Rich

Yes, it's surprising how good a Rick impression you can squeeze out of a Jazz. Geddy did it for ages, after all I get a decent Rickalike tone from my Sire, neck pickup through the Ampeg model on my Line 6 XT Live.

No preamp yet... but the latest addition are neck side dots. Bigger, whiter ones in what i feel is the right place on a fretless bass. These are Letraset-style rub-on dots carefully applied and then given a careful wipe over with a cotton bud dipped in lacquer.

One on top of the other..? Sorry, I couldn't resist. As you were.

no. no, it shouldn't. and do you know why? because the self-appointed goosestepping grey suited penpushing bureaucratic thugs in brussels have outlawed block capitals. i know this is true because i heard a bloke down the pub going on about how he'd heard from his mate who had read it in the sun. the sooner we are free of the eu's dictatorial jackboot (and so on, ad nauseum)

Well you've totally devalued the thread by removing all your text -- very grown up -- so there's not much reason to keep it open now.

No. No, you wouldn't. And do you know why? Because thanks to the unelected faceless bureaucratic dictatorial unelected quasi-fascist bullying faceless unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, you can't buy a GALLON of petrol. You can only buy it in euros now. And even if you could, the unelected faceless bureaucratic dictatorial unelected quasi-fascist bullying faceless unelected Health & Safety bureaucrats won't let us burn ourselves even if we want to. The sooner we are free of the EU's unelected faceless eurocratic dictatorial (cont'd p.94 of tomorrow's Daily Express, and every other day in fact)

+1.

"You can't polish a turd." "How to start off a new guitar series, by Gibson Step I: Take one of your great designs, throw everything but the name out the window, make the wonkiest, most appalling design you can Step II: Throw as much tech on it as you can and call it "futuristic" Step III: throw a $4k price tag on it Step IV: Profit" "Remember when Homer Simpson designed a car that ruined his half-brother's company? That." "I could have sworn that this 'guitar' was taken out back and put out of it's misery." "Hahahahaha.... are you for real? It really does look like a bowling ball."

Keep practicing that line, so you can keep a straight face when you say it to the missus. "Honest love..."

Bought Chris' EMG-HZ MM pickup. Lovely condition, looks and sounds great in the JayRay. Easy transaction and friendly comms, an absolutely thoroughly bloody nice bloke

I was entirely self taught. As a consequence, 36 years down the line I still have all my self-taught faults. (And yes, my thumb positioning sucks. I'm a baseball bat player, and I have to work to stop myself doing it.) I should have spent more time learning scales and modes and less time learning to slap. Slap was more fun though

How about the humble whistle? Not an instrument per se, but then not a vocal either. Very prominent on the Scorpions' Wind Of Change, Roxy's Jealous Guy and The Seekers' wonderful Georgy Girl. Second best. The actual best bit is where the needle lifts off the record at the end.

What better way? Beer AND fretless

Showing your age there, old chap

Definitely more than an element of this, I reckon. The only way they're going to banish the nerves is to just do it. Definitely time for a cards-on-the-table talk with them. Tell them how it felt before and after YOUR first gig, the relief and elation. Tell them you're booking a gig because that's the whole bloody point, that you aren't going to be made to feel guilty over any imagined pressurisation, and that a band that farts around practicing but never gigs is not what you signed up for. Only maybe say it a bit nicer than that

I like it too. I don't necessarily have a thing about weird basses, but I like the shape. The fragility of that top horn would be a concern. And yes it'd be ideal headless, and that's deffo what I'd have done if I'd been the buyer.

Eww. No thanks, I'll take Ronny Jordan's version any day.

They'd say "Pork Pie Hat? Goodbye!"

Oh believe me, I did listen to it. Several times. Tried to not to hate it. Failed.

This is the approach I adopted many years ago when the singer in a band I was in announced that we were going to do Dance The Night Away by the Mavericks. He was adamant, but so was I. It became quite a frank exchange of views in the end, especially when I told him that if he insisted on doing it at a gig, I would put down my bass and head to the bar for the duration of the song.

The best bass I've ever played was this Shuker singlecut 5-string. If I'd had the money, I'd have walked out of his workshop with it. I know SCs are a bit marmite and they're not my first choice shape-wise, but the way it played and ohhhh lordy the sound... A stunning instrument.

Goatist. Although yeah, you've got a point. https://youtu.be/nlYlNF30bVg

Much the same for Mark King. Obvs he's best known for his slap, but what seems to get overlooked is that his fingerstyle playing is quite breathtaking.

All You Need Is Cash, indeed