Stub Mandrel

Don't overthink it! It's a bit of fun not a scientific experiment. I couldn't swear to tell a start from telecaster by its sound, but plenty of times I've recognised guitarists like Hendrix, Clapton or Billy Gibbons on a recording, often in odd contexts, like Clapton on 'Think I'll Go Back Home', a Steven Stills track. And I can be fooled by imitators, like SRV doing Hendrix. So someone's 'signature' sound is rather like their voice. They can disguise it and others can imitate it*, but some people have one distinctive enough to be recognisable. *Chetaing is easy. I've got an Ibanez '335', plenty of gain, bridge pickup and back off the tone -bend a few pentatonic licks and you get instant Clapton. Or use a modelling amp...

Carol Kaye on Bass Fingering: I can't argue with that 🙂

This is the closest you can get, although I would not be surprised to see a Geddy solo album in the next year or two:

Sponsored by British Gas?

Does anyone remember the old screw-in TV legs? You used to get four plates with an angled boss on them and four wooden legs with tilting feet on the end taht fitted to a TV but you could use them to make coffee tables with any convenient slab of flat stuff. Thinking about dad's shop and looking at the Westone slab of wood body made me think....

I've been playing electronics since I was a kid (my dad had a shop selling /repairing electricals and renting TVs until the 80s) so if I change the electrics I'd want to do it myself - but in this case the pots are totally noiseless and the wiring is very neat.

Phil Alexander introduced a John Martyn track on Planet Rock. I've never heard 'Go Down Easy' (the DAB told me that) but my instant reaction was 'That's Danny Thompson!' Sure enough, a quick google and it's Danny. Who are the bass players you can spot just by their tone and style?

You mean... it's a smorgasboard! 🤣

If ou can cope with the surfeit of cool Hohner B2 basses weigh less than 6 1/2 lbs.

Nice. But now I know stew ripped me off - I shuldn't have paid more than a tenner 🤣

Different! Powerful, not very bright even with brand new strings. Should make a good contrast with my performer.

I got this from @stewblack I hope he doesn't mind me using his 'before' pic: This is the non-active version. read any review of a 1A and people will say 'I use it with the active switched off', because these basses come from before the days of active-optimised pickups that sound weedy when used direct. It's definitely a bass, the old strings sounded dull, I replaced them with new Elite Stadium stainless and it sounds much nicer but still doesn't sound bright. The output is very high too so I suspect these pickups have LOTS of windings - they have a reputation for sounding more like a precision than a precision. I haven't done much: Generally cleaned it all, including the crud off the fingerboard (acetone) which I then oiled. Most cleaning was with 'grip filth' wipes although it wasn't very dirty. Lots of dings and varnish worn through in a couple of places. Took the bridge and knobs off and eventually got the lacquer off with an overnight soak in nitromors. Then pickled in vinegar and salt, then brasso, then Windsor and Newton lacquer (which will come off with white spirit). One intonation screw was snapped sort so i replaced them. Evidence of a different bridge before the old one put back. The three non-brass screws seem to be replacements for sheared off screws so teh brass-colour ones i put in as replacements woudl only go in at an angle to avoid the stub of the old screw , ho hum! Added a couple of straplock buttons, then fitted the elite strings. I could see the marks from where the bridge used to sit, used these a a guide and took little effort to get decent action and spot on intonation despite rather worn frets. Bootiful and a lovely blast from the past.

As a general point not directed at the original poster. In other forums I have come across several situations where someone has learning difficulties, autism, Asperger's syndrome, stress/mental health issues, loneliness, or being bullied. These can all manifest themselves in ways that are difficult for people to cope with, particularly on forums like this where there seems to be a highly developed forum etiquette. As an admin I have learnt the story behind threads from upset people messaging me to say they are leaving the forum "because...". Looking back at the threads in question it's usually easy to see where things have gone wrong and escalated into mutual indignation. Back to the current thread, looking at the post linked above, I can't help thinking the point about spending on the gear just to wind people up was an attempt at irony and not literal. The guff at the end suggests to me the guy is troubled and angry rather than deeply malicious. The video, whatever you thought of it, did not feel like a fake.

If some b***r tries that on me I will strangle them with my Lemmy t-shirt!

I think I'll get a t-shirt with "Gerald Bostock is Innocent" on it. That should confuse my peers...

Joey B. went down to the crossroads and waited. Eventually the Devil appeared and made him an offer. "I'll give you complete command of your instrument, and a level of success such that you can always play for your own pleasure with a disregard for anyone else." "And what's the price? My soul?" "No," replied the Devil, "my price is that for the rest of your life you have to dress as a chartered accountant trying to relax..."

Steve Jones claimed him and his mate stole an entire PA by taking a bit at a time from people's soundchecks... I suspect cost wasn't always a prime consideration :-0

Hmm., That's 12%. I'd be surprised if 12% of basses are five strings, let alone six, so I would say they are over-represented in the classifieds. Also, why aren't they selling? Clearly there are people who get on well with six strings and even musical styles that virtually demand that you have them (djent!), but I think for most people the extra width and weight is a step to far. The benefits of a fifth string - dropping down to B, two octaves in a single position are fairly easy to justify. Adding a high c-string brings less obvious benefits, not many people with 24-fret basses find themselves running out of high notes. My view, having only had a few tries, is that six-string basses are significantly harder to play (or at least to adjust to) and makling eth adjustments does change your playing (from my experience with five strings making me play rather differently). If you have the ability to make full use of what a six string offers that's great and more power to your fingers - but I suspect a significant proportion of players who buy one end up feeling it was a mistake.

I saw the last two UK gigs with Phil - one at Gloucester Leisure Centre as a delayed date on the final tour then Reading '83. Phil said something like 'I never thought we'd be playing our last gig in a sh1tty lttle place like this" They actually went on to do a Japanese Tour, then Reading, then a final gig in Germany. http://www.thinlizzyguide.com/tours/year/1983.htm (Glad I looked that up, now I know where I saw Mama's Boys!)

Sshh! It's like the Emperor's New Clothes - you just don't mention it!

Agreed, I can get feedback out of my 30W Vox Valvetronix at far from flat-out. It's more about gain than sheer volume.

E-bow?

I used to enjoy Warwick folk club around 1989 - Ric Sanders was a regular visitor but I didn't see him play there. Open mics ranged from Anna Ryder (then unkown, now has six folk albums under her belt) to a local teenager doing his best at Kiss's Beth. Everyone playing got a friendly reception, I just wish i had had the courage to have a go!

One of my brothers was at an event in Bulgaria with his partner. There was a folk band, the locals were chatting to them and after the band they were invited to play - he pointed out that he was left handed so someone actually went off and found a lefty bass for him!

For £100 might be worth getting this for rehearsal, even if you use something slightly bigger for gigging?