Stub Mandrel

Richie Blackmore sacked a Mark Clark for playing fingerstyle. Mind you, Richie Blackmore enjoyed ejecting people so much, he once sacked himself by mistake. Me ... mostly two fingers, three when I want to play silly fast, thumb and two or three fingers for guitar style fingerstyle. Never use my little finger. Occasionally use back of my forefinger nail like a plectrum. Thumb and three fingers together for slap'n'pop. Struggle with a plectrum! So basically do whatever works for you. Tell your guitarist that only beginners restrict themselves to a single technique 😉

Those are constructive comments; I think anyone who comes across this thread in the future will find them useful.

Lead-tin solder can give off lead fumes at 450C, just as warm water can mist a mirror at well below 100C. A big non-temperature controlled iron might reach 450C. Also if you solder using a naked flame (I do, it's not just useful for electrics) you will almost certainly go over 450C. I use leaded solder, but have a fume extractor I use if doing a lot (chiefly for the rosin fumes - I have some non-rosin chlorine free solder and it's not as good as rosin cored).

Johnny-come-lately. When I was a kid my dad used to let me add a few bits to his Radiospares orders 🙂

I must admit, it's really frustrating when advice is given (or sought) by private message; it defeats one purpose of a forum - allowing those who lack the confidence to join to learn by reading other's thoughts. And I must admit, I'm scratching my head about what the advice - although the choice between electric and acoustic is the most contentious; nylon strung really only suits if our embryo guitarists wants to follow a classical or flamenco path.

Euroboxes are great 🙂 But you can't use them after Halloween

The year I did my A levels I also did an art o-level going the portfolio plus practical exam route. One of my portfolio pieces was q copy of this:

I wish I had been able to get on Blockbuster as a teenager. Just for the opportunity to say: "I need to go for a crap, Bob."

Makes me want to give up 🙂

There, you're now part of the fun 🙂

Led Zeppelin? Electric Light Orchestra?

I think he was playing Master of the Universe - wrong...

I'm tempted by these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mens-Bell-Bottoms-FLARES-Jeans-Trousers-Corduroy-Cords-Hippy-Paisley-60s-70s-NEW/292537426266?hash=item441c96e15a:m:mjXvAPT0hVckGeiQgoDZpHQ Except I just blew a fiver on a new labcoat in anticipation of Hawkwind's 50th birthday tour 🙂

Asia. <ducks>

Commercially, not musically!

But it's roasted....

I gave it to my brother, it's been lent to various people, one of whom added the stickers; he died and it was recovered from his effects and no-one can bring themselves to peel them off. At the time I just accepted the bass as it was. Playing it now, it has a ridiculously low action, teensy frets and wide but shallow neck, P rather than J width. The bridge is very hefty and decidedly superior to a Fender one. Only played it through a little Line 6 practice amp last weekend. It does seem to be the original pickguard as some (not all) the marks seem to match up, it's also a very odd shape as the steel plate is asymmetrical so a jazz plate wouldn't fit. I bought it new in about 85?

Just love that song. But if you have dance skills like that, why waste them on imitating a crazed chicken?

A couple attached to very small 8-string basses.

I think Action Man #5 has overdone his daily rum ration...

Some poor deluded soles don't understand what this forum is about and end up floundering around.

It's like why students feel teh need to get piercings, tattoos and dubious facial hair. They want to look as roadworn as us genuine boomers 🙂

@ped is right, it's marketing guff designed not to help you choose P or J, but to give you some rationale for whatever choice you make, which hasn't quite hit the mark and ends up damning with faint praise.

Steve Chambers - a mate of mine.

Argh! I've been exposed to Stryper!