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Sorry our fault, we were waiting for Google to update something and I had an email from them this morning - I didn't realise by default they give you 'auto ads' all over the bloody place. We're configuring them to be as they were before at the moment.

A small but important step today. So I don't lose the interesting figuring of the top with the bits you end up cutting away, I took off 15mm from the width so that the two 'eyes' weren't off the edge of the waist. Having done so, I had to re-jointer the mating faces. For this I used the offset fence technique again on the router table. It needs careful set up but works a treat: Then the two halves were glued and clamped: And we had a piece of joined top wood: Seen through a paper template and dampened a bit, this will be the broad look. Once it's been sanded and finished, it's going to look v good :

So you've seen my band!

Phew! I thought I was going to have to buy new lingerie, send money to Somalia, buy viagra, a new travel iron and subscribe to a wine distribution service just to read what @Al Krow had written about the Helix Stomp.

I like 'em. I've already bagged myself a new boiler, a chainsaw, an old bike from a Police auction and a hot Polish date! What's not to like? 🤣😂

QUOTE: Although @Len_derby 's bass contained no CITES Appendix timbers, there seems to be confusion in some US and UK customs operations (and some associated scare stories) to make me believe that I need to be particularly careful that this does NOT contain any such woods and that I can prove that in a way that would satisfy a well-meaning but ill-informed customs official who might think, "Bass Guitar - impound" or even worse - and just my paranoia because I'm sure this would never happen - one who might think, "Hmmm - bass guitar, impound ...and keep" Andy, I know from my Gillett experiences what a minefield this CITES business is. Doing the necessary paperwork for Japan recently was a nightmare and I was having sleepless nights until the importer confirmed the consignment had successfully cleared through customs. So, here's an interesting development I was going to PM you about but thought I'd add to this topic instead as it may be of general Basschat interest. A Swiss guy visited our stand at Olympia to tell us about a system he's developing that would enable us to build ID data in to our instruments. The data lives on a transducer that's embedded during construction and can then be scanned with a smart-phone. His idea was that this could confirm serial number, model name, give detailed info on construction materials and would also be helpful in case of theft. He didn't know about CITES and when I explained to him the potential for adding traceability info he got really excited. We're excited too as this would be a great 'fit' with our Contour range. We're expecting a trial system some time soon.

/\ This. Unless its an instrumental act the singer is key. I have seen some stunning pub bands, and some mediocre pro touring acts, so doing it simply for the love of music does not mean the musicians will not be high quality. I go to see a band and be entertained and the singer front person is a huge part of that, If they cant put the melody and lyrics over then what the rest of the band is doing is largely wasted. I am a bassist and a drummer but I never go to check out said musicians, I go to see the band.

I'm based in West Yorkshire (used to live in London more than half a lifetime ago)! Just got back from my pub gig, one that would confirm the worst fears of all the doomsayers on here i.e.only about 15 people there! Next gig is at a venue that always gets packed, so swings and roundabouts The thing is that I know plenty of decent drummers and several great guitar players, but it is very difficult to find a lead vocalist who has the pipes, can front a band and isn't completely mad. As you say, the singer is the focal point - it doesn't matter how good a band is, if the singer isn't up to scratch you are always going to struggle...!

Real album covers from a gentler time in our musical history. Now, I can understand the problem simply being a chronological one in the case of the quartet but, WTF was Dickey-boy thinking when he gave the green light on that one?

This made me laugh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ouOKCgdMz4

So, thanks to @andy67 for selling the Little Bastard to me, and thanks to @eude for bringing it all the way daan Saaf from Edinburgh. A nice little collection of Essex’s finest; old school valve, slightly newer old school class AB and modern class D. What more could a boy want?

I think 'Dickey-Boy' knew exactly what he was doing with the album title judging by his picture. Touch of the Pat Mustard's about him.

I forget occasionally just how uniquely good 10cc were, but I’m rewatching the BBC4 documentary just to remind myself...

If you need a second opinion, give me a call.

"Locking with the drummer" is about time and timing, but there's a lot more to it than that, and in order to be successful he has to "lock" with you as well. It's about the two of you working as one, being on the same wavelength, feeling the groove and dynamics of your combined playing (not the dynamics of the arrangement). It's about complimenting each other, lifting the song and giving it extra life.

To me it means something a bit different. You can play in time and it be correct, but lifeless. Making a conscious effect to be as tight as possible with the drummer, creating as many Dynamics as possible, not necessarily as per record, is where it's at for me.

I'd thought for years this meant lengthy after hours boozing sessions was the key to a better sounding band

In our group the singer / sax is definitely the showman, he interacts with the audience, dances round, goes into the audience when saxing to interact. And he gets the most attention as he should, he loves it and he does it well. He is an OK singer, but that is all he needs to be - I would rather the showman who can sing than a fantastic singer that can't show. So in our group, me and him are at the front as I also do vocals (although I don't move round too much), the guitarist doesn't generally look up. I often get people talking to me after the show, most people know I play the bass

They are targeted ads - they know we are all impressed by big size and volume but little actual content 🤣

I took delivery of the bass on Friday evening when @Grangur kindly delivered it to me at a gig. I didn't play it there and then, as I thought it preferable to familiarise myself with the controls and switching possibilities at home. Others before me have already described the timber, hardware and components used, so there's no need for me to do the same. What I will say, is that the quality of workmanship, timber and hardware is all very good. It is not without faults however, but again this has been detailed by Rich @Grangur What I will say from the off, is that this style of instrument, although very attractive, is not one that I would go for, that's not a criticism of the build but just my preference. I suppose it's about my more conservative taste in basses, to me a more standard P or J bass just looks and feels right in a function/pub covers band, which is the type of gigging that I'm involved in. Having said that I took it along to last night's gig, with a view to just playing a couple of numbers, only to find myself really enjoying playing, what is for me a very different style of instrument and keeping it strapped on for the entire first set. Importantly for me, it was very shoulder friendly and balanced very nicely on my strap. Initially I felt a bit disconcerted by the thickness of the neck up in the first position. Actually I don't think I've encountered a bass with such a thick neck profile but once I forgot about that and just got on with playing, it wasn't a problem, nor was the radius which is flatter than my usual preference. Sound wise it was impressive, although I have to confess that I didn't really experiment much with the settings, there wasn't time, we didn't even get a sound check. To me, that makes it all the more impressive really. For the record, I think I had both pick ups on and with the middle switch in the down position (can't recall what that actually does), volume control up full and the tone rolled slightly off. The only adjustment that I made was with the tone control, this is something I always do on my P basses, to suit certain tunes. Anyway, it was punchy, articulate and had a pleasing growl going on. It could certainly be heard, loud and clear over an enthusiastic drummer and two guitars. Although I was happy with the sound, I have to say that I'm not convinced by the controls and think that the switching options are somewhat confusing. Having said that though, as mentioned earlier, I normally play basses with just two knobs, so it could well be down to my short comings in understanding the relationship between the pickups and the various options available. My preference would be for a simpler form of rotary blend/volume control for the pick ups, along with a tone control for each. Have to admire Marco for his building skills and then sending his creation out to be critiqued by us lot. This bass, with a few tweaks, a little attention to the frets and nut could be a real winner. I've enjoyed my couple of days with it and thank Marco for the opportunity to try something a little different.

EQ pedal in the fx loop.

+1 ^^ 100% The guitarist in our more modern covers bands is a complete non-showman, to the extent that the vocalist who plays acoustic guitar to a basic level (and is nowhere near as good as the lead guitarist) got asked by one of the audience if he (and not the lead guitarist!) would be able to give lessons to their kid! 😂 The singers in that band have commented what a difference it's made to the vibe when I've come out from behind and supported them from the front, because they're not getting that from the guitarist. And a lot of our sets have some great bass-heavy numbers. When we're playing any Chilli Peppers material, for example, you can see the punters gaze wandering to the bass as well as the vocals. There is no reason a bassist can't have 'presence' in a band which can, if done well, add to the whole.

But is that because it is easy for the bass player, not generally being a soloist (unless you are Billy Sheehan), to be relegated to the shadows at the back of the stage? It is more difficult for a lead guitarist to hide at the back, even in the unlikely event that they wanted to. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way – compare John McVie and (to take an extreme example) Nikki Sixx?? I have always got recognition from the audience. At your school event, kids would have been coming to me – not because I’m a superior player by any means, but because I am more of a performer. A few of us went to see the Devil’s Slingshot a few years ago (rock fusion trio featuring Tony Macalpine, Virgil Donati and the aforementioned Billy Sheehan). This was the first time that my wife had seen Sheehan live and she was laughing as she said she could see where I had stolen my act from – not the bass playing (unfortunately) but the stage moves…!

So went home and sacked the singer then?

Last night we were a lead vocalist down at short notice. East London pub audience for most of whom 50s and 60s is not their favourite (or even second or third choice) genre. Potential to be a disaster. The band rose to the challenge and were clearly all determined to give the audience a great night out. Including the bass player who got his Smooth-hound out so he could party with the rest of the band and donned a pair of shades to look like something from the ancient world; the guitarist playing the Johnny B Goode solo behind his head; the lead vocals having amazing energy and interacting with the audience. Ended up as one of our best nights with that band, ever! Almost the whole audience (80+) up and dancing by the end of the night. Baying for encores. Publican insisted on paying the full amount although I'd told him we'd take less 'cos we were doing a slightly shorter set (15 mins less than the usual 2 hours) given we were down to one lead vocals and some of our prepared material just wasn't going to work. And yes folk came up at the end and wanted to thank us for a great evening. We left on a high. So I'm happy to say it doesn't have to be anything like the above! A really good band will be noticed and we, as bass players, have a big part to play in that. I've realised that, for me, there's nothing like a great night with my band playing to an audience that's really enjoying themselves. It's when I feel most alive.

It is now in primer! Looks nice in white but will be awesome in yellow ( I hope!)

Because the Amstrad Emailer has a flat response. The perfect platform for Helix’s amp/cab sims IMO...

Does it do TAB?

Well I got a bigger pedalboard (Pedaltrain Jnr), only to have a rejiggle and ive now all but filled it 😁 So ive the Wonderful 3 leaf Pwnzor compressor, set for slight compression as this thing is more of a tone enhancer,like the Diamond. Then into the Cog T65 octave which has a Zvex Mastatron,Mooer Lofi Machine and sweeper in its loop so they run parallel to the octave. This runs into the Emma Discombobulator, this is my synth set up. It then runs into an MXR Bass Octave Deluxe which I use only for clean octave tones! Then into a Cog Grand Tarkin Fuzz, which in turn goes into an MXR EVH phase 90 and a Bass Chorus Deluxe. Finally into a Tech 21 Vt Bass which I use set clean when I dont have my own amp or as a gritty preamp/OD when i do 😁 All powered with a Cioks DC5 underneath. Im already planning it's next phase 😂 as i intend to replace the Mooer pedals with a Malekko Scrutator (if I can ever find a used one) and the T65 and MXR octave with a Cog T70! An EBS stanley Clarke wah/volume off board might be nice too! Im never happy 😁

This one has featured before. I remember it because I contacted the seller to compliment him on his lino. Seriously.

Look, if I wanted all that I'd go to Lidl, not Basschat! 😁

You can buy iceman or fireman bodies on eBay if you do a search, sometimes you might have to look at the American site to get it. The other thing is that the iceman or fireman body can look a little odd without the iceman headstock (the fireman headstock is for some reason not reversed). Or you could make one yourself, pretty easy really, looks like this (although that is full scale!)

It will filter as you say as a first order filter, 6dB/octave and as such will offer a small amount of protection from over excursion for your 10. Usually you'd want a much sharper cut off as 6dB down at 60Hz isn't going to give you complete peace of mind, though you could model it in WinISD easily enough. However you will still get interference between the two speakers from phase differences and you will hear the combined frequency responses of both speakers at most frequencies. In a way you are doing the opposite of what Barefaced are doing where they allow the speakers to double their output below the crossover point though in this case it isn't really a crossover of course. Your combination is going to sound bass light with a bit of a bass shelf below 120Hz. 3dB down at 80-100Hz is going to be quite noticeable. The advantage is that it is a really cheap fix and you can try varying the value of your capacitor to see what sounds best. I personally tend to roll of below 100Hz in most venues so it could be a sound you like but the only way you'll find out is to try it. You might be better off just building a smaller cab for a second SM112, In a really small cab power handling wouldn't be much of an issue and you'd have the same frequency response above 200Hz so you wouldn't need to re eq when adding the second speaker. It depends upon just how much you want to experiment though. I quite like the SM110 on paper and I can understand the appeal of constant experimentation, it's a sort of intellectual GAS

^^ !! That is it in a nutshell. That's what audiences want from their bands. And it's the bass players part to make that happen as part of the collective whole. I have my answer

That's an awesome looking rig.

Popped into my local last night and found an amazing band playing in the bar... Who knows how they got there, or why they were playing in a pub in Powys that doesn't normally do music, all I know is that they played beautifully for 2 hours. I'm not normally a prog man, but these guys might have turned me: http://www.skyarchitect.com/ I'd urge anybody on Northampton or nearby to check them tonight (7th), or if you're in Wolverhampton, tomorrow. They're worth it!

Yep. Two basses with East preamps now and both are really excellent. I don’t mind the big knobs.. I work with a load of them all day

Headway edb2

A grip strap (whatever it's called?) would probably do. I have two that I use to strap my mic stand & guitar stand together for easy transportation. The guitarist uses a couple for the PA stands and his mic stand. I think they came from Wilco I've cut mine down and re-sealed the cut edge with a cigarette lighter

Try being in a an instrumental band chaps. All of a sudden the audience can see and hear loads more about the band, its a really weird phenomenon. Seriously in all the years I played behind a front person I think someone mentioned my playing about three times, always other bassists. In my current band we are always all getting compliments. I can't really explain why, but I rather like it

If someone comes up to me after a show and tells me I played great and they aren't a Bassplayer, I assume I've overplayed. If anyone comes up to me and tells me the band sounded great, then I've done my job. Thats all I want the audience to expect.....

Well, this is all very well, but where's the rest of his kit ?

This ^^ . And of course the ''flat' tone may not indeed be flat on some of the amps as they each have their own voicing. I'm sure most of them could be made to sound like each other with some simple EQ-ing if required..... One of my fave things about the bash was hearing the range of tones we can all produce...... from Nancy Johnson's gnarly rock tone to Frank Black's beautiful double bass style fretless tone to OBBM's traditional warm tone to Richard Searle's muted picked tone.

take the Pickguard off...and add a white pickup cover...and you’ve got the deluxe version for an estimated 1/3 the price 🤣

So long as he's happy, but that just looks fugly to me

MIJ Fender Jazz, c. 2004:

I probably shouldn't poke the bear whilst it's sleeping - but what I was getting at was that comparisons at shop volume (SPL) aren't terribly worthwhile and certainly not when you're splitting hairs in a sonic sense. It's like trying to choose between a Porsche and a Ferrari as your trackday car (oh, how the other half live!) and making your purchasing decision based on driving both to the shops, never exceeding 30mph. 😉