Happy Jack

Yup. 8th August with the covers band, 22md August with the rockabilly outfit, both in the car park of the same venue. They're for charidee. Apparently.

Not as loud as you'd think, not even as loud as a guitarrón. Played acoustically at home for my own satisfaction it's delightful; played amplified on stage it sounds very good indeed; no way could you play it unamplified at a gig. Not sure if this link will work, but this was one of the first gigs I played with this bass:

Paging @Bassassin https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HS-Anderson-custom-MIJ-vintage-bass-guitar-rare-Grand-Bass-Morris-Patrick-Vrolan/264752791363?hash=item3da47eff43:g:o08AAOSwHoFeuK8a

In truth, that thing is an absolute beast. What the photo doesn't show is how deep that body is. It's basically a 1/2-sized DB that you play like a guitar.

All my necks are long and thin. Seems to work.

'Tis a shame, cos they do sound lurvely.

My new strings are on the way here from Thomann ... you've got less than 48 hours to get your derriere over to Harrow!

So is that an overall 'No', Paul? nThey're yours if you want to try them ...

I am 16, going on 17 ...

It's worse than that ... he's dead, Jim.

Couldn't you find anything smaller?

You can check out any time you like ...

Wrong thread mate ... you're supposed to be over in Bass Guitars on the Alleva Coppolo topic.

Why thank'ee, Young Master, thank'ee kindly.

Out of sheer monkey curiosity, what's the Italian for 'Troll'?

Phew! For a second there, I thought someone might actually be even more pedantic than me ...

8th August. That's when we get our first post-Covid gig.

Sad, but not surprised. When I saw him at the Union Chapel about 10 years ago he was then the same age that I am now, i.e. 63. I like to think that I can pass for mid-50s. Peter could have passed even then for mid-70s, barely able to stand up, quite unable to solo. An enormous loss. I'll raise a glass to him this evening.

Rumbled!

It's in Martin's workshop at The Bass Gallery, and he kindly took it out to show me. I know it's "just a Precision" - this was his Custom Shop replica of his original - but it was genuinely a gorgeous example of the breed. Not flashy, no exotic diseased woods, no gold-plated hardware, but an excellent player's bass. I've seen (and owned) lots of Precisions. Some call out "play me", most don't. This one did.

Yes ... I found his fingers in the gigbag and it was all there.

An hour ago, I was actually holding Pino's red Precision. Seriously.

We have an old expression in England about opinions, Gianni, but you are of course welcome to yours, as I said six years ago! Have you ever played an Alleva-Coppolo? I'm guessing not. Have you played a Fodera or an Alembic? I know nothing about you so perhaps you have, but if you had I suspect that you would not be so dismissive of high-end luthier-built basses.

You appear to be a man of taste and discrimination. Could I perchance interest you in a pair of copper-wound gut strings for a double bass? They have an attractive reddish hue ...