chris_b

IMO there's no such thing as overkill when dealing with the likes of DHL, the Post Office etc. Especially with large and delicate items of bass gear. I'd put an inner layer of expanded polystyrene around the cab for extra safety, then get a couple of cardboard boxes from a bike shop and fashion a double skin box around the cab with extra protection at the edges and corners. Gaffer the lot together and you're done.

Can't we just ban E-Scooters and fix the problem that way?

If I wasn't a bass player I'd have been in trouble. I played drums at a basic level when I was a kid, maybe I would have developed that. I also tried my hand with singing, guitar and piano and was pretty crap at all of them. Basically I had to be a bass player.

I just play them. I'll change the strings and fit strap locks, but that's it. I want everything else to be handled by a professional.

Thinking about it, this was between lockdown#1 and #2. So I guess they weren't very busy! Maybe give them a call.

I guess it can vary. Last time was a week. I had them fix a jack socket at the same time.

You might roll your sleeves up and service your old Ford, but you wouldn't touch a Ferrari. Same for my basses. I drop them off at the Bass Gallery and they come back playing like a million dollars.

I've had that. The cat must have been asleep inside my Mesa Boogie 118 when I loaded up the car. At the gig I put the cab down on the pavement and was surprised to see our tabby fly out and freeze!! I managed to get a hold on a back leg and throw it into the car. No gentleness or niceties, we were on a very busy road and by that time the bloody thing had scratched my arm and hand to pieces!

Our roadie forgot to pick up the singer on one gig. He arrived at the gig with the PA and no front man. We were bass, drums and guitar, and had to scrape a couple of set lists together in 20 mins. We all sang a couple of songs (even me) and played a few instrumentals, then we asked if anyone in the audience would like to do a number. A guy in a suit got up and sang some rock and roll in the style of Johnny Rotten on speed. This was 5 years before JR. We also had a guy who was transitioning into a woman! He got up and did a strip to us playing Green Onions. He got everything out, meat and two veg and a pair of boobs!! We made it through the night and even got an encore! I wish someone had recorded it.

You mean these guys aren't on WhatsApp or Facebook?

These "I like my cheap bass, so why does anyone pay any more than I did because they aren't getting anything better than my bass" threads are tedious.

The bass in the video is a 5 string Warwick. They are using a 5 string on the record. It might be the same bass, but who knows. Contact the band and ask the question.

I believe the Japanese Metro builders are now working under the Thee Dots company name. I'm glad they are still making basses.

These days there are 1 x 112 cabs that can easily replace older 2 x 112's.

I liked that. Thanks for sharing.

You can't stop at one. It's against the rules.

Multiscale is not a recent idea. The Bandora was a multiscale Cittern type instrument from the late 16th century. I briefly picked a Dingwall up at Bass Direct and found it easy to play. I wouldn't rule out owning one in the future. Lee Sklar has used Dingwalls for years and makes them sound very good.

So were the original Musicman basses.

I got lots of "Whinging Pom" digs (good natured, mostly) when I lived in Sydney, but. . . . you've never heard whinging until an Aussie gets going. It's another thing they can beat the Brits at!!

Never be in a band that used the singers name, you can never fire him. Some friends were in a band which used the singers name and he left. They couldn't carry on using his name so it made for a bumpy transition period until their audience caught up.

If your price covers shipping, you still have to pay VAT and various charges. . . . all extra to the price of the bass. Are you paying in Pounds or Euros? Who is paying the bank charges to convert one into the other?

If the CITES docs say it's OK then OK. Don't forget the 22% - 25% additional cost of importing a bass.

There are various levels of interest. The A list, or whatever it's called, is the stuff that cannot be imported or exported under any circumstances, Brazilian Rosewood, Ivory etc. There is no exemption for anything on that list. Various other rosewoods were added to the list a couple of years ago, but were later taken off for musical instruments. I'm not aware of any of the details, and don't know what they were, but the restricted materials will be listed in the CITES documentation.

123 means that in the lower positions #3 has to stretch. There is no point in doing that when the pinky can easily cover the note without stretching. Your pinky is a much stronger finger than your ring finger. Get it into your playing style and see the benefits.

Brexit has changed everything. When we were part of the EU Customs Union we could send anything between member countries without any customs involvement. I imported a bass with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard from Europe without any difficulty. Now we are a separate country with no customs links, so anything that is on the CITES list will not be allowed to be imported or exported.