uk_lefty

I meant to write this a while ago but time slipped by. I often moan about couriers but wanted to be positive (which is far less entertaining but possibly more useful!). Manson's guitars in Exeter are brilliant. I first came across them when down that way visiting the in-laws and since then have bought from them quite a few times. I recently ordered a new strap for my Washburn headless. Manson's sell Right-On straps which are "vegan leather" straps that look awesome, are comfy to wear, and are really durable. A few times now in the last few years I've called and asked if they could get me straps that they don't have in stock. I ordered one recently and knowing it was likely coming from Spain I was OK with the wait. They kept in touch, apologised profusely - though it's not their fault, so I replied to that email saying words to the effect "no worries, I don't expect it to be quick in the current climate" and when the strap arrived I had a lovely hand written note thanking me for my patience. The personal touch really makes it. All round top service.

That's up there with "Chester drawers"

In an exit interview from an awful job I cited the HR Director continually saying "Pacifically" as I reason I couldn't work there any more. If that's their calibre of board members, I'm out.

It would be a tough choice between those... Don't rule out a Japanese Fender either (sorry, that wasn't helpful!!)

Not quite that... I put together my first ever bitsa earlier this year: PJ body custom ordered, fender precision neck, Wilkinson hardware, now has DiMarzio pups. There was a LOT of fettling to do and I'm still tinkering with it. This was supposed to be a hobby over the Christmas break, it's now mid June! What I've got is a left handed bass that you can't buy. The Mexican fender neck from 2018 is lovely, really pleased with it. Just note that when you start buying other bits this is where the frustration starts. I bought two necks prior to the Fender, both had either issues or just plain didn't fit the pocket snug. Basic "fender spec" hardware parts sometimes have ever so slightly wider and/ or longer screws so you can end up having to carefully drill out a bit more or hear cracking noises when you're screwing something in. I'm even on my 3rd set of knobs for this bass just to get a decent fit (check the knobs in the photo, they just had to go). You'll need Mexican fender tuners because they're an odd measurement and even fender replacement spec tuners don't quite fit (luthier had to grind some metal off my Wilkinson so that they all fit... But I wanted black tuners so that's the price I pay). All in all if you're trying to recreate the US Fender but from parts I'd look at it the other way and go for an American neck with Mex body, but that's just me. Also, you may never quite get the bass right, so for £800 you may not be getting something any better than a £650 Mexican bass that has a returns policy with the shop and a resale value later. I've sunk so much time, money and effort in to my Bitsa I should have bought a Mexican P bass and had it modified to add DiMarzio PJ pups. Quicker, cheaper and more saleable. Having said all that, I'm the only person in the world with this bass and it sounds phenomenal and looks pretty good too, I think.

I have a little Harley Benton space saver tuner on my board. I don't need it as such because I can use the tuner on my HX but I like having the instant mute switch with the tuner there and, when I set it up correctly, it will free up another valuable button on my Helix to do something else useful. I did a wedding gig last year with space at a premium and couldn't even have a tuner out so I use the free Boss tuning app on my phone and just didn't tweak tuning unless I heard something was off. One massive irritance for me, even in rehearsal, is guitarists who have to check their tuning all the bl00dy time. Either you've got hardware issues on your guitar or you're fussing over something. A guitar or bass should hold its tune for more than one song.

I love the design of that Yamaha, it would fit in to almost any setting. 80s futuristic! The fitted case looks special too. My Hohner B2A came with a rectangular fitted case. It was like a vinyl fake leather with the Hohner logo where the bar across the H extended through the whole word, representative of the stick bass inside the case. But the best 80s kitsch thing about it? It didn't have clasps. Oh no. It had a zip!!!

I've always been amazed that there wasn't one here. If you start one up I'll be first in the queue!

This would be easier... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002GOHDEO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_JT3J914FNXSA958ZSPJ4 My guitarist uses this kind of thing, OK its another thing to forget to take to a gig but you don't have to modify your amp for it.

"custom" = (1) I saw this on an expensive ad once, (2) I put a sticker on it "hand made" = I'm sure someone touched it "rare" = I challenge you to find any other Encore guitar or bass anywhere! "first to see will buy" = look, I'm desperate to get rid of this "if you're reading this then you know..." = I don't know "selling for a friend" = not my responsibility if it's stolen "plays like butter" = I saw this on a Fender ad once "plays like I can't believe it's not butter" = Squier "modified" = repaired (badly) "from a smoke and pet free home" = my dogs and cats don't smoke "buckle rash" = I'm careless "never gigged" = I can't get in a band, check how knackered the neck is from me not knowing how to tune "recent set up" = once set up at some point in time. Maybe "collection only from Liverpool" = stolen

I live very close to TheGreek and my bands tend to rehearse in Stevenage or Hertford. One of the bands has a good relationship with the guy who runs the Practice Roomz and he has set us up with some good gigs in the past. Baldock is a good town for gigging with its festival and I used to play regularly at the White Lion. There's plenty of pubs around and about that do "festivals" in summer, Todd in the Hole just outside Stevenage being a good big one, and a lot of community based ones too in Stevenage, Royston, etc. Plenty of action but you need to work to get it and it's not always paid (anybody who wants to debate that point please go back to any of the multiple threads on the topic). Terry Chapman in Stevenage is great for set ups and neck repairs. I've taken him all kinds of carp that I've bought off ebay and he's brought it to life for me.

@rushbo totally agree, especially multiplying out the number of things that can go wrong! I've had pedals that always worked fine suddenly overload everything with gain and noise once gigging, also had my guitarists board mess up during a gig and had to fill the silence while he tried to locate the problem. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong, including some things you never ever thought of!

I like that take on the J, lovely!

Oh my....

I understand you! I had a 300w Ashdown combo, but a cheap Toneman one. It did 500w I think with an added cab. It never struggled but where I had the option to DI to a PA I always did.

Never even knew there was one in St Albans! Have always used Hertford, Practice Roomz Stevenage or sometimes WGC.

Don't know anything about the Laneys unfortunately but Ashdown RM Combos, and by default the Original combos, should be very lightweight and powerful. You can also add, or not, an extra cab for extra oomph. Fender Rumbles the same. Probably some good deals out there second hand if you can be patient. Otherwise the TC Electronic heads are being given away and they get good reviews, if you don't have to have a combo.

Or even any realistic offer inside the system when stuff has been hanging about for ages with no buyer! I've had good stuff on there for ages with loads of "can you ship it in a blue box to my hut in Canada so it arrives on a Tuesday?" or "great bass, these are easily worth £1000! I can give you £50..." but few serious offers. Then I listed a Fender and got the market rate same day.

I've done it out of necessity due to stage space and then stuck to it. In my two guitar function/ covers rock band I don't need any effects, a good solid bass sound does the job and I don't really need to tweak it at all during the set. I do, when I can or want to, but I doubt anybody really knows. In a three piece I'm forming I meed effects to make up some of the sonic space and cover for keyboard or synth parts. Thinking about most rock gigs I've been to with Pro bands. The bassist doesn't change between amp and cab sounds in between songs and have different tones and effects all the time. They just have a consistent solid tone with some boost or drive for certain sections, maybe one or two effects used sparingly here and there.

But a jazz bass should sound like a jazz bass. And a very expensive jazz bass should have a refined sound, whether modern hifi ish sound or traditional warm, the bridge pickup should still give you some honk, the tone control should be more than all or nothing. This was my point. Not that I was expecting active electronics, etc etc. I just expected it to be a very good jazz bass in sound as well as looks. Cant remember if I said it straight off but it's the best relic I've ever seen. I do appreciate that takes time, skill, expensive materials. I just wondered why all the effort went in to that and it got sent out not sounding great. Had it sounded fantastic I'd have thought £2,500 was a bit steep for me but understandable. However, without a good sound coming out of it is just wall art.

Especially if you then need to spend £250 on pickups etc to get it sounding right. This is my point really. For the cash that you have to spend, and even for the man hours going in to the build, surely you want it to sound good... I know that's a lot down to the beholder but really!

We stone spectrum DX on ebay. A bit pricey at £250 especially for the condition but anything under or around £200 would be a great deal IMO.

I expect there are some stunning instruments out of the custom shop. My one and only experience left me perplexed, it just didn't have the distinctive jazz bass sound.

Good point. Suppose it depends if they can shift a load of Chinese made entry level stuff with a suitable margin too. I'd bet for every 800w bass head sold there's a significant number more 15-20watt bedroom starter amps sold. I'll need an electric guitar amp soon and I'd always choose a Marshall over anything else because it's Marshall. I'd bet it would be the same in bass terms for a lot of beginners, it's an attractive brand name, distinctive looks, not sure why they didn't keep it going for bassists even with Eden in their stable.