Clarky

I normally put the hard case inside a cardboard box and pad it out with bubble wrap. The case itself is worth money and can get damaged in transit

^^^ that's exactly my way of looking at it. I certainly do not, as a seller, think its all on the buyer if they arrange collection since it will have been me packing the item.

No fuss, was just trying to understand

I see, so its the risk it goes astray that prompts this? Maybe I am lucky but this has never happened to me once in the 100s of deals I have done on BC (the latter evidenced by the embarrassingly large number of pages of feedback I have)

If you are selling, it literally takes about 5 minutes to google Interparcel (or other provider), input the details of the items (size, weight) you are selling and the time/date you have availability for collection, get a quote and either proceed or shop elsewhere if its unacceptable. If the buyer has to arrange the courier, they then have to find out the size and weight of the package from the seller, get all the address details from the seller, and find out when the seller can make it available for collection - all of which requires the seller having to provide exactly the same information as if they arranged the collection themselves but requiring an intermediate series of messages. The seller still has to do by far the most time consuming thing which is to pack securely and label it. It just seems like unnecessary additional time and effort to insist on the buyer arranging the courier, as far as I am concerned. Literally the only benefit I can see is that the seller doesn't have to pay the delivery cost as part of the overall financial transaction, but this is usually a small proportion of the total value. I just don't get it

Slight off-piste as its my rehearsal venue (Brixton Hill Studios) but see pic. .

For some fabulous Southern US soul-cum-blues rock try El Dorado by Marcus KIng. This song is fantastic

Cracking album, that one

That banjo playing is very beautiful

We are all going to be spending a great deal of time at home in the immediate future - we can all go back to our tried and trusted music for listening purposes, whiling away the hours/days/weeks. So how about heading beyond our comfort zone and trying something new? If you are a metal/rock fan, maybe try some jazz or folk for example - and vice versa. If you are a jazz fan, you are obviously @Bilbo but probably a closet metaller (as the great man clearly was, based on his recent thread). Lets have some suggestions please. Let me start with a slightly psychedelic-tinged folk style album in a John Martyn stylee (with some nice double bass playing). Ryley Walker's 2015 album, Primrose Green And some wonderful nuevo flamenco mixed with Celtic music (yes it does exist) from Vicente Amigo: the fabulous Tierra (my most played album of thelast few years)

... and as an addendum, my Golden Slaps are now residing on TheRev's bass!!!

Like @Bilbo I had the first Def Leppard single on Bludgeon Riffola, although I am sure it was 'Get your rocks off' with 'Riding into the Sun' as B side. I also saw Iron Maiden fronted by Paul DiAnno at the Marquee (supported by the awful Praying Mantis) and had a demo single of 'Prowler'. With my NWOBHM quality threshold on low, I also had Fist's 'Name Rank and Serial Number' single. Moving swiftly on ... Other memorable moments: like @Frank Blank I saw SPK, although this time supporting Throbbing Gristle at Heaven in Charing Cross - at one point TG's video showed a scrotum (animal I recall, like a goat) being slit and a testicle dropping out. Nice; buying Noel Gallagher a pint at the bar at the Toxic Twin Towers gig c.20 years ago and failing to offer my bass services, despite the recent departure from Oasis of Guigsy; having a quick chat with Greg Lake after a charidee do c15 years ago where he played 'Lucky Man' and discovering that he didn't sound ANYTHING like a choirboy when speaking; standing behind Nick Cave in the queue at a parent teacher conference (our eldest sons each went to same school in London) and also failing to say anything at all

Well I just watched the live screening of the Saucerful of Secrets gig at the Roundhouse and I am sorry to say Guy Pratt mainly played an old R*ck 4001 and it sounded great. He did play the BC Betsy bass, plus a modern US Precision, an old Gold (or stained natural) Precision and a Warwick Buzzard (thankfully one song only) and they all sounded great. But the R*ck was more driving 🤔

Speaking of ... flippin 'eck bassists. Adam Ben Ezra

Self-employed consultant to the pharmaceutical industry and Board member of two health charities (Malaria Consortium; Prostate Cancer Research Centre)