icastle

Seems to be a geographic thing. Here in the East Midlands I can (and often do) get to go to an acoustic PnP every week. Some are in pubs or working men's clubs, some in cellars and even one in a glass blowing workshop! The initial response to having an electric bass involved can be, and generally is, a little stand offish, but that's really just a barrier to overcome. Empathetic playing, getting there early and standing your combo out of the way and choosing a traditional looking instrument soon removes those barriers and you soon become an accepted fixture.

Ok. That's odd. I was under the impression that the flood filter only kicked in if there were a large number of recipients. I'll flag it up to the Admins to take a look at.

How many recipients did each PM have?

The Conservative Party?

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1386450092' post='2300374'] Yes him. And the other chump who's job description starts with S and ends with 'inger'. [/quote]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1386448973' post='2300364'] I won't say which individual(s) were responsible for the train wreck, but it wasn't me. Or the drummer. [/quote] Ah. Understood. Identities have been changed to protect the [s]guitarist[/s] innocent...

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1386446969' post='2300321'] My 'entry level' band did it last Xmas, at my suggestion. I' ll draw a veil over how well we succeeded. Lets just say it was not a triumph :-( [/quote] But they still sing songs about it... Shelley the red faced bassist Had some very dodgy notes And if you ever heard them You would even say 'oh no'

I just couldn't resist... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyuxPjnFqyA

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1386415600' post='2299806'] what do you lovely basschatterers cover for christmas? [/quote] Halls... ...with boughs of holly. Right, I've done my bit for Xmas, I'm off now...

I always start off with those satin finish necks but they're glossy within a couple of months. It doesn't seem to make a noticeable difference.

[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1386355223' post='2299297'] Are you serious Ian? [/quote] Yep. It sounds awful, but I'm 'ever so slightly mercenary' about it. I regularly play stuff that I hate and wouldn't listen to in a million years, but as long as people like it, I get repeat work and I get to eat.

Me being happy with my playing isn't important. It's what the other musicians think of it that matters.

[quote name='Toasted' timestamp='1386173769' post='2296745'] It'd be good to get some stats. [/quote] How's this...

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1386280746' post='2298351'] I knew you lot would spout puns as bad as this. [/quote] I know - they're so predictaboil...

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1386262506' post='2297923'] Because the connector on an actual kettle lead is a different shape so it wouldn't fit the mains input socket on an amp. [/quote] Almost. A kettle lead will fit an amp socket but an amp lead won't fit a kettle. It's exactly the same shape connector but the 13A socket has a little 'lump' on it which stops a 6A cable from being plugged into it unless you are daft enough to sit there carving plastic.

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1386250612' post='2297690'] True - but I have seen ads that include more than one item. Say, for example, someone is trying sell a full bass rig - comprising an amp and two cabinets. Would that be three items or just one? Or someone selling a load of bass body parts (bridge, pickups, scratchplate, etc). Should each individual item be listed separately? If the answer is no, then what is to stop someone selling a range of basses and other gear all on one ad? Would that be regarded as sharp practice? I ask purely for clarification, not trying to stir... [/quote] I think the answer to that one really depends on what the items are and whether someone is listing them in such a way to avoid paying advertising fees. Of course it makes sense to advertise smaller stuff like pedals in a clump and I'd say that advertising an amp and a couple of cabs together makes perfect sense. Listing the entire contents of your house doesn't. The other thing to consider of course is that a big list of stuff might not stand out enough to attract a buyer who's looking for a specific item whereas a seperate listing will.

[quote name='NAS' timestamp='1386184832' post='2296921'] Are there rules about making multi-item ads if for example you were selling a number of amp valves? [/quote] Really depends on how many items you're planning on selling. A single ad is £7. As many ads as you want for 12 months is £20. So, if you're planning on selling three items or more, the £20 option is your best bet.

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1386093424' post='2295660'] A multimeter is a very useful tool but, like any tool, has to be used correctly and with some understanding. A simply voltage measurement of a battery is not as good as measuring its voltage when powering a load of some sort, so measuring battery voltage in situ is generally a better indicator of battery condition. [/quote] +1 You can't just stick a 9v battery across a multimeter and expect to get a meaningful answer - at the very least, you need a load equivalent to the item the battery is normally powering and measuring current as well to get a vague idea of what state the battery is in. It still won't be accurate though as different battery types have different discharge characteristics. I know that my basses will be struggling to see 5 months use from an Alkaline battery - so I just change them every four months.

Before the amp will switch on it goes through a series of 'tests'. An intermittently faulty speaker cable can cause it not to switch on. You could also try linking the 'send' and 'return' sockets together using a spare guitar lead - they're switched and are a known failure point. Unfortunately, there are a number of older Hartke amps out there that suffer from dry joints, so that'd be my next guess if you don't have any luck with the first two suggestions - that'll be an amp tech fix if you aren't proficient with a soldering iron I'm afraid.

I suspect they are a 'stop gap' for people who progress onto 'better' instruments quite quickly.

Ibanez SR505. I wanted something a little different to the regular PB\JB sound and this fitted the bill nicely. Super skinny and fast neck with a nice growl and bark to it, this bass gives me the distinctive (within my genre) sound I want with the minimum of faffing about.

Depends on the person asking. If they're staggering around drunk and being a PITA, then absolutely not. If they ask nicely and the request is for something we can use elsewhere afterwards then probably yes.

Twiglets I like Twiglets.

I have often been described as a 'vile inist'. There are a lot of things it could be, but I'd guess that you've used too much rosin and the quietness is because you're bowing that string gentler because it makes a scratchy noise. Give the strings a wipe and lay off the rosin for a little while would be my first inclination.

Well now we've established that the singer doesn't have the technical vocabulary necessary to explain what she has in mind, ask her to give you an example of a song that has the sort of sound she's got in mind.