Stub Mandrel

630 mile round trip, my brother had already done an 80 mile round trip to collect it from the seller, so 710 miles in total. I won't admit he was going to Edinburgh already or that I was heading up to Dunblane and back for his other half's 60th birthday at which I would be playing said bass...

Chatgpt... so near and yet so far. I even told it the number of strings and tuners should be four. Thunderbird 2-Inspired Bass Guitar Design Body Shape: Form: Sleek, asymmetrical body echoing the curved, aircraft-like lines of Thunderbird 2. Inspiration: The body mimics the green fuselage with a forward-leaning, aerodynamic front horn and a shorter, angled lower horn reminiscent of the craft’s landing gear pods. Material: Swamp ash or alder for weight balance, with a matte olive green finish and subtle panel lines etched in for a metallic look. Color Scheme: Primary: Military green (Pantone-matched to Thunderbird 2) Accents: Yellow striping around the edges, black detailing (like warning markings), and "2" decal near the lower bout. Neck: Construction: Bolt-on or neck-through maple neck with a matching green headstock. Fingerboard: Rosewood or ebony with dot inlays shaped like tiny landing pods or retro-futuristic circles. Headstock: Design: Shaped like the cockpit of Thunderbird 2, with curves and a visor-like top edge. Tuners: Four chrome or black tuners (2 per side or 4-in-line, depending on balance), styled with angular gear housings inspired by VTOL jet nozzles. Pickups & Electronics: Configuration: P/J or dual humbuckers for punch and clarity. Controls: Knurled metal knobs for volume/tone, with toggle switches that look like control levers from the show. Bridge: Chunky, aircraft-inspired design—possibly custom-machined aluminum with industrial-looking vents or gear-like detail. Special Touches: LED edge lights under the pickguard or body perimeter (subtle, green glow). Engraved serial plaque on the back: "International Rescue Equipment Division." Thunderbird 2-Inspired Bass Guitar Design Body Shape: Form: Sleek, asymmetrical body echoing the curved, aircraft-like lines of Thunderbird 2. Inspiration: The body mimics the green fuselage with a forward-leaning, aerodynamic front horn and a shorter, angled lower horn reminiscent of the craft’s landing gear pods. Material: Swamp ash or alder for weight balance, with a matte olive green finish and subtle panel lines etched in for a metallic look. Color Scheme: Primary: Military green (Pantone-matched to Thunderbird 2) Accents: Yellow striping around the edges, black detailing (like warning markings), and "2" decal near the lower bout. Neck: Construction: Bolt-on or neck-through maple neck with a matching green headstock. Fingerboard: Rosewood or ebony with dot inlays shaped like tiny landing pods or retro-futuristic circles. Headstock: Design: Shaped like the cockpit of Thunderbird 2, with curves and a visor-like top edge. Tuners: Four chrome or black tuners (2 per side or 4-in-line, depending on balance), styled with angular gear housings inspired by VTOL jet nozzles. Pickups & Electronics: Configuration: P/J or dual humbuckers for punch and clarity. Controls: Knurled metal knobs for volume/tone, with toggle switches that look like control levers from the show. Bridge: Chunky, aircraft-inspired design—possibly custom-machined aluminum with industrial-looking vents or gear-like detail. Special Touches: LED edge lights under the pickguard or body perimeter (subtle, green glow). Engraved serial plaque on the back: "International Rescue Equipment Division."

Best of British, Snorks. It was nice knowing you...

I am within a week or so of completing my banjo restoration project. It seems that I only need to learn four 'rolls' (that are easy enough on guitar) and a handful of chord shapes and I will be a fully qualified bluegrass musician.

Cruel. But fair. 18s don't bring the words 'crisp' or 'detailed' to mind.

Once upon a time, long, long ago, you could put your phone number on a piece of paper and pin it to a noticeboard in your local music shop!

The uncomfotable thing about that is it resembles my guitar soloing... which is why I'm a bass player!

Incidentally, I saw Walter Trout last night. He played a solo, then said "I enjoyed that so much, I'm going to play it again, because it's my band and I can!". The whole night was full of things like signalling people how many turns around to take for a solo, or to take another one. I'm sure even the encore was unplanned as the band were watching him, and he called out 'Going Down'. James Oliver (a very different style of guitarist) stood in for a song. Walter just called out let's go with Am, and started playing. That doesn't mean there wasn't a framework for the night, but it was wonderfully loose and immediate. He was also incredibly generous to his bandmates and guests, it felt like a really special performance.

Some live stuff in this video.

I had a stand with a few issues, so my experience may be helpful. The pivot pins that hold the lifting mechanism in place are not rivets. One end is a short pin that is a friction fit in the larger pin, which is hollow. I had the small in fall out and disappear. The large pin slid back and this allowed one of the 'lifters' to disengage and stop working. The fix is: First cgeck the srew holding the lifting tab on isn't loose (easy fix). If a pin is loose already skip this step. Use a small flathead screwdriver to prise off the end of a pin, can be either but lower pin makes the next steps easier. Push out the loose pin completely. Push the head down against the spring, and looking in the holes at the back of the head you should see a metal loop and a moving pin on the back end of the lifter. By pushing the head forward, you will be able to jiggle the pin(s) on the lifter(s) into the loop(s) without too much difficulty. The skill is keeping one engaged whilst fitting the other. To put the long pin back in, push the head down and use a small screwdriver in the gap to lift the arm so the hole aligns and you can get the pin right through. Re-insert the small pin in the far end of the long pin. A drop of low strength retainer would be a good idea and not prevent future repairs. My small pin disappeared weeks ago so I used a drop of superglue on the end of the long pin. If the pin is completely missing you could make one from stout wire bent over at the ends so it can't scratch your lovely bass. Sorry if this makes a relatively simple task sound complex, but it's hard to see how the mechanism works. I hope this helps keep otherwise ok stands working.

No love for 18" cabs? I used to have one when I started out. Provably why I went to a pair of 2x12 cabs decades before most bassists!

Just Stryper...

Now you have to drub yourself out.

Walter Trout. Extraordinary guitarist, extraordinary band.