- Ashdown EVO II 500 RC head
Ashdown kit is top stuff for a few reasons. Principally because it is versatile, sounds VERY sweet and is f**kin loud... The 500 is perfect for the size of venues we play, I have not had to go above halfway on the master volume which is great given how loud our drummer gets. I love having that much head room, it means I don't loose clarity when it all gets a bit raucous !
As well as playing tribute to The Darkness I get play all kinds of styles. The EQ on the EVO makes it so easy to find the right sound with all of my basses. I love the valve drive because it brings in such warmth to the tone missing in so many other makes of bass amp. Just a hint of the sub-harmonic gives me that rumble I need for the Frankie Poullain sound. By upping the input volume and pushing lots through the valve (going about 60% between "Clean" and "Grind") I can get the sweetest sounds from my Rickenbacker 4001.
The shiny chrome front and the VU meter make for a classy piece of kit!

- Ashdown ABM-410H cabs (x2)
Well... with the EVO head, there was no point messing with any other choice of cabs. The 4x10 arrangement gives such a punch but retains the clarity I love. With the horns switched to high, every detail of the Thunderbirds growl hits me right in the back. FANTASTIC! I did consider the 810, but after seeing how much trusses cost I plumped for two 410's. Oh for a reliable roadie.

If you want to see the technical details pop along to the Ashdown website

- Gibson Thunderbird IV (Limited Edition)
I just had to have it. This is a beauty of a T'bird, the neck is the sweetest I have ever come across and hell fire, does it GROWL. I am dead chuffed with this bass. I've wanted a T'bird since being a kid... now I got one !!!

Why Limited Edition? I'm told by Gibson that it was part of a short trial run of about 100 trying out the 'natural burst' colour on the T'birds. Apprently the colour sold very well and so became a regular production finish.

When we met The Darkness on CD:UK they signed the scratchplate. It reads "The Likeness ROCK - Justin x - Frankie". After signing it Frankie apologised for catching the screw hole and "making a mess". Looks good to me!

- Epiphone Thunderbird IV (Refinished in white)
This was bought to cover the first couple of gigs as The Likeness. Finding the right Thunderbird takes time, however you can't do a "Frankie" without a T'bird of some description. With gigs looming I parted with careless couple of hundred quid for this Epiphone. To be honest it is not a patch on the proper T'bird. Once I had found a 'real' T'bird, it looked destined for the back of the cupboard. That seemed a bit daft so I tweeked the set up as much as is sensible and had it refinished in white. It looks great and now comes out to gigs as a backup bass.

Justin and Frankie signed the scratchplate of this one too :0)

- Korg DTR 1000 Tuner
This is a 'must have' piece of kit for any gigging muso. Form, function and pretty little lights, 'nuff said

- Samson AP1B wireless kit
I have the peddle version which is fantastically sturdy, especially since it now lives in my bomb proof Gator rack box.
The 'bug' style transmitter is much more convenient than the standard belt pack and short lead. I sold that stuff to Psy so he can do all that pfaffing about gaffa taping it to his guitar strap and parting with a fortune on batteries :0)

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I also use a big brown afro wig, 2 scarfs I nicked from my beautiful wife, Lin, and a top-notch hand knotted stick-on-tash given to me by the lovely ladies in make-up at Granada TV when we did 'Stars in Their Eyes'.

Dressing up is such fun !!