JD1

Yeah - first saw it in Bass Player and was looking forward to trying one. They've been like hens teeth though. Maybe they've had teething problems? I asked Sounds Live and they said Beyer were quoting 6 - 8 weeks delivery.

Oleta Adams - I prefer the Right Said Frank version from Phoenix Nights

Take That Situation and Whistle Down the Wind - Nick Heyward (Pino I think) Get here - Oleta Adams (Pino yet again) Go West stuff (bloody Pino - yet again I'm sure) Did someone mention New York Minute by Don Henley? The Bad Company stuff is great. Shows you don't needs loads of chorus / delay and be slipping and sliding everywhere - but when you do... Percy Jones - Brand X Livestock - "ish" I keep a fretted and fretless to hand always. Fretless is such a unique voice. OK it was more "fashionable" in the 80's but its still valid now in the right context. My main squeeze is a Pedulla Pentabuzz.

I think the new album is very good - step (back) in the right direction for me. I sort of lost interest around Signals and Grace Under Pressure - the odd highlight since. New album reminds me of Permanent Waves (last saw them on that tour at Newcastle City Hall around '81). Would love to see them again but I'm not a fan of stadium gigs.

Has anyone seen or tried a Fusion 550?

Been looking at an Ibanez maybe as a back up bass. Tried a few at local shop. BTB (think it was a 555) was seriously good for the money and sounded great - Bartolinis and a 3 band eq with variable mid for under £400. Easily good enough to be my main bass let alone a back up. Tried an ATK 5 string which was also nice but string spacing was a bit tight for me and the EQ not as versatile. Ergo was also excellent - more of a J vibe. They just seem to have quality and value nailed.

I had a California PM 5. Really nice - versatile EQ nicely voiced. Good bridge fingerstyle sound with P thump when you wanted it.

Saw him about 10 years ago with a band called Sax Appeal at South Shields. Although I'd heard of him I didn't know what he looked like. This guy was ripping on a Wal, smiling and grinning through all sorts of changes and I thought he's some player. Penny dropped when they introduced the band. I bought 5 seasons and Live at the gig and asked him to sign them - pen ran out so I've got Lau... scribbled on the front of 5 seasons. Check Up From The Neck Up is awesome.

I'm interested in an Orange AD200 bass head. Has anyone any experiences? Are they loud enough? What's the EQ like? How do you get round the lack of a DI out?

I find the angled 10 really helpful. I stand the cab length wise either on the floor, or a chair and even standing right in front I can hear much better than when I used EA cabs. The sound is less reined than the EA stuff though.

I'm sure mine was solid flame maple rather than a top. Guitar Guitar in Newcastle still have it and I'm toying with buying it back - I miss it! Its Shrektastic - just like Funkymonk's. It was really high output. Not sure what circuit it had. Checked in the control cavity and the circuit looked quite diminutive - but it used to make the pre-amp on my EA amp wince - even in the active input.

I think it was Marcus

Yeah - the eq on my MM isn't great. Bass too low and treble not high enough. Because they are boost only you get the dubious options of extra rumble and extra harshness. EQ aside, I love the guitar though - neck / fingerboard fab.

I've just been asked by a venue to see my MU card (a month in advance of the gig) to confirm I've got public liability insurance.

NS5CR was the forerunner to the Euro LX5 I believe. Made in the Czech Republic as well, but I think the spec might be different. The NS5CR I had was solid flame maple - not sure but does the Euro just have a figured top? Also I'm sure mine was a 34" scale. Pre-amp may be different too - Tone-pump versus Aguilar maybe? Either way, mine had a very hot output.

Often I find bass controls are voiced too low IMHO - e.g. on the Stingray. Also I've tried a couple of sweepable mid pre-amps (not Ibanez mind you) and I found the band width was too narrow. OK if you were cutting, but if boosting it was too honky. I know Wal's seem popular, but I couldn't get a good sound out of the circuit when I tried one. I've had a Spector, Status and a Sandberg all of which had nice voicing. Also Overwaters have a nice EQ - not too drastic. I'm currently waiting for an Audere for my Fender Marcus V, so will see what that's like.

Supported the Cutting Crew at Newcastle Riverside yonks ago - drank their Stella backstage. Also supported Robert Plant a few years ago when he did a Priory of Briony thing at Whitley Bay. However, I take my hat off to the guy who supported Whigfield. That's going to take some beating.