12stringbassist

My old band, for research purposes.

Hi Trevor. The Wick is waiting for you. Covid did not help!

They know about Slade. I was offered the bass job with them in the 90s and have published a few books about them.

I love mine.

Tim Allen on Facebook. +1.

There's a few levels of semi-pro gigging musician. * Those who do it rarely and so they really enjoy it when they do it and it's not the centre of their life. * Those who go out every couple of weeks and that's enough. * The one I guess that I fall into - If it's a day with and F or an S in it and nobody's booked it off, we'll go out. * The 6 nights a week gang. Few and far between. I finished work in 2015 and took my Civil service pension a bit early. The band I was in worked solidly and the income topped up towards my salary with a shorter working week. The other two guys in my current band pretty much do this for their living, so I'm a bit driven to fill the diary up. I reckon a couple of years more of this at the pace we are at (I have a target date for starting going down to 4 gigs a month and maybe fortnightly jam nights), providing my health doesn't deteriorate, will do. Then it will be a case of slowing it down a bit. I get VERRRRRY tired, having had some more cancer treatment this year. Winter scares me with all the gear humping I do. The band's in that nice state of coasting along with an amount of following and reputation in our own area and we all know the songs and play them really well. It can be a lot of fun. We get on most of the time. We play covers and I can't interest everyone in the band in some of the music I like and it's frustrating. 'Never heard of Suede' they say. I'd like to change the setlist a bit, but it's getting to be like a night in the museum at times, due to the reluctance to join in. It's probably a case of one morning I will wake up and just think I've had enough. Or my body will inform me that I am going to slow down.

It's some years ago, But I bought a brand new US Jazz Bass in Boston. It was in a massive bulky Fender hardcase, which I had locked. I flew back into Heathrow T5 and they didn't get it to the other terminal in time for my flight. On arrival at Manchester, I was called over to the helpdesk. The guy on the desk started asking me about the bass guitar I brought back. They told me it had missed my flight. I went nuclear. I had a minibus waiting outside and couldn't keep it hanging about for another hour while I waited for my bass. I decided to ramp up the volume and drop into the conversation that it was my irreplaceable best friend of 15 years and if there was so much as one mark on it, I would really lose it with someone. They told me it would be in a car and delivered to my house later that evening. Yup a courier brought it, but slightly late for that evening's gig. Inside the case was a leaflet about customs inspections, mentioning 'breaking into cases'. They hadn't.

I can definitely see an end to me gigging at some point in the not too distant future. I'm getting to that age now where I'm sick of dealing with landlords and other musicians who are just difficult. Carting a big car full of gear around is hard work three nights a week. I enjoy the playing, but most of what goes with it irritates me or bores me rigid. Next year's diary is not filling up like I want it to, and part of me says 'oh good' as my health could be a lot better. There will come a point where I either slow it down a bit, or failing that, I'll just decide to stop.

Dynamite Dave Edmunds

Samantha Fish in October. Manchester.

The answer to the question is it's very much down to the individual. If I was starting again now, I'd plump for all 5-string basses with a low B and go no further than owning half a dozen of the things. A friend of mine has a 5-er with a top C and I just don't see the point in that. Even he doesn't use it the way that stringing suggests. I have never been at all interested in 6-string basses, as I barely use my 5-string enough to get comfortable with where I am on it. A 6-string with a load of high range I have no interest in doesn't attract me at all, but that's my preference. If someone else wants those high notes good for them.

I keep any recordings and any actual releases going back to 1977. Some of the old band recordings are quite quaint. I only listen to my own recordings these days when I'm doing them. Afterwards they are 'done' and not that interesting to me. I used to have loads of posters for old bands but threw them all out in a house move, along with old diaries. I have a good digital photo archive.

Thanks for that. Appreciated.

I'm quite fond of the Vintera that I bought recently from a chap in Scotland via Ebay. Does anyone know what type the strings are that these are supplied with?

I agree that that single is a feeble version. 'I Want You To Want Me' was royally messed with. Years later, Cheap Trick re-recorded the whole of their second album In Color later on, because they hated the utterly gelded Tom Werman studio production. Jack Douglas did their first album and it's superb. Unbelievably, Werman produced Heaven Tonight (their 3rd album) and this time he was not allowed to mess up the sound on it.

Slade

I'm having a Bryan Ferry day. This album is one of the best recordings he's ever done. I'd forgotten he could still sing like this.

15's are the answer if you can do it. We use the equivalent of these and they are great. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-B115W-Professional-Powered-Speakers/dp/B00DMRV9H6 We also have a pair of Alto bass bins. Similar to these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devine-Artis-15-inch-Active-Subwoofer/dp/B084YZ9JMV

A bit of footage from St Helens last week. https://www.facebook.com/brunosrodiziosthelens/videos/820914312987716/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rt50j/imagine-david-bowie-cracked-actor

Amazing that this is back up... https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001p2zc/baal-with-david-bowie