Frank Blank

I totally missed this post somehow, even though it answers all the questions I've emailed you about *cleans glasses*.

It took me a few goes just now to Google it in order to spell it right just now!

We were young and a little whizzed...

...mind you I was in a synth duo once for a total of one gig going under the snappy moniker of Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia.

This is really interesting, learning about other players' techniques, it does make perfect sense.

Absolutely.

See I never really vary my hand position between neck and bridge.

I was in a thrash band for years and we could never settle on a name we all liked and we went out under a compromise moniker that I disliked but what the hey. We were discussing a name during a lull in a rehearsal and our drummer crossed his arms and said "Why don't we just call the band Scotland, no explanations, just Scotland", I loved the idea but singer and guitarist quashed it. I wish we'd pushed a bit harder for it, just for the incongruity.

So the tone is purely controlled by the weight of the pluck? I'm not suggesting anyone is right or wrong, just ascertaining how others play btw.

I play finger finger-style, never got on with a pick. I play with a pluck of the tip of the finger in combination with the fingernail, I'd say 80% fingertip, 20% fingernail. This percentage varies with how hard I'm plucking as the fingernail gives the note more attack and a brighter tone. Consequently when I break the nail I have a slightly duller overall tone until the nail grows back. Is this common among finger players or am I a tip/nail freak?

Yes, but I wouldn’t like to paint it. Welcome, and on behalf of all Essex residents, sorry.

Oddly enough I have never chinned anyone, I’m all talk. Do as I say, not as I do as my c*** of a mother used to say *spits*. No issues there then...

This, with bells on. Just add on a chinning...

Don’t forget to chin them...

That, Sir, is superb news.

And as I said, your drummer is a reasonable exception. As someone who relied on being driven to rehearsals by a bandmate with my bass gear for a few month before I passed my driving test (I hope I behaved very professionally) perhaps I am being too harsh.

Bit of a Clash of content there...

It is a generalisation but it isn’t harsh. Obviously your drummer was an exception, and, given those circumstances, I would have happily shared transport duties too. I would also favour a non-driving drummer with a pro attitude over a driving drummer with a bad and lazy attitude, thing is in my experience, including fifteen years being a drum tech for touring bands, I have never met the former but have encountered a plethora of the latter.

Well the boat bringing my Chowny SWB Pro docked in the very early hours of this morning and left for Rotterdam in the last hour so I am assuming my bass will soon be on its way to Steven and then to me. I took delivery of the Gator GC-ELEC-XL case this morning, odd how frustratingly light it feels!

Or, alternatively, chin both of them.

This is easy... Drummer = c*** Singer = c*** ...any drummer who doesn’t drive isn’t a drummer, they are a royal pain in the a*** and that’s before any of the other negative traits you mentioned. Embrace the C word here and walk.

This is an option I am seriously considering.

Just for comparison purposes, obv...

I believe it to be a thumb rest.

They do the SWB-1 in fretless but I would prefer a lined neck and I’m not sure I like any of the SWB-1 finishes. If Chowny did a lined fretless version of the SWB Pro I’d order one in an instant.