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Just realized I haven't posted the pic of my latest Cobia on here, oh well here goes. Might as well put them both on for good measure.

This is a killer combination. Love it. Ashdown Little Bastard Two Barefaced One10s ACG Finn 5 Obligatory arty shot

I know. I've been perusing his auctions on and off and am puzzled as to what he's filled the holes in this bridgeplate with! Raisins??

I can't stand the Foo Fighters but it seemed apt. Apparently I'm addicted to building basses. I started this one while waiting for the finish to dry on the last one! It's semi hollow - maybe a little less than semi - I've left quite a lot of wood in place, it seems. It's 30" scale, and it's going to have a big MM style humbucker on it. I've also decided it's going to have flat wound strings on it, which wouldn't really be worth noting at this stage except that I read somewhere that through-body stringing is not ideal for flat strings, so I'm avoiding that this time. Basically it's everything I don't look for in a bass, just to see what happens. I'm excited! So far we have... A template A rough body - I'm waiting for a piece of maple to arrive for the top. It's going to have F -holes! And a scarf joint currently drying (the joint isn't as bad as it looks. That black line isn't a gap, it's just the shadow where one piece is hanging over a bit. It'll all be chopped off in the end anyway) I have a sort of slotted headstock type of thing in mind. Should be good if it works!

If you've ever wondered what a Zebrano P looks like, wonder no more, just built this with a Jazz neck, Duncan Designed pup and one of Johns finest looms, oiled finish only to keep it feeling organic. Fancying a better pup though.

If I`m looking to get a new bass, I usually spend weeks mulling it over and end up getting it. But earlier today I had a wee peeky boo at Bass Direct and they had a 90`s BB1100s for £385 delivered. Set up and cleaned with fresh strings and a gig bag. Within seconds of checking the advert it was bought and is on it way! So much for not buying anymore basses!

28th dibs for me please - likely to be after Dave has sold and bought it back 27 times 😁

That's enough about Gallagher, what about the Amyls?

It took only a few minutes to put the amp in the case this morning. A £2.36 length of foam insulation from B&Q, cut into lengths and halved means that the amp is firmly sat on a cushioned base of 6 'half segments' with the front screws only holding it in place and not taking the considerable weight. I'm happier anyway

Must admit i watched her bum most of the performance. Couldn't stand the voice though.

.....had been sealed using Vaseline and silicone. "I don't know if it will ever work again," he added. ....And how often have those words haunted my nightmares?

... a marriage made in heaven. Warning: it may lead to Colin Moulding envy!

TI Jazz flats sound great on my USA Jazz and Precision basses, and on my USA Fender Jaguar and on my Fender Vintage Hotrod 70s Jazz USA... I think you get the picture. Flats sound good on almost any bass. (My opinion, of course. ) Frank.

Black with gold lettering looks very cool!

TI flats on my TT4 - sound great

Reamer, use a tapered reamer Well can you put your drill in your bag, oh no!

I think flats suit the P really well. Currently using EB Cobalts and they are good but pricey. Then had some Fender flats on a Jazz fretless (45-100s) and I'd decided ages ago I didn't rate them, but these are really good - all the depth, the flat mid-punch and a nice crunch on top. And sensible money. We need user feedback on those Adagios and Olympias - I mean a few months and proper sweaty gigging. But I'd get the Fender 45-100s again for sure.

I suspect that he is placing some value on the time he spends "building". I think he's paying himself too much..

TI Flats on a P Bass is a match made in Heaven. Leave them on for around 20 years and you won't look back!

I like light strings so I use Labella 760FX flats on my P which have a .0.39 G string - they feel and sound great.

One can only dream of rehearsing in such a space. The studio we use resembles a student house on a building site.

Good shout on both posts. Had a nightmare year with band members changing then having to get them up to speed on set, we’ve found ourselves playing the same old songs so it’s all gotten a bit monotonous. Going to try and take a step back and learn some songs I just enjoy listening to. Another issue I’ve had is not being able to set my amp up due to lack of room but we’re moving house in a few weeks and I’m going to make the spare room into a man cave so plenty of room to chill out and play 😉

Rice Krispies and black Sharpie?

That's so true! It's like what Victor Wooten said: you're only half a step away from a 'correct' note. With that in mind, if I realise I play something wrong, I slide up or down to a better sounding note and then REPEAT it... and it looks like you meant it. I swear, it works, I remember once getting a compliment about that odd but cool sounding riff I came up with God, I'm such a fraud.

I think he's a few giraffes short of a full herd!

I love the amount of monitor wedges they have... you know, just so they can hear themselves well enough to perform well.

I suspect they may have been either: a) being ironic or b) from the interior of Oz 😀

Cracking mullet on the bass dude though.... 😂

Surely any nationality would do?

Would we all need to stand next to the pole to prove our height?

Phil's first solo album was released today and it's an amazing record - if you're a fan of his you're in for a treat and some surprises! I feel a bit like a kid at Christmas today as I actually played session bass on two tracks on the album (Rocking Chair & Dead Roses) and I've been sitting on the news for two + years! Some huge names on it... Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, Rob Halford and I've just discovered also Mark King!! Give it a listen https://open.spotify.com/album/6nFXIUCSJzwdktjGCVrq2S?si=u4HNc3oNSn-a0Pe-hJD8rA

My two five string fan fret basses: Payson Supercharger PJ5 with Payson roundwound strings, and Dingwall Super P5 with Thomastik Jazz Flats, ordinary long scale set (34") is enough for a medium scale Dingwall. Payson: 37" - 34" and Dingwall:35" - 32"

This idea started whilst on holiday a couple of weeks ago, with too much time on my hands to mull over new 'projects', and with easy access to alcohol and the internet, I decided I needed a B15, the perfect partner for the '64 style P bass I made recently. However, once again, without the spare cash to find and buy an original '64 Ampeg, I began to consider the alternatives, and in a bit of a deja-vu situation, the answer seemed to present itself. Last year, whilst on holiday I missed out on a great deal Kenny's Music had on the Ampeg PF20t and PF50t, basically because I dithered instead of snatching one, and they went out of stock by the time I got home and got my derrière in gear. So, this year when I noticed a similar offer on the PF20t from Gear4Music, I ordered one and delayed delivery till I got home. This will suit my needs perfectly, I have never had a valve bass amp before, it's low power, intended for home practice and recording and you can plug it directly into a recording interface, without a speaker connected. From what I read, the sound was reminiscent of a B15, and seemed to me to be the perfect alternative to shelling out on an original or a Heritage reissue, providing you can find one! Then I began to ponder on the idea of building a cab like the infamous 'double baffle' cab from the early B15 fliptop combo's. As you can imagine, there are a lot of references to the B15 on the internet, but surprisingly few people have properly documented any attempts at copying a cab or even restoring one, so getting anything more than the basic dimensions proved a bit tricky. I found exploded diagrams of the cab design and the baffles, and snippets of information from various sources, including an American company called Fliptop cabinets, who make reproduction cabs and restore original gear. I had a fair bit of the drawings I needed, and enough reference photo's to have a go at 'reverse engineering' a cab, which after all will not be a copy of a flip top, when up stepped the wonderful Chimike of this parish, with a kind offer of a complete set of plans for a B15N...…….result! Thanks again Mike So, this is what I have in mind. As I mentioned, I don't want or need the flip top arrangement on the top of the cab, this cab will be used for home practice and recording, so an authentic sounding and airtight cab will be better suited to my needs. The amp will be used a lot of the time, plugged into my recording interface and utilising the Two Notes cab sim, which has Ampeg models on it. This will also (hopefully) make the cab build easier or more straightforward, as I have never made a cab before. On the Fliptops website they offer an extension cab, which is pretty much exactly what I have in mind, with a solid top instead of the rotating tray thing, no wheels dolly on the bottom, and with a removable back for access to the speaker, but still retaining the characteristic double baffle design. I have a full sheet of 3/4" plywood, which is what the originals were made from, this has been in the cellar below the garage since we moved into our house 15 years ago, and it looks quite good quality and void free, just a bit dusty! I found a local seller on Ebay, selling an Eminence Delta 15a, which is the replacement speaker recommended by Fliptops for the cabs they make, which incidentally start at around $500 plus shipping and import tax, so, obviously are a non starter for me. The Eminence seemingly sounds the closest to the original speakers. Anyway, got the speaker for £10 (bargain) and if anyone can find a use for the metal speaker grille and port tubes that came with it, drop me a line and I will gladly post them to you, as I won't need them. The grille cloth and the checked tolex is available, albeit not in the UK (unless anyone knows better 😉) and this will be the most expensive part of this project, which so far has cost me £10 and a gallon of diesel! If anyone is interested, I will slowly keep you posted!

These 🤘

https://www.basschat.co.uk/search/?q=spector&type=forums_topic&nodes=19&updated_after=any&sortby=newest&search_and_or=or

Just found Rotosound do 40-100 flats. Strings Direct

Flats on a Precision bass was my default sound for about 15yrs. I agree it's probably worth getting the Fender flats as they are amazing value for money and streets ahead of other Fender strings. People rave about Labella flats and some of the other more costly brands but I thought the Fender ones were amazing and would have paid a lot more for them.

Wembley Loudspeakers can repair it. Keeps the cab original. http://www.wembleyloudspeaker.com/

Yeah and the one on here was just £18 and I missed it by a couple of hours! And there are probably as many folk who prefer their Joyo American to the Tech 21 Blonde as vice versa, so it seems fretmeister's comments are spot on. I really should stop being skinflint and just get a new one, right, given they are a fraction of the cost of the Tech 21 kit.

Different situations will require different attention, but in general, yes, you have to count! In some instances it can be both tedious and distracting (because you have to focus so hard, if that makes sense?). When I play with the orchestra we often have pieces with many bars rest, sometimes 24 bars rest - there is no option other than to count. Yes, it is tedious, but there is no avoiding it. When counting for rhythm, if you haven't learnt the piece or you are sight-reading the counting and sub-dividing can become automatic as opposed to loud in your head. When learning music, you also have to count, but eventually (as above) you can learn to divide the bars without counting and you only have to count on the tricky bits, but it is still necessary. No, you don't have to count 1e&a2e&a...but you have to learn the patterns and learn how to sub-divide the bar and sub-divide the quarter-note. Counting is necessary when learning, but shouldn't be necessary when you have learnt the piece; start at a slow speed and by the time you get up to speed you shouldn't have to count - and yes, it is very much required in a professional situation! Sorry if I waffled on a bit!

I refuse to play in Reading these days - impossible to park and 'bus lanes' everywhere with cameras all over the place. Whatever you make on the gig is likely to be taken away by traffic infringement fines.

I had no idea how useful the ART DTi was until I owned one. I use it all the time now. It converts one connection to another (xlr, phono and jack) and any combination. It has two discrete channels, which is handy for stereo use or for using on two signal paths (or more since it can be used as a splitter), and its 1:1 gain. https://www.thomann.de/gb/art_dti.htm

Just for the record here is the newly arrived Limelight 00218.