tauzero

The covers band I'm in is never going to sound like the original - lineup is guitar/vox, keyboards, bass, percussion (bongoes and cajon). Added to that, our guitarist can strum only a limited number of chords - he can't play bar chords and can't fingerpick. Keyboardist is brilliant but not used to playing with a bassist, so we're gradually sorting that out (good-naturedly, I may say). We keep close to the original arrangements and play songs which aren't going to expose the obvious absences of lead guitar and drummer too much, which does mean that keys and me take on somewhat different roles to the originals. So we're not learning note for note, but it's more like a disassembly and reassembly operating within our constraints than not learning it right.

I used to love doing "She sells sanctuary" for the same reason - dead simple bass line but lots of energy. And "With or without you" was a great exercise in passion.

I'm currently playing in three bands, two of which have keyboard players, both very talented and non-sociopathic. One of them does stray into my territory somewhat, but has responded well to me warning him off.

I'm so glad there's someone else that doesn't hate it. I thought it was my guilty secret. If the audience don't like what you're playing, and you're playing it well, it's not a problem with either you or the audience. The problem is that you're playing to the wrong audience. And if you're playing to a lowest-common-denominator audience, unless you're really up yourself [1], you can play songs which you at the very least don't hate but which the audience will love. My covers band plays a couple of UB40 songs but we wouldn't touch "Red Red Fscking Whine" with a bargepole. I think (and hope) the guitarist has now abandoned the idea of doing "Youm Sex Am On Foyur" [2] - a song which gets a lot of slagging off, but the original isn't too bad. Haven't ever heard a cover that does it justice, TBH, including any of my bands that did it. [1] Whatever did happen to Edward Himself, or Young Up, as I used to think of him? [2] As referred to by a singer I once worked with - she was from Oldbury

I panic slightly and briefly, fluff a few notes, then stop and wait till I can get back in. Mrs Zero once led us a right song and dance (so as to speak) when playing "Maria", the Blondie song (as opposed to any other Marias). She kept going to the wrong place, so we kept going round and round until I started singing the chorus that would take us out. If I hadn't, I think we'd still have been there. And then she got cross with me afterwards.

Some of you have 1980s Warwicks with the separate battery box, and of those some, a number greater than zero will have broken latches on the battery box lid. The lids are unobtanium and a replacement battery box from Warwick will set you back £30. For half that price (when you include shipping), the identical box may be had from Banzai Music - http://www.banzaimusic.com/9v-battery-compartment-mec-sku50414.html. Although the lid looks different, there's no need to mess around removing the old box and putting the new one in as the lid is a direct replacement. So that's my 5-string Thumb no longer needing a length of masking tape over the battery box lid to keep it closed.

Think how much it reduces the cost per note.

"Diana" - Paul Anka "Diana" - One Direction "Diana" - Paolo Nutini "Diana" - Alejandra Guzman "Diana" - Lillian Axe "Diana" - 3 Lb. Thrill "Diana" - Nerf Herder "Diana" - The Sounds "Diana" - Diomedes Diaz "Diana" - Collage "Diana" - Eugene Wilde "Diana" - Munchener Freiheit "Diana" - Current 93 "Diana" - Paddy Gibney "Diana" - Prefab Sprout Most or all of which aren't about rape.

Having just (as a buyer) undergone a traumatic experience where a couple of grands worth of Warwick bass disappeared while with DPD (fortunately reappearing afterwards), I'm sure you won't mind if I completely ignore this advice. Especially as your speculative 5% figure seems rather a long way off the mark. It seems more like 1-2% from my experience. It doesn't have to be a huge percentage for the insurance companies to make a profit - any courier which was losing or destroying 1% of the parcels they handled wouldn't stay in business long. Yes, even Herpes and Yokel.

We're talking insurance companies here.

Beware of insurance coverage levels. Parcelfarce won't give enhanced cover for musical instruments, only their standard cover for the service (£100 or £200, depending on the service). I use interparcel.com and UPS, and have had no problems with them.

It wouldn't hurt. Just start by saying that on rereading your reply, it was a bit short on detail, and then add what you want to. Try to avoid any hint of desperation.

The producer got the mix just right in 1963, and he's not going to go messing with the settings now.

The description says it has 38 unfret markers. Though there's one each side of the neck at the 12th unfret, so that might just be the gravestones for 37 frets rather than 38.

Philip Catherine later took over from Jan Akkerman in Focus. Just thought I'd mention that.

Good idea. I keep meaning to do something like it and never quite getting round to it. Presumably you have an offsite backup of the spreadsheet in case the computer gets stolen too?

That's pretty much what he said on BBC Breakfast.

But where that falls down is that Gilmour's black Strat looks pretty much the same as a Squier Affinity. The collectors are buying more than decorations, they're buying the associations too. I rather hope a few of them are bought by talented guitarists who will use them at least occasionally, and others by institutions like the Hard Rock Cafe which will display them for the public. It's a bit sad to think of them disappearing into vaults, never to be seen again until whichever auction the new owner decides to sell them at.

3-2-0-0 4-1-2-0 (I've known the 1 about 15 years, the others a couple of months) 4-0-3-0 (should be 5-x-x-x but we still haven't got a singer and I've only done 3 rehearsals with them) I think I've actively disliked one former bandmate, about 30 years ago (she was the band leader and she eventually sacked me). But there's been a few I haven't actually disliked but would describe as being self-abusers.

To quote Sir Paul of Macca: Sei, Sei, Sei. 😁

It's very lovely but rather expensive. And here's another £3500 second-hand Warwick: http://andybaxterbass.com/details.php?id=1443 (a 1986 Thumb 5) - I can live with much less slanty pickups, a 2-piece bridge, and broken battery box lid for less than half the price.

Have you had a look in the adverts section?

So it's rather like murder, because you've got to prove intent as well? 😁

Isn't that the very definition of A Dorian?

When I help out with Mrs Zero's duo, I always ask the guitarist what the next things are to bring out. I try to tell the other members of my band too, but not always successfully - if things get chaotic, I just wait till they've brought everything out and then load up. We always do a final sweep to make sure nothing's been left behind, which almost always works. I've managed to leave my amp at home. It lives in a silver case, very similar to a silver case that Mrs Zero was using for a vocal effect pedal, and I grabbed the wrong one. Still, I had my spare amp with me. And no speaker cable as it was in the silver case. It was only about an hour round trip to get my amp...