randythoades

I have had both. I have had several Vintage guitars and basses, including the V52. Good guitars for the money, although the fret ends on all of them needed a bit smoothing. The hardware is good but the pickups could do with changing and Wilkinson make a higher quality alnico pickup for the 52 tele which is excellent, only around £25 and well worth it. Still makes it significantly cheaper than the squier but somehow I never held onto them very long and the resale value is a bit naff. The Classic Vibe Squier was excellent straight out of the box, maybe only the quality of the pots let it down which got a bit scratchy after a couple of months, and I wasn't keen on the super thick gloss finish, but otherwise hard to fault and hits above its weight. I would say, try to get a CV tele used for around the price of a new Vintage and you have a winner.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1384168175' post='2273374'] The unfortunate truth is that you might actually not be pushy and determined enough. [/quote] I too have been in a revolving door of various bands over the years, some cover bands, some originals. I have left and rejoined several bands too, thinking that the issues I had were gone, which of course they rarely were. I tend to avoid conflict and just quit at the first sign of a struggle or a direction that I am not comfortable with, rather than being stronger and forcing the discussion. On one occasion I quit the band because I couldn't cope with the attitude, sound and playing of the other guitarist, and once I had done that it encouraged the others (who also felt the same) to act and remove the other guitarist and invite me back, my ego suitably engorged! If I had been a bit more determined it would have been sorted without too much fuss. Similarly when trying to do original bands around myself I have struggled to find or keep good players, so I started to learn piano and drums (failing at both to a great degree) but settling on programming drum machines and midi keyboard, singing and playing everything myself to get the sound and style I was after. Granted, it is difficult to play live, but I am not keen on gigging anyway, I like the challenge of crafting songs the I myself like, not for general consumption, and have been doing this now, on and off for about 10 years. No one hears them but me generally but I keep refining them and changing them and it keeps my creative side satisfied. I have this dream that once I am dead and gone, someone will find my tapes and suddenly I will be a huge posthumous star!

I did it after i had been playing a couple of years. One guitarist left and i knew another bassist so i moved across and did either or in various bands for the following few years. I quite liked it as i get bored easily so it was good to have a change every couple of months! Then ended up joining a band with a bassist far beyond my skills (fellow basschatter bobVBass as it happens) so stuck with guitar for the next 15 years, indulging in copious amounts of unnecessary soloing. As a previous bassist, i actually found it a real benefit in a band, a good sense of rhythm, a need to leave space for other instruments and also a need for simplicity. We managed to get a very full sound by giving each other space to play and a great groove. I still play guitar but have changed back to bass now i have stopped gigging. Trouble is, i now seem to play bass more like a guitar, which has its benefits sometimes, but loses the real integrity of the bass instrument. I have also taken up double bass now in an effort to lose my "guitariness" feel to bass. My advice to anyone, is to make the change, but keep very close to both instruments and avoid losing the bass mentality.

Twin Aria CSB 380 and their slightly more sophisticated sister the CSB 450 (on the right).

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1379450306' post='2212929'] Yup, all the time. I have a Pod XT and I run it into the FX return. Works well! [/quote] Following this thought and a quick google search, I ran my POD HD desktop from output into the FX return of my Ashdown and got MUCH better result (at home mind and not tried at rehearsal level). As far as I can make out, by not using the FX send from the amp (nowhere on the POD desktop to input anyway), it bypasses all of the EQ and merely uses the amp as a poweramp completely flat. Clearer and more like I expected the sims to sound. I will have to try it at proper levels but seems certainly seems promising.

Cool tele! Excellent work. I love making and modifying guitars, just like Leo did all those years ago. It is so satisfying to get your ideal instrument. My own is a tele/strat hybrid, perfect for me (at the moment), which is a fiesta red hardtail strat that i routed for a tele bridge to fit on my favourite neck (a MIJ 62 reissue). I did the nitro paint and only a very thin coat of satin laquer as I dislike the thick gloss on modern fenders. It has just started to wear nicely. Love it, and it always garners interest from jam sessions.

I am also trying to do this with Pod HD desktop and I have found that in general it sounds really good at lower (bedroom volume. It works better through my Ashdown Little Giant rather than my ABM, maybe due to a flatter EQ but I am struggling though at anywhere near rehearsal levels with it turning muddy and have gone back to just putting it through the PA. I did think that perhaps a speaker change in my 112 would help, maybe a fuller range speaker like the Eminence Deltalite II or Kappa would work for both uses, or changing to a power amp rather than bass amp, or doing both. Makes so much sense to save the space on guitar cabs if i can (and looks more impressive than having a 50w SS Fender behind me!)

I have switched back to bass from guitar becasue of health issues. I too have back and shoulder problems as well as arthritis and recurring RSI in the knuckles of both hands which can make it incredibly painful to play. Chriropractor sorted my back problems out so that it is much less intrusive, and visit once every couple of months for a stretch and a tweak. My doctor merely told me to stop playing but I started looking for solutions. I even tried to relearn left handed but that was a nightmare so gave up quickly... I take Glucosamine supplement 3 times a day which seems to help to a small degree with the inflammations on my knuckles but the stuff that helped the best was to adjust how I played (on both guitar and bass). Raising the strap by a couple of notches really helped me, as did changing bass playing to pick rather than fingers. I experimented with short scale but found that the skinny neck and short scale length actually made it worse. I settled on a wide (ish) p bass style neck and a very lightweight paulownia body as a homemade p bass and also started playing medium scale Aria pro basses which are a great mix of the two. Also very lightweight but you have to put up with a touch of neck dive. When gigging or playing long rehearsals now though, I still need to put a glass of iced water next to my rig and between songs plunge my hand into to reduce the swelling!

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380435983' post='2225103'] Nah just some ribbing between RT and me (and RTs one of my best friends ) [/quote] In that case, I pity you...! Ahhh, group hug :-)

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1380367910' post='2224340'] Let me get this straight... You're in a Spinal Tap tribute band and you're finding it difficult getting worthwhile gigs? I can't help but think something is wrong here. [/quote] Trouble is, we over saturated the market, we didn't get to play in big college towns, we ended up with a depressiong looking album that you wore on you arm rather than put on your turntable, and after God knows how many time of asking, they kept putting Puppet Show first and Vinyl Tap second on the bill... Plus, as you can gather, someone that loves gigging for the sake of it, and someone that doesn't! And a drummer just into the sex and drugs... As you might imagine, we have a fun but tempestous time! I want to start again but really go for the show aspect...hint, hint... Bob likes to poke fun at the poor newbie bassist, trying to make something in this world....:-( Good job we're great mates or I might develop an alcohol problem, or a complex...

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380286449' post='2223287'] Haha ok.. so you want to reform Vinyl Tap to just to practice then? [/quote] That's not fair and not accurate. It is true that if the choice was crummy gigs or just practice then I would prefer to just rehearse. I wouldn't call it practice though (although God knows I need it...). I prefer to think of it as a get together with a couple of good mates and have a jam and play some good tunes. No pressure, no agenda, no false promises, no expectations, no playing the same song 20 times in a row to nail the middle eight. I do appreciate that this is not enough for some people and that playing gigs is an inevitability, and small gigs the only real starting place. Therefore, I would prefer to do as someone else has suggested and put more effort into publicity etc to get the better gigs in the first place as quickly as possible, festivals, parties, events. I think this would be a better overall use of time than hauling stuff to a gig halway across London for no other reason than for the fact that it actually WAS a gig.

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380266435' post='2222928'] Very true - but you don't get the 100 people gigs without paying your dues at the 3 punter ones unfortunately... [/quote] Exactly! That's why I am not keen on gigs...

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1378767259' post='2204584'] At the moment I have to confine myself to looking at the audience occasiinally and smiling. Or sometimes tossing my hair about if I'm feeling extra confident Anything more than that and I would definitely start playing loads of bum notes But one day I hope to be able to throw a few shapes Takes practice I think..:-) [/quote] Ditto (without the hair bit though...)! I look around, look at the ceiling, my shoes, the drummer if I really have to. Almost anything but make eye contact with the audience.... I do occasionally tap my foot or move my weight from one leg to the other. Bill Wyman is a much bigger showman than me!

I know how you feel. Modifying is great! I have done the same with a squier Cv p bass, a homemade jazz, 2 squier stratocasters, a tokai telecaster, 2 homemade with parts Esquires and a pastcaster tele/strat hybrid... Once you start, you can't stop. Buy the VI bass and a load of parts because you never ever achieve the goal of the perfect guitar, there will always be something that doesn't quite work or can be improved. So you sell it off on ebay for a loss and start again. My wife points out that I spend more time tinkering with guitars than actually playing them...

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1380222179' post='2222591'] There seems to be something about music that many people believe they must be paid or they won't play. It's a point of view, I suppose, but I'm interested in why music should be so unique in this respect? [/quote] I don't say no to gigs because of the money, I would happily play for free. The money is not the issue. The issue is having to put yourself out considerably for 5 hours to play in a crappy little pub with only 3 punters inside. I just can't see the point. I would happily go and play for free if there were 100 happy people there. I just find it completely demoralising. I don't actually find gigging that stimulating in the first place so I can take it or leave it. I enjoy playing music but it for my own enjoyment really so it has to something more than gigging just for the sake of it.

After an afternoon of nostalgia, been going through my remaining vinyl and got me thinking about who i would choose if I were lucky enough to be able to form a glam metal super group! Who would you choose? My suggestions (although highly liable to change): Drums - Tommy Lee ( Crue) Vocals - Jack Russell (Great White) Guitars - CC Deville (Poison) and Dan Huff (Giant) Bass - Duff (GnR)

I have to say, I don't think it wrong to say no to gigs. I have tended to be the one who always declines and it leads to arguments within the band but I think you need to stand your ground. For me personally, I can't see the point of lugging all my gear for an hour or so to play a crummy pub for £20 between you and to play to 3 men and a dog. I would prefer to just have a rehearsal and enjoy what I play. Some of the others I have played with just like the buzz of gigging, and I fully appreciate that, but now I am straight with people right off the bat. I don't mind charity gigs or gigs for friends etc but unless it is worthwhile I think it a waste of time. You spend all that time setting up, playing, breaking it down for nothing. To be fair, I haven't played any "proper" venues or that many gigs, just pubs and clubs so some of the other comments are spot on and I am sure to get shot down. If you are guaranteed a crowd then what the hell, it'll be a good time. If you get to cover costs too or even make a profit, it's a bonus. But just gigging for the sake of it seems pointless to me.

I have just managed to snag another 1980s Aria Pro II. A 1981 Cardinal series CSB450, carved ash body, set neck in a most lurid colour of red. Not quite iconic (I only seem to remember the guys in the Rod Stewart band playing Cardinals - is that a good thing?) but a great medium scale bass none the less. Takes my Cardinal count to 3 now...the wife is beginning to notice...I may have to offer my 1969 Aria violin bass or as a token sacrifice before she puts her foot down!!

All of this is making me feel nostalgic. I have the urge to go on ebay and buy an old Ibanez or BC Rich and start a glam metal band.... Look at all the great (ok, maybe not quite so great) songs we've unearthed. If only I still had a poodle perm, I would be set...

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380195831' post='2222113'] well to paraphrase the audience participation in "Wee Wee Baby" - B*ll*x! You wouldn't understand - they were a proper bikers band - not for [i]Harley[/i] riders - I seem to remember having a CG125 at the time though actually Cinderella were brilliant - still listen to them now and Gypsy Road is still one of my favourite songs of the time. Waysted were great too - Save your Prayers is an excellent album. So what about Magnum? Not sure they've aged very well.... [/quote] Cinderella excellent, still listen to them (except Night songs album which I wasn't keen on). Loved Magnum at one time but they have 3 distinct career blocks. The earlyish albums were ok, all fantasy goblins and gnomes stuff (great for those long days playing D&D).., peaked at On A Storyteller's Night and again with the cracking Wings of Heaven then a bit samey since they reformed. Their best recent (still 6 years ago mind) album is Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow but not back up to their best. One band I never got round to seeing live

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1380194485' post='2222081'] A quick google tells me Winger are still going [/quote] Going where?

[quote name='BobVbass' timestamp='1380193374' post='2222061'] Somewhere in England - classic album - not quite Glam Metal though [/quote] I suppose. Still cringeworthy though... One of your favourites if I remember correctly? It figures....