bass_dinger

These two Washburn XB925 basses just came up after I did a Reverb search - the connection with Def Leppard, and the band memorabilia, explains the asking price, totalling £38,000 https://reverb.com/uk/item/76161223-rick-savage-s-def-leppard-storyteller-washburn-xb925-5-string-bass-guitar-rs-2024-authenticated https://reverb.com/uk/item/73216015-rick-savage-s-def-leppard-washburn-xb925-st-george-s-cross-5-string-bass-guitar-plus-signed-touring-collection-iconic-rs-5019

I find myself drawn to his technique. He has very minimal movement - just his fingers, which is probably all that he needs to move. Economy of motion, for sure.

A year has passed... That's time for Crafter to release another Anniversary model, and for you to have perhaps found one of the missing guitars from earlier in the series. Any updates? I am curious!

Even Mrs Dinger laughed, and she isn't on Basschat!

I played acoustic guitar in church this morning, for the first time in 25 years. To my utter surprise, it was okay. Better than okay - it was fun. I had positive comments from others in the band, and was told that I added to the music. I played second guitar - so, me on capo 7 or capo 5, with the other guitar on capo 0. I might try again - certainly I was not discouraged.

I am trying to work out the scale. Surely it must be a dinky little 4×8" combo and a 4×6" cab? Because if it's a 4×12" combo and a 4×10" cab, then it's a weapons-grade set-up - and "how firm a foundation " is no longer the first line of a hymn, but a description of your playing! Well done - next week, a 2×15" cab too?

Did it sound as good as the lineup suggests!?

My patience ran out after about 15 seconds- or, in terms of the video, 30 changes of shot. What's with the flashing lights? The Leg Model auditioning for a workout video? "Melvin Pierce. Smooth music. Annoying visuals."

This is an 8cm logo, whereas mine is the 6 ½cm version (shown here on the chopped off headstock). I will contact Washburn and see what they have, but will also consider the one on ebay, given that it is so close in size. In other news, I contacted the previous owner of both basses, and asked him if he could help me to source the strings. https://lordofthestrings.com/en/bass/electric/5-string/sit-strings-nrl5-45120l-silencer-nickel-semi-flat-bass-strings.html https://gitaarsnaren.nl/bas-gitaar/5-snarige-bas-gitaar-sets/sit-strings-nrl5-45120l-silencer-nickel-semi-flat-bass-strings.html

Well, that was unexpected. At 2.30 I dropped off three basses at the luthier - this thread's XB925, to ask them to price up the work; another XB925 with a stripped strap button screw, which needed a dowel in the screw hole; and a friend's Fender with the strings flat on the fretboard. The Fender needed a truss rod adjustment (5 minutes, 5 quid), done on the spot. I took that bass back home, went to the osteopath, visited my dad, and at 5.30 called to ask when I could pick up the bass that needed the dowel. "It’s already done. £10" And the other bass? "We priced up the respray, inserted 4 ferrules into the neck, reinstalled the bridge, cut the nut, did a trial fit of all the bits..." Happily, the total cost is very acceptable, and I want them to do the rebuild and the setup - I am very pleased with their previous work. As for the respray, the luthier will get someone called Toby (Diggins?) at T Dog customs to do it on their behalf. Suddenly, I need the Washburn logo and the S.I.T strings!

The world's longest New Bass Day continues - had I known, I would have posted this in Build Diaries! A few people have confirmed that the neck-to-body gap is negligible, and acceptable. I am currently researching options for the finish, which will be paid for by the sale of another bass guitar, or two. I am drawn to local luthiers, simply because the idea of posting a bass guitar in a case makes me nervous. I had an interesting comment from one luthier, about the saddle. The solid lump of metal may not be to replace a lost adjustable saddle. It may be designed as a high-mass, high-surface-area saddle designed to maximise tone transferral. In other news, I need strings. My other bass has a 5 string set of SIT Silencer half round strings, 40 to 120. Where can I buy them in the UK? Or should I try another brand of half-rounds? Finally, I am missing the Washburn logo, which needs to be 2 ½" long. I may not bother, if it proves too difficult or time-consuming to source. I am feeling that the end is in sight, and I will soon be playing a fretless bass.

Scooby Don't is what I am seeing....

".... so, apparently, some bassists use foam mutes to give a old-school sound. They say that you can use one of those sponges used for washing the dishes. But when I went into kitchen, we only had a brush used for washing the dishes ....."

@Nice Guy Rich looking at your facial expression, I would say that you are wearing what amounts to A Bassist's Smile! Well done for making the move, and for landing in a smaller band too - always my own preference.

I have a set, via a Behringer P16 mixer. They are great for all the sounds, apart from the B string first 5 frets, when I dig in for impact. At that point, the sound distorts, which limits my playing. It also struggles to block out the sound of the drums, which in my church are too close, and too loud. However, everyone else finds them great to use, and I would recommend them - just not for my own application

Is the beard good for metal?

If it's Buyer Collects, that would put me right off buying the item! 😉 Unless, of course, you have a very short front garden, and a gate that I can easily jump over....

This is what I should be aiming for, I now see. No band leader wants an argument. Instead, they want supportive capable people that will turn up and get the job done. I find that the most difficult aspect about being in a band is to care, but not to mind, about the others.

I like the message that you are conveying here - the life of a bassist is so fast-moving and exciting, that we may be called upon to dep for a gig midway through cutting our nails! Snip snip snip snip ... Ring ring. Blues in E, 15 times? I'll be right there...

On reflection, I too was once That Person without the necessary kit. I distinctly remember being given a battery about 15 years ago, and having cables that crackled like a short wave radio in a thunder storm. As a result, I have realised that life is better with backups and spares.

I am enjoying the stories of others - clearly, it's not just me! However, what I am struggling to understand is why others don't turn up with the necessary spare kit. Surely it is necessary to bring spares to enable one to be sure of playing.

That's unusual - a guitarist wanting to tune up. As for my Bass Case, I only have it because I was previously forgetting stuff. By putting everything in one place, it was easier to store at home, and would guarantee that when I picked it up, I would have everything that I needed. Tuner. Spanners. Screwdrivers. Battery. Capo. Guitar strings. Mandolin strings. Electric guitar strings. Contact cleaner spray. Swiss Army Knife. Everything that I need - but it turns out that the people who need it are the clowns with whom I play. As @lemmywinks said, I am becoming the band dad. That's great all the while I am helping the band out of an emergency. But it only became an emergency because they didn't plan for the eventuality of (say) a flat battery, or, oooh, the possibility that they might want to strum the guitar that they bought with them. Thinking back, I have needed five batteries before or during a gig. Two for me, which made me always have them with me. And three for other band members who think that the time to change the battery is 5 minutes after it fails. So far, it hasn't cost me much - three batteries from Pound-U-Love or whatever, is not going to break the bank. But it does show me that I am working with people who think that winging it is a lifestyle choice...

Sunday's gig was a record for providing stuff for other band members to use. I did not bring it for others - it is all my stuff, for me to use. I used a Philips screwdriver to tighten up my own strap button. But the drummer said "are there any headphones?" I had a set The electric guitarist asked for a plectrum. I had a dozen. The acoustic guitarist was complaining that his battery was faulty (it was 5 ½ years old), and I had bought a spare for my bass the day before. So, I handed it over. The electric guitarist asked for a cable extension for his IEMs. I had two. 5 items needed - only one by me, and four by others. I take the view that, if the other band members can't play, then I would be playing on my own - and I don't want that. However, I am wondering why the need for headphones, batteries, and a plectrum, took other musicians by surprise... Gentle rant over. I was happy to be able to help.

I have a bass tool kit, which contains nail clippers, pliers and a metal file. The pliers and a metal file are a backup for the nail clippers.

Too late, already! For myself, I felt your frustration at your previous church's serial incompetence. Even after you told them the problem, and they said that they would change, you were still mistreated. Enjoy your new setup, play bass as much as you can, and don't mind too much if it goes wrong occasionally.