Stub Mandrel

Saw Band of Friends last week. Bass player Gerry McAvoy is one of my heroes and probably the biggest influence on my blues-rock playing style. He was listing places he'd played in Wales with Rory Gallagher and I shouted out that I saw them in Aberystwyth on my 19th birthday. Then this happened!

The problem, I think, was keeping it in an unheated garage. Big cjunks of poly chipped off. They dont look 'prettyx like worn nitro.

🙄

Fact is, there is no 'right' way to play the bass. So many of the sounds and styles we play demand different techniques. There are habits or approaches that may slow you down, produce a less 'clean' sound or even be prone to muscle strain etc. But there are no laws, only a wide range of options some of which will suit a particular combination of person, music and instrument better.

The Dakota red Squier has a satin finish all over. With aged (but not reliced) hardware I think it looks nicer than the glossy Fender 57.

Approximately £1,000 for two MOTs, parts (brake disks, bulbs, egr valve, battery, servicing and tyres). <edit> you ask about reliability... I had a battery fail after leaving lights on and letting it go flat in sub zero conditions. I don't do the mileage I used to, but I used to do 20k a year in cars with higher mileage. Most cars reach 180 - 200k before becoming unreliable or losing performance. I've done multiple 400-600 mile round trips without a hitch, at 58mpg over last 7,000 miles. I have never been sentimental about a car. They are indeed tools for moving around in although some are more pleasant than others. Buying new is irrational. I buy cheap and drive them until they are no longer cost effective to maintain. I fell lucky getting an almost immaculate medium mileage car for 800 as it was p/x disposal when the bottom fell out of the s/h market with covid reducing demand and the mot amnesty reducing it further. Normally I would consider paying twice that for a car.

Hmm... my £800 car is three years with me. That means I'm £89,200 in profit! No wonder economists are the biggest risk to the future of this planet...

It's striking how we all mute in different ways. I often think muting is the big but little taught skill that reflects your abilities maturing.

Pricing is insane on these atm. Most people seem to rate them as equal to MIM Fenders at twice the price.

I need to post some pics of the big chips...

In the small hours the mind starts to dwell on long put off decisions. I have a mid-70s Maya fretless that I have had since the mid 80s. It's a nice Matsumoku bass but the body is blockboard with a thick facing (not ply). The original finish is a sunburst in thick poly sprayed to hide the timber on the forearm cutaway. Over time including 10 or so years in unheated storage during the 2000/2010s some big chunks of the finish have chipped off, although the damage started to accrue back in the 90s. So... it has mojo, but not in a nice worn nitro way. I am conflicted... do I keep it as it is, or do I refin. And if so, what finish? Or is it possible to restore the burst, or just make the hard edged missing chunks look less jagged? I have already fitted a new scratchplate to replace a broken one, and added a bridge and pup covers. Any bright ideas. Some pics.. See chunk of poly glued back on... since fallen back off. Back in the 80s! Back in the 2020s! Aside from a big chunk hidden by my hand and smaller chips that are visible there are several big chunks out of the finish around the sides.

Looking forward to trying it!

A bit like when you realise you are playing a relatively complex riff but not looking at the strings... and it then goes to pieces!

Position... I tend to move position a lot. Over 17 fret for reggae tones. End of neck for gentle sounds. Neck pickup for modt stuff. Bridge Pickup for more aggressive sound. Right by bridge for honk.

Its more about muting than reach, I have big paws.

And... now in stock! I have ordered the MM5.

I have the sunburst. Looked for Warman pickup at @Bassfinger 's suggestion, but out of stock. Will look again! Also don't like the VVT, awkward to use for a pickup where you mostly want to reduce volume of both windings equally. Will look for a 3 or 5 way switch instead of one pot.

I like my Joyo XVI, but one reason is that it does sound like a second instrument, rather than a harmonic.

I gave away a bass once. To my brother. He loaned/gave it to a friend, which pained me, but they gave it back to him when they left the uk. He hasn't picked up on my hints yet. Even thought of buying an identical one and offering a swap...

That's what I mean by floating thumb.

Generally floating thumb, i.e. muting if not playing the E. But... because I learnt to fingerpick guitar before starting bass I sometimes use thumb and fingers to pick across the strings.