the World of Verbal Warning 28.04.08

I've just got over the shock of someone actually reading my blog so I'd better do another, after reading the basstalk forum, it's always a bad idea, I finish up spending money, I decided to try some Elixir Nano strings, they're supposed to last 5 or 6 times longer than normal ones, the bad news is the cheapest price is and eye watering £28 a set. Anyway I ordered some not realising the were coming from the USA, so I'm thinking VAT and Royal Mail handling fee going on here, they'll be the best part of £40, but fortunatly they wrote the cost was £15 on the export sticker so I got away with that one, and the strings? they sound pretty good so far, just got to see how long they last.Had a gig at the George Inn at Ripley which resulted in 3 encores and 3 very unhappy dogs, the canaine ears seem a bit sensitive to good old punk rock. The evening started off with only drummer boy being able to find the place in spite of the fact we'd all been there 2 or 3 times and halfway through the first set I was informed I'd forgot to put my sunglasses on, I wondered why I could see what I was doing, and don't even mention OCD, how the hell do we cock up a song we've done hundreds of times so badly we abandoned it and went on to Jet Plane, then it was the midsession break so everybody could calm down a bit.The second half was littered with mistakes as well but as I said earlier we got 3 encores and 2 more gigs, so there you go you never can tell.We are again having a go at recording tracks ourselves at the moment and early signs are good using home computers and free, what else? software. Got to add the vocals and do a mix them we''l be able to tell whether we can do the long awaited 2nd CD the same way.

13.04.08

3 weeks since my last blog, I'm suffering from writers block, or there's been bugger all to say. Had a couple of gigs since the last post, the Langley Mill gig was a bit of a wash out in more ways than one, the weather was awful, again, so not many there, we took about 10 cause it was guitar boys birthday and there were about 6 locals in, but the bar was so small another 6 and it would have been packed, still we did ok and the people that were there enjoyed it. So, on to the Malt Shovel, after the last time we were a bit worried because everybody left at the interval, but it was a decent turn out this time and it was still pretty full by the end. The real story of the night was this guy who walked in with a banjo, apparently he'd just been thrown off the bus for playing it and was definatly the worse for wear, now I thought we've got a bit of trouble here, thinking he'd ask us if we knew dueling banjos and could he join in, but no, half way through the second set, much to everyones astonishment, he proceeded to smash it to bits on the floor, Pete Townsend style, and we had to keep playing on while he was doing it, a great side show and it certainly kept everybody's interest, but I think he's probably regretting it now.Got new pick ups for my bass, ordered them from America because there're half the price and even with the robbing bastards from the Post Office adding on an £8 admin fee it still saved me £30, trouble was it required a bit of carpentry work to get them fitted, so now there's a bit of paint missing from around the pick up area. Still they are an improvement, but I would say that wouldn't I?

20.03.08

Guitar Boy turned up with yet another effects pedal at practice last night, he must have an effects pedal scrapyard in his back garden by now, I don't know what the word is for e bay addiction is but I think he's got it, how about e bayoholic, any other suggestions? if he ever gets round to putting them all in an effects pedal box it'll be so big we'll be able to turn it over and use it as a table tennis table. We were on at the Belle Vue at Mapperley on saturday, lousy night weather wise and a poor turnout, we got a decent sound though using a monitor for the first time with our PA, now we've decided we need another one, yet more gear to cart around, we'll need a roadie at this rate, any offers? must have his own transit and expect no money whatsoever. but talking of money the landlord paid us, which, seeing as how we didn't really have a confirmed amount was good of him. We won't be going back anyway cause he's leaving in a fortnight,looks like another live venue has been strangled by red tape.The gig front is looking quiet healthy now, until September, we've got about 2 a month which we think is about right, gives us time to work on material for our new CD, which won't ready till about 2012 unless we pull our fingers out.

01.03.08

Been a while since my last blog mainly cause not much has been happening, had an embarrissing gig at Stone in staffs, we thought it was a bit iffy from the start, a Monday night, with a 10 o Clock start, and a originals set, sounded like a disaster waiting to happen to us, and so it proved, about a dozen in when we started and about 3 when we finshed, we took the money and left feeling a little guilty, singer boy thought the landlady was about to burst into tears as she handed over the cash. Another disaster waiting to happen at the Chequers in Hucknall turned out OK, there was talk of pulling out after our Stone fiasco but hey, any gig is better than practice, there was about 30 in there and most stopped to the end, and we got paid. We have decided we need a monitor to hear singer boy, I know I know some would say he hardly needs a PA never mind a monitor, but he did have a bad throat, again, and there's still talk of a mic or 2 on the drum kit, well there is from drummer boy anyway. In a futile attempt to get anywhere close to guitar boy in the effects pedal race I bought Behringer amp modeler because some pillock on a bass forum said it made him sound like J J Burnell, which was bollocks, not a lot different from the one I use already, so it's heading towards ebay very shortly. Talking of guitar boys effect pedals, he's now put them in a special box to keep them neat and tidy, trouble is it's so bloody big when we play a gig on a small stage me and singer boy will probably be standing in the crowd, if there is one.

05.02.08

the 2 gigs we've had since the last post went ok, the Lurkers gig was a good one with 4 good bands on and enough people there to keep the monthly punk night going. We weren't at our best at Stilwell Tavern the next night although we were nice and loud, drummer boy now wants his snare micing up and guitar boy says the bass was to loud, seemed ok to me though made a right pigs ear of another girl another planet, I think we were all playing out of time, anyway everybody said it was a right balls up, and right at the end the PA packed up, well not just the PA, everything, perhaps on reflection plugging about 7 things into 1 extention lead with an overload cut out on it it wasn't the wisest thing we've ever done. After an early break and a redistribution of plugs we were up and running for the second half. We got 2 encores and Mick Moonshine seemed happy enough so it looks like we got away with it. If anybody other than the band has been following this blog since the start I've finally got my jobseekers allowance from last April, a nice liitle christmas bonus, I fought the system and I won, a new forum has appeared about Warnings infamous 1983 gig at the Union Rowing club check it out http://www.killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/?p=528#comment-1063

24.01.08

Just 2 practices and 1 gig since the last blog, oh and band illnesses, I managed to catch flu from somewhere and spent the journey home from practice sneezing all over guitar boy, but he's a lucky bugger he only got a bit of a cold. I may have stumbled on the bad practice equals good gig equation, after a bad practice before the Greyhound gig I spent a couple of hours practicing on Saturday, which I probably wouldn't have done if we'd had a good practice and the Greyhound gig was a stormer, we all had a thoroughly good time and kept the pub fullish till midnight which seemed to please the landlord, we're back again in June and November. Somebody did say to us "don't you ever do Daydream Believer again" and seeing as how we've never done it without making mistakes we probably won't, but you never know .Got a couple of gigs this weekend before a a bit of a break on on the live action front, supporting the Lurkers on Friday at Mansfield, which will be a quick 30 minute blast of Verbal Warning songs and Stilwell Tavern on Saturday which is another chance to impress Mr Moonshine, lets hope it goes well at least he should be able to hear us this time with our new PA, and we're taking some lights cause last time he took great delight in turning all the house lights off so we couldn't see what we were playing, I know we're an ugly bunch but the crowd expect to see something other than a black hole in the corner where the band might be

10.01.08

only one gig since Christmas at the Derby beer festival, but what a stormer, having 300 people screaming for more certainly does wonders for your ego. I was filled with apprehension before the gig due to the fact I'd been forced to have 3 pints, I say forced because I'd planned to have the regulation 2 then Lee and Di bought me another one cause it was my birthday, decisions, do I not drink it for the sake of my performance and turn down a free pint? not a chance, anybody who knows me will know I do not turn down free pints. Anyway, got away with it, only one major cock up in My Way which is an above average mistakes per gig ratio. No practice last night due to asbestos work at drummer boys lock up where he works and we practice, and he's worried about his clorestoral count! and singer boy having a wisdom tooth out, I would have thought losing any sort of wisdom was a bad move for him. I suggested the pub but he didn't want to go cause he's not supposed to drink for 24 hours and he could hardly talk. Both excuses turned out to be a load of bollocks, anyone who knows him will know not talking and singer boy should not be used in the same sentence and he was last out the pub still finishing off his 4th pint. One of these days he really will be ill and no one will believe him

27.12.07

Well, that's another over hyped, enforced jovality christmas done with I'm glad to say. Mind you you've got to feel sorry for Jesus, fancy having your birthday on December 25th.We had 2 gigs before Xmas on the Wednesday we were at Hucknall supporting, er can't remember, but nil by mouths guitarist and Green Dates 6 stringer were in the band, it went OK nothing great, but it was a good warm up for our excellent christmas party at the Harrington, everybody had a good time, the new PA was a success, best we've ever sounded was the general comment, we did 2 encores and we even played Ace of Spades for the first time after I said there was no way it would be played, but things were going so well I thought "what the hell" and started playing the bass intro which bought a puzzled look from drummer boy and singer boy scrambling for his lyric sheet which he hadn't got ready cause I said we wouldn't be playing it, how me and guitar boy came out of the guitar solo together I'll never know but we did, must be reading each others minds, now there's a terrifying thought, bet he's thinking the same thing.

10.12.07

Thought it was time for my latest installment on the life and times of Verbal Warning before Drummer Boy starts nagging me, trouble is we've had no gigs so not much to tell really, apart from, Verbal Warning have spashed out £840 on a new PA, I don't believe it, how thw hell did the rest of them talk a tight arse like me into spending that much money? it started with guitar boy suggesting a new PA might not be a bad idea in the light of recent difficulties with the sound system, who was quickly backed by Drummer and Singer boy. After much debate and web surfing it was decided to get a 1000 watt power mixer and some yet to be decided speakers, so we all trooped of to Nottingham on saturday morning after I had managed to get singer boy out of bed! no I was not there with him, I rang him up. First stop Millenium music who were not very convincing so next stop Sound Control. To cut a long story short we finished up with bigger speakers than I imagined, and a bigger price as well, and a cordless mic. Got the stuff round to my place and couldn't try it out cause I got no speaker leads, singerboy turned up with some that had the wrong connectors so Bearing in mind that Guitar Boy had already suggested new leads but I said no, the old ones will do we don't want to spend another £50, told you I was a tight arse, we finished up splashing another £60 on some extra long ones, I was in a state of total shock by this time and , just hope we've made the right chioce.

27.11.07

Bloody Hell, just done the latest installment of my fascinating blog, went for a cup of tea and got timed out, so I've got to start again!Due to popular demand, well Drummer Boys demand anyway, here we go.If by some slim chance anyone not involved directly with the band is reading this string go to http://www.gamingtrend.com/forums/index.php/topic,18667.0.html for and explanation of a couple of recent entries, we found it rather amusing .Against all expectations the Barge gig went well, a good crowd, swelled by Amiee cleverly arranging her works leaving do in the pub, got into it, and were joining in by the end. We even had a Chubby Brown impersonator helping us out with Alice, I'll leave it to your imagination which bit he sang. The landlord wanted to book us again for the pubs christmas party but sods law struck again, it was 21st December the night of our only December gig at the Harrington.So on to the Stillwell Tavern in Derby, we wanted to do well here as the owner, Mick Moonshine, is agent for the Almaboobies and we were hoping for some more gigs. Anyway it started off OK a good crowd doing a bit of pogoing and Mick highly delighted that he'd found a band as old as he was, well I am anyway, Guitar boy was a bit miffed, boy being the operative word. He didn't think we weren't loud enough, but he has got a million watt PA powering his disco so we think he must be a bit deaf. But after the break no one came back it was just the Verbetts and Lee Cooper, it did fill up again towards the end and Mick seemed pleased with us, he wants us back in the New Year.On Sunday we were doing a Punkish alldayer at the Holly Bush in Cradle Heath near Birmingham, and we thought we triumphed in the face of adversity, no sound check so it took us 2 songs to get the sound right the Guitar boy broke a string, then his vast array of FX pedals packed up, and he's only had the batteries in them for 5 years, so the last half of Bunny Boiler became a Drum and Bass version. But hey, like the true pros that we aren't we carried on and finished off OK and sold 2 CD's. I even got back for a couple of swift ones in the Vic.

12.11.07

done 3 gigs and a practice since the last post so you'd think we would be getting honed to perfection by now, not a bit of it. The Vice squad gig went off OK we were first on and got a favourable reaction. The next band Tolerence got up everybody's backs by suggesting that anybody who does covers was somehow musically inferior, seeing as how the other 3 bands all did 2 covers each perhaps they should change their name to Intolerence. The practice went well and we were all set up for the Malt Shovel gig, we should have known better, the PA played up, apparently I was to loud and we made more than our usual number of mistakes, by the time we finished the pub was rather empty apart from our loyal Shovel fan base at the front, exit Verbal Warning with our collective tails between our legs.So with some trepidation we set off to Horncasle the next day and had storming gig, good sound, and a pissed up crowd meant we all enjoyed ourselves, I'll even forgive Singer Boy for snatching Wendy Verbs drink out of her hand with his mic lead, he's obviously a dab hand with a whip . A female fan even had the hots for Drummer Boy , there's no accounting for taste.

29.10.07

it's all happening on the gig front, starting this sunday Verbal Warning are finally getting to support Vice Squad after being close 25 years ago. The orginal Warning were supposed to be supporting them at the legendry Retford Porterhouse but 3 days before the gig the drummer moved to Boston, thats Lincs not Massachusetts, and he decided it was too far to travel to do the gig, grrrrrrr, needless to say he didn't drum for us again. The guitarist curse has struck again, the one that makes us think the perfect instrument is just round the corner, I've bought another bass off e bay, unbelievable there were 4 left handed Mexican Fender Jazz basses on ebay last week the first 2 went for £270 and £300 so when I got the third one for £212 plus £20 postage I thought bargain. Then the the fourth one went for £195 and it was only in Sheffield, bastard.The Leamington Spa gig went ok, decent crowd and we sold at least 2 CD's, remembering what I said about the other bands having no gear, when we got there one of the other bands was supplying nearly everything, so I'd travelled down there in the back of the Verbmobile with Drummer boy and his side drum for company for nothing . As Led Zep put it Communication Breakdown.

15.10.07

well well after years of trying we've finally managed to get on at Rebellion Blackpool, thanks to singer boy nagging them into submission with help from guitar boys better half.The Boat and horses gig finished up OK after a quiet start and the PA survived a whole set although singer boys mic packed up a couple of times for a while, think it must have a limiter chip in it for when he gets carried away and starts screaming to loud, which is no bad thing, it saves everybody's eardrums, except mine cause they're knackered anyway. As drummer boy pointed out, it's the first time I've got to play bass on my way and Alice for ages due to amp failures, I'm normally at the bar by the time we get to play them due to singer boy having to use my bass amp for vocals.Off to Leamington Spa this thursday to play at Warwick Uni's punk club which should be interesting as the other bands on the bill don't seem to have any equipment at all, we've got to take everything except the PA, how do the others practice with no gear? or perhaps they don't.Final word, the Moss Cottage, where we have a pint after practice seems to have shut down, or they see us coming and turn off the lights till we're gone, anyway with moved location to the Gate down the road if anyone wants to come and buy us a pint , don't worry about the Alsation he hasn't eaten anybody in ages

04.10.07

well it's over 2 weeks since my last blog, does anybody care, probably not, but it does go to show what a boring life I lead. Given up with the car, my legendry tight fistedness has finally got the better of me I've decided to stick with my rusting Mazda for a while, unless something exceptional crops up. Got a call from Victoria, all together now Victooooria Victooooria, kinks fans will now what I mean, out of the Almaboobies late tuesday asking us to fill in the following night at Horncastle, how could we refuse, it was another good night, who'd think it, a wednesday night in Horncastle and a decent crowd and decent ale as well.We'll be testing out the modified speakers at the Boat and Horses on Saturday and hopefully will get through an entire gig without blowing the PA up, though Singer Boy's, or is that Boys or Boys'? little in joke there we currently have an A level english argument going on between Guitar Boy and Singer Boy, anyway Singer Boys a bit worried about my modifications which involved a circular saw, soldering Iron and information off the internet, but I'm confident it'll be alright on the night, but I have a plan just in case that Baldrick would be proud of. You'll all? will have to come along to see what happens.

18.09.07

still looking for a car, nearly went to see one in Birmingham, ran an HPI check first and found out it had been written off twice and it had been clocked, so that was £20 well spent. Made the appalling decision to go to see one near Burton on Trent last Sunday and got caught up in the Donnington Race track/ McCanns landing at East Mid airport traffic jam, every road going into the area was solid, managed to eat a sandwhich bag of crisps and have drink without moving an inch, eventually got to see the car 2 hours late and didn't like it!The gig at the Harrington produced another PA failure, the speakers blew this time, so once again I was forced to retire to the bar early, while singer boy used my bass amp, hate doing it but the band comes first, no one should question my comittment .Got 2 new songs out the way though, White Man at Hammersmith Palais and Holiday in Cambodia which went ok and the 2 new VW songs are coming along nicely. Next gig is the Boat and Horses on 6th Oct, lets hope we manage a complete set without equipment failure, any volunteers to help with the original PA speakers, the ones that are the size of the Portugese police's incompetence

08.09.07

well what an eventfull week, 2 more gigs at very short notice, in fact Old Nicks in Horncastle was about 8 hours notice, Drummer picked it up off my space and it all went rather well the Almeboobies seemed very impressed and asked us back, how could we refuse? and got a very complimetery email off Jason in Sheffield, who happened to be in Horncastle for some reason and we saved his night from total boredom, so there you go you never know who's going to be at a gig. Then we voluntered our services to the Robin Hood trikers on saturday for a charity rally so we're on at 8, I'm sure they'll be very tolerent of us seeing how it's for charity, or at least I hope they will. When I first read the email from Drummer Boy about it I though it said tinkers rally, thought we'd be playing to a load of Irish Gypsies, hopefully the trikers won't find out about that . Got yet another bass off ebay and very nice it is to, so my Hondo I bought a few weeks ago is up for sale as we speak. Also got a car CD player which arrived with no connecting lead no cage and the wrong manual, wonder where the seller got that from , went to halfords for a lead and they wanted £30 . thought I'd been shafted but found one on ebay for £4, including postage, all the way from Hong Kong, it's a strange world.

31.08.07

well what an eventfull week, 2 more gigs at very short notice, in fact Old Nicks in Horncastle was about 8 hours notice, Drummer picked it up off my space and it all went rather well the Almeboobies seemed very impressed and asked us back, how could we refuse? and got a very complimetery email off Jason in Sheffield, who happened to be in Horncastle for some reason and we saved his night from total boredom, so there you go you never know who's going to be at a gig. Then we voluntered our services to the Robin Hood trikers on saturday for a charity rally so we're on at 8, I'm sure they'll be very tolerent of us seeing how it's for charity, or at least I hope they will. When I first read the email from Drummer Boy about it I though it said tinkers rally, thought we'd be playing to a load of Irish Gypsies, hopefully the trikers won't find out about that . Got yet another bass off ebay and very nice it is to, so my Hondo I bought a few weeks ago is up for sale as we speak. Also got a car CD player which arrived with no connecting lead no cage and the wrong manual, wonder where the seller got that from , went to halfords for a lead and they wanted £30 . thought I'd been shafted but found one on ebay for £4, including postage, all the way from Hong Kong, it's a strange world.

23.08.07

Well it's 4.30 in the morning and I'm wide awake, the old newsagents blood is still in me. No blog last week cause nothing happened, no practice, no gigs more boring than Skegness. But last Friday the Bell at Derby had the pleasure of our company and it went pretty well, the stage was a bit strange sort of 2 levels and higher than it seemed with the result that me and singer boy fell down it and guitar boy fell up it, drummer boys dignity was still it tact though. Suppose there was about 30 left by the time we finished, which wasn't bad considering it was £4 to get in and undrinkable larger was £2.80 a pint, still somebody's got to pay for the full PA that wasn't really necessary. Played Is It To Soon and Shams If the Kids Are United for the first time live with no disasters. However, when I went to get my car some brainless junky had smashed my passenger window and stolen my totally worthless CD player, the front panal is held in place by a piece of wood and metal bracket, the volume control only goes up some of the time no matter which way you turn it and the reaction time of Louis Hamilton is needed to catch the ejected CD before it disapears back in to the player, so the only fix he'll get from selling that is a Polo mint, which is some sort of consolation. The new covers are coming along pretty well Holiday in Camdodia should go down well if we can get it right. Oh I finally got my motorcycle jacket but I'm walking all the time, good line that perhaps I'll put it in a song although it does sound familiar. Also off ebay yet another Hondo bass, just can't resist them.

09.08.07

should have been Tallington last weekend so three quarters of the band went to Skegness for the weekend which reminded me why I hadn't been for 20 years, flat featureless and crowded and that brown sea even with the sun out. Singer boy who is a twitcher dragged us round the bird sanctuary pointing out the names of all the birds with the aid of his telescope, no sniggering at the back, that's the thing you look through to make things nearer, anyway, am I bovvered? the morning wasn't a complete waste as Wendy Verbett heard a familier sound from her days in the land army and we all saw a spitfire flying overhead, err that's the wartime plane not a species of bird. Got pissed and spent the evening trying to ruin a sort of Elvis look a like's act at the Liberal Social club, by singing along, Singer boy was as loud as him without a mic, don't kow why we bothered about the PA packing up at the Shovel, we obviously don't need one. Spent sunday going round Igoldmells market, how punk rock is that? I soon lost the will to live in spite of a roller coaster ride and left for home at 1 o' Clock.Practise went well until we decided to do some old VW songs for the Derby gig and got them all wrong it's all very worrying.

the World of Verbal Warning 02.08.07

Well had an eventful week, first the shovel gig, my optimism that we would play ok after a ropey practice was totally unfounded, we were not good, I decided to use my new bass for the first half and have never hit so many wrong strings, changed to my trusty old one for the second half and things improved till the PA amp packed up, which left me and guitar boy singing like silly buggers not knowing nobody could hear us and singer boy playing with his lead. So we put the vocals through my bass amp and seeing as how there's only one input on it I retired to the bar, as you do, and left the rest of the lads to it. They carried on manfully doing My Way, 500 miles and Alice with no bass player at least it cut the chances of a mistake by 25%. The crowd and landlady loved it, went down a storm, which is rather really worrying from my point of view. So, despite our less than perfect performance the whole evening was a success and we've been booked for new years eve 2008!Started my new job yesterday and the omens are good, didn't do anything.Back to the new stuff at practice last night, Is It to Soon is nearly ready, should be unvailed at the Derby gig, the others think White Man at the Hammersmith Palais is ready to, but I'm not so sure. Did a few old ones which we played perfectly, sods law eh, me thinks we need a 2 hour set gig every month to keep sharp, we can practice as much as we like but there's no subsitute for doing a proper gig

26 July

Been e baying this week, the good news? sold my paintless bass for mind boggling £75, the bad news? bought a leather jacket that is so short it's half way up my back, so if any of you want a leather jacket that fits like Mexican's waistcoat it's going back on e bay today. Had a revision type practice last night went through a lot of old stuff, we were a bit ropey so we should be ok for the Shovel gig tomorrow. Went to the Moss Cottage afterwards as usual and the good news? they'd got Black Sheep on hurrah, the bad news? it was the worst Black Sheep I have ever tasted I only mnaged 3 and a half pints. While booking a couple of dates for next year at the Greyhound they advised me to join the nottinghambands web site and we immediately got offered 4 gigs in August, all of which we can't do. I DON'T BELIEVE

the World of Verbal Warning 20 July 07

Well I'm getting really bored now I've hit the dreaded 4 month out of work mark, decided to paint the fence seeing as how it was already blue decided to stick with it, and the good news? seeing as anyone in there right mind wouldn't paint a fence blue the paint was half price at Focus, result. Practice was a bit of a shambles from my point of view cause I forgot my FX pedal so I sounded worse than usual only one more practice to the marathon shovel gig so we'd better pull our fingers out.

the World of Verbal Warning 12 July 07

Hey I've got a job, and it's not the car park attendant, much to the relief of the rest of the band, not very punk rock is it? so I'll no longer be sponging of all you taxpayers out there, not that I've been able to get Jobseekers allowance anyway, but I'm working on it.Last night practice was pretty uneventfull, my newly aquired bass got the thumbs up, still waiting for the £15 refund cheque though. And 2 more covers were tentively tried I think Holiday in Cambodia could be good.Bloody car failed its MOT gonna cost me about £250 , thought about scrapping it but I can't be arsed to look for another one perhaps I should look on e bay, talking of e bay I've just put my paintless left handed bass on there, so get bidding

the World of Verbal Warning 6 July 07

Singer Boy was back for practice this week so interuptions and feedback were fully restored nearly finished the new song, Is It To Soon, no that's the name of the song, not is it to soon to finish it. Drummer Boys just got to figure out a 2 bar drum roll to end it. There's a lot of backing vocals in it so it's in the lap of the Gods how it turns out live.Won an auction on e bay for a Hondo bass and snipe really does work, put my bid in with 4 seconds to go, got it for £84 which I thought was a bargain until I got it home plugged it in and nothing happened!Someone had played about with the wiring, and it was strung right handed, how perverse, all the right handed basses about and someone restrings a lefty, anyway it meant fitting a new nut, cost a quid which I managed to snap trying to deepen the grooves.Anyway it's working ok now and I've negotiated a £15 refund, result.PS there isn't a face for smug bastard otherwise I would have used it