BrunoBass

I managed to get a bit done over the Easter weekend, namely drilling some holes. The neck holes were the first to be drilled, good to get the neck and the body together, everything seemed to line up nicely, then it was time to drill the holes for the bridge. Everyone seems to recommend drilling the bridge holes after finishing but I wanted to do it before, the rationale being that if I screwed it up I could fill the holes and try again, prior to any paint doing on. Lots of very careful measuring and positioning later I’d got the bridge to where (I think) it needs to be. This is the first part of the build process where I could’ve used some proper tools and a long ruler. My steel rule is only 30cm long and although I think it’s worked out ok, something longer (and a bit of experience) would’ve helped. It’s all a learning curve... I taped some garden twine to the nut in the E and G slots and pulled it taught to the bridge saddles to check alignment; it looked ok so I marked the screw holes and drilled. I started to drill the tunnel for the grounding wire too. My bit isn’t quite long enough so I thought I’d attempt it Channel Tunnel style and start from different sides and hopefully meet in the middle. On second thoughts I thought it’d be easier and probably safer to just get a longer drill bit...

Not ignoring you, haven’t looked at it yet!

It always takes me a while to come down after a gig, a couple of hours perhaps. I don’t drink when I’m gigging and definitely not if I’m driving, which I usually am. So I normally have a couple of beers in the fridge waiting at home. Once the buzz fades away though the fatigue hits hard. (Our drummer apparently goes home, backs his car into his garage, leaves his stuff in the car and goes straight to bed, an ability of which I’m envious.)

The rain spoiled it for us last night. We played at The Swan in Banbury which is usually a great gig, and one of our favourite places to play. Good Friday, pay day, it should’ve been rammed. The landlady said it had been unusually quiet all day, probably due to the weather. Then with about three songs left a big gang of people came in who’d been at a wedding and were up for a good time, just as we were finishing... Oh well, just one of those totally forgettable gigs that happen now and again. Next stop for us is The Punch Bowl in Warwick next week - good venue, third or fourth time we’ve played there.

It did thanks, cosy is just the way I like them. I’m off to tonight’s gig in a bit. Have fun if you’re playing over the weekend.

Perhaps the mods can move the post if it’s in the wrong place?

That’s great, thank you.

Dave beat me to it 😊

I thought pics were welcomed in this part?

I’ve just picked up an Ashdown 30 watt AAA for small gigs and low volume band rehearsals, it’s perfect. Sounds decent enough and obviously small and relatively light. Power wise it’s sufficient for very small gigs but I think it would struggle against a drum kit played even moderately enthusiastically. Only £20 off Gumtree too, there are bargains to be had if you’re lucky!

A friend of ours took some photos at a recent gig of ours, I think they’re pretty good. She’s captured the atmosphere nicely.

We’re back out tonight for our first hometown gig for a few weeks. Good Friday, pay day, the start of the long weekend - should be fun!

Bit of a long shot- is anyone out there lucky enough to own an Ampeg AEB-1 scroll bass? If so would you mind measuring the body for me? I’m thinking about my next build and a AEB inspired (but much simplified) bass is on my mind. I’m looking for body dimensions; I’ve obtained a decent plan drawing for the body but it’s not to scale. I’m happy to base the size of the body on a Precision Bass but it’d be nice for accuracy to have the correct body size. Thanks in advance.

My personal experience of Ashdown amplifiers isn’t good. I hated the Evo 4 x10 combo I somehow ended up with, partly because it weighed more than a collapsed star but mainly because it sounded terrible.

I kind of agree with this. You’ve done the right and noble thing by getting this chap his bass back; through no fault of your own you’re a high value bass down. Well done on doing the right thing though, even if you’re taking the hit.

I love my Genz Benz amp and cabinet because they are very loud and very light. Before that I had an Ashdown 4x10 combo which wasn’t loud enough and weighed a ton. I hated it.

I’ll know for next time! It’s mainly in the less accessible areas, where the inside of the horns meet the neck pocket. Oh well, lesson learned!

It’s ‘Bruno’ in a Fender-y font and ‘CUSTOM BASS’ in the classic arched capital letters. I don’t want to put a Fender logo on it. The ‘Bruno’ bit comes from my little boy (as does my username); he wants to help me assemble the bass.

Blue, you’ll have different perspective on this because as we all know you play to pay your bills and eat. From my perspective, we book gigs in (usually busy) bars and pubs, and while we promote the gigs on our social media it’s really the landlord’s responsibility to push the event. We have a small ‘following’ (for want of a better word) who come to our shows, sometimes in pubs they mightn’t usually patronise but they wouldn’t travel to see us in an out of town gig. My point being that we play places where there is already a decent crowd, our presence in merely coincidental. We don’t add to the pub’s on-the-night revenue significantly because the clientele is already there. We always get paid, we usually get asked back. We don’t think in terms of ‘how much money can we help the landlord take tonight’. We played a village pub last year where a maximum of five people were there. We still got paid, the pub must’ve lost money paying us. They did no promotion whatsoever (we did). Makes no sense really.

Got this in my planner, looking forward to watching it. I enjoy BBC4’s music docs, even when it’s a band I’m not particularly a fan of. I really enjoyed the 10CC doc from a few weeks ago, I think it’s still available on iPlayer.

@Andyjr1515 kindly suggested clear satin Osmo Polyx oil as a good way to achieve a clear, durable, satin finish on the headstock face, protecting the decal. Unfortunately, having checked the documents on their website, Rothko and Frost state that their waterslide decals aren’t suitable for oil and / or brushed on finishes. Shame, as I’ve ordered one.... So I need a rethink on finishing the headstock face and burying the decal under a non tinted satin clear coat. The headstock already has a light satin finish, so I’m thinking waterslide on to the surface, followed by enough coats of satin clear to bury it. Does satin clear coat need wet sanding and polishing like a gloss does? Would wet sanding and polished just turn a satin glossy?

The J&D 75 Jazz is outstanding, for a shade over £100, as I’ve posted elsewhere on this forum. I bought mine with the intention of swapping parts out, but I haven’t as it’s perfectly adequate as it is. I gig mine fairly regularly, I take it to the gigs where I don’t want to take my Jazz Deluxe. I’m really impressed with it.

That looks stunning. I was veering towards an aged Olympic White but your bass is making me think maybe go back to the original plan of Orange. Thanks for sharing the photo. Was the body already painted or did you do it? Is it Capri Orange?

Thanks all. I don’t know my capacitor from my elbow.