Clarky

Good idea. Someone posted a week or two back that www.stringsdirect were offering a 10% discount if you typed JUBILEE in the checkout page (in the voucher box). Saved me £4 on a Warwick EMP 5-string set so well worth it.

Just back from Download festival - Prodigy on Friday and Metallica last night were both excellent but I decided to skip the third day as I could foresee horrendous traffic problems. They really don't have a clue how to control the traffic. It started on the opening day when it took me two hours to do the last 2 miles to the car park on Friday (by the way there were loads of cars stuck deep in mud on the car park field, wheel-spinning like crazy, which will likely have to be towed out by tractors some time this week). Yesterday we decided to skip this farce and take a taxi from our hotel .... which was fine on the way there but we queued at the rank for two hours on the way back ... and we were in the first 50 people in a queue that stretched back many hundreds of yards. Basically total gridlock in the area, no cars moving anywhere and taxis unable to get out or enter the drop off zone. One posh businessman chap was on the phone berating the traffic control people who were refusing to do anything, saying the system had worked for ten years so why should they change it, seemingly oblivious to the nightmare they were causing festival-goers? There were people in wheelchairs, kids and tired adults all needing to get back to homes/hotels/campsites. By comparison last year's Sonisphere and Reading festivals were organised with military precision. I certainly won't go to Download again and - judging by the people around us in the taxi queue yesterday - I am far from alone. The incompetence also extended to the festival itself. My son's mate was in one of the opening bands for Friday but his band's set was cancelled because the festival weren't ready to open on time - can you imagine how p*ssed you would have been if that had happened to you and your band? Oh well, at least Prodigy and Metallica were on good form - as mentioned - and best laughs of yesterday were had from the utterly hilarious set from spoof metallers Steel Panther \nn/

Here incidentally is some nice flamenco-style playing on a BO 6 Thumb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oB8Ffzpv1U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oHl1C054I8&feature=channel&list=UL

Much though I loved the NT Thumb referred to in my earlier post, I quickly decided I wanted 5 strings. However, after researching I found that the NT 5 has quite narrow string spacing so I have swapped for a BO 5 "broadneck" (20mm spacing). This feels very comfortable on my right hand (I am primarily a Precision player and also dabble ineptly in double bass), although the sheer bulk of the neck is taking my left hand a little time to get used to. Compared with a NT, the BO is obviously a less lavish bass : the EQ has fewer options and its not as lush in body woods (ovankgol/wenge vs bubinga/ebony). However I have to say this new bass is really inspiring me (in part I think because of the physical challenge and in part as I am trying to learn a bit of flamenco-style bass on it). I am really very chuffed with it

Reminds me a bit of UK (the band, as in 'In the dead of night').

Whatever the music, shocking name!

Nope, its a simple add on. Just leave pickups as they are, unsolder pickup wires from control plate, remove control plate, screw pickup wires in via connectors to J-retro plate, screw on J-Retro plate and Bob's your Uncle!

Yep, I'm another who works out bass lines on electric, then transfers to DB. Its just easier (for me anyway)

Sounds nice and has huge amounts of extra beef for the reggae line. But I have to say the passive Jazz sounds really nice in that guy's hands!

FWIW, I've posted a copy of this on my FB page

[quote name='billyapple' timestamp='1338899616' post='1680754'] Very sorry to read about this. I hope you get it all back [/quote] +1. Thieving scumbags. Best of luck retrieving the gear, MM

It also depends on your definition of pop. Does it go as far back as Johnny Cash and 'Fulsom Prison Blues' etc? I assume probably not. I know this is not a chart-topping band, but my previous band Rattlin Bone got me into DB playing and the lines are very easy and quite poppy. They are generally blues progressions - here's a free link http://rattlinbone.com/2011/the-life-and-death-of/

Love cats - The Cure

FYI, a guy on the Facebook Rickenfakers group page has just been handed a 30-day suspension on eBay for trying to sell a faker. Looks like John Hall's troops are getting even tougher

Probably best to post it in the dedicated soundcloud thread http://basschat.co.uk/topic/156658-basschatters-soundcloud-accounts/