Sean

It arrived today. It’s the lightest bass I’ve ever played, it's like a toy. It’s got the same Gotoh Resolite tuners as Gary's CST that I played recently and it’s got no neck dive. It's really well-balanced, which I wasn't expecting at all. On the lap, it stays put and on a strap with a shiny textured internal surface it sits well, so that's all good. Neck carve is standard Euro LX shape. The finish is ultra thin matt, it feels like my oiled Euro5LX to the touch. I know a couple of folk have found this finish to be a bit fragile, so we'll see. This will be gigged. I've been playing it through the HX Stomp with GK800/Ampeg810 rig settings with the DarkGlass Legacy pre-amp dimed and it's exactly what you'd expect. My ebony board peacock one is just 22 lower on the serial numbers indicating that the two were made during the same short period. Another comparison is that the RST resonates differently acoustically to the gloss finished ebony board one and they've both got new EXL170s on. I'm not going into tonewoods and all that wizardry, I'll just bring a few along to the next Bash and let people see/hear for themselves 😉 The build quality of it is as we've come to expect from the Czech factory, it's absolute top notch all round.

All my amps go there. 4 this year. And I'm in Gloucester. It's 2h each way but worth it, especially for old tech.

A lot of nomenclature systems get messy over time. We don’t really know what LX stands for. Despite my speculation at Length Xtension, it’s more likely a reference to the layering of the wings as it came after the solid wing Euros. LT = No idea??? RST = Roasted (must be). CST = Custom Shop Top? XL (as in NS5-XL) must refer to the 35” scale. I had a ’01 and that was 35”.

Due to arrive tomorrow and continuing a trend for Japan Exclusives (my third), here it is. I've had an eye on it for months. It's one of 5 made in that spec. EX = Exotic, LTD = Limited, NAM (Spector Colour Code) = Natural Maple. Nothing to do with NAMM but one of the 5 of these was at NAMM last year to show dealers what is possible with special orders. It's a 3-piece roasted maple neck with a 4A North American flame maple top, walnut sandwich layer, empresswood wing-backs and the headstock matches the top but seems to be gloss vs the matt finish of the body. The wood build is as per the standard RST but in a limited edition finish. It has EMG P (reverse) + J pickups with ivory coloured covers and the DG Legacy Tone Capsule where the standard RSTs have Aguilar humbuckers and an Aguilar preamp. There's an LHZ-04 preamp on standby ready but after playing Gary's CST the other day, I think I'm going to leave the DG in there for a while.

What does NS-4 mean? They've got 2 humbuckers usually. 4 coils? NS-5 must be 5 strings.

I think the subtly of the humour there probably warranted an emoji 😉

Jack Bruce's NS-2 https://www.digimart.net/cat03/shop5033/DS09888998/ Jack owned this. PJ Rubal has given it the thumbs up. The switches are killswitch and phase switch. I'd love a factory fitted killswitch. Walnut wings, Badass bridge. Sadly, JB moved on to Warwick after this. To save you doing the conversion, it's £35k.

Mike Mills is always a reference for me. Learning Kenneth and then using those ideas in other songs is valuable. Not just that song but as a concept. I like to play with concepts to help composition like, trying to come up with what Mike Mills might play on Sweet Child of Mine as a simple example. It makes you think about applying what he does over something that exists that you only have certain scope with. And in the band I've just left, I did a sort of "What Would Duff McKagan Do" over Summer of '69. Well, if you want me to play certain songs in a non-tribute, low-pay setting, I need to get some fun or benefit out of it!

I've always wanted to play What's the Frequency, Kenneth? It's never happened and isn't likely to. I love that bass line.

Whatever. It's just descended into what most Basschat threads become, it's us lot talking absolute nonsense. I sometimes visit Bajistas.org, a Spanish language bass forum, they'd never have threads like this. They're still trying to decide whether a P or a J is best or whether a PJ is a happy balance or a complete abominación of el Diablo.

I don't know about a Zon but in 2009 I despatched an attacker at a wedding gig with an NS5-XL. Neck through, solid maple wings, Haz pre-amp. Proper weapon. I missed the Middle 8 but the keys guy covered me with some tasty left hand work.

Sorted. No conversation required. Just smile and nod.

I've had quite a few Japanese Yamaha BBs and I’ve had that exact experience a few times. So much so that one of my friends, who’s a drummer who has been there and seen it happen, asks me every time he sees me, “Bought a Fender yet, mate?”. It never gets old.

A couple of months ago I went with the guitarist and singer to chat with the landlady and get our money. We were standing together in a kind of circle and the landlady looked at me apologetically and told me me that if I wanted a drink before last orders that Jason the barman would serve me and that she was busy dealing with the guys from the band as she pointed to the other two. That kind of thing happens all the time. We played one venue where the landlord and his missus wanted a photo taken with the band. As we were forming the huddle, he told me he'd take one with me in it after they'd taken the one with just "me, the missus and the band". I went back to packing up.

Something that annoys some but for me is a huge bonus; no one is interested in your gear. There always seems to be so much interest in the guitarists' gear, they have Fender and Marshall and huge pedal boards and loads of brands that the bedroom brigade are familiar with. Only twice this year did anyone ask me anything about my gear and that was, "Is that a Warwick?". To which I replied, "Um, no" and the other was recently where some chap was pointing at my rig and calling to his mates, "Look! It's an old Mesa Boogie!".