scrumpymike

Yes, you'd need a 28-metre-long racing 8 for that - provided, of course, the rowers and cox are wearing the PPE needed for 1m distancing. If they want to maintain the recommended 2m distancing, they need a 36m-long boat. Sorry... I'll get my coat. Wait a minute - I can't leave the house!

...or predicting one.

Thanks for your insightful words Phil.

Latest forecast/prediction/target/guesstimate/lie (delete as appropriate) from top gov't adviser (!?) over the weekend was that everyone over 50 will have been vaccinated by Easter - hopefully that's 2021!

Just bought a nice little 'cheap shortie' as advertised by Matt. Smooth transaction from start to finish. Deal with confidence!

Yep, if you factor in custom builds, the choice is limited only by your imagination! Maruszczyk have a decent choice of s-s designs - both stock and made to order - and their online configurator lets you personalise your design (not the basic body shape but there are loads of those on offer) and displays a very realistic image of what you've designed. The Cazpar is their only dedicated s-s design but they also do s-s versions of the Elwood with either a solid or chambered body. I've had a few of both and very good they were too. You're effectively getting a custom build for around half what you'd pay a 'boutique' luthier/builder. Or you could commission our very own AndyJr or Jabba to build you one. Here are my two shorties from Andy: http:// http:// These are my go-to gigging basses and I could not be more pleased with them. Custom-built s-s? DO IT!!

Just a shout out for my mate Scott Whitley, who's generously given the bass community masses of free information and tuition via his website in recent years. After 25 years of playing live with the likes of Big Country and The Animals, Scott suddenly has no gigs and time on his hands thanks to covid. So he's offering to give one-on-one lessons online for just £75 per block of 3 x 1-hr sessions. As those of you who have seen his online video tutorials will know (see example below), Scott is a great teacher who plays with killer technique and loads of flair and knowledge. If you're interested, you can contact him at [email protected] I have no link with Scott except friendship and respect. Scott teaches Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

No better reason for choosing a shortarsescale bass ☺️

One thing that's coming across loud and clear is that we're seeing a fundamental re-calibration in the minds of players AND manufacturers towards short-scale basses. For example, I posted earlier about my latest bass, a s-s SBMM 'Ray. There's a growing fan club for these on Talkbass and a number of owners also have (or have had) standard-scale MM 'Rays or the 3-times more expensive MM s-s. These players rate the £695 SBMM bass as so close to the others as makes no real difference in terms of how it feels, sounds and looks (unless you spot the slight difference in size). In fact, some even state that the tones of the SBMM's fabulous passive pup are how the others should sound! As always these opinions are subjective/personal - but it certainly makes you think.

Seems to me that Gibson have inherited a priceless legacy - second only to Fender's - and pi55ed it up against a wall. And I was one of their biggest fans btw having gigged a couple of beautiful Les Paul Triumph basses for years followed by a SG reissue.

I think you'll love the La Bellas.

I think that the muddy sounds of the early Gibbos made it easy for Fender to become market leaders and establish their 34" scale as the industry standard. All I've played for the last few years are s-s basses so it's just brilliant for me that there's so much extra choice now, especially in the mid price range. I recently added a SBMM s-s 'Ray to my collection. It would be incredibly good at any price but for £695 it's a steal. Now that more players are taking s-s basses seriously, so are the manufacturers.

Another vote here for LaBella flats although I've never tried them on a Mustang cos I've never had one.

I do hope that doesn't mean you'll get a TT-800 before I do 😉

The TT-800 topic started on TB at the beginning of June, at which point a couple of 'industry insider' forum members were already posting their comments and pic's based on playing pre-production/early production units. The first TB 'ordinary' member ordered on June 8 and product was available to ship from Mesa's flagship Hollywood store from mid-June. Seems like all the active posters who wanted to own - or try - one were able to do so 2 or 3 months ago and fall into 3 groups. A few tried and decided to stick with their Carbine, D800+ or (Walkabout-based) WD-800; a few bought a TT-800 and kept their Carbine or WD-800 (both offer a different tonal flavour from the Bass 400+/D800 combo available on TT-800); the majority are loving the TT and getting more from this one amp than they've ever got from any other. Obviously this is just a snapshot of the knowledgeable 'early-entrant' Talkbass punters, most of whom were already Mesa fans. Don't know how things have rolled out across the US as a whole.

Loz just bought my Maruszczyk/Mensinger Cazpar fretless 4, and a very smooth and pleasant transaction it was too. Faultless in fact. You can definitely deal with this Basschat member in total confidence. 👍

Thanks Loz - but I think you meant to say "avid short-scale players" - describing me as even an "average fretless player" would be a gross exaggeration 😉