neepheid

Twice in a month? Unheard of! The Inevitable Teaspoons will be playing next Friday night (3rd October) at Drummonds in Aberdeen.

Like me - it's not so much the basses in and of themselves, it's more that I feel like a complete twit when playing one. Appreciate that it's a me problem, not the bass's fault - but I get around it by not playing headless basses. Anyway, this thread is going off the rails in a classic BC kinda way. So how about G&L and their alleged woes, eh?

Aye, be careful what you wish for...

There is no 100% correct bass for everyone. This forum would probably half in size if that were not true...

It's like a vending machine of tones!

All this talk of nut widths reminds me of another sign of decline - I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they reduced the variety of neck options for their made to order basses. If I'm remembering correctly, then that's not a good sign either, is it?

And lots of folks don't... like me.

I'm a big fan of G&L basses. Although I currently only have one (a CLF L-1000) I have owned several Tributes in the past, and they've all been excellent instruments. I only sold them because I was pack shuffling (or fundraising) and figured I could easily buy them again if needs be. Whoops, that might have been a miscalculation, given the information swirling around the internet. Honestly, I've felt in my gut they've been in bother for a while. They gave me the impression that they had retreated to their home market - there has been little to no stock in the UK/EU for many months now (the recent burp in availability of Tributes and a single Fullerton Deluxe bass at GuitarGuitar is an anomaly - trust me, I've been keeping an eye on things). Thomann don't even list G&L as a brand they carry any more. That's a red flag, when your products aren't even listed on presumably Europe's biggest music retailer. Ever since I got introduced to G&L instruments at a bass bash and fell in love with them, I always got this feeling that they were like a "secret owner's club" and "best kept secret" type of outfit. Back in the day, that might have worked in a "when you know, you know" organic kind of way. But these days where if you don't make a loud noise about yourself and your products in a flashy, attention grabbing 10 second short video you're officially a behind the times loser, that just isn't sustainable any more. No-one apart from old farts care about Leo Fender's "DNA" in the instruments. Frankly, even though I am an old fart (in Internet terms at least) I don't give a monkey's about it either, never did. You've got to move with the times, or step aside. I really hoped that after they finally dragged their website into something approaching a modern, contemporary design a couple of years ago that it would signify a shift in focus/attitude but it seems that was only window dressing at best. I hope they pull through. Apart from my direct affection for the brand and its products, from a purely selfish point of view, you know what the second hand market will do with the news that there is suddenly a finite supply of something...

Might be able to borrow some from work...

This great offer keeps coming back - availed myself of it a few weeks back. Don't be put off by the vague delivery times when you place the order - I don't know if they wait until enough orders come in to be able to buy it at the price they need, but in my experience, it starts off being months away and ends up winging your way in a couple of weeks.

Geez, don't give Moog any ideas...

This'll give you a good woody tone...

Oh great, that's what we need - another southerner Only teasing, welcome from the NE arse end of civilization.

Have you played a 32" scale before?

Highlighted the problem for you there

Last night, played The Railway Club in Keith with Nine Lives. Drove through a one minute monsoon on the way there - rain so hard had to slow down because even with the wipers on full speed I couldn't see very well. Then it was done. What a bizarre, angry, and incredibly small pocket of weather! So we get there and get set up - it's an odd place - L shaped, so we are in the bit round the corner from the bar. It has alcohol, we don't. So, as you can imagine, we had only a trickle of folk getting off their backsides and coming round to see us, and a bunch of folk who were quite content to sit round the corner and merely listen. Are people not curious any more? Anyhoo, I frankly don't know how busy it was. We had some people come round for a dance and a singalong, so at least there's that. Got some nice comments afterwards, compliments on our playing and the sound (which surprises me because the first half was a nightmare - just couldn't get the singer loud enough. At half time we swapped out her wireless gear for a good old wired SM58 and things improved greatly - we'll need to investigate that. We played pretty well for all that, and the Neep One got its first live outing and didn't explode/collapse in half/go silent so yay for my dubious luthiery skills? Gear was G&L L-1000 then the Neep One into the cubes of doom.

He does make a lovely cable. A worthy successor to obbm.

Why downgrade?

Prepaid, hopefully... See you soon!

This Saturday, playing with Nine Lives in a tiny place in NE Scotland called Keith, specifically The Railway Club...

Totally feel your stress with the wet sanding thing - I had a hand painted design underneath my clearcoat - no pressure then! Glad it went well, it's looking boss!

I highly doubt you'll find one ready made off the shelf - I would just get the original copied. Either Brian Pillans (earlpilanz on ebay) or Tinytone will do this for you.

Sax player in the 'Spoons doesn't drive (but bless him, he's learning) - I just give him a lift to rehearsals, I'm going anyway. He gets the biscuits in, it's all good.

Thanks! Anything beyond "intentional" is a bonus

According to my callipers, the hex key I have is 0.061" or 1.55mm across the flats, or 0.0675" or 1.71mm at its widest. In a pinch, a T6 Torx might also get in the corners of that hex and turn it, being that it is 0.066"/1.68.mm point to point. We're talking tiny differences here - might work, might not depending on how well made your T6 is.