NancyJohnson

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1473784257' post='3133106'] I've never understood the need to add the "in my opinion" to posts you make, the fact you are making the post and the members name on the left tells us it's their opinion? [/quote] The sadness is that we seem to be unable to be able to post any detrimental poop without putting some sort of disclaimer in for fear of upsetting anyone or being on the receiving end of a collective backlash. Why do you think the vast majority of posts are of the positive? If people don't like something, just post it! IMO.

At one stage I was running several Thunderbirds; mortgage paid, the doors of purchase opened and after a long period of using a late 70s Precision (and an even longer period of wanting a Thunderbird), I just went on a spending spree and bought six in as many months. (Over the last year or two I've dropped this number to the best two of the lot.) For me (three point bridge aside), they're the best out of the box bass I've ever played. Build quality was very consistent. I really don't care for the neck dive arguments - especially from the flat-earthers who've never even played one - the neck is a dream, the design is still head-turning 50 years later and tonally it ticks all the boxes for me. The other thing is the Epiphone models -while decent enough - aren't Gibsons; they're far-east manufacturered facsimiles. Look, I'll reiterate this (as I've done previously). I'm a chubby guy in my late 40s and when I use the Thunderbird, I'm lean, agile and 20 again. They're like magic.

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1473580477' post='3131269'] Our guitarist often tries to persuade me that I must change the capacitors in my basses 'to let the tone out'. I always play with tone and volume control on the bass fully open, so surely I am by-passing the cap anyway? He also believes that guitars and basses sound 'better' with the on board volume turned down to about half way, so I take these ides with a pinch of salt. Don't get me wrong, great guy, just got one or two odd ideas! [/quote] I'm 100% with you on the first point. My old Precision went through various wiring configurations, one time the pickup was just wired into the volume pot, on another straight into the jack socket. On point #2, concur. What is all this turning down malarkey about? Are we not men? Heh.

I'm gonna bump this...there's gigs all over the country now. If you're in Basingstoke or Guildford, it'll be great to see you. If not, find a MAH event near you and support it. If there's notjing near you, donate a fiver to Crisis. #besomethinggreat

I've tended to clean my basses with Pledge in the past, never used oil on anything. Noticing the board on my Lull was looking a bit dry (I can't put it any better than that), so I bought some Rotosound lemon oil (Amazon/£6.00). Amazing results really. I applied it with some Bounty paper and the board colour has taken on a beautiful deep brown lustre from the original shade best described as ginger biscuit. It was a joy watching the colour change. Brilliant. It's just a shame I'll have to wait another six months until the next application.

I've owned/played quite a few. Thunderbirds are my main basses. A long time ago I owned a 70s Grabber G3, which was okay. I'd really like a 20/20 or a Ripper. That said, pretty much everything else leaves me a bit cold. The 2017 EB is horrific and yhat seems to be it at the moment.

When I was driving back from rehearsals last night, BBC Radio London were doing a good drummer/bad drummer phone in, which considering my current dilemma (see 'Drummer Woes' thread), was a decent listen. There was a new (to me) drummer joke, which lead to a spontaneous laugh; How do you know there's a drummer at your door? Because he doesn't know when to come in. Or something. It was late.

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1473343668' post='3129343'] I made our one, thinking the printed ones were all too expensive for a bit of cloth with a bit of printing on. [/quote] This is the way we were thinking, but ultimately you're paying them for their time expertise in doing the job. It's really well made and actually came out better than expected. I think the main thing is that you need to ensure you put the work in at the front end and the submitted image is decent.

[quote name='cetera' timestamp='1473342586' post='3129328'] How much was that mate? [/quote] Hey Gary It was £120, plus £10 shipping (UPS). Week turnaround. It folds up to the size of a think hardback book. I'm very pleased. P

Ta daa!

The process is in motion. I know it all seems to be a round the houses process, but the guy knows that he's generally sub-par. It's a case now of just letting him down easily. We jammed last night and he had definitely upped his game a little, but while I'd say within fifteen minutes he was back to normal, as in terrible. We have a band WhatsApp group and it's kind of going off as I type this. Pictures at eleven, as they say in news speak.

I've never seen one I didn't like the look of, but I couldn't actually see myself buying one.

Just an update. We finally decided on a 3x2m and put our swag with Printlit. It arrived today. While I'd say you definitely need to put in the time to design and submit the design in the correct format, I have to say that the end result is tiptop. Just need to find s new drummer, eh?

The closure is a pity, but when you're up against the big mover stores like GAK, Andertons, Thomann etc it's got to be difficult. It was a gallant effort to support a relatively small marketplace on the retail front. I suppose the closure supports the theory that a high end bsss store has a somewhat limited apoeal, like a Leftporium. Shame.

Don't particularly want to rain on anyone's parade, but I'd actually be interested to know the names of some of the bands you guys were playing in rather than, 'Oh, I played here, here and here.' The biggest I played was a lunch set at Richmond College, Twickenham about 25 years ago with a band called Mai Mai. It was during a week long music festival thing and none of the band were students there. There was over 500 crammed into a room that had a capcity half that. It was raining heavily. Amazingly, we were the only band that hired in a PA for their gig. I remember one unsavoury female member of the academia shouting, 'Laser show! Laser show!' when we were doing the load-in and after the gig pretty much trying to push her tongue down our guitarists throat. People are strange. Happy days.

I think our regular audience is 20-40 people. Happy enough with that. I like playing mid-bill; the meat in the sandwich...hangers on from the openers, people in for the headliners. Usually get a few Facebook likes off the back of it. I'm done with the headline -wannabee malarky. I really don't want to play to 2 people anymore.

The vocalist records everything. Everything! I've been at breaking point for a while, the guitarist (who has only been in the band for a couple of months) is more vehement than me. Tipping point for both of us came after the singer circulated some of the 'better' recordings from last week.

In answer to Roger2611, I'll be straight and say he's a lovely bloke and would say that on a friend only basis, we'd all get on with him famously. To reply to MacDaddy, his comment supports mine in as much as things seem to come together for gigs, although there's a great chasm (my favourite word at the moment) in ability in comparison to every band we've played with. Interestingly, the last 24 hours have proved quite cathartic, almost therapeutical. Rather than bottling it all up and getting angsty, the matter is out there and being discussed openly between the rest of the band, plus the guy I'd like to get in is clearly chomping at the bit to come and play with us. Just need to get him fired.

The singer, guitarist and myself have had a discussion and while the guitarist is on my side, the singer thinks he's OK, but will go with the consensus. Ive also had a quick word with another drummer (a very decent player) who's biting my arm off for an opportunity to play with us. At least the silence has been broken...moving forward.

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1472894423' post='3125094'] What is slightly confusing me is this comment "The thing is that live, he redeems himself somewhat.". Does this mean at gigs he is playing in time and remembering the songs? If so seems a case of not putting the required effort is and just going through a shift. [/quote] Rehearsals are an absolute nightmare; he's so blinkered, frustrating and unproductive, but by and large when we gig, generally he does seem to be able to pull things together, but again we're subject to the same ups/downs and lack of dynacism. Literally, just going through the numbers. MacDaddy saw us a couple of weeks ago...his opinion might be useful here if he's willing to chip in.

Let's just cut to the chase. Drummer has zero flair, regularly forgets the songs and can't keep time; he's a nice guy, all over the place and my gut tells me he knows he's on borrowed time. The thing is that live, he redeems himself somewhat. What do I do? It's pretty much my band...the guitarist is all for giving him the elbow, the vocalist thinks he's fine. I'm kind of with the guitarist. Things pretty much came to a head when he was late for soundcheck recently and we did a couple of songs with the amazingly adept (female) drummer from the headliner we were playing with. He actually came in when we were playing. I want to suggest he works with a click/metronome so it's at least in time. There's a lot of things I want to suggest. I fear that firing him may cause the singer to jack it in too. I'm even toying with trying another drummer I know for one rehearsal just to get my point over about the chasm in ability. Suggestions?