Sean

[url="http://s77.photobucket.com/user/PhoneyPoney/media/DSC_0002_zps17566895.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s77.photobucket.com/user/PhoneyPoney/media/DSC_0001_zps303cb1e0.jpg.html"][/url] [url="http://s77.photobucket.com/user/PhoneyPoney/media/DSC_0006_zps64fe7c9f.jpg.html"][/url] The battery cover, which is now redundant because it's all passive, has been replaced by a standard black one rather than the original black pearl which never looked right. I think it's finally the bass that it wanted to be. The parchment pickguard certainly brings out the wood grain and makes the blue look much brighter. I absolutely love this instrument, it's light and very musical and has a real character to it that few basses I've ever owned have got. It sounds exactly like a good P bass should, I keep it strung with Status flats and when it's played through the 400+ and BT2, it's absolute bass bliss. Spec as of today: [list] [*]Originally built 2004 [*]Maple neck (reprofiled by Jon Shuker and refinished in Satin 2013) [*]Maple fingerboard [*]One piece swamp ash body [*]Gotoh bridge recessed into body (another Shuker mod 2013) [*]Nordstrand NP4 [*]Bareknuckle J pickup (very hot, spec unknown) - routed by me* 2013 [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Swamp Ash Body (one piece!)[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Transparent Blue Finish[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Controls: [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Volume, Volume, Tone. [/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hipshot HB-1 Tuning Keys[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Hipshot D-tuner[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Gotoh Quick Release Bridge[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Black battery cover added by me 2013[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Allparts 3-ply parchment pickguard added 2014[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]44mm or 1.75"[/font][/color] [*][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Weight: <8lbs (it's the lightest bass I own by a noticeable amount)[/font][/color] [/list] [font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828]You can see the original entry on the old Valenti blog [/color][/font][url="http://valentibasses5.blogspot.co.uk/"]here [/url][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][color=#282828] and you'll see it was originally bought by another BCer back in the day. It's certainly sporting a different pickup in those photos, the pole pieces look much bigger than the Nordy's. It changed hands a load of times on BC and I believe that was mainly down to the neck profile and pre-amp. [/color][/font] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]* - [/font][/color]under supervision from JS ;-)

Amazing looking. Jon's instruments are in another league. Can't wait to read the review; BGM are probably preparing all the spelling errors right now.

Hi all I'm stuck! Hopefully someone will have a solution that's easy to implement. My band has had some keys tracks recorded so we can do three of our songs live. I have wav files of the keyboard and also the click so I can mix and manipulate them to suit. What I can't work out is how do I get the click + keys tracks to the drummer's cans whilst the keys track goes out of the PA/Monitors? To my simple mind it's like the drummer needs his own personal mix of the three channels (stereo keys + click) and the PA needs just the stereo keys. How do I do this simply? Thanks Sean

[quote name='JamesBass' timestamp='1407539233' post='2521722'] Beautiful! Mark never ceases to amaze me with the quality he produces! I'm fairly certain that come my 21st I'll be purchasing one of his P's! Thinking it's between Lake Placid Blue with Tort or Shoreline Gold with Tort? [/quote] Yes, but what is it that you're buying?

[quote name='philw' timestamp='1406987448' post='2516465'] I wish I was Fender you know 'cause with the parts bin I'd have available there'd be endless hours of fun to be had creating cool new models to torment people with. That 50s P Bass looks especially lovely. I wonder what Fender would say to a proposal for a "Squire Custom Shop" business? The idea would be that customers could specify a bass created from almost any combination of the currently available Squire parts. The parts would be ordered direct from the various Squire manufacturing companies, the basses put together (with any mild fettling necessary) and shipped direct to the end customer. I reckon the business would be swamped with orders. Anyway, in reality, I know exactly how Fender would respond to that idea, but hey, I can dream can't I? Phil [/quote] Email Bono

So, what are they made from? What bodies and necks are they and who does all the fretwork? Are they built from cheaper basses or what? I really fancy one as I don't have a J type and would like to know a bit more.

Ask yourself if you want to be putting money into German or US pockets. If both options make you feel sick to the core, buy British or Japanese or something else. If you don't care, go for MM and replace the pups with Delano or MEC aftermarket ones and post on the EBMM forum to brag about it. There are are a lot of other options but essentially buy a bass, not a brand. Try them out first. Do some research :-)

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1406556001' post='2512380'] All the above is true. If you're used to Class D solid-state 500W amps, then you will be utterly staggered at how loud a 200W all-valve can go. And you will utterly stagger along under the weight of the damned thing, typically over 25Kg and sometimes much more. Form follows function ... where will you be playing? If you're mainly looking at pub & club gigs, then don't buy anything until you've tried an Orange Terror Bass 500. It's very much a one-trick pony, but that trick is almost exactly what you've described as your target. Run one through a Barefaced Compact (no tweeter) and you have a rig that's a one-handed lift from the carpark but will do at least 90% of what you want. If you're as obsessed with old-school tone as I am, try a Demeter pre-amp into a clean power amp (maybe a PA power amp). The VTBP-201 is ideal for this, really warm and smooth. A Barefaced might be a bit too 'transparent' with that rig. If you're absolutely determined to go all-valve, then be prepared to throw some serious money around. The ideal solution might be an Orange AD200 into an Orange 410, plus the cost of the roadies you'll need to move it, and a supply of ear-plugs to your audience at the Dog & Duck. [/quote] This is a pretty normal rig. A lot of folk have devolved and are no longer able to lift more than the weight if an iPad so take their advice with a pinch of mono sodium glutamate.

Another overwhelming victory for: real men, technology that doesn't lie, real tone and blood & guts. Look guys, Class A. Universally accepted as a high standard whatever it applies to. Class D? I would have been in the care of social services if I'd have come home and told my dad I'd embraced Class D. He didn't raise no sissies. 900W Class D?!?! How many of you have started conversations with band members that were "blown away" by your 900 watts? Honestly? :-)

A rock drummer who sadly is no longer with us. Fabulous guy, very encouraging and down to earth who sang with my band at a number of gigs and also went to see the Chilis with us.

So today I've decided on sea foam green tolex, black hardware, black face, white chicken heads. Transformers are ready and the prelim design is done, Kinda like this

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1405895661' post='2506338'] The longest gig I've seen was Pearl Jam. 2 and s half hours ish. [/quote] PJ have been clocking over 3h 15m on the recent Euro tour with the shortest of eight shows I saw at 2h 55m. Everyone still wants more as you might expect

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1405857731' post='2505809'] The great deity above invented lightweight bass amps for a reason. [/quote] We need to understand the reason before making the decision. Same deity also invented sack trucks. I vote for the Burman every time.

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1405862430' post='2505905'] I do like the Axstar [/quote] Where the Axstar (and also the BX-1) are clear winners ergonomically, is that the strap attaches above the 12-14 fret thereby making it hang like a Fender-style instrument when you play.

What's the difference between the Darkglass Vintage Deluxe and the LE version? The cosmetic differences are obvious, the price difference is about 10%, the standard one is made in the USA, the LE in Finland. So what do we get for the extra money and different country of manufacture?

Guitarist like it and enhanced the riff. He wants one. http://soundcloud.com/belowtheghost/slippery-riff/s-03FEg

Yes, it's a 414. Priced about right.

£300! I'd buy it for £3 just to burn it.

Every day I like it more. New clip tomorrow.

In my quest to find the right wah for me I bought an Ibanez Weeping Demon. It looks great, is fully tweakable, doesn't suck your tone and is really versatile. Here's a quick sample recorded on GarageBand. http://soundcloud.com/belowtheghost/funkrock130714a/s-D3cxu I like the fact that it can be set to activate automatically or with a separate switch and that all the parameters are adjustable. It's very easy to use too.

I've just received an Ibanez Weeping Demon and it's the best pedal I've ever used.

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1404834774' post='2496222'] My 1025X doesn't need the hipshot and i don't see a poin for the new cuttaway if they aren't going to increase the number of frets. They're easy to access as they were. Matching headstock is a good idea but i also like the look of the wooden stripes. A don't see any advantage in this bass comparing to mine (except for the ressonat treatment also found on the normal 202x...). I think that a neckthrough, 24 frets or a separate tone for each pickup or even a blend control would be a much nicer (and offer better results) upgrade to this bass. [/quote] I need the Hipshot. Best upgrade for this bass is a John East P-Retro. On the to-do list :-D

Interesting. This bass has been in development since the beginning of last year. I discussed it in detail with Jon last year and really fancy one. The conversation with Jon about this bass was one of the catalysts for me selling my Status. Twenty-five instruments only? Better get off and start writing to Santa about the extra J pickup and Hipshot X-tender :-)