tony_m

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1422191718' post='2669616'] Not sure if this has been posted before, but here's a little glimpse into Norm's collection, some fine vintage stuff here, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to spend a few days looking through that lot, although I did manage to prize the stack knob from him shown in this video. Not sure he'd be happy watching the manhandling of some of them though?? [/quote] Yeah, he's a bit blase about it all isn't he - yank out a case, wave several thousand dollars-worth of bass around in one hand, then stick it back in the case without even bothering to latch it closed.

At the local Open Mic we do, the house band consists of two, occasionally three, guitarists and a bass player who also sings. They provide the backline and PA, while either our drummer or another guy provides the kit - whoever's kit it is acts as house drummer for the night. The house band usually knock out three or four tunes, then we get up and do four or five. Once we've ruined everyone's evening, there's usually a local singer-songwriter who does his stuff supported by the house band plus our guitarist, and then a chap in his eighties who does half a dozen jazz / "rat pack" standards with the house band. It then becomes more of a free-for-all with folks calling out tunes and seeing how they go or just jamming around. So far I've always sat out this bit, but my ambition for this year is to join in and see how I get on... We do get a few folks turn up to listen rather than participate, and have also had a few other musicians join in on a couple of occasions, but usually it's just the same faces each week. That said, whilst my bandmates have been in umpteen gigging and recording bands over last few decades, this is the first time I've ever played live / in a band so am finding it good experience.

Liking the Journeyman Jazz, would be my perfect YOB bass. Oh well, back to sending the begging letters I guess...

According to Man from Fender, it's a question of how heavy or light your touch is (fret discussion starts about 3:55)... [media]http://youtu.be/hPezdXuiYAs[/media]

Not really a set list, more a setette of tunes with which we've been ruining everybody's evening at a local open mic recently... So You Wanna Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (The Byrds) I Can Tell (John Hammond / The Pirates) Dirty Water (The Standells / The Inmates, re-written for local references obviously!) Muswell Hillbilly (The Kinks) Teen Angst (Cracker) plus a couple of originals Assuming the next stage of our plan for global domination (i.e. a support slot with a friendly local band) falls into place in the new year, then we'll be dusting off a couple or three more originals, plus some or all of these... Get It On (T Rex) Ring Ring (Abba) Begin The Begin (REM) Wall of Death (REM arrangement of Richard Thompson) From a Silver Phial (Gene Clark) Willin' (Little Feat) You Just Gotta Know My Mind (Karen Verros) Season Of The Witch (Donovan) Lined up to be worked on / given a good kicking next are Oh Darling (Beatles) and Dead End Street (The Kinks), followed by whatever gems the guitarist and keys/drummist can dredge up from their monumental record collections.

As you're probably already aware, Wizard pups are now being made by Hot Rod Pickups... https://hotrodpickups.wordpress.com/index/bass/ Looks like they offer a similar custom / bespoke build option as Wizard used to, so they could maybe do you summat beefier than 64's, but not as dark as 84's?

Nice one Karl, look forward to hearing it being given a good thrashing some time!

Well, after a chance meeting at a beer festival back in February, I finally ended up in a band! Things haven't progressed quite as intended due to my drummer mate's inability to commit as much time as he wanted to, but fortunately our keys player also plays drums, so we've dropped his keys-led vaguely psychedelic originals and instead have been ruining everybody's evening at a weekly local open mic with a selection of more straight-ahead guitar-y Shed Rock covers and originals (it's kind of Garage Rock, but we're British dammit so have sheds!). Great fun (for us anyway... ), and we keep adding to our repertoire so may be in danger of actually having a full set together sometime in 2015.

Dave Bronze?

Not very scientific I realise, but the one fitted to my '77/78 Musicmaster (S/No. S83nnnn) is the lower style, with the screw hole at the middle of the top edge, so if I had to choose between them, this is the one I'd say was correct.

Ooh, shiny... [size=2]Note to self: you do NOT need another one!!![/size]

My first proper amp from the early '90s, still got it sat right next to me as I type. I very nearly took it round to the keyboard player's house a few weeks back for a practice, but then realised how heavy it was so took my 5-15 mini-rig instead.

My bandmates (who've been in umpteen bands over the years) persuaded me (never played in public before) we were ready to have a crack at a local open mic a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say the first time turned into a bit of a train-wreck - all I could hear was myself, while the guitarist and the drummer (playing guitar on this occasion) were struggling to hear themselves never mind each other and we got lost several times over the course of two songs! Fast-forward a week, and we went back for another go. This time, we followed the 6P's rule (Proper Preparation Prevents P*ss-Poor Performance), and actually got together a couple of days beforehand to run through three songs until we had them down. We then rolled up to the open mic nice and early so the guitarist could set up his amp where he wanted it, rather than wherever was left once the house-band had set up, and also had a quick run-through before anybody else turned up. When we actually did our spot a couple of hours later, it went far better than the first time. For one thing, we could actually hear each other, also the drummer played drums on this occasion, which held everything together nicely and gave me summat to lock into. Just for the record, we did The Standells / The Inmates "Dirty Water" (re-written with local references of course... ), John Hammond / The Pirates "I Can Tell", and The Kinks "Muswell Hillbilly". Plan for next week is to do these again, plus The Byrds "So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star" - can't wait! Best of luck, try to relax, and enjoy yourself - if you're like me, you'll be buzzing for hours afterwards!!!

Must be a bugger when your cable snags on your codpiece eh?

Simone Marie Butler (Primal Scream and Soho Radio DJ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRu4htEgH6E

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1405973307' post='2507162'] Just an update a few months down the line, thought I'd do that as it was good in the first place to bounce off folk. I did spit the dummy, but with gigs booked I never really went away. With about 15 in the diary for BBGM for next year already, it became more obvious Troyen was going to be run concurrently, but the band I was in was going to be the bread and butter band. As time has gone on, the originals band that I was spitting about has now got 3 festivals for next year. They also have a Scottish Fest as a possibilty and also ones in Belgium and Holland. They have been asked to write 2 new numbers for a compilation CD, NWOBHM 30 years on. Their original bassist has told them he can not commit the time required. I was asked to join on Saturday night at our gig. They announced it on their Facebook page today. So basically, I am an embarrassed tart/brat. But a happy one . Thanks to all of you in my hour of bratish-ness. EDIT. Last night a second label asked them for some material for a compilation album. [/quote]

I remember going to see the late, great Willie Kent (and The Gents) playing their residency at Blue Chicago on Clark when I was over in the US (must have been 1994 I reckon). They played 45 minutes on, 15 minutes off, every hour from 9pm until 1am. What was interesting to me was how the audience "churned" through the night, with folks seemingly dropping in on their way home from work / out for the night, catching a set (and having a drink or two), before heading home / elsewhere. By the end of the night, the only person who'd been there all the time (apart from the bar-staff and musicians) was this rather tipsy Brit babbling to Willie about how great they'd been and why wasn't he using his beat-up old Precision (apparently it needed a new nut).

And more north-western bass-driven insanity - Super Fast Girlie Show... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6L-YbTKQZo http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperFastGirlieShow

Not a 2-piece, but definitely no guitars (four bassists and a singing drummer to be precise... oh, and a dancing pig), Preston's mighty Evil Blizzard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYxncxvksX8

IIRC, Guy Lewis supplied a template covering both bass and treble side fitment with his custom thumb rests / tug bars. Unfortunately it looks like I've thrown all the ones I had away, but maybe he might be able to help you out (though of course you'd probably have to buy summat off him!). http://www.classicguitarboxes.com/thumb_rests.php

And once again, more great service from Dave. I emailed him on Thursday morning to ask if he could do me a right-angle to straight pedal interconnect cable, got a quote (plus useful info) back almost immediately, placed order Thursday lunchtime, package landed on the mat Friday morning. Simply superb!

8/10 courtesy of some inspired guesswork.

Just bought Liam's Behringer BDI21, a lovely straightforward transaction right from the first PM yesterday to the arrival of a neatly (and ingeniously) wrapped package this morning. Great communication, extremely rapid shipping, and even a partial refund on the postage - top gent, deal with confidence!

And let's not forget Triumph - hair, satin, flares, double-necks...