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It appeared last week on kijiji for a market price , a blue reissue Samurai , the Yamaha SBV500. I have a yellow one , and spent some years looking for it. It’s one of the few long scale basses I regularly play , I think of it as being like a Jazz bass on steroids , but much funkier. And today got a call from some friends that work at our local L&M , the big music retailer in Canada. The blue Samurai had appeared at the store , they were going to move it for a really good price , and was I interested … Now I have a yellow one that I love , but I could not turn down the deal. I’ll pick it up tomorrow. And I’m flattered that they called me before they put it out! Sold!

A bit late reporting, The Rock Formation played The Prince Albert in Milton Keynes on Saturday. Seemed to go down well.

Just got it home and tweaked the bridge. Action is low , might raise it a hair , it has an older set of rounds on it , I may leave them on , I have Thomastik flats on the yellow one. These are a good looking pair!

Thanks Dave, Thelma Performing Arts will do some advertising and so will we. I'll be reporting on the gig with pics. Daryl

Received my CAR 5 string a few weeks ago and only just had the chance to do the decal change and also put a carbon vinyl wrap on the scratchplate as the plain white was booooring!

Exactly how I've frequently described mine! Had one of these for a while, such a playable, surprisingly well-balanced & great-sounding bass. As well as looking amazing! Getting pretty hard to find now, sometimes very silly prices when they come up, too.

New setup, offering maximum versatility. The Morningstar is so easy to work with, it's set to switch the Stomp, Atlas and C4 simultaneously for different songs.

Recorded a bit of my 66 Mustang today. Backing track is my band, used Moises to remove the bass and put mine over. Backing track is only a demo so not 100% full quality but it gives you some idea. Love the sound of this bass, it just sits and pokes out when needed. Blue Horizon snippet.mp3

he thinks everything is good!

Agreed @BassAdder60 I keep saying I find the TE1200 an excellent “pedal platform”. The core tone is superb but if you want grit or anything else, the amp just soaks it up and makes it sound better. A really impressive noise machine 😎

For me I think it’s several things on the TE1200 that offer a better sounding amp The bass EQ frequency values are not as low as say Ampeg and Ashdown and this seems to make it less “ wooly” or “ dark” sounding as it’s 70hz. The dual compressors are excellent and the clean headroom is fantastic. I think the TE1200 can get close to the Ashdown or Ampeg sound especially with a pedal in front but its fair to say they can’t near the sound of the TE1200 and that’s what surprised me, a noticeable clarity and great sounding amp

Ferrous Guy ～ John Lennon

Here's my 5 string Horn bass, purchased around 2016 from a fellow Basschatter. I've done a little digging recently and it looks like it was a stock model from 2016. Used as my main bass in the function band I used to be in until that folded in late 2019. I currently have a headless 6 string singlecut on order which I'm hoping will be with me in a few months.

Most recent shot of my current main instrument of choice, my 5 strings Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass, named "Mr. Growley - The Noodlemancer", with the latest visual mods I did to it : You can read about it and the mods I did to it here:

Couldn't get them all into one due to the floorspace in the jamnasium being chocka with amps but I did manage to get them into two. Pic 1 is everything Fender (and one Squier Rascal): 2005 Mark Hoppus sig in Shell pink 2006 Am std. Precision S1 in Sunburst 1997 Am dlx Precison in trans crimson red 1977 Precision in blue sparkle 1978 Precision in Sienna burst 1978 Precision in Olympic White/bong water yellow 1973 Precision in Black 2011 American Standard Jazz in Sunburst 2022 60th Ann. Road Worn Jazz in Firemist Silver 2004 American Deluxe QMT Jazz in Amber 2023 Squier Rascal in Sherwood green Pic2 is everything else: 2004 Dean Stylist Cabbie (for sale) 90's Danelectro DC in silver sparkle Gibson Thunderbird Studio IV in Ebony Aria Pro II SB-CB 1000 in black EBMM SUB in Teal EBMM Stingray in Black EBMM Darkray in Obsidian

Current setup. Waiting for a Laney Digbeth DB-PRE, and a 60cm patch lead to connect the SP to the Wooly Mammoth clone. I don't think I like the Swollen Pickle on the board because the Splinter needs to be on to give it sufficient boost. The Wooly Mammoth clone is very nice though. The chorus was £30 and due an upgrade to something else. I absolutely love the Orange Kongpressor. It adds a really nice flavour to the clean tone. DIY pedal board made from an IKEA shelf (remember this one kids!?). The power supply is a Cioks DC7 screwed to the underside. I tend to play doom and black metal, but messing about with a 90s alternative rock cover band too.

This is one I've been working on for a while now and it's a bvgg3r to nail down. Here's the man himself playing it solo in a bass store, Julian Crampton of Incognito, The Pasadenas, Sunburst Band, Down to The Bone, Heaven 17, George Benson, Donna Summer and Paul Young among others.

Well, the Kania is gone already. It was a wonderful instrument to play. So nice, that it made me long for a 5str fretless. Had it up for trade in the Netherlands and got some offers. Most of them where very expensive basses that needed me to dig up my savings. But this guy offered me his Martin Keith for my Kania and my 12 string guitar. I've never spend so much for one instrument. But the moment I had this Martin Keith bass in my hands it felt so very nice and there was so much resonance in its body and it was so easy to play. I'm a guitarist, so it helps me a lot when a bass is easy to play. And it doesn't way that much, so it's pretty easy on the shoulders. I contacted mr Keith for some info, and here is what he could tell me (nice guy he is); Built as an exhibit instrument for NAMM in 2011. Maple neck with katalox (royal mexican ebony) fretboard, 34.5 inch (876mm) scale. Mahogany body with spalted maple top. (Body thickness 52mm. His current basses are 42mm thick.) Citron HB pickup with passive volume control. Polyester finish. So I'm very enthousiastic exploring fretless bass more and more. Love that sound. I'm not sure what strings it has at the moment. Feels a bit like half rounds.

Ryanair, since Michael O'Leary said he'd provide flights to Rwanda for asylum seekers.

Rattan the Kitchen - UB40

Back to back gigs for my lot, Tore Down. Having skipped a month we are back at the Shamrock in Ipswich for our residency tomorrow. Then Saturday, 2 sets during the day starting at 11am we are playing at Black Bear Harley-Davidson in Newmarket. They are holding a birthday bash all day and asked us to play, which was nice. Free entry and some food, I believe.

Surely the Rolling Stones' 100 best drummers are just Charlie Watts written 100 times? Oh hang on, damn that pesky apostrophe ...

Please let us know, if there's a difference in sound. They are saying in the marketing that it sounds nearer the big box cali. I love my FEA Optifet but ive been tempted to switch back to the cali for a brighter sound, so this is tempting.

APOLOGIES TO TRBBoy and Phil Starr:- In my earlier text I transposed the colours for the two drivers. It is the Faital that is the MAUVE line, the LaVoce is ORANGE. Regards, Balcro.

Officially out (and ordered!)

@Merton's TE1200 sounded amazing at last year's Bass Bash. I probably won't be able to get my hands on one again until next year's Bash - but I'd like to spend some time figuring out why it was so impressive.

I knew it wouldn't be long before you got back into it Part of the fun is buying, selling, trying and changing rigs and basses. I had an ebs 360hd - amazing amp. Never got chance to gig it, but everything about it was lovely in practice. I'm still a big believer in parametric / semi parametric dials on Amps.

As a quick aside: according to the Chart Music TOTP podcast, the one glove was to hide the badly stained hand he'd acquired as a result of a hasty decision to apply jet black hair dye the day before a TOTP recording. How true this is, I couldn't say, but the CM folks are usually very good with their research.

Worked on a metal festival in 2005 lasting three or four days - they played on the last day. Drunk and wrecked people were lying everywhere so we thought excessive use of smoke cannons was a bad idea and turned them off to prevent people get trampled over. The room was filled with smoke when the decision was made and it made for an interesting half hour at work. To their credit they were loud enough to make most people pinch their eyes anyway so no smoke was really needed . Man they were loud. Which reminds me of an anekdote: A friend did lights at a Motorhead show and asked their sound engineer if they were always this loud and got told they used to be way louder in a manner that made me laugh: "It wasn't LOUD, it was like -squints eyes and shouts desperatly- YOU COULDN'T SEE!!". For further interesting info , look up the Tensor Tympani muscle which is usually coming into work when people squint their eyes because of noise. I can control it without squinting and probably many here can out of necessity for blocking loud noise/music. It produces a "distant thunder like" sound.

I never thought of it that way. I'm sorry if you have taken offence That was never my intention. I'm certainly not associating him with Gary Glitter. It's just he was part of the same era of popular culture. I was thought I was making a lighthearted point about how abjectly crap stage gimmicks were back in those days by today's standards. I only mentioned Alvin Stardust because I vividly remember him and that glove during those days. I could just as easily mentioned how people thought Roxy Music had such a glamorous and futuristic image at the time. Nowadays they just look like students on a fancy dress night out.

Here's the April 2024 update from https://tomreadbass.co.uk Transcriptions! 33 new charts on the site, taking the FREE resource for reading bass players to 1335 accurate transcriptions, in standard notation. A handful of the new charts are improved versions of existing ones, but most are brand new: All Night Long - Lionel Richie https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_05389a5c168145fc878d1213329d7774.pdf Angels - Robbie Williams https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_68a8350165c04298a8ad25024d4cb8bf.pdf Back Where It All Begins - Allman Brothers Band https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_2f7f9813cc084bd38f847dd888a427ab.pdf Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_670687a58d27472e92555d34cbc6b299.pdf Black Friday (2022 live version) - Steely Dan https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_d95b56ab125e43d790f5db1881eb2f2d.pdf Burning Love - Elvis Presley https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_25fee953824c437f8d1b0d428649e048.pdf Chitlins Con Carne - Kenny Burrell https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_c7a3c67dc4564b4b95efe61377bb924a.pdf Don't Take Me Alive - Steely Dan https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_0a53eeca261a47919ccd31e1ffde04d5.pdf Have You Ever Seen The Rain? - Smokie https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_016688cb0f3a42efa18c2f4e2e325d1a.pdf How It Feels To Be Loved - Jay Murray https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_a4fc72bd8fa74c459050834312223bc6.pdf Human - Killers https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_0b012a42454b404080bec4c9631463a3.pdf I Don't Need No Doctor - Ray Charles https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_7ead48e5e5654293a9310f89df139298.pdf I Wish It Would Rain - Gladys Knight & The Pips https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e9c806e28d3444d4b1799ed5b7b5a42c.pdf I'm Believer - Smash Mouth https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_bbdc0ab7b02849dfa52714a2b237e265.pdf Let Go - Frou Frou https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_360813d8f5e34635ba8ef10ebcd6d899.pdf Love & Happiness - Al Green https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_feabc51fa4f9465a902614cea5531161.pdf Loving & Forgiving - Scott Soper https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_34089fb27cdd4cc395851de03ee2ed3c.pdf Maria - Blondie https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_3e865d3f52c340fc8855553b82dd0fb0.pdf Moves Like Jagger - Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_53f017fc3ef24204b184dbf2aab09b2d.pdf Needles & Pins - Searchers https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_a09f62d352ad4c8fb17db285874ef5d0.pdf On Broadway - Melissa Etheridge https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_b730c43829594324ad59e2b1c9304923.pdf River Deep Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_19a3bc60ef6245cfaf3f0c805192e7c8.pdf Rockin' All Over The World - Status Quo https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_e4ed2d910be246deb4d12b216e78ed90.pdf Run To You - Bryan Adams https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_9fb0f12e24ce4147ba3600bc2ee4c7a7.pdf Standing In The Rain - Al Green https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_27b668bb6f5a4fd9a4cde3b1a8d20c5f.pdf Sunny - Bobby Hebb https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_b27df782cbb74274a91e2b341ee0c452.pdf Sussudio - Phil Collins https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_bcdbc12f7b5649b1a537c331dc6680ee.pdf Take It Easy - Eagles https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_0b3abdf9305347a483d6228b4a50ec8a.pdf These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_0581ead76f504f6ca7e92aac5e9dae16.pdf When Something Is Wrong With My Baby - Sam & Dave https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_2d0ffa3ca6e349ebb4ec5a096c2e66df.pdf When You Walk In The Room - Searchers https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_c5b60338c02f46be9a4a272b1ed8ece8.pdf When You Walk In The Room - Status Quo https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_fb4905269c6a44b49a549400a3a6926e.pdf Why Am I Treated So Bad? - Norah Jones https://www.tomreadbass.co.uk/_files/ugd/238d8f_25459ccd94af4161b6bab6eff17496a3.pdf As usual, these charts have resulted from my personal preparation for gigs, writing band arrangements, and orders for bespoke transcriptions that have opted for the 50% discount rate for sharing! And, as usual, the website remains 100% open and free, thanks to everyone that has clicked the "Buy Me A Beer" button. This helps to go towards the domain and web hosting expenses - and I do enjoy a beer after a scorewriting session too! I'd like to think most bass players and bass communities are aware of this website, but do keep sharing please, it is appreciated. There's lots more stuff I need to chart for myself for upcoming gigs and shows this year, and the orders keep coming in, so I'm sure there will be plenty more charts added to the site through the summer of 2024!

This..... I will never ever forget listening to Setting me Up on their first album on random play, then this played. It was a magic moment.

Mark Knopflers playing is, to my ear, simply magical. I'm also a fan of Ricky Scaggs on guitar and mandolin, an incredible flat picker.

I try hard to stay on the opposite side to our excellent but loud guitarist - I don't like my ears ringing for 24 hours after a gig...

Commodore Business Machines. They were the future of electric computer technology. Dead to me now. Dead

This does sound like something that might be fixable, certainly worth investigating as it will cost you nothing but time. It could be the cab or equally possibly the speaker so the first thing to do is to remove the speaker from the cab. Almost anything in or on the cab can buzz, a loose screw somewhere or a bit of wood that is no longer glued. cables can buzz against the speaker cone if they can touch it or against a panel, torn bits of vinyl covering can flap and resonate and you can get all sorts introduced through speaker vents. I found a load of hazel shells inside one cab which some mice had dicovered. cabs are wood and everything can be fixed and reglued. Check handles, corners, the grille and even the input sockets. Bad news is if the speaker coil is rubbing/buzzing. that's not repairable by you and a professional repair will probably cost as much as a new speaker. You can check for this by gently pushing the cone in a few times and listen for any scratching noises. This takes some care. If you push from one side the coil will rub against the magnet and you will cause further damage. Use a pint glass or similar and push the cone with that so there is no sideways pressure and be gentle. Now check the speaker magnet, anything made of iron that has come loose will stick to the magnet. That means any screws or other fixings will probably end up there and can cause buzzing. Old speakers often fail because the glues used in their manufacture break down over time. Favourite is the dust cover, the dome in the middle of the speaker particularly if it is dented or mis-shaped. Ive also seen speaker cones come away from the metal basket. Go right around the corrugated surround and check it isn't coming away from the metal frame. If it has a separate pleated surround that can also come away from the cone. Also look for any tears in the surround which will also buzz. look for tears in the cone itself. All of this can be re-glued, I use a latex based adhesive to do any repairs, it sticks well to paper and remains flexible when the glue has cured. biger tears I have repaired by building up layers of ordinary tissue paper though Japanese Tissue is stronger if you can get it. Artists suppliers may stock it as it is used to repair paper and canvasses. If you find nothing try putting a signal through the speaker out of the cab on your bench. You can get online signal generators that let you put a pure tone through the speaker so you can scan up and down a couple of octaves and look for any resonances try 50-200Hz. Don't go too loud though, the speaker cone will move further when out of the cab and a long way with really low frequencies, you don't want it moving more than 5mm but it will probably buzz most at particular frequencies and that might help you find the buzzy bit. If you can't get the speaker to buzz outside the cab then its the cab or the way the speaker was fixed. Put the speaker back in the cab and fix it down firmly. If the gasket is damaged or absent then you can use an insulating foam strip to replace it. Mke sure all the fixings tighten down properly if one screw or bolt is loose that may cause your buzz. Good luck and don't jump to conclusions if you find anything, it may be lots of little buzzes on an old cab and speaker.

Finally succumbed to getting the red muck, bloomin lovely it is as well. Also gob smacked by how nice the NUX tape core is, sounds and feels very premium, the repeats are gorgeous

Yer any Brexit supporting company deserve to be eradicated. Warburtons... Wetherspoons etc

>30 years as a Finance Director here, and I would advise very strongly against going this route unless you genuinely expect to be as successful as Taylor Swift. Technically speaking, any working band is automatically a Partnership under the 1890 Act but nobody gives a toss and I've never heard of anyone acting (i.e. sueing someone or trying to claim equal shares of band revenues) on that basis. Don't mean it ain't happened, mind. Open a 'band' bank account, however, and you open a number of doors. Very probably, no bug-eyed monsters will walk through those doors; but if the doors aren't there then there's no risk. Shared ownership of anything in band is a disaster waiting to happen. The bands I play in get paid variously through all sorts of channels ... cash, Concur, Opus, etc. Whichever person can be bothered to deal with it collects the money and then distributes it later, usually (but not necessarily) as cash. If you can't trust one of your bandmates to give you your £50 from playing the Dog & Duck last week, then you should probably reconsider who you play with. 🤨

Just missed out on this 1977 Jetglo 4001. Can't get to check it out until Friday but it unfortunately sold yesterday afternoon. Pretty gutted. Look at all that lovely wear...

A few few more pics from last Saturday nights gig in Hull. Nice shot of the, new to me, Lionel on its second gig. Also a shot of the bar staff dancing on the bar….that’s a new one on me.

Sims Enfield Fusion Jazz bass. J retro and badass 2.

I'll wait until DemonFX bring out the Call76 V2 😉

That only happened to me once, when I used it at 9V. At 18V I use it now with active and hot output basses and I never have a problem.