Richard R

If I recall your demo at the last Midlands Bass Bash, the way for this was to measure the gap between the frets and a steel straight edge with the neck under tension. You recommended a business card difference presumably at 12th. In the absence of a long straight edge then clamping a string at 1st and last fret. In the absence of business cards then use a feeler gauge. If you fancy repeating that demo at the Bash on 20th June then I'll video it for posterity and transcribe it.

Thanks @Mike Brooks, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to that. I think I saw Thunder in Brum when they were supporting Marillion the early 80's and they were absolutely not my thing at all back then. I shall have to have a listen and see what I think now I no longer wear a Script for a Jester's Tear t-shirt and cowboy boots 😊

Be prepared for a looooooooooong wait. There is my 35" headless travel bass with hex pickup to build first! 🤣 As a complete aside, I've had occasional access to a MakerSpace over the past 18 months, close to the client site where I have been working away, and have been dabbling with laser engraving & 3D printing, relearning parametric CAD and some IOT stuff. Sadly the client is choosing to end the engagement early this month so I won't get to grips with the X-carve CC router. However I know I want one in my retirement workshop!

And to compensate him for the fact that ply isn't interestingly figured, suggest some lightly routed patterns he can show off with on the sides and front? All sorts of wild possibilities spring to mind!

So, am I right in thinking that to play @Stub Mandrel's harmonica you need to learn by ear where to put your mouth (if you see what I mean!) and on the one @goingdownslow was searching for you have defined places to make it simpler? The same concept as fretless and fretted?

I have been kicking around the idea of making a MIDI pedal board and then hooling it up to a Pi-based synth housed in the same enclosure. If I ever get round to it, Gumtree frequently has "take me away" or "not sure if this works" organ listings for under £20 so I was thinking of butchering one of those for the pedals and canibalising a cheap mini MIDI keyboard for the controller. That's quite a lot of soldering and programming though, hence not starting it until I can be reasonably sure I'll finish. I would sell your pedalboard into the right market. Someone will be delighted and you will be a few quid up, though it leaves you without a pedalboard.

Well that's not something you see every day!

Belatedly learned this morning, from @miles'tone, of @SamIAm's death earlier in the year. Really upsetting, Sam was a whirlwind of life, ideas and good humour. Looking at the McMillan page I realise her surname was Margerison which is my aunt's maiden name. It's not a common name so there is probably some relationship. RIP Sam - hope you and the big Maker are having fun. https://samanthamargerison.muchloved.com/

What??? I thought Sam hadn't posted for a while, and didn't reply to a mention in June, but I hadn't realised she'd passed away. When and where?

See this thread from a while back: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/212424-battery-powered-bass-amps/ A clean bass amp can also work well for a fiddle, which seems all wrong. I've heard @Mottlefeeder's self built combos and they are great, but maybe more complex than you're looking for.

The Bakelite Earplugs - the legendary heavy metal tribute to Glen Miller. Now on tour supporting Crackly Pot.

Hurrah!! Glad you're building again.

Did you know the pickup was knackered when you bought the bass (presumably not in the last 12 days)? If not then definitely allowed. If you did, then a heartless judge could argue it has a working bridge pickup and you should just play it. Regardless though, this jury tends towards leniency and is letting you replace the broken pickup so you can be a complete babe-magnet on stage. Though once they have seen THIS image they may change their minds 😉 Until then, you're still in.

Keep ruddy Zuckerberg out of it!

Use three in your ear and, no matter what chords you start with, you will end up in A&E!