dmccombe7

Waterloo is a floor filler. Usually 1st song in 2nd set and it just has a feel good vibe to it. Adding Mamma was based on audience response to Waterloo. Guitarist had played Mamma in a previous band and said it went down really well. Looking forward to playing it at the next gig. Dave

We already do Waterloo and the new one was Mamma Mia. Just great songs to play. Not something i ever really paid much attention to until i started playing them. Some nice little slides in Mamma Mia that i really like. Getting the tone right for it isn't easy either as it sounds like he's muting slightly over the bridge area but could be wrong there. Dave

Because we don't rehearse much i actually quite enjoy them. We all bring sandwiches and juice or coffee and sit and have a chat for a while in the middle where we catch up on what each has been doing and gossip really. Its as close as i get to hanging out with a bunch of mates like the old days when i was young After one new song by ABBA which i thought was pretty standard stuff for any bass player the guitarist told me i'm the first bassist that he hasn't had to show how to play the bass line in that particular song. He said the same with Wizard Wish It Could be Xmas Everday when we first did it. Maybe because my background is in Prog / Jazz-rock i just find them relatively easy. ? Dave

I like that. Dave

Cracking pic as always but i'm now curious what the 269 signifies ? Dave

Our rehearsal yesterday went well. Got thru 6 new songs with some we changed singers to see how they sounded and WOW they worked out really well. Ran thru the songs we don't normally play but keep them in the song list to allow set variation for different type of venues plus allows us to make changes when we return to a venue. Some clubs have members that don't like to see the same show as they did the last time. Used my Sandberg MarloweDK for few hrs then changed over to my VM4 for the 2nd half of the rehearsal. No real reason. Dave

We've done a few afternoon / early evening slots with the Glam band too and its great getting home before 9pm. Dave

Gotcha Paul. Hope the surgery goes well. Take care and keep us all posted. Dave

I've been to a few of the dealer days and the band is more background music than a show. Only time people take time to watch the band is when they have been to the burger stall and still eating. Shame its the last gig in the diary this year ? Is the band folding or something else happening there Paul. ? Dave

Looks brilliant Daryl. Would love to have made the trip to see the HD Museum. One small point tho when playing that particular venue its "firing on all 2 cylinders" Dave

Now when you say "queer punk gig" it creates a rather odd image in my head. Dave

I gig my HB WB-100 and its loud enough to cover the larger clubs i do with 150-200 people in size so it can be done. Dave

Daryl could maybe put a good word in for you Pete. I reckon you could manage that if you share the driving. Dave

Straight into PA then was my other question Daryl. ? Dave

Got a rehearsal booked for tomorrow afternoon 11am - 5pm with the Glam covers band to go over some new songs we fancy trying out. We'll also run thru some songs in the set that we feel need a polish up or that we haven't played for a while. We'll also discuss the usual band issues which this time around is how we manage the PA ie who controls the desk and do we go for PA hire at every gig rather than use our own. Most gigs are clubs varying from 80-200 people. Always look forward to a rehearsal. We only have them 3-4 times a year more so when things are slow. (less than 2 gigs a month) Dave

Saw them early on in 80's at my local pub venue. Was very impressed by them and all excellent musicians too. I preferred Fish era personally and even bought his first solo album last month. I also followed Pete in Transatlantic for a while mainly because i thought he brought a lot to the bands he's played in, but got a bit bored with them to be honest. Definitely a very under-rated bassist. Dave

Have you gone IEM Daryl. Can't see an amp there. Dave

Thanks Mike, its not something i need to do very often and always check the correct practice before adjusting the truss. Dave

I use feeler gauges on the 7th fret while using a capo on 1st fret and holding down 12th fret (i'd need to confirm the 12th fret as its been a while and might be where the neck meets the heel) Generally i just eyeball along the neck and make sure it has the slightest relief. Once happy with that i'll measure it and move onto the string height and intonation. I usually reference a set up guide i found on Fodera basses. Dave

I guess that's really how i do it, until i'm happy with a bass but being an engineer i like to measure the end result. That's probably why my VM4 is slightly lower than other basses. I adjusted it after changing to Elixir strings which have a little more tension and it just felt right and when measured it was 1.8mm no fret buzz. Some basses i've tried taking lower but i either get fret buzz or choking and when i reach that point i just bring it back a touch and then measure it. Its more a reference point in my head. Dave

Yep that's the Sandberg bug. It sneaks up on you and when it bites you get it big time. Just great basses. I've never had a bad sound using my VM4. Its why i tend to take it to every gig these days. It just never lets you down. Dave