Cliff Edge

The dog days of the Covid Lockdown was the best time for Facebook Marketplace guitar and bass bargains down south. Most of the sellers were either broke or thought the time off work was an opportunity to learn to play, and couldn’t. I got my Ibanez and Aria for good prices plus a SansAmp BDDI. It’s mostly rubbish these days.

I’ve had my ‘72 jazz since ‘82 and played it continuously since in some very smokey stinky dives. The natural finish and maple neck have consequently aged well. Other bits have not, and the original pickups went in the bin years ago. The wiring and pots followed not long after, before vintage collectable was ever a thing. Aftermarket pickguard replaced the cracked original, and hides very rough routing where some monkey tried installing a P pickup, before I bought it. Not sure where I threw that. Probably the same place the original plastic nut went. However I do still have the original tuners and bridge saddles in a box, replaced by ones that actually work. As do the Fender vintage 70’s pickups installed a few years ago. Plays and sounds nice but realistically it’s a Frankenstein.

These are the same simians who always have the car windows open, even in the depths of winter, so they can hear the vroom vroom better. They also have insanely loud in car entertainment systems that consist largely of bass and someone shouting. I long for the old days and the occasional fizz fizz of a bolt on Peco tail pipe exhaust booster. Many of which just fell off after a couple months of doing absolutely nothing promised by the marketing.

I had a horrible chainsaw incident yesterday. I went in the shed to get the chainsaw and found it sitting in a pool of its own oil. Happy to say it has not suffered any long lasting damage. And I’m fine, thank you.

Last Sunday. Afternoon gig as a duo. Some Country, Some Pop. We’re a C Pop group. (I just thought of that. I’ll get my coat) Stuck in the Middle With You Tulsa Time Achy Breaky Heart Proud Mary Under the Boardwalk I Fought the Law Steamy Windows Old Time Rock and Roll Fat Bottomed Girls Valerie Dallas Big weekend High Fashion Queen Cruel To Be Kind Living next door to Alice Queen of Hearts Summer Of '69 Black Horse &The Cherry Tree Angels Got My Mind Set On You Maggie May Is She Really Going Out With Him Small Town Saturday Night. All Cried out Faith Dead Flowers Your Song Substitute Same Thing Happened To me Haley's Comet Sunny Afternoon Mustang Sally Hi-Ho Silver Lining Delilah I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles Walk Of Life

They don’t, they’re probably dead. It’s the family selling off the possessions.

Some years ago I had a gig in a social club in North London. Attendance was practically zero in the hall. There were a few others in an adjacent room watching TV. A large venue opposite was very busy. They had something called Live Aid going on.

Either flush your browser cache * and try again, manually entering the user name and password, or use a different browser. Storing passwords in a web browser is not a good idea, get a proper password manager. * can be done using tools in the browser, but plenty of instructions for various browsers online.

I use Wise all the time when travelling. I put the card as default in my iPhone wallet, works seamless with Apple Pay. Never had any problems. Money transfers are very fast.

I have a “vintage” Matsumoko Aria Pro ll TSB 650 from 1979. Impressive build quality, quite light, very easy to play, makes very nice noises using short scale TI Jazz Flats. Found it in 2022 for under £500.

I know what wood sounds like when I bang my head on a door frame. I wouldn't call it musical.

I’ve seen Inca pipers in various cities across the globe selling cd’s to the tourists. I think it’s an international business.

Busking. Bass players are a rarity. I’ve seen one in Hastings late last year noodling along to some jazzy backing tracks on a battered Jazz bass.

Excuse me but I’m guessing a major percentage of basschatters including me are bordering on geriatric. No need to be famous.

It’s a duo and we’ve both been there and done it all so these days it’s pretty much “shall we do this?” “ yes ok let’s give it a whirl.”