Leaderboard

I've just got back from the second leg of a UK tour. This time we took in Manchester, Blackpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh. I massively preferred this run, perhaps because it was shorter. I took my Hofner with my small Orange Terror rig (knowing that Edinburgh would have the 8x10 Orange). No issues with the bass throughout. All four shows had exceptional sound. I did laugh at Edinburgh; the Orange rig has a bit of tape over the traditional Orange symbols explaining "Highs - Mids - Lows". Surely us Bass players are cleverer than that, right? My new wireless was great and no major issues throughout. Respectful sized audience in Manchester, busy in Blackpool and the two dates in Scotland were small but very enthusiastic crowds.

And we have tunes! Still one or two cosmetic things to finish off, but the wiring is tidied up: And I've been able to string it up and play it through my valve guitar amp (yes, I know...). Sounds great and the 'mwaah' of the original has been retained Over the knee it is comfortable with no obvious neck dive tendencies and on the strap. Hands off, it basically stays where you put it: Finished weight 6lbs 15oz (3.15kg). I have an aesthetic tweak I might suggest that would take a couple of ounces off but that would be for the looks rather than weight. So just some final set up stuff and a couple of aesthetic tweaks and ready to pass across to Jack at the SE Bassbash I'll take some arty farty shots when the lighting is better.

I had two this weekend, Friday night was awesome, venue was packed, the audience were amazing and got very involved which was brilliant. We were booked last minute due to a cancellation (another band had a member who broke his ribs so get well soon), both the owners and I promoted the event instantly and made sure the venue was packed, we got loads of thanks and appreciation afterwards. Saturday night was awful, it had been booked for a long time and I have been promoting it non stop. When we arrived, the pub had a sign outside still advertising the band from 2 weeks ago... the area set aside for the band had 2 people playing pool still, we then had to move the pool table before playing! The place was empty other than a group of 18-19 year olds snorting cocaine in the toilets, each time I went to the toilet they were in there... in between their communal toilet visits, they would be either in the garden, or at the massively overpriced cocktail bar next door who are hotter on drug use. Unfortunately we found out after starting that the place has a reputation for drug use, so it is actually avoided by many in the area! Looking at the positive though, we got paid for a practice!

I have had the cab for about two weeks, but was asked to keep quiet until the official launch at the South West Bass Bash. The cab is from Low Frequency Systems, the Silverstone, website https://LFSys.co.uk Low Frequency Systems is the new company set up by @stevie of this parish, and the Silverstone is a development of the Basschat BC112 MK3 that many of us built. Make no mistake, this is a significant improvement. So what is the difference? I could talk about the technical stuff, but I am sure others would do a far better job than me. So I will just write my impressions of the cabinet and field any questions I can. Firstly, the aesthetics of the cabinet are unique. The coloured baffle (British Racing Green) Seems to be an homage to a well known Dutch maker. However, that is where the similarity to any other cabinet ends. You can see the development from the original BC112 MK3. It is the same size and retains the large round handle at the top. The punched steel grille is fairly transparent, allowing a good view of the port, the horn and the 12” driver. The other five sides of the cabinet are beautifully finished in a unique shade of grey. I believe that was one of the hardest design choices, there being 49 other shades to choose from. We all know that looks are not everything, but then they are a major factor in any purchase. On to how it performs. Here I have to declare an interest, @stevie is a friend, I have had access to early versions of the Silverstone and have gigged the BC112 MK3 that I built for a good few years now. Like the BC112 MK3, the Silverstone is Full Range Flat Response (FRFR) so the tonal balance is very good, no lumps and bumps, peaks & troughs. Despite the fact that there is a high frequency driver, the usual fizz and tizz from a cheap Piezo is missing. As with its forebear, the horn that handles the high frequencies is mounted vertically, and the result is that the mid and treble frequencies are projected towards your ears, no need to tilt the cabinet. The horn has a wide angle in both directions, meaning that your bandmates will hear you clearly. My first outing with the cab was strange, we set up as normal, and I was too loud. So I adjusted the volume and was all set. However, when the singer went to the front of house during sound check, he could not hear me and asked me to turn up. The result was a good onstage sound and a happy band. I use mine with a Zoom b1Four and this is ideal for use with a Helix or other modelling multi-effects unit. There are lighter cabs out there, it was designed with sound as the number one priority and quality neodymium drivers are not feather-light, but it is an easy one hand lift for a 70-year-old. It is still a lightweight cabinet, though. The handle is big and comfortable, meaning you can carry it without bashing your leg. The protective cabinet corners are stackable in case you want to use two, although most people would be happy with just one. Now I have to start saving as there will be a 10" in the New Year. Glad to answer any questions.

Hello. I've not posted on here for several years (kids, job etc) but have just got a new bass so thought I'd put something up as im always interested reading others NBDs. I tested this against a 40th anniversary vintage squier in the shop but for me the sire was hands down nicer to play, and a bit cheaper. I've not owned a load of basses(think this is my 4th, over the last 30 yrs or so) and none of them have been expensive ones but the neck is certainly the nicest I've ever felt. I marginally preferred the look of the squier but thought the sire looks much better in the flesh than in pictures (but have included a rubbish pic in any event 😉). In my limited experience id say it sounds a bit brighter than tje stereotypical p bass sound but still sounds good to me. I play in a church and thought it fit in well tonally when playing with the band with the tone about halfway. I noticed its a bit lower output than my squier VM Jazz. Im pleased with it and think its good value for money.

Why the snark? Have Bass Bros upset you?

More pic's!

All a WIP and a sideline for when I have a few hours to myself…. I like making effects from Kits — Fuzzdog, Pedalparts and JedsPeds and so on… …but the very best bit is… making my own woodwork for the boxes. Here we have Spalted holly and Walnut/Iroko offcuts/reclaims. I made my own pedalboard for them to sit on too. Iroko salvage and Maple PAR planks. People say “thats not very punk” but I cant think of anything more punk than making your own DIY stuff.

I was at the South West Bass Bash yesterday, albeit very briefly, but thankfully long enough to pick up the superb fretless built for me by the supremely talented @Jabba_the_gut. I am pretty much gobsmacked by it, I don't know how a bass can look this good and sound even better than it looks. If you hold a note steady and then begin to add a bit of vibrato I swear the note gets louder, there's some sort of freaky juju going on with the fingerboard. Anyway, short scale, stainless steel nut and fret markers, semi-hollow, piezo, I'm not really a technical man when it comes to instruments but Jabba builds the most beautiful basses and they fit in exactly with the type of music I play so, it's perfect. I am a very lucky man, I get to play (another) work of art. Cheers Jabba, its a f***ing masterpiece.

Spot on, Si, it is indeed Trigger's Shell Pink 5-string Fretless.

The lovely (I may be biased) Ms. Stubette has asked me to say: "thank you for making me feel welcome, lovely food and a very interesting day, thank you". I think she enjoyed your company folks 😊

I took this in as a PX trade. A Maruszczyk Elwood 5a. Wasn't even sure if I was going to keep it but I was interested in the pickup config as I sort of missed my Ray but also tended to use a Jazz on the neck PU 90% of the time. I know nothing about these basses other than what I see mentioned on here. If I'm honest, I'm mighty impressed. Can't fault the craftmanship and finish. Neck is a little chunkier than I like but I'll get used to it. So yesterday, I gave it a bit of an outing with a couple of muso mates as I'd only tinkled around with "at home" volumes. Don't know why I didn't try these before now. It has the tone I've been looking for for ages now. I'm sure I've owned other basses that would have achieved it too but I had no idea how to find it. This was sort of "plug & play" if you like. I'm hooked. It's a keeper. Seems to deliver everything I need from a bass.

No power yet as I can’t decide to keep all the filters or not 🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️MXR bass chorus deluxe also on its way so I’ll need some space!

Not exactly a new bass day as I've had this for a couple of weeks now, but I recently acquired this lovely '79 Precision from Bass Bros, who were fantastic to deal with. I've wanted a vintage Fender for years now and this is a bit of a dream acquisition for me. While this may not necessarily fit everyone's definition of "vintage" it's about the extent of my budget (and also older than me!) and I'm extremely happy with the bass - it plays and sounds great and has really been inspiring me to play more. The neck has some lovely wear on and is super comfortable - I think perhaps it's a "B" neck (41mm at the nut) but I'm not well versed enough in the various neck profiles to be sure. It's mostly original but it's been stripped at some point and refinished in natural - looking in the cavities and neck pocket it originally had some sort of red or brownish finish. The guard is obviously a replacement as well and the original is long gone - when I got the bass it had a WD tort guard on which while nice wasn't exactly the style of tort I wanted, so I've just replaced it with this one. Years ago I saw a late '50s or early '60s Precision which had been stripped with a tort guard and rosewood board - it was well out of my budget but it stuck in my head and I've wanted a P with that look ever since. Being a late '70s its a bit on the heavy side (10.5lbs), but as I play at home sitting down 99.9% of the time it doesn't really bother me. The neck pocket is thankfully pretty tight so no issues there. Also came with an original black moulded Fender HSC. The ashtrays are gone but I've sourced some original '70s ones that I'm currently waiting to arrive. This is now my sole bass having part-ex'd my MIJ PB-62 for it, but I really couldn't be happier with it.

Well after all that talk about getting from a local shop I noticed Fender had them for £729 with 10% off first order so got one delivered for £650. Got it yesterday and it sounds amazing!!! That saving will pay for the accessories from a local shop instead - I couldn’t pass that price up. Oooh it’s flipping gorgeous and it sounds amazing!!! Sorry about the state of the bed but that’s where it’s living now!

We had a display of the various Bass Chat designs and other builds at the South West Bass Bash this Sunday. The biggest interest was around the tiny cabs. My House Jam 6 created the usual stir but this little fella created the most interest. It's a single 8" speaker I designed and built with @Chienmortbb to match his souped up Ashdown After 8. The size and shape is a copy of their dimensions but this little chap will handle 200W and produces a very significant amount of bass and sounds like a much bigger cab. People at the bash generally loved the sound and I'm contemplating doing this as another Bass Chat design. It did work really well with double bass as well, many thanks to @TheRev for trying it out for me I was amazed at the interest in the little cabs (nobody paid any attention at all to the lightweight 15 I'd taken along) but I guess other people have the same needs as me. Something small to practice with at home and portable enough to use for semi acoustic work and to drag along to open mic nights and even the odd rehearsal. There aren't a lot of options of commercial cabs this small that sound grown up. This one is roughly a 30cm cube. For home practice this sounds like a much bigger speaker and it would take you easily up to the volume of the average jazz band or a drummer with a compact kit. If there is a load of interest I'll build a second one and put it here with a set of plans for anyone to copy. It's probably a weekend build and would cost you maybe £100. I'd welcome comments from anyone at the bash who tried it or listened to it.

For a man that doesn’t really use that many pedals I seem to be acquiring them rather rapidly! Going through a phase of Helix’s I decided that as good as they are, I like a pedal for it’s dedicated job, coupled with going completely backline free I thought a nice DI was on the cards. im a sucker for a filter and a rather nice 3leaf Groove Regulator popped up I couldn’t resist. I thought I needed a chorus pedal to play with and put a wanted add up for an MXR bass chorus deluxe or a source audio Gemini. I had offers of one of each almost immediately- yep, my will power crumbled. In my defence the Gemini also has other attributes not just a chorus that I may use. After all that, the new board needed setting up and the DI was on my mind as was a compressor. Sitting around on Sunday I happened to message my old mate @walshy… little did I know that 20 minutes later his Bassrig and Cali76 were boxed up and ready to ship. Damn, that was a costly afternoon. 😂 Here they are, minus the MXR which should be here tomorrow…. Now time to wire them power them and decide which filter to keep on the board!

Got my two shorties. Slowly giving up my long scales..Sandberg for sale shortly! JMJ Mustang And fresh off the boat today... Fender Junior Jazz Bass

My current Nano board. It's quite fun. The Ultra Wave is a great overdrive as well as being able to do the silly stuff.

Just took delivery of this rather splendid USA Lakland 44-64. It will be interesting to see how it compares to my Fender AVRI precisions.

I've seen that on Bass Direct. Bug bear of mine. "Absolutely mint" then further down in the description, chip near the jack socket and buckle rash.

Ok… The bass is wired stereo. Each PU is tapped for half volume/full volume. The pickups were made for me by Tom Brantley Rewinds. Each PU has a 3 way switch. Full on/off/half on. I make my own stereo cable. The bass build thread here… My current rig is… 2 each GK MB-200’s in a rack. 2 each 102 MarkBass cabs. One is a 4 Ohm(neck PU) for 200 Watts and one 8 Ohm(bridge PU) for approximately 150 Watts. I’ve had many other rigs…this is my mini-rig. I don’t usually separate the cabs….I’m not looking for a “stereo” effect. When I stack them, the neck PU cab is on the bottom. I just want control over each PU. Lately I’ve been sitting on the bass cab…🫤 Currently I only use effects on the bridge PU. Roland GP-8 and a Roland FC-100(foot controller). Sometimes I don’t take the effects to a gig depending on my laziness, stage size…and pay….😜 I have been playing this way a very long time. Thanks for your interest! Another look at the rig and bass. FC-100 footswitch not in the picture.

Cracking service by Ashdown, Arrived yesterday mid day, completed today and just got a call back from Dave to sort out payments from the work that was ridiculously cheap and will be back with me by Friday x2 Pots, Power amp section & new fans with the control board tightened up. What a company.

I’m always concerned about how difficult it is for people. Having secure shelter is a fundamental requirement. It shouldn’t be a luxury or a casino.

i thought it was your sister I met that day, Pete?

And the first one finished!

Two theatre gigs over the weekend, at Wellingborough and then Cannock. Both well attended, and so far the economic situation doesn't seem to be affecting ticket sales although the high energy bills haven't really kicked in yet. We had a new PA guy with us for October and he's doing a great job - managed to help resolve a mysterious booming on one of the gigs - why do bands always assume it's the bass player though? Of course it wasn't, and it got sorted just fine. Managed to remember to bring the right bass this time too. 😅

As a rule of thumb, I recommend discarding any advice targeted at "audiophiles" as it's invariably snake oil garbage.

@BassybertCopper tape

Traynor YBA 100/300 Preamp clone:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_54_p_bass_mn_vbl.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_54_p_bass_mn_2ts.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_66_jazz_bass_rw_wt3tb.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_66_jazz_bass_rw_sfmg.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_66_jazz_bass_rw_owt.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_60_p_bass_rw_dpb.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_60_p_bass_rw_blk.htm https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_av_ii_60_p_bass_rw_wt3tb.htm

I meant to add when sitting down LOL

Unless you are regularly playing outdoors where the power is being supplied by a generator, in which case you would probably be better off with a UPS, there is no benefit to having a power conditioner in the UK.

Yeah DB - gurt big bit of feedback and then nuthin' Cheers, @stevie's new cabs sounded really good for double bass.

Every time that I think about replying, @cheddatom already got there. The key point is, times have changed... and as pointed out, people find it hard to acknowledge privilege. The fact that a lot of us were born in the UK affords us with a lot of privilege from the word go, no matter where about on the economic scale you exist.

Saw James Taylor at Apollo last night. Still has that voice and what a band - Steve Gadd on drums, Jimmy Johnson on bass and a bunch of other fine players/singers

Well, they've arrived! Personally, I think the look of the new 9 series RCFs is an improvement on the older series with the addition of a front grille. They're also not outrageously heavy, although will obviously be more of a challenge getting onto poles than the 310As have been. Speaking of which, I gigged through the 310As on Saturday night, with a 4-piece rock band with no backline, and the bass was just fine in the mix. Can't believe it took me years to get our drummer to give this set-up a go in the first place! Now my bands just accept me turning up with my bass and going through the PA and no back-line without batting an eyelid. I'll give the 912As a spin at home tomorrow and obviously the real test is going to be in a band mix, but I'm expecting / hoping that they're going to be a decent step in sound for the band. Looking forward to it!

I wish. I didn't have the looks to get them and I've only got uglier as I've got older.

Yeah. Met him briefly. he’s so small and so aloof, I though he was a disgruntled 19 year old bloodhound

Forth gig since lockdown, on Saturday night. Had fun playing this song. I even got a solo - blink and you'll miss it. 10000000_8108811425827229_1745709608052968495_n.mp4

@Ed_S you get the prize I came very close to buying one a few years back when I was looking for a bass with twin singe coils (and was thinking of installing a pair of those Nordy SCs in Jazz Bass cases and install in a Jazz body, but I couldn't get the PUPs in the UK at the time so gave up). The bridge doesn't work for me so I'm going to find something a little more Fender. It ticks a lot of the boxes I wanted ticked in an electric bass at present, bit of a gamble but c'est la via ......

Congrats on your incoming Gibson Gene Simmons Thunderbird, Chris 🤣