Steve Browning

I'd give onanism a miss for a while too!!

It's Christmas Eve 1978. I am playing at Portsmouth Radical Club with a jazz/dance quartet. We launch into the Birdies Song and, about halfway through, there is someone waving at the other end of the dance floor. It becomes apparent there is someone lying on the floor. The drummer at this gig is a first aider and goes over and the floor clears. An ambulance arrives quickly and they spend a good 40 minutes working on the guy before they put him into a chair and wheel him out, he looks grey. The drummer returns and I say to him "you managed to get him back then" to which he replies "no, he was dead but they didn't want to cause a panic". Turns out the chap had had open heart surgery and been told to either take it easy and live a bit longer or just carry on and face th possibility of a major heart attack. He chose the latter. We played The Queen (as you did back then) and we packed up. So, I have killed and got away scot-free!!

I have told the story here before but I have killed a man by playing that.

You could always feed her some pies!!

No but it has a quality to it that a fretted doesn't. It will add a colour to your palette that only a fretless can. It's really whether or not you can envisage using it (unless you just want one which is fair enough in itself). I tend to find I can hear it working in songs that I didn't before and I think it's occasional use is well worth the cost.

Maybe he was playing with food poisoning.

Come on. He's rubbish on anything but a Gibson.

Have to say I'm not sure that is the best way. Maybe the band didn't like that line (it could be why the bass player left) and you might find they tell you to play that line all the time and you're then trapped. Must be better to be yourself and get the job (or not) as yourself.

Just one I think. Peavey 1810 cab, Single 18 and 2 x 10. Loads of bottom and top end but notes in between just disappeared.

Easy one for me. 1953 Precision and 1966 Slab Precision. Quite wish I had my 1966 Jazz too.

You could get an old Diesel cab for not very much. Ok, a bit heavy but they're awesome cabs. Here it next to the Subway 15s that replaced it (eventually).

I have used 2 x 15 pretty much my entire playing career. Started with a couple of 'lesser' cabs (Impact and HH) but the epiphany (or is that epiphone) was an old Ampeg V4 2 x 15. Wonderful sound and I went from that to a Boogie Diesel cab which I used for about 28 years until I bought my current pair of Subway 15s. I had a brief flirtation with a pair of BF Compacts but it didn't last long. They've always been my sound and I still love it.

Although my 50th is long gone, if I were treating myself to something it would be an early Stingray fretless.

I have a switcher and a buffer but they are to allow me to use basses with different output levels and account for the longer cable run. If only using the one bass I don't need that and so think of myself of a bass and amp guy. Always fancied playing through an envelope filter on some funky tunes but never even tried it.

I can imagine!! I will do so.

I am truly gutted that I had nothing to offer this thread. Not had any experience even close to any of these so just a big thank you to all the contributors. This is pure gold .................

I have used occasionally. Typical example would be Rocky Mountain Way in E. Pedalling the open E but sometime pulling up the F# to G before releasing it. Lends an extra bit of groove (IMHO).

I think John Deacon became quite 'picky' live after a while.

To keep warm maybe?

I have the bass I always dreamed of and it (with the amp) makes exactly the sound I always had in my head. I have spent 30 years in sonic heaven.

6. Steve Browning

Great shame. I remember watching Pat Travers support SAHB (without Alex) at Portsmouth Locarno. Superb gig and I bought the first two albums as a result. Excellent playing.