Dave Vader

On the electrician/musician analogy - You would hire an electrician to do a certain job, and he/she would do what you asked of him/her (well not round here he/she wouldn't, but that's by the by) The equivalent 'musician' would be a dep, or a classical muso - who will play the pieces you ask him/her to That's the only real case where this analogy works.

Just a heads up, if you didn't want to pay out to read this, I'm running a promotion over the bank holiday weekend - It's FREE on Kindle from tomorrow morning 'til Wednesday. *heads up is now because I'm having a massive 10th Wedding Anniversary Party all weekend, and may well forget to post this tomorrow*

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1471957928' post='3117242'] Naah I have a similar ego and I always get nervous... [/quote] Have you got ego envy now then Rob?

Nerves have never bothered me, I suspect my monumentally large and unjustifiable ego may be at work there.

I've done a few radio sessions, like everyone else says, it's easier than you think it will be. Forget about it being the radio, just play, you'll be fine.

[quote name='Telebass' timestamp='1471847600' post='3116233'] Less times than I've been out on the town with Joanna Lumley. [/quote] Loads then (if I am to believe Heat magazine anyway)

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471779254' post='3115762'] Had the book for days, but the current mrs discreet said 'what's this, then?', snaffled the book and has been chortling at it ever since. So when I finally get a chance to read it I'll let you know what I think. [/quote] Excellent news, I'm glad Mrs Discreet gets it. (no lewd joke intended - much)

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1471598157' post='3114275'] Glad it's not just me with the corrosive sweat thing. If it makes you feel any better though I remember reading an interview with Jason Newsted when he was still with Metallica. Apparently his sweat is so bad it actually corrodes the electronics in his basses - so much so that all his Sadowsky basses are fully salt water proofed. He even claimed in the interview that before Roger Sadowsky sends a bass to him, the loaded body gets dumped in a bath of salt water for 24 hours and if it works once it's dried out then Jason will accept it! [/quote] Apparently corrosive sweat is one of the reasons for Rory Gallagher's strat looking as it did (along with its night under a hedge). Related - since I cut down on my drinking, my strings don't break as often. I've seen Angus Young flood an SG with sweat until it failed on him as well.

Mrs Vader is ok with all the instruments, she has filled the house with her art stuff (and various collections) anyway so I'm ok. I did once proudly show off a fretless P bass I'd just finished building and was met with a 'haven't you had that one for ages?' and the converse when I was playing a telecaster I've had since before we even met 'is that another new guitar?' so it's pretty easy to get new ones past her.

This looks like it should be good. Nitromors stripping is always painful, and usually ends in sanding anyway IME. Who fills the fretgaps with superglue rather than pulling the frets? Sounds more difficult to my mind. Good luck, looking forward to seeing the finished article.

Another corrosive sweater here (still break guitar strings constantly) I used to break a lot of Bottom Es, with my fingers. I stopped using rounds, got flats, moved my hand a bit further from the bridge, and haven't broken one in years now.

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1471541275' post='3113867'] If you snap a string it literally takes 3 minute to replace it. [/quote] 3 minutes of no music is enough for some people (me included) to get bored and go somewhere else. Make sure someone else in the band can do a funny story, or a bassless song.

What's the problem with broken strings anyway - you've got at least 3 more haven't you? I thought you were bassists... [center] [/center]

I always take a backup guitar (since my sweaty paws always break at least one of them skinny strings) and always used to carry a backup bass. After not needing it ever, I have now stopped (ironically could have done with a backup EUB once when the bridge popped out mid-song on a massive festival stage, though me and the soundguy got it back in before the end - astoundingly). Back doing functions and stuff now, so might have to start again, just in case.

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1471517347' post='3113565'] Also +1 for Dee on ornamental acoustic guitar. Aside from powerchord nonsense, it's about alI I can play on a guitar. [/quote] Oh yeah, I do that too...

*very nearly crying like a girl again*

You lot are proper lovely, really.

[quote name='Funky Dunky' timestamp='1471377604' post='3112692'] I'm looking at Fender 9050s [/quote] I use these, they are not noticeably more stiff than the rounds I occasionally chuck on for a change.

[quote name='vmaxblues' timestamp='1471428359' post='3112952'] Reviewed! [/quote] Thank you very much.

Do you know, most people completely overlook the basses and ask me to do something on the guitar or the piano instead. *ducks*

You lot are actually proper lovely - thanks so much for all the niceness (the paper is good and soft discreet, just in case). Can I be really cheeky and ask if you can give it a nice review on amazon if you did like it? I need all the help I can get getting it up (ooer missus) the rankings (again, ooer). Thanks even more if you can.

I have a Warmoth Jazz one on one of my bitsas, I can confirm that it is very, very lovely, and fits perfect like.

I would like to put forward the term "probbyist" for those who are doing the knife-edge balancing act of constant gigging while holding down a real job. I stopped, am firmly a hobbyist now, it's nicer that way (until I change my mind again).

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1471000864' post='3109889'] So you're name's not really 'Vader'..? This lack of truth disturbs me... [/quote] Of course it is, had to use a pen-name or I'd never get another gig after this.

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1471002425' post='3109903'] One thing - without giving any spoilers, to what extent is the main character autobiographical?? [/quote] I am still on my first wife, and have no biological children - two stepkids both grown up and gone now. I'm also quite tall with a lot of hair (and I was a good 5 years younger than him when I started it, crept up a bit since then though). So the baldy double divorcee with kids is in no way me. I've also been playing in bands since I was 12, rather than taking it up late like him. Saying that we have both done a lot of the same stuff, but the main answer is no, not very much at all. He's an amalgamation of a lot of people I have played in bands with over the last few decades.