Paul Clifton

Music goes beyond technical ability - it is something that touches people and moves them. The fact that, say, Nick Beggs was a better player than King is irrelevent: his lines didn't affect people or stay with them. He was just a vaguely flapping thumb behind Limahl's mullet. There are two reasons Mark King came to prominence and came to be seen by the masses as a great bass player. The first is that he was the front man of the band as well as the bass player, and that while in the spotlight he was playing in a very showy style that caught the audience's eye. However, beyond that he also wrote basslines that were memorable and stayed with people, and made teenage boys want to get a plank of wood up under their armpit and emulate that sound. This is what makes a musician great, IMO - the ability to create feeling and connection. Oh and to dismiss the thin strings is facile - they make up the distinctive tone of the King/Clarke line of bass playing (whether or not you feel this shifts the bass's role away from BASS towards banjo/cello) that spawned a million 30-90 sales and drove more UK bass sales than Paladino/Beggs/Sting/McCartney/blah/blah put together. Just because [i]you[/i] prefer clunky old-school bass strings doesn't make any other variation on tone less valid. Of course, everbody is entitled to their opinion and to slag off those prodigiously more talented and successful than they are - it's human nature; but there is really no 'musical' merit distinction to be made here between players because, as has been well proven on numerous threads, one man's cacophonous mess of noise is another man's music of the spheres. No one is in a position to judge.

Shaun sold me an RS210 cab - delivered quickly and well packed and as described! Very pleased thanks

[quote name='Hobbayne' post='1361265' date='Sep 3 2011, 08:13 PM']This takes not only the biscuit, but the whole pack!! [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-4-String-Electric-Bass-Guitar-Top-Xmas-Deal-/370291880645?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item56371db2c5""]Very expensive cheapo p bass copy[/url][/quote] "This brand new Westwood electric bass guitar has been hand-crafted using the finest woods and materials. Its classic designs are implemented by some of the world's most experienced craftsmen. The instrument has been carefully inspected and tested to ensure it meets our highest quality standards. " Hmm - that's not the Westwood I know...

[quote name='jackers' post='1361266' date='Sep 3 2011, 08:16 PM']cheers guys yea, I've had it since tuesday night, and it still hasn't gone down, so I was thinking I might drain it tomorrow or monday, considering I'm going on holiday and won't be able to play bass until the 14th anyway. I just wanted to make sure draining it wouldn't completely undo the skin hardening process [/quote] It will. The loose bag of blister skin will eventually come away leaving raw pink skin underneath. If you have till the 14th then just leave it alone and you will be much better off.

Fill a baking tray with sand. Heat it in oven for 20 mins at 200c. Dip fingers in hard. Hey presto. No easy answer - keep on playing, the fingers will toughen up, but lay off when you start to blister or you will just end up with fresh sensitive sore skin every time.

THIS is expensive cable: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alembic-Super-Cord-Preamp-/180574090599?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Outboards_Effects_MJ&hash=item2a0b0df567"]Expensive cable[/url] but THIS takes the greatest biscuit: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alembic-Guitar-Strap-/170637456749?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item27bac8f56d"]Expensive strap[/url]