WingedWords

Sad news. I was first aware him from a track on the only giveaway CD that the much missed Bassist magazine issued in the mid 90s. The title track from his 1988 album "Bel Assis". Beautiful fretless playing that has stayed with me ever since. Thank you Mo.

I bought a Noel Redding Signature Jazz new in about 1997. I've never been a particular fan of Noel Redding or Hendrix. It's a CiJ 60s reissue with as far as I know no special features except a signature decal on the headstock and a marker pen signature on the scratchplate. I bought it as a budget bass to possibly defret and change pickups etc. From memory it was about half the price of a USA Standard at the time and I still feel it was better made than the USA Standard 96 P Bass I'd bought the year before. It sounds as good as any JBass I've ever played and I never changed anything on it. Still got it - I prefer my PBass, but still think the JBass is the best looking of all Leo's designs.

I've dabbled with the bass for many years, but with time on my hands in the past months, one of my main projects has been to do some proper work on it from the beginning. Since last April I've been working through Ed Friedland's 3 part Hal Leonard method fairly slowly and methodically alongside his Blues bass book. It's improving my note and rhythm reading no end: I'm really enjoying it and love the online audio too - a highly recommended package. I'm planning to move on to his Building Walking Basslines books in due course. I bought them about 20 years ago and never got beyond about page 10. I like his "Bass Whisperer" YouTube channel too.

Put a pair on a Tele. I'm waiting for them to self-destruct.

I'm in. I always match these to the bass. So now I've got to find an orange bass...

My first good bass - a 96 American Standard Precision bought new at the Wapping Bass Centre. Not a sentimental decision: it sounds, and feels, to me like a bass should.

I remember asking my cello teacher about this. A long time ago, but as far as I can remember, she said string manufacturers use different silk windings to distinguish different gauges/tensions/materials etc and also that the winding at the peg end helps the string grip the peg and at the bridge end it helps damp down resonance between bridge and tailpiece. We were talking about strings for the violin family of course. On electric bass strings I suspect it's just to add an appearance of class.

I got my Hohner B2A V new in around 2000. It plays so well, has an enormous voice and I used it as my main bass for a good while. I dug it out recently and gave it its first string change in 20 years. But disappointingly I find it hard work now - I'm getting on a bit and the low frets are a long stretch away. It makes my arm and neck ache. I put a capo on at the second fret which helps, though it's not ideal. But I love the sound it makes and it's still the easiest playing bass I've ever had.

I wanted a budget Jazz to defret and found this CIJ Noel Redding Signature in Colchester in Feb 99. I don't think it's any different from any other 65 Reissue and Noel Redding isn't a particular favourite of mine, but the association was a nice bonus. I remember seeing a picture of Noel signing a stack of pickguards at the 1997 NAMM, in the old Bassist magazine. It's a nicely made bass, too nice for me to muck about with, so it's still fretted. I never played it a lot - I think it showed me I'm a Precision sort of person, but it makes all the right Jazz Bass noises and I still think the Jazz is the most elegant design Uncle Leo ever came up with (especially in sunburst/tort.) It's staying with me.

My first good bass.1996 American Standard, bought new from Wapping. I changed the pickguard from white, but it's stock otherwise. I had a period when I only played my Warwicks and a few years with hardly any bass playing at all, but since finding my way back I've not touched anything but this. A full rich bass sound and I love it.

My 3 Corvette Standards. 96 5 string, 96 4 string (both bubinga/wenge), and 04 5 string fretless (ash/ovangkol/ebony).

I'm currently building a 54 style P Bass and have ordered a McNelly pickup. I've used quite a few of Tim McNelly's pickups on Teles and a Jazzmaster so I'm confident it'll perform. https://www.homeoftone.co.uk/collections/bass-pickups/products/mcnelly-p-bass-single-coil-pickup?variant=19320967303 On another forum I was recommended these UK builders https://www.herrickpickups.com/products/tele-51-bass-single-coil/ http://www.bloodstoneguitarworks.com/shop/bass-pickups I've no experience of them. Here's a pic of the build so far.