gjones

I owned a standard Squire that looked rather like that. Specifically the routing for the front pickup. It was made in Indonesia in early 2000 and something.

[quote name='steantval' timestamp='1509006526' post='3395900'] I cannot understand why you would go to these lengths and fib to the guy, there are usually only two outcomes for someone auditioning, you either get the job or you don't. People need to toughen up a bit, there is too much molly coddling around the possibility of upsetting people in situations like this. Rejection is part of life, it happens everyday to people who apply for jobs, get to final interview stage and fail to get the role. [/quote] The guitarist in my present band was once threatened with decapitation by a drummer he sacked. The same drummer ended up in my band and felt that I was sabotaging him. He really did have deep seated, psychological, problems, including psychotic delusions of persecution, for which he was taking medication. In the end he was sacked, onstage, in the middle of a gig. Not the most diplomatic way of doing things. Luckily he didn't kill us all. You never know who you are dealing with. Better safe than sorry. Being nice doesn't cost anything.

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1509006681' post='3395901'] I won't make up lies just in case he's a lunatic with a fragile ego [/quote] I've had dealings with lunatic musicians with fragile egos before (a particular Edinburgh drummer who shall remain nameless). Now I just assume all musicians are potential psychopaths. It's safer that way.

I played a gig,through one of these a while ago. It sounded epc with my Precision and they are cheap as chips secondhand. I didn't attempt to pick it up but I suspect it's very heavy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqBXH8pWct4

I would have rephrased the message you sent, in order to prevent his ego being bruised. After all nobody likes rejection. I would have said that the original guitarist has decided to rejoin the band and tell the auditioner that they were amazing and thank them for their time. Guitarists have fragile egos at the best of times. It's best to treat them gently.

There's no hard and fast rule. Use your ears.

A change is as good as a rest, they say.

I had to sack the same drummer twice. He is a friend and to make it even more uncomfortable, he was my landlord at the time.. He started gigging with other bands and not being available for gigs. We got a dep in and the dep was better than he was and was happy to play every gig. After a couple of months, we had to break the news to him that he was redundant. Then 10 years later, in a band he'd asked me to join, I had to do it again - for the same reason. I'm such a cold blooded swine !

I had a gig the day after I had the stitches out. Which was about 2 weeks post op. I didn't have any complications and the operation went very well. Of course we are all different and heal at different rates. So best to play it by ear.

Sounds like my ex drummer.

Don't be scared of the truss rod.

He likes to slap his bass. He slaps it all day long....... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqKTXBK3oPg

[quote name='Hutton' timestamp='1507289173' post='3384517'] Lulu is a very talented singer. I just wish that she wouldn't put on an accent when she speaks. Be proud of your roots and where you come from. [/quote] I think these days she puts on the Scottish accent. It doesn't sound very authentic.

You snooze.....you lose. That is my attitude when I'm buying something. If I make an offer I don't expect the seller to twiddle their thumbs while I get around to paying them. I always pay ASAP. If I did faff about and the item was sold to somebody else, I wouldn't blame the seller..

I've thought that I've played badly, in the past, but then listened back to a video of the gig and it sounds fine. Usually I get the feeling that things aren't going well, or I'm not playing as well as I can, when the sound onstage is dodgy, or we're not getting much of a reaction from the audience. I also feel that if I'm feeling positive, then the gig will go well.

For many years I gigged with a Ashdown EB 150 combo (one down from a MAG series). It did the trick. I'm sure the MAG combo you're looking at will be more than up for the job. Once the band is up and running and you're back in the saddle, you can think of upgrading.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1506696478' post='3380513'] Pah! That's nothing! I've played to zero people. Literally. There were no punters at all, so both the bar staff went outside for a fag. There was no one at all in the entire pub except the band. We just kept playing ... [/quote] I've done that. I was playing in a duo with a guitarist/singer. There was just one other person in the room and he was a drunk. About 20 mins into the set he started howling like a dog and eventually the pathetic picture, of a duo playing to an empty room, except for a howling drunk, just got to me and I put my bass down, went over to him, marched him to the door and threw him out into the street. Then I went back and finished the set. Astoundingly, the landlady asked us back the next week but we politely declined.

It depends on the type of gigs. I like gigging and a 4 gig weekend would be fine for me but am not keen on playing dodgy pubs, with a dodgy clientele (The Artic Bar in Dundee anybody?). Decent audiences, in decent venues, for decent money will always keep my enthusiasm levels up. And you can keep them coming - the more the merrier. The drummer I play with is so popular, that 5 gig weekends are regular thing for him and he also has a full time job and is married (he took his wife on a 2 weeks jaunt to Las Vegas recently, with his gig money, to keep her sweet).

The saying 'if you're the smartest player in the room, you're in the wrong room', is my philosophy. Although I seldom get the chance to play with really smoking players that push me.

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1506444984' post='3378819'] But how do you know if your free? I know when I'm not free so that's fine I can tell you that. Whatsapp group, "gig on date x everyone free?" yes or no gets replied to quick enough. I've got too many hobbies which could result in a last minute booking to clear my diary for the band. [/quote] Sometimes, stingrayPete1977, I doubt your commitment to Sparkle Motion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdZ1eE5uqBw

In these times of smart phones, that update all your diaries for you, there's no excuse for not remembering a gig. Even when a gig is just pencilled in, I'll update my diary and get it confirmed at a later date. If this kind of thing is an ongoing situation, with your drummer, then I don't think you came on too strong.

My names is actually gjones. I didn't feel the need to hide my identity on a site called Basschat. Now if it had been a site called Asschat, well that's a whole different kettle of fish.

Being the subject of ogling, is not just a female problem. As any, reasonably, presentable, Scotsman, who occasionally wears a kilt, will attest too. Sometimes it's amusing but many times it's not.

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1505295400' post='3370765'] I have a hypothesis about "road worn" or whatever you call them older instruments vs mint condition ones. If you had a few basses which were similar, you'd usually choose to play the one that sounded best. And as things like Fenders were mass produced with a somewhat variable eye on quality control, they do tend to vary in sound rather a lot. So generally, the most worn looking basses (particularly wear from playing as opposed to neglect) are likely to be the best sounding ones. I'm not saying that mint condition vintage instruments all sound bad - but do close your eyes when playing them so you don't fool yourself! [/quote] Eric Clapton likes guitars with a bit of wear and tear. He likes the idea that somebody has taken the time to wear them in for him. He calls them 'players'.