Burns-bass

Ok, have played for an hour today and it’s noticeably stronger tone and the bass moves around an awful lot less than the previously not very solid metal one. This is a win for wood.

I already run a couple of businesses so it wouldn't be a big enterprise. But creating them wouldn't be a challenge. Let's see if there's any interest. The sticking point is that you need to have a removeable endpin so the market is somewhat limited.

It sounds better to me, but not much. I would say the wooden end pin (for me) is about convenience. I literally can hear no difference on this video. See if you can!

You could make 10 posts from this batch, so wood cost would be about £2.50! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-Premium-Quality-European-Dowel/dp/B0B7KL8KY1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2TC1M9BP6FP62&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ERPkfiRhBH4PIPVJooVNVes3Ale1EAmWvznBupufpQznZlbXU2KWLnXeMgBO7W5ejEGK7AR9ez4eQjGTdtPg6JSB3UvVuqnofpIHRnqA_UASJIFKWKe1f2BeycR4MUpnABdYRl8eyc_gU4btNk1tQ2MdYwsLKo0SYfxFewiQs0l0s-qpiSlRbmgZU8Ks4f0bpiviBgL6LakhtB5szGji2OlLgHI47LpYcOXBuB3cYwo.9mg4CPr4gLYhQStJfG3AMsKz_UZCO5mXTX9j9Pbhba8&dib_tag=se&keywords=Oak+dowel+25mm&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1731977410&s=diy&sprefix=oak+dowel+25mm%2Cdiy%2C74&sr=1-3 Anyone fancy trying one?

Haha, no. This was a 2.5cm dowel made of beech I bought from Temu (I know it’s an awful shop!) This was more a “proof of concept” if you like. I just thought I’d see what happens. The process is simple and you could easily use an oak dowel or a maple one. Oak is more expensive at about £5 for a 30cm long piece, so your total materials cost would likely be about £8. Maybe I’ll try an oak one next and see if it makes a difference. Oak dowel: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1?q=2.5cm+oak+dowel&sca_esv=61be2594c95dedbf&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB1123GB1123&hl=en-GB&biw=1366&bih=905&tbs=vw:l&prds=num:1,of:1,eto:14665320379539976252_0,prmr:1,cs:1

I guess if you charge the time it takes and aim to make a bit of profit the £40 or whatever it costs isn’t too bad.

Done. It’s much more stable than the old endpin so perfect for outdoor gigs and things. It’ll also make setting up easier. The fit was good enough without the pad so I may or may not remove that. Total cost of materials was £6.50 Tools I already had. Time about half an hour.

Sorry, I forgot the Eminence was a full fat acoustic instrument. Means you’ve got a monster budget!

I think you're doing the right thing going somewhere you can test lots of basses. That's a healthy budget and hopefully you'll find a friend for life! I'll leave answering the questions for those much more experienced in buying DBs to provide expert advice. If you can travel with a friend (even better a double bass playing one) they can advise on tone. I found it useful to have someone sit down and tell me which basses sounded good and those that didn't. I guess you have to suit the bass to the player. If you take someone who can play, you can also sit back and listen to how the bass sounds – which can be massively valuable. If you're looking to play live (which it seems you are) I'd factor in a set up, strings of choice and the other expenses (a good bag, pickup and pre-amp with a HPF or HPF) that you'll need to gig (amplified) with a bass. A good bag will be £150 or more, a pickup a similar amount and I use the EBS Stanley Clarke which is ace. Strings and set up can vary but £300 is a good ballpark.

I’m interested in the conclusion of the story and hopefully the restitution here. Nobody wants a bass player to get screwed over. On the other hand I’m not wasting my time watching a video by Letts because it could help boost views and encourage some other poor soul to part money for his useless creations. Hope that clarifies my position…

Anyway, back to the original question… I have played and owned a TRB6. They’re lovely basses. I found the radius to be a little too flat for me but that’s personal. If you can get a mid-90s Japanese version that’s the best one.

You’ll be able to get a basic idea of construction, type and age by posting some pictures but it all comes down to condition, so you’ll probably going to need to have it checked by an expert. You’ve got some very accommodating and understanding parents!

I’m not interested in this guy and not watching his videos. Reputable builders showcase their builds in videos, that’s the point I was making.

He’s still selling instruments. It’s standard practice to show a work in progress.

Seriously though all stands are fine. Only issue I had is that some can react with a nitro finish if your bass has one. Hercules stands are the best made ones.

Oak cabinet.

I wouldn’t spend a fortune on one as they’re quirky! I had a Squier one (with a matching headstock) and it was fantastic. Ergonomically it didn’t work for me.

Vintage Fender wood. I’ll use the core of a pre CBS jazz bass because you just can’t get tone like that from a modern piece of wood, as you know.

Literally the exact steps. I figure it should take about 15 minutes. Chose maple and ebony to see if that makes a difference (it won’t).

I recently became interested in picking up a wooden end pin. I bought the one here for £25 but it doesn’t fit (10mm spike!). So I’ve decided to build one. In fact, I’m going to build two. I’ve got the wood and fitted the stoppers. Need to measure the ideal length and cut the wood then stick the spike in (Gorilla Glue!). One will be for barefoot practice at home and the other (slightly longer) will be for gigs where I wear shoes. Total costs so far is £7. Will let you know how it goes!

Each to their own! For that price I'd probably save for another few months and buy a more original one from Andy Baxter.

They say it’s been refretted. It looks a bad job. One of the reasons the vintage basses are so playable is the pencil thin frets.