Bassfinger

"Proper channels" is any form of lawful response I choose. Provided its within the law, no one but me gets to decide how I should choose to respond if I were ever in that situation. If factual social media posts are what I choose, that's my business. If factual reviews on tripadvisor are what i choose, thats my business. If I decided to go via the MU (which I actually suggested, if you read back), that's my business. Self appointed arbiters are of no interest. If its legal and I decide its appropriate, then its proper. If folk have a problem with that, then best not to cross me to begin with. It really is incumbent upon venues to behave themselves in the first place if they are likely get wobbly over any response their behaviour may prompt.

One needs to remember that the truth cannot be libellous, no matter how harmful it may be to someone's business.

The breach of contract described doesn't sound remotely shaky. If the truth hurts the business, well, that's the nature of truth. They don't get to cherry pick the genuine and verifiable facts that end up in the public domain, much as I'm sure they'd like to. A savvy new owner will quickly capitalise on the change of management/ownership to underline the past and kick-start things anew. It will only linger like a stale fart if they choose to let it. And to be honest, better a live venue disappear down the U bend than keep shafting hard working musicians. I don't want to see live music at the cost of people being effed over.

I've done a couple, one for a band run by an old work mate and a few for a rival band on the local circuit we're friendly with. Each time I get them to nail down the set list, key, any flourishes or changes from standard, that sort of thing. They way I see it I'm helping them out of a tight spot and if a guitarist or the like is going to go off at a tangent and leafe me floundering then I'm not the man for them. Fortunately getting all this out the way beforehand has worked...so far.

I never normally get nerves during a performance, and certainly never imposter syndrome- confidence has never been an issue for me. The only time I ever had a dose of stage fright was the first time I played mandolin live. Was just about to start and it suddenly all closed on me. Nothing to do other than grit my teeth and get through it, managed it without any massive musical clangers and been fine ever since.

There is a bassist in a local rock covers band who has only one leg who plays sitting down, presumably to avoid falling over and the like. He manages just fine and no one seems to think any the less of him for it.

you'll forgive my typing, which is dreadful at the best of times on account of not having feeling in all my fingers. Ezbass adroitly observed the error. In short, unless you want to build one for the joy of building it, you'll get better results spending a few quid more on a ready made one.

Our rhythm guitarist built one. It turned out OK. That said, as he himself pointed out, he could have built a ready built HB of the same model for much the same price and finished far better than he as an amateur was able to manage.

And raise it with the MU if you're a member.

Phil Lynott, the rock bassists rock bassist, did some fretless. Also with a pick I believe.

It depends. Generally I use an Orange Crush 50, no pedals. I have Alexa piped through the hifi and practice against whatever choon I choose. Less often its through the Tascam GB10. I used to use that all the time when working away, but it now only tends to come out if Mrs Bassfinger is working from home. And occasionally though a Behringer interface and into the computer, output via Preonus speakers. I tend to do this if playing with effects or recording,

Until recently I smoked a pipe, and at an open air gig last May was playing and puffing. Helped me concentrate while playing My Sharona. I had to quit alcohol - not that I was ever a heavy drunker - when a fairly serious liver problem was discovered during a medical last year. Decided to go the whole hog and quit the pipe too. I now drink a lot of Fanta zero and suck a lot of sugar free mints!

Tre has thr hardest job in rock!

For me it would be Mike Dirnt. But having delved deeper recently into his playing I am pleased to say I am wrong. He dang good!

Might be worth a few shekels on a few lessons with a decent tutor. They'll look at your natural tendencies, whether you tend to stroke the strings downwards or more sideways, positioning, etc, correct any deficiencies and encourage any strengths. My technique is a bit odd as I can't feel fingers 3 a 4, and as I could already finger pick on a guitar (proper lessons as a teen) I re-learned that skill and improvised a technique using my thumb and first two fingers, using my useless fingers to steady the playing hand against the body, a la a bass playing verson of Mark Knopfler (with the same amount of hair.) While it works very well a few lessons with a tutor had me altering my hand position to give a more apoyando inward strike on the strings with the fingers, gives more control, less unwanted noise and buzz than the more sideways picado stroke id been using for those. It's a chronic bodge, but my tutor (hi Cesar, if youre on here) honed it into something quite useable. I'm closer to a picado stroke with the thumb, but that's the limit of the biomechanics of the digit, and the thumb only comes in on E where the difference in tone is least noticeable. Because off my physical issues I play pick about 50% of the time, and fortunately I'm mainly a rock bassist and love learning the different techniques for that too, picked a few strokes and edge playing exercises up from him for that was well.

Heaven and Hell. Nothing radical, but the bass line trips along just so and seems to propel the whole thing along perfectly.

And on the drive home it looks to any passing copper as if you are indeed wearing your seat belt.

Green Day, Whatsername. The band have talked about doing this, and have suggested I might do guitar on this one. That isn't decided yet so I'm just listening to the song and absorbing it and I think I've figured out the various guitar parts and bass without resorting to sheet music. As an aside, its a great song. Simple, but very cleverly written. The studio version is beautifully produced, and BJA's vocal tracks are superbly layered.

I have. Used one for for gigging for about 6 months following shoulder surgery, went backcto a regular strap once id recovered sufficienntly. They're good if you don't mind putting a strap nut on the lower horn. I compromised, used a Harley Benton, but might have thought twice about doing so to my 4003s. You have to keep the adjustment short so the instrument is close to your body, else when you're hands off it leans outwards alarmingly. Not a big deal, but may preclude you from punk bassist antics with the bass rohnd your thighs. The only downside for me was that I wear my bass a touch higher than many folk and the system wasn't really good for that so I had to lump it, but if you're not Phil Lynott you should be OK.

It's like cars. To my mind, "low mileage for year" = "high mileage, but im trying to put a positive spin on it."

I have one. It never really tugged my rug. I only really used it for songs where hitting the octave instead of the low note doesn't sound quite right, and there arent many of those, at least to my ear. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned (says the man who still wears a top hat and rides a penny farthing.)

Zaphod Beeblebrox?

Although back when those acts were contemporary he was mentioned all the time.

They need a tiny fraction, like the width of a sheet of paper, filing off one side if the plate in two of them. Two or three seconds on the bench grinder and another moment polishing the edge with 600 grit and it was done. They are very positive in use, very stable. It sounds fantastic, is light and comfortable, feels good in the hand, looks good. Very difficult,t to find any legitimate criticism. It's my backup bass for gigging, and the bass I reach for when it's time to get gnarly and rocky.

The HB MB4 is a fantastic bit of kit. Wilko tuners and Warman pickup only add to the range and deliver a lovely tone at one end and a ballsy rock snarl at the other. Me and our rhythm guitarist have a bit of an HB fan club going between us.