Steve Browning

1 hour ago, Clarky said:

Great quote from The Independent, in an otherwise OTT pathetic trashing of GnR (I mean, criticising the angle Slash holds his guitar as "priapic" ...)

 

"[Rose' voice is] a creature that, were you to take it to a vet, would come home in a cardboard box."

The Independent also said "Axl Rose flips between a lower register that resembles a clogged lawnmower and a higher one that sounds like Barry Gibb suffering the mother of all wedgies". 🙂

Might be worth adding (as it's a popular thing now, it seems) that this wonderful thing will run at 2 ohms (using the top pair of speaker outputs - the wording is on the top of the chassis).

Even the cabs are wide-eyed and open mouthed at how good this is!

Just back from trying/buying a Squier Precision from Charlie. Lovely guy to meet and chat with. Very knowledgeable and a good.

Thanks Charlie.

Just a bit of a follow-up on mine.

I did say I wouldn't be using it on stage. That has proved to be a lie. It's true the basses can't be stored 'wired up' but I can mute the cable so it's not really any kind of issue, ands I don't really need to use the second (spare) bass anyway. I have a 3 guitar stand for the gigs that need the fretless too, so the Enki will just be for transport.

Rhino's Revenge were on after us at Skeggy and Freddie (guitar) had a Scott Dixon that was very dented. Seemed to be perfectly serviceable though. All in all, it's a win for the Enki for me. It's done a good few gigs now and it's top notch protection for the basses. 

6 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

For rehearsals, I walk. That's the easiest way as we rehearse at my house...

For gigs, we've got an in-progress feet-n-weed machine (i.e. Vauxhall Vivaro with diy seats in the back, and a soon-to-be-attempted window.).

That's proper old school. Really need aircraft seats though.

12 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

Depending on the location and type of gig it can be either own car, lift or public transport.

I’ve recently started to walk to my regular rehearsal room. Carrying just a bass and a few bits. It’s nine miles, semi-rural and takes me about three hours. I usually come back by bus. 

 Wimp!! 🙂

My noble steed.

Hearty congratulations to the new owner. 👏 

There are times I wish I was remotely cool enough to play a T-bird. Doubly restricted by playing in a band with an ex UFO and Pete Way Band drummer. Rather too big a pair of boots to fill!

Violin between the ages of 4 and 6. Piano from 6 to about 13 (with a stint on church organ during that time) and then self-taught on bass. The piano was a brilliant grounding, as it taught me harmony etc.

These are remarkable amps. I can't see it being here for long. GLWTS.

I have a CAR one and it's a superb instrument. Excellent bass and excellent value.

Almost 8 years and no deterioration in the quality of service!

Bought V-Amp from Mike that arrived quickly and was well packaged. Thanks.

Steve

Always worth remembering that a mistake is ancient history the moment after it is made. Never beat yourself up about it. 

You'd think the Ukrainians could have picked off the board of the BoE easily enough, when they invaded.

In my case, a machine head broke while I was tuning in the dressing room. Couple of odd electrical things over the years, but that's the main one.

Generally, go with the singer (IMHO) if they make a mistake, otherwise plough on and let the miscreant find their way back (or stop playing!!).

I wouldn't do the 'pointed look' as it will apparent to them that they've sphered it up and it alerts the audience to the fact. We might say that we played the jazz version when the number has finished.

Yes please! PM incoming.

13 minutes ago, cetera said:

Two. A main one and a spare, unless I need a 3rd (fretless).

Same here. If there is no need for the fretless I take two (main and spare).

6 hours ago, Linus27 said:

 

Oh wow, that is shocking, we thought we had it bad but what happened to you is unbelievable. 

 

You are absolutely spot on with the singer/guitarist. We were very big U2 fans so lots of reverb on the vocals and delay/echo on the guitar. Great memory you have to remember that. So here are some pictures. They are not great and I hope the mods don't mind me posting them in here.

 

 

 

Blimey, there are my greatest hits. the '53, the '66 slab, the '66 Jazz and my '66 Precision. I don't recall fitting the EMG pickups on it. I had thought they were only on a Squier I had at the time, and used as my spare. Looking at that Jazz, it may not be my old one. That was more cream coloured with a tort scratchplate. Mark with the pony-tail and Dave Garland. Dave was/is a fine engineer/producer and we did a lot of work with Jim Lea of Slade.

If I message you my remail address, would you be kind enough to email me the pictures?

16 minutes ago, Linus27 said:

 

@Steve BrowningOh wow, that's amazing, 34 years later and we meet again 😁

The name of my band was Home Again and we were in the studio for a week and recorded about 4 or 5 tracks. Sadly the experience for us was not a good one. It was all booked and paid for by the drummers uncle who worked in the offices above the studio. I think it was a firm of accountants. When it came to paying, the uncle did a runner, literally disappeared off the face of the earth. So we were left with the bill. Being a bunch of naive 18 year olds, we had no money or no idea what to do but Mark eventually went after our singer and his parents to recover costs which caused the band huge tension and we eventually split up.

 

The recording session itself was brilliant and I remember you and I and the girl that worked there hung out most of the time in the upstairs part that looked out over the high street. You were bringing a different vintage bass in each day for me to play. I remember a white Jazz which I loved, a sunburst Precision and was there maybe a 51 Precision? You were going to sell one to me but sadly I had no money at the time. I have a whole bunch of photos from the week so I can post them up in a bit.

 

Sadly, I never got a copy of the recording but I did hear it and it sounded awesome. 

 

I remember it well, and the unhappy aftermath. I was a director of the company behind the studio and, as such, gave a guarantee for the rent. After I left, Mark emptied the studio and left me with a £37k CCJ for the outstanding rent! Luckily for me, the landlord was sympathetic and never enforced the debt but the repercussions were severe, they cost me far more than money. 

Getting back to the band, I seem to recall the guitarist using echo very much in the style of The Edge. The Jazz was a '66, and I've never really got on with them. The sunburst was probably my '66 also, and which I still own. The '51 was, in fact, 53. Oddly, it is featured in Haynes Fender Bass Manual, and even shows the certificate I got from John Entwistle (it was one of his old basses).

The pics would be amazing to see!

6 hours ago, Linus27 said:

 

So I also have a bit of a connection to this. Around 1989, the band I was in got invited to record at a studio in Soho and I am sure there was a link to this song somewhere as it was always being talked about and even played. I think the studio was owned by a drummer, possibly called Mark (long black hair, a bit gothic looking) who may have possibly been playing for the Pretty Things or maybe the song was recorded at the studio. There was also another guy who worked at the studio who played bass and would bri g me in his vintage Fenders to play during the session. The studio was called The Basement Studio in Soho. Ring any bells?

Indeed it does. I am that bass player. They created a job for me there so I could be a full time Pretty Thing (oh, the irony). 145 Wardour Street was the studio and we recorded the track there (as we did the rest of the album that followed). Mark St John was the 'owner' and he also played on the track (he's in the video too).

Which band were you?

They were a pretty big deal before my time. I was very much making up the numbers but had a great time and played with some pretty impressive people. 

A version of Eve Of Destruction.

I was in the top 40 with a band that, itself, had other hits before my time.