Leaderboard

It's A Miss Tree ～ Missus Fripp

Great Ball Sapphire ～ Jellied Eel Lewis

A delightful development! After a phone call to the luthier who supplied the original block of maple for my second bass (Which was turned to ash by the fire) it seems that he is going to give me a replacement block at no cost! (I was stunned!). I am hopefully going to pick it up tomorrow (Thursday) and it will mean that I can start the physical build of Phoenix! (I'd best start drawing up the design plan!) People are so wonderfully kind! S'manth x

I drove out to Heathfield today (It's about midway between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Eastbourne) to visit https://luthierssupplies.co.uk/, it is an aladdin's cave of beautiful wood (and other luthier related stuff) run by David Dyke, the atmosphere is full of the most lovely aromas full of promise of things to come. I'd visited once before, on the 8th of August to collect materials that were intended to be the basis of Flo, my second bass build. Pictured below is Twiggy (My first bass build) and the block of maple for Flo as well as the truss rod, carbon fibre support rods and wood to form the skunk stripes. Just 24h later it looked like this. Today, in an act of amazing kindness and generosity, I was given (at no cost) replacements for many of the bass build bits I lost in the fire. A lovely block of Idigbo (West African Hardwood), truss rod, two carbon fibre shafts and some strips of wood for the skunk stripes. (S'manth pinches herself to make sure she is not dreaming) S'manth x

Elizabeth Cotten with her trademark 'Cotten picking' style on her song Freight Train. Her voice is a little frail but she must be in her eighties here and her playing dexterity is wonderful. All played on a right-handed guitar flipped over and still strung for a righty. Tremendous technique. What a woman!

The control hatch will be attached with neodymium magnets - 4mm in the body lugs and 3mm on the hatch. Folks tend to spend a lot of time measuring and remeasuring and sorting all sorts of ways of marking which way round each magnet goes. I find that far too much like hard work and so I use...magnetism! First I drill an accurate 4mm hole in the lug to a depth of just deeper than two magnets. I pop a drop of CA glue in the bottom and use a cocktail stick to press a 4mm magnet fully home: I then make a thin ziggy-zaggy packer with some emery paper offcuts: I pop the packer into the hole and drop a 3mm magnet on the top. Because it's magnetic, it orientates itself. I make sure it's level, in line with the 4mm chamber and slightly proud: Finally, I pop a drop of CA glue on the upper face and then place the hatch into the recess and hold it down for a few minutes. I lift the hatch and, all being well, the magnet is stuck on. Three done, three to go: Finally, I wick a teeny drop of thin CA around the hatch magnet for additional security, winkle out the ziggy-zaggy packer and move onto the next one. No measuring, no orientation problems, all 6 magnets in exactly the right place More of a challenge is the thing that I was expecting to be the most straightforward. I noticed when I strung up the bass to check the bridge position that the trussrod had to be adjusted quite a bit to forward bow for the strings not to rattle. When I took the neck off again, I loosened the truss rod to its neutral point and popped the levelling beam on it. To my surprise, there was 2mm of back bow in the neck when the truss rod was fully released - more than the strings would straighten and hence the need to put forward bow on the truss rod when the strings were fitted. I checked with @Happy Jack whether he had found that he had suffered any buzz or rod issues when he was playing it, but the answer was negative. But he does play a lot of basses in a lot of venues, so it is possible - as a number of bass and guitar owners have found this year - that it took on a set during the hot weather and hadn't been played since. If so, as the first port of call, it may well be able to be straightened simply by applying pressure in the opposite direction for a few days and get the maple to remember where it used to be! Then the strings should be able to take over their normal job of trying to get the neck to add a bow, and the truss rod resisting to end up straight. That's in train - this will sit on my spare table for the next few days and see if it sorts it: The clamp has been tightened to put a couple of mm forward bow on the neck - with the truss rod adjusted to be applying no force. It will sit like this for a few days and then I will release the clamps and re-centre the truss rod. All being well, the back bow will have gone. If, however, it simply springs back to the 2mm of back bow, then Plan B has to come into play...which is removal of the fretboard, flattening of the neck and then reglue of the fretboard. Not the end of the world but fingers crossed that it won't need that extra work Other than that, I think it's pretty close. I have some Dunlop flush straplock ferrules on their way, just about to order the knobs, I'll be buffing up the finish in this coming week and, all being well ref the neck, assembling it for final hook up and set up...

I made my own…

My favourite comment was "The last person I want to see do Ian Brown songs on karaoke is Ian Brown."

It’s funny… I just added an extra coat of tru oil, not wet and dry, just rubbed on and the difference that has made to the shine coming out. I’m going to do another 800 wet and dry tomorrow, leave that over the weekend with possibly another rubbed on coat… I’m now thinking that might be it and forget the poly! I’m really liking how it looks and the shine coming through now looks lovely. It may well be that in time, if I feel that the tru oil isn’t strong enough, I can always strip down again, sand any marks away and then apply the poly. The more I do with tru oil, the more I like!

Moooooondance!!!!!

Gladys Knight and the Pimps

I feel exactly the same way. What I try to do is listen to the new version as if it'a a different band, and very often, hey presto, the similarities leap out from the music (not always I should add). Little Feat without Lowell George is a good example, thought he was irreplaceable. But there'a a limit, so many bands loose a key player and to my mind become more like a tribute act of the band they used to be, Queen with Adam Lambert spring to mind, no absence of talent, but..... In the case of The Stranglers, I'm going to listen to the album @Lozz196suggested, and try to be impartial in putting them in either the Little Feat or Queen camp 👍

I've never bothered listening to them post Hugh C. I don't 'hate' the new band members but for me the original line-up was too seminal and distinctive esp HC with his sardonic vocal style. Now with Dave G gone IMO it's a case of 'what's the point?' I feel the same with many other bands where the 'classic' line-ups made the best of the albums. Dr Feelgood are one such. I like both the Wilko and Gypie Mayo eras but without Lee Brilleaux i think they should've called it a day.

I’m just happy to support a UK company with customer service second to none.

Put a wanted up on thefretboard.co.uk ? Join my Band? Twitter using the 'guitartwitter' community? Ask a friend who works in psychology or HR about the most narcissistic ego-centric 'hole they know. Got to be at least a 50% chance they are a guitarist!

The only reason I can see for building two is so you can also use them as an absolutely banging pair of hifi speakers. Unfortunately, Mrs Turgh does not share my vision.

Still getting used to it but a few gigs down now. There's the immediate comfort feeling that you know what you are getting and you are definitely getting the ABM sound, but it's clearer, tighter and with more definition at higher volumes. Is it louder? Well, I never turned my EVO IV to max so I don't know. I guess it must be a little. The fan is super quiet and kicks in only when needed, and the DI is superb quality apparently according to the sound guy. The controls are reassuringly Ashdown and give the same amount of adjustment as we're used to. It seems to weight the same if not a little less than my rackmount 600 IV. Could be me, or the valve fitted but the drive seems smoother. There's a big 'but', and I'm going to have to have a word with Mark, Dan and Dave. Both the input and the output controls are notched, like the output control on the RM EVOIIs. I hate it. Really hate it. It's going to have to change. Is it worth the money, I guess is the big question? To me, given a) I bought it b) it's UK built and c) it looks bloody fantastic then yes, but objectively I'd find it difficult to argue against going for a 600 EVO IV, as that amp is so good. I'm just pleased it's not as nasty as that horrible Darkglass thing I bought...... Onwards and upwards. I love it, I'm keeping it and the ABM 600 EVO IV is sold pending collection...

A cheapy, but I love it. 90s Encore. Some lovely grain under the trans Red. Levelled, crowned and polished the frets, rolled the fretboard edges, popped in a Tonerider pickup and some old chromes. A joy to play.

Are we sure Brown and Liam G were not hatched by the same mother at some monkey breeding farm on the outskirts of Burnage? Their simian features, delusional arrogance, total lack of stage presence, a shared inability to hold a tune in a bucket, similar levels of virtuosity on the maraccas and of course a shared history of being in monumentally overrated Manc bands?

Sorry, been neglecting this thread (busy working), but just heard this absolute corker by Toots & the Maytals. What a vocal performance, some great brass, and a very interesting guitar solo!

nice to tidy things a bit the oc5 is already been switched out for a burning sunn from ground fx

I'd Rather Die Tramp Stamps

I have offered one of my 6M bespoke cables as a raffle prize but if anyone needs a new cable, let me know on here by Wednesday and I will make one to your spec. I have Sommer Tricone 2 Cable in black ( my favourite), Sommer Tricone XXL in black, and the pretend old braided cable SC Classique see below ( the real cable is not quite as colourful as the picture but it is nice) . i can offer: Neutrik straight or right angled jack plugs. Neutrik Rean pancake slimline plugs for patch cables. I also have a selection of Sommer Hicon jacks, including some silent jacks and some solderless jacks for the XXL. I have some Klotz STARQuad cable for really high quality installed balanced cables and standard mic cable and XLP connectors. I don't recommend the Klotz STARQuad for stage use as it is not very flexible. Great for studios though.

Another heads Up!!!! Plugin Alliance is giving up a voucher for $20, you can get a free plugin with it. You can get the Gallien-Krueger 800R or any other Ampeg bass amp which are going for $19.99. Use the voucher BOOM-20-OFF https://www.plugin-alliance.com

RIP:

I lost interest when Paul joined, and regained when Baz took over vocals (and JJ returned to singing his old songs). Totally agree - It just seemed totally wrong to have Paul doing his front-man act.

So am I! All thanks to Luke! It's an impressive piece of kit. First fire up, I was all ready to say "yeah not bad, not bad", but I could feel my ears smiling as I played a few favourite songs through it. The long suffering missus really liked it too and she's been subjected to many an A/B test. Already considering selling my very recently purchased, expensive, highly regarded cabinet 😁 Next up is a gig. I need to make a grille first though as that speaker needs protecting! Roll on the next project! 😁

Suzanne Vegan

While the ABM's are still too big/heavy for my needs in their current format, I do have to say that the black EVO 5 is the best looking amp they've put out in the last 20+ years. Si

Of the Baz/recent years material my fave is Suite XVI, some great tracks on that album.

Soldiers things - Tom Waits

Last time I looked Blockheads has one O and Bolockheads has two.

I've asked myself about. My answer is roughly as ITU wrote it. Mostly I build only for myself. I do not use official logos on pedals that I sell.

😄

You could replicate the effect by setting up an amp in the corner, at full volume, plug in a guitar and just leave it to feedback?

You can see a bit more of the satin sheen coming through here… IMG_1587.MOV

Yup. Love the old stuff. Thought The Raven and Black n White had great stuff too. I think in those days most albums had a good A side and dodgier B side. Not really listened to new stuff save the Stuart Pearce effort which was good. I never get the “hate” for new band members, would folks prefer they disbanded?

While there are only one or maybe few units per model, @disssa can copy every detail as well and detailed as he wants. If he decided to make longer series and sell them, the story would be another. A single homemade unit is not a trademark issue in any way. I love to see disssa's detailed creations, and waiting for the next one.

So switched over to 400 grit W&D today with the tru oil and there is a distinct change in smoothness and lustre. Still not shiny and from the pictures, it’s doesn’t look much different but it is definitely less patchy and feel much smoother to the touch. Going in the right direction that’s for sure… using tru oil is definitely a fool proof way of getting a nice finish. I look at it now and really like the way it looks, the poly will just add a bit of extra gloss and protection! All hail the Tru Oil!

Trace Elliot SMC GP7 Preamp:

Here's a Status take on a thinline bass with scroll: