Maude

Underneath The Arches - Flanagan & Allen

I got a set to go on a four string as they're so cheap (only play 4's now), I might string one up BEAD though.

Hanging Around - The Stranglers

What is it about 42mm you don't like? That sounds like a stupid question and I prefer a narrower neck too, but it turns out for me it's the narrower string spacing I like and the actual neck isn't a big deal. I've made new nuts with narrower string spacing for a few of my basses that had wider spacing than I'd ideally like. I works really well and doesn't leave a big empty space at the sides like you'd first think. Going from 42mm to 38mm* only leaves an extra 2mm of fretboard either side of the E and G strings and you don't notice it but you really notice the tighter spacing. * The nut obviously stays at 42mm but the slots are closer together.

I had a spare hour so I pulled this apart today. I wasn't sure about it being black as according to the S D Curlee history page on Birdsong Guitars website they didn't start painting them until later on. Upon stripping I found a 'Bob Barry Guitar Repairs' sticker inside the neck pocket and the tell tale mark where it had been screwed to a holder for painting, so I think it's safe to say that this should've been natural rather than black. The refinish must be nearly 30 years old or more as the addition of the the 1 in the phone area codes happened in '95, making Birmingham 0121 rather than the 021 on the sticker. I'm going to strip the black off and see what the wood is like, then either keep it natural or possibly stain the wood black then lacquer to keep the wood grain as a kind of middle ground as I quite like the black. The pickup and bridge all mount to the neck making it technically a neck through, the full length neck then bolts into a recess in the body using a huge brass 'neck plate' screwed from behind.

I have seen people using the wire 'handle(?)' out of a bulldog clip before. Bend the two sides so that they cross each other and the little right angle ends that hooked in the clip now face each other.

Well that's the tuning up done, when's the song coming?

Warman have a good range of pickups for very good prices. Don't let the 'budget' prices fool you though, every one I've tried has sounded fantastic.

Let's Wade in the Water - Many people but I'm going with Marlena Shaw as it's a Northern Soul banger.

This is still my 'go to' practicing kit. Short of having wireless headphones I can't see practice being any simpler or better. It works faultlessly and sounds great.

An old post I realise Blue, but it made me chuckle, and realise something. You're promoting your local bricks and mortar store, that have obviously given you good service, by stating "they ship to the UK" and linking to their website. To me they are just another online retailer taking business away from my local bricks and mortar store. Which made me realise after reading through this old thread that most of the 'local' stores people are talking about are big online retailers as well, GAK, Andertons, PMT, Promenade, Merchant City Music, Guitar Guitar, etc, OK they're not Amazon or Thomann but still very big online players. So by using them, and I do, I am supporting someone else's local shop, arent I? It's just inevitable progress I feel, if someone can offer you a service that suits your needs better, you'll use it. I assume there were similar woe as cities expanded, swallowing up surrounding towns and villages, leading to city centre retail taking over from local high streets. If physical shops can provide service that is preferable to the customer and profitable to the business then they'll win out. Unfortunately I honestly don't see how a small, local music shop can do this so their customer base will continue to dwindle until it reaches a balance point, if at this balance point they are not profitable then it's game over. Another nail in their coffin, I think, is that playing musical instruments just isn't as popular as it was years ago. I may be biased but I feel that my generation (teenagers in the 80s & 90s) were the last generation when playing in band was popular. Sure teenagers still do but I think the number of kids that want to has been steadily dropping since the 60s/70s. Since the 2000s using computers for music has become far more commonplace and you don't go into a music shop for the latest hardware or software. I don't know where any of this going, much like the retail business, so I'll stop rambling now .

The Day the World Turned Day-glo - X-Ray Spex

A 'Gross' is twelve dozen, so 144. 144 x 40, your big birthday, is 5760, which is close enough to the price they'll be in this country to make it your destiny to buy one of these. It's fate, nothing can be that big a coincidence. The heavenly bodies have aligned and given you a sign that only the foolhardy would ignore. But don't let me pressure you. 😁

I love these type of basses. I was low key on the lookout for something like this when an S D Curlee came up for sale at a good price, with the same Dimarzio pickup. Not as good a price as your Hondo though, bargain! As an aside, there's Honda II and Aria Pro II, is there Hondo I and Aria Pro I, or was it marketing to make the sound more advanced?

How the f*** did a cat get in here!

There's No Other Way - Blur

I am by no means any kind of authority on speaker cab building but my concerns would be strength and rattles. Would the fibreglass body be rigid enough to not flex with the pressure waves? My limited knowledge says the lower frequency the cab is designed to handle the more rigid the structure must be for the sides not flex and kind of act like a damper to the pressure of the sound waves. An inner ply box could solve this but would the volume left be too small to be effective? If an inner ply box would work then you could wedge packers between the case and ply box to act as braces to remove the (possible) need for internal bracing. You would also have to make sure the clasps cannot rattle if the front cover is removed, same with the handle.

I'm not sure if Ministry would ever want to be classed as whacky but Jesus Built My Hotrod is edging towards that territory... and is fantastic. Puts a smile on my face every time.

Zephyr Song - RHCP Classic British Ford thing innit.

I use it to make my strings a bit slicker. "Get down with the slickness.... Oooh waa a a aah!" I'll even use it on my plucking fingers as it's less nasty than the famed nose grease.

No, I think they were Majik Fish at the time, from Plymouth.

The guitarist and singer of one of the bands I'm in have been in bands together previously. One of their previous bands were doing quite well locally and another band on the scene that had supported them before got hold of them and asked to play support at their upcoming Tavistock Wharf gig. They said they had some record company types that wanted to see them ASAP and the Wharf would be the perfect venue. My bandmates band thought some record company exposure could be good so jumped at the idea. Roll on plenty of years and that guitarist and singer are in a band with me and their support band did alright out of the deal as well I think. I don't know where they are now. They were called Muse.

Cake's version of War Pigs. Now Sabbath are Sabbath and nobody can beat the original, but I love this version. I like how the instruments seem to start the bar in a different place creating real interest and slight confusion, then the second verse are all on 'the one' together. Probably explained that incorrectly but there ya go! 😉 Great production as well, lots going on but every instrument has its own space and clarity. Enjoy.

As is usual with my easily led mind, I'm supposed to be brushing up on Tin Soldier by The Small Faces and I've ended up learning When You Touch Me by The Guess Who. What a fun song to play. I did get Tin Soldier nailed again too so all's good. 😁 Badly sinc'd video.