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Righty ho, time I kept all you lovely people up to date. First op was 20th Jan. This was anterior lumbar interbody fusion and basically bangs a titanium cage between L5 and S1 vertebrae, spine and pelvis partial fusion. Done from the front. Can be dangerous but went well. Next up, spine reshaping and fusion from S1 to T10. That's a long way. During this op, I managed to effectively bleed out, most being recycled and put back in. Nine hours straight, in one position, so I have a collection of pressure injuries too, although fairly trivial. Couple of days in ICU, then to normal ward. Progressing well, then oopsie, leg turned into a blimp. DVT at top of leg/groin area. Further investigations show there are also one in each lung. Much imbibing of anticoagulants! This is sometimes addressed with surgery also, but they've decided against that. I'm pleased, I look like a badly patched rag doll as it is. What counts though, is that my spine has been restored to something like a normal shape - I can stand upright again! Weak as a kitten, and will be for months. Will effectively have to learn to walk again also, as those muscles are very weak after 3 years not doing a lot. Home on Friday, loaded down with dressings, anticoagulants, and pain killers. Even this is a trial, as home is 125 miles from the hospital. The tunnel end is approaching!

Misaligned Fender necks were a symptom of the late 70s when the pin router templates had become so worn that the neck pocket dimensions only had a passing resemblance to those originally specified. Nowadays with CNC machines used on all mass produced instruments there is zero excuse for this happening.

My first bit of studio recording (with video). I've been using my spare amp recently at gigs as the fender needs a service. However it preformed flawlessly yesterday and I have to admit, I miss using the beast!

I was just on the way out the door to collect the kids from school when UPS arrived with my new Jad Freer Capo. I won't get a chance to try it until later, but it looks great. It's definitely a solid piece of gear. I'll update with some clips and opinions once I've had a chance to get my head around it. Including customs it comes in around £500, so it's not cheap, but not too expensive for a hand made bit of gear.

Yeah, I had missed that he omitted the local bypass caps until after he'd finished everything else up. The 3D render of the other side also shows them there, FWIW. It'll be posted up in the Talkbass Wiki shortly, along with the bill of materials. The Gerbers will be available too so one can use any PCB fabricator they choose to. Eventually PedalPCB will have their own version as well. For whatever reason this whole project seems more popular outside the US, so I've been trying to accommodate that and move beyond my personal favorite parts vendors over here. And most people just don't want to mess with SMD parts, which I have been using more and more myself, and that's fine. Mostly I'm just happy to have someone else doing the grunt work, especially the documentation. I'm not all that fast with it and it consumes a pretty silly amount of my time. This week I'm working on one for upright bass, where my preliminary tests have challenged conventional wisdom on input impedance for piezo pickups pretty seriously. But I need to sit down with the owner of that bass and do some systematic A/B work, which I hope to get to by next week. She has a wonderful carved bass and any excuse I get to play it is very welcome!

Truss rod adjustment by taking the neck off is a dreadful idea - I don't know why Fender kept it going into the 70s, let alone to the present day. If they were desperate to have the adjustment at the heel, they could have done it with a wheel with holes in, like they have on another model just to prove it can be done.

All of those look crap to me. Why not just leave it in the cavity, where you haven't missed it all this time?

Viennetta ～ Ultravox

Nope...the confusion lies because he's old and senile and has too many strings on his guitar.... He deserves all the mocking I can throw at him as I have known him for years and he keeps suggesting songs to do in E flat and constantly forgets to tell me at practice that he is playing it in standard tuning....😂😂..... Git......

Amazon doing some fantastic deals currently. Fender 5-String Super Bass 7250-5L Nickel-Plated Steel Long Scale Bass Strings - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003B0851C?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_dp_WPP1JYHHH9DYQ1F56G1Q Thomastik Einzelsaite G .044 Stahlkern, Nickel flat wound super long scale 36" JF36044 für E-Bass Jazz Satz JF364 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thomastik-Infeld-Bass-Guitar-Strings-Wounds/dp/B001633DPY/ref=sr_1_146?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788636&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-146 Rotosound RS66LC Stainless Steel Roundwound Bass Strings (40 60 75 95) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotosound-Stainless-Steel-Roundwound-Strings/dp/B0002GNSUQ/ref=sr_1_8?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788150&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-8 Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Bass Strings - 50-105 Gauge https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ernie-Ball-Regular-Slinky-Nickel/dp/B000MFL7UU/ref=sxin_24_ac_d_rm?ac_md=0-0-YmFzcyBzdHJpbmdz-ac_d_rm_rm_rm&content-id=amzn1.sym.0b27cf19-b0d0-4bf1-9dce-b0a41b6c66ae%3Aamzn1.sym.0b27cf19-b0d0-4bf1-9dce-b0a41b6c66ae&crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&cv_ct_cx=bass+strings&keywords=bass+strings&pd_rd_i=B000MFL7UU&pd_rd_r=d2f16d72-36f1-437c-b998-c87b6a8109b3&pd_rd_w=uB5yw&pd_rd_wg=EOWgP&pf_rd_p=0b27cf19-b0d0-4bf1-9dce-b0a41b6c66ae&pf_rd_r=SWNTPMKZZYNP6WZN8QG2&qid=1675788193&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=1-1-e2b79f78-a3a0-4cac-b70d-2a5e4ae8e724 Fender Super 7250 String Set For Electric Bass (045/105 Gauge) - Nickel Plated https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-737250406-7250M-String-Guitar/dp/B003B0CHG6/ref=sr_1_38?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788193&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-38 Rotosound SM666 Stainless Steel Hybrid Gauge Roundwound Bass Strings (30 40 60 80 100 125) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotosound-Stainless-Hybrid-Roundwound-Strings/dp/B0002GO3GE/ref=sr_1_54?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788193&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-54 Rotosound RB40-5 Nickel Medium Gauge Roundwound Bass Strings (40 60 80 100 125), https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotosound-Nickel-Medium-Roundwound-Strings/dp/B000VKEAUA/ref=sr_1_62?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788432&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-62 Fender Flatwounds for £36 - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-9050-M-Stainless-Guitar-Strings/dp/B003ACL2CK/ref=sr_1_66?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788432&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-66 Fender 737250405 String Set For Electric Bass-7250ML (045/100) - Nickel Plated https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-Super-7250s-45-100-7250ML/dp/B003B067UI/ref=sr_1_94?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788432&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-94 Fender 5-String Set For Electric Bass-7250-5M (045/125) - Nickel Plated, 45-125 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-HN108820-Strings-for-Guitar/dp/B003AMX98A/ref=sr_1_152?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788784&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-152 Fender 5-String Super Bass 7250-5L Nickel-Plated Steel Long Scale Bass Strings https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fender-5-String-7250-5L-Nickel-Plated-Strings/dp/B003B0851C/ref=sr_1_150?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788784&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-150 Rotosound Nickel Medium Gauge Roundwound Bass Strings (40 60 80 100), RB40 & Nickel Medium Gauge Electric Guitar Strings https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rotosound-Nickel-Roundwound-Strings-Electric/dp/B0BM9DSWSH/ref=sr_1_199?crid=182SQ1WAQH7GI&keywords=bass+strings&qid=1675788910&sprefix=bass+strings%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-199 Warwick Red Label 045-105 Electric Bass Strings - £11.88 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strings-45-105-Red-String-Stainless/dp/B0002GVBIW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1E91BT6HL7Q31&keywords=warwick+bass+strings&qid=1675788999&sprefix=warwick+bass+strings%2Caps%2C69&sr=8-2

Excellent But you certainly won't be sorting me out for the postage, just sending me a PM with your address 😜 I thought the Boomers sounded better on my 424 than both Swing Bass and Roto Bass. On my SB-1 both those Rotosounds are great, but the Boomers sounded pathetic. I haven't a clue what's going on there. Maybe it's all to do with the 424's magical bridge pickup?

have you checked out Ian Allison on YouTube, he does some good walk throughs on this. But I will add I achieve what you're describing with the MXR.. word of warning though, It can be a bit tricky to dial in. It seems each of the controls affects the other, so you can end up chasing yourself around a little. But once set, it responds really well to your playing. You can get really good swell decay control from your plucking/picking hand. It's a bit sensitive to basses too, one setting doesn't fit all.

This is my current rig I'm using at practice. It's obnoxiously heavy but gotta say it's an absolute beast. I've been super happy with my GK Fusion S class d head until I tried this Marshal VBA400. Combining that with the Schecter J4, Model FeT preamp and Longsword drive makes for the perfect gritty tone. Kind of wish I'd played this setup before grabbing the Jad Freer Capo but tbh that thing is gonna make this even better!

So I have a mix of Ampeg heads SVT and SVT2 Pro along with the beautiful Ampeg 8x10 and the Barefaced 6x10. My conclusions are - SVT and Matching 8x10 - Absolute heaven SVT and Barefaced 6x10 - Absolute heaven but much lighter

My Status SmartBass.

Someone else has finally jumped into my long running open source hybrid filter preamp project with a 125B size version using parts single sourced from Tayda Electronics:

Not many, no. But overall still quite a few. Our drummer sings, but only a few songs. If you are saying 'here is a good singer and drummer' then yes, for the music she is doing she does it really well, no problems. But that wasn't the statement, the statement was that she was shockingly good, and no, there is nothing there that I haven't heard. If the statement is are you a better drummer and singer, then no on both counts, I play bass and sing (I don't frontman, but then I didn't see her do that either), I don't play drums at all. If singing better than me is shocking, the world must be a very scary place!

Don't think any of my basses could become misaligned in transit or even by force, seems like we're going backwards if tolerances like that are acceptable and justified by traditionalism.

Bring down the birds/ groove is in the heart - herbie Hancock and dee-lite respectively. chameleon - herbie Hancock’s headhunters.

It shouldn't just need a pull one way or the other. There should be tighter tolerances during manufacturing so misalignment is not possible. A neck should fit snugly into the pocket. Other manufacturers do it. Fender, instead, choose to take the wizard's sleeve approach to neck pockets as it speeds up production and means less scrappage.

I thought I would share a device that may help those using or contemplating wired IEM's. Its a simple torch belt clip but has been ideal and we have used for over 4 years without an issue See pic's: the diameter for the torch (it not round) is a perfect tight fit for the Neutrik locking stereo 1/4" female jack socket NJ3FC6. The ball join helps direction of the cable & the substantial clip fits into rear pockets or belt. It cost ~£9 (cheaper from Led torch) https://www.torchdirect.co.uk/led-lenser-torch-accessories/ledlenser-type-f-rotating-belt-clip-for-ex4-il4.html Hope this helps!

The only shocking thing is if people are still shocked by women playing competently in rock and metal bands.

The more I see and hear of the Newport, the more I like it. Not the tonal range I’d normally favour, but I’m intrigued. A fun little bass for very decent money. Really impressed by the colour options too, especially sunset and coral. I think I could get over the glitches - reasonably easy fixes and just a full set-up and new strings really. I’d do that with pretty much any bass. I hope this is a bit of a hit for Epiphone - good to see the company trying

Sad to hear of Phil's passing. I've been performing with Tubular Bells Live since 2015 and he sat in for me for a couple of songs (Moonlight Shadow and I forget what else) playing the original fretless Fender P he used on that those tracks. He was a big character with lots of energy and passion.

Clicked the TI Jazz flats and thought bleedin' 'ell that's cheap. Nearly bought some in my excitement before I realised it was a single string. 😄

I hate all these tunist comments, you bloody keyists! No, the guitar player kept it in E all the time, but changed from the recording's Handel tuning (at roughly 415 Hz) to the band's modern tuning (440 Hz). 😉 😃

I'm doing a weird project where I'm transcribing, or taking transcriptions of classic bass lines and programming them into a TB-303. For those who don't know, a 303 is the classic acid house synth of the 90's, but was created in 1982 as a bass accompaniment, like the old rythym machines, but for you to program a bass line in and play along. So I'm taking it back to it's original use case. So far I have "Good Times", "For the love of money" and "Come Down" by Anderson .Paak. I was wondering what anyone else might suggest? The criteria is: Stone cold classic instantly reconisable (if you know the song) bass line 4 bars (anymore and it's a beast to program into the 303 as you have to brave 'song mode', any fewer and it's less of a challenge) You can see where I'm tending (70's funk and disco & hip-hop), but I'm wondering about more recent lines I've missed. I've got a couple of tentative first passes up on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoQA0ZWI7ui/ https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cn9aFtgIWdu/ Thanks for any suggestions!

For @taunton-hobbit ...

A Behringer P2 is the answer you are looking for.

Having played with a horribly high action for decades, until I figured out what a truss rod actually was for (thank you bass chat) The difference in a well set up bass and a badly set up bass is significant. A well set up action does make playing easier, whether the neck is chunky or slim. I don't know about 'faster', as I don't do 'fast' - I'm build for comfort, not for speed.

This would sound ace given the 303 treatment.

Sweet Jane Lou Reed

Austen’s place. Lighthouse family

Holiday in the sun Sex Pistols

Stand by me S’manth x

How about Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield?

Absolutely. I think that in the past there may have been a transitionary period when it was understandable to highlight the skills of female musicians, but I like to think we are beyond that now and don't need to highlight any more. However, based on vids that get shared on social media it seems like a lot of people are not so much shocked, but impressed by a woman doing rock instrumentation well.

Madhouse - Anthrax

I met Phil in 2014 as he wanted to buy a 1973 Precision I was selling (which I shouldn’t have lol). Absolutely lovely guy, who I then saw play on a (touring) Tubular Bells gig a few months later. RIP Si

It's the drummer.

I wouldn"t mind betting there are more lows available from the 410 than the 215. A faux crossover with the EQ on the Trace would effectively turn it into a sub pretty damn well. Keep the low slider bottomed and probably the next up cut some as well. Boost the stuff up to 150hz and cut the rest hard. You'll hardly get a peep out of it, aside from the woof. Do the opposite with the H/H and you might get a better sound than you think. 15's not labouring over bass and having potentially 150w of treble up them instead can really scream! I recommend taking it easy with the loud knob.

Someone has made an 8 bit bass. That’s all. https://www.guitarworld.com/news/8-bit-bass

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