Leaderboard

Not quite as finished as it looks, but the only way of seeing if the bridge is in the right place is to string it up! And so that's what I've just done. And I'm very pleased with how it looks. And more to the point - even though not even the frets have been levelled and the saddle or nut aren't yet height adjusted - it sounds fantastic! I'm thrilled and surprised in equal measure! Oh, and yes - against all odds - the bridge is in the right place So still to do is: - Levelling/crowning frets - Cleaning up fretboard - Installing electrics - Setting up saddle and nut - Strap button on heel - Fine tuning neck profile and final slurry and buff - Final polish once varnish is fully cured But it's sufficiently there for me to start work on the next two projects - one full build and one major mod - and those are both basses. More about those in a couple of new threads soon

Well yesterday I was extremely lucky to pick up for new ACG from Alan himself at the UK Guitar Show in that London. It's a TKO Modern short scale 4 string, 30.5" scale for those who are interested. Very simple and a bit rootsy compared to my usual bass guitars, but it very much fills a gap that has been empty, since I sold my first Precision Bass in the mid 90's. It's got an Ash neck with a Rosewood fingerboard. A White Limba body with a figured Maple top, all coloured in black, well most of it, the neck included 😎 The single pickup is a reverse P Bass style in the chunky housing, simple Vol/Tone and that's it. The TKO is Alan's reinvention of the Tele, which I think works really well. I love reverse headstocks too, so while I was going to try something very different, why not go nuts! The bass has a really effortless punchy finger style tone, quite classic sounding but with a bit more bite when needed. I'm tempted to try out flats on it, but I do love the Newtones that came with, Newtones being my favourite string anyway. Anyway, I'm a very chuffed eude right now. Any questions, just shout! Eude

I will finish this thread off properly but I've been in a mad rush this week!! I was up until 1am on Saturday morning and up again at 7am to try to get this bass ready for the SE Bass Bash but I didn't quite complete everything, I need to finish off the control cavity cover, finish spraying the neck, level the frets and remove any sharp ends. That was the negative but on the plus side I did finish it sufficiently to have a playable instrument. I didn't get chance to try it before the bash but when I plugged it in I was very pleased!! Got some very positive comments at the bash too so doubly pleased! Here's some photos as it stands. It will be a few weeks before I get a chance to finish this properly and take some proper photos as have to get my kitchen operational again as it is currently in pieces!!

Good luck. The last time I was surrounded by screaming schoolgirls I got put on a register.

Update - as a result of @Silvia Bluejay's suggestion regarding the UK Dep Musicians's Group on FB I have now found and spoken with a guy that seems to fit the bill for us. Just trying to arrange rehearsal dates now. I'm a bit hopeless with social media at the best of times and Twitter still baffles me, so thanks for the steer Silvia and to everyone else who commented. It's very much appreciated.

Good question - if one isn't available, the OP could always Google bus or train timetables. Failing that, simply run away.

It’ll probably arrive straight!

I would stand your sound guy in front of your cabs and tell him that's what you want to hear coming out of the FOH. Tell him to stop trying to be creative and just emulate the stage sound.

Regarding the events in the Auditorium, may I suggest we get the speakers a microphone next time? Although the recording devices automatic levelling did a good job of making the whole of the talks and tests audible, it would be a lot easier if the speech was amplified as well as the bass playing, so we could have similar levels from the start. (Yes I know it can be remedied with software - that's not the point.)

I think it`s to make sure that the audience can hear the kick-drum no matter what, to make sure it`s the most prominent instrument in the mix, and that it overpowers the vocals at all costs.

Not sure whether this is the right place to post this but I’ve just come across this on YouTube. What an amazing instrument and lovely sounds!

I'm reviewing one tomorrow hopefully with the OBC212 cabinet! Keep an eye on my Instagram for some cheeky pictures @danveallbassist ...

Hi Trevor @TrevorR. My church stopped meeting there about a year ago as we bought a large coffee shop in the middle of Chertsey and meet there on a Sunday, so I could book the school for a Sunday next year. I also think it might be a good idea to have it at the start of September on the first weekend after the schools resume. Several potential guests I approached this year said they were in rehearsals for Christmas tours at the end of September. I don't suppose any time of year is ideal unless someone can say otherwise?

Oh man, I had a go on @bassace's DB that was so cool, it felt like I was trying out the real thing!

his hearing is probably f*cked, treble is the first thing to go, tell him to get a hearing test.

Hi Folks Late posting this as am having a lazy morning, but here's my ramblings reflections from Bash No.12... Had a really good day yesterday and thanks to everyone who came along and supported and contributed to it.. 😊 Great to see so many Basschat friends again and to make some new ones too. Gotta say that it wouldn't have been possible without all the hard work behind the scenes by @Hamster (Colin), @cetera(Gary), @obbm (Dave), @Silvia Bluejay (Silvia) and @Happy Jack (Jack), and some additional help and support from @The Greek (Mick), and also to @NancyJohnson (Paul) and @Chimike (Mike) for their help with the two workshops on 'bass tone' and 'heft' - so a big thanks to all of them! It was thanks to cetera that we had Richard Searle from Corduroy come along to spend some time with us and apart from his very interesting comments during the heft test, he also gave us a brilliant workshop, which was was really entertaining and informative too. So a massive thanks to Richard, and to Gary for arranging!! On the organisational side of things, there were a few regulars who couldn't join us yesterday - Paul the Drummer who was unwell, Mrs Hamster (Sarah) and luthier Ian Robinson - but hopefully they'll be back next year... There was some fantastic gear around that I got to try and amongst so much good stuff, I've got to add my comments to the ones above about that wonderful Rob Allen Mouse that belongs to @Frank Blank - stunning! Loved obbm's Handbox valve amp, @Captain Rumble' Mesa Walkabout, cetera's Epiphone Thunderbird Classic, Trevor's Wals and chimike's Trace V6 too... The bass tone test was fascinating I thought and if there is a conclusion to be drawn from it, it's probably that you've just got to play the basses that feel & sound right to you because - to almost every one else who hears your beloved bass (through your beloved rig) - it's going to sound the same as the next bass that comes along. The only really important difference will be your musicianship I guess... As for the rather haphazard 'heft test', I think we rushed it and could have done it a lot better to be honest, but I tend to agree that the valve sound feels better overall, but that good e.q. and knowing the sound you need to have for the band you're in and the types of music you play is key.. But I was surprised that the difference was less than expected. The For Sale area was the busiest it's ever been - in stark contrast to the forum itself at the moment - so I was really pleased about that. Last, I just want to thank @bassace for indulging me by letting me try his lovely DB.. Roger - you're an absolute gentleman and thanks very much for your time! Right, see you all next year for more fun and games.. 😁 Nik

Yeh, but just imagine how good your pinky is going to be at the end!

Yesterday was one long day for @Happy Jack and me! We left the bash and drove straight to a gig in Dartford. All good - I've got audio and video recordings of the bass and heft tests and of the whole of Richard's talk. I'll probably post the videos in their entirety on youtube and link to them in my forthcoming megablog, but before that, I'll let the BC Podcast team have the audio, in case they decide to publish snippets in the next episode. I've also got loads of photos, of course. I took pics of @Marcoelwray's bass in the jam room, but didn't have the chance to sit anyone down to play it and record their impressions. I'm sure the next person who has it will do so on the forum. It was great to see you guys again, and have the chance to catch up, albeit briefly. 😎

I agree with so many sentiments here - thanks to everybody who attended and made the event such a great day and my first Bass Bash - For far too long my low-end mutterings been suppressed by my thin-strung brethren deliberations on tone, voicing and the very latest version of the most on-trend pedal... at last freedom for my ramblings! It was so refreshing to talk, at great length, with like-minded folk on all aspects of what we do, even if we collectively struggled to identify our instruments and be unable to decide if the 'heft' of tubes outweighs the hybrids and Ds - plonking and suchlike! A huge shout out especially to @silverfoxnik @cetera @Hamster @NancyJohnson for the countless hours it must have taken to put on an amazing day - @cetera I really think the Purple Dingwall is really not the bass for you - nowhere near sparkly enough - but don't worry I know someone who could pull that sedate look off! 😉 And I think @Jabba_the_gut your creations have every right to be held in as high regard as any bespoke, custom piece found on the walls of boutique luthier - if there had been a price tag on the 'Lil wing' I might have had the problem of trying to fit it in a overly full car at the end of the day! The relaxed atmosphere that fostered trust and respect was unlike anything else at other events (Bass Show, almost any guitar store, etc) - my permanent fear of letting anyone near my beloved Stingray was quelled almost immediately but I still struggled when given the offer of playing other peoples treasured instruments - @Captain Bassman saw this first hand as he enthusiastically handed me an '82 Alembic that I was paranoid to even sit on my lap, let along play! One moment that stands out was telling @Chimike what I was looking for a neck for (- heating up the glue and removing a fingerboard for a homemade shovel bass) - yes the neck you had for sale was too good and the offer of the old fingerboards laying about was very welcomed! So here's to staying in virtual touch for the year, with hopefully some meets at gigs and another great in-person meet at the next one!

It's ironic that paying for a service means you're more likely to commit to doing it. We could all write an hour practice schedule of technique, reading, transcription and improvisation to do every day for six months, and we would all be materially better bassists and musicians... but we wont. We'll moan about it on Basschat instead... mocked by our own procrastination... I disgust me.

I've had this OLP 'Ray for some time. Bought it cheap off fleabay because well, why not? The neck has never been ideal, too clubby for my Jazz pencil-neck preferences plus a couple of problematic frets meant that getting a low enough action for my liking was difficult. So when this fretless neck came up for sale here last year I snapped it up, and have finally got my derrière in gear to fit it. It's actually a Jaydee Supernatural neck (hence the 'JayRay' name ) with a nice slim profile and a gorgeous mostly-unlined ebony board (tiny 3mm fretlines on the fretboard edge, the ideal solution IMO). I've fitted it and strung it, and will give it a couple of days to settle before I tackle a proper setup. Further plans are to move the pickup 3mm closer to the neck (thus allowing the proper MM pickguard to sit flush to the neck), fit a battery box and then build a preamp -- I'm thinking of making one based on the Alembic FET F2-B 3-band, otherwise I'll make a 'Ray or Sabre 2-band clone. I might try to source a better bridge too, the factory one is a pretty crap BBOT really. Dead pleased with it so far though, that unlined ebony board is sooooooo classy. I'll update this thread as the remaining jobs get done. Thanks to @greenolive for this gorgeous neck!

I’ve been browsing online today, specifically looking at the Spectradrive Bass Preamp pedal and noticed that the price suddenly dropped from £199 to about £137 across multiple retailers. I was a little concerned TC may have been discontinuing the pedal, so I gave Andertons a call and the guy I spoke to said it was likely a result of Andertons being price matched against another retailer...so I gave GuitarGuitar a ring and the guy on the other end of the line said they’ve switched from their old supplier and are now going direct through TC - thus lower prices across the board. Hilariously, the Polytune clip is now cheaper than the Unitune clip. Looking at both the Anderton’s and GuitarGuitar websites it looks like every TC pedal has had a healthy price drop, as well as the amp heads and combos. TC Helicon gear has gone down as well. Good times! This will obviously wreak havoc with used values but overall I think it’s a very good thing.

So Dingwalls never really got to me, the few times I heard them they didn't appeal to me. Until last March, I was at the London Bass Guitar Show and so was Sheldon Dingwall. He had some basses with him (a.o. a 5-string and 6-string Combustion, a D-Bird) and I immediately fell in love with a trans white 5-string Combustion. It has been in my head for a few months and I tried to find one second hand, and even considered ordering a brand new one. And then I got a message: I could buy the bass I played in London! Good price, good bass, directly from Dingwall. So that's what I did. Instead of waiting 7 months for a new one, I had mine in 7 days. And. It's. Awesome. My girlfriend still has to get used to the view of all those Fender-ish instruments and one totally different on the wall, but even she likes it

Whereabouts on the Mendips are you Paddy? If you want to try before you buy another BF and you're round my way I can lend you either a 1 10 or a 1 15 for a gig. You could see how much difference it makes.

amazing how he gets that sound playing out in the fresh air!

I bet half of those are just synths

Let’s hope UPS don’t damage it! 😂

I have just discovered a possible downside to these Alaska piks.....the dogs LOVE having their tummies scratched with them, the buggers won’t leave me alone! 🐶🐕 Shoo....go play with the cats!

Right, the guitar pickin’ nails have gone in readiness for my Abba gig on Friday with many screaming schoolgirls. Something to do with some exams, I believe. It’s gonna be a blast, can’t wait!. 😁 Apparently I will need earplugs as the girls will be louder than the band! Oh dear. 😮 On the plus side my jazz bass sounds great now! Much closer to the sound I like, namely Geddy Lee. For anyone who is interested I’m using Alaska Piks for guitar picking, workable but a challenge. I’m gonna stick at it cos bass is so much damn fun!

Does this not reflect how the industry has declined generally? It tracks with the shift from a lot of people making a living from music when BP was founded to the vast majority of people buying kit being casual/hobbyist now, and the general decline of recorded and mainstream music using instruments. Just as consumption of discussion about instruments has moved online, and making of music has shifted from large studios to one’s home studio (or home), so the requirement for hard-hitting, honest and divisive music instrument journalism has declined. Does BGM need to provide hard-hitting music journalism when, if you want to know something about a bass or amp, you merely have to ask here?

I'll do some as soon as the frets have been done and the set up completed. Hopefully sometime next week

I'd be happier/less unhappy with the adverts if only there was a degree of content change month to month. Nowt worse than flipping a page to see the same shot of Robert Trujillo gurning from a Warwick advert every edition.

Yep. Mediocrity prevails and mediocrity sells. Why do commercial radio stations never play stuff that's remotely experimental, quirky or virtuosic? Look at the big names in pop of the last 20 years. Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Take That, Coldplay, Adele, Ed Sheeran etc. Not even their most ardent fans could say any of them is a great singer or player or had an ounce of originality. They all conform to a tried and tested industry template or blueprint that's a proven commercial winner.

@Cetera - Didn't I say this to you at the time?

Thanks Nik. Just looking at adding a fretted version to the collection for the next Bash. I was unsure if anyone would be interested in it TBH so I was genuinely surprised and chuffed at the interest and responses.

I don't have any to take with me, nor do I have any kids. For some people being skint is just how life is. I'd love to go out and and blow a few hundred quid on bass gear. But I currently have a van in the garage, a dog in the vets, and a stomach ulcer from stress. I still want an 8x10 fridge though. 😂 No harm in dreaming.

I've been listening to the first Lake album recently and I'm impressed. I bought it in the mid 90s as part of a job lot - ten albums for £5 and I only wanted one of them (not the Lake one) so I picked 9 random albums. Shortly after I ditched the record player and stopped listening to vinyl. Earlier this year I set it back up and dug all the old records out. The Lake album was still sealed so I thought I'd give it a spin. Still listening to it now.

I sinned yesterday... 😥

I think I have kept the floating thumb method because it just comes naturally to me and yes you are muting the string you are anchoring on ect….I listen to a lot of old school RnB and Rock from the 60s/70s so my playing and style is tailored for the band and not as an individual or soloist....spend many hours working on getting a good groove and technique I watch many local bands and although there players are good play the right notes but some lack FEEL and in my humble opinion if you don't have good Feel then it just sounds messy.....Good Luck Ruarl…...check out Danny Mo Morris he is one of the tutors on SBL Academy he is a master of the James Jamerson 60s RnB groove that's if your into that type of vibe.

Al Krow said: Is there any known therapy available, that's been demonstrated to work? I don't know of any therapy but if 'er indoors gets a whiff of the purchase of another bass guitar she hits me round the head with the four I have. After that I really don't want to go through the same process again. It seems to have worked, would be any help if I sent her up to you Al Krow?

Sounds to me like the second guy was just a bad teacher. In one of the intro videos for the course Scott points out there are different techniques for plucking strings. All are appropriate for different things, and he wants to teach his students to have a conscious choice over which to use, rather than switching between them at random. In your example, no muting method is bad as long as it works. I’m assuming your floating thumb muting is very good, and your second teacher just thought it was not a good idea. I noticed in my playing that I’m switching around in a way I don’t have control over. That’s why I signed up. If you’ve spent a long time acquiring the technique you want, then I don’t think this course is aimed at you. My own technique is something which has only ever received haphazard attention, and I’d like to give it some focus and maybe even cover areas I hadn’t thought of myself.

Totally agree - I brought four basses to the bash and went home with five.

Very pretty. If you want to keep them that way, I'd unplug the lead when the bass is in it's stand otherwise you can guarantee a guitarist will trip over it and bring the whole thing crashing down.

I will be KING of great little basses, oh yes! My first Bash, I had a great day meeting lots of new folk, everyone was ace! I spent half my time discussing @Jabba_the_gut‘s superb builds with @TheGreek and the other half of the time just wanting to nick one of them. I want a version of that dark semi acoustic so much. Another highlight was playing an upright for the first time (thanks @bassace) and particular thanks to @cetera for making me welcome right at the beginning when I was wandering around wondering where to set up and actually considering legging it, cheers Sir. Great day, excellent company, can’t wait for the next one.

For those who didn't attend, Richard Searle has never had more than two basses at any time...there's something wrong with that man...

Soft Cell. Oh dear.

Ah I enjoyed watching that! Nice one. Yeah Phil sounds like a precision with flats too, tho I'm happy to be corrected.