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I will state that my first hand experience of these only goes to 1993 - Wal, 1998 - Alembic but I don't think that much has changed with the philosophies of either company in the meantime. Both are top quality instruments built to the highest standards and use mostly unique, purpose built hardware and electronics. to my mind, Alembic set the ball rolling with filter based preamps but Wal developed the concept to its optimum regarding variety of tones versus simplicity of use. ACG/ John East has since developed the Wal concept even further albeit the complexity is increasing again. A couple of things not mentioned in the original thread you referred to in my mind influence the sounds of these instruments as much as the pre amps - Construction and pickups. The Alembic sound is without doubt partially due to its complex, multi-laminate, through-neck construction, just as the Wal is similarly shaped by its bolt-on construction. That is partly I think, why the Epic basses seem to slightly fall short - they are set-neck construction, not through-neck. Apologies to all Epic owners - they are fine basses but that basic construction setup in a way changes the character of the sound. And again- pickups. The Alembic pickups are voiced to enhance the Alembic sound and as such are probably integral to the sound of those basses. Likewise, the Wal Multi Coil pickups are a huge part of the Wal sound. Do Alembic and Wal ( and Fodera, Sadowski etc. etc. ad infinitum) justify their high price tag? Well, factually they do - they're still in business after all these years and customers are still ordering new instruments from them so the price is justified in that respect certainly. But in relationship to general cost of living price indices, some of these makers have been able to push their prices far beyond inflation levels. According to an inflation calculator I looked at, the Alembic Essence 6 bass I ordered in 1998 at a cost of £2k should now cost about £3.5k But if I look at the Alembic price list, it starts at $8000. Only the individual can decide if anything is worth that sort of premium to them. I love my Wal. I love my Alembic. I love my ACG. I love my Antoria fretless Precision Copy! I just like basses and I like the little differences between different ones. Whilst the prices of the boutique builders can sometimes be hard to swallow, there is no doubt that at the mass market end of the bass spectrum, it has never been easier to afford a quality instrument.

Another lost cause saved from landfill. Roland PK5 Bass pedals, bought for £200 locally, non functioning. No battery pack, burn marks on battery leads. No PSU. Someone obviously tried plugging in the wrong one via the wrong input... Roland and Boss historically were a bit weird on their power delivery methods for pedals back in the day but a former owner has been even weirder. Proper 9V PSU obtained, new battery pack fitted, some minor track cleaning and repair, D1 diode replacement, fried (cracked) npn (Q3) to replace, hopefully nothing else downstream, caps all ok. can’t get a service manual (http://servicerepairmanuals.netlook like they are not functioning) so I am flying cautiously. And yes, the inductor tests ok. The (D3) 5v6 zener Is untroubled, I even read 9v up to the npn so I was cautiously hopeful the custom chip is ok. Parts arrived. Cleaned the board, made me a broken trace with clippings from the diode. Fitted a battery pack as well. worked first time Discovered to my great joy I can have multiple synths running, so a few classic old synth VSTs have all been chained to MIDI channel 2, (Taurus Plug-in seems to be fixed on 2) so tap into poly mode and *MASSIVE* sounds ensue... mellotron VST next...

Here is my latest build. The Brooks Telebird. It is my take on the legendary Fenderbird that was built by Peter Cook for John Entwistle. However I decided to combine the characteristics the Thunderbird body with a 51 P (aka Telecaster bass). The specs are as follows - Two piece Swamp Ash body - Allparts Maple 51 P neck. Bolt on - Vintage blonde finish - Jess Loureiro 51 P split coil pickup - 34" scale - Tusq nut - Wide travel Thunderbird bridge plus tailstop. Nickel - Matte black single ply pickguard - Gotoh GB528 lightweight tuners. Nickel - Allparts push/pull Volume pot - CTS Tone pot - Silver reflector cap knobs - Telecaster jack cup. Nickel - GHS Brite Flats 49-108 I'll post pics of the build process in several answers below.

Yeah, I have - thank god. Bought in 2011 as a treat to myself for a messy breakup. Sold in 2013 to get married to childhood sweetheart. Who bought it back for me in 2017. A very special CS 1 of 1 (weird neck profile) 64 jazz bass relic.

We've reached the ten cabs target. 🤩 Anyone who wants one now will have to go on the waiting list - if we do any more in the future. Thanks to those ten early adopters!

A harmonica mounting clip

One.

Yeah, realistically it was bound to happen. There’s only about 4mm of plastic left over when making the rebate for the pickup. it snapped on the last cut. Serendipitously, within a gnats chuff of where the original basses pickguard is snapped. so...I’m going to leave it as is. And maybe I will age things up a bit more.

No, but I've sold two back to their previous owners Nothing expensive, mind.

I acquired my first Spector last week (courtesy of our own Psycoandy) - a very fine NS200/4. I'm very impressed, especially with the lovely narrow string spacing at the bridge which is very much my bag. Very comfortable to play, if a tad weightier than I'm used to, but a wider strap is helping that somewhat.

If you like the Stingray sound and feel then a USA built SUB would be a great budget option. This model was made on the same production line as the "real" Stingray but some economies were made. The most noticeable ones being a painted neck (many owners sand this off and use oil to refinish), no body shaping, and different paint finish on the body. Oh yes, and an ugly scratchguard which is an easy change if you don't like it. It has the same hardware and electrics as the Stingray. They were made from 2003 to 2005. (I stand to be corrected here.) They change hands for under your budget and they deliver far more than the cost. I've owned mine for a long time and gig it occasionally and I'm always impressed. Frank.

Today is my birthday and I just had the dispatch note to say the book will be delivered today! Thank you Geddy for pulling whatever strings you did for me

The gerlitz stuff is fantastic! They do "smudge off" which is great for hardware and guitar honey for the fingerboard. I've used it for years 😁

Don't suppose anybody could clean my car? I mean, I could do it myself.... but why should I?

Did some shielding for the pickup cavity and the control cavity. And I stringed the bass to check if everything was in place ;-) Oh yeah, this was the sketch that I drew before I started the build

I do, but not in the way you're asking. The shame never entirely fades...not really - you just learn to live with it. 😢

About 40 if it's Napalm Death

I like the look of this bad boy, and would ya know, a pair of Neo mag Entwistle P pups. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-Revelation-RPBX-Electric-Bass-Guitar-3-Tone-Sunburst-SALE/183765432804?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D57478%26meid%3Df8ea12d699bf45619ca5455efb9f1ca5%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D254204770984%26itm%3D183765432804&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Mr nord is quite approachable with these things. There was a discussion on here somewhere about it. Oh looking through messages we had a discussion about this in the beginning of jan 2018! So yes, there were custom orders available, but apparently since then the big splits fit and there is this: https://reverb.com/item/4621629-nordstrand-big-split-pickup-set-fits-ibanez-srff805-5-string-fanned-fret-bass-custom-built Well, yes it would but they are a long way different from each other. A cheap way of getting a dingwall is to get a combustion, which s/h is probably less than 1k (at least I sold mine less than that). They are remarkably different - the 805 is very much like all the other SRs with a slight bend to the frets, it isn't that noticable. The dingwall has a very very different neck and the scale is also very different (especially as it goes a lot longer). It plays very different. TBH, I would like to go the other way. Get another dingwall and put a nord on that to get a decent sound out of it. I might be happier with that. I would say though that if a 805 came up in that finish cheap enough to make it worth sticking a nord on, I would be pretty tempted.

+1 to that, as also an Alembic and Wal owner Mine's an early one; a 1976 S1 long scale. Love it, but have to admit I tend to use more for recording than gigging. We're so familiar with the design now, but when you think what was around when the first Alembic basses came out, they must have seemed from another planet.....

And a superb book if anyone hasn’t got a copy!!! Lovely bass build.!

Recently picked up a SX short scale p bass and I'm impressed with the quality, as good as any Fender MIM I've played, slapped on some D'Addario half rounds and it's my goto bass.

I have a friend who builds lovely Violins etc. He mildly relics them because the Orchestral bods pure loves a bit of patina. It is not just us.

Don't think the Briwax has lemon oil. I remember it has a mix of Carnauba and beeswax tho. I use that on my Overwater, Warwick and Rosewood necks and Autoglym car polish on my lacquered finished basses. That's because i had run out of guitar polish and brought it in from garage and its remained in the bass cave since.

@Basvarken Hey Bas, are you the Dutch guy that had a website dedicated to Rob Kearns ? I seem to remember many years ago talking about Rob to someone with a name just like yours, discussing his music with C.O.L. and his Gibson Triumph ( or Les Paul ) bass.

If there is a preamp idea floating around could I suggest the Fdeck circuit as the first stage of it? I have yet to plug anything into one which does not sound nicer because of it.

Nice bass but shouldn't you be playing guitar 'cos I can see the sun shining out of your.....Aaah its a stage light! Sorry 😮😁

I love it. I think a two pickup in Pelham or Inverness green...phwoar.

Very tidy work

Before you write off Airbnb, keep in mind that there are a lot of properties on there which have been bought specifically for this purpose and aren't peoples homes at all. I had to travel to Hull a lot for work last year and found a lovely flat which was the same price as the premier inn across the road and a lot more comfortable and spacious. Also did the same for my folks when they came up to visit earlier this year.

Just got this footage back from a gig I did last month, I'm chuffed to bit's with it and I'd love to here what you all reckon. X

There’s some info here on oils 🙂 https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/12-lemon-oil-debate/

Les Claypool with his Whamola, Cuica solo at 3:00. Also put to good use in The Chili Pepper's 'Walkabout', fits perfectly with Dave Navarro's wah pedal.

I've just done a deal on one. Can't wait for it to arrive and I'm also a bit scared to be treading into new territory.

Tasty! A great blend between different & subtle. Well done!

Hiho ,I,m similar,SP212 for space and OBC115 everywhere else and can use both when you want to level buildings.It,s the original head I,ve got ,full power 8 or 4 ohm and the Fixed DI.

Someone else with experience in this is @Andyjr1515

Action will play a huge part in your perception of tension because a low action will require less pressure exerted to properly fret the string. When you fret a string you are effectively making it longer than its resting position, so the lower the action the less you need to stretch it, and by Hooke's law force required to stretch is proportional to the extension required.

Here you go, fixed it for you...

Slapping whilst wearing a chain mail glove.

^ This^ As someone who has always looked after my gear, I just do not get the relic thing - at all. Don't get me wrong, my own basses show many signs of years of gigging, but to deliberately 'damage' a bass to make it look used just does absolutely nowt for me 🤔 Just my opinion

Another DT770 Pro fan here. The 80 ohm version I have is a tad quiet with some headphone amps however. Compared them to the PJB cans and these one by a country mile, so much more depth, more then enough low end to keep us bass heads happy!