chris_b

I have bought basses that have been Pleked, but never had a bass Pleked, so I have no before/after experience. I've owned several basses that I thought were the best and played like a dream. I had a full service and set up done by the Bass Gallery, and my fantastic basses came back playing even better. Now, whenever I buy a new bass I take it to the Gallery for them to wave their magic wand.

I've used a bar stool as well. Depends on the band, sometimes it doesn't look right and other times it doesn't look out of place. Like most things bass, no one else seems to care.

I have Pro 17's and Pro 26's, for when I'm playing with a certain guitarist!!

My solution to extend my gigging life was to get a Barefaced 112 at 10kg/21lbs, a folding trolley, a D class amp at 5lbs, and as a backup, just in case I need to go even lighter, I have 2 Barefaced One10's at 7kg/15lbs. I now have 3 basses that weigh less than 3.2kg/7.1lbs and use a bar stool if my back is playing up.

Glad to hear you finally have finally resolved your back issues.

I've heard good things about the Alexander Technique. Coupled with a good work out routine, to strengthen your core, should resolve most problems.

ACS, ACS, ACS

We had a guitarist do that, except no message. One day he was here, next day he wasn't. Didn't answer any calls or other forms of communication. It was a good band but without him it just folded! A waste of a good band.

65? Tut. . . . a mere youngster.

Those 4" heels were killers. I was glad when I stopped wearing mine!

I hope the floor is reinforced!

Shame you're thinking of hanging up your bass. Bass has never been a hobby for me. Even if a band felt like work, it was always a million times better than w-o-r-k! I've worked with some a-hole band leaders but the a-hole managers were always worse. Good luck. . . . don't sell all your gear. . . . you'll be back.

I'd be looking at Newtone. British made strings that seem to get good reviews.

I thought that, which is why I added the "refusing more loans" bit. I believe the support for Ukraine is funded by loans and some of the US borrowing even goes towards paying off interest on the debt!!

Unfortunately he's right, but this attitude still has to be fought. I've just been listening to a Trump on Europe podcast. He's after the EU with a vengeance, but thinks he has a good relationship with Keir Starmer, so, "We will work something out". That sounds very ominous and is probably Trump code for, " Starmer is going to roll over and do what he's told". The UK cannot fall out of step with the EU in negotiating with Trump, under any circumstances.

The US National Debt currently stands at $36 trillion!! Most of it is owed to China and Japan. Why is China playing Trump's tariff game? At a stroke they could end all this nonsense by calling in their loans, or at the very least refusing any more loans.

Sorry but you can't placate a madman. Trump is a bully and a taker. Give him what he wants and he will be back for more. We have to get real and finally admit we are Europeans and Europe is where we will prosper in the long term. We have to make that work for everyone's sake. I pray I am wrong, but there is very little chance of a happy future for the US with Trump in charge, and in 4 years time the voting really will be rigged. A 3rd term for Trump or Trump Jr is almost a certainty.

That’s how it will go. Used gear will become more desirable and music shops and businesses will have to switch to non-US manufacturers or fail. Buy all the new gear you need now (that goes for everything else made in the US). Get your budgets in place and batten down the hatches. . . . the clown show is just getting started.

I play with a guitarist who uses a wireless set up. He runs about in the audience, stands on tables etc. He also walks around outside the pub, still playing. In Camberley, one night, he decided to run across the road (the A30) and play from the other side. The audience laps it up. He just made it back to the pub as a Police car pulled up. Also, at a festival, he jumped off the stage and walked through the audience, still soloing. Then discovers there’s no way back. He had to climb over a fence to get back stage and forgot to turn the guitar down, so we were rocking away with a shrieking cacophony of noises coming from the guitar amp until he got over the fence.

The Grey Horse was run by pub landlords who only wanted to sell beer and didn't care about the live music that was in the back room 7 nights a week. Then Richard Fletcher, musician, well. . . . drummer and great bloke, took over and sorted out all the problems. When Richard moved on the brewery turned it into a gastro pub!! We also had to move our cars in the middle of the first set because the landlord's wife's car was blocked in, and she wanted to go out for a drive!!

We were supporting Status Quo at the Western-super-Mare Winter Gardens Pavilion, when after several hours consuming god knows what, Rick Parfitt staggered into our dressing room to say hello. He took a turn for the worse and had a massive chunder in the sink, which wasn't connected to any pipework! The carpet was soaked and the room stank and apparently he blamed us when the promoter discovered the mess!!

I didn't like the versions played by the "bass cover guys". They were clunky and didn't groove. IMO they are not a basis for learning anything. Listen to the original Delbert and Temptations versions if you want the real bass lines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6OYSKIxxk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3x5aHMi8y0

Indeed, even though it was a lie circulated by the Police after the raid.

I wouldn't use a set of strings because Pino has his name on them. But I would use the strings that Pino is using, which, if you ignore the marketing, seem to be TI and Labella.