Pseudonym

This is why Ronnie and Reggie were such a formidable team. None of this “either-or” nonsense for them.

I always assumed I'd follow it better if I heard it at half speed. Must try that sometime.

Pleasant personality, diligent, competent, cooperative and a quick learner? Why on earth would you keep someone like that? How will you fill your tell-all memoir with the appropriate tales of dysfunction and conflict?

This why the J bass was perhaps misconceived.

And surely it was appropriate to give Snow the benefit of the doubt over whatever transpired down the lane.

It is certainly a polarised time. In fairness to the current era of moral standards for creative artists, however, Fatty Arbuckle never recovered from a sex scandal with a tragic death, and various self-appointed guardians of public decency victimised any number of performers over aspects of their beliefs and private lives. There was also a blacklist of screenwriters with completely legal beliefs. This kind of conflict is not new. Furthermore, contrary to some opinions expressed on this thread, the most active perpetrators in the US and UK have been cultural conservative and/or religious zealots. This is still true. Florida ‘s example of actual state censorship pretty much obliterates the nauseatingly imbecilic and dishonest distortion of the facts that one hears all too often regarding supposed persecution over matters of speech. As for loud voices, and public condemnation, these are not the same as state censorship. I question the motives behind the selective outrage one hears at full volume on the airwaves from people who lie with with no noticeable restraint on their speech until their bosses have had enough of the liability that comes with endorsing demonstrable lies.

Are you sure? I mean, are you really sure?

In charge of it? I mean, it worked for Lenin.

I would say that the harm he does to the many musicians he seems to cheat far exceeds the harm that would befall a tribute act, which in any case could easily find a replacement just from the ranks of people he has already cheated.

I now hope that someone other than me will attend a Bass Bash and claim to be Pseudonym.

Don't do it. Fretless basses are all manufactured by child labour in shacks controlled by warlords. The fingerboards are made from ivory painted with carcinogenic black pigment. Some manufacturers have a history of links to IG Farben, the gulag system, Pol Pot or Jimmy Savile. The pickups attract tariffs of 3000% and their configuration will trigger sprinkler systems in any major shipping warehouse. This is known to cause water damage that distorts the ivory fingerboard, which is then unplayable even for jazz, and increases the risk of fatal electrocution when selecting the neck pickup. Really, it isn't worth it.

Once, when I was 18. Another student at a club was convinced that I was an actor who was famous at the time. Never mind that I was ten years too young and the resemblance was scant; the more I denied it, the more certain he was. In the end, I simply let him buy me a drink and I then signed a club flyer for him. I signed it "Tim Roth", who was not the actor he had in mind.

I had forgotten just how much Hugh Cornwell reminded me of Bill Murray at the time. This is not an insult.

That's true. I got really tired of telling people that there's an "a" in Beatles.

I remember when all this were fields.

Thanks to Abebooks, I can clarify that the model on the cover is wearing a black blouse and that she is standing with one foot on the keyboard of a grand piano. So, veering towards the musical but admissible because it isn't expressed in words. Her heaving chest is in no way visible but -- pace Steve -- we can safely assume that she has a chest. This is a good metaphor for a bass sound. That issue of Playboy apparently had an article by Alex Haley about his problems with Roots.

Tried that once. The Stipendiary Magistrate thought otherwise. I have never felt guilty for owning instruments of a quality that far exceeds mine as a player. Like others here, I take it as an incentive to improve. But even that is optional.

I have nothing new to add but utterly endorse the suggestions that @AndyTravis made. It seems pretty clear that you have the maturity to keep a band in shape. This "guitarist" does not. If the rhythm guitarist is also fed up (as I would be), only the personal dynamics of the band (siblings as frontmen) are keeping this together in any way. Striking out on your own, or with the rhythm guitarist, might be very gratifying. It takes effort, but circumstances seem to be urging you in that direction. Good luck. And yes, as others have noted, this guitarist is only accurately described with phallic metaphors. What a cliche.

Nicely done. I wonder how many other Basschatters have transitioned from Billy Connolly to Walter White in recent months?

Space. The final frontier.

There are too many alarm bells with this one. Without any knowledge of its provenance, I doubt anyone could evaluate the likely causes and thus what might be involved in fixing it -- if it can be fixed economically -- without scrutiny that the vendor will not permit. Perhaps it is better to live to fight another day.

Welcome, Inara. I grew up in London and live in Oregon. I had to use Fahrenheit in conversations here and Celcius in conversations with Britons. Recently, however, I have simply used the expression "obscenely hot". Courtesy is always welcome. Exaggerated courtesy for comic effect is particularly enjoyable in some corners of "Off Topic". This is a terrific forum. I came here two years ago for a little wisdom and am still here. Still looking for that wisdom...

I fail to see why we should bother with space travel when the Yellow Submarine solution is so much more appealing. I also find that my troubles seemed distant yesterday, so agonising over what the descendents of our species might do millions of years from now is probably beyond my remit. I am fairly confident that Beatles recordings will be played for as long as twentieth-century music is being played.

If your constraints are primarily spatial rather than financial, is there any way for you to put two or three of the basses out on long-term loan?

If I were in the OP's position, my choice would be a used, recent, US-built Fender. I cannot speak for the basses but I recently bought an American Pro II Stratocaster. It is extremely well made. It isn't simply a matter of outlay versus resale value, although on that basis I think a heavily modified MiM instrument is at a disadvantage. It is also the relative likelihood of getting an instrument that is fundamentally sound to begin with. I have played some superb Mexican Strats and some mediocre ones (never worse than mediocre, however). Every US-built Strat I have played recently was first rate. If quality control on the basses is similar, I would absolutely go for an American Pro II. If either would be a financial sacrifice, I would also recommend getting an instrument you love enough to justify that sacrifice. Then it becomes a kind of spiritual or emotional investment. I agree with others who have suggested taking the time to try alternatives. Always a nice project. Have fun choosing. I'm too jaded to enjoy it as much as I did when I was young and broke, but I suspect this is one of those moments when life expects you to treat yourself well. To the OP: congratulations on qualifying.