Al Krow

Nope. And not sure how many of us would want to join them tbf! Lol! But my point is that you can substitute pretty much anyone several decades apart in age from the rest of the band, where they are targeting a certain audience or market, and know that it ain't going to work from a marketing point of view for a pro band. That was Lozz's point and I agree. For covers and originals bands which 99% of BC'ers are involved in, age most likely ain't gonna matter musically or presentation-ally, although it may well impact on other issues relating to "fit", socialising etc. and that's gonna vary in importance from person to person.

^^ this Not really an issue, unless you're trying to convey a specific image, but even then...for originals and covers bands - it's not as though there are only 20 somethings in a pub or at a wedding, is it? But I'm not sure this chap could really have considered... ...applying to join them:

Well yes. But Prince Harry and his dad still bang on about green issues whilst taking plenty of flights including private jets...

Could we formally invite you to join as a belated "honorary member" of GAC 2020? A patron of your calibre would add mythical heft to the proceedings.

More of a tricky customer if you ask me.

There's a certain irony in the Trickfish pedal calling itself a "minnow" on that board 😄

Just a light hearted quip - that if you're a fan of the roadworn aesthetic then a wood that dings easily e.g. paulownia shouldn't be problematic for you. And you would get a light eco friendly wood for your bass into the bargain!

But you've just fessed on another thread to liking a battered bass, so it shouldn't be an issue for you anyway 😉

Couldn't possibly say 😁 But think of a not-rocky beach adjacent to an ice berg (with very civilised seal pups).

Interesting. The body is made out of paulownia, a softer wood, and as you said dented just by looking at it! I had a similar view of a budget Warwick Rockbass I had, also made from paulownia. A high-end bass maker has recently taken to using the same wood to provide lighter basses whilst charging circa £1k+ for the privilege, but some of the fanboys were advising not to worry. I'll leave folk to make their own minds up.

Ownership of kit comes with an "opportunity cost" ie as a minimum it takes up both space and ties up funds that could potentially be spent on something better, whether it be bass related or not. So simple test for me is does the bass give you enjoyment: - from playing it (at home or at gigs)? - having it around as something that you take aesthetic pleasure in, and will noodle from time to time; bearing in mind that they may not come up that often? If the answer to the above is no, then my approach FWIW would be to move it on. Very few basses increase in value, so as investments go, there's usually a whole bunch of better and more liquid places to put spare cash!

I know that band was a much bigger part of your life than the one I've just let go of. You managing to move on pretty easily or does hearing about them heading off to Greece give you a slight twinge of regret or just a feeling of relief!

A mixture. For main covers band, I'd say a lot are "very close" i.e. in between close enough and nailed it. There's a few that I've put my own take on - particularly where there's no bass line in the original e.g. Kiss, or where adding a slightly different rhythm mixes it up nicely e.g. Moves like Jagger and a slightly latin feel to Breakfast at Tiffanys for the verse. For the 50s and 60s band - generally close enough is fine; after all they're not the most demanding of 4 chord bass lines in the world on an electric bass! But I suspect will be a whole lot more challenging on EUB.

This one. The most recent of the three.

I listed my Ibby SR 1825 on eBay to take advantage of their £1 selling fee and put a placeholder in of a stock photo, with a view to putting the funds towards one of the new headless range. Chap today asked me for some proper photos, which I duly took, but haven't uploaded. I love playing this bass! It's got such a great punchy tone and is sub 9lbs and I'm going to have a bunch of seller's regret if I move it on! Guess I'll have to wait for next year until some used headless Ibbys come available before taking the plunge.

Haha! Except, I don't think 10:1 is a recognised diet. More like the odds against my team West Ham staying up this season... 😁

I think a 5:2 diet would be perfect with this thread...2 years abstinence interspersed with 5 years back in the game!

Just handed over the reigns of a band I founded 18 months ago to my band-mates, having sorted out my own replacement in the shape of one of the dep bassist from my main covers bands. The band I've left was still too similar to my main covers band at the time of my leaving, and I wanted to focus on my other two bands and also free up some time for my other musical projects. It will still have two of the initial line up, plus four other band members two of whom are just about to join, including the new bass player who is also a very capable lead lead vocalist. Her arrival / my departure has lowered the average age of the band by a decade at a stroke! I'll be very interested to see how it evolves. A first for me in setting up a band and then leaving it to continue without me, particularly one now in potentially better shape than when I was part of it! Any of you done the same i.e. walked away from a band you'd set up which was still a "going concern" (or been in a band where the founder member departed - in my case amicably, but I'm guessing it won't always be thus!) What happened next?

That would be nice. But sadly nope, sorry - it was avoiding getting distracted by "new" bass gear in the first place that's the goal. Otherwise we'd all be able (for the purpose of GAC 2020, obviously nothing stopping us doing that in real life!) to buy a bunch of used gear at bargain prices and enjoy it for 6 months and then if we're lucky enough to sell them on at a profit i.e. without financial loss, we'd still be in the game!

Well if @lozkerr and I aren't disqualified by a retrospective reinterpretation of the rules by the powers that be and his side-kick, relating to whether smaller / replacement pedal boards are bass gear or merely a non-signal-chain accessory to help us make the most of some of our existing bass gear, I think at current rates of progress I could be on target to make a surplus from gear sales and gig monies for the first time since I took up the bass back in 2013. That is both a pleasant and slightly scary realisation! How long has it been since the rest of my fellow trainee monks on this thread similarly made a surplus from gear sales & gig monies?

Thank you, that was just what I needed to hear to stiffen my resistance (my Spector Euro 5LX is a delight to play at the very top end)

Damn, I've been trying to avoid Dingwalls! Might find it harder to resist after seeing yours in action. Love the finish on yours. @Jack_Stroud_Bass not a dissimilar MB / BF rig to the one you have just got and sounding great!

^^ This. Nailed it (not literally thank goodness)! A bass doesn't have to be either purely functional e.g. only there to be gigged, or something that is "just" an object that you can love looking at and holding. Instruments can be both wonderful sounding and a delight to play and also stunning in design as a piece of workmanship. Gratuitous KS pic:

@JellyKnees tasty bass and liked the groove you were laying down! What make / model bass?