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Hey everyone, Just wanted to share that we've had a couple of incidents recently involving 'middle man' scams. This is where someone has joined the site and registered a username that is almost identical to the name of an existing member, apart from changing characters in the name for ones that look similar but are different. For example, they might replace small L with a capital i, they might replace O with 0 or they might add a full stop at the end of the name. Changes insignificant enough to allow the scammer to take a punt on a seller not noticing. In our situation we believe that the scams are from one individual who has registered two accounts that emulate the names of existing members. We have already taken steps to ensure their accounts are frozen and we have accrued enough information to help us identify if that individual if they try to register more accounts in the future...they won't be able to hide behind a VPN either. We are also going to raise how to prevent spoofed usernames with our forum software provider as a future development suggestion. So...if you are PM'd by someone about an item you have for sale, check their user name carefully and if you have any doubts based on I or 0 or . in their username, maybe reply to them initially from their post in your thread rather than direct to their PM. That way you can check if your message adds to their message or starts a new one. Also if members spot anyone masquerading as someone else, feel free to use the report function to flag it with the mod team and we will take a closer look. It's probably also worth reminding everyone to avoid using bank transfer or Paypal F&F to a seller. These payment methods don't offer refund options in the event of there being an error. (Although if you are quick enough, sometimes your bank might be able to reverse the transaction but it depends on your bank and whether you can prove deception as opposed to a lack of vigilance.) Thanks in advance for your help in making live difficult for these scumbag parasites.

NS Midas….neck manufacture. Nick picked a beautiful piece of curly/flamed maple. We missed taking photos of the fretboard side which was the first operation, truss rod and carbon fibre slots and fret board location holes were machined on the front side, the carbon fibre rods glued in and the face skimmed to ensure it was flat. These photos show the second operation, the neck is located on the fretboard pin holes from the first operation, machined to thickness, holes drilled for the brass threaded inserts, profile cut, tuner holes machined and then the carve was completed. Machining time on the second side is around 40 minutes. Once the fret board is made the front of the head and fretboard will be contoured to thickness together before being glued

Looks like it works!!!

How has no one posted this yet?

Ahh, this year's FOMOcaster is here

Right - all the email problems should now be sorted. If you have any new email issues, and by new, I mean email issues since 23:00 on 1st April, then let me know.

Plus one for the Avant Guard - closest I’ve seen to an original👍👍

I was going to say - everyone is aware that it's not against the rules to fit rounds on a P Bass, yes?

There's a lot more to bass than the tone in the OP and P-Bass with flats.

That's awesome - and for a good cause.

Im not so sure. I don’t think anyone, anywhere, ever said I really fancy getting a plumber round tonight. It’s something people pay for only when they really have to. Similarly I can’t imagine there are many plumbers who do the work for the creative joy of installing radiators. I think there are ways for musicians to make money but many of them would involve thinking more like a plumber than a creative. Edit: Going to expand on this. Most of us if we practice enough can learn to play an instrument. A few of us can get very good at playing an instrument. In my experience far fewer of us can write songs that people want to hear. Even fewer can write really catchy songs that many people want to hear. This is a big part of why musicians don’t always make money. If you can’t write songs you need a top notch songwriter, or you need to play other peoples music. If you’re excellent this can be jazz, classical etc where the audience is often older and more affluent. There is an established (but limited audience) out there, Mass market is a little more tricky. There is a lot of competition and shrinking venues. Other avenues are function bands, tribute bands, musicals, cruises etc. I’ve seen some shocking musicians with some decent tunes get better and get a decent following. I’ve seen plenty of decent musician’s with plenty of integrity but no songs go nowhere.

But it's a perfectly valid argument and one most people can understand.

I am currently working through the ABRSM piano grades, having previously played a two-manual Kawai electric organ in my teens (40, 45 years ago). I can read the treble clef on a keyboard, bass clef on a bass. Started formal piano lessons back in August 2024, learnt proper fingering techniques. I found it hard work, as everything was new to me. But in March 2025, I passed Grade 1 with a Distinction (136/150). So far, so good! Next, Grade 2. I was aiming for the November 2025 exam season, aware that I would be fully familiar with the pieces and scales by then, and probably will have learnt four or five Grade 2 pieces by then (so, more than the 3 required). However, my teacher is pushing / encouraging me to go for the exam in June 2025. That 10 weeks feels very soon - but, in reality it is how long I had to learn the Grade 1 pieces. So..... do I push myself to do the June exam, or take the November exam? My aim is to be able to play the piano (rather than collect certificates).

First thing would be to specify exactly which bass model you have, so the specs could be understood. From your description, it sounds like your passive mode is just bypassing the entire pre-amp circuit, in which case it would be far simpler to replace the electronics as a whole to one designed with an integrated passive tone control, such as a Sadowsky, East, etc. There are plenty of options out there.

Around October last year our friend Nick Smith came to see us about having another bass made but to his design of shape which he called the “Midas” We lost Nick in January in a tragic accident before we got past the design stage of his new bass. However he had selected all of the woods and we’d gone through the detail on the spec that he wanted. Following Nicks funeral at the end of February Gav and I felt it was only right that we finish Nicks bass, and after seeking approval from Nicks family we decided that it would be fitting that once complete we would hold a raffle or auction with all proceeds going to a charity close to Nick and his families hearts. Over the last few weeks we’ve been progressing through the manufacture of Midas number 1. And over the next week or so we’ll share the photos and videos of its progress so far. This video shows the design of the bass, technical specs follow “Greenie” the Kratos he had from us a few years back which had become Nicks main gigging bass for Genesis Connected. It features a one piece ribbon sapele body with a beautiful book matched flame maple top, flamed maple one piece neck with ebony fret board, Aguilar HJ pickup and 18v preamp, led fret board side dots, Grainger bridge, hipshot tuners and Evo Gold frets! Once the details of the charity raffle are tied down we’ll post on how it’ll all work, but we should have Nicks Midas done within the next 6 weeks! Stay tuned for more updates! SOLIDWORKS Premium 2023 SP1.0 - Midas Full Assembly 2025-03-29 09-46-28.mp4

Moron TV — Primus

Well pedal toppers or not I’m definitely out now as I purchased a pink Sire fiver from here at the weekend!

Maybe... adding some Muse at the moment!

The pickguard chat in this thread was enough to make me sign up. The red tortoiseshell pickguard on the Fender Hama Okamoto Precision Bass is pretty good. A cut above the standard dark maroon modern Fender tort or the various lurid tortoiseshell pickguards on eBay. This is mine: The tort layer is thin, but is the right mix of red, darker and lighter shades. The white sub layers are more parchment than stark white as well. I am 99.9% sure these same pickguards are sold separately under the 'Boston' brand, part number PB-415-TI. I bought one of these pickguards from a Dutch seller and put it on my AM Pro-II P Bass: It isn't a Spitfire or Lavaguard pickguard, but a few tweaks to the colours used puts them well ahead of other cheap pickguards.

This is Pimlico's law. The longer a discussion goes on about musicians' pay, sooner or later someone will bring plumbers into the chat. It's like Godwins law but with different kinds of tanks.

For those interested. I just used Plasticote 2 in 1 paint and primer from Hobbycraft and a satin clear coat. Not the greatest job in the world but it was cheap 😅

Id have thought a sansamp or its behringer clone would get you in the ballpark

F&F has *no* buyer protection. It's essentially the same as bank transfer - probably worse, as at least with modern fraud protection there might be some chance of reversing the bank transfer. PayPal? Forget it. Nightmarish. Don't use F&F on Paypal, ever, unless it's genuinely a member of your family, or a close friend you know is definitely on the other end.

Over here, it was this, but it seems to have been totally forgotten now...

And there you have about 90% of all product advertising distilled in 9 words... 🙂

If I buy one will it work on me ? 😄

(I was just happy I managed to get trump, pee, and poo into the same sentence!)

We’ve just been offered £250, a free meal and three free drinks to play at what will be a crowded venue that I’ve always wanted to play at it with people I like and music that makes me smile. This, to me, is success.

A renowned guitarist once said to me, there are three reasons to gig. 1. The qualities of the music. 2. The quality of the 'hang', or 3. Good money. One of the above is enough, two is great, three is heaven. I think we get out of it what we put in and it will vary for all of us.

All about context. That tone wouldn't suit any of the music I want to play.

Ukraine /Russia talks not going to plan? Tarrifs causing shares to fall? Security leaks causing a problem? Then you need to talk about serving an unconstitutional 3rd term and deflect all the attention away to some other mumbo jumbo b*llsh*t. He's the world bigglyest troll. Which the media would stop falling for it and grill him on the important issues.

Much has been said about playing for payment vs. playing for the love of music. I get that, but there is an important distinction to be drawn. If I can play whatever I like at times of my choosing in convivial surroundings to nice people, I am happy not to earn money from it. However, if I have to play stuff I don't care for (or even actively dislike), wear a DJ, watch the clock, put up with grief, etc, etc, I expect to be paid. The amount I expect to be paid will be directly proportional to the amount of grief I have to endure. Doesn't seem unreasonable.

and iran and yemen and denmark and france and germany and canada and the judiciary and the media and biden and and and 😂 Edit: Breaking news. Apparently it’s been revealed that Mr Fred Hamilton of 5 Arcacia Avenue is one of the few people not to have upset Trump. When interviewed Fred reportedly said this was unexpected news as he has always thought the man to be a massive orange bell end.

Good question. I’ll just address the music side, as no one has ever wanted to see me indulge in sporting activities, let alone pay to do so. I think it depends on how you view it. Are you playing gigs to provide a service or just to have fun? If you can have fun, whilst providing a service doesn’t negate it being a service. I used to enjoy and have fun in my day jobs, but I definitely wanted paying. So I think it comes down to would you do it anyway if there was no renumeration involved? In my current band, the answer is no (charity gigs notwithstanding), as I’m not playing the music I would normally choose to, I don’t mind it, but it’s not my chosen genre. If my band was, for want of a better word, a vanity project, I might play for free, certainly expenses. The problem lies when those who are happy to play for free take work away from those who provide a service and want paying.

I reckon if I decided today to become a luthier and began my training, spent 4-5 years building basses and developing shapes and concepts, I’d still deliver a bass before Letts.

You beg the question of: what are you trying to achieve by sitting this cab on top of your Ampeg cab? If you are simply trying for more volume then a second ampeg 15 would be a better bet. It may also be that the Peavey cab on it's own would be louder than the Ampeg. Have you tried the Peavey with the Ampeg? The results of merging cabs is a bit unpredictable for good technical reasons. If you are trying to aim for a particular tone this isn't the way to get it. The probability is that there is no way you can run these two cabs together. You could try running them in parallel (both cabs simply plugged into your amp) this will mean both of the 12's and the 15 will each share the power equally.The problem then is the amp will be driving into 2.67ohms and not all amps will do this. The extra current demand may well overheat the amp leading it to shut down if it is well protected or to burn out if it isn't. If you re-wire the two 10's to make a 16ohm cab then this will reduce the output of your tweeter and your crossover to the horn will be all wrong as it is designed to work with the 4ohm speakers. in any case the two tens will be getting a lot less signal than the 15 which will mean they won't be as loud and your sound will be dominated by the 15 . Dozens of people have asked how to mix an 8 ohm cab with a 4 ohm cab and the answer remains the same. If you want to change your set up then the minimum you need to do is to buy another 8 ohm cab. Don't buy this one, it just doesn't match.

My previous piano teacher was very keen on going to grades as soon as possible - using them as targets to aim for. I found that caused me stress, and a subsequent music teacher (who liked to think of grades passing by like road signs, leisurely and without stress) said that teachers who teach a lot of children are used to pushing students through exams quickly as that's what many parents expect. Edit: I'm working on grade 4 at the moment. I took grade 3 last year, and one per year feels about right for me.

That would be a Tier 0 fail, I think. 😀

I'm very surprised to hear that... I mean, it's possible that the MB800 is louder all other things being equal, I don't know... but I'm surprised it can be that much louder that you'd notice a big difference. Unlike a lot of amps out there... the Mesa keeps on giving, the volume knob continues to work. You may need to use it at 1 o'clock as opposed to 11 o'clock on another amp... but that means nothing: you can still turn it and get louder while the second amp will probably have nothing left once you reach the 1 o'clock position. The operation of the master volume on the Mesa is a lot more sensible than in many others out there, and clearly designed to be useful, not to impress people in the shop "look, I barely moved the knob and it's so loud, imagine how much louder it'll get when I turn it all the way!" Another thing is, it depends a lot how you use the adjustable HPF / voicing / bass controls. They have the ability together to make your bass go from Woody Allen to Dwayne Johnson... and everything in between. I used to use a pair of BB2 in the past too. They're good but they're not magic. If you think you're running flat out with a single one, I think you are simply reaching the limits of what a single BB2 can achieve (and be damn loud too), and you're probably treading dangerous territory where you must be close to damaging the speaker... the Mesa has enough power in store to obliterate a BB2 if the controls are not use carefully.