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And the last word on this before we go back to the most important thing - that is: me! ME! MEEEEEEE!!!! Yes - happily everyone has different tastes and that's absolutely fine. For example, I personally cannot see at all the aesthetic appeal of a standard, painted Fender Telecaster. Happily for Fender, tens, if not hundreds, of millions of folks around the world strongly disagree with me. The most important thing to me - actually, as @eude rightly says, the only really important thing - is that he, the original builder and owner, loves it The next important thing to me, personally, is that I love it too. And I do. I love the history of it - a dream of twenty years ago that was dashed. If I can be part of fulfilling that dream, then I will be utterly delighted. I love the katalox. I had never heard of katalox before and it is a bit of a revelation. The photos to it no justice at all - Canon DSLR's are notoriously bad at reproducing accurate reds. It's got a natural oxblood hue to it and that redness contrasts beautifully with the ash. In real life, it looks really, really classy. Bit of a pig to work with, mind you... I love the scale length. @eude had said to me that the 31.5" would make it feel totally different and it does. I love the original carve. I suppose I have the normal paranoia of a builder and modifier whether the changes I make detract rather than enhance. The original carve was VERY tactile. A bit like those wooden comfort stones you can buy. Albeit the body wood alone weighed only a touch less than @Len_derby 's fully finished full scale bass! So, to summarise: I love @Marcoelwray 's builds I love this build Most of all, I love ME 😍 So I'm going back to concentrating on THAT

The WD-800 has a great feature set which in theory would allow one to maximise the efficiency of both the head and cab between the hpf and damping. Its the old thing that people would complain that an amp doesn’t have a feature such as ‘tunable’ HPF and when a company adds that feature along with additional control for a damping thus offering the user a complete ‘solution’ it’s criticised as being superfluous with no actual real world use or experience of it. 😀🤣 Forums eh!!

Cheers people ,you're a lovely bunch and all your posts are much appreciated as always ,I won't stray far from the fold , I've met some of you over the years and some I haven't,all of you a lovely bunch ,big love too you all ❤️

I don't know what is was like in it's 'heyday' but of the 11 basses listed since Thursday morning the 4 priced to sell / good value (imho) for money instruments have sold and a good number of other basses listed earlier have also sold in the last couple of days, so I'd say once people got paid this month and allowing for the seasonal feast of mammon wallet draining the market is fine if things are correctly priced but there are too many overvalued instruments imho, including obviously my Kala Ubass, which I am listing for 50% of what it cost me (I clearly paid too much), but since I bought it Harley Benton and others have been knocking out Uke basses (and everything else) for not much more than the cost of the materials in the west so bringing down the whole lower and middle market values used, why pay £70+ for collection only from Ebay for a often well used or neglected used instrument that was £200-£300 (when originally sold) when a new one with 30 days return and 3 years warranty is now £120 delivered How anyone can think an old Squier is worth twice what a new one costs I don't understand, should be less than half the price of a new one surely regardless of how 'nice' it is as no return, no warranty. I don't think your home insurance company would pay out £700 for a 25 year old mid market bass if it was stolen or lost in a fire without some damn good valuation evidence I bought my used Maruszczyk less than 12 months old for 50% of it's new actual price (not it's list price) and at that price I thought it was a great/good buy but worried that it was flawed somehow as otherwise why would the PO be selling it (and the fact that none else bought it in the month or so it was on Ebay meant others were also concerned as to why it was for sale so cheap), but it's absolutely perfect 😃 just the brand doesn't hold it's value in the same way that overpriced (what the market will bear pricing backed up by price agreements and restricted access to trade) Fenders seem able to do I don't have replacement value insurance so if the Jake was stolen all I'd get back would be what I paid for it and the hard case(which I can prove) probably less some wear and tear and I doubt I could sell it on here for any more than that and I certainly wouldn't ask a lot more than that as I just don't have the front to do that but others clearly do I see the same thing in my day to day work with VW campervans, people buy into the lifestyle, buy a van, do it up, use it, appear to have a great time, then sell expecting to get back every penny they have spent plus some scene-tax, not allowing for all the fun times they had or depreciation due to age/mileage and thus expect the next owners to effectively have subsidised their previous fun; price of vans goes up, everyone tries it on, the value for money/correctly priced stuff doesn't sell as quickly as it should because people are suspicious but if you ask a silly inflated (to me) price people somehow buy into that and then end up paying over the odds and when they come to sell the cycle repeats Don't forget the younger generation didn't grow up with records and record players and buying stuff once to own and have for ever (a good long time at least), they live digital lives, pay to stream, have smaller footprints, micro this and that and 2-3 year replacement cycles on stuff (3-7 years for really big ticket items like cars and domestic appliances), and needing to save money to be able to buy a house or paying over the odds to my generation of landlords means that they won't be buying 2 or 3 or 4 shiny objects to possess unless they are actually making money out of them and I suspect there's a number of traders on here who have realised it is quite hard to monetise music in the digital world but it is possible to make money buying and selling instruments/effects etc. so expect more of that

Me too, and it's going to be mine once it's done, which is nice 😎 I chose the Katalox as I wanted something dark and understated and it absolutely delivers. The carve may seem a little basic, but it's smooth and elegant. I originally carved it over several evenings until it felt right and that's a process that Andy also did which was good to hear. Personally, I'm absolutely delighted about how this bass is turning out, and given the customer is always right that trumps everything 😉 Eude

And wine. Thread wasn't derailed, it just bacame a wee bit Pinteresque.

Absolutely! Black Friday Week on Saturday Deal - free colour coordinating cushion with every heavily modded 20 year old project! Haven't told MrsAndyjr1515 yet, but I'm sure she'll be fully supportive

Funnily enough I’m at the studio next to phil’s workshop on Monday. i played his final dissertation build (hollow Ric inspired thing) in 2003! you do the thinking, I’ll do the walking - cheers @BassBunny

Good news! My ear is working again!! Still ave to have another op but I can hear 😁

Second slurry and wipe for the body and first for the neck and headstock: Piling this and all of the hardware on the scales, it's going to end up just over 8lbs and should balance nicely Not too many items left on the to do list, to be honest... Andy

...and there was me thinking I needed to develop my own style of music...

Imho it's more about respect than food. I've never (yet) played in a function band, but I've twice booked a band for a function - for my wedding in 1999, an excellent local pub covers band with the wonderful name of Gene Therapy and the Chromosomes, and for my 60th birthday party in 2015, Kyla Brox, and Virgil and the Accelerators. Both times I made it clear in advance that they would have as much to eat from the buffet as they wanted, and an open tab at the bar. For the first they only arrived to set up after the other guests had helped themselves, but there was plenty of everything left. For the second the musicians got first dibs. All were musicians I'd seen live and chatted to many times, and I'd booked them because I liked and respected them, but I'd have done the same for anyone I was prepared to book. Musicians aren't servants, they (we?) are skilled professionals and should be treated as such. As I said to the buffet and bar staff on both occasions, "Musicians are important, and should be looked after."

Well if it has to be gender specific, I would say it's a boy's bass not a "Men's" one, I'm sure most women players would be more discerning. It's also priced 1p more expensive than a brand new one.

Friday night randomness happened, aided by gin.

Sorry but I completely disagree sometimes less is more!!...............

I posted in a similar vein last month. on Monday I meet a new band. hard to tell what can be around the corner

Hotel California.... Just saying' 😀 You can check out, but you can never leave (There is a much deeper story from me, but another day mebbe.)

First finish coat. Well, I think that looks pretty classy already I'm still amazed what a difference 0.6mm of veneer makes...

I made a stupid offer on a Yamaha bb350f on eBay and won it. trouble is, I have a Fretless I already don’t use. so who can shove new frets in? And what will I be paying...I know on an unlined bass it’s a dear do, but this has Fretlines...

Not the album. I just love em. . They always come out with the finest. imo.

No. A HPF will simply reduce/remove lower (unnecessary) frequencies from a signal before the power amp. The damping factor is a perameter of the power amplifier, the result being how the amplifier controls the movement of the speaker. If the amplifier doesn’t have adequate control of the speaker, it will not move as desired, either not producing the signal completely, or producing unwanted frequencies. The practical result of this is an indistinct or mushy sound. Read more here: https://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/productpage/bass-block-in-depth Pat Quilter (from QSC) explains how a bass amplifier should operate in conjunction with modern cabs. I appreciate that this explanation is specific to his Quilter bass amp, but he does a good job of highlighting important elements of amplifier construction and performance that are specific to bass amplification as a whole. I am not an electrical engineer, but have a good ear and can appreciate the importance of this perameter. I’ve used all of the main lightweight bass amps, and the Quilter nails the job for me. I’d also be interested in this new Mesa head because it looks like they’ve included some interesting new features that could prove to be really useful.

Mo Foster, "Leo" and "Waves II" - both from "Time To Think", recorded in an old church. Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, "The Puzzle" - nice dry, articulate acoustic bass.

Nice! I remember seeing Virgil and the Accelerators opening for Joanne Shaw Taylor...god, it must have quite a while ago now, as the latter had only just released her first album. But I remember them being good!

The Audio Technica ATH M40’s come with a couple of cables, one is 3m straight, the other 1.2m to 3m coiled. I think the M50’s do too.

I thought Bag Ladies were no longer fertile. You live and learn.

I'm hoping for a nice retirement ohm to rest my weary bones.

What I see, as a pretty sad reflection of the times, is people working flat out for not enough money, with outgoings going through the roof. Its not surprising market for non essentials is slow IMHO.

Ha! I should really pay more attention, I assumed everyone had theirs by now. You’re in for a treat. Was playing through mine last night for headphone practise duties and it was glorious. Had it connected to my laptop via USB to stream audio and messed about with a couple of patches before settling down and doing some actual playing. Truly a lovely experience. This is the first Multi FX I’ve had any love for at all! The experience was made even lovelier by the simple addition of a combo guitar/headphone cable I had made up by OBBM of this parish. See thread below - although I specced mine slightly differently it’s effectively the same cable in principle:

Certainly gluing some veneer inside the neck pocket is a viable option if it's a relatively small gap. If the gap is large though, it might be easier to fill the pocket completely with a block of wood and re-cut the pocket to suit the neck. I can't remember if I saw it on here or another forum, but someone did a lovely job of an oversized insert in a contrasting wood. It looked like it was designed that way and was a real feature of the guitar

It does look nice 😉

That Darkglass produces a nice deep sound. Its not what i was expecting from it. Very nice. Dave

Incase Fender are watching, yes, fail on that Mustang Jazz Pickup. Either don’t use one at all with the classic split cool shape (the newer P/J’s are fine), or do something cool like the lipstick p’up arrangement on the last page. This new layout looks lazy! Si

Joseph Kaye might be worth contacting https://www.josephkayeguitars.com/ His instagram account has lots of pictures of restorations including some old acoustics.

Montys guitars in Acton are really good. https://www.montysguitars.com/

It’s not a stupid question at all, because lots of the notes are played on the offbeat ,that’s what gives the Bassline a different feel , you will also play pickup notes which are notes before the 1 if you are counting 1,2,3,4 . A good tune to practice getting the timing is Stir it up , Bob Marley . IMO Robbie Shakespeare is one of the best reggae bass players ever 😀. Also on YouTube Alain m has some great basslines

Great band! One of the best gigs I ever saw was Incognito at the Ilford Island in 1995 with Max Beesley on drums or percussion, and Randy Hope Taylor on bass.. They were phenomenonal...

Jeff Berlin's 'Freight Train Shuffle': Just lush bass tone, so rich with midrange. Very articulate yet sits well in the mix and drives the music. The switch to a chorused sound for the solo tone is very cool. This is my absolute favourite and it's the sound I try to recreate when I play. https://youtu.be/PfwrcGLgwUU

SherlockOhms 😂🤣

Two Notes and a dUg? Thanks like taking shampoo AND conditioner into the shower...?

It was a long gig, the stage was carpeted, and I couldn't think of any reason not to take my shoes off. Anyway, I have the perfect excuse - my left foot was badly mangled in a bike accident three years ago, and prolonged standing hurts like hell. And there was I thinking I'd get a comment about the socks!

no we discuss and chat about what we are doing, but the guitarist wants to perhaps control is too strong but lead us in a rockier vein which he has been told we do not want to go,but he persists also whilst I realise there are two sides to every story, I have been as honest and realistic as I can and my recollection of events are spot on, further to say I have found writing this a cathartic experience so thank you all

Yes, but only if it is the resignation of the guy causing the problem.

And the Prodipe TT1!

For Sale - A particularly grim copy bass which frankly I can't wait to get rid of. £1 I've checked the wanted ads - nobody is going to want this sucker. From the minute I got this I knew I'd end up selling it - it plays like gristle. Never been gigged. No way I'd risk this in public Trades gracefully accepted - even for a pack of old used Ernie Ball flats I have dogs and smoke like a chimney. I let the dogs sleep on it and chain smoke when playing - it's the only thing that numbs the pain I'd link to my gumtree ad, but it makes me look like it's a scam. Action at 12th fret - about 1' 5" Weight - more than me, but less than the missus. No photos coming soon - it's hideous enough in the flesh without a permanent record I'm based just north of Peterborough. I'll wait for years if necessary to get rid of this. It's likely to be discounted tomorrow and every five minutes subsequently until I end up paying you. I'll ship this in a brown paper bag. It'll only improve it. I'm prepared to travel about 3 miles from home, on my pushbike, dragging it behind on a rope. Feel free to lowball me. I quite like it - it's a chance to feel someone actually wants to talk to me. Is this what you meant @skankdelvar?

Perhaps another reason why the marketplace seems slow is that a proportion of sellers (usually newbs but not always) fail to maximise their chances. Even now, people still put up an expensive instrument supported only by a couple of lines of waffly boilerplate and a single photo. So: * Before doing anything else, check out the 'Wanted' sub-forum. There may be someone who wants what you've got. Bingo! You didn't even have to post an ad. * When writing the ad please avoid cliches such as: 'Never thought I'd sell this' or 'Plays like buttah'. That's basically the same as 'Drives Superb, FTSWB' and frankly it sucks * I don't care if the bass has 'never been gigged' but I suppose some people might. Describe all faults accurately and honestly to avoid post-sale unpleasantness * If you don't want trades and you don't want low-ball offers just say so in bold text. Threats of physical violence towards time-wasters should be avoided * Me, I don't give a toss about 'smoke-free, pet-free homes' but some people do. If your bass is uncontaminated, say so. * Try to sound like a human being. Don't just write 'Here we have a ...' then paste specs off the manufacturer's web site. This isn't f**king Gumtree * If you've got the means to do do, measure the action at the 12th fret in mm. Most people won't know the difference but it makes you look like you know what you're talking about * Weigh the bass and post the result in lbs and kilos - it matters to some people and you don't need special kit. Just get on the bathroom scales, see how much you weigh, then do it again with the bass hung round your neck and note the difference. If you haven't got bathroom scales, buy some and tell the wife it's a Christmas present because she's looking a bit lardy * The more photos the better. Please don't ask people to request more photos by email - just post them in the ad for ffs * Don't post an ad that includes the words 'Photos coming soon'. You've just wasted my time and I won't come back because I'm a vindictive bastard like that. * If posting lots of close-up photos include at least one shot of the whole bass, preferably in landscape rather than portrait so we don't crick our necks looking at the screen sideways * Include a location preferably at town or city level. No one's going to burgle you based solely on the knowledge that you live in Greater Manchester * If you want to get the best possible price, be prepared to wait a few months * If you want a quick sale then get yourself noticed: research the going rate and offer the item at 5% less (then move more slowly on further discounts) * Don't pad your price up to allow for future discounts. That just makes you look expensive. Offer the going rate and just be firmer about holding your price * Don't post a price then drop it within 48 hours. It makes you look desperate. Not everyone comes here everyday so it'll take a week or two for most of the potential buyers to spot your item * Bump as often as you can within the forum rules. Once a week doesn't cut it. If someone comments on your ad there's no rule against responding to them or starting a conversation, afaik * If you're prepared to ship, say so. If you won't ship, say so. In bold letters. It will reduce the number of people asking if you'll ship. OTOH, people asking if you'll ship is a first stage in hooking them. Difficult one... * If a French dude asks you three times if you'll ship overseas and won't take no for an answer and bangs on about his 'standing' you have my permission to tell him to go f**k himself * If you're going to ship make people feel confident: offer to ship in a hard case inside a box or stipulate how you'll pack (box inside a box, packing peanuts / bubble wrap, etc) * If you won't ship then expect the sale to take longer * If you won't ship then offer a local (50 mile radius?) free delivery service or offer to meet halfway (within reason) for petrol at the going rate per mile * Don't get offended if someone low balls you. Smile sweetly, flip it back on them and ask them what their best price is. The only time to tell them to f**k off is if they get rude * If you sell the bass and the new owner flips it within a week for more than he paid you for it, don't come here complaining about it like a pissy b!tch. Find another way to take your revenge. Chaps - Please feel free to add any further suggestions