Kiwi

Yeah, its not bad for a spalted top, this Spector has a much less scooped sound than the Smiths, it could be a serious contender for replacement as in someways its easier to hear on stage and just as growly. Adding the u-retro was a good thing too - the mids are nice and controllable. However the body does feel cramped on my rather generous frame and my Shuker is supposed to be finished by next weekend...

Update - haven't put shots of the Shuttle and EBS rig in here yet: Spector Euro 6 with a customised U-retro preamp or the Unibass

Given you're in first, I'll send you the Level 42, Police and Python vid. Carlos is in there for the Peter Jackson films if he wants them but I haven't heard any confirmation from him yet. Re: neck wood, both wenge and maple are good, I have both in my custom shuker. The balance between them depends on how much attack you would like in the upper reaches of the fingerboard. I really like the attack of maple in the upper end but wanted some of the wenge low-mid growl, so the proportions of maple and wenge in the headless shuker is in favour of maple.

I'd agree that a dead straight neck is ok, however if the frets aren't completely level then you'll end up getting fret buzz. What concerns me is the lack of an effective truss rod. If the neck is dead straight, that would suggest its resisting the string tension quite effectively. So the question in my mind is whether the truss rod has been over-tightened? The neck shim is a good idea too, the neck angle could be adjusted to bring the strings closer to the neck at the heel end. I personally love the microtilt feature on my stingray but once set its no problem to forget.

Definitely have a word with a luthier if you have very specific requirements, I suspect you might get change out of £1500 quid for that basic spec too. For me the compromise has always been in favour of tone. I own a couple of basses that I don't get around that easily on but if you have decent finger strength (and I play usually with a light touch) then you can take the instrument by the proverbial scruff of the neck and play it a little more assertively than usual to get the tone needed. But whether you can be arsed doing that is obviously up to you.

[quote name='overwater#1' post='304216' date='Oct 10 2008, 10:53 PM']Ahh, damn! I keep meaning to order a copy of the Level 42 @ Wembley... I have half of it on a dodgy old casette my Dad recorded probably 20 years ago which sounds terrible!! Would like to see the rest one day.. Il order it from Amazon I wouldn't mind the Python's though..... Cheers, Best wishes Steve.... Oh and.. Im picking up some of that Spalted Beech this weekend I think!! [/quote] Well Matt, the Level 42 vid isn't taken if you want it. I'll chuck in the Police and Python vid in for nothing too if you like. It would be great to see some pics of that beech if/when you have the time too!

[i]"Here is the deal. One years gross will get you the brand name, patterns to 70 basses, the website wishbass.com. my customer files and a course in how to make instruments my way. I think one person could make about 200 basses a year, you see what they sell for. I make a little over a hundred a year, myself. This would be a great opportunity for a mechanically inclined person who has a real desire to work for themselves."[/i] We could all chip in and buy the company together. We need someone who is 'mechanically minded' though. I can bash things with a hammer if that helps...?

Could you clarify what the problem you're dealing with here? Is the action too high? The neck too bowed? Or the neck at the wrong angle to the body?

[quote name='Soulfinger' post='201985' date='May 19 2008, 10:44 AM']How about Seasick Steve?[/quote] I heard him for the first time tonight. OMG he's awesome. Seriously. There's a purity to his playing and a total lack of pretention. That, and I can't believe how good he can make a 3 string guitar sound.

well if Smith basses aren't his taste t'aint my problem...

I was in the Met Bar on Park Lane once and saw him on the pull. I thought he looked a bit creepy.

No but tell you what, I'll throw in Bad Taste for nothing. Special deal, one time only for you, because I like yer 'tache and I can't say fairer than that.

Up for grabs is: Level 42 - Live At Wembley This is Spinal Tap Police - Synchronicity tour plus I also have a few Peter Jackson films: The Frighteners Bad Taste Braindead Meet the Peebles and also Monty Pythons 'Now For Something Completely Different'. Can send for the cost of postage.

Gumtree's owned by Ebay I think this bass has been discussed elsewhere already and I think Waynepunkdude might even have actually purchased it.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='303390' date='Oct 9 2008, 10:42 PM']Actually that classic line was played on a Fender Precision with fresh roundwounds - spank that P! Alex[/quote] Yes you're absolutely right, and I knew that but didn't check my typing before pressing the post button.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='303338' date='Oct 9 2008, 09:19 PM']Lots to choose from. Your bass and how you play it matters more though! Alex[/quote] I agree. Typical disco era basses were just the popular instruments of the time, ie. most of Leo Fenders designs - Fender Precision w/flats, eg. If Ya Think I'm Sexy (Rod Stewart), Fatback band tracks Fender Jazz w/flats, eg. Forget Me Nots (Patrice Rushen), some Abba tracks Musicman Stingray w/roundwounds, eg. many Chic and Brothers Johnson tracks. Louis Johnson had a very bright zingy sound whereas Bernard often had very dead strings. plus occasionally an Alembic would get used eg. Blame It On The Boogie (Jackson 5). Amp wise, Acoustic, Fender, Musicman and Ampeg would have probably been favoured. Acoustic were solid state and the rest were valve powered. Solid state back then were very expensive to mass produce. It wasn't until the advent of mass manufacturing developed for the computer industry that solid state amps became a lot more affordable. Cab wise there wasn't anything specifically disco either but HF horns weren't around then. So cabs would include 4x12 (eg. Fender), 2x15 (eg. Acoustic folded design) or 8x10 (eg. Ampeg). I'm not sure about how popular 4x10's were back then. Maybe some of the members who were gigging around then would like to chip in too?

[quote name='walbassist' post='303056' date='Oct 9 2008, 02:50 PM']Wise words as usual CK, you old sage you.....[/quote] You got the old bit right

[quote name='walbassist' post='302976' date='Oct 9 2008, 01:35 PM']It's just starting to look like the original Alembic MK Signature bass now, which looked like the Jaydee Supernatural....[/quote] Hehe, wasn't the original Jaydee designed to look like an Alembic? I agree about the body shape but I personally prefer wide bodied basses. Small bodied basses feel too cramped.

I'm slowly growing used to the idea of a 6'er even though I'm on my third. I don't like the extra wide fingerboard but I do like the additional freedom the extra C string gives me. I can even attempt to play chords! I'm far from being any kind of session monster.

Drunk In Charge of Keyboard ?

That bass really is sex on a stick, and I'm not just saying that because its a Fodera. The body shapes of some of their basses really push my button. How about two Smith BSR5's in trade?

[quote name='timloudon' post='302509' date='Oct 8 2008, 08:22 PM']It was put to me thus by my live production tutor (I live in Leeds): [i]'If you look at the gig listing for any given night, there's a good 20 to 30 bands playing. There are plenty of venues, but the thing that's thin on the ground are punters. People simply can't go and see that many bands in one night, and since there's rising costs of living they are less likely to spend the time and money going to see a new band at a small venue.'[/i] This of course means that smaller venues simply aren't making the money. I've been told that Joseph's Well no longer exists for this reason, along with a few others. It also means that bigger venues or bands are charging big money for tickets. For example, I saw that Extreme are playing at the new Carling Academy, but the tickets were listed on one website at £70! I'm as much a fan of 80s hair metal as the next guy, but I'm not sure I could fork out that much.[/quote] Well I don't know about Mr Joe Public but if I wanted a live music night out and had the choice of £70 to see an international early 90's act or an entertaining local act for a fiver I think I'd know what represented the best value for money.

That looks nasty, I'd hope Sandberg at least give you the dignity of a reply. If not, drop me a PM and I'll try to "facilitate" the communication process.

so Series II 5 strings were made?