neepheid

A shoe-in for the win then

In? Out? Shake it all about?

Well, it's that time of year again. Hope you got your last purchases in before the close of business today. You know how it works - no buying gear for the whole of 2024. I'd like to offer my services this year as tracker of participation. You know the rules by now. But put simply - no buying gear, zero, nada. Exceptions - direct replacement (or as near as possible) of faulty/stolen gear. Unsolicited/unprompted gifts. Sundries such as strings are OK. Link to previous thread with rules - https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/331041-2019-gear-abstinence-challenge-updated-with-rules/ Happy to listen to requests for adjudication, of course - make those excuses/liberal rule interpretations creative and give us a chuckle. Majority rules, throw yourself at the mercy of the abstainers (or anyone else who wants to stick their oar in!) Pledge now! And don't forget, it's just a bit of fun - if you fall off the wagon then c'est la vie. But do let us know what shiny goodness caused your downfall. Best of luck to you! Participation list @AndyTravis - OUT - 03/01/2024 - Sansamp FlyRig @ead - OUT - 04/01/2024 - ACG bass @Machines - OUT - 04/01/2024 - Dingwall @Burns-bass - OUT - 15/01/2024 - Epiphone Thunderbird @SamIAm - OUT - 15/01/2024 - PJB Bass Cub Pro @Phill - OUT - 02/02/2024 - Aguilar Cabs & TH500 @Maude - OUT 10/02/2024 - S.D. Curlee @Paolo85 - OUT 16/02/2024 - Squier Jaguar short scale @miles'tone - OUT 24/02/2024 - Hofner violin bass (SE Ignition) @bassbiscuits - OUT 01/03/2024 - Ashdown ABM head @Suburban Man - OUT 23/03/2024 - Guild Starfire @NancyJohnson - OUT 02/04/2024 - Harley Benton GPA-100 power amp @mr zed - OUT 05/04/2024 - EHX Big Muff @lozkerr - OUT 21/04/2024 - Boss RC-1 looper @tauzero - OUT 24/04/2024 - MXR Bass Octave Deluxe @neepheid - OUT 02/05/2024 - Hotone Harmony pitch shifter @hiram.k.hackenbacker - OUT 02/05/2024 - Octave pedal @gjones - OUT 02/06/2024 (but really 16/04/2024...) - Sterling Sub Series Ray 4 @Merton - OUT 03/06/2024 - pedalboard PSU @Beedster - OUT 03/07/2024 - Some old Fender @paul_5 - OUT 03/08/2024 - Spectracomp @Stub Mandrel - OUT 28/08/2024 - Sire P10 @TorturedSaints - OUT 01/09/2024 - EHX volume pedal @MacDaddy - OUT 01/09/2024 - Ibanez UB804 @TeresaFR - OUT 01/09/2024 - NuX C-5RC wireless @Franticsmurf - OUT 24/09/2024 - Sire BG5 + pedals @Shockwave - OUT 20/10/2024 - Stas Pokotylo Monarch PJ bass @Geek99 @2pods @OliverBlackman @Downunderwonder @Mudpup @ezbass @Velarian @barkin @bass_dinger @jimmyb625 @NHM @Sibob @Lozz196 @Richard R @Mustangbass87 @christhammer666 @bassfan @BillyBass @DaytonaRik

Agreed, but keep it casual - nothing short of a gig gets the nerves jangling than the dreaded "band meeting"...

A little more progress today - the sides are mounted onto the top. I'm sure you don't need walked through how to drill and countersink some holes, but I did come up with some clamping gymnastics to keep the sides in place while I drilled the pilot holes... Used an offcut from when I made the sides to create a flat opposing side for the clamp to grip. Had to slide them along because my clamps aren't big enough to take the full height. Anyway, pilot holes successfully drilled and screws tightened up and... I was going to glue and screw the sides on but honestly with three screws per side it feels plenty solid as is. So next thing is deciding on a finish (probably just blast it with a few coats of clear lacquer that I already have), maybe doing a back panel to hide the gubbins, and getting hold of some low profile feet or something else non slip. Got my velcro tape this afternoon so we're almost there.

I doubt you'll find something off the shelf specifically for the Sire, and I also doubt very much that any Fender one will be a perfect fit. My advice would be to get the original cloned - Brian Pillans on ebay (username earlpilanz - https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/earlpilanz) will see you right. You send him your original, he returns them both. He did a bang up job for my G&L Tribute LB-100, absolutely flawless 1:1 copy which fitted exactly and took me from this: To this: Other pickguard cloners are available, but I was very happy with the service and results.

Of course, I can't pinpoint where I gathered this info/lore, but I was always led to believe that you set your preamp gain high enough that the clip light just gets tickled when you play your loudest/heaviest. I take it that's BS then?

Right, it's dodgy because it's Mexican made. Jesus wept. EDIT - In case anyone was wondering, I'm being super sarcastic towards the sales person in the shop. A bad instrument is a bad instrument, doesn't matter a jot where it was made.

I'm never the same bass twice so this policy would be unachievable. Just as well I'm of the opinion that all my basses are "bassy"

How are you going to try it if they aren't allowed to open it? Whoever wrote/said clearly wasn't thinking clearly/rationally at the time...

So - how did they photograph it in the first place? I've only ever had to deal with their CS once, I bought a cheapy bass from them but the fingerboard was delaminating from the rest of the neck at the nut. Returned and refunded without issue.

I effin' hate plunge routers. I hate my cheapo one even more - no soft start so it just goes from zero to finger removal in about half a second and jerks the whole machine so you need to get in position and switch it on before you push it down. Anyway, as usual it took longer to prepare the router (needed oiled as the plunger mechanism was sticking, then inserting and tightening up the cutter, then offering up the piece and setting the depth), and prepare to cut (clamping straight edge as a fence to push the router along, clamping to the workbench, checking with the router off to see everything lines up). Then the cut's done in about a minute. Then tidying up, dismantling, putting stuff away. Slot's a bit wonky, haven't done any routing in ages so the start's a bit bobbly and I hit a knot near the end which also put the router off slightly but TL:DR, it's done... Guess I'm gonna screw and glue the end pieces on now...

Thank you for that overwhelming endorsement of my dubious practical talents!

I had one of their RedSub amps as my main amp for nearly 12 years. No complaints here.

Isn't it obvious? Most bassists don't have a good word to say about Gibson. They are by and large considered a joke. Even when they were trying (and releasing some fine and interesting basses), not many people were taking them seriously. Any rose-tintedness we employ now because Dirnt and Novoselic used 'em is because when Dirnt and Novoselic were using them it's because they were the bass equivalent of the clearance bin CD and they were able to pick them up for relative peanuts, not because they had a great affinity with the brand. The jig was up the moment they released the retconned EB-1 back in 1953 (I mean look at it versus the '51 Precision) and have been considered to not quite "get it" ever since. Honestly, I'd rather Gibson stopped this token gesture BS and just leave Epiphone to it when it comes to bass.

Hi, we're Gibson. Are you a bassist? Just kidding, we don't care.

If you've already got all the parts by the close of play on 31st December, then you won't be buying any new gear, so it's all good. If you forget something, and have to buy it subsequently then it kinda depends what it is - pickups, tuners and bridges are probably "gear", trivial/consumable stuff like wire, solder or cans of lacquer arguably aren't "gear" (at least not specifically). Buying to replace broken/defective/worn/stolen stuff is OK, but it has to be direct replacement as near as possible - if your Behringer BDI21 dies and you go buy a Sansamp - that's a major upgrade and therefore cheating. If you bought another Behringer BDI21, fair dos. Unsolicited gifts are ok. In the end, it's just a bit of fun, we're all on our honour, you're welcome to ask for an adjudication, should you participate.

I had a successful (albeit rule testing and adjudication required) 2022. This year was a case of "eff it, I'm worth it". Next year, I think I can go without again.

Ahh well, now that I use more than two pedals when I'm out giggling, I decided to sort out a pedalboard. I could buy one, of course, but I found some scrap wood lying around and thought "something to do over the holidays?" So of course I make things more complicated for myself than necessary and make angled side pieces. Just put my power supply on one of the side pieces to mark the height then eyeballed the angle to cut. Used a scrap piece of wood as a guide and got sawing... Then I used the cut piece as a guide to cut a copy... There's a slight generational difference between copies (like less than a mm) but it's close enough for amateur hour/school woodwork class, so I put it together and it actually sits flat, no rocking! I'm not glueing/screwing it together yet - am going to make holes (or slots) in the top for the power leads to come through first. That's enough for one evening. More news when it comes!

Presumably those volume pots are 25K, not 250K or more? Active EMGs use 25K pots for volume. I see the tone one appears to be a 25K, can't see any reason why the other two wouldn't be 25K but thought I'd ask.

I'm going to do the gear abstinence thing for 2024 - got a good rig, a backup amp, a decent selection of basses and I'm not really into pedals beyond tuner/comp/overdrive so I think I'll cope.

Ahh yes, the other, often overlooked role of the bass player in a band - "band parent/guardian"

I like and enjoy playing all my basses by various metrics so for me there is no underclass of bass in my collection - I happily gig any of my basses. Any that I wouldn't gig, I move on.

It was a gift, so what does it matter? I got gifted a bass two years ago - unprompted gift, didn't count, participation continued.

Why? They only notice me if I flub something or stop playing...