rushbo

I played there last year with Roxy Magic. It can be a pain to load in/out but the Cavern does provide some backline. The bass rig was a perfectly fine Blackstar 700 Head with two cabs. They also list AC30s and a BDC legacy kit amongst other stuff. I've still got the tech spec sheet from last year, which I can send over to you, but it might be worth getting in touch to see if there's an updated 2024 version, just in case. Here's the obligatory, sad Beatle fan shot:

If you have access to a printer, you could download this: https://resources.dsmusic.com/guitar/Blank+Bass+TAB+Paper.pdf Print as many copies as you like and then take them to your local print shop, where you should be able to get them spiral bound.

I can't see it being an issue at all. My only concern would be that I'd probably bring my own stool as I'd be a bit nervous about relying on what a venue can provide. I've seen bar stools in pubs which look a bit like they've been nicked from a primary school to chairs which need a step ladder to mount successfully. You can get stools combined with a stand if you don't want to go down songofthewinds DIY route. Here's an example from Gear 4 Music: There are a bunch of these things available and they start from around £40. Some have backrests for extra comfort/swankiness. If it's a choice between a great bassist playing sitting down, or a dodgy dep, pogoing themselves to death, I think most bands would choose option A.

I love everything about this. It sounds great, too. I'm in awe of anyone who can make their own instrument from scratch - especially with limited tools, no experience and no actual templates. Kudos, sir.

I'm a big fan of Zoom stuff, too. I've had a few multi-FX devices as well as a portable recorder (H1) and the fantastic Zoom R16. I've never been less than impressed. My FX needs are pretty minimal, so my old school B3 is perfect for me- especially as I modded it to use with an external patch changer pedal. I had a Zoom B1 Four and it sounded great, but for live work, where I have to switch between patches, I prefer the B3.

I had the same issue with a homemade wooden pedal board a few years back. I got around it by using a staple gun to attach the Velcro to the board and all was good. I gave the staples a little tap with a hammer to make sure they weren't standing too proud and that worked until I caved in and bought a second hand Rockboard from eBay (cue cries of sellout! Judas! etc.) I love this thread and that board looks lush.

Paisley Underground anyone?

Yep - He's often overlooked, but Todd id a huge talent.

PowerPop:

This caught my eye... I never knew that PMT had a house brand, but they've just bought out this rather nice-looking Rickyish thing - the Antiquity Legends RB-BK. It's hard to judge exactly what it looks like as it's all black, but it looks quite tasty. Very similar to the Harley Benton RB-414BK, but Antiquity have gone with the "none more black" approach. The spec on the site says it's got a scale length of 28.35", but the solitary review says it's actually 34". The reviewer does go on to say nice things about it, however. Anyone seen one of these in the wild yet?

A Pretzel and a Twiglet had a baby.

I am confident that this paragraph is the funniest thing I will read all year. This is genius. Thank you so much for this.

The string spacing on the two string is slightly "challenging" at the dusty end, isn't it? But that three-stringer is sweet. It's almost as if one of the Cabbage Patch Kids grew up and became a luthier.

Ah, it's great to see a B3 on a board. I wouldn't be without mine.

E: Take your bass to the nearest shop that sells make-up and beauty supplies. Find a nail polish that's the closest match to the colour of your bass. Carefully apply the nail polish to the chip, building it up in layers if the chip is deep. You may need to gently sand it with a high grade of sandpaper to smooth it out. It might not be perfect, but your eye won't be drawn to the dink. Keep the nail polish to treat the inevitable dinks and scratches that a gigging bass will get.

Glad to be of service! I use a short fishing rod bag to keep my Hercules double stand in - It works a treat.

I had a Thomann Producer Backpack for a while. but I found I could never remember which pocket everything was in! Currently, I use a generic sports backpack which has no pockets (apart from one in the front flap where I store a few spare strings) but a large storage area. The aforementioned flap folds right out which means I can open up the bag nice and wide and drop my leads, mics etc into it without any faffing about. I keep my leads, SM58, toolkit and a few other odds and ends in there and it works a treat for me. Fishing bags and cases are a lower-cost option, too - here's a random one from Amazon.

Another smoooooth transaction from Mick - many thanks!

He's a legend. I was lucky enough to see him with fIREHOSE and later with the Missingmen and they were both outstanding shows. What a work ethic - he never stops.

The Nebulous pedal is just dropping off to sleep, but the Future Chorus pedal is thinking about the lovely board that Mr ThePlug is going to make for them.

I always take a spare bass. I'm fortunate that for most of the gigs I play, the stages are big enough for me to have both basses at easy reach and I'll often swap instruments in the break between sets, purely to give them both a run out. I look after my gear, but I've still had the (very) occasional mid-gig crisis and the spare was there to save my life. Any old car boot sale, boat anchor bass will get you out of trouble, and rather annoyingly, you'll probably be the only person in the room who's noticed that you've gone from your 1962 Fender Precision to your 2019, Gear 4 Music starter bass.

The trick is to stick it in your shopping cart and wait - within a day you'll get a "have you forgot this? It's cheaper now" message. Also, if it's the first thing you've bought from them, you'll get some money off. You can try using "Honey" - it's one of those browser add-ons that search for discount codes. You could save a few quid.

Yep - the LEDS won't work, but it'll do the job.

If you don't mind waiting for a few days, I can recommend this: https://www.wish.com/product/58aed34a9c0dfe067bc0919a It came from that purveyor of quality electronics; Wish, but it's robust and works well. It's an ABY box and works passively - the power only illuminates the LEDs. With postage and various discount codes, mine cost about £12.

I'm probably leaving myself open to being flamed to death but... A few years ago, I did a version of this and stuck it on YT. It's not note-for-note, but it was a lot of fun working it out and it's a lovely line to play. Persistence pays off!