Paul S

Mcavoy!  I'd have been a bit start struck!

My lot had a 'similar' situation at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket.  A venue run by volunteers, which is relevant.  A 3 band Blues and Brews event with speciality local ales, we were headlining and doing the venue a favour by providing the drum kit.  The deal was £50 per band plus a % of the door money.  Which is rubbish but we have been hoping for a gig in our own right as it is a good venue.  My share of £50 just about covered my petrol, buying my dinner put me out of pocket, which was a discussion I'd had with the other 2 guys but they were keen ...  On the night it was fairly well attended 60 people at £10 a time plus the bar took £900.  When it came to being paid - a month later - we got £50 and no share of the takings.  Expenses, apparently.  We aren't playing there again.  

Or sell it and use the money to buy what you are looking for.  Doesn't have to be complicated.  

6 hours ago, Frank Blank said:

Several...

• Lord Lucan
• Yvonne Goolagong
• Lyme Regis
• Janet Street-Porter
• Tony Gubba
• The Larch
• Archbishop Justin Welby
• Ali Bongo
• The Galloping Gourmet
• Finsbury Park
• Delia Smith
• The Bakerloo Line
• @Teebs
• Maigret
• Faith Brown
• Jeremy Thorpe
• Kendo Nagasaki
• Lloyd Grossman
• Lloyd Bridges
• Lloyds Bank
• Keith Floyd
• Charlie (from Charlie's Angels)
• Vangelis
• Liberace

You don't like the Galloping Gourmet?  Philistine.  Maybe you'd like his early, edgier work with the Trotting Tosspots, before he made a habit of having a quick slurp.

Not so much a popular bass player but a popular band - Bon Jovi.  Aside from maybe 3 of their bigger hits I had taken no notice of them whatsoever but then the rock covers band I was in decided to morph into a Bon Jovi tribute band.  Cue spening a lot of time and effort learning lots of their material.  I now have massive respect for Hugh McDonald who came up with some absolutely fabulous bass lines which often define the song - hooky earworms like 'Livin' On A Prayer' and 'Keep The Faith' but also subtle and wondrously musical lines that weave through the song like 'These Days'.  I'm still not a big fan of the songs but consider Hugh to be very much an unsung hero.  

Just a bit of fun.  Massively talented guy who died far too young.  

I don't 'get' lots and lots of bass players' appeal, most of them have been mentioned more than once.  But here's one - and I fear this is a bit like telling an Irish joke in a Dublin pub - Lemmy.  I just don't get him or Motorhead.  Never have.  I kind of think 'Ace of Spades' is an OK tune but hardly enough to prop up a 40 year career.  To me it just proves how far having 'attitude' and a big gob can get you because, so far as I can see, he has no other attributes to warrant his Deity status.  Just the one bass sound and Janet and John song writing.  

I get home as quickly as possible then lie awake dreaming up ridiculous questions.

No such thing as 'wrong' or 'right' versions.  There are orginal versions and covers - the judgement calls are down to personal preference.  My preference, all day long, is the Whitesnake 'Ain't No Love', but that is me.

So 'ere's a song for yer'... Hush.  Written by Joe South and and recorded by Billy Joe Royal in 1967, yet almost universally described as a Deep Purple song.  Then there is the popular Kula Shaker version.  And the slower, heavier Gotthard version.  Plus myriad second tier covers by the likes of the Partridge Family, Love Affair, Milli Vanilli - etc.  Which one would you call the 'Wrong' or 'Right' one?

I have my best and favourite TI Flats fitted to both my MIJ Mustang and Squier 'Vista' Musicmaster.  The short scale set are 32" scale (JF 324 - the clues are there! ) and fit just fine with the through-body stringing. 

You could always get an Aria Pro II Laser and a hacksaw?  

Hard to highlight any one particular bit of playing in such a long career filled with such consistency but I especially love the playing at the start of Fairies Wear Boots.

Don't know, tbh.  They list them as a Hi Gain Lemmy style.

1 minute ago, martthebass said:

To be honest when I had mine it felt more long scale than short, I didn't feel the need to make an adjustment like I do when moving between my 34" and 30".

I've not really found any other bass channel the Rick vibe, they are a singular beast, I'd suggest looking at one of the good Japanese fakers if money is an issue. 

Retrovibe have some vaguely Rick-ish shorty basses in stock.  I got in touch with David and he is currently knocking me up a slightly more Rick-ish version.  Short scale.  Although we recently went off plan for a more blingy black stain, no pickguard, gold hardware look.  Not entirely sure what it will end up like but it should be fun.    This was the last mock up but things seem to be fluid

Now gone  

I was once sacked after having a nose to nose with the singer immediately before a gig.  The band had a few bassist-less months then the singer left and I was asked back.  We carried on for a bit with a new name but it wasn't quite the same.  Old singer was impossible but a good front man, new guy not so much.

7 hours ago, Bassassin said:

The bendy bridge is another thing that points to Matsumoku - loads of Mats basses from that late 70s/early 80s era had these & they all seem to be made of cheese. This is the one that was on my Westy Track 2 when I got it:

 

 

 

Looks like that bridge had a troll living under it!

18 minutes ago, Bassassin said:

it's proper Japlish & therefore borderline inexplicable. 

Marvellous 😂

4 hours ago, thebrig said:

What a great idea.

 Isn't it.  I've never seen that before but what a wonderful piece of lateral thinking.

I always thought it was spelled 'Squier'?

I had one of these - the body was too heavy for me to manage but I liked the neck so much I kept it and had it transplanted into a lighter bass.  The medium scale is great, also the neck width and profile just seem to be right for my hands.  Lovely thing  

Absolute bargain.  Necks on these are simply fantastic. 

1 hour ago, scrumpymike said:

Yet another one to add to the already long list for what Basschat calls the 'pink torpedo'!

And poignant that it is in a thread about shorties.

Well, perhaps.  You know.  

Tuesday just gone.  A very productive rehearsal.  Drummer got a mate of his over, who is a very busy soundman/rehearsal/recording studio owner to come along.  First hour was spent tuning the drums then micing them up/eqing etc to get the best from them.  Wow.  What a difference having someone who knows what he is doing.  We fired up when he was done and played something, just to see how the drums sat - awesome was the verdict.  Really fat and tight.  

We then asked him if he thought our sound could be improved in other ways and he said, purely from a flexibilty/dispersal point of view, having the guitar through the pa would be a bonus.  This is something I have been suggesting for ages but guitarist seemed reluctant, saying he couldn't get 'his' tone if it went through the pa.  But coming from this guy he seemed more open to the idea and we have finally got it sorted.  Massive result.

Neck pickup in my SG had been feeding back - it was a bit microphonic.  I had taken it over to my usual chap to be potted but when he had a look the pickup was quite loose inside the cover.  A new bit of harder foam should sort it out, said my chap.  And it has.  Another result!

Plus we nailed 2 new songs, which is always good.

And there was no traffic there or back!

Marvellous.  

I guess I am fortunate that switching between different scale lengths has never been a problem for me, so no help there. 

I have a few shorties now and would say, straight out of the box, the Harley Benton PB Shorty sounded 'exactly' like a P bass with the stock pickup giving a nice old school vintage tone.  I've since swapped the pup for a Tonerider, which has a bit more edge and fatness.  Slight neck dive but easily cured with a suede-backed strap.  I would heartily recommend getting one of these are a toe-dipping exercise into the realm of shorties, if P basses are your thing.  As I always say of them, they are good basses at any price point.  At £85 new they are a miracle.