Happy Jack

The 2%-5% handling fee thing is easily dealt with. On the rare occasions I encounter it I just add the same percentage to the band's fee, I tell the booker about it in advance, and I tell them why I'm doing it. I've never once had push-back on that. The people I'm dealing with routinely agree with me that it's fair, and of course it's not their money. If they've booked a band at £300 they're hardly going to switch you off because the fee is now £306.

Any fans of this Topic near Mansfield: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/127142621341?_skw=bass+sgc+nanyo&itmmeta=01JX3F7TY2SPDQSQ6HMTM19EHX&hash=item1d9a4a709d:g:SKQAAOSwy81nmOHD&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eLK6tx%2F7yuJQLO33NRLzgkkT5KjPKvxh8JgT1HdkaeBu5RwSazeljUf8%2F6BWLoxETFortDfCbTk6nr3CJnRT9naXLKJ41Ae7E0K0lRrirBXl5fU0uVASXbcCVttQY5BjdpscbfUqDydtf4DDDYERiCzqLB%2B%2BHZK6fxJykuTTuoakX9pNdOc4rD8PufiZLnDZkwR4yWjxUUsGxe44HkKYrnxJNQRrM4JC3t1mw64wzFruGoQz9geic5wbEMvIjUmE4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_qvn-_oZQ I'd have this like a shot if it was within 50 miles of me.

Nothing helps when you start singing.

No.

On the other hand, there's always an antidote:

My first DB was a cheapo 3/4 from China which cost me £300 pre-owned. I played it for about three months, realised that I was hooked, and bought a very decent (roughly a grand) Zeller 3/4 from @Clarky The Chinese cheapo was, of course, nowhere near as nice as the Zeller, but it was perfectly playable and a cheap'n'easy introduction to DB. I can't remember how much I sold it for, but it's hard to imagine I took much of a hit. This was all 15 years ago and prices will have moved on, but I suspect the DB rental route will always work out way pricier than simply buying a cheap bass.

All those still posting about how stupid AI can be, you'd best hang on to your hats ...

So this just popped up on my Facebook. Thomann I know very well, I've kept their business afloat for years now. Unfortunately, Factory Outlet Shop I also know very well. Hmmmmm. Log in to my Thomann account. Am I bombarded with -80% stuff? Am I hell ... Don't know what's going here, but I'd recommend treading carefully.

Luckily enough I had more sense. Phew. Bullet dodged.

Seeking feedback regarding feedback is pleasantly circular ...

I guess it's what you're used to. The drummer in my 3-piece covers band likes to have it, but I insist he brings the gear himself and he sets it up. Similarly, the lead singer in my 5-piece soul band sometimes wants it (depends on the venue). Apart from that, never. It's not that I don't have decent floor monitors available (2 x QSC CP8, 1 x QSC CP10) but life's too short unless they're really necessary.

And yet ... and yet ... The inherent Devil's Advocate built into me is asking, "Do you really need monitoring?". Life is SO much simpler without, and for pubs'n'clubs I've never really seen the point.

... Sgt Basschat on this day in May. I remember it like it was 18 years ago.

Gig Ink came through with my new trc in ridiculously quick time - it's a perfect replacement for what would originally have been there and it looks great. So that's now two loud'n'proud Fakers refusing to pretend. The only other mods needed were to add straplocks to both basses, in the process moving the strap buttons to a more sensible location. And a gentle tweak to the bass-side bridge saddle was enough to get rid of the farting on the bridge pickup, too. Finished off with matching straps ...

This true.

Inevitably, there's more going on than the two 1970s Rickenfakers featured here. That would be too simple. Watch this space ...

Lovely basses, but stupidly heavy ...

Damn! Rumbled!

No, I plan on taking a full-length mirror on stage with me and then standing just off-stage. 😎

Shaftsbury 4003 TRC Master.pdf This just in from the very efficient https://www.originalscratchplates.com/product/ric-trc-bass/

Two years later ... This popped up halfway down another rabbit hole I was pursuing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gustafson_(musician) I had never heard that JG had played on most of Roxy Music's biggest hits (which I danced to in the discos at the time), so I came back to this topic from 2023. Three pages of posts before a single, glancing mention of JG playing on one song. Now I really am confused. Did JG play on the albums (and singles) listed in Wikipedia, or was that all John Wetton and others?

I've alway been fond of this photo - an antidote to the received wisom: Mind you, Paul could have sent the entire Internet into meltdown if he'd played that Jazz using a capo ...

This bass also came strung with rounds, but I didn't like them - especially with the bridge pickup. There are a couple of setup issues that need to be addressed, one of which is the bridge pickup height, particularly under the E string. There's also a fair amount of tail-lift in the bridge and I may consider putting on a Hipshot replacement unit. So I shoved a set of La Bella flats on there and the difference was instant - a vast improvement, and the greatest amount of mwah I've ever heard on a fretted bass. I played it at rehearsal with the Beatles band last night for well over three hours and heard nothing but compliments. I'm a very happy bunny.