ian61

There's TV studio footage of them in Germany with Marshall, Hi-Watt BL which seems live and he sounds exactly the same so I would imagine as with many of us he sounds the same whatever he's playing due to his bass, strings, and technique.

Ha the lure of good money can land one in all sorts of difficulty. I got a call to dep in a 60's/Beatles five part harmony outfit couple yrs back. 60 old tunes Id forgotten all about and Beatles stuff at short notice is very tricky. It was a very good earner but Ive never worked so hard. Dropped a few notes, suffice to say I never heard back and to be fair they were a top draw outfit. Fun tho.

Mine is early and it has the DD legend imprinted on the P PU covers.

Agree. Technique and superb reading chops plus really switched on with the tech. As with the rest of the band, all top flight professionals. Really interesting to see how its done.

It was actually a shop damaged blue VM P/J which I got for cheap. Plugged the bridge cavity kept the P PU and repainted....Its now a standard VM P bass albeit with a minor alteration. Great neck, under 8IIbs and nicely resonant.

Such a ubiquitous tone....You feel like you've heard it for ever, guess in some ways we have. Lovely.

Yep, plenty of SQ love around here. My VM P bass with those 'Duncan Designed' PU's is probably best P bass Ive ever had, and Ive had a few over the yrs.

Yep as already suggested, competence breeds confidence. Know ur material inside out, dont be looking at the others for cues.... My first gig at 18 was in a dingey basement night club, a terrifying experience. And as we emptied the dance floor we knew we were doomed. My anxiety got the better of me and I screwed up big time cause I didnt know the tunes well enough. You'll also be shocked how weird it may sound on stage with the full band in swing. But that's where total familiarity with your material is key. Good luck.

Fair play to you. I used the new lightweight Rumbles for years live where I daisied two 100's together and at home but was never really satisfied. For me they just dont have that last ounce of mid range grind. Then I discovered the Ampeg BA range, problem solved. The Rumbles are a dream for the gigging bassist which I was and who isnt too fussed about delivery, but after Ampeg they do seem rather...well, 'polite'. Anyway good luck.

I had an early original SR which I played all thru the eighties which I was very attached to even tho it wasn't that great. Then one day in the late 90's I picked up a JV? Squire P bass. Sold the Ray a month later without any qualms at all. Which suggested to me that playability (tone feel etc) in an instrument kinda trumped my emotional attachment.

......dont leave out Lieutenant Pigeon.

Which is an important point. Tons of old music now being used in TV ads flogging stuff to 'young people'. Cant think of one non Hip Hop style tune from a current artist being used.

Well Ive had just about all of the Fender style P basses over the years and I'll end my days with my current CV 70 in walnut. Incredible build quality and playability and as with just about all of them, would benefit from a PU upgrade tho it doesn't bother me at all, but thats it.

Early Mex RW P basses. Superb things, wish Id got one now.

If we're talking bout the very first time with a rock instrument, barring the ubiquitous class Recorder etc. It's middle school and the last day of the summer term and the school wanted to quickly put on a little show. "If anyone can do anything, sign this form"! was the carrion cry from Birch the head. So for a laugh myself and my mates cut out some cardboard guitars, got up there and mimed to 'Get It On' only there wasn't enough cardboard so I grabbed a snare drum, sticks and two chairs and proceeded to bash along to perplexing gasps from around the hall....I was actually playing a pretty groovy backbeat to everyones amazement ( I did bash some biscuit tins at home so had an inkling) Not sure I fully realised what an important moment it was but it probably cemented my need to take the electric instrument thing seriously.