BassTractor

Research may have been a headache, but IMHO you've managed to nail it. Yamaha: secure buy, whether online or in shop. The cheapest one will serve you well (I suppose that is a TRBX-174). Ibanez: secure buy for the right models. Ask BC. IMHO, comparing with Yamaha, they were not competing with Yamaha at all for the cheapest models, but competitive from roughly 250 or 300 quid. Squier Affinity: have not tried one that I would actually buy, even when priced well over the cheapest Yamaha. Squier Vintage Modified offered some very nice basses, but had to be tried in person. Squier Classic Vibe long was a safe buy even online, but I now read that the new ones are less good - dunno how much less. I mention these more expensive ones because it should be easy for you to find a 200 quid used one that is a few years old. If you want to buy online, I'd say that from your list of brands, I'd buy a new Yamaha or a used mid-price Ibanez or Classic Vibe, but taking a fellow BC-er along to a shop would probably widen your possibilities. Good luck!

That is very recognisable. I found it helped talking myself into a state of mind that is directed towards the future. There's a certain freedom to be had when the collector in me, or the completist for that matter, is not allowed to govern my actions. It helped when the money went to something else I felt was important, like certain books. Truth be told, after selling 15 basses, I don't really miss them, though admittedly a certain Neptune Blue StingRay crosses my mind every now and then, whilst my beloved Bongo Dargie Delight doesn't. Other people's mileage will vary.

As an organ player, I stopped smuggling popular tunes into my improvisations during services at one specific point: a little child loudly sang along with the popular kids tune that was my contraband that day.

From what I've read, the Chinese government officially recognises copyrights, but is not active in this, prioritising export revenue. Then there's the structure of production. Thousands upon thousands of little factories in the hinterlands that are moved to other unfindable places in those hinterlands as soon as they become wary of any pressure. Reportedly, one only has to move a few miles away from the East coast before being in the middle of this, but it's said the government does not have the overview or control. From own experience within Hi-Fi and kayaks, there's also an endless stream of info, plans, tools and copies of molds going between family and friends, this complicating the matter further.

Reminds me of the yearly polls held in Holland when I was even younger. One year, the supergroup consisting of the "best" ones for each position was: Best singer: Jon Anderson Best guitar player: Steve Howe Best keyboard player: Rick Wakeman Best drummer: Bill Bruford I just wish I could remember who the best bass player was that year! 😂

What a cheat, taking a 27-year head start. You just keep practising, and you'll be as good or better! 😉 Great story. Thanks for posting it.

Yep. Essentially true, in that our gun/capita ratio is amongst the highest. Last year's statistics stated that Norway was on the 14th place globally, with 0,29 guns per private owner. The USA at that point had more than four times as many guns per private owner (1.20), and those guns were more dangerous. Here, it's all about hunting in your own forest, and you'd use different guns for elk, roe deer and fowl.

Exactly. My firm IEM BassHanger Ltd. already have many orders coming in. Follow this space! 😁

As any professional archer can tell you, only the arrow matters. The bow doesn't come into it at all. 😐

42. I learn it from a book. Seriously though, anything from 1 to 15, but the type of band I'd typically be a member of would have at least one long song (I remember a specific 20 minute one) and then try and make it diverse from that, like maybe three seven-minute songs and a funny two-minute ditty, or any other combination that does not involve 25 one-minute songs.

From my tiny laptop speakers I can't really hear the details, but whatever sound it it, I feel it's at least based on the sound of the Brazilian instrument called cuíca - a kind of drum with a stick mounted to its skin, and one rubs that stick much like some males tend to polish knobs. Another similar instrument exists in South-America, but I've forgotten its name, and Google didn't help me out quickly enough.

😮 What a terrible, terrible piece of music! Would've sounded soooo much better had it been written for voices, two wind instruments, typewriters and percussion! . Wait! 😮

Idunno! Weird stuff is happening on this site! First it's pop ups, now new cats up, and I guess it soon goes tïts up. 😮 Uh oh! Maybe I shouldn't have written that... ...and where in Hull is my HatCat avatar? Suddenly got something that moooves! 😮

's not a problem though. Just google "duncan the cat" and presto: a shiny new avatar within seconds! Cute and funny as well.

Indeed he has, and @ped writing yesterday or today that money's a bit tight right now and that he'd love to have 50 more subscribers every month, he'll certainly jump to the occasion and get this name change done. Kitty 4000 (formerly @Ricky 4000) is more than rich enough anyway, so it's a win-win! Me, I look forward to the new site that Kitty's dough will provide! Thanks, Kitty!

I'm guessing @Newfoundfreedom just was a bit unlucky with his choice of words, so I'm not trying to criticise him here. It's more of a general observation that I've had for decades: This thread again reminds me of the words by B.B. King and by a famous Norwegian folk musician, who both answered the laden question "...but what music do you listen to?" in similar fashion: - Music that inspires me. Most of the people who listen to my music tell me that the stuff I listen to is not Blues / is not Norwegian folk, but it is. It's just on another level - a level that guys like myself need to get our inspiration from. It seems hard for some to grasp that they have their own place in the inspirational chain, and that that place not necessarily is at the top of the triangle. Disparaging comments about people higher up the chain make you less modest than B.B. King was.

HatCat

Of course you aren't. You're a bass player! No, it's Jack who buys the pumps.

SWMBO never ever gave me any lip about any bass I bought - 16 in all. When I bought the first one, she remarked that it was a pretty bass, and after that she just didn't comment. Mind you, things were quite different when we were still married. 😄

This is what I wasn't able to write but would have wanted to write. Well done, and thanks!

Of course. We understood that much. 😃 ...but it was kinda like an open goal, and the goalkeeper being on holiday in New Zealand. 🙂 I just had to do something. No malice intended; just a bit of innocent fun. best, bert

Er... you like and want only the D and G strings? 😉

Zero 😮 , coz today I sold my last Bongo. 😥 Then again, when I get the money, I'm getting a new, cheaper, bass. Probably next week.

Another one that's not pretty, but still contains some design choices and fun stuff: "Kast alle papirene" by Norwegian band deLillos. Its title loosely means: "Throw away all the paperwork". The band "logo" BTW is printed on the jewel case, and for those people who just must have all the lyrics, the booklet was provided with another release. Still, with its design and colour scheme, I thought it a worthy contribution.

Too many fantastic covers in a thread about covers? Nah. I'd rather say you're now officially forgiven for your famous-album-covers-book faux pas! 🙂