Skybone

I assume that you're looking at the "Rocktile" Fakers? Don't know much about them, but I think someone on here has got one (or was it the FB RickenFakers group?). At £100, it'll be a cheap bass that might have a passing similarity to a RickenFaker. Without seeing/trying one, I can't really comment. You could always buy one from Aliexpress/DHGate, or join the RickenFakers Facebook group, and buy one from there.

It's been something of a struggle getting all of the band in the same place at the same time in recent months, what with work, family, etc., etc., but we've finally managed to pin everyone down and restart regular rehearsals (woohoo!). The rehearsal room also has a recording studio, so we booked a recording session & finally laid down the 4 original songs we've been working on to "tape". The engineer sent us copies of the raw mixes of the songs, and I have to say that they sound seriously good, and should sound excellent after mixing. We're in next week to get a better vocal take, some guitar overdubs, depending on the time another bass take on 1 song, then start mixing. When that's done, it's a case of touting it around to get some gigs. Feeling very enthused about the band just now, big grins all round! :)

Pick up a second hand Zoom B3, it's a good place to start, then just experiment. There are some alternatives, like the Boss GT6B, the Line6 PODxt & Bass PODxt (especially the Live version), there's the Vox Stomplabs, etc. These will help to get an idea of what effects will work for you, and then you can either take the plunge into either various single pedals, or more sophisticated multi FX units.

Stickers for your bass case (or bass, if you're that way inclined).

Failed promises?

Another vote for t-shirts, never been a big fan of polo shirts either, though maybe offer a couple of colours as well as black. I ordered 100 t-shirts for an old band, and they turned out to be the only profitable thing we did. The unit cost was £4 for a single colour print on the front of the shirt (black), sold them for £8, gave a load away to friends, and still made a return on my investment. I'd recommend talking to ShirtySomething in Nottingham, as the guy who owns & runs the company is also a bass player. The BC header logo on black, blue & red shirts (adjusting the font colours to suit each shirt) should sell well, and make a some money to support the running of the site. I'll have an XL please.

I can't show any proof or links, but what I can say, is that I've done it with a Vintage V300. I bought it from Imusic (before they were taken over by Musik Produktiv), and although it was good, it kind of lacked some 'warmth' (it's a solid spruce top with laminate mahogany back & sides). It came with plastic bridge pins. I decided to chance £10 on a set of new, wooden pins, more because they looked nicer than the plastic ones, but also hoping that they warmed the sound up a bit. They did. Yes, it's still a budget acoustic, but it sounds better than when I first got it.

PM'd

My first recommendation would be, get a new lead. Buy a good quality, shielded lead. You can a really good one for about £15-20, and it should last you a good few years if you look after it. Always remember to unplug your bass after you finish playing if you have an active bass. Leaving it plugged in will eat your batteries. Try using the amp in a different room, or use a different socket in the same room (not the other socket on a double, but on the other side of the room).

Actually managed to watch all of the latest half hour episode without fast forwarding through anything other than Chas'n'Dave. Gaz Coombes was really good, Nakhane was really good, Chic were good, the Americana one with the Ripper bass was a decent song, and Goat Girl were alright (very mid-90's indie IMO).

Bit late to the table here, but the "Vintage" brand guitars are pretty good. I bought a VA100 (IIRC) a few years back, brand new, for £100. Great little guitar, sounds good, and great to have "just lying around". It's a "Grand Auditorium" or "000" size body, which is not too big or deep, but still sounds nicely resonant and has plenty of projection. Anything bigger for a beginner is a challenge, anything smaller won't have the same kind of sound, and can get a bit too "boxy". Likewise, Tanglewood acoustics are pretty good too. The thing with any cheap acoustic guitar, is to make sure it has a solid top (whether it's spruce or cedar). The solid top will give a sweeter sound than anything with a laminate top. Most acoustics in that range are laminated mahogany back & sides, great to learn on, but can also sound a bit "boxy". Consider getting new, wooden string pins for it, instead of the standard plastic ones. They will also make a difference to the sound. Some rosewood or ebony style pins will really help to "warm" the sound up a bit. Also, don't go for one with an onboard pre-amp to start with. The low end ones not only compromise on the pre-amp, but the construction of the guitar itself. Go for one that is just an acoustic guitar. My first acoustic was an Applause (a cheap Ovation) bowlback. It was really nice to play, but ultimately, it was a bit too "piano-y" and "boxy". The pre-amp was pretty good though, and recorded well. Part-exed it for a more traditional acoustic because of the sound.

Looks great. GLWTS.

Great guitars. Looks in great nick. GLWTS.

I always have a couple of silicon gel sachets in my case (you know, the ones that you find in the boxes of most electrical equipment you buy). They draw the moisture out of the air, so in theory at least, they'll keep your strings in reasonable condition when the bass is in it's case. Stainless steel strings always last that bit longer as well as retaining their brightness.

Line6 POD HD500x Rockinbetter & Bass Collection Fakers.