Paul S

A few years ag my old band shared a night with a band called Jamie Williams and the Root Collective - they were a lot of fun. Great bass player - I didn't recognise the bass but it sounded amazing so I asked him about it. He had effectively modded himself one of these from a Squier Bronco - JJ pups, new electrics, scratchplate, bridge and tuners.

Must be time for this again.

I love this one. Same meat, different gravy An old mate of mine had a long and varied career as a film camerman. He was telling me just a few months ago that the best time he ever had was following Chris Rea around Italy filming his self-funded film all about cars and ice cream.

James Taylor Quartet

I bought an early 70s MIJ Encore P bass on eBay. When trying to date it, I (with some help from people who know things) found that the pickups were actually Fender ones of the same vintage - worth more than the bass cost me. Sold in its entirety to someone on here. Damned fine bass, that one.

An interesting bass was listed today but almost immediately withdrawn in between my seeing it, asking how much it weighed, and getting a reply. Not seen one before. Seller did a little more research and pulled it because he believes he undervalued it. Which is probably true. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267482497835

^^ What a great post!^^

I regularly see the Hamish Stuart Band/360 band and his bassist is Steve Pearce - a top echelon session player and one of the best bassists I have seen live. He uses one of these. Mic'd up but you can still hear it.

I've had a few Yamaha bassess, from a pointy headstock thing I forget the model number of but with a superskinny neck profile to a selection of broad basses - BB414 via a BB424, BB425 to a BB5000 that I imported from Japan. Fabulous things, I was particularly fond of the BB414 which I think, for the money, is hard to beat. Now all gone, mainly because a/ I find them too heavy and b/ I don't play long scale basses any more. What I would like to try, but have yet to own, is the BB VIS - medium scale, slightly lighter body, single pickup broadbass model. Or, if the weight was right, maybe a BB VIIS, which is a PJ variant of the same medium scale, smaller body. What I do still have, and it is arguably the best bass I have ever owned - certainly my favourite - is a Yamaha SB-35. Medium scale 'SG-shaped' double cutaway, single pickup. It is pretty straightforward, nothing complicated about it at all, but it is a joy to play and it just sings. That one is going into my coffin with me.

Yup. Sold all my longscale basses a couple of years ago and moved to medium and short scale, mostly short scale. So they are what I gig with. Well, up until my band folded earlier in the year, anyway. I used whatever took my fancy from Gibson SG, Gibson LP Jnr DC, Eros EB-3, Danelectro Longhorn, Fender Mustang, Harley Benton Shorty. With no band currently or on the horizon these are now mostly gone - just the HB Shorty remains of my short scales.

I absolutely love these Maruszczyk ones. These are the comfiest straps I have tried (which includes most of the suggestions): really soft leather, grippy suede reverse, decent amount of padding and also quite wide and load bearing. https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/maruszczyk-pes50/

I sold a rare bass on here for under the market price as I no longer had a use for it. It's what I do because I hate stuff hanging around when I no longer use it. Saw it for sale on another resale site - might have been Reverb - for around twice what I sold it for. Fair play. But using my pictures? Not so much.

I was there. I am a L42 fan and have seen them more than any other band. Not because I am a huge fan of slap bass but I believe Mark King to be the most accomplished and complete bass player I have ever seen - his finger style playing is remarkable. I especially enjoy the early jazz funk stuff immensely. Not so much the pop phase. Anyhoo, I missed the earliest years but, since the mid-80s, I've seen them probably 2 or 3 times per tour whenever they tour. Which, in recent years, has been every other year for a big tour with, usually, a London gig in the non-touring year. So I've seen them probably dozens of times over the past few years, including locally at the Cliff's Pavillion in Southend (well, Westcliff, really) just last week on this tour. I. Mark's vocals. I don't kow when you saw them last but I would say, overall, his voice is much improved over how it was 2 or 3 years ago. He lost a lot of weight and his voice improved (as a result? Fitter?). But for sure the ballads were poor last night, compared to last week. If you last saw him 10 years ago, for example, then I would agree it is not as good as it was but it has since got worse and then better! As an aside, Mike Lindup's voice has improved tremendously in the past couple of years. TBF it needed too - always rather thin and weedy, it seems a lot more like the 'old days' and he can more ably carry the songs he sings main vocal on. I believe he is doing a lot of solo stuff at the moment so maybe using it more. II. Again, no chat is how it has been the past couple of years, especially when doing 'album anniversery tours' like this. They just play the album then the hits. Roachford, imo, spolit the entire set by not shutting up. I don't see it as adding value at all, I just find it irritating. Then again, he has just the one decent tune so has to pad it out. And why go through all the false endings/audience joing in etc then carry on (over time) and finish on a weak tune no-one has heard before? Mystifying. Anyhoo, I digress. III. Agree regarding the lighting, which did seem pared down for this tour compared to previous years, for sure. A reasonably complex light show was always a part of the gig but not this time. The back projection didn't seem to get used as much last night as it was last week, can't imagine why. Personally, overall I find the band as good as they ever have been. The brass section adds value and Nathan is a great fit, busy filling the sound and vocals. Phil Gould left big shoes to fill but Pete Ray Biggin just blows my mind. Perhaps the Sirens tour was their peak but I still enjoy them. Big negative for me - I thought it a shame that Mark King has started to introduce more showboat slap bass stuff again. There was a period of some years when he didn't do that but, on this tour, it seems to have crept in again. No need - it aint the 1980s any more. Just goes to show how two people can see the same show and leave with different feelings about it.