Twigman

If I could get it without his signature on the headstock that would definitely be in the running - it has everything: block inlays, lollipop tuners, string through bridge.....but it also has Adam Clayton's signature on it (and presumably a slice of commission directly to him in the price) - for that reason it rules itself out. Shame

I favour a passive jazz. Battery anxiety is one of the drivers for change.

I'm in the market for a jazz bass. My current bass for everything is a EBMM USA Sterling 4HH - been number 1 bass for last almost 9 years. But I fancy a change. I've owned precisions and find the nut too wide - I have 2 precisions with jazz necks but I fancy a real jazz. I am leaning toward buying new. I don't want Mexican or Indonesian - call me whatever you like but I've decided Japanese or American only So I've narrowed the choices down to: - prerequisite RW boards only MIJ 'Hybrid' II £1,500 ish pros: price, colours, headstock end truss rod adjustment cons: basic bridge, no case only gig bag American Professsional II £1,900 ish pros: slim profile neck (I like that), option of top load or string through bridge, hard case cons: 5 bolt neck (limits choice of replacement necks if required) - not keen on any colour scheme, not keen on the tuners - prefer the large vintage open wheels, American Vintage 66 £2,200 ish pros: love the sea foam green colour with matching headstock, like binding on the fb, 66voiced pickups, hard case cons: price, never liked the vintage bridge Mod Shop £2,000 ish pros: choice of colours, block inlays available, choice of pickups, same bridge as Professional II with through body stringing and top loading available, hard case cons: no neck binding available, same tuners as Pro II, no matching headstock, 10 week lead time Custom Shop £4,000 ish pros: can have almost any spec you want cons: it'll cost both time (long lead time) and big money I am leaning toward the MIJ Hybrid II in Noir but the Vintage66 in sea foam green is also tugging at my strings.... If you were in the market for a NEW Fender jazz, which would you choose and why?

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I attach my transmitter to my strap in a Heistercamp transmitter pouch. it's top top quality and a lovely thing. https://www.heistercamp.co.uk/product/transmitter-pouch/

I've had my Shure GLXD16+ setup for a year now and I honestly don't know why i didn't go wireless years ago. It is so liberating - although having the drummer tell me I need to move around more now (a la Simon Gallup*) is a bit off putting..... *I can't wear a bass that low and strutting really isn't very me.

The monitor mix

IME that's not the case. The last few gigs I've done (all fly aways) I have had Ampeg SVT or B5R heads with Ampeg 4x10 or 8x10 cabs provided. I used to take my tecampPuma900 with me, just in case, but I've stopped taking that now as you can't really go wrong with a SVT.

Gotoh GBR640 resolite tuners are lightweight but look like traditional vintage tuners: https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Gotoh-GBR640-L4-Bass-Tuners-Nickel/3D0W?origin=product-ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22247591433&gclid=Cj0KCQiAi9rJBhCYARIsALyPDtv5fhGV6KuYOC7fy9Co0GKejd3C_K2sAicfgttFRdnemOFGlzbhH6oaAttzEALw_wcB

I thought my GAS had gone with my EBMM Sterling 4HH but I am being tempted by Fender.... I was having a look at the Fender Custom Shop but I find it frustrating that there's no transparency on pricing and there doesn't seem to be any listed dealers in UK who would take my custom order. Then I discovered the Mod Shop. https://uk.fender.com/pages/fender-mod-shop Here you can configure an instrument from a priced menu and place the order online. Fender then build the bass you spec in Corona and ship it to you - it seems to be less than half the price of the custom shop albeit with fewer options. According to uk.Fender.com the prices posted on the website include UK VAT at 20% so there's no risk there. Has anyone here specced a MOD SHOP Fender? How was the experience?

My EBMM USA Sterling has a 'normal' oiled neck and never needs tweaking. I only ever need to adjust the tuning when I change the strings!

Can't beat a Boss CE-2B I had one once - I have no clue what happened to it - but now have a Cog clone

For those looking at a strap pouch for the transmitter I can highly recommend the Heistercamp. https://www.heistercamp.co.uk/product/transmitter-pouch/ I had them make one to fit my Minotaur wide padded straps. I've been using mine for nearly a year now. It's great!

We seem to get lumped in with 'darkwave' (recently played gigs with Sisters of Mercy, the Mission, Lebanon Hanover, She Past Away, etc ) but we're not. The greek crowd, well you can see from the audience shot, look sort of goth/darkwave - I don't get the connection. Check out our Spotify and you tell me

It seems we're quite popular in Athens. This was our ninth gig there. We played Gagarin for the first time back in 2009 - we've also played at The Rodeo Club twice, Six d.o.g.s once, The AN Club three times and played the Death Disco festival in 2023, headlining the second stage. There have been two promoters fighting over the right to put us on for several years. The Death Disco festival was the first with the current promoter - he seems to be able to do a better job so we'll stick with this guy.

On Saturday we played at Gagarin205 in Athens - the venue looked fantastic lit up at night. Sadly I only have a daytime pic: and an aerial view of the soundcheck in moody black and white: and a view of the audience from the stage: We sold 1200 tickets. The venue was full. Punters were being turned away! We had a few technical gremlins but overall it was a successful (and profitable) adventure. My kit for the night: EBMM Sterling 4HH> Shure GLXD16+ wireless> Empress compressor> Cog CE-2B clone(some songs)> DHA EQ >DI Box (split off to PA) > locally Ampeg B5R > Ampeg 4x10 PS - Athens was full of Scotsmen attending the football:

Never been asked for a carnet. As I understand it carnets are normally only required for unaccompanied freight. Travelling with one's own instrument does not require a carnet.

Athens - Gagarin205 November 15th

Year Started Playing: 1979 - I learned the riff from Black Dog - that was probably a bit ambitious for a total beginner - managed it though. Number of basses: 5 electric, 1 acoustic Music theory: 3? I can't read dots (a stave ?) - I know if I'm playing in a major or minor key...I know what a pentatonic scale is. I struggle with remembering the intervals associated with modes Technique: 2? I can only play with my fingers but I think I manage OK with that, muting with both hands - I used to use a pick some of the time but not anymore - I have nerve damage in my neck and right arm and hand which severely limits the grip strength in my right hand - I can no longer hold onto a plectrum for more than a few seconds. I have never been able (nor wanted) to slap. Groove: 3 - I don't think groove is particularly relevant to the music I play. Yes I can keep time and get tight with the musicians around me but to groove needs some swing, doesn't it? My drummer doesn't groove at all, never gets funky. I suspect with a different drummer I might groove more but it's not really our style. I can lock in with him though but I wouldn't call it grooving. I suffer from imposter syndrome big time.

Many people I know went to Wembley that day. I remember sitting at a table on the pavement outside a pub with a bottle of pils, wondering where everyone had gone.