Machines

And again.

Something was posted to me 1st class last week, not here. I sent a 1st class parcel yesterday and it turned up today. I am confuse.

I'm afraid you're going to have to recalculate, I got another today.

I lasted 3 months until I saw a Yamaha RBX6JM I'd wanted years. It was downhill from there. I'm not even bothering for signing up for 2023 I'm an addict and I don't care. Total for 2022 was 16 basses 🥲.

I am.

Yeah we had this last week, asked us to sign it too ! It was most unexpected and I had to quickly invent a 'signature' that isn't the same one I use for official documents 🤣. In terms of setlist software, we use Excel for planning setlists in terms of timings and avoiding repeating keys etc, but on the day the print off is always there as well as annotated guitar changes, audience engagement slots etc.

I think i've done every method there is, except buying from abroad - far too much risk for me there. I will happily buy online from a shop as I know I can send it back if there's an issue (something i've only done once in 60+ purchases). For Facebook/Gumtree etc I have checked the instruments out in person and been happy to proceed, except once when a BC Rich neck was shaped like a Viking longboat. Probably rarest for me is buying from a shop in person.

I have a B3n and bought a B6 to try, not enough added features for the cost so returned the B6. If this comes out at a decent price (£200ish) it's possible i'd upgrade.

BassDirect only I believe. I've played a few of them though - they are fantastic.

Buy one here if you fancy it and are flush. https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fender_V_1970.html

To date, £1600. In the future I will want something 'expensive' be it a custom Dingwall and/or possibly vintage Fender, but that's on the assumption my financial situation allows such in a few years.

Saturday's gig, all good.

Saturday night at a pub in Staffordshire, upstairs dedicated to live music. We'd sold 75 tickets in advance so that was decent. Tight stage but big enough, took the full rig and needed it as monitor sound was devoid of any bottom end through DI so needed something to flap my trousers. Note the wall near to my headstock, managed to whack my headstock off it and detune the A string just before I needed it, had to just go silent for a couple of bars and quickly sort 🙄.

Quick demo as promised: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvQrR1rUDVs

Or to summarise, Dingwall.

Newly acquired matching Aqua NG3, with optional white pg. Gigged it Saturday and it was 👌. The D-Roc is taking a slight back seat, but they're different enough that having both is totally reasonable and i'm sure they'll rotate evenly. (Orange NG2 sold to pay for this)

I'm a long time Ashdown amp fan, but these basses don't make sense to me - I just can't see their USP. I'm very likely not the target market, however.

It's about out the only place left where you might get a real bargain as the staff there generally don't research things that well and collection only means a smaller market. This is especially anything produced pre-internet they can't easily find a price for. Exceptions to this are obvious well known brands (Fender etc) where their prices can be a little optimistic, but they always get discounted eventually.

In time, yes. It'd be like a pyramid scheme for basses. EDIT: If anyone is up for that let me know it sounds like a blast.

But have you bought something from the profit of a guitar you haven't even bought yet ? That's the next level.

I feel like the bass equivalent of a someone that saves wounded animals from death, heals them and releases them back into the wild.

Christmas shopping in a local market town this week I popped into the Cash Converters. Ended up leaving with not one, but two basses 🤣. Both were well priced and desperately looked like they needed some saving, struck a deal and within 6 hours both instruments are now 100% and setup like a dream (Ibanez RS900 and Yamaha BB425X). The Ibanez was definitely just to faff with it for a bit and then move on (I think I have someone lined up already !) but the BB might get some use, don't need it but it was cheap enough to not feel guilty about it (unlike the 2 Dingwalls cough cough)

I'd already seen it on cc website before this post, also grabbed the Yamaha BB425X they had.

I grabbed this as it was only 20 min away from me and looked like a fun project for a few days. Needed a full stripdown, clean and setup and strings, but i've got it singing now. Interestingly I found this exact bass was in the US a couple of years ago, I've messaged the previous owner to try and find out how it got here but they haven't logged into talkbass for a while. The tuners were unusable when I got it (no movement then massive jumps), but they were just overtightened, I stripped them down and reattached, they're fine now. Is it heavy ? Yes, but not quite Peavey T-40 territory. It's a solid instrument and the single pickup with 2 band EQ gets a very close Musicman vibe, albeit a little different due to a lack of humbucker. Very usable though, I'll try and stick a demo up.