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And here are the finished pics As always, thank you all for your encouragement along the way - always greatly appreciated!

Hi there, First of all, let me introduce myself. My name ich Christoph, I live in Vienna/Austria and I've known Chris for the best part of my life - since 1992. I ordered my first bass from Chris a day after my 18th birthday and over the years I got a couple of his basses. Although I was aware of his illness for quite a while, it was a big shock to hear he's gone. To keep up his legacy a friend (who owns a couple of Larkin guitars himself) and myself decided to start working on a Chris Larkin owner / instrument database, that in the future should fill a website and maybe a book and therefore we are trying to collect as much information as possible. So if anyone out there likes to join in, send us a couple of pictures, videos, soundfiles and whatever you have and know about your Larkin instrument. How you got it, any stories, whatsoever. This is a non-profit thing and if there will be any money in the future it is to be donated into cancer research. Anyway, here's a picture of my Chris Larkin basses Cheers, Christoph

Anthony Jackson only wanted one pickup and a single knob and look where that ended up

Hi All I thought I'd do a thread about an (almost) completely Tru-oil finished guitar. I've gone through lots of different finishing options that aren't nitro - waterbased, oils, wax varnishes etc, with varying degrees of success. This one though, is definitely a success, and it;s also one you can do with absolutely no equipment, other than a bottle of tru oil, some sandpaper and opposing thumbs....I know there are lots of builders who can't spray for whatever reason (neighbours, the spouse, exploding extraction etc) so I think in the right circumstances Tru oil is a good option. I should point out that much of my success with using Tru oil comes from our very own @Andyjr1515 who was kind enough to share his knowledge and techniques with me. Mine are largely based on his. I thought I'd show you all a guitar I've just finished for a friend. He wanted a Springsteen inspired tele. Not a copy, just something in that ball park. So I made this.... The pictures in all honesty don't really do it justice. It's still at the workshop at the moment, but if I have time over the weekend I'll bring it home to take some shots in natural light, that's when the oil finish really comes alive. I'll go through the process in some detail, so bear with me......

New bass after a quick play in the shop. £199 for a spector coda pro. Not a mark on it, the shop just wanted to move it on. Have not really got a play on it yet as we have workmen in the house at the minute and its moderate chaos. But - it looks lovely. The mouse was not included with the bass. Mickey just has to be in the middle of everything.

UPS - Yet Another Courier Thread Here's yet another topic about couriers, once again featuring UPS. I sold a P Bass to a certain Mr D Blair of this parish (Kodiakblair) and arranged delivery through UPS (despite some recent hair-raising and negative threads about couriers on BC recently). UPS duly turned up when they said they would, collected the bass from me down here in this London, England, the intention being to deliver it safely and in good time to Mr Blair up there in that Falkirk, Scotland. I get 'courier anxiety' at the best of times - particularly when sending or receiving bass guitars - and spent the usual amount of time checking the online tracking information (about twelve times an hour) - while also frequently checking the tracking info for a second P Bass that had been despatched to me in London from Thomann in Germany - UPS taking care of things once the item is in the UK. Thus did the hours pass, me going through various scenarios in my head, along the lines of 'aliens stole the instruments for their "Sounds of Earth" collection - not covered by insurance', or 'the instruments were hijacked by a pack of pigs, have been partly eaten and they stink - not covered by insurance', or 'tramps intercepted the instruments and burnt them at their 'meths and self-abuse' brazier party at the council tip - not covered by insurance' ...and so on and so forth... Anyway, long story short - Mr Blair's bass arrived safely the day after collection, and in perfect condition. My bass arrived safely from Thomann in two days, and in perfect condition. No damage and no word of interference from aliens, pigs or tramps. So let's hear it for UPS, who did a really sterling job! Hooray! However... if YOU can personally deliver a bass from London to Falkirk in 24 hours for £24, or better still, deliver a bass from Bergebrach in Bavaria, Germany to London, UK in 48 hours for €10, please let me know - I may have some work for you...

I was playing keyboard in a pop-reggae band a few years back (well, we thought we were reggae but really we were a rock band with a passing offbeat acquaintance) and one of the doormen round town booked us to play at his nephew's christening. He wasn't offering much but he was a nice lad and we already owed him a few favours for 'well-timed assistance' around town, so we hop in the van and troll down to Brum for a play. We rock up outside this old community hall about 6PM to meet Mustafa, and after a minute he comes out dressed in this incredible full-length black and red leather robe, which makes him look like something out of Star Wars. That was Red Flag No 1. Red Flag No 2 was the polyrhythmic music playing at punishing volume inside the hall. We go inside only to find ourselves walking into the middle of a traditional Ghanian christening ceremony (or whatever the equivalent is) and that was the point where we instantly realise we are not going to go down well. We're sat down over at the back of the room with the other men and given a plate of rice that nearly takes my head off (our singer causes a minor scandal by sitting with us instead of the women, but I think we got tagged with the 'musician' exemption) and Staf introduces us to approximately 350 members of his extended family, who are all absolutely lovely and just as totally baffled as to why we're there. The ladies are all sat in circle of chairs in the middle of the room with the kid in the middle, the men are sat around the edges, and the actual ceremony is being conducted by two MCs, one man and one woman, who will quickly become MC Tall and MC Short respectively. They're taking it in turns to shout through a PA turned up so loud it's become a fuzzbox; there is a second PA playing music at a volume where my eyeballs are vibrating; I do not recognise a single tune all evening. Every few minutes MC Tall or Short will double up on the shouting tempo and the women all get up and pull huge wads of dollars out of their pocket, which they then throw at the kid. The ladies are all stunning with incredibly elaborate hairstyles and the men are wearing the same leather robes as Staf - this is clearly a big occasion and everyone is putting on their best 'look how much money we have' display, which explains the throwing of the dollars. We are under-dressed, hungover, and trying to make awkward chit-chat at the top of our voices. Eventually the ceremony is over and we set up on the community hall stage, planning to make this the shortest set of our lives. We have a quick argument about what to play, which ends with us scrapping everything from our set that isn't the reggae material. Our singer is already nervous after the men's section faux pas and we've not been able to understand a single word of the ceremony so far so we have NO IDEA what is happening. We're gamely vamping away at our best imitation of an authentic roots band but are keenly aware that our material is aimed at a spot several thousand miles and a different hemisphere away from what the crowd is expecting, and it's just dropping into the abyss of stares. The crowd is polite but clearly expecting something which is not happening. Second song in and we're contemplating dropping the rest of the set and legging it. Singer is visibly wilting under the stares of an entire flock of matriachs perched to stage right; I'm getting extremely interested in the top of the keyboard, which I have never examined so closely before. My nose is scraping the flat keys at points. Suddenly MC Short is on stage with us and grabbing the mic off the singer. What fresh hell is this??? We're expecting to be cut off unceremoniously, but instead she starts shouting at the crowd with a variation on her earlier theme. This lady is about 60 and barely four feet tall, but she can shout for God and with the backup of the PA she is reaching pitches that are melting my fillings. Every dog in a twenty mile radius is starting to howl. At her instigation, the entire front row of (stunning) women gets up as a unit to start throwing dollars at us - I'm beginning to have some very complicated feelings indeed. After she feels the crowd are sufficiently harangued we get the mic back and play another few songs which are met with respectful applause if not much actual interest, so we take the hint and finish up. We've picked up about 600 dollars in ones and have to carry them in a basket along with our gear. As soon as we finish the party is back on and everyone is off their chairs and dancing; hundreds of kids have appeared out of nowhere to do the old church hall skidding dance which apparently transcends culture! Huge baskets of homemade fried fish and curried rices have started appearing round the edges of the hall and we eat as much as we can physically carry back to the table. It's all delicious but so hot my hair starts curling and I spontaneously develop sunburn, which the kids all find hilarious. Staf is crazily happy that we played as he seems to think we are megastars rather than the chancers we are, and we're just happy to have been asked to do it so we decline our fee and take petrol money instead, reasoning that the story will likely pay for itself in beer over the years. We donate the dollars to the kiddo as a gift because we're all fairly drunk on Star Beer at this point and getting them changed seems like hassle. Some of the stunning girls from earlier are starting to give us the eye but my daddy taught me never to hit on a girl when A) you're at someone else's family occasion and B) her daddy is roughly the size of a car, in the room, and giving you the death glare, so prudence becomes the better part of valour and we make a swift exit. In reality it wasn't actually that desperate considering we were playing to an audience who had absolutely no interest in what we were doing, but it was hell of a night at the time. Don't think I've ever felt so out of place before or since. The food sure beat the hell out of my family dos though! I'd do it all again just for another crack at that buffet, even if my fragile little English stomach meant I spent three hours glued to the toilet next morning...

Man o Man.......what a band. And as for JD....wow

Cannot wait to get home and watch the videos posted here. Looks like Line 6 may have once again nailed it. Only downside is that by the looks of things there isn’t an isolated power supply in the land with enough juice to drive the thing on a single output 😩 but I’m sure I’ll be able to conjure up a workaround for that somehow...

It also has dedicated aux in + headphone out which, together with the lack of cab sims were my two biggest gripes about the HX and the key reasons I didn't want to upgrade from my Zoom B3n. And above all, I love the compact form factor. Haha! Ok I'm completely sold - and yup, really, truly my resistance to getting a Helix has finally just crumbled!! Blood*y hell these 9 days of "not buying" any gear are proving expensive!!

As I've said before, my local driver is excellent - we have a set pattern - he makes a fuss of Shalla and knows when I take her out. He sets his delivery times around this. You can't hold the individual responsible for the failings of the organisation. Glad this transaction went well...

For about 3 minutes I reckon!

Queue is right around the building. Anyone not here yet just chill and enjoy wherever you are!

Here are some pictures of my refinished USA Musicman sub. The only critic of these basses is the rather industrial factory finish. And the terrible scratch plate. I had already taken the painted finish off the rear of the neck and applied a linseed oil and final tru oil satin finish. And I bought a used scratch plate Thankfully I have full use of my cousins car body garage, with a proper oven spray booth . I did the initial sanding, which I fully stripped off. And very kindly he did the final spraying. He has a colour mixing thing that has thousands of colours available. I choose a suitable red, I didn't want to go too fancy, flake finishes and candy colours are available but not my thing. Just to point out the red is darker than in most of the pictures. With original industrial body finish. The new plate and oiled neck already made a big improvement. Mid stripping of the finish. Was very tough on the front. I had to use an 80 grit on the dual action sander. Even then it wasn't easy going. The sides and back were not as bad. The front would of been extremely difficult by hand. After first coat of primer. It got two coats in all then sanded to level it. Just after painting. And here it is all built and set up. I think it looks really good. It plays excellently, while the paint was hardening I levelled the frets, recrowned and polished them like a mirror. Middle up close picture, is a true representation of the colour. The finish I asked to kept as thin as possible, but still being resistant and getting a good colour. The tone has changed very slightly, and i swear to me the strings move subtly more (I re used the same strings and same exact setup specs). I don't know if it was the refinish as it was very thick originally and now much thinner. Or the fret job, because I often notice with both mine and customers instruments, that sometimes a good fret job can make an instrument not only play and feel better but they seem to sound subtly better. Next up is to lacquer the headstock. Like they do on the "full fat" ones. I almost was going to refinish and colour code the headstock and apply a decal, but wanted to keep some originality. Even though it says sub bass, which those not in the know might confuse with the Sterling brand china/Indonesia made ones. I'm very happy!

When things go right it's brilliant. Couriers are good. I think my thread highlights that when something went slightly wrong, it snowballed in to an utterly horrible situation that only the CEO's management team were able to fix. My problem with the whole episode wasn't so much that they'd misplaced the bass in the beginning, it was the attitude both I and Wunjo were given from all staff at UPS (who weren't in the previously mentioned management area). They may have just told us to "F*** OFF!" and that would have been less offensive. Thing is, when the service is going ok, you'd never know that this courier were so incredibly inept and incapable when the service broke down. They will never be held to account though and thats why we pay stupid money for insurance that we should have to add to each shipment.

And the answer is, I'm next on the list...!

Oi! Get to the back of the queue!!

My advice has nothing to do with music, or guitars or amplifiers or joining bands but it is probably the most important piece of advice anyone can give you, and it is; Familiarise yourelf with the deadly affliction known as GAS. Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) can strike at any time but the chances of it becoming deadly are greatly increased by regular visits to websites such as Basschat. Once it takes hold, it is almost impossible to shake loose until divorce, banckruptcy, social alienation and homelessness have been achieved. Early signs are constant visits to the Review and For Sale sections, or Ebay. You may find yourself uttering the peculiar sentence "Yes Dear, I can absolutely understand why you need those shoes, that new dress and the handbag". This unfortunately means that you have been infected and will say anything to divert attention from your own addiction. Looking for places to hide new acquisitions is another key indicator. As of now there is no known cure so please, take heed. Sadly though, in your case it may already be too late since you have found Basschat so early in your journey.

That would be good and you'll be in for a treat playing one of Trev's Wals.

Oof - do you think I can get a discount off Fodera if I only want to buy the back of a bass?

If you haven't already, you chaps should check out these lads from Argentina. Steve Hackett has been known to perform with them.

I picked up the bass Wednesday night. Last night I was humping logs cut from trees felled, for 2-3 hours. So reviewing it last night was a bit rushed as I'm expecting to be passing it on today, as I know @gary mac has a gig Friday night. However, I've had a bit of time today. Messed about with the amp - I had it plugged into an input on the amp marked "Active". So now I have it in the "Passive" input the sound is much better. I've tweaked the Truss rod and lowered the nut. I play finger-style. I can't slap to save my life, but this bass is amazingly easy to slap in different ways and get a variety of slapped sounds from it. On finger-style, there's a good growl and there are some really good tonal variations available. The feel reminds me of a Wishbass I owned and did up years ago - and that is a compliment. The neck has a rustic feel that comes out of the thickness. It is a good bass. It would be good to have it longer. Maybe Gary will have to wait a day longer.

Shouldn’t “ect” be “etc”? Oh no, I’ve turned into @NancyJohnson 😛

I've just weighed all the parts and I think final weight will be about 3.4kg (7.5lb). Perfect.

Currently being interviewed by Kyle from The University of Sheffield about my career and tips for new graduates 👍 I love Skype 😂

New episode is up Si

Magnets to hold the electronics cover on has got to be the best idea since somebody (Will??) chopped the corners of a square thing and mounted it to an axle.

I had one of the first, if not the first, in this country, and that was fine, so its not an early batch issue. Ive sent it back and have another one coming from Guitar Guitar on Friday. Hoping its better. It is a very good DI out. The tone is strong and clear.

Just back from seeing The Musical Box at the De Montfort Hall in Leicester. If you're into early Genesis these are the finest tribute out there, so try to catch them on their tour. A whole raft of rare and vintage instruments, including an ultra-rare left-handed Rickenbacker bass/12-string twin neck. Absolutely cracking night! Moog Taurus heaven!

Ooooh, my resistance to getting a Helix has finally just crumbled!! Zoom B3N going back to off-board headphone duties (for when I need to keep the neighbours happy). Not sure I'm going to be needing that larger PT board any more. Best go cancel that order that I'd just placed with Thomann, for it then...wait! A BC thread that's going to end up SAVING me money?! And the only proper concern for you @Dood is how you're gonna spend the surplus from your Helix HX savings, now you no longer need it? Your mini board with this, a set of Valetons and the recently become uber-good-value TC pedals, can finally become a reality! 😀 Can't wait for this Helix mini to arrive!

Hi. I started playing properly last November when I bought a secondhand G&L M2000 GTS. I am 53 and have played music on and off for about 35 years, but mainly keyboards/synths. I don't play in a band yet but I am looking for something locally. My advice to a newbie (and I am still one) is play what you enjoy for fun, but always put aside some time to practice, whether its scales or fingering exercises. My little finger on my fretting hand kills me (a bit of arthritis) but it is getting stronger the more I play, and my fingertips are hardening up nicely. When you sit down for a session, its good to do exercises first off, and then reward yourself by rocking out later on. Get a metronome app on your phone, and practice to that, and keep it slow. Better get the technique right straight away. Have some fun breaking down complete songs and working out the bass part from beginning to end, then nailing playing it. I also really recommend SBL. I appreciate some of his mannerisms may seem a bit OTT but I like his approach. I am a Brit as well so maybe I get him, but I find his approach as if he is only talking to me which is nice. His site (once your a member) has loads of interviews and stuff as well, so you can really immerse yourself in all things bass. I tried lessons with a couple of people - I didn't really find they added much to help me, and I didn't warm to them. However I got loads out of attending a Jam Day with about 15 guitarist and 2 other bassists, run by a company that does weekend learning breaks for guitarists. I actually realised I was a lot better than I thought I was, I have great gear and a great sound - that really helped my confidence so I would seek out groups like that. With regards to GAS, I have gone through it a bit. I now have three basses - the G&L and a Sire V7 fretless, plus a TC Electronics rig and Zoom effects. I also have a lightly modded Squier VM Jazz which I use in the house with a Fender Rumble 15 for those moments when I just need a fix. I found my playing improved when I upgraded to the TC rig (I ws using a crate BT50) as I got a far better sound and I was much happier. Everything I have bought I have bought secondhand off Ebay, Gumtree or Facebook, a have probably saved around 40% off new prices for everything I have, with no nasty surprises. I agree - just get on, start playing and enjoy. But don't be afraid to try our new gear, strings, etc, when the time comes, and don't be afraid to buy second hand. Buy well and if you don't like something, you will be able to get what you paid for it (unless Ebay takes all your money). Use these forums for advice, and use your ears to work out whats right for you. Enjoy!

Nae bad!

That was superb. Big Gen fan me, and fair play to those guys from Argentina. I thought that vox guy sang like an Englishman. Quality band

You can add quite a few Dingwalls to the 'stealth' category - Sheldon makes a 'P-Tone' pickup that's exactly that, a split-coil in a soapbar - see below. Oh, and my Shukerbird has a Dingwall P-Tone underneath the chrome pickup cover..kinda double-stealth 😁

Sire V7 bass. 2 Barefaced One10 cabs. I can take just one to practice and small gigs, take both when needed. MarkBass head (or the Fender Rumble head). The Sire is the best feeling bass I've played and as for amp and cabs I need small and light, partly as the band I'm in is low volume and the places we play aren't large.

Yes I agree But at the moment my favourite track is the third Now that you've gone - the brass parts are just so fantastic and super forceful/in your face especially at loud volumes. Wonderful Bit sentimental for, I listened to Chicago in late 6o's/early 70's but only stayed for the first three CDs. I then was totally absorbed in Peter Gabriel's Genesis so it's only in the last week or so that I've heard Chicago V. Although it was realeased in 1972 I am now listening to it and some of the subsequent CDs for the first time So 46 years after it was released - bit late to the party!

Either the Ampeg BA108 or Fender Rumble 15 will be more than enough for home use, I`ve had both and never used either of them at anywhere near full volume when playing along to music on my stereo/pc/tv.

I'll send mine back then as it's straight lol

Over here, the marketplace is way different to the US; we don't have chains like Guitar Center, Sam Ash (or similar), the UK marketplace is a handful of stores that combine mail-order and regular store fronts (Andertons, Guitar & Keyboard Centre (GAK)). A load of people would also consider Thomann in Germany for large orders. The main strings-only business is going to be Strings Direct - they used to be exclusively strings, but have branched out into parts and peripherals. I guess that any business trying to get product into these stores will probably result in abject failure - issues with minimum stocking requirements, sale or return, driving down of selling-in prices - plus bassists (at least) are fairly fickle; I think we've all gone through a ton of strings to find the ones that are ideal for us on a personal basis; don't get me wrong; I really like SITs, but it's taken me years to get to the point of playing Elixirs. The main issue you're going to get is the think globally thing. It's all well and good saying go to Amazon.com or buy direct from you, but you need to factor in shipping costs and the waiting time for stuff to arrive from the US...these are issues when you need string tomorrow, so you'll just resort to buying whatever there is available. There's always going to be this nagging doubt of actually whether the strings will make it here as well. We have a lot of high profile players on the forum, guys who are gigging constantly, guys who are doing studio projects (that'll be me), guy who have a ton of experience and some influence. I'd say a good deal of these guys haven't actually heard of SIT and are using the big brands (D'Addario, Rotosounds, Elites, Ernie Ball etc.). Maybe consider trying to win these guys over. Send some over and get a British opinion. Start the ball rolling.

Damn you all - you're making me want one now!

This one for me, love a bit of 'Arry