12stringbassist

Reading your post, what has happened is partly down to both of you. Doing band admin is a thankless and tiresome task. You didn't put the gig on the website and he didn't pay attention and note his diary at the time he was told about it. A shame it has gone as far as it has over small goofs.

Thanks for that. Interesting to hear Macca having a paddy simply because he hasn't got a pick.

Just wondering if anyone else remembers a Beatles studio recording of 'I saw her standing there' where Paul McCartney stops the song early on, because he hasn't got a pick and can't quite play it. I thought it was on The Anthology, but I can't find the version anywhere. Thanks.

I've written my story down and am a bit bothered about getting my arse sued off because (even though I have anonymised names), you can probably tell who 'Gollum' and 'The Chimp' are if you know me.

If you have only told them recently and they had the gig booked in the diary, then you are letting your band down. You need to be a little more organised. If they hadn't told you, it's their fault.. If you had told them you were not available and they expect you to change your plans, it really needs to be worth your while - ie, you get your ticket money back (in addition to your gig money). Personally, I would say you can't get out of attending the show you have bought tickets for (and indeed, why should you, if you have told them a long way in advance)? I work in a really busy semi-pro band and we are normally out 3 nights a week. If I see a gig I want to go to and we are not already booked, then I let the others know that I'm not available that night (as far in advance as possible). If we're already booked to play on that date, I find another date on that tour that I can get to. We all put our 'not available' dates in as far forward as we can, then we all know. And there is no trouble about it.

If it hadn't been their last night, I would have asked them if any other bands that they had stiffed had ever broken their nice engraved front windows. I had to resort to saying that once with a pub who were getting a bit cocky and saying well, now you've played you can p*** off. They saw the messenger trail on my phone, showing the fee and fearing for their windows, they eventually paid me that agreed fee. It was close thing, though. Those people got kicked out of that pub a month later.

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1501561802' post='3345492'] I've never understood the appeal of Rick's. I'd love to see this guy in a round-table discussion with John Hall. [/quote] That would be marvelous. I have had none of the issues he describes, except the odd weak neck pickup.

At 5.30 he had practically bored the balls off me and I gave up on the video - life's too short.. He seems incapable fo stringing a whole paragraph together. Ok, he doesn't like the bass.

I bought these new in 1993 / 1994. I still happily use them sometimes today. I moved on from them being my main rig after I put my 12er through someone else's 4x10 cab and got a far better delivery of the sound of the drone strings - Two 15" speakers are not the best rig for a 12er. As for any other bass, they sound tremendous and I still take them out to smaller gigs. The weight of them is an issue, sometimes, but they deliver a great sound. As for them sounding 'dated' - I think that's just in people's heads.

Shared on http://www.nwmusicians.co.uk and Facebook.

New guitar sales in stores are mainly declining because a whole lot of people are going to Ebay to pick up 'as new' guitars. We are getting to the point where a lot of people's collections are coming back onto the market.

I have 4 Ric 4003's and can't think of a reason not to buy one. However, the original poster should spend a lot of time trying a Ric before buying one. Prices are now stupid. As to John Hall, he had me banned from the official Ric forum and I have had long email talks with him about the finish quality of a Midnight Blue bass with the finish bleeding into the binding. I have even spoken to him on the phone. He is a total twerp. He doesn't look after his customers. He makes their lives difficult. As to the protection of his brand and their designs, he is perfectly right.

There be fakers amongst these.... None of the fakers are re-badged as being Rics.

The only new feature in the top post is the neck finish. Ric don't do basses with a new look.

We get punters doing this with monotonous regularity. In certain cases, I will reply "I dont have a single recording by ****** in my house, as I detest them". Last week, some woman would not believe that I had never heard The Zoo by The Scorpions ever in my life. I still haven't heard it - or anything else by them - and I am none the poorer for it. If they really want to irritate me they can ask for something by Meatloaf, I will either give them "There are not 10 people and a load of backing tapes, like he has, in this trio" or if it's between sets, the real reason - the local Meatloaf impersonator that he sued big time. I am getting a shorter fuse with some of the dorks. I will not go through everything we do or show them a setlist before the gig, either.

These are my Rickenbacker-style basses. And Rickenbacker basses. NOT FOR SALE.

Macca is talking to the world and his dog about Pepper, at the moment, so if he'd had a call he would probably have obliged.

Excellent playing. He must have his action really nice and low to get that kind of speed and agility on his 12er. My two beasties. I have been trying to contact Waterstone recently about getting one of theirs and no response. I think they have ceased to trade.

[quote name='nash' timestamp='1491982186' post='3276861'] Can anyone enlighten me? I see it often, Squiers, bitsa, Nash, Lime Light and some that have a headstock shape that's not even close. I Squier rebadge for example. I think so what if it's a Squier, big deal. If it plays and sounds nice then that's all that matters and then credit where credit is due if it's a good bass. I just don't understand it. [/quote] There are two reasons to re-badge a bass: Snobbery. Fraud.

I run a jam night near Manchester every Sunday. We get paid. Not bad money for 6.30 - 9pm, either. We provide the backline, drums and PA, plus guitars for when people don't bring their own. I have to say I enjoy our jam night because it's a real mix of players, as well as some of the same-old, week in-week out. I may get a bass player, guitarist or drummer come in on his own - I'll find out what sort of stuff he does and pair him with some other people, or he can play with us and we'll do something he wants to do if we know it. Bands have formed at jam nights. Our setup for those who are curious: Fender Champion 100w / Hartke bass rig / Yamaha drum kit / Blackstar guitar amp. Our own guitars / basses, plus whatever guitars or basses we bring specifically for others to use.

I have factored that in. It will be adequate for the smaller gigs.

Japhet - Where's the like button when you need it?

I googled and found this - speaker ordered. It's my secondary rig for small gigs, so it's not imperative that my rig is mad loud.

I'd start off by going along to jam nights to keep your hand in. As to how many gigs you do, form another band with a strict remit. Let them know quite clearly that you're not going to exceed the stated number of gigs. It can be hard to get a band together that may rehearse more than it plays out though. My own situation is that I'm 58 and my health is not all it should be (Half of thyroid out the other year and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and had the thing whipped out last April - three all clears, thankfully, but I am left really exhausted a lot and mornings after the weekend involve a lie-in). I parted with my last band because I came back too early after my op and had a very short fuse for their foolishness and the workload. My Sunday jam night band now works as hard, if not harder (bearable as I am not with imbeciles now, but I retired early from my day job 18 months ago. Diaries CAN run away with you, but you have to hold firm about what you want to do gig-wise.