silverfoxnik

38 minutes ago, ratman said:

Thanks Nik!

Cheers Alex.... 👍

On 13/06/2025 at 10:40, lee650 said:

Ive only just became aware of this (and spent 30 mins sobbing afterward) a few members im close too will know that after 22 years of marriage my wife asked for a divorce.

 

At the risk of oversharing. For many years ive struggled with (for a long time undiagnosed) carpal tunnel in both wrists, which at times has hampered my playing. This is on the mend, but among other things has taken a toll.

 

Im devastated, but ive done a lot of thinking and looking back, it cant go on

 

Ive been harming myself mentally, and suppressed anger and frustration and sadness until it warped me into something im not, and caused her to fall out of love with me

ive numbed the pain with Alcohol which has affected my physical health.

 

She knew what was happening to me, but dealt with it by keeping busy with other things and remained focused on creating a life for herself that didnt include me, in time we were more roommates than a husband and wife. So sad, we had a beautiful relationship, and it withered and died and we both let it happen! heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking

 

Ill always love her,she was my best friend, soulmate and the love of my life. Right now im still full of anger and resentment and need to try and let it all go and forgive, because ive tortured myself and her for years 

 

If this looks at all familiar i beg you COMMUNICATE, share your feelings and find the person you love. Im not courting sympathy or even attention, but please hug your partner and love them fiercely and with all of your heart.

 

Ive been a nember of this forum since 2007 and it has been part of my everyday life in all that time. Ive made friends for life and brothers id never had, and many many times been a small light in my darkness. I cant thank you all enough for this, im very moved and grateful to have so many wonderful people in my lif

 

Im going to move out and get a flat with the shirt on my back and a couple of basses, at 51 my life parallels when i left Newcastle at 19 

 

Im on the cusp of a new start

My focus will be on healing myself phyisically and mentally, i plan to throw myself into the thing thats always defined me , Music!!

 

 

Time to forgive and heal

  

Searingly honest and reflective words @lee650 - food for thought for all of us, and thanks for sharing... 

Music has always been the help and comfort that got me through the tough times, too. 

Wishing you the best of luck with everything ( now you're 19 again)! 🙏😊

Cool bass, great seller! 

Best of luck with your sale... 👍😊

Morning Folks

BUMP for a price drop to £395.

Any questions, please just ask. 

Cheers, 

Nik 

On 08/06/2025 at 23:13, AndyTravis said:

I won’t share the details (as it’s not my place to).

 

But as my desperate sale thread a while ago lead to a (frankly overwhelming) response…There will be an update on that soon hopefully as legal teams are progressing for Iris.

 

I’d hope we could help a good friend of Basschat @lee650

 

He’s gone from messaging me “that’s it Trav, I’ve got everything I need bass wise” to having to sell some/most of his collection.

 

I’m hoping we can raise enough so he can at least keep one of the 3 basses he’s has for sale.

 

If you know Lee, you know he’s a gorgeous human being; he’d give you his last quid for the bus home and walk himself…he’s got a heart of gold.

 

He’s helped me through so many dark times, he’s taught me so much - a phenomenal musician.

 

as per @Clarky’s lead for me - I want us to give it a go for Lee.

 

https://gofund.me/d05da7af

 

 

Done... 👍

On 10/06/2025 at 12:12, Al Krow said:

Pleasure to give something back to Lee. Thanks for organising this Andy x

+1

Thanks @AndyTravis

This is what makes this bass-chatting place so special. 

Will do it now! 

Very, very sad to hear this news just now:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg71xrxrn8go

One of the best songwriters of all time. 

RIP. 😞

3 hours ago, Grainger guitars said:

Sadly the video files we have of this bass are too large to upload but here’s a link to our Facebook page where you can see it

 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CTLc7Rn87/?mibextid=wwXIfr

 

Here’s more pics of the finished bass 

Wow! 

That looks amazing @Grainger guitars

A truly fitting instrument given the reasons behind why it's being made.

I'm sure Nick would have loved it. 

Wow! 😍

That's an absolute corker of a bass @karlfer! 

Red, black, mojo and everything... 😁

If I didn't have 576,000 too many basses already (according to a recent survey commissioned by Mrs Silverfoxnik), I'd be on the A1 to Darlington already... 

GLWTS 👍😊

Just bought a Tascam recorder from @andysg42, aka Andy, who's absolutely brilliant to deal with. 

Here's what I mean... 

I sent Andy a PM yesterday morning and after 2 PMs, everything was agreed and sorted out. Next thing I know is that the Tascam arrived safe and sound here at Silverfoxnik Towers this afternoon. 

Perfect!

So, deal with Andy with complete confidence, Folks. 👍

Thanks again Andy, and here's to the next one. 😊

Cheers, 

Nik 

Love this thread @Bluewine, so thanks for posting it. 

Reading all the amazing responses it's generated have been literally life-affirming! 

Being able to play music, create music and make music with (and for) people is a privilege and a gift. It's communal, creative and joyful for me. 

And the older I get (now 64 years young), the more true this becomes.

I think it was @Buddster who talked in their post about there being an extra special joy and purpose that comes from the 'visceral power of the bass', and that's definitely true for me. 

[As an aside - whilst I can play guitar - probably well enough to get in a gigging covers band - I'd never enjoy it like playing bass.] 

So, after thinking it through this morning, I'd say that music's in my DNA, but being a bass-playing musician is in my bones. 

And that's what keeps me in the game.... 

Thanks Mick... 

I'm planning to go to this, so hope to see a few other Basschatters there! 

Sorry to hear about the injuries to your hands @TestaDiBasso, which forces this sale.

But what a unique bass - it's quite stunning to look at!

No doubt it siunds wonderful and is a joy to play too. 😊

Best of luck with the sale... 🙏

5 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

22/05/2007 here

 

And likewise the most expensive decision I've ever made (and in part your fault Nik) I think I've spent less on houses  

My fault....? 🤔

I sense some projection going on here @Beedster

Something to discuss with your therapist, wife or priest methinks! 😁

6 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

If you hover over your username (or go visit your profile), it's in the URL before your username - https://www.basschat.co.uk/profile/16-neepheid/ for example - me == #16.  You are #32.  We are old.

Wow... No. 45 for me. 

That's a significantly lower number than my actual age! 😭😭

5 hours ago, Blondy said:

Hi Nick, 

Thank you for posting Nick's foundation info. I can't imagine how proud he would be to know this exists... 

It was good to meet you at the studio, thought I'd join the BC forum now I'm learning to play bass. 

Kathryn (aka Blondy!) 

Ps purchased a little Squier Mustang in Olympic white 😍 

Hi Kathryn, aka @Blondy, 

Welcome to Basschat! 

This is Nik - we met and chatted when I came to Nick's studio one Sunday afternoon in April.. After meeting you and Ally that day, I ended up buying the Tokai Hardpuncher bass - the one that Nick got back after it was stolen some years ago. 

You're absolutely right about The Nick Smith Music Foundation, and how proud he would've been of it! He'd have been grinning from ear to ear... 😁

But then again, you, Ally and everyone else involved in setting it up should be proud too - it's an amazing cause that will definitely help lots of young people all across Peterborough to get involved in learning to play instruments and making music. 

Just to say that it's great to see you on here carrying on the family tradition, as it were...

Oh, and your Mustang Bass looks really cool btw! 😎

Cheers 

Nik 

Another ex-BassWorlder here.. Though I was only on it for a year or so... 

Before making the jump to Basschat on 17/05/2007.

Most expensive thing I've ever done in my life... 😭😁😂

Wouldn't have it any other way though! 

Fabulous amps - I love mine.. 

What a sound you must get with this and your Super Twin... Glorious, I would imagine! 

Great tip about the parametric eq doubling as a HPF too, @Muzz. 

Anyway, GLWTS... 👍😊

2 hours ago, dannybuoy said:

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of playing bass with Phil Manzanera at a wedding reception in his garden when my best friend married his step-daughter! We played a short set (Let’s Stick Together, Love Is The Drug, No Church In The Wild) while the main function band took a break.

Wow - what a cool thing to have done! 😎

4 minutes ago, Old Man Riva said:

Pretty much mirrors my thoughts! Seeing Roxy on Top of The Pops was amazing. 
 

My uncle and aunty went to see them in Coventry on their first tour at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University). There was an old motel (The Chase) on the outskirts of Cov near where my uncle lived, that had a late bar, and was a stopping off place for bands at the time. By chance Roxy were staying there so my uncle got me their autographs (on an old brown envelope that had his gas bill in it - no idea why he was carrying that around with him!). I put it away somewhere safe at my mum’s, so safe I’ve not seen it for over fifty years! 
 

I can’t really put into words how their music changed my world as a kid. The first two albums were so influential. The Bogus Man used to genuinely scare me (so much so, when I was playing side two I’d skip to the second track!). An amazing piece of music.

 

A wonderful band, whose music I still love as much today as I did when I was a kid… 

Wonderful story @Old Man Riva! 

Don't you sometimes wish you could go back to those days when your mind hadn't been brainwashed by the tyranny of Spotify playlists and the FM Radio driven genre-ification (if there is such a word) of music?

Or so overloaded with years and years of hearing new bands and artists, that everthing sounds like something else...? 

...Back to that time when your mind could be blown away by a new startling, daring and creative band like Roxy were...?

I really miss that. 

Great to see this thread spring back to life.. 

I'm a lifelong Roxy fan; Virginia Plain was the first 7" single I bought back in 1972..

Watching them performing it on Top of the Pops was as mind blowing to me as an 12 year old kid as seeing Bowie performing Starman on the show that same year! 

Their influence can't be overstated enough IMHO ; they were a driving force in bringing the glamour back into rock & roll at that time, influenced countless other influential bands/artists like Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Japan, Duran Duran etc, etc.. And in Ferry and Eno, the had two stunningly original artists and songwriters... 

My personal preference will always be for their first, brilliantly original run of albums made with the original lineup, as opposed to the late 70s, early 80s sound they morphed into when Ferry brought in different group of technically better (maybe?), but less interesting musicians.. 

In terms of their bass players, Graham Simpson, John Gustafson and John Whetton resonate most with me in terms of their playing styles, bass lines and sound.

(... weird how their surnames all end in 'on'??) 

And JG was a really significant bass player in the development of the first Wal Pro Bass model back in the mid-70s. 

Awesome! 

Just bought Zoom B3 from Paul, aka @rainbowreality who has been a pleasure to deal with from start to finish! 

Great comms, super-helpful, brilliant packaging and very easy to talk to... 

...So, I'm more than happy to recommend Paul to one and all here on Basschat! 

Thanks again Paul, and here's to the next one... 👍😊

Cheers 

Nik 

Great stuff @BigRedX! 

Tracks sound really good , but like @dmccombe7 above, I prefer the original version as it embodies the sound and feel of your band. That said, it's brilliant to have such a brilliant remix for Clubs! 

Is that an old Vivian Westwood pirate shirt, circa 1980, that I see in some of your band images by any chance? 

Giving this lovely Maya bass a BUMP this evening...

It really does need to find a new home where it can be played and appreciated. 

Happy to listen to offers and trade suggestions.. 

Cheers 

Nik

11 hours ago, vbance said:

So may find this interesting

 

 

One of the best bass players of all time, IMHO, who was fortunate and/or lucky to be in of the greatest rock bands of all time. 

Whatever any of us thinks of his bass tone or his personality, JE's musicianship and place in the history of bass guitaring is assured! 

Having said that, he was definitely a bit of a miserable barsteward, but given his very long career and the number of interviews he would have done over that time - plus a very insipid and slightly sycophantic interviewer on this occasion - I'm not surprised it wasn't a great listen or watch.

I met him very briefly once in the mid 80s at a Daily Mirror Pop Party in London.. Me and the drummer in the band I was in at the time went up to say hello to him and, despite JE having two semi-naked Page 3 girls fawning all over him (one on either arm) , he still looked and sounded utterly bored, miserable and pissed off... 🤷