Paul S

I did it the other way around ie had a MM Sterling into which I had @Andyjr1515 graft a P pickup.  Had to have the P bits reversed a la Yamaha to fit into the sweet spot as I recall.  Very nice it was too.

On 27/04/2025 at 09:19, dmccombe7 said:

Shame its the last gig in the diary this year ? Is the band folding or something else happening there Paul. ?

 

Well, shows what I know!  Guitarist says he is leaving to concentrate on solo acoustic/bluegrass banjo.  So, no band!  

10 minutes ago, mikebass456 said:

 

Love mine - they're my main basses now for the punk band (shortscale makes me look a bit taller as well 😆😆)

 

 

I was hoping mine would make me look slimmer but no deal!

Interesting use of a P pickup - how does it affect the tone?

41 minutes ago, mikebass456 said:

Gotta love a Gibson LP DC bass 😉🤘😎

Indeed.  First time I have used mine for a year or so, having bought all manner of other bright shiny things, but it defo put a smile on my face yesterday.  Makes me wonder why I got the other stuff but, well, you know...  

15 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I've been to a few of the dealer days and the band is more background music than a show. Only time people take time to watch the band is when they have been to the burger stall and still eating.

Shame its the last gig in the diary this year ? Is the band folding or something else happening there Paul. ?

Dave

Hopefully the band is continuing.  We decided not to do any pub gigs any more after a nasty experience or two last year and just take fewer but better gigs.  Trouble is this year the better gigs seem to have dried up.    On the plus side I am waiting for a date for some big surgery so it means no gigs to cancel.

28 minutes ago, casapete said:

What PA do you use Paul, and are you DI’d straight into it with your bass?
Am curious as to how it sounds with the system behind the band, looks interesting! 

It is an RCF EVOX 8 system which has some sort of voodoo going on that prevents it feeding back (almost always)  No idea what goes on but it works.  I DI straight into the desk via an eq/drive pedal, turn my hearing aids down a few notches and that is my monitoring as well.  It is a good pa, plenty of beans for outdoor gigs like this.

Coincidentally my lot had a gig at the Newmarket Harley Davidson place yesterday.  They hold a 'birthday party' every year and we are lucky enough to have been invited to provide the live music for the last three years.  We played well and are appreciated there by an albeit quiet crowd who are pretty much focussed on the bike stuff.  That is the last gig we have in the diary for this year.  That's me on the left checking my phone.  I took a brace of Gibson shorties - having tossed a coin mentally I used the Les Paul Jnr DC for the gig and an SG as backup - and was wearing Red Back boots.  Drummer Joe's picture.

8 hours ago, Buddster said:

Oh my lordy, whay have you started! 

I'm sure I dont look that old... 

 

Where did the teacup full of dry catfood come into it?

Big county but if you are in or near the southeast  https://www.leightonsguitarshop.com/ in Leigh is where I go.  Leighton makes guitars and amps from scratch but fills in with setups.  Lovely fella.

Yup. Looks like I'm too late 😢😁

So sad to hear.  I had a couple of meet-ups with Sam and, as anyone else who did, felt as though I'd known her for years after our long chats.  One time in snow and ice at Thurrock services and we both got frozen   We all know that Life isn't fair and Sam certainly had her hand dealt from the bottom of the deck.

9 hours ago, Iheartreverb said:

I had one of these and it was great. 
The quality was there, importantly it sounded ace and good value, I only paid about £350.

 

Truth be told, I’d buy one again tomorrow if I could. I was looking at them the other night and there’s only one or two sunburst ones around and a bit too much money, especially considering they are mostly overseas and you’ll pay import.

That being said, if there was one in the U.K. £400 to £600, I’d easily have it 

There's a sparkly red one in Sheffield at the moment that is £300 on eBay but reduced to £250, I think, on Reverb (or somewhere other than eBay, anyway).  Collection only.  For £250 it is tempting to strip and oil, except I have no way of colleting from Sheffield.

Thank you.  Quite an endorsement!  I've had a few BB Yamahas and really liked them but a decade on the long scales are too much of a stretch and too heavy - one of these would be a a nice way back. 

One of the lesser known side effects of slap bass!  We should be told.   

Some random Googling just now winkled out the existence of this model - a medium scale BB bass that by most accounts weighs 3.5kg.  Seems they came in flat red, sparkle red, burst or black.  A black one of these ticks every one of my boxes and addresses all the issues I have with BB basses.

Has anyone owned one and formed opinions?

Muchas gracias!  

My lot - nothing after the end of April.  Not one.  Nowt.  Zip.  Rein.  Nada.  Zilch.  Niets.  Nichts.  mitättömyys.  Niente.  无 .   لَاشَيّءَ .  何も･･･ない 

Which in some ways is OK as I may be having some surgery coming up, depending upon what they decide to do with me.

9 hours ago, Owen said:

A bit like driving to Cardiff from Bangor or raising children. 

I don't have children but the summer before last drove from Cardiff to Bangor.  I had all day, took my time, drove up through the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia national parks.  Probably the nicest drive I have done in the UK, especially as the next morning I went along the north coast back into England.

I was in a Bon Jovi tribute band for a period and, for some shows, we used back projections that were relevant to the music so, for some songs, used a click track.  Also, for some songs, we used backing tracks that added a layer of BVs or maybe the odd sound effect or extra guitar - just to beef it up a bit.  So, again, used a click track.  Some songs we just played bareback.  IMO it made us a better band, putting on a more polished show.  But I wouldn't dream of doing it at the Dog and Duck with my blues rock trio.  I think it entirely depends upon the type of music you play and where you are playing it.

@diskwave how old are you?  I'm curious as you are always harping back to how much better music was in the old days but I suspect I am actually older than you yet don't share your views.

24 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Classic Pro - if you must get close to the one pictured it has to be this one - Gibson TB+ pickups with black covers, three point bridge - which you then swap out for a Hipshot, after which you'll pretty much have the one from the video, save for the name on the truss rod cover.

 

Don't waste your time with a bolt on Epiphone "Thunderbird" - that's simply a generic bolt on bass whose body happens to be Thunderbird shaped.  Being neck thru is one of the fundamental things that makes a Thunderbird a Thunderbird.

 

This, oh so very much this.  At one point I tried to compensate for my ever thickening waist and jowls by playing a Gibson Thunderbird.  Then I saw sense and sold it.  But I missed it - by which time I decided I couldn't give a toss what anyone thought.  I bought a white Epiphone Classic Pro, as detailed above, and the Epiphone was the better of the two basses.  The tone and neck were par but the fit and finish of the Ephiphone were better, plus it was lighter. 

Something to bear in mind - the Classic Pro and 60s Vintage Pro have bigger headstocks and not all the Epiphone T-Bird cases fit those models.  I think it is the coffin shaped one that does.

Bought some strings from Ash in the most straightforward of transactions.  Perfect 🙂

29 minutes ago, casapete said:

I saw Thin Lizzy at Bridlington Spa in the late 70’s, and they were really good but just not my kind

of thing. Got tickets from their record company when I worked in record retail, so around that time

I went to loads of gigs I maybe wouldn’t have paid to see and that was one of them. 
Possibly one of the loudest gigs I’ve been to probably didn’t help either, my ears were ringing

for days afterwards. 

I saw them at Wembley June 1978 and, for me, it set the bar for live music.  I was 20 and the gig completely resonated with the type of music I was into at the time - and poignant for so many personal reasons.  Great memory.🙂 

PM incoming.🙂

Having slept on it I believe I will pass on this occasion.  I have too many basses as it is.  GLWYS!

Thank you.  Time for a think!

7 hours ago, miikebass said:

It’s more the shape I guess.  Not necessarily semi hollow. 

I once owned at the same time a Hofner Ignition Club and a Danelectro '56 SS single cut, which is chambered,  The Dano blew the Hofner out of the water in every way so maybe consider adding one of those to your shortlist?