Paul S

I aim for 3.6kg these days. 8lbs.

The srew is a fine tuning device, it is the lever down the side tha operates the drop. Handy, if you like that sort of thing

You have the handy drop D, too. Nice one.

Too young to go. Very sad.

Got me wondering what the singular is?

Switched. Vast improvement! Well done.

How about a pedal for your tone shaping and an FRFR powered cab?

I bought a pair of RCF EVOX 8 v2 and the heavy bit stays at ground level. Fabulous sound. Little-to-no feedback either - you place them at the back.

Fab. Don't suppose you'll be coming to south Essex

Aha. Never knew that. No need for precision clicking.

That has indeed done the trick! Thank you.

I'm getting this on Chrome, too. Like all the other stuff - nice and speedy.

How about supergluing a small piece of wood into the missing bit then shaping it?

I would recommend this - a Harley Benton PB Shorty. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234081676825?hash=item36805aee19%3Ag%3Alm4AAOSwu61g5stH&LH_ItemCondition=3000 Currently @£42.87 with just under 2 days to go. I bought one new a year or so ago for £80. Yes, £80. I had intended to change the pickup but, actually, the stock one is fine. Tuners arent the best but entirely functional. They are so cheap that it would be easy to dismiss it but - seriously - you could pay 3 or 4 times that - more, even - and not get a better bass. A joy to play, being short scale, and with flats it sounds like a good old vintage P bass.

Pretty sure it is this model that fits: https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Gator-GC-ELEC-XL-Deluxe-Moulded-Case-For-Electric-Guitars-Extra-Long/CU0 I've also used a hard case for a 335 shaped semi-hollow for a short scale Mustang/Musicmaster.

... and the string spacing! What is going on?

Not just in the north, they are everywhere. My brother in law belongs to several within an hours travelling distance of Southend in Essex. Same format. You've never seen so many Hank Marvin Signature Strats. I went along once. Just the once. There are only so many times you can try to look enthusiastic about some old fella strumbling his way through Apache. That said, there are one or two players with a very good touch on the circuit.

Make snowmen?

Playing for free can sometimes work out to your advantage. Summer 2019 my fledgeling blues rock trio were invited to play at the Ipswich Maritime Festival - a musical event over 2 days organised by BBC Radio Suffolk and the local council. Big stage set up on the harbour side, all the backline and sounds were provided and featuring local bands. No money but a food voucher. Guitarist Alan is local but for me it was 55 miles each way. Did we do it? You bet we did. We ended up with the best live demo we could have wished for - on a big stage with BBC written all over it, great sound. We also reinforced our relationship with Stephen Foster, BBC Radio Suffolk's main guy for this, who subsequently asked us to play at a couple of other festivals last year. Which of course got cancelled. Foz has asked us to play at the Maritime Festival again in August. Will we do it? You bet we will.

The Whitesnake cover of this

I knew this Long before I heard the original. A guy called Richard Torrence. Clearly he didn't ever make it big but I really like his version. My old covers band used to do this, used to love playing it.

Stew, I used to stick that old Trace head you bought from me through a Supercompact. Two if I was feeling decadent. Marvellous.

I was in a rock covers band a few years back and a couple of songs we played I found hard at first until I practiced enough not to worry. The triplets in in the chorus of UFO's 'Lights Out' I found took some stamina, especially as the drummer would invariably speed up. Also the bit after the breakdown in Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' at around 4.20-ish took a bit of practice until it flowed.

In the Third Degree cover of Mercy, around 2mins and leading into the breakdown.

I had one I liked, as it happens A double cutaway short scale with a P pickup in it. I swapped the stock pup for an Entwistle one and it was pretty tidy. Weighed 3kgs, too. The neck wasn't great - a little bit warped - so in the end I mated the body with the neck of a Hondo II 32" scale, with some jiggery pokery and moving the bridge back a touch, and have a nice little rocking thing now. But I'd get another of the Encores if one came up cheaply.