PTB

I've had good set ups done recently by Jonathan at Feline Guitars in Croydon. Nice guy, good service.

I collected a Mark Bass cab from Alan on Tuesday evening but have only just had chance to plug it in! I can confirm that Alan is a pleasure to deal with and the cab is exactly as described. Thanks Alan!

My first proper gig was Rainbow at Stafford Bingley Hall in 1983 or 84. I am looking at the tour booklet now. I remember being astonished by the size, scale & volume of the whole thing. I moved down to London in 85 and started seeing as many bands as I could. It was Roger Glover on bass of course. I can't recall what bass he played but I think he had a white Marshall rig.

I'd go for it. Personally, I think it looks great both ways so why not have the option to change it up when you feel like it?

Beautiful, I'd love an F bass!

Freddie, I think you need a day out at a good bass shop to try some stuff out and narrow down exactly what you need. Bass Gear in Twyford is probably your nearest. I can recommend the Gallery in London and Bass Direct in Warwick from personal experience when I have been in similar gear dilemmas. Incidentally, I think Luke mentioned the Streamliner at #2 as this does have a more gritty overdrive than the Shuttle whilst still doing a warm funky tone too. I love mine and suggest you try one. Certainly easier to carry around than an Ashdown! Good luck and let us all know how get on.

Drat & Double Drat.....gigging. Hope it goes well and that I can make the next one.

D'Addario for me too. I usually use XL nickel on everything but currently have some ProSteels on my Sadowsky. They are nice but not sure I need the extra zing. I plan to try Chrome flats on the Reverend at some point. The only exception is that I really like an R Cocco taper core B, it just seems more responsive & balanced than the stock XL B string.

A great read, many thanks.

Nice work Eddie, great tone and enjoyed the tune too.

Really enjoyed this! Nice work Clarky. Gonna have to try & catch you live.

I think I go for a sound that's in my head. However, that sound is very dependent on what style of music i'm playing and based on what I've heard others do in that genre. To answer your question, I suppose that means I do a bit of both! Putting it another way, I can' t think I have ever sat down with my rig and tried to get a tone like player X but I do make genre specific choices to achieve my desired tone. For example, I swopped my Spirocore Weichs for Golden Slaps when I joined my current blues/swing band to get a sound more authentic to that style of music. Recently, I played with a punky pop band and realised some fuzzy bass would sound great. I wound up the front end of the Streamliner, put the Sadowsky on the front pick up and everyone loved it. I've never used a sound like that before but it was the one in my head for that set of songs. Did I get that from hearing someone else? Quite possibly.

Beautiful. Lucky you!

This is me playing on an office roof last Monday just before the Olympic torch went past, a one-off gig with quirky punk pop band Rosie and the Glass Balloon.

Sylvia, great to meet you & thanks for the great photos! Mr Ronson is a really nice guy too. One of our best gigs all round.

It's a small world isn't it? Thanks for the kind words! Paul

Thanks Chris!

Great, thx. :-)

Dreading having to sit through the Olympic opening ceremony? Come on down to The George IV on Chiswick High Rd, West London, for a free evening of Chicago blues & West Coast Swing! We'll be onstage at 9 and playing three sets through til the midnight hour. Bring your dancing shoes! Come & say Hi too, always good to meet other BC'ers. Paul

I meant to add...... Was good to see Paul who some of you will know as house drummer for our South East Bass Bashes. Also, we got the promise of more gigs there next year. Fingers crossed.

That's two more than we got! :-)

Thanks for your good wishes Bluejay! Our break is not deliberate but we have no other gigs in the diary for 2012 and we're all busy boys so it may be a while before there are more. I shall be back at George IV next Friday with my main band so can't complain. Perhaps you can make that one? I must remember to post that gig on BC too.