12stringbassist

We played a pub just outside of A******ton last night. When I arrived at 8 pm, the stage area was (as usual for this venue) totally full of tables and I was prepared for the usual battle of wits with the landlord about getting them moved. I took all my gear in and placed it in ahuge mound, next to where I was going to set up in the corner. The couple sat at the next table looked at me with big eyes and a look of total dumb incomprehension. When I took the covers off the amps, they seemed to finally get the picture and moved a couple of tables away. The landlord saw me setting up without moving any tables at all and was, for once, shamed into asking if we needed some tables moved. 'All of these that are in the stage area' I said. So, with a look of sadness and bewilderment, he moved all of them a few feet forward, except the ones where the couple were now sat, leaving no room for our guitarist and still not much room for our trio. Our drummer was at his wife's (significant) birthday bash, so we used a very good stand-in for the night (Steve, who covered for Graham's absence last year, after his operation). When he turned up, the couple looked alarmed, but stayed put. Up went the kit. Then our guitarist arrived. I got his amp into the room and put it right in front of one of the couple sat where he needed to be, on the floor by the blokes foot. They took the hint and moved again. It astonishes me how utterly dim some people are. As to the crowd that night, they sort of looked at us as if we all had two heads for most of the first half. They didn't seem to undertsand what two guts with guitars and a drummer were doing there, or even clap when we finished playing songs. The atmosphere was totally flat and to be honest, I was dreading the second half, until a few people wandered in. Their faces lit up when they saw us and they sat to watch and actually reacted to what we were doing, unlike all the unresponsive in-breds that were there. The second half was much better, thanks to the handful of people who took us on while we played, but we only have one more gig there this year and to be honest (again), I think it will be our last one. There are far better places to play. I wish we'd gone to Graham's wife's birthday bash instead.

I have a Burns Bison. I bought this one from a shop in Blackpool while doing a weekend there with an old band. I walked past the shop and it was there in a dark corner with lights on it. Oh God, it just looked gorgeous. This very retro bass looked just the part for the 60's vibe of the group and so I called in, as soon as I got a chance, to try it out. I wasn't disappointed at all with what I heard. It has just about every variety of tone built in that anyone could need. This bass is great for the studio. It is featured particularly nicely on 'I don't wanna talk about it' which is one of the slower, more atmospheric songs on the first Kerbcrawlers CD. It's great for live use, too and the only thing that could be considred a 'drawback' is the emormous body size. It weighs a ton!! The neck reach is the longest that I've ever had to use. You want neck dive? You got it. Only an idiot can't control (or complains about) neck dive, though. It sounds more like a Rickenbacker should at times than any of my 4 Ric 4003's!

The guy concerned is a mate of mine and I have quietly advised him on how to deal with Eastwood over their misleading publicity for this model.

The other one -

33 (+ 1 not pictured here)

I've only ever played one Jazz bass that I have liked. A new USA one from about 2010. I came across it in a store in Boston USA while on holiday there with relatives. It sounded very much like a good P bass, so why not?

I got this one last week. Plays just like any other P. Has a good rounded sound, haven't found the dead spot yet. Lowered strings to my taste and no fret buzz etc, intonation bob on. Pickups seem just fine, but slightly quieter than my USA 60th P. Tuners are quite ok. £619 from PMT Manchester on price match. Doesn't come with a gig bag, but they gave me a used one to get it home, as I am a 'frequent flyer' with them. Bought a white pearloid scratchplate to replace the plain white one. USA 60th anniversary P that I mentioned. Scratchplate also swapped out from white.

How is his voice these days? I heard he had real trouble singing a few years ago. Not knocking him. Genuine concern.

Oh that's a shame. They were superb in Manchester.

The purple Cloud went to a Prince tribute band at the weekend. I think it will go down a storm onstage.

Del Amitri. Manchester Apollo Sunday.

I love mine. I am not a Ric fanboy though. I will not go through my personal experiences with John Hall as this topic is about the basses. I luckily bought mine before the prices went totally insane. I wouldn't buy one at the £2300+ price that my nearest dealer is asking. That is getting really crazy. The pound sinking has maybe had a lot to do with it, but Ric have also had their own price hikes. They are out of the reach of most people. I like the sound of them, the necks vary on them and only one has a tree-trunk neck, so it doesn't get used much. The Walnut is my go to of these at present. The features that are different from the other Rics (Maple fretboard / neck) really make it a top bass for me. I don't use the vintage tone pull-pot on it, it just takes the bass end out of it. Some will not like the hard edge with the binding or the bridge pickup cover. You get used to them. I've had copies and none of them sound like a Ric.

Nick Lowe - Rose of England Full of great tunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CTZ_8e3yg0

@blue We just didn't ask them for any dates this year at the lower fee. They wanted to cut our usual fee by £50. It's a really long drive for one of our band members. Just not worth it. I keep friendly with the place in case they need a band and are prepared to pay our going rate.

We stopped playing one place near Rochdale because we decided that the cart in was torture (down a side alley, down some steep steps) to pile our gear on a really tiny stage and then play facing a disinterested bunch of smokers, who just ignore the UK smoking ban and have to try to perform to a more engaged crowd way off to our right. The venue has been taken over by the management from the brewery and the first thing they wanted to do was cut our fee.

Last night, we played at the Remedy Bar and Brewhouse in Stockport. A great and very hospitable little venue with a good listening crowd. We went down really well and a number of people asked us when we will be back. It will be next year, as they only have bands on once a year, as there are so many bands trying to play there. That makes it difficult to build up any following there. Nice to see Josie from on here pop in to watch our first half. The stage area is more cramped than it used to be, as they have moved bands near to the entrance to the bar, from the other side of the building. I think their neighbours have been kicking up about noise. Still manageable, though. A good night.

The ESP guitar is a lot better. The Chinese ones are not bad for the money, though I had to get an amount of work done on mine to make it worth taking on stage.

Well I got the ESP and am going to just keep that one now. I can't justify two Clouds. Hello Gumtree.

A great tune wasted...

No idea if it was painted before fretting, but imagine yes. Frets are perfectly clean. Side view of neck: A bit of recording video - apologies for crappy video sound.

It's Gibson scale. The body is small, as per Prince's request, which makes it look out of whack a little. Width is what you would expect on an average Les Paul. 42mm at nut. 53 at 12th fret. The neck is a definite C - a bit of a tree trunk, but nice to play. Here it is next to a common or garden Strat. I am getting an ESP Cloud tomorrow (below), so it will be interesting to compare them.

Rubber bullets > The hospital song by 10cc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dTnvhGHDGA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4NYG6DZHIg

This is what I am currently inflicting on the world.

I have always fancied a Prince Cloud type guitar and thought I would take a punt on one from Sunfield Music in Miami. The price wasn't bad, including case. It turns out that they order from China and get them shipped direct to you. Anyway, back to the guitar. It arrived reasonably quickly after ordering and I escaped customs charges on it. Out of the case it looked amazing. No case included, so i got onto them by email. They confirmed that they case would be internally shaped, so I accepted having one shipped. Well worth the money (I got slapped for customs on the case). The guitar needed work: Replacement posts for the bridge. Frets leveling, as notes choked when I lowered the action. The pickups are branded EMG, but I doubt they are anything at all to do with EMG. Packing under the pickups to raise them. The pickups are quieter than a Strat I was alternating with this evening.

Bog celebrities encounter - Birmingham NEC: George Harrison and Dave Edmunds. Beat that.