Maude

You can 100% hear that that was played on a Warwick Vampyre with a maple board.

I suppose it looks a little more traditional than the usual modern single cut style, but that upper horn/bulge/unnecessary lump of ugliness still looks wrong. Out of interest, what is it that makes this a nearly £7k bass? Is the maker that well regarded to command these prices? Surely if you really liked the shape you could get one of the best luthiers to make one using the best materials and hardware for a hell of a lot less than that.

Thanks, it certainly looks very nice. That binding is crazy, in a good way. 👍

On an acoustic there is a balance in shaving body woods down to minimal thickness to enhance resonance against having enough material to be structurally strong. On electrics you take a big slab of wood and cut it to a shape that looks nice. That's why so much is spent trying to amplify an acoustic to try and keep as much of the natural acoustic tone as possible. It's much easier to just stick magnetic pickup on a doublebass and not have to worry about feedback, body noise, etc, but it then usually sounds far more like an electric so most don't do it. The fact it sounds more like an electric and you lose the acoustic qualities surely means you have taken the woods qualities and construction out of the equation. As an aside, out of all of my solid bodied basses, the one that sounds the brightest and has the longest sustain and clarity when played unplugged is my absolute piece of poo, plywood body and neck 70s Kay Les Paul-a-like. It has a darker wood fretboard (I'm sure it's not rosewood) and is brighter than any maple neck I've got. So from those findings, if you want sustain and brightness you need to be looking at plywood body and necks, not fancy woods multi-laminates, just good old cheap ply.

We've just taken another booking for an indoor pub gig on the 14th November. I've no idea what to expect, or if it will even go ahead.

I don't know, I can't see it. Get those pictures up. 😉 Welcome to the forum by the way. 🙂👍

Yeah, that's the biggest problem here. 😉 I like the string tree.

This listing has a picture of where all the measurements are made. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181753653160

Different places give stuff different names but I'd start by searching ebay for 'pan head machine screws'. It's hard to know what size (eg M2) by the picture but maybe buy the cheapest single standard M2 or M3 bolt you can to determine the thread size, and then order four black pan head machine screws in the correct size.

It leaves a bad taste in your mouth 🤢. Or theirs I should say 😄.

Depending on type of bridge, maybe buying a cheap version of the same bridge would be cost effective. Or if you know the thread pitch and diameter just order replacement screws with the correct head, they don't have to be screws for a bass. Pictures would help. 👍

What's wrong with the tradition of using a bottle and lobbing at the band? 🤢

I've just looked it up. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Well, drilling for the string through went well didn't it.

Hang a Magic Tree on the upper strap button. It should waggle about nicely whilst playing and mask the vanilla scent. But don't buy the yellow one. 😄

I had to go back through the pictures but I see what you mean about the bridge plate now, and yes I agree as long as the bridge sits within the plate area it probably won't make any difference. It was only because I've always wondered about those big Gibson moustache bridges and whether they aid or inhibit top vibrations. As the top and bracing is kept as thin as possible to allow it to resonate and then slapping a huge thick bridge on seems counterintuitive. Whether they are to help tone or just for cosmetics.

The bridge has just enough emphasis on the lower curve to tip its hat to the soundhole. Perfect! Just a quick question on bridges shapes if I may. Is a larger surface area of bridge better to help transfer string vibrations to the top board, or will a larger bridge inhibit the top vibrating by stiffening it too much? I guess a careful compromise of the two.

Hurrumph!! Germ Free Adolescents is a great song. Ps. On reflection 'Hurrumph' isn't the most punk exclamation of discontent.

I knew you were going to say that 😁. I'd like to think of it not as predictable, but rather a willingness to declare your loves to the world.

It looks like it will be having a volute though @SpondonBassed so anything else on the neck is just gravy, as those loveable Americans would say. 🙂

Oh, I see the headstock now. I thought we were looking at that sock and shoe combo with the shorts.

Did that blue man band do 'I feel love' on a load of pipes or did I dream that?

So that's what Uma Thurman did after Kill Bill!

I've a stick. But it's a wonky stick with a crack at the top, a scratch on the back and it's far too shiny.

I'll add three that I don't have think have been mentioned and have voices I can listen to all day. Marlena Shaw, her voice up there with Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick. Then Tanya Donelly from Throwing Muses, Breeders and Belly. Just a beautiful voice. And finally the Wonderful Tori Amos, such a great songwriter and conveys such feeling in her voice and playing.

Well it's just going around in circles now so I thought I'd lighten the mood 😄. I did make a serious point before that 🙂.