Shambo

I love the Meters, but I'm hard pressed to think of a band who sound just like them. Charles Wright occasionally? Sometimes reminiscent of Dyke And The Blazers? Besides the excellent use of space to let their melodies breathe, I've also accredited some of the success of their sound (in my mind at least) to the way the bass and lead guitar sometimes choose to replicate each other. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_cB6zANXo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx4yrCc3DFo

Sold Ewan some Labella flats today. He came to collect and we had a good old natter about all things bass. Would certainly recommend. Hope you like the strings mate.

All your base are belong to us. How many bass guitars do Fender/EBMM/Yamaha/ect. make every year? Are less basses made now than in the 1970's? Are there more manufacturers now than thirty years ago? Do any such figures exist as to how many bass guitars are made per year? By country? Continent? Worldwide? I have none of these answers. I asked myself what are the chances of meeting a random new person and discovering that they played, or at least owned, a bass guitar. It occurred to me that I have absolutely no idea. Any speculative theories would be welcome.

Bought a bass from jflesh and I'm very pleased with our transaction. I'd happily deal with him again. Many thanks Guillaume.

Hi Lawrie. Edge Guitar Services is the Mr Eltham Jones I mentioned earlier. I read somewhere, probably here, that he prefers to work from his workshop in Bridgend these days. I think I might just have to give him a ring this afternoon and see what the score is. Thank you for the offer of the drop off, you're a good'un.

Oh, I've done quite a few setups before. I've got a set of allen keys and I'm not afraid to use them. I'll try and explain my reasoning to you, (and myself). I want a full time luthier to do this because; a) they should be better at it than me, and b) because it's difficult to be subjective when adjusting an instrument for your own use. If I do it myself, I'll be trying to make the bass feel familiar or 'right'. These adjustments could take months, years or forever. If I tell a luthier how I want it, when I get the guitar back, (depending on how good a job I think they've done), I'm more likely to accept the instrument for what it is and adjust my playing style subtly to suit. Then I can just restrict myself to the twice yearly seasonal truss rod tweak, and use more brain power trying to play the damn instrument rather than trying to fettle it. I put Labella flats on all my basses, (yes even Stingrays it seems), and only once. I'm probably more likely to sell a bass before swapping new flats for old. I've always been happy to take an allen keys to a friends bass when asked, because I can be subjective and I don't have to live with it every day. Also, under the proviso that I am very much an amateur and that a pro luthier will do a better job than I could.

That was one I was looking at, and your recommendation is enough but... he lives outside of the city and I don't drive. I'd be looking at a 2+ hour journey on foot and bus each way... with Saturday morning my only window of opportunity to visit. I might end up there yet if there are no other luthiers, in the city, somebody could put in a good word for.

I'm looking for a luthier based in Bristol to set up a Stingray for me. I could do it myself, but the adjustments would never end... up a bit, down a bit, back a bit, forward a bit, repeat ad infinitum. I'm happy to pay for a good pro luthier, then tell them how I'd like it to play. They can usually do a better job than me. I hear Waghorn only does guitar builds now. Or that Eltham Jones doesn't work in Bristol very often. Can someone recommend one to me please?

Bought a Stingray off Lawrie this evening. Collected it from his house and he was kind enough to give me a lift home! Very nice to meet you, hope we can do business again sometime.

I just picked up one of these new. In a musicshop audition with the Fender Rumble 15 and a Laney RB1, it was the clear winner for me. Not very loud but it articulates well. Definitely for bedroom practice, not band practice use.

Bought a bass of Mike today, which he delivered personally. Great to meet you. A highly recommended forumite.

I decided to face my fears head on. Like when I watch Heather Smalls on the Camino De Santiago, I've been singing 'You've got to search for the hero inside yourself', in a deep husky voice, as I photoshopped a mock up of the automotive incubus that haunts my sweaty nights. I'm hoping this will help me better come to terms with my irrational phobia.

That... rippled beige texture. It reminds me of quilted maple. Gross.

It'd look much better in Butterscotch Blonde... IMHO I'll take one from the middle please.