Stub Mandrel

Err... wasn't Heinz well know for his (bleach) blond hair? I only see the shads...

Black Ash is making a comeback? Wow - I must be getting old!

The Planet Rock audience is pretty much a down the line 'classic rock' one, so don't expect John Mclaughlin in there... but it was an audience vote not just a list made up by the station (I'm pretty sure they would not have chosen most of those tracks). As a regular Planet Rock listener I was a bit confounded by the list. I get the feeling that there weren't a huge number of votes cast, resulting in some very odd inclusions and exclusion, there was some concerted pushing for a few bands. Would have liked to see Pearl Jam's 'Alive' in there (some argue it's derivative, I'd say it's full of nods to other guitarists). Also 'Like a Hurricane' - the best soundcheck ever... Some of the songs are really odd choices for the artists concerned. Last year they had a vote for the 40 best riffs of all time. Even the presenter (Wyatt) observed that some of the songs weren't actually riff-based... What really counted were the Friday Rock Show top-ten songs of all time countdowns of the early 80s 🙂 But I didn't vote so I can't really complain...

Go on then!

I do need to think hard about how much this bass will get used and for what. My experience is that I get that bass and its feel and sound decide its function; after last nights band meeting I think we need to decide exactly what we mean by 'unplugged' - is it a quiet version of the band or might it be me and the guitarist doing a lunchtime pot in a wine bar?

Trying one yesterday I was chatting to another chap and he suggested flatwounds as we both found the string handling noise excessive when amped up. I suppose it depends on what you want to do - bronze roundwounds might be ideal if you want to do acoustic folk, roundwounds might be better if you want more of a poor man's EUB sound?

Err... it's a strat?

The designs I have seen for 'classic' Trace Elliot power amps are designs that would stand up fro good quality hifi of the time, with very low levels of harmonic distortion. I have no doubt the 'Trace Elliot sound' comes from their preamps.

Damn! Damn! Damn! Just discovered these: I've played one of the Talman semi-acoustic six-strings and it was gorgie!

My daughter's got a Crafter 6-sring (might be their budget brand) and it's not bad. Body depth is a thought. Thinking back the Tanglewood ones have plenty of projection but very thick bodies - also made the first fret feel a very long way away.

Any suggestions what this is? the 'folds' are placed so it is angled at about 10-15 degrees. Is it just a manufacturing defect?

I've been trying out acoustic basses. Ibanez, Tanglewood, Ashbury, Alvarez about seven different ones. It's tough as most shops only stock one or two. Prices have ranged from about £180 to 500. So far to better than the Ibanez at the bottom of the price range, you have to spend 200-300 more, but I don't feel you get £200 worth of better sound and I'm not sure any of the others played better. Trouble is the dark natural finish of the Ibanez feels like textured fablon... there is a 'blonde' version and it's £10 less but the nearest one appears to be in Oxford. As a tightwad, eBay and second hand appeals. Are there any suggestions for ones to look out for secondhand? Has anyone got experience of the Vintage/Harley Benton ones that are out there? Are teh gear4 music ones usable (although I'm not sure my street cred could survive having their logo on the headstock...)

Not unrelated?

They've been found in possession of suspected chain smoker @onehandclapping on the 'How many basses do you own' thread:

Cowboy boots look cool too... you have to suffer to be beautiful 🙂

Try it, it will probably have a lot more output. Pickups usually are made in neck/bridge pairs, the bridge ones have more windings which makes then more powerful but a little less bright. This is balanced by the bridge position be naturally brighter but quieter (less fundamental, more harmonics and less amplitude). This means that a well matched pair of pickups give two contrasting but balanced sounds and also a pleasant balance when both turned up. Swapping neck for bridge will spoil this balance, but there's no absolute reason why any individual pickup won't sound good in either position. Anything goes if mixing unmatched pickups and then you will probably want to play with pickup height to get a good balance.

There is a solution...

That was the weak day... I will confess, it was Black Sabbath with Ian Gillan - I was probably one of the few people who enjoyed that. Steve Ray Vaughan on his first UK tour (the rumour was that he was an excellent Hendrix mimic). Thin Lizzy's last UK gig (I saw the previous one in Gloucester too) Man! Little Stephen! Mama's Boy's! Suzi Quattro! Steel Pulse! Magnum! Marrillion! Ten Years After!!! And most of the rest were good to! And I got to see the Enid play the Dambuster's March with 15,000 people making googles with their thumbs and forefingers. And Anvil!!!!!

My pocket was a bit oversize BUT it wasn't a fender neck - in fact I have no idea where it came from (before the skip where I found it).

Blimey, once you start looking they turn up in all sorts of places!

Indeed, it's not surface area, it's all down to diameter...

No I said you've got to get with the BEAT not the BLEAT!!!

I bought one of these made out of similar 'barrel material' in 2018. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Guitar-Unfinished-Body-Barrel-Material-for-Strat-ST-Guitar-DIY/283051735079?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 IMHO too soft for a decent guitar, although it looks OK.

Obvious answer is to have enough basses that some have them and some don't. I like them because the increase the differences in how my basses feel and the point of having a small collection is that each one makes you play differently. Plus they do look the dogs on a bass with a sunburst and tort scratchplate.