neepheid

[quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1434465474' post='2799866'] On arriving at the gig around tea-time, we found a jazz band already set up. Much dismay was in evidence. [/quote] If that had happened to me (and if they hadn't been as nice as they were to you), they'd have had to redraw the map of Mull as half of it would have been vaporised in a massive explosion of frustration and anger

I have no strong opinions either way, it's a purely aesthetic choice as far as I'm concerned. Wood's wood to me and as long as the wood is of sufficient structural integrity to stay in the right shape whilst counteracting string tension then I'm as happy as a pig in the proverbial. I don't expect to end the cyclical debate with this revelation

This is the Greco I'd love to snag:

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1434359098' post='2798806'] Leo Fender must have thought it made a difference, as even after it had been removed on Fender basses, through body stringing was included in the final design of MusicMan basses. I think he left it out on G&L though. I can string through the body on all my basses and I've tried on 2 of them. I didn't notice much difference in sound or feel, but then my senses aren't that finely tuned. There are no down sides to through body stringing and only you can decide if you discover any benefits. [/quote] G&L 5 string basses are through body strung and they really ought to be strung that way as if you top load a G&L 5 stringer then your bridge is held down only with the two screws at the side. Through body stringing is part of the structural integrity of the deal. From my Gibsonny point of view, through body stringing means the three point bridge has no hope of pulling the inserts out of the body so it's a win for me. Also through body strung Gibsons tended to have the strings going through the body behind the bridge instead of underneath it so if you don't do it then you've got some redundant (and painfully obvious) holes in your bass for no reason. Fine if you're a bit steampunk I suppose

I'm terrible with names and faces, I need to have met the particular piece of tonewood a few times before recognition kicks in.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1433954462' post='2795438'] Is a tone bock the same as a tone plate? The Gibson Les Paul Money bass had a walnut tone plate: [/quote] As does the later model Les Paul Double Cut: What's that? There's one for sale in the forum? Well, I'll be damned!

[quote name='Roland Rock' timestamp='1433839187' post='2794339'] I got a Neotech Mega after knackering my shoulder last year - so comfy! [/quote] +1 for the Neotech strap, when you have a 12lb+ bass these straps mean you don't buckle in half part way through the set Very comfortable and spread the load, slightly grippy so they can help with mild balance issues, just all kinds of good.

[quote name='lemmywinks' timestamp='1433504213' post='2791634'] I have a piezo installed in a bass which I am going to hook up to an Artec SE2a preamp (omitting the blend knob), obviously there is no metal bridge installed (it's wooden with a piezo strip) so would I need to ground the volume pot to anything at all? Obviously the piezo ground is soldered to the body and 3rd lug of the volume pot but there is a cable coming from this, can I just remove it and not get any hum? Thanks! Steve [/quote] I don't think it's necessary - hum is caused by electromagnetism picked up by magnetic pickups - a piezo wouldn't be affected by that, would it? Happy to stand corrected as I've never tried it before, but that's what my gut is telling me.

I rotate through all my basses as equally as I can. Although it's generally on a whim ("haven't played you in a while" etc.) on a long enough time line they all get played equally. I keep a record of which basses I played at which gigs (yes, I'm geeky like that) so everyone gets a fair crack of the whip.

What a capitalist pigdog, imagine having the nerve to try and turn a profit on something procured on here!

Spidey sense tingling - at best it's a misunderstanding, at worst it's an opportunistic, exploitative, cynical attempt to get young, naive bands to do all the work for naff all while the "organiser/promoter" pockets all the takings. A sliding scale between those extremes, avoid like the plague anything which errs towards the crappy side of that scale.

I read notes at a rate of one note every 3ish seconds (yes, I recite every time in my head the appropriate amount of Every Good Boy or FACE or All Cows Eat Grass or (my favourite) Greedy Buggers Deserve F All). I don't think this is meant for me

Cheers folks, I'm really happy with it. Going to order my log 250k pots for the tone/mid control - isn't rewiring something you thought you'd finished a joy?

Well, it's already in the Build Diaries but it definitely belongs here too - 1975 Gibson Ripper, restored from the wood up.

I pointed a proper camera at the Ripper tonight (my trusty old Canon Powershot A40 - 2MP, 13 years old!) and took some no flash shots. No tripod, so they're slightly blurry but I feel these far more accurately reflect the colour of the finish. [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/01_all.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/02_head.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/03_back_all.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/04_all_angle1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/05_body.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://www.ifb.co.uk/~matthew/pics/ripper/20150601/06_back_angle.jpg[/IMG]

OK, that's enough poorly targeted passive aggressiveness, point (to BC at large) made, so here it is: The phone camera does not understand how deeply cherry red it's turned out - it's not as bright red and it's definitely more translucent than these pics suggest. Will update when I can get a proper camera pointed at it. All hail Rich/Ou7shined - the finish is absolutely stunning and the fretboard rescue miraculous considering the butchered/dehydrated state it arrived in. I helped! I played it at a gig on Saturday and I enjoyed rock solid tuning all set, felt great in the hands and according to my spies in the audience it was sounding great too. There are a couple of wee minor things still to sort. I think I got the wrong taper for the tone/mid pots as all the effect is concentrated in the last 20% or so of the pot rotation so I might replace them (I believe I have linear ones, according to the spares sheet for the Ripper I saw should be log/audio). I have no numbered switch plate for the rotary switch - a minor cosmetic detail but they're pretty rare and when they do pop up people ask stupid money for them (one just now wants £150 for one along with a chicken head knob - preposterous!). I'm using regular scale length strings and the A string can't quite handle being strung through the body so it's top loaded for now. But apart from that, it's pretty damn sweet. I feel even better about this one than when we finished the Victory, mostly because of where we started from this time. To save you looking back, this was how it started:

It's finished. I'd love to share a photograph with BC but I can't because I'm pretty sure if I fire a camera at it, the headstock'll fall off. Y'know, because it's a Gibson and they're well known for neck dive and spontaneous headstock detachment syndrome.

I have several of the same strap (Neotech) because I like 'em and they're the only strap I've found that makes some of my boat anchors/black hole centres tolerable. One of my basses has straplocks (done by previous owner) so it has its own strap.

Would do my nut in. I would also be worried. Then annoyed when my predictions came true. Then I'd probably leave.

Gibson Midtowns are 34" scale. Not strictly speaking semi-hollow either in the traditional sense of the word, they are chambered out of a solid piece of wood with a maple cap glued on the top rather than separate top, back and sides with or without central block.

You're not upsetting me, I'm quite partial to a bit of sterile, soulless EMG action

First bass line I ever played on a bass (when I was trying out my first one) was The Stranglers - Peaches. Cars by Gary Numan is also a fun one, two little riffs and the other bigger bit and that's about it

Shell Pink and Surf Green are two of the best colours - I would love to have one of either some day. Also echo the reservations about the tort pickguard - doesn't sit right with the colour for me.