neepheid

Ignore - clicked Reply instead of Edit, d'oh!

I didn't realise you were participating - shall I add you into this year's abstinence thread formally?

Musician biographies I have enjoyed: Johnny Cash's autobiography Hendrix - Setting The Record Straight I have a book at home that goes into some detail about the Beatles and their recordings, but I can't find it online right now, will check back later.

There is a link in the top post to the rules - I forgot to include it initially, my bad. Copied from there (and edited for year): Tier 1 Challenge During the calendar year of 2024 (01/01/24 - 31/12/24): - No bass gear purchases/trades whatsoever, be that amps, pedals, basses, accessories. Tier 2 challenge (should you play other instruments, engage in music production etc) - As above, but extended to your other musical gear Allowances in both tiers: - Strings (sticks, skins, reeds etc) - Maintenance/setups that only involve work on existing aspects of your bass (ie no purchasing a preamp to add to it) - If something breaks through no unusual intervention of your own, and is unable to be repaired, you may replace it. - Educational purchases, ie tutorial books, lessons, anything that furthers your playing is permitted. - If you have purchased something in 2023, you are able to take delivery of it within 2024. - If you have put down a deposit on something before committing to this, which then requires a final payment within 2024, that single payment permitted. Although not mentioned here, precedent has been set in previous years that unsolicited gifts are allowed. But it doesn't work if you get given money as a gift then you choose to spend that on gear. Also precedent has been set that decrees that the replacement of broken items must be like for like as near as practically possible - no abusing this with sneaky upgrades. Hope that helps!

I concur with @tauzero, not bass specific gear, so I reckon you're still in the main challenge, you can't go for extra credit now though.

I have nothing to offer except... Damn, that is one studly capacitor!

* except the Elitist EB-3...

Interesting question - according to the rules in the linked thread, a guitar amp would not fail your Tier 1 challenge as it's specifically bass gear but would fail your Tier 2 challenge (all musical gear regardless of instrument). Depends how hardcore you want to be about it. I'll pop your name down. I'd say if you get a guitar amp, don't bother telling us, it's not news, it's not relevant to this discussion unless you're going for extra credit. And ultimately, it's just a bit of fun so don't worry too much about it!

You snooze, you lose... (being Scottish though - snoozing on the 2nd Jan is state sponsored snoozing, so it doesn't count...)

Top willpower! I dunno if I'd have been able to walk away - always fancied a Dimension. Well done!

Ooh, what turned your head? Do tell!

Is that basically an SBV-550 with a bound neck and black hardware, or am I missing something here?

I have learned to become comfortable with getting on the phone to people I don't know when I need to get stuff done. Believe me, it used to bring me out in a cold sweat. The benefit to overcoming that fear is that it's hard for people to ignore you (or forget to reply) when you're talking to them live.

Ahh, too bad, it's open season for you now. See you next year!

Eh, the whole thing is a bunch of guesswork and happy accidents - why is it 420mm wide? Because my top bit of wood had a drill hole in it there...

Thanks, I do chuckle a little when I look at it, it really does look better than I expected it to. RE: side hustle - I'd need to change my branding a little, lest Moog/inMusic's lawyers get heavy...

That wasn't my one, was it? Metallic blue, battery box added, EMG-BQC 3 band EQ, 3 stacked knobs?

Nice - I had a blue one a few years back. If I was ever to dabble in these waters again I'd want an SBV-550 (the PJ one).

Dinna you dare!

That's what keeps me going

Awesome, the bag I ordered from China (last year - 29th December) which should fit this pretty nicely has arrived on UK soil and hopefully will be with me soon. Pedalboard will get its first proper outing on Wednesday (band rehearsal) then proper live outing on Saturday ('Spoons gig). I probably won't have the back cover on it by then (unless Thursday is as "warm" as the forecast suggests so I can spray some lacquer), but it's perfectly useable as is.

I cleared out my eBay watch list today. Also turned off email notifications for saved searches. This clearly shows that I'm serious about this abstaining business

Heh, found a piece of 5mm hardwood ply in the shed. Back panel is go! Now, about that logo. I thought of doing a cheeky sendup of a famous logo and I decided upon doing something Moog-like. Found a font that someone had created in the sprit of the Moog logo, asked for permission to use it, got it, then got to work using it to create this: How will I get this onto a piece of ply? With another cheapskate move - the old homemade carbon paper technique - scribble f loads of pencil on the back, tape it down then trace over it with a pen... Admittedly, it was super faint so I had to go over it again with the pencil to have a useable guide. Next question - what now? Paint? Sharpie? Scrub this off and create a waterslide decal? In the end I did none of those things and went back to a craft I used to partake of as a child - woodburning. First pass with the big round tip on the iron yielded this: Then moved to the fine tip for the corners and the little musical note thing inside the 'p'. I'm really pleased with how that came out! Time for a wee mockup (some paper straws keeping it up where it will be when attached) That turned out way better than I anticipated. Really pleased with it. All that's left to do is lacquer the back panel then attach it. Will probably use wee panel pins and just nail it on, like the backing panel on an Ikea wardrobe.

As a little Brucey bonus, I made a battery cover for my compressor pedal - to stop it rocking when the footswitch is pressed... Ply, bit of sawing, bit of chiselling, found an M3 machine screw, hacked it down to size, job done!

You've done better than some