tauzero

Drawing for first place - Cort GB4, bought for a Marillion tribute band and now destined for underuse (but a lovely bass regardless), and a Line 6 HD500 bought for a ridiculously small amount of money. Potentially joining them - Basschat cab kit, when I get round to building it.

They are settling but G and D are still dropping almost a semitone a day. Worse than the Ashbory strings. I now have to decide between loosening the top strings back off and reducing the windings round the peg or continue as it is with two layers of winding on.

I have a 5-string Kala SUB, 20" scale, which comes with Pahoehoes on it. It's been on the back burner for a little while after I initially tuned it up, but I've now started up with it again and spent the last week or ten days tuning it at least once a day. Strings finally seem to be settling down, but they've been even worse at settling than the silicone strings on my Ashbory were. So I'm looking around for possible alternatives. I don't want any of the metal-wound strings (nylon core or metal core) as they don't have the same tonal character as the rubber ones. The Silver Thumpers are interesting but, although Aquila tell me they make a 5-string set, I haven't been able to find one. And Thundergut 5-string sets are for the 23" scale of the current Kalas, not the former 20" scale. So, any suggestions for alternatives to the Pahoehoes? Does anyone know if Thunderguts will work on a 5-string?

I was on a cross-channel ferry many years ago where the on-ship entertainment was a duo with either a very limited drum machine or very little knowledge of music, who did "Delilah" in 4/4. I listened to it with a sort of horrified fascination.

My wife used it when she got a tattoo, many years ago. I suddenly got a rash. Turned out I was allergic to the bloody stuff.

There's a guy in a blues band in Birmingham who can't use his right hand (I presume from a stroke), but continues to play bass by using hammer-ons and pull-offs with his left hand. If I'd closed my eyes, I would never have realised.

I think it's 18 albums with H and four with Fish. I'm taking a little break from them though as the Marillion tribute band I was in, which was rehearsing towards the first gig, decided that they would dispense with my services (I don't think they yet have a replacement).

I'm the same. I periodically think I CBA with it any more, then get there, get all set up, start playing, and it's good again. My most recent extra smile was on Tuesday, when we did a guest slot at an open mic night with an eye on getting a few gigs at the pub in question. Our percussionist normally does a harmonica solo in "Three little birds", but just as he came up to it, realised he didn't have the gob-iron in question with him, so I stepped in and did a kazoo solo.

Just the one, and I've never heard him play - a Warwick JD Thumb. JD = John Davis. The best four-string I've ever played.

Everybody's got to start somewhere...

Sei Flamboyant 5 unlined headless fretless with a shallow lightweight body and Roland hex pickup built in (would be nice if Roland did pickups for specific numbers of strings). Although, as the idea of a signature model is that it sells loads, it would probably be more sensible to go for a Status Stealth to a roughly similar spec, as they should be able to turn out basses quicker than Martin Peterson.

There's another alternative - two feet at the front and one foot in the centre at the rear. Triangles are stable (hence three-legged milking stools).

Three to point out that the extended range light bulb isn't just about the infra-red.

And too many headstocks.

Six to debate whether a knowledge of electrical theory would enhance one's ability to change the bulb.