stewblack

Not a bit of it! I always enjoy the vicarious thrill of someone else getting a new bass.

I couldn't bring this to mind so I looked up Lakland basses. Oh dear. I see what you mean.

I am going to guess yes on this one.

Yep I know the feeling.

Is there any one particular thing that can turn a work of art into a rotten egg? Do you look at the rear of a bass, shiver in anticipation, only to gag and stagger from the room the moment you see the headstock decal? Or scratchplate colour or shape? Or lack of a scratchplate altogether? Is a hideous headstock, a brass nut, gold nob or a side mounted jack socket enough to have you turn on your heel and leave? Do you wonder if you've chosen the wrong instrument when someone puts up a picture of a blue bass and everyone else appears oblivious to this crime against nature? For me it's the headstock shape, it can utterly ruin an otherwise beautiful machine. There are combinations of colours (black body and plate, maple board) which don't appeal but that's more than one thing. Come on, prove to me that I'm not the only irrational fool here.

Chatting with a mate about a one off gig we might throw together, first thing he said was 'can I use my BC Rich?' I was able to say, 'you better had after all I will be using mine'

You're a star thanks Andy.

ooh... tease!

I bought a Boss pedal from Si and it was as painless a transaction as one could hope for. The pedal came promptly, was exactly as described, very reasonably priced and all communication was fast and clear. Delighted to recommend this fine Basschatter.

Bought a couple of bass related books from Nick. The transaction followed the same flawless course as the last time I traded with him. A1 Basschatter. Trustworthy, reliable, fair, and prompt. Deal with absolute confidence.

Ah I'm glad. It looks great in a picture but good to hear its as good in the flesh. Friend of mine was chatting to a guitarist friend about us crazy bassists and our relay system. He just shook his head, said it sounded like a great fun thing to do, but he could not imagine even two guitarists doing a similar thing. Never mind six of them. In fact he shuddered at the thought.

I've changed my mind. Can you take it back? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Slight change in plans. @BreadBinhas stepped in to take over the final leg of the journey. I shall leave him and @andyonbassto hammer out the details.

Anyone forming the impression Neil Young nicked @Dad3353 's girlfriend when they were at school?

All really solid observations, thank you.

It was. I laughed aloud when I read it. I've been going through a similar battle and it can get really frustrating . Tabs do a job and if the job they do i.e. get you playing a song you want to play, then there is nothing wrong with them at all. However... I have begun to study this whole music theory thing (very late in life, but there it is) and while others can explain it better than me, I'm going to take a stab at it. If I follow a tab I am essentially following a trail of breadcrumbs through a forest. Wearing blinkers. Me that is , not the breadcrumbs. So can I start at the entrance to the trees and emerge at the appropriate exit? Yes. But all I will see is the trail of breadcrumbs. What I don't know is why they follow that path. Nor what any of the trees are called, nor how other paths intersect with the one I'm following. I either follow the breadcrumbs or memorise the path they take. At the end I know nothing else about the forest. If I learn to read music then I am learning to read a map and history of the entire forest. I learn how the person who laid the breadcrumbs knew where to put them. I learn what happens if I want to take a detour, or make my own path. Which trees I can climb, which I can duck under, which ones are hollow which drop their leaves and obscure certain paths and ultimately how the whole wooded wonder of the forest works the way it does. So if I want to enter the wood at A and leave at B I can do so looking around me understanding where I am and why certain paths get me there in different ways. Certain common paths begin to become recognisable at a glance and I can trip merrily along them while planning ahead for the complicated bit where I have to cross a tricky stream and not fall in. Nothing wrong with following the breadcrumbs. But look at all I'd be missing.

Oh these are great little machines. I think, if you get one, you'll be very pleasantly surprised.

I am agog with vicarious excitement for you.

Has it happened yet?

Some people don't take long to make an impact. Met Si in a Welsh service station car park, for a brief handshake and a handover. And then, just like that he was gone. Still think of him, how generous he was with that most precious resource, his time. Best tribute any of us can give him is to offer ourselves up to help others in the same selfless spirit.