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[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1379254233' post='2210356'] I like the look of that. Am I normal? [/quote] You're as normal as me 'cos I like it as well Steve

Made between 1952ish and 1972 when it got subsumed into Musima. The company was founded in the late 19th century and at one point made recorders (I've played one dating to about 1930 and very nice it was too). They made a wide range of guitars (the arch tops aren't bad, again I've played one years ago) and the pick ups were a bit unusual (Rellog springs to mind as the trade name). A lot of their electric instruments featured that pearloid finish. How does it sound? and how playable is it? As far as value is concerned, how long is a piece of string? Can't help there. Steve

[quote name='timbo1978' timestamp='1379107076' post='2208877'] Love it, just need to find a track with a E, A, D, G chord structure! [/quote] You'd be surprised just how many chords use those notes and how many times you can throw in the open string to give your fingers a break (been there, done it) Have a fun day Steve

Open strings are your friends Steve

Thanks for the lessons Geoff, I'm slowly working my way through them but on first pass through I've already picked up a couple of technical points that are helping (supporting the little finger for example). I'm also using your exercise from the e-book, especially the studies in fourths, fifths and octaves, to support my quest to get my thumb moving in the right position rather than lagging behind up the neck. Thanks again, Steve

Next time I'll be there, looks like a great day. steve

Work calls so I'm not going to make it after all Have a great time. Steve

Make sure that all your basses are never in the same room at the same time so she never knows how many you actually have. Steve

... you go to a morris meet in Lincoln and realise that your team's schedule means you have to take your bass down Steep Hill, then back up Steep Hill, then down again and then up again. Steve

[quote name='TheRev' timestamp='1378453824' post='2200393'] That has never happened to me. [/quote] It's only happened to me once but I live in hope of a repeat Steve

Thanks folks. I've also downloaded Geoff Chalmers e-book and I've started using some of those exercises (and a mirror). Steve

... when you realise that not only are you in thumb position but you're actually in tune and playing the right notes! Steve

[quote name='geoffbassist' timestamp='1378324580' post='2198731'] I was thinking the same thing. Extra points for tassels :-) [/quote] Having watched a couple of your lessons, the fourth finger is a bit flat Working on it! Steve

The beard's had a trim since then but me in Morris mode Steve

I've tried playing one and it was a dismal failure. The problem I have is that I'm used to having both hands working together, eg I fret this note with the left and pluck that string with the right. Happens on most of the instruments I play. A stick requires dissociation of hands (like piano which I also struggle with) and so I rapidly concluded that much as I like the concept it was not for me. Steve

In almost all cases "limited editions" are pure marketing to get the first purchaser to part with silly money. Because they then tend to be kept pristine they gain very little and often just lose money. True classics tend to be instruments (or whatever) where the numbers have been whittled down by usage and wastage so they are genuinely rare AND have some desired quality. A classic case is the Gibson F5 mandolins made in the 1920's by Lloyd Loar. Now fetching well into six figures but these were instruments designed to be played. He made (it is thought) 326 of them and the whereabouts of 228 is known but they weren't made as special editions. Steve

I ran out of time, I've worked every day for the last three weeks. For my own amusement I'll try and finish up but it won't be in time for the competition. Steve

One of the problems I've inherited from forty years of playing squeezeboxes is my natural left hand shape. On a melodeon the fingers cover the chords and the thumb sticks up to cover the air button giving a very flat hand. When I play DB my hand naturally falls so that the thumb is above the first finger. To overcome this I've been doing a variation of the Spider exercise that I use as a warm up on electric bass. I consciously start with my thumb in the correct position opposing my second finger then open E, F, F#, G fingered 1,2,4, move straight across to the A string, then first finger A#, shift first finger to B, second finger, fourth then shift to D string and first, shift first, second etc, shift to G and the same pattern. Then reverse back down shifting four to four instead. If I'm feeling brave I can also continue going up coming back across the strings in the first pattern and then go back down. The point being to make sure my thumb moves on the shifts with my second finger rather than falling into it's natural tenancy of lagging behind. Has anyone got any other exercise I could do for a bit of Variety? Steve

I'm still using a WEM Copycat but then I'm a dinosaur Steve

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1377586048' post='2188948'] ah that's the high end bass - investment thread again, very nice... anyway on another topic, saw a guy walking down the street yesterday carrying a double bass, turned to the wife and said "that looks fun, can I get one" - so how much is a good double bass cost? [/quote] My favourite double bass shop seems to work on the principle that "If sir has to ask the price then sir can not afford it". It's actually a great shop with great staff but their idea of a budget instrument starts at £5,500, better quality runs up to £25,000 and for top quality you negotiate! The same is true of their bows, over £ 7,000 you ask the price. Puts electric basses in perspective doesn't it? Steve

Unless you have a very good landlord (not a pubco), a very good location, and a lot of room, putting on bands is seldom a profitable enterprise. Given all the other costs a £250 band probably needs to boost takings by at least 500 pints to make a profit on the night. Round here, good pubs in good locations don't bother with weekend music, they don't need to pay the extra money. Open mikes, jam sessions, folk sessions may not bring in many punters but they can get a pub a good reputation and make some money because they cost very little. In general pub economics make very little sense. I live in an area where pubs and cafe bars are the in thing, in five years it will have moved somewhere else and we will end up with a collection of desperate bars, putting on music on a Saturday night in the hope of meeting their next rent payment. Steve

I'm going to try and make it but it depends on how much work I can get in between now and then. Should I bring the DB again? Steve

Peter Elliott at Beverley Music is the guy to talk to. I've got his mobile number if you want it. Steve

Thank you Steve

I've got a melody track done but not sure it'll go any further. Couple of reasons, one is that I haven't a clue how to stitch a audio and a video track together and secondly, de-fluffing it and arranging it is going to take forever which I don't have this month. My approach was simple, I watched the video through a couple of times, picked up my tin whistle (actually a plastic one ) and played along and recorded on the hoof. Variable results with a couple of bits I like and a couple I'm not sure of at all. Watch this space (and a pointer on how to stitch it together would be helpful) Steve