Blimey twinfan,thats a whole shop full,i did have more but my kids have releived me of several of my guitars including all my basses and my fave 5 string fretless and Trace elliot amps but there not getting my Flugel horn or any of myputt putts yet.

Blimey I thought I was doing well with
Les Paul Standard,
Strat 70's reissue
Ovation semi accoustic
Obviously must try harder :o:D

Darren

Hmmm....yes, the old gear collection lark.

I've pared down a lot of my stuff, but I still have in order of favourites:

1973 Rickenbacker 4001 - my first 'real' bass and for a long time my only bass, bought in 1976 and of immense sentimental 'never sell it' value to me.

1990's Patrick Eggle Milan 5 string - fitted with EMG P and EMG J soapbars, defretted and fettled into gorgeousness by Martin Petersen at The Gallery. This has my main gigging bass for the last 5 years

1990's Palm Bay 4 string - very pretty small bodied 24 fret bass with a honey coloured birds eye maple cap on a mahogany body, maple bolt on neck, PJ active PU's. Use it as my main fretted bass when I'm too wary of taking the Ricky

2001 Fender Jazz 5 string - Bought it as a fretted 5 string but don't like it that much, it's a ******* to play so I use it as my practise bass on the basis that other basses feel much easier to play after this beast.

2002 Crafter 4 string Acoustic - a cheapo acoustic bass that's good to have lying around for when I can't be arsed to get the amps out.

Play all these through a Line 6 Bass Pod pro modelling pre-amp, a soundtech 2 x 400 W stereo power amp and a couple of David Eden cabinets.

That's it now I've owned and got rid of a couple of Precisions, a 1970's Jazz (never been much of a Fender bass lover), a Gibson Thunderbird and a Guild 301.

Still need a clear out though, there are still a couple of keyboards kicking about, PA equipment and a nearly new Yamaha 24 channel mixer that sits under my bed and was only used a few times before a couple of people in the band I was playing with moved to Wales.

It's a lot of stuff to have now that I'm bandless and haven't gigged for nearly a year

I'm bandless and have never gigged seriously :o I'm a home user, but at the moment I'm feeling the need to gig before I get old!

Anyone know the best place to advertise to find/start a band?

Back of guitarist mag or total guitar I'd have thought, wish I could play well enough to join a band and gig :(

Darren

Twinfan, you could try looking in your local guitar shops as they often have small ads placed for people wanting guitarists etc.

Darren, trust me you don't have to be able to play that well to play in a band. I'm a fine example of that! I played bass in a few bands many years ago and was pretty bad but always wanted to play guitar so I practiced a bit and got in touch with the bloke who sang in the band I was in many years ago and got my current band together (with me now on guitar). We have been going for 5 years now and gig quite often. We always go down very well and play a mixture of what I like to think drunk people in pubs like to hear. My playing has improved a lot through actually playing in a band but I still see other guitarists and think all of them play better than me. Wheras others tell me I am good I always feel a bit like an imposter. I have a couple of mates who are brilliant guitarists at home but have never played in a band and probably never will which is a shame. It is always easier if possible to join/start a band with mates rather than strangers as there is less pressure on you. I would hate to have to audition for a band where I did not know anyone, it would terrify me.

You need to learn some Keyboard skills first,looking at the e-mails you send me!!:D

I could play the flute!:D

Ive been playing for 5 years,so still very much a beginner.Its frustrating and amazing at the same time,sometimes you feel like hitting the wall with the damm thing,but when you master a couple of chords and can change them fluently its a real buzz.Choice of guitar makes a real difference,the string height(action),neck width/thickness,gauge of strings.Try as many as you can,look for one that feels comfortable.The guitar on the left in pic,a Norman cost about £200,the one on the right a Martin cost nearly 10 times as much,yet I find the Norman much easier to play.