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This is going to be a slow build - I'll only be doing work on it in between DIy and other builds. So a few years back at the SW Bass Bash @Rich gave me a piece of hardwood from an old window that looked like it might be useful to make a neck from. Last year at another bass bash @Frank Blank gave me a couple of pieces of hardwood that 'might be useful' to me. The pieces weren't quite big enough to make a standard body from so I put them to one side. I saw a picture of a Telecaster bass using what looked like a Telecaster guitar. which I thought looked interesting. I checked the dimensions and still the larger piece of hardwood Frank gave me was still just a little narrow. After a quick scrat through the offcuts I had, I found a piece long enough to make up the difference and end up with a body bank of a suitable size. My initial plan for this is for the bass to be passive using a Retrovibe Mudbucker pickup with coil tapping, hardware I already have (generic elephant ear tuners, Wilkinson bridge, Telecaster scratchplate, Telecaster control plate) and for it to be 30" scale (as that seems to suit the shorter body size). There's a good chance something will change along the way but this is something a bit different for me! So first up, I cut the man piece in half and tried the offcut to make up the centre section. I thicknessed all three pieces to 45mm then flipped the two halves to get the grain running in opposite directions. The centre section was tried with the grain running quarter sawn in between the two wings. This ended up with a block big enough for a Telecaster body. The offcut for the centre section has turned out being very similar to the wings which is a bonus. I've dried clamped this to make sure it all lines up. I've also thicknessed the neck wood. This has highlighted a couple of small faults in the wood but nothing that can't be worked around. Next task for this will be to glue the blank up and to make templates for the body and neck but this may have to wait for a little while as I have another mini bass build in progress.

Probably been posted before but I haven't seen this. Some clear examples of the great man's famous one-finger "hook" technique. Enjoy

They have got back together to play an online gig for a one off. It’s live right now. Always loved the mix with these guys, strong bass!

I'm in at last! Like many people, I was initially amused by the video "how to play a groove in 13/8". Hmm, I thought...🙄 I wouldn't exactly call it a groove though, and it does have bits of 6/8 too 🤪 May 2020 BassChat composition challenge entry. I didn't make it easy for myself, the timing is somewhat fluid in places. At least you can tell it's not programmed on a grid. Features a first appearance of my new guiro (on the left), kindly made for me by my good friend Timi Sp8. all done in Reaper again, Godin Solidac phased guitar, Gordon-Smith 12-string electric, US Masters fretless bass bass and US Masters (with flats) "Lead" bass with a bit of octave on.

Anyone else really tempted by one of these?! Looks like a steal for the money... https://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_tmb505_mg.htm

For the first time in five decades I've sat and listened to this album properly. Talk about the planets of musicianship and creativity lining up! Awesome. Ps. It sounds great too.

@kodiakblair couldn’t have done it without your help thank you all for all the advice and help, only a minor job but some invaluable advice next job complete, measure 3 times, drill once... now to finish the body’s paint job...

some lessons may help to iron out that dreadful right hand plucking technique

Yah wanna see someone slappin the buggery out of his Thunder iii back in 85??Do ya?? Mmm? Warning: 80’s Mullet in use. ref clothing choice: I was picked up and charged by the fashion police immediately after arriving back in uk. Warning: No funk involved. (The mullet was returned to the original owner, unharmed by September 85.)

My buddy had an ‘83 Élite years ago and regrets ever selling it! So I’m having a go at making him one. I’m going to use Lindy Fralins pickups overwound 10%, and 3-Leaf Audio Blue preamp running 18v. Should be a monster!

Only picked it up yesterday but loving the 212Slim so far. So much low end coming from such a lightweight cabinet. One of the guys I was chatting with is selling all his Vanderkley stuff to replace with these cabs. will try post more after proper testing but with my Mesa D800 this 212 is bringing the beef!

I started detailing the new build in the other thread - this is what I'd written previously: Nice to have a day off today. Been working on another 27" bass in spalted beech again. Had a piece left from the previous bass so marked it up for cutting - odd shape but sufficient for his build. First, I placed the templates on to work out which was would avoid any of the knots or faults in the wood and look the best when done (always a bit of a guess with spalted beech when you are going to carve some of it as it changes pattern throughout it's thickness) Then marked the line to cut: and ended up with this which lines up quite nicely across the join: I've also been practicing making scarf joints and have a nice selection of blanks for a neck: I've got another body glued up made from ash which may also get turned into one of these.

Probably because she knows I'm all 'Bah-humbug'.... And this was my previous attempt at a Christmas tree...

Thanks Chris. But to be fair, nobody knew who we were, The Bangles were on before us and Southside Johnny after us, so it was his way of making the watching audience too dizzy to get up and make a cuppa 😂. I think I slapped most of the way through the album this came from. Quite unnecessarily too 🤦🏻‍♂️ but no one said “oi you! mullet boy! Stop that now! Kajagoogoo have kajagonegone” Which goes to prove “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”

Voila! Out of the cellar and finish is as it should be!

It appeals to me as it is affordable and nice big easy to see hard to miss buttons for stage work. Not necessary but interesting. I like @Quatschmacher idea of chords! Anyway had a great session with the FI this afternoon. Just continuing to feel my way in. Followed the tutorial on making a chorus pedal and then did a prolonged 'what if' session. By which I mean, what if I wanted an octave lower, distortion to track the chorus? Or what if I want the clean signal mixed with a different sound that kind of thing. By doing this I find I'm building an idea of how different controls impact on the over all sound.

Bit the bullet and ordered an R400 after reading the reviews and watching wateroftyne's videos on YouTube. Shipping on Tuesday so looking forward to it getting here. Have to say Leszek's communication is excellent. Replied within 30 minutes on Facebook to my questions and had bought one shortly after that. Will post a pic when it arrives... Bizarrely I seem to have ended up with a near identical rig to @wateroftyne as well, although not intentionally... HB R400 into 2x TKS 112!

taht enod

Every time I used the switch Ken phoned me up and had a go. He MADE me sell it

Interesting post though I think entirely subjective I’m afraid... How do you know they’re not losing themselves in the music? Is there a single way that one should do this? Perhaps you don’t really like the music that they’re playing and therefore aren’t able to engage with it? Different styles / genres come with different approaches to performance and musical approach - obvious signs of ‘losing it’ might be head-banging, jumping around etc but that isn’t always appropriate / relevant. Perhaps by focusing, being in the moment playing complex stuff is another approach to ‘losing yourself’, just not one that works for you and is less obviously sign posted to the audience? Let me turn it around - I’ve done loads of gigs where I’ve looked out to see arms folded, grumpy faces and not much vibe from audience members. Yet often these individuals are the ones who come up after the gig, buy loads of merch and rave about it. They certainly didn’t ‘lose themselves’ in the music they way I wanted to but it worked for them.... So it’s all personal and subjective. Find out what works for you and go listen / watch that and don’t worry to much about what other folks are doing!

Hmmm, after listening to all the sage advice I've received on this thread, I clearly have been delusional for which I blame lockdown. Looks like I have some way to go before I can declare a full house. My wife will be delighted...

Really nice Bassline on this Dennis Bovell track great rhythm

Excuse this ramble, it’s as much for me as anything else, thought jotting. I dropped off the ACG Recurve SS in Warwick for a setup in early February, I was emailed to say it was done and that I could pick it up on 29th Feb. I took the opportunity to drop off the ACG Harlot when I picked the Recurve up and by the time the Harlot was ready for pickup, yes, we were in lockdown. I’ve been writing and recording quite intensely lately, flipping files of new bass lines over to the singer/guitarist I work with and I have really started to gel with the short scale Recurve. I was unsure at first, I bought it because it was an ACG and because it was short scale but I really didn’t gel with it at first but after this intense period of working with it I have found myself improving as a player and writing stuff I would have thought beyond me just a few months ago. Now naturally this is to do with having acres of time to fill with practicing and writing (I’m putting in roughly a normal 9-5 working day) but after the initial ups and down with it I’ve really come to dig that bass, there’s something very ‘workhorse’ about it, the simple design, the plain woods, I often bang on about basses being tools of work first and aesthetic items second, Alan tends to make basses that are sublime in both ways but there is just something very humble and honest about the SS Recurve, very much my bass of the moment and hopefully the end of my fretted short scale bass search. So yesterday I finally managed to get back up to Warwick and in a socially distanced exchange via a porch I picked up the Harlot. I got it home and after so long with just the little Recurve I’m a bit freaked out by the Harlot. I mean it is a ‘freak out’ bass anyway because it looks so incredible but it just felt so alien. I mean, finally, it’s correctly setup and playing great but I just wasn’t getting on with it, perhaps I really am just a short scale man? I will persevere with it and see how it goes.

Beast mode - what a player, what a song

Small update...

Supertramp and another band Brewer's Droop (Mark Knopfler) were 'our' university bands. They did a lot of gigs at Reading. They were always good, interesting and charged just the right amount that you could afford to book them and still make a small profit/loss. I think I saw them six times and I didn't see then every time they played. They were always good and just got better over time. That album must have been the result of many thousands of hours of collective music making. The same for Dire Straights too later on. I think a lot of UK rock came out of that university scene as well as the venues in London and the other major cities. Regular venues paying well enough to keep the band fed and watered whilst they grew their craft in ront of a live audience. Years of hard work before you were spotted and became an overnight success.. I still listen from time to time, it still sounds good to me, Im not huge on nostalgia but it's great music with real craftsmanship from people I know did their 10,000 hours. Just a thought, does the music made by people who make their living playing to paying audiences always end up more immediate. Mozart and Beethoven were gigging musicians

It's one of the best albums of the seventies. If you like it try and listen to their Breakfast in America album as well.

I don't think you can criticise the timing when it's only a portion of the entire composition, the timing is correct in the context of the complete song, which is the only thing that matters. If one of the instruments is (unintentionally) out of time with the others, then that would be a problem, but if the whole band are playing together then I see that as in time, regardless of what the quantize grid says. Also, I love his tone on this, exactly the sort of sound I like.

Unless Steve still owns it you’re free to do as you wish. If he wanted it to remain original he should never have sold it to you 😉 There’s no point just owning a bass you’re not happy with or which isn’t the bass you really want. Either sell it or modify it which, let’s not forget, is how Steve ended up with that bass in the first place... and his one isn’t blue anymore either 😂 If you’re really that troubled by it, pick up a cheap P body off ebay and route that. Then you can always put everything back to normal when some forum warrior is whining at you for not realising that, some day around thirty years into the future, this bass will have grown mojo and be most desirable in unplayed original form. Make sure to post the end result 🙂

Most of the mechanics are complete and I have started the wiring between the modules. The have done a quick audio test on the ICEPower module and connectedit to the pre amp power supply. Thankfully I get +/-15V as expected and music out of the speaker. I have added the green connectors to enable easy installation . They make it easy to connect the modules but the screw heads are tiny. As my parts order is still stuck in Asia, I va re-ordered the pots and a few other parts from a UK company. They should be here by the end of next week. You can see the mains and speaker wiring here. To keep things easy I have kept the jack extension speaker output on the top and wired it in parallel with the combo’s speaker. The ICEPOWER module can output 100 watts into 8 ohms or 170 watts into 4 ohms at 1% distortion. Many vendors quote 200 or even 220 watts for this module but that can only be achieved as high distortion levels (10%) still for what I want 100/170 is more than enough. Tomorrow I hope to cut out the hole for the speaker cabinet port as well as finishing the garden furniture.

I can't watch bands like Iron Maiden or Megadeath without imagining a tiny Stonehenge being winched down to the middle of the stage, or them getting lost on the way to the stage. Spinal Tap has completely ruined my ability to take metal/heavy rock bands even remotely serious 😩

Extraordinary work, Rob. Well done.

There is nowt wrong with your vocal tone and pitching , excellent , most excellent !

Sorry, absolute baloney that you would hear the fixes on tape if done properly. A better argument is the one @No. 8 Wire gives, and one I'll happily accept.

Well, I started the year with seven and am now down to five. That's good, right? Today I received a beautiful Stingray Fretless via a lovely chap on EBay. He ordered it from Music Man in 2015 and described it as being in very good condition. He undersold it: it's spotless and plays beautifully. So that leaves me with a P with rounds, a P with flats, a Jazz, a Stingray Special and a Fretless Stingray. I'm really not a 5 string player, so that's a full house isn't it? Surely that means I never need to buy another bass. Surely?

I've heard the same but the Cirrus in my hands feels dead. It's all mid range and very little crispness or fullness. Most of the Smith sound comes from the coils in each humbucker wired in parallel, plus the softer maple in the neck.

Peace !!!

Who cares... it’s a fender ... and it’s old what could go wrong ? It is by definition totally f ucking amazing because magic has seeped into it whilst it was stored in its special case that the pixies made for it

On the flip side, here is rock bass playing which is very tight:

It looks bloody brilliant. Well done! Frank.

I was doing a little searching for information/reviews on the Ibanez AGB200 4 string, and then I spotted the AGB205 on the Ibanez website. I'm intrigued, it has a 30.3" scale and to my knowledge, with a few expensive exceptions short scale 5 stringers tend to have a pretty muddy B string, so I'm wondering whether it even has a low B or if its strung with a high C. There's nothing on Ibanez website (or anywhere else for that matter) that states one way or the other, so I'd assume its a B, but to get clarity on that short a scale you'd need some serious string tension, therefore thicker strings right? In which case they'd be hard to get hold of I'd guess, 125-135 being standard B string gauge. There seem to be a few places selling them to order but no one online has them in stock as far as I can tell. Has anyone seen, played, owned or even heard anything regarding this bass? I'd consider ordering one to end my curiosity, but if its a high C it'll be pretty useless for me (I rarely use my G string). Link to Ibanez page: http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/u_eb_page13.php?data_id=221&color=CL01&year=2013&cat_id=2&series_id=117