

[quote name='tauzero' post='556872' date='Jul 31 2009, 10:15 AM']I'd wish them well, I wouldn't mind having a bassist to dep for me very occasionally when I get schedule collisions.[/quote] pay my fee and travel and I'll be there

Have a good break and see you for the launch of yuor "40th bass"

[quote name='Clarky' post='556793' date='Jul 31 2009, 08:44 AM']BTW, its a non-paying gig[/quote] but with non finacial benefits to the band overall, by the sound of it.

[quote name='mrcrow' post='556597' date='Jul 30 2009, 09:19 PM']Kiff guitars he fretted my fretless manson in cornwall [url="http://www.kifguitars.com/about_kif.html"]kif guitars[/url][/quote] Ah yes! That's the one I was trying to remember. My friend has a Kiff acoustic bass. It's this shape

[quote name='noirpunk' post='545622' date='Jul 20 2009, 07:10 PM']Cheers for that Do you think it's Japanese or Korean?[/quote] There's one on the Ishibashi used box just like that, well with a fancy facing. It's up at 50,000 (yen, I'm afraid ) Item 326190201-14 [url="http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/"]Ishibashi Used Box. [/url] No model info but I can ask my friend there if you'd like me to.

Ask DHA for a DFA pedal

[quote name='Clarky' post='556396' date='Jul 30 2009, 05:53 PM']I know I should wish them well and that its good for the band but I can't help myself feeling at least a lttle bit miffed. As I said, if it had moved to a date our front man couldn't do, there is no way in the world he would let us find a stand-in (and there is a potential replacement as his old band has a singer who knows all our stuff). Its just that I feel I am being treated as "only the bassist" Regarding rehearsing etc, I told them we should rehearse this week to get them up to speed for the gig. So they know I have helped them PS, we turned down several good gigs last year (eg with UK Subs) that our drummer couldn't do ...[/quote] Well if you are like most bands the singer and drummer are crucial to the flow of things. 99% of the cues in the music will be from them. So yes most bass players are interchangeable unless they are the front person as well. As a dep I do my absolute best for the band I am depping for but I never try to muscle in and steal the other person's place. In most cases I have totally different musical objectives to the band and this is just a bit of prostitution work to (ahem) get them out of a hole. They'd only dump you if there was something else wrong. As a band we've worked with dep guitarists the whole life of the band, dep drummers on rare occasions and only once a dep front person team (it took two extra people and me doing lead vocals (aargh!) to replace our front man who was taken ill at 9 am the morning of someone's wedding gig) We did replace guitarists with people who had depped with us but only when the original person left of their own volition. So don't worry...

[quote name='Rich' post='556065' date='Jul 30 2009, 12:25 PM']+1 And better than some of the laughable neo-con balderdash some manufacturers spout. Hartley Peavey being a prime example, for instance. Remember his Brazilian rainforest rant? I still chuckle over that one. [/quote] "I've flown over the Brazillian rainforest. It's still green. There's clearly no problem." yeah, Laughable.

I'd not worry about it. It's a bit off to not ask you but if it's get in a dep or cancel then I'd go with depping every time.

[quote name='Geek99' post='555910' date='Jul 30 2009, 10:03 AM']Janek says he contributes to BGM for free. It takes time to put together an article like he and the others do. I'm more than happy to read what he has to say on-topic, whatever his personailty off the page.[/quote] +1

Wow a good news story about eBay Admin. I think that's the first time I've read one....

I remember it a bit like those Open University courses, a bit stiff and stifled. i used to go and see Deirdre play in the band "The Guest Stars" and she was a lot better in a gig situation .. Re: would it work today? No, I don't think so. Too many DVD, online and Youtoob lessons around (lucky blighters)

[quote name='OldGit' post='554427' date='Jul 28 2009, 08:56 PM']Ah that reminds me ... Bailey Brothers in Bristol make acoustic guitars but did make a few acoustic basses too and Thomas (Will) Williams made the occasional Fender-alike. However I think thy were more assembly jobs than "made from tree wood" ones.[/quote] Correcting myself here The Bailey Bros are amp repair people rather than guitar makers. It's [url="http://www.kinkadeguitars.co.uk/acoustic-bass"]Kinkade Guitars [/url]that make the acoustics including this one

[quote name='BarnacleBob' post='554376' date='Jul 28 2009, 08:16 PM']I first heard of them thru the build your own guitar courses they have. No basses on the site tho' [url="http://www.baileyguitars.co.uk/Default.aspx"]http://www.baileyguitars.co.uk/Default.aspx[/url] BB[/quote] Ah that reminds me ... Bailey Brothers in Bristol make acoustic guitars but did make a few acoustic basses too and Thomas (Will) Williams made the occasional Fender-alike. However I think thy were more assembly jobs than "made from tree wood" ones.

I think John Birch made a few basses

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='554315' date='Jul 28 2009, 07:19 PM']Ah ok so come the end of each financial year I'll just plonk a load of tidily arranged receipts on my accountant's desk, have them do their thing, pay and then be happy 'bout the money knocked off as expenditure? I think I've got it now, all i plan to do is check out how to set myself up as self emplyed, talk to people I know who are self employed to get tips on keeping records etc and then also find me an accountant and see what i need to do to get them involved and when exactly i should do so. Plan![/quote] Ha ha well almost ... My accountant never actually sees the receipts. I just enter them into the spreadsheet and keep the paper in files in case Johnny Taxman wants to inspect them ...

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='554120' date='Jul 28 2009, 04:21 PM']Thanx guys that's really helpful. I do indeed know at least one person in my general area who's a musician with an accountant but any suggestions in the north wales (or there abouts) are would be a great help. So i'm gonna set myself up as self employed then get me an accountant (which i must point out does indeed make me feel grown up ) and basically start being really anal about getting receipts for just about everything so to make the accountant's life easier and also save myself some money by not having him/her do it at a £50 an hour rate then i guess? Do i need to collect all the receipts/invoices/etc i have knocking about from past jobs for any reason or just keep them in a safe place incase mr tax man decides he hates me at some point during my life? Thanx again.[/quote] You'll need to decide on a start date - ask your accountant when But if you have a drawer full of receipts then you probably want to hang on to this year's and especially any for the hardware you are using - bass gear, computer, outlandish stage wardrobe, models of Stonehenge, special knobs that go up to 11, car, etc as these can be taken into consideration and written off over the years, even if you owned them before.

I can recommend someone in the South Wales area.

[quote name='fusionbassist1' post='553958' date='Jul 28 2009, 02:07 PM']Sorry to be an absolute arse but I'd appreciate some clarification of this rather scary yet real threat to the lining of my pockets...... I'm 18 (no idea if this makes a difference) and this month have ran into money that's (and i can't state this propperly [b]without[/b] sounding like an arse) a lot higher than the average monthly wage in Wales purely through playing bass on various sessions, some of which for TV. I don't have any other source of income what so ever and although this has been an amazing month I am constantly earning some kind of money from music by doing gigs but have been told by some people that it has to be regular or over some kind of bracket etc. If i've got what i've read correct I should always be keeping receipts of anything music-related and records of my fees etc in fear of mr taxman claiming I owe him a hillarious amount due to unannounced earnings? If so (and forgive my absolute lack of knowledge on the topic) wouldn't it be easier to just declare all my earnings and set my self up as a self-employed musician and take the whole tax on the chin? And if i [b]did[/b] do that i would then be able to claim musical instruments etc as a working expense with an allowance of up to £50,000 a year with me getting a tax return from these purchases periodically over a period of years. OldGit has kindly posted a list of things that could be claimed as expense (cheers!) I generally like to think i know the whole PRS side of things and stuff like that but this is something i've never had to propperly think about and people seem to just go "oh it'll be fine no one will know" in a fairly flippant manner when I try to get the jist of just what's going on in regards to tax :/ Any clarification would be really, really appreciated.[/quote] Yes. If you earn a certain amount money in this country you should pay tax on it. Them's the rules. It's abouyt £4000 per year minumum I think. So get your self an accountant, keep my list of stuff and save every receipt you get. Keep all your invoices (that you send to studios, band managers, gigs, whatever) and keep a note of what you got paid and when. Then when tax time comes around you can give your accontant a nicely filled in XL file (which they will probably send to you) with all the details of what you earned, what you spent and what you own and he or she can then work out what you owe the revenue and negotiate a deal with them for you. (that's the bit your really need an accountant for) It isn't hard, it won't cost a fortune and it is well worth getting a proper acountant to do it. One tip is to organise your expenses receipts etc yourself into logical monthly groups like living, housing, motoring, travel, clothes, cleaning, instruments, strings and other consumables, working food, etc for July, then another set for August etc Don't just chuck everything in a shoe box and then give your accountant the shoe box full of stuff in March .. They will charge you £50 and hour to sort your receipts into logical groupings and you can do that yourself.

[quote name='BigRedX' post='553558' date='Jul 28 2009, 08:49 AM']Admittedly it's over 30 years ago now, but I seem to remember a detailed International Musician review when the Stingray was first released going at length about how this new design had improved all the faults of the original Fender designs but wondering if some of the features (the 3+1 headstock for one) were too revolutionary for the majority of bass players.[/quote] Ha ha how that reviewer would laugh nowadays .... It was seen as evolution rather than revolution, I seem to remember...

Just posted this on the thread on [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=47346&view=findpost&p=471412"]Tax deductable expenses[/url] but I think it goes here too. Our drummer/archivist and bloke what does the books has sent us this handy list of stuff you can claim for, should you get to that point. PERFORMERS DEDUCTABLE EXPENSES Always keep a record of your Incoming and Outgoing Expenditure and get receipts for EVERYTHING!!!! The majority of performers are Self-Employed which means you are responsible for paying TAX and National Insurance. Information on the latest legal requirements are available from the Inland Revenue (UK) and you can find downloadable tax return software at Tax UK. There are many expenses that an entertainer/musician can legitimately deduct from their earnings, some of which are listed below. Music/Scripts/Recordings Coaching/Lessons Dues (Musicians Union/Equity/AGMA/SAG/AFTRA etc.) Subscriptions/Publications/Books Accompanist/Session Musicians Rehearsal Room Rental Costumes/Clothes/Shoes & Cleaning Make up/Wigs/Hair Dye/Hair spray Audition/Competition Fees Recording Studio/Sound Engineer/Producer Master Tape/Tape/CD Duplication/Labels/Artwork Audio/Visual Equipment Repairs/Replacement Leads/Plugs/Plug Boards/Power Breakers Supplies Equipment and other Insurance Photos, Reprints, Advertising & Publicity Professional Cards and Announcements Stationary/Postage/CV/Printer Ink/Photocopying Listing in professional directories (The White Book, Melody Maker, The Stage Newspaper) Public Phone Home Phone - Identified Long Distance & Business Calls Answering Service/Machine Local Transportation Meals & Entertainment (in town) Conferences & Entertainment (at home) Gifts to Profession (show gifts, etc.) Theater/Movie/Video Rental Tickets Backstage Tips Book-keeping/Accounting Fees Entertainment Agency Commission Artist Managers Commission Laundry & Cleaning Luggage & Tips Car Rental & Petrol Parking Tolls Local Transportation while on the road (taxi, bus fare, etc.) Plane/Train Fare Hotel/Motel/B&B or other Lodging Utilities TRAVEL, LODGING & MEALS AWAY FROM HOME (Expenses for gigs/competitions and auditions) List the dates, the city you were in, number of days you were there and get receipts for all meals/drinks purchased. The amount you can deduct depends on the business usage, i.e., unless the Telephone is a separate business line you may only deduct a percentage of the line rental, whilst calls concerning the business are considered a legitimate expense, personal calls to mates & family are not!! This is the same for Utilities, Vehicles, Travel etc., Anything that is purchased and used in conjunction with the business is a deductable expense. You should also consider taking out a private Pension, Equipment Insurance and Public Liability Insurance (the latter is required for outdoor performances & larger gigs, check with the organiser, promoter or venue as they may already provide cover). There are several sources of free help and advice available for individuals and groups who wish to set up in business. Click Here for job listings and information on careers in music or browse the Business & Finance Resources. (UK & USA listings). If you are still dubious about tackling your own accounts (& are earning enough to pay the fees!) contact: Association of Music Industry Accountants Unity House 205 Euston Road London NW1 2AY Tel:- 020 7383 9200 for a list of registered members or browse our listings of Music Accountants.

Our drummer/archivist and keeper of the books has just sent this list of stuff you can claim for. There may be a few new ideas here. PERFORMERS DEDUCTABLE EXPENSES Always keep a record of your Incoming and Outgoing Expenditure and get receipts for EVERYTHING!!!! The majority of performers are Self-Employed which means you are responsible for paying TAX and National Insurance. Information on the latest legal requirements are available from the Inland Revenue (UK) and you can find downloadable tax return software at Tax UK. There are many expenses that an entertainer/musician can legitimately deduct from their earnings, some of which are listed below. Music/Scripts/Recordings Coaching/Lessons Dues (Musicians Union/Equity/AGMA/SAG/AFTRA etc.) Subscriptions/Publications/Books Accompanist/Session Musicians Rehearsal Room Rental Costumes/Clothes/Shoes & Cleaning Make up/Wigs/Hair Dye/Hair spray Audition/Competition Fees Recording Studio/Sound Engineer/Producer Master Tape/Tape/CD Duplication/Labels/Artwork Audio/Visual Equipment Repairs/Replacement Leads/Plugs/Plug Boards/Power Breakers Supplies Equipment and other Insurance Photos, Reprints, Advertising & Publicity Professional Cards and Announcements Stationary/Postage/CV/Printer Ink/Photocopying Listing in professional directories (The White Book, Melody Maker, The Stage Newspaper) Public Phone Home Phone - Identified Long Distance & Business Calls Answering Service/Machine Local Transportation Meals & Entertainment (in town) Conferences & Entertainment (at home) Gifts to Profession (show gifts, etc.) Theater/Movie/Video Rental Tickets Backstage Tips Book-keeping/Accounting Fees Entertainment Agency Commission Artist Managers Commission Laundry & Cleaning Luggage & Tips Car Rental & Petrol Parking Tolls Local Transportation while on the road (taxi, bus fare, etc.) Plane/Train Fare Hotel/Motel/B&B or other Lodging Utilities TRAVEL, LODGING & MEALS AWAY FROM HOME (Expenses for gigs/competitions and auditions) List the dates, the city you were in, number of days you were there and get receipts for all meals/drinks purchased. The amount you can deduct depends on the business usage, i.e., unless the Telephone is a separate business line you may only deduct a percentage of the line rental, whilst calls concerning the business are considered a legitimate expense, personal calls to mates & family are not!! This is the same for Utilities, Vehicles, Travel etc., Anything that is purchased and used in conjunction with the business is a deductable expense. You should also consider taking out a private Pension, Equipment Insurance and Public Liability Insurance (the latter is required for outdoor performances & larger gigs, check with the organiser, promoter or venue as they may already provide cover). There are several sources of free help and advice available for individuals and groups who wish to set up in business. Click Here for job listings and information on careers in music or browse the Business & Finance Resources. (UK & USA listings). If you are still dubious about tackling your own accounts (& are earning enough to pay the fees!) contact: Association of Music Industry Accountants Unity House 205 Euston Road London NW1 2AY Tel:- 020 7383 9200 for a list of registered members or browse our listings of Music Accountants.