Happy Jack

OK, strictly speaking I have to admit that this isn't really bass-related, but what the hell. For many years this contained my old Hondo II Black Beauty when moving it around. The rest of the time it was in storage. Last year, I sold the Hondo on eBay and completely forgot that I had a hardcase for it. Doh! So here's a perfectly useable hardcase, all catches working, no ghastly smell of 50-year-old Players No.6, rather tasteful orange furry lining, and I have absolutely no practical use for it. Free to a good home for any Basschatter who can swing by Harrow and collect it. I can stretch that as far as meeting in the West End but no, I will not post, and no, I will not sit in all day waiting for your courier. Sorry and all that, but you have to draw the line somewhere. This is likely to be of limited interest to the good, bass-playing folk who make this their home, so I'll give it a week here and then stick it on eBay.

Alternatively, you could remove every other fret and have a combination of fretted and fretless on the same neck.

Thanks mate, that's very helpful. The first bass that I ever bought for myself (as opposed to my offspring) was a Hofner 500/1 Violin, which famously has an equally primitive approach to intonation.

Current pop music - beat driven, usually in 4/4, with simply structured songs often about boy meets girl - was recognised from the start as a passing fad. The Beatles gave a famous interview in 1964 where they admitted that they expected to have been forgotten within five years, and Paul anticipated a new life for him and John as, essentially, Tin Pan Alley songwriters. The astonishing thing is that such a simple form of music with so little underlying philosophy should have lasted as long as it has. It will be sad when it stops, but the body of music already created will remain and can be enjoyed. In truth, I pretty much lost interest in current pop music about 40 years ago, with some exceptions of course. There was so much good stuff produced between 1955 and 1985 that I'm very happy to wallow in it.

More to the point, you've revived a thread last seen nearly 12 years ago!

Anyway, the one he's selling is pre-CBS ...

Bizarrely, my clearest memory of the whole evening is coming back home on the (then still quite new) Victoria Line. One of my very stoned friends, a huge guy 6'6" tall and built like a brick proverbial, was strap-hanging when the bloody strap just broke, leaving him sitting on the floor holding the 'bulb' end and the whole carriage in hysterics.

Ahhhhh ... happy daze. When I saw him do this at The Rainbow I have no recollection of any actual hurdy-gurdys being on stage at the time. Mind you, in truth (and for full disclosure) I'm not entirely sure that I could even remember my name that night. Like ... wow, I mean ... like ... far out, man ...

Ooooooooh ... maths!

If you play in a band and you rehearse together, you are going to LOVE part 2.

The real KB stand is in the lock-up, pending me learning to play piano properly again. It's been a 40-year wait, but I feel sure it'll be worth it.

Since I mentioned that 'kick-out' as between the two necks, here are some photos.

As documented here: ... and with a great deal of help from @Woodinblack and @stewblack, a suitable location was chosen for the final handover to me. Unfortunately a nearby 5G mast distorted my brain as I was setting the satnav and ... erm ... I drove to a different location. Not to worry because Stew had his entire family in the car with him, and they had no problem driving an extra 25 miles to find me and @Silvia Bluejay (who handled my faux pas with astonishing equilibrium) and the handover was accomplished anyway.

Good thing you have an avatar of Ronnie Barker ...

Really excellent YouTube documentary, well worth watching.

IIRC this is absolutely right. If you buy "shortscale strings", they'll be too short.

Wrong Andy, mate ...

Bring back Andy!

Nor me! I can send them anywhere in the UK using a cheap, local courier (Hermes) for about £3. As soon as I send something outside the UK, I have to switch to a far better - but far more expensive - courier such as DPD. Sorry I can't help you this time.