Dave Vader

Have you tried loosening the truss rod first? Not being patronising, just don't want you to throw money away.

[quote name='markdavid' timestamp='1489146175' post='3254713'] My plan is to stick a Mudbucker in the neck position, I am hoping that a mudbucker will fit in there, if not I may get a mudbucker and remove the cover and use the existing cover to house the mudbucker innards [/quote] It should, if I recall correctly most of the bigness of a mudbucker is top mounted chrome surround. Bloody hard to find one though. That leaves you with a leftover smaller humbucker, which would go very nicely by the bridge like an EB3 (I'm like a dog with a bone sometimes)

I would be tempted to take a router to that, move that bucker down to the bridge and stick a mudbucker in the neck - go full EB3 on it.

If your band has less than 2 people doing BVs then your band is doing something very wrong. IMHO, YMMV etc. also, does not apply to Metal of the very heaviest kind.

[quote name='Burrito' timestamp='1488550701' post='3249934'] Did anyone ever buy an Axe from the Kerrang adverts? I think a lot of it came down to poor setups and lack of experience because all the rubbish gear I played then that I have since played as an adult seems MUCH better. Unless it was just the good ones that survived? [/quote] My mate Rob bought one, I was very jealous as my Dad was still making me use his old nylon string acoustic from the 60s. It was, in retrospect, a piece of sh*t.

My two main gigging instruments, both fender copies, one Pbass one Strat are in states of disrepair. The Pbass wasn't when it was still all poly-finished 10 years ago, but I never liked the feel (or the look of it) so i refinished it with oil and green wood stain. It is now a bit relicy looking indeed, but sounds (and more importantly feels) a whole lot nicer. I didn't mean to relic it, I just refinished it really badly. The strat has a poly body, and as such it looks a bit chipped, but otherwise as good as it did 30 years ago. The neck is all but stripped from my sweaty hands, and the pickguard (no idea how it was finished, it's the only one of my guitars that has done this) has a big white bit in the middle of the black. No relicing involved. My fretless however (made out of an old Ibanez with a Warmoth neck) looks like I did a sander job on it. What actually happened was I was in the middle of doing a refinish job on it 7 years or so ago when I got a last minute dep gig and had to put it back together again half-stripped. I liked the look of it, and the feel of it, and the sound of it so much I left it like that. So probably a relic now, if only by mistake. I accept that... and apologise duly.

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1488379093' post='3248424'] I learned it just to challenge myself. I've never played it live with any band I play with. [/quote] Opposite, I learned it because a mediocre band I was playing with insisted on doing it. Then they changed their mind after running through it twice as the phrasing on the vocals was too difficult. See also the bastards that only did Babooshka three times before the guitarist ditched it.

Have considered it yes Chris, my friend Sarah (who does the cowboy chilli down in Camden Lock) wanted one, so I told her she'd have to voice it for me. It's still a possibility. Thanks for facebooking me Dave. 10w amp, Harry? Was it you or someone who turned up to audition with you? You can tell me, it's safe...

When Doves Cry - can't find a decent recording of it anywhere...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1487946795' post='3244454'] Wow! That's more than I made from record sales. [/quote] I keep having to pay people to listen to my records... [quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1487948782' post='3244476'] I'm now reading it again for the fourth time; it just keeps on giving...) [/quote] Bloody hell Douglas, thanks very much, that's high praise indeed (you might end up being quoted on my next begging advert for this, thanks)

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1487948782' post='3244476'] For those desperately wondering from where to order a copy ... [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weekend-Rockstars-Dave-Holwill-ebook/dp/B01JWTBJ2W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1470905341&sr=8-2&keywords=dave+holwill"]You can get it here on kindle[/url] [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weekend-Rockstars-Dave-Holwill/dp/1534785973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470905341&sr=8-1&keywords=dave+holwill"]Or you can get a paperback from here[/url] Maybe Blue could give a review, as seen from a US perspective..? It could boost international sales, I'm sure. @Blue: If you've not yet ordered a copy, it's still highly recommended reading. You'll love it, I'm certain. I'd send you my copy, but I'm now reading it again for the fourth time; it just keeps on giving...) [/quote] My attempts to boost international sales were scuppered by a couple of well known forums telling me off for my signature link and a couple of threads like this one. Apparently I would need to register as a trader member - despite this costing me a good deal more than I make from selling books. One of the forums was much nicer than the other and let the original thread stand. I did quite well for a week while they were there, not trader member money well, but quite well. Bastards..

[quote name='fishfry' timestamp='1487698744' post='3241969'] I got a hb jazz bass. It plays lovely but I took it out on a gig and found it almost useless. [/quote] I have that problem with all Jazz basses, never found one I like in a mix yet (except my mate's CMI, and he's not selling)

[quote name='dmccombe7' timestamp='1487939729' post='3244355'] A new career on the go. You might be hanging up your bass now that you're a writer. [/quote] Why yes, I made nearly £8 from book sales last month, (Please tell your friends you enjoyed it - otherwise I'll have to keep playing Mustang Sally to idiots forever)

Used to be in an 80s tribute using a battered old fretless Pbass with flats on. Nobody noticed...

Thanks all, much appreciated, And good job with the St Lucia copy Lewis, I keep meaning to buy more copies myself to surreptitiously leave in pubs and on buses.

Depends entirely on what and where the gig is. Never done it for tonal purposes, but do for backup/piece of mind. Never don't have one on guitar, as I always snap a string. Gigbag also has a behringer BDI21 in it as amp backup and shedloads of cables.

I'm somehow in 4 bands at the moment, with a few regular deps chucked in. If they all wanted to practice all the time I couldn't be. I enjoy the sheer terror of turning up to do a gig having never met half the band before, hoping against hope that they do the songs the same way they said they did in the email - followed by the fun of watching the guitar player/bassist's fingers as they rip into some tune they never told me about and I have never heard before. Amazingly I can still just about busk most stuff that way - well enough for most bands round here anyway (yes that was a derogatory comment about most bands round here)

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' timestamp='1486727708' post='3234133'] I have (or have had) a few behringer pedals - most have been pretty good, but the tuner pedal was crap for bass. [/quote] Would like to add that it is also pretty sh*t for guitar as well, in case you were thinking of buying one - it also kills your signal when it runs out of battery, even if it's off.

Took it back to practice last night, fired it up, mute on. After a few goes at sticking a plug in and out on the headphones it came back - then stayed on all night. Think you might be on to something Neepheid. Ta.

Psych-Sea-Shanty also see left...

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1485638248' post='3225560'] Mine is clear plastic with a laser printed paper stuck on the back; I think I'm going to try and soak it off and print another for it. Incidentally, I've just had an idea: I wonder if it's possible to get holographic logos made; the ones which have one image if you look from one angle and a different one from another. [/quote] Mine wasn't much more impressive. I was shocked at how much it went for, without complaint. Jon - Bassasin - made me a new one from clear plastic and laser-printed paper for much less (you can see it in my avatar). Holographic sounds fun though.

[quote name='prowla' timestamp='1485475947' post='3224336'] (I'm not happy with the "R" word on the TRC, cos it isn't one!, so I'll be changing that!) [/quote] I sold the fake one from my Hondo on ebay, fully explained as being a fake. It went for 75 quid somehow. I highly recommend it.

I found a Hartke 3500 for 140 quid in a pawn shop in Exeter. I got over excited and bought it. Haven't tried the HB out since, will try it again at some point though. Sorry neep. Was all primed to try the headphone trick though.

This weekend, in Exeter's notorious Wants Centre (usually filled with wildly overpriced budget guitars) I found a fully flightcased Hartke 3500 for only £140. Since my current amp is behaving like a twat, I had been idly googling for one of these, and found the cheapest on ebay to be about twice that, so I snapped it up. (Fans of weird coincidence will be pleased to know that I would not have even been in Exeter had I not been there to borrow an old Peavey head from my mate in order to have a working gig rig until the current problems are sorted - didn't need it in the end, spooky...) It is great, I am very happy. However, I am now intrigued as to the difference between a 3500, and the current production HA3500 (other than the words Transient Attack on the front). Any ideas Hartke experts out there?

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1484316943' post='3214635'] For future reference, brand new bass strings £1.71 plus 99p postage. [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Bass-Guitars-Gear/Generic-Gen-4722-Steel-Strings-String-Bass-Guitar/B00CTGOGPI/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1484316810&sr=1-3&keywords=bass+strings+4"]https://www.amazon.c...=bass+strings+4[/url] [/quote] Looks like I have a new string supplier...