Happy Jack

Yup ... I've never been a fan of borrowing the House Band's bass.

Looks like I'll be over-nighting in Salisbury mid-week a couple of times a month for the foreseeable future. Much as I love sitting in a hotel bar staring at the wallpaper, frankly I'd prefer to check out the local scene (maaaan) and in particular the various jam sessions and similar. Given a 30-mile travel radius, my old mate and drinking buddy Euclid tells me that's nearly 3000 square miles of Wessex that's availabe to explore, so you'd think I'd be spoiled for choice. Not so much. The usual searches have turned up a number of "2nd Tuesday in the month but only if the Moon is in the 7th House" type jam sessions, some of which are at venues which have changed hands / closed down / been struck by lightning since the listing was last updated. Speak to me, Oh Wessex Basschatters, where should I go on a weekday evening far from the madding crowd to hear Tess of the D'Urbervilles play a slow blues with Jude the Obscure?

Mind you, I nearly missed these at Waitrose this morning because I was so impressed by the meat & 2 veg.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alumifin-Metal-Polish-Stainless-Aluminium/dp/B099F5LP9X/ref=sr_1_9?adgrpid=50766437902&hvadid=259098953720&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045966&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8411255051468544437&hvtargid=kwd-308538419023&hydadcr=28179_1821129&keywords=aluminium+polishing+kit&qid=1681122532&sr=8-9 😉😎

Dunno. I've been thinking about this for 13 years and I'm still in two minds ...

I've looked at the economics of running a rehearsal room setup several times, and I can't for the life of me work out how anyone ever manages to make a profit. For context, I was Finance Director for a large & successful firm for 30 years. I'm not just some guy down the pub. 😉

I first experienced this sort of nonsense 30 years ago and got very bored with it very quickly. My solution was to stop going to see super-annuated big-name bands from my youth (unless it was part of corporate hostility and someone else was paying). Seriously, I've seen the Stones three times and they've never once been as good as The Counterfeit Stones. Even more bizarrely, an evening with The Bootleg Beatles in 2023 is likely to be a far better gig than seeing The Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1966.

What makes you think they're looking for a bass player?

Is there a reason for avoiding Gator?

That's all very well, but I agree with him 1000% so that makes my agreement ten times better than yours.

Yes, but you wouldn't understand it. 😂😂😂

Anyway, this is all complete tosh. I know for a fact that I play ten times as well on a £1000 bass as I do on a £100 bass. I've measured this objectively and accurately, and there can be no denying it.

Sue Ryder (For those who've been here a VERY long time )

Some excellent advice there ^ On the rare occasions I find myself in this territory, I usually resort to playing the main riff / bass line at the 12th fret on the D/G strings, with just a touch of fuzz or distortion. With a Rickenbacker strung with rounds this works well. With a Thunderbird strung with flats ... erm ... less so.

Y'see, this is why they invented the 5-string bass ... 😂

It's almost certainly electrical noise caused by poor shielding or a bad earth connection. Rolling off the tone reduces the hum and makes it less noticeable, but it's still there, and of course you've lost an important part of your signal. Any competent guitar tech should be able to fix this for you fairly easily.

I like everything about that except the colour-matched finger rest. Not sure why that upsets me, I guess I could grow to love it.

You're advocating a barter system based on chicken nuggets? 😂

Jaaaaaaazz ...

What he said. ^

At rehearsal for a Dep gig that I really regret accepting: Me to Guitard - Are you playing a quick change there at the start of the verse? Guitard to Me - No no no, it's not a quick change. Me to Guitard - I know that, but it sounded to me like you went to the F and then back to the C. Guitard to Me - Yes I did, but I was trying not to ...

Clearly you haven't heard me play then. 😂😂😂