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[quote name='matski' post='761524' date='Mar 2 2010, 09:15 AM']And yes it is a 3-bolt neck jobbie.[/quote] Look at the neck pocket and see if it is a good tight fit or too large with gaps around. There were faults with the neck tilt on some of these. Occasionally the threaded disc was punched crooked and they would (imprecisely) enlarge the neck pocket with a hand router so the neck would fit. Adjusting the tilt will make the neck move sideways, the Fender reps would yank them back when the store owners weren't looking apparently. Look at the string alignment with the fingerboard, is it true? Ask them to adjust the neck tilt for you. Check the string alignment again, has the neck moved sideways? If it has you should probably leave it alone. There was a perfect example of this in the For Sale section, you could see it in the photos taken before and after a tilt adjustment had been made. But diplomacy prevented me pointing it out, and still prevents me from saying which thread.

It's the self-flagellation that's driving me forward.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='761396' date='Mar 2 2010, 12:29 AM']You're all over this burlesque thing at the moment, aren't you. Mind you, it [i]would[/i] make a change from the old 'flying bird' inlays.[/quote] Or those daft dragons. Also puts a new spin on "Private Stock"

Is it a 3 bolt? Oh yes, and reckon Sibob's about right, possibly even lower I reckon.

[quote name='The Burpster' post='761042' date='Mar 1 2010, 06:46 PM']I agree to some extent but then its a bit like buying a Bentley or Rolls Royce........ If you have to ask how much it is - you cant afford it....![/quote] I'm sorry mate, but that's crap. Most of the people with that sort of cash know exactly where it's going and what it's doing and will want intimate details of their expenditure. Why do you think they have that sort of money? It's usually poor people who spend unwisely. Anyway, it says quite clearly in the review what it costs. Try phoning Simon farmer and see if he says [i]"If you have to ask how much it is - you cant afford it....!"[/i] I can't imagine you approaching PRS and saying I want a nine string single cut with burlesque inlays made of rarest unicorn shell and no bum notes, and not asking what it might cost.

[quote name='jakesbass' post='760902' date='Mar 1 2010, 04:34 PM']There are a lot of views here and while I don't particularly disagree with the ones I have read (which is not all) I would add these thoughts derived from my own personal standpoint. I want to play the gig right so learning material is paramount, if it's my gig then the stakes of that are quite high, there are varying degrees of how much time I can devote to that end but it's my stock position, I don't always achieve my own standards (usually through time constraints) but the standard, which in my mind should be 'excellence at all times' is my goal. The only way I can achieve that standard is to be match fit, the only way to be match fit is to be practised in whatever discipline I am required to perform. For me the most challenging of the disciplines is reading as I am primarily self taught and therefore did all my early learning by ear, so reading is something that requires constant work. In summary Nig you really need to know your sh*t, because as you have found out to your cost if you don't, when the spotlight is on it tells. [b]Do[/b] beat yourself up over it, because that will be a major motivating factor to improvement.[/quote] Spot on, Jake. Believe me, I am beating myself up over it, and it has motivated me a lot Some of the issues are that for this gig I really was under-rehearsed and had little time to practice since I'd been given four new songs to learn the day before and only went over the trickier songs (I cocked up on a couple of the easy ones). Some of the songs are extremely repetitive from a bass perspective so vocal cues are paramount, but occasionally the singers mis-cue too so that really makes it difficult (eg. 47.5 bars of 3 bar cycles before a half bar drop is uncountable for me, especially on stage). I dance too much and sometimes lose control of the bass for a moment. All these are down to lack of my own practice, I need to do a lot more, so do the band but there are time, economic and availability issues too.

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='760871' date='Mar 1 2010, 04:12 PM']It's a good idea to remember that we're supposed to be [b][i]entertaining[/i][/b]. On stage, I'm so focused on not making mistakes that I tend to stand there like a (very handsome and striking) statue staring at the neck - which is, I believe, another thread at the moment. Nigel was bopping around so much that he was making a major contribution to the [b][i]entertainment[/i][/b], especially during the 3-piece section of the evening. If the price of that bopping was a few bum notes, then I reckon that's a pretty fair trade. I don't imagine he'd do that in the studio while recording the album, but if you want to hear the album, buy the album. A live performance should be LIVE.[/quote] I can confirm Jack is very striking and handsome in his long white jacket, and made no mistakes I could hear, and can sing and play fretless at the same time! EDIT: Still have to say though that there are very few acceptable excuses for bum notes.

Plus, there are some very sexy and accomplished singers to watch and listen to The bass would be pretty subliminal.

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='760864' date='Mar 1 2010, 04:08 PM']Yes they do. They just don't know it.[/quote] exactly.

Thanks gents My drummer just called me to say Doreen had a great time and is looking forward to doing it again. I admitted to him that I woke up the next day feeling really bad and that I'd really bummed a few songs, but he told me he'd had fantastic feedback from people and admitted he felt he'd under-rehearsed too and didn't play his best. BUT, horror of horrors, he's recorded it (but not listened yet) and the second set which was by far my best didn't record due to an H4 battery fail - BUMMER!, and someone filmed the whole evening on DV!! The truth will out! Was I as bad as I thought I was? or even worse?

[quote name='hagguy' post='760243' date='Feb 28 2010, 10:32 PM']ive been trying to put a picture up on my profile but i dont know what im doing wrong just want the pictures and statement thing that comes up on the left hand side of everyones profile thing bit of help please thanks in advance ian[/quote] Go to your profile My Controls Edit Avatar Settings Upload your pic, ensuring it's small enough in file size.

Guys, thank you, I feel a little bit better about it now. Getting into perspective. To answer Pete Academy, we gig erratically, one year we may do twenty or thirty, another we might do five. It all depends on Transglobal's tour schedule, ie. if they're touring we can't play. This was the first Krupa gig in over a year and the third with Doreen in 12 months. No rehearsal apart from a couple of hours with Krupa the night before. Thanks Jack, for the nice words, very comforting

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='759253' date='Feb 27 2010, 05:14 PM']We have a dep drummer for a gig next saturday and he came down on thursday for a play and I dropped a fair few of the old bum notes. The drummer plays in a covers band who are a really good bunch of muso`s and I was a bit concerned that he would think that we are a bunch of chancers (which we are) and would blow us out. Got an e mail from him today saying he really enjoyed the rehersal and we made him feel really relaxed and he`s looking forward to the gig. And we are quite a good band. I think that sometimes we can beat ourselves up and on occasions, it can be a good thing. But try not to dwell on it too long. Keep the old chin up, as they say!! Jez[/quote] Thanks Jez. Makes a good point too.

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='759131' date='Feb 27 2010, 02:25 PM']I know how you feel - they don't call it 'the cold light of day' for nothing. But don't let 'The Guilt' obscure the fact that it was simply a case that your reach exceeded your grasp. In your ambition to inject some jollity into the proceedings, your musicianship took a hit. Happens to us all. By all means practice your material till the blood seeps from your eyes - but maybe try doing it stood up and throwing some moves. 'Show' is much to be encouraged and the intent cannot be faulted, even if the outcome left you plunged in deepest woe.[/quote] You're right, mate, but I need to get my skillz up to grade to keep up with my feetz. I'm fine in the studio and rehearsal generally. Cheers

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='757333' date='Feb 25 2010, 05:32 PM']I've at last begun to get into your boot camp Major. Very good it is too. Thank you so much.[/quote] Yes, I think it is time for me to start too, while I have a little free time over the next few weeks. MM is a hero, I hope he gets out of it as much as he puts in. Salute!

That's a difficult situation if you like the guys, but if they can't play in the state they like to be in, it wouldn't work for me.

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='759188' date='Feb 27 2010, 03:31 PM']As a point of interest I sometimes used to mess up the easier riffs because they weren't so interesting so I'd practice and nail the complex stuff only to fluff the easy lines.[/quote] Yeah, I think that's me too. A lot of the bass lines I have to play are electronic dance riffs not written by a bass player. They can be very repetitive and with some odd movements. I jazz them up a bit live which often means I'm improvising around them, but without practice that can be so dangerous. The hard stuff is generally the stuff I do best. I cocked up on the easy tunes last night. Thanks for the support and insight so far. Appreciated. I was looking at Google Maps earlier, for bridges near W5.

[quote name='Doddy' post='759146' date='Feb 27 2010, 02:38 PM']It all comes down to your own practise. I have to question your motivation if you don't feel the need to pick up the bass that often.[/quote] That is a pretty insightful view. One which I ask myself a lot, and is the underlying premise to this thread. I love music, I love playing with other people, but the days when I was was on the Old King Cole and used to practice guitar for 30 hours a week are long gone. I have a day job which can be very demanding, I am studying for a job related degree equivalent in the space of a year, and I am in three bands. I am lazy when allowed, but I think the reason I don't play that much at home is because after having played for the best part of 30 years, I find it difficult to amaze myself without a lot of effort. Being in my mid forties, the music I can imagine far exceeds my ability now, and the amount of work I know I need to put into my playing puts me off trying. I am also quite erratic so I will have short and infrequent periods where I will play loads, learn some Scott Thunes and get a rather dangerous false confidence. In addition, I can be vain and narcissistic but in a way that tries to be pleasing to all, leaving me with a feeling of lack of identity. I've never had an identity as a player, I seem to get a big kick out sounding like my influences, it thrills me if I do something that sounds like my heroes, but get uncomfortable if I do something that reflects myself, I'm not confident in it, there is no affirmation. If I see video, or hear recordings of my voice, I get deeply uncomfortable. I probably have a bit of a self-loathing issue, and I can get quite depressed if I don't achieve a certain perfection in anything I do. Probably why I procrastinate a lot if I feel I can't do something brilliant first time. I like to make my mistakes in private thank you very much, and I feel terrible if I offend anyone personally, or let someone down with my own ineptitude. I have quite a profound moral sense which makes injustice intolerable to me, although there is so much of it around that I don't feel I can do much to change it. I can't nail it down fully, but I think a lot of my issues are down to perfection seeking, vanity, and a perceived lack of personal identity. And vanity is possibly my prime motivator in everything I do. I got all that from the astrology book I got for Christmas

[quote name='gafbass02' post='759106' date='Feb 27 2010, 02:02 PM']Dude, feelin every word of that. I've been there and done that and had the guilt. Sounds like youre pretty sorted on it though, I reckon you'll enjoy the change of tac [/quote] You know what, I think you're right. I have a really busy life, but when I think of the time I waste because I feel I need to relax, I know I could be spending some of that time practicing. I think I'm going to develop a practice regime for myself. Sibob is absolutely right with that quote. I need to go back to basics and understand each song I have to play within its theoretical context. This may be the start of my regime.

[quote name='JTUK' post='759102' date='Feb 27 2010, 02:00 PM']Sounds like a wake-up call and might be for the good in the longer term. Be thankful it wasn't the band that were talking about it, but I'd assume they noticed.[/quote] It certainly was mate. And some of the band did notice. And these are amazing pro musicians with a very long touring and recording career together and highly respected for what they do. I feel I have dishonoured their trust in me.