BillyBass

On 15/04/2024 at 10:16, KingBollock said:

I really dislike the slightly stretched, drawn by a child, quality of Spector basses.

That, sir, is a thing of beauty.  I love Spectors; I love the sound and love the look.  Just goes to show how different we all are, every time I see a NBD post and someone has bought a sunburst pre CBS P or jazz, there will be 20 or more likes and lots of posts gushing about it.  I just think they look ordinary.

I've always had a good experience buying stuff from Andertons.  I'm a fan.

On 16/04/2024 at 00:22, badger said:

Are you looking for a slap badger breath?🤬

Do lefty bassists stand to the right of the drummer?

I live in North London, so they are relatively local to me, at least I can drive there quite easily.  I used to use them to set up and mod my basses but they messed up with one bass and instead of apologising and getting it sorted, I got excuses as to why something I requested wasn't done.  This was an employee mind, not Martin.  Since then I decided to learn how to set up and mod my basses myself.

I have bought from them before and I would buy from them again if they had something I liked, just be aware that, as per the OP's post, occasionally communication between them and you will be poor and you might have to chase.

7 hours ago, edstraker123 said:

Well I decided on a shortscale but couldn't decide between a Mike Kerr and a Mike Watt so recklessly bought both. I'll post how I get on with them. Merchant City Music in Glasgow were brilliant- great service and a decent discount unlike Guitar Guitar who wanted £210 deposit to send me some photos of a Sandberg. It was refundable but completely ridiculous and lost them the sale.

I've bought a couple of Reverends from Merchant City Music; they seem to be the only shop in the UK selling Reverend basses these days.

Let us know how you get on with the Wattplower.  They are a bit neck divey, Mike Watt holds his bass with the neck almost vertical, which, according to something I saw on the internet, was to compensate for the neck dive on the basses he started out with (?) But they look great, especially the yellow one.

12 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Jamming with James Oliver at the Earl Haig open mic yesterday.

 

 

 

Nice one!

I saw James Oliver at a guitar show last year and very impressive he was too.

3 hours ago, Geek99 said:

Do you have curtains or blinds ? I would not leave nice stuff on show like that 

at least not around these parts 

No, there are no curtains or blinds.  When both of us are out of the house I take the heads out and hide them somewhere else in the house.  The conservatory is out the back though, so you would have to walk into my garden to see in, and I do have cameras.

Congrats on the new bass.

I presume the pick up is a  Delano?  If so, how are you finding it?

10 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

I can categorically state that there is no such loophole, no credit scheme or any such thing.  One wrong click on the Buy Now button and you're out, irrespective of how much stuff you've sold this year.

 

 

It's a brag, basically - "look how well I'm doing, not only am I abstaining from buying gear, I'm selling the stuff too!" type thing, I guess.  Upgrading "make do with what you've got" to "make do with less", if you will.

 

Well ok, now you've cleared that up but in that brief period of time between my post and your reply, an innocent bass chatter, fully believing he was on the straight and narrow, could have pressed that buy now button and rejoiced in the fact that he was about to receive some new kit whilst feeling proud of his unblemished gear abstinence record...and you would mercilessly cast him out of the club?  I think an erudite solicitor, knowledgeable in Basschat law might take you to task on that.

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

 

No, you buy something, you're out.  I'm merely highlighting the danger of having money (electronic or folding) burning a hole in your hipper (physical or otherwise).  Could I have worded what I wrote better?  Was it ambiguous in some way?

No, not really.  I might have just been looking for a loophole, especially with a Dingwall D-Roc on Ebay at the moment.

4 hours ago, neepheid said:

Winning - I'm negative gear for the year - just sold a Tecamp Puma 900.  The trouble ahead is that's most of what a Sire Z7 costs... still, stock won't be available for months - plenty of time for the car's MOT to eat those funds instead!

So how does this gear abstinence lark work then?  If you flog some bass kit for, say £500 and then buy a bass for anything up to that amount are you still in?  Doesn't quite seem like abstinence to me.

On 10/04/2024 at 20:22, Nice Guy Rich said:

I just want to run a quick straw poll, what would you put with an Olympic White P-Bass with a tortoiseshell pickguard?

 

Black strap or, a burgundy strap?

Burgundy

Paul Del Bello is one of my favourites.  I like his short clips about how certain famous bass players play, how their style fits their music/band etc.  Very informative.

My missus had been after a conservatory for a while.  I finally agreed when I realised that with soundproof (ish) glass, conservatories make great places for practising.

In spring and autumn I leave a couple of basses in overnight but I can't do that in summer or winter.

I mainly use my GK Legacy into the Super Midget, but sometimes I'll fire up the Fusion S through the Barefaced 10s

On 07/04/2024 at 08:09, NHM said:

Last year we offered to take a much-reduced fee at a pub we play regularly because really bad weather meant there was hardly anyone there - but I've not experienced the venue telling you the fee has been reduced. Also, there have been times when a pub has paid us extra if they've had a bumper take. I guess it's about partnerships, we each need the other.

We had a gig at a pub in Watford that we had played before, in fact they gave us our first gig.  The landlady booked us on a day that all the locals left to go to a golf tournament.  We played to about 6 people!  We then offered to take a cut in our fee but the bar staff wouldn't have it.  The Load of Hay in Watford, good pub.

19 hours ago, markbunney said:

Nevermind, at least you got to learn some new songs and play with some different people, which is never a bad thing.

 

Good luck finding something else.

 

I’ve put (another!) ad on join my band, and will try and get to one of the local jam nights next week in a bid to find something 

That's how I see it.  I've never played Soul and Motown before and I was most certainly out of my comfort zone but I like learning songs so all is good.  I tried to reign in my rock bassist habits a bit and I think I came across as a bit underwhelming.  I lacked the groove necessary according to the feedback I got.

Still, now the tone control is back on full, there is a pick back in my fingers and the round wound strings through GK amps can be heard in their full glory.

I've been back on Joinmyband too, I've got in touch with a drummer and we have started learning a few 70s 80s rock songs before a meet in a couple of weeks; hopefully a covers band will rise out of the ashes.

And I'm tempted to go to a local pub that has an open mic/jam tonight.

Good luck with your search too.

6 hours ago, tauzero said:

He eventually got it right, and starts discussing going on tour...

 

 

There is another video of him playing this song at the Cavern no less!  He messes up, starts again and the crowd give a big cheer when he finishes, possibly more out of sympathy.

Great YouTube clip that.  So I watched one of the YouTube suggestions that appear at the end, one about a guitarist 's teeth falling out then this one below was suggested:

Thank f*ck Toyah Wilcox isn't in the band.

I didn't get it.  The other auditionee was better than me🙁  Or rather I wasn't good enough.  I've never played soul and Motown before and was a bit nervous.

Never mind...back to Joinmyband!

That is bloody awful news.

40 minutes ago, ead said:

 

I think this would be the case for most of us 

One day at a time.

Welcome to the forum mate!  

5 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Good luck Billy, must have been great fun learning those bass lines.

Thanks, and, yes! It certainly has.  I really like learning new songs.