D.I. Joe

I went through a phase of installing a pickup cover on my Highway One P. I found it fine for playing fingerstyle, resting my thumb on the cover itself, and it's nice to rest your hand on when playing with a pick. I did find it got in the way when playing more lively stuff though. If I had a second precision I'd kit it out with pup and bridge covers and flats, just for those special occasions

I've tried Elites, Ernie Ball, GHS and D'Addario in the past but I always go back to Rotosounds. Worn in 66s, mmmmm.... Recently I've been trying Dean Markleys. NPS Roundcores are good but nobody in this country seems to sell them. After receiving some dud Blue Steels, I've just started using some brand new top-secret, not-yet-in-the-shops Helix HD SS strings (the A and E are also tapered) Review to follow once they're properly worn in

I think I speak for us all when I say as a bassist I hate hearing "failed/wannabe guitarist" etc etc. Most. Annoying. Thing. Ever! The guys in my college band actually wrote in their coursework that I should be a guitarist because I play so many fills and licks. WTF??

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1333968698' post='1608802'] [/quote] Looks nice and tidy, is this yours?

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1333968492' post='1608797'] Actually I'm the opposite - I find it a bit prentious when people use crotchets, semibreves and quavers.At least when you talk about 8 ths ,16ths etc it means something. Crotchets etc just make you sound like you;ve studied in some classical conservatory in Vienna [/quote] I learned it when I started playing in a brass band, aged 10, so it's not as sophisticated as you might think (and nor am I for that matter!). Eighths and things just annoy me because I've always used the proper terms.

It annoys me when people refer to "fourths, wholes, eights" etc instead of crotchets, semibreves and quavers. It's not rocket science people! Also the common misconception that he/she can play slap/fretless/tap/pointless fretw***ery - he/she is amazing! "Why don't you play with your fingers?" - Because I'm saving those for your mum! D:<

Julyan Wallis - aka the Guitar Doctor. http://www.guitardoctor.co.uk/ He's in Penzance, could pm you his number

One time while I was doing sound for a band at a wedding, we got all of the gear in for the bassist to find that he'd left his amp head at the rehearsal studio, some 50 miles away. Luckily he had a Line 6 unit (okay, maybe not so lucky...) so that we could take a line into the desk and use the amp modelling to bodge a useable sound. Another time with the same band (who btw I now play for) the drummer threw a stick into the crowd after a solo - OK when you're playing Wembley Arena, but not so in a pub with the audience 10 feet away! It clocked some guy on the head and later on we heard that the shock from this triggered his psoriasis, which that doctor gave him an ointment for that made his hair fall out! Same drummer, different gig - after nearly killing us all on the drive up ("What traffic lights?!") he almost refused to play a gig because he was charged for soda water at the bar. This was, btw, a charity gig in aid of a local man with leukaemia! I love drummers!

I dropped a couple of clangers a couple of weeks ago - firstly the Friday night, I forgot the last verse of Sweet Home Alabama. Luckily one of the guitarists (and usual frontman) jumped in to help then later that night I have a glance at the setlist then announce the next song, Don't Stop Believing only to then realise that that was later in the set, and the song I had looked at was Don't Look Back in Anger, which wasn't even the next song anyway! The following night I fluffed SHA again, so now instead of the last verse, I throw in some Werewolves of London and All Summer Long

The thing I dislike most about slap is the misconception that anyone who can do it quickly is a "good" bassist. Geddy Lee doesn't slap!

Last night I replaced my usual Rotosounds on my HW-One P bass with some Blue Steels, gauge 50-105, only to find that the D string is completely dead. Seriously, there is more life in a tramp's vest! I bought these strings from a fellow Basschatter and when they arrived the pack was still in it's cellophane wrap, so this is obviously a dud. Anyone else had this problem?

I have a Korg AX3000B for sale at £100. It does everything you need from a multi effects and a load of stuff that you don't but are fun to play with anyway! It makes a decent preamp/DI and is also useful for recording too.

It was great yet also somewhat disappointing. It was great because TM Stevens is such a fantastic guy - he was mingling before the show, he watched both support bands, and after the show he stuck around and spoke to everyone who wanted to speak to him, had photos with people, signed stuff. My mate's girlfrind had her bass signed! The show itself was a little disappointing though - he was only on stage for 70 minutes and at times it felt more of a workshop than a gig, and there was a disappointing lack of gratuitous plank spanking! But TM is a fantastic bloke. I had a photo taken with him which I will upload when my friend emails it to me.

Time to get fonky! Tickets £10, doors at 7:00 Duhduhduhduh Duhduhduhduh duh Ooh-Uh Yow-HEYYY!

Anything that would look out of place on stage. For example, it wouldn't look right to be playing soul with a BC Rich, or Metal with a Hofner. As a guy who plays just about everything, I like basses that fit just about everything - Fenders! Particular dislikes though, include - 6 or more strings Natural finishes Pointyness Headless Single cutaway On-board Active mission-control EQ (2 or 3 band is ok, push/pull pots, 100s of switches, more knobs than a Brighton gay bar, coil taps etc etc - f*ck off!) And the big no-no... LEDs - I'm on a stage, not a runway!

Fender strings are now all made by D'addario. I don't find D'addarios and Ernie Balls to be identical but that's not to say they are definately not made by the same people. I read somewhere that Rotosound have a line of string which is sold under a different budget brand name but I can't remember which it was.

Just done mine! >