Kiwi

You can find luthier species in a lot of places, its incredibly important to make sure the stuff is dried properly or work may end up cupping, delaminating and/or twisting.

Don't forget Level 42. Funny, I never thought of Propaganda as edgy and I've had their album a Secret Wish for decades.

I dunno, one person's boredom can so easily be another's nuance. I agree both of them are great song writers. They wrote pop and I guess that won't appeal to some. For anyone into being rebellious music or testing boundaries, they're both about as edgy as Dire Straits or Four Play. But maybe they didn't need to push boundaries in order to express themselves. Pop music has never really pushed boundaries - or it wouldn't be popular.

If you need grunt, the GK RB700 is hard to beat. I had two but just check the castors before you buy. The rubber tyres kept disintegrating on mine and were replaced under guarantee multiple times.

You probably want to start with a treble booster into the LT drive, guitarists like Tim Pierce have even used a Boss GE7 (graphic equaliser) as a boost - which makes a lot of sense given it's possible to select very precisely which frequency bands to boost into compression and which to leave clean for definition. Then see if you need another overdrive pedal but what overdrive will really depend on how much gain and compression you want and whereabouts in the frequency spectrum you want it to go. Tube screamer clones and Marshall Guv'nors are popular but opposite in terms of how they treat mids. The Tube screamer boosts mids and thickens things up which is great for pretty much anything, the Guv'nor cuts the mids which evens things up when using smaller speakers that have more prominent mids (around 600hz) or for very particular sounds (like AC/DC). Nobels ODR are also fantastic budget pedals - great, natural sounding overdrive that cleans up nicely when the volume is rolled off. [url="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nobels-ODR-1-Natural-Overdrive-Guitar-Pedal-/292049462664?"]http://www.ebay.com/...-/292049462664?[/url] If it were me, I'd get an ODR and a tube screamer...maybe get rid of the Blackstar...

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1488792223' post='3251697'] Everyone is different. I saw Nathan East, one of my favourite bassists, at GAK and he had a very even and light playing style. Every note was perfect even when he was messing about. When I saw Victor Wooten at DV247 his playing style was very "agricultural". It was a surprise to me how rough he was when playing. Almost attacking the bass. [/quote] lol I once watched Jonas Hellborg demo EBS amps and the way he grabbed at his instrument could only be described as feral. His hands were grasping at the strings like they were pulling out entrails.

In my experience at least, it's not possible to get low action on all basses because wood isn't a very consistent material. Even in expensive instruments there can be inconsistencies in the fingerboard (s -curves, slight twists, humidity changes etc.) that are barely noticable to the naked eye but enough to rob the action of a mm. In mass manufactured instruments there's also the issue of frets that aren't seated properly that flex under the load of a sanding beam. Basses I've found with consistently low action tend to have very rigid necks like Status, Alembic, Steinberger, Pedulla Buzz series and Vigier. The frets are solidly seated and the neck curves consistently under tension, so its relatively easy to dress the necks well. Whether someone likes the sound of a super rigid neck is another thing because they tend to be brighter and less forgiving of poor technique. Some manufacturers like Smith deliberately soften their necks a little to dampen the highs a little but it makes the necks less rigid and less able to provide low action. Lowest action I've ever played was a Status Series 2000. It felt like the strings had been glued to the fingerboard. But my Alembic gets pretty close.

I used to tease my wife with this [media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKOiO7-2oCk[/media] But then I remembered this and surely there is no contest! [media]https://www.youtube....h/?v=xXMrDu7374Y[/media] It's so bad it's not even funny.

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1488315490' post='3247897'] People in York have taken to the streets. [/quote] In China too, people throwing themselves under tanks left right and centre in moral outrage. In a couple of cases, they accidentally stole tanks after a hilarious misunderstanding and were later forced to throw themselves under by state officials to protect the nation from moral turpitude.

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1488280806' post='3247448'] Thanks for the update It's a great looking design and build and the learning points you raise bode very well for the future ones. Improvement on something that's pretty darned good to start off with is well worth following - can't wait [/quote] Thanks for the reply! I know it took a while to complete the instrument but I'm surprised by the lack of other replies.

[attachment=239314:20170228_172845 - Copy (2).jpg] OK so now I've lived with it for 5 months, probably time for an update. I fitted the headstock string clamp and it works but it still isn't elegant. I looked into designing an alternative but the main issue is the angle of the fixing screws for the headstock cap aren't parallel to the fingerboard. Designing a headpiece that is more substantial to provide clearance for string clamping screws is going to be a problem. At the moment the clearance isn't needed because the string clamp is detachable. On the whole though, while the honeymoon phase has worn off, I'm still really happy with it. Things I like most are: 1) The sound. It's got a really lovely, articulate mid range purr/honk thanks to the body design and wood choices. The pickups are pretty neutral so capture lows and highs in equal measure. The graphite neck also adds an authority to the lows that is missing from the wooden necked basses I own but lacks any brittleness 2) The playability. The graphite neck allows very low, fast action (which also adds to the purr) and there are no dead spots. I use reasonably light gauge strings (035-120 which are getting increasingly hard to find) and the whole package of neck and strings lends precision to how the instrument feels when played. The chambered body is also nicely resonant and the whole instrument feels very alive - I'm looking forward to the day when I can play the instrument at stage volume just to test how the amp and instrument interact with one another. Surprises: 1) The hidden tuner system won't be to everyone's taste but I've found it surprisingly usable despite the lack of finger room. 2) The neck pickup also gets really close to the sound of a 5-string Stingray - more by accident than design. 3) The bass really doesn't need the active electronics. I've achieved my objectives for how the bass sounds just in the construction alone and it sounds great passive. 4) The edge binding is very practical - helps absorb all sorts of slight taps and knocks. I'd definitely put binding in on future instruments. 5) The B string is phenomenal. Very focussed, clear and full without sounding muddy in the slightest. Things I would change: I won't say the instrument is perfect! There's a bit of a clanger in the balance of the instrument when seated thanks to the location of the bottom horn that I really should have checked and picked up during the design stage. It's not head stock heavy enough (needs another 250-300g) and tends to slide off the knee. But on a strap it feels really nice - weighs in at 3.8kg. I like wide body basses too but this bass is perhaps a smidgen too wide, my arm can start to feel a little cramped after playing a while. So perhaps I'd reduce the width by 10mm on either side as well. At the moment I just keep thinking about what I'm going to do for bass number 2. Spanish cedar is a cheaper substitute for mahogany and has been used in a number of Les Paul tribute guitars to wide acclaim (the Huber Krauster for example). I'm curious about the impact of wenge on the sound - should fatten it up a little but it's not clear how much is needed. Also need to think about whether to go with Moses necks again given the lack of string-clamping headstock and the problem with lining up the pre-drilled bolt holes. We'll have to see what the future holds.

In all honesty Bass -> Amp -> Speaker unless there are particular song requirements If bass synth (or fretless) was being used for a song, I'd need to bring a lot more.

I don't gig these days so the set up below isn't performance tested. Bass wise I reach for my self-build first these days. I'm so happy with how it turned out (although the body shape needs a slight tweak to improve the balance). It's very articulate, feels great and is very versatile tonally. Second to that currently is the Status Series 1 5 string. The Spector NS5CR would normally be no. 2 but it's currently with Mr Shuker getting more customisations. The Pentabuzz and Stingray are with me for when I'm in the mood for something different. The Alembic Series 1 and Shuker Headless are in storage. Current signal chain is mostly based around bass synth otherwise I would just have a compressor and nothing else. First up the EBS Microbass allows two basses to plug in otherwise I wouldn't need it. An Effectrode PC2A compressor sits in the EBS effects loop to fatten things up a little. The signal then goes into a Panda Future Impact bass synth and then an Empress Parametric 3 band, customised for a notched narrow midrange band to focus the mids. After that the signal goes to a Zoom B3 for delay and pitchshift and then to two GB Shuttle 6 amps. Each amp shoves 380w at 8 ohm into a fEARless F112. For more volume I could do both cabs at 4 ohm in mono and tap 600w but the current set up is overkill for home use as it is. Other stuff: Two Burman Pro4000 heads, for vintagey goodness and a Trace Elliot Hexavalve just...because. I still have a couple of lexicon mpxg2 rack multi effects that I'm figuring out what to do with. Will definitely use one at least for guitar although I'm amassing a collection of pedals on that side too. :/

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1488119277' post='3245975'] Until last September, I worked for a subcontractor deeply embedded within a global-Chinese telecom business. While you want to come across on a forum as understanding and politically correct, sadly I can't on this matter. I found the environment not unlike being beamed onto a Borg cube; a hive mindset where you really only have two choices when working with them; their way or not your way. Pleasant enough to your face (or if you're lucky enough to engage with one of them alone, away from the nest), I found them wholly untrustworthy in business and despite assurances during meetings, they would deny everything and do the opposite of what they'd agreed to do. I won't go into their toilet habits or the constant hawking up and flobbing into plant pots. Oh, sorry. I did. [/quote] LOL, yeah as a culture they are generally not as empathic as the English - particularly the men and particularly in the rural areas have a very difference understanding of privacy and body functions. Everyone I know who has visited China comes back with a nasty food story and a nasty toilet story, too. While you don't mention whether you're referring to colleagues or clients, I've encountered exactly the same attitudes as you. Culturally what the group you belong to think of you is more important to your Chinese peers than what your skills or experience are - a big difference to western culture. What you witnessed was politics at the interpersonal level taking precedent over everything else and because you weren't part of the group, what you thought or said didn't carry as much weight - regardless of whether you were right or not. Everyone in business (who is at least working) has an angle they're playing and for some, gamesmanship (seeing what they can get away with) is actually a hobby. You may have also heard of the term 'guang xi'. To some in the west, its a euphemism for bribery and corruption but really it's about relationship management - doing favours for each other to build respect, trust and influence. Group think is strong here and people will even do things that compromise the quality of an outcome if it helps them all feel better about each other (a bit like an incompetent local government middle manager). While I was working here 15 years ago as a consultant - we basically had to assume clients would act in bad faith and prepare in advance, like withholding the documents and drawings until our invoice was paid in full. Once they knew we had outmaneuvered them, butter wouldn't melt in their collective mouths. I also had a situation last year that cause me to lose a significant sum of money after the concerns I'd repeatedly raised about the general manager of a business I'd invested in were dismissed. I was told I didn't know how things were done in China. Unfortunately late last year the company went about as close to bankruptcy as its possible to get without collapsing specifically because of the concerns I'd raised. Suffice to say I was incandescent with rage and pointed out that while I didn't have a detailed knowledge of Chinese business culture, things go wrong exactly the same way all over the world when there is inadequate risk management and autocratic leadership with delusions of grandeur. The problem with knowledge in this situation wasn't my lack of it but their unwillingness to address the issues and by the time they did address the issues it was too late. I still have a share in the company, my stake has gone up from 10% to 50% and the business has been pivoted into a different sector. The value of the company is still near zero though. You may have also heard of the term 'guang xi'. To some in the west, its a euphemism for bribery and corruption but really it's about relationship management - doing favours for each other to build respect, trust and influence within a group. But often without good leadership or management, the groups will either wander off target or they will work in their own interests rather than the agreed goals. It sounds like you had a first hand experience of guang xi. If I was to have provided advice in this situation, I would have suggested bribery - cakes, donuts, gifts from the UK, anything they might welcome that would build your influence. Either that or get yourself some Chinese support from a high place within the company. Where bribery fails, power prevails. I found it just makes me appreciate the honest, trusthworthy types even more than in the UK.

The one I built...I find myself reaching for it without thinking. Has almost exactly the tone I have looked for, feels right and is pretty versatile. I would tweak the body shape a little but apart from that it's the best bass I've ever played.

[quote name='Deedee' timestamp='1487771409' post='3242655'] The very one! I take it you're still not on the same continent as each other? [/quote] That would be correct...goodness knows how I'm going to get it over here unless as hand luggage during my next UK visit. I'm very keen to hear how it compares to my old V8 and Boogie Bass 400+

[quote name='Deedee' timestamp='1460913502' post='3029754'] Well, gave the Hexavalve its first outing last night and it sounded fantastic. Now just to explain, this is my first 'all valve' amp (never even played through one before) so this was a bit of an event for me. It really did have a lovely thick, rich sound. I can now understand what people mean about the difference (and how difficult it is to put into words). I've still got to have a proper play with the EQ to tweak it a little but suffice to say, I'm a very happy bunny [/quote] Nice. I have one too now but have yet to try it out...!

I'm not going to give a model recommendation mainly because there are a lot of good 5 strings out there for very reasonable money and I have about three favourites including one I built. My first 5 string was a Status Groove 5. Great bass but the offset body shape wasn't supportive where I needed it. After that I jumped to a Modulus Quantum, then A Smith BSR5GN and then onto a Spector. Whatever your preference, play one before you buy it and make sure the B string has the same attack as the other strings. I think the key to a good 5 string is a rigid neck so avoid anything with a one piece neck if you can. That doesn't mean all one piece necks are rubbish but the chances of getting a rubbish one are definitely higher for those on a limited budget, especially with dead spots and wonky fingerboards. Yamaha are pretty reliable if you avoid the cheapest models and you might like to consider Status or one of those Overwater by Tanglewood models too. Korean made Tobias Toby Pro basses are fantastic value second hand and only an electronics upgrade from a pro spec instrument.