Dom in Dorset

That would be a logical assumption ... most pianos seem to be made of poplar which isn't particularly hard which is one of the reasons I'm going for a short scale (lower tension on the neck) I may have to use maple for a neck if I try a 34" scale. The pianos I'm using are generally pre 1930.

It would be impossible to say but I don't think it would make any difference.

That's 31 1/2" in old money 😀

I'm attempting to make a bass from scrap pianos. This is a prototype short scale bass called T800 because it's telecaster shaped and has an 800mm scale length. Wherever possible I'll be using wood from defunct pianos, mostly poplar with mahogany veneer and oak for the fretboard. As far as I can I will attempt to keep the original finish and use whatever screws I can salvage from the donor pianos.

From Wikipedia : Other basses used by Lemmy Hagström H8 Washburn B20 Thunderbird 2 Thunderbird 4 Nick Page Gott 4 Burns Bison Gibson SG Minarik Inferno Minarik “Lemmy signature” Medusa :

I suspect they turned up to the studio without instruments and found these in a broom cupboard at the BBC , but what is that bass?

I can't help thinking there's more to this than meets the eye. The look on the assailant's face, that's real anger not just a drunk getting out of hand.

I'm alright Jack....safely ensconced in an orchestra pit for a sell out panto. Not exactly rock n' roll but it's eight paid gigs and I get to play Mr Bluesky at least once a day until the 3rd Jan.

That's exactly how I explained my tele bass to them.

I think only Rod Clements is an original member but even he left the band for a while. The bass player has been with then 25 years and the others quite a while. Rod was the other really friendly one also interested in Frankenstein instruments.

I had the pleasure of opening for Lindisfarne last night and what a nice bunch they were! The bass player Ian Thompson was particularly chatty and was intrigued by my bitsa tele bass. He was playing an Epiphone EB3 with a £10 chinese soap bar pickup in the bridge. We talked about the various spare parts we had that may turn into something ebay permitting and our mutual love of Entwistle pickups. They aren't a band I've paid too much attention to in the past but we stayed and enjoyed the show and popped back stage after to say goodbye. They seemed genuinely pleased that we'd stayed (despite 400 others in the audience) . I am pleased to report that they are a thoroughly nice bunch, my faith in humanity is in part restored.

I've never seen or heard of this before ...I love it , others may not. https://reverb.com/item/15489682?_fb-dpa-uk&utm_source=fb&utm_medium=ad&utm_campaign=fb-dpa-uk&fbclid=IwAR3Er2_P8c2L6w6YiI2vbm3NDC_o665Gfp56sQH-SQ2oENO5w5xqPe5JClE

"I'm not Cobby" - you had to be there.

It's even worse if you play bellows blown pipes , small pipes etc, people seem to think that if you aren't using your mouth to blow you must be able to hold a conversation while playing.

The music student booking rang a bell...we were once asked by another band to fill in for their regular slot because they had a gig elsewhere and wanted to keep the booking going and were worried that if they didn't do their monthly gig or at least provide an alternative they would lose it. They then told everybody not to come because they weren't going to be there!

Turn up knowing how to play the song and don't be a weirdo (unless you are auditioning for Hawkwind).

Glastonbury festival a few years ago, we were playing in a big top, it was raining so the place was packed. We had just played an absolute stormer of a gig on the band stand stage and shot across the site to our next gig at the Avalon cafe through mud, punters etc. We got on stage and checked all the levels and we were just about to do our first number (this was also the sound check) when ......a guy in a high vis vest comes up to the stage and says "the tent is falling down, everybody out!!!" Three hundred people were herded out by marshals while three men hit tent pegs with sledge hammers. we stood back stage waiting until we were given the all clear to go back on ...in time to play three numbers as the punters trudged back in.

I was phoned by a "promoter" who was putting on a US country singer at a local venue. The venue is 500 a seater , some fairly big names play there , our band is a tongue in cheek country trio with a strong element of humour, the artist in question is a serious female singer songwriter but on balance we decide to go for it. All three of us have day jobs at the same place ten minutes away so not exactly a big deal logistically. The promoter then goes quiet on us , the listings appear and no mention of support act. I send him a couple of texts and get no reply, I start to think this is pure fantasy or he's had second thoughts....time passes... he calls me out of the blue to explain that the original artist had to pull out but someone else equally huge is playing that night and we are still the support....time passes...with a week to go I text him to ask about set length, sound check etc.....nothing.....two days to go.... A phone call asking if we'd been sent any tickets to sell (we get a cut , I know it's a crap deal but it wasn't a tricky gig to do and it was good exposure) ...no we hadn't. He blames xy and z for this and says the gig is still on....on the day of the gig we set off after work but on the way he calls me..."They don't want a support act but you can go on after, she will big you up" I meet the others in the car park , basically after the main act finishes we get to set up and be just about ready to play to an empty room half an our after the punters leave. We say thanks but no thanks and go home. He's offered us another gig in November that is shaping up in the same way....

I used to play various odd folk instruments in a band with other similar obscure things (bagpipes , hurdy gurdies etc) we were booked to play at a fair in Hartlepool. The week before the gig our gurdy player had to drop out for personal reasons, being a super obscure instrument there was no way of finding a dep in time so my brother was to join us on bouzouki. He got the CD on Thursday and the rest of of drove up from the south coast on Friday and stayed at his place in Bradford that night. We got wasted on his home brew and the next morning feeling somewhat jaded we set of for Hartlepool in the rain. When we arrived we were told we were playing on a flat bed truck in a nearby car park but only if the rain stopped. We waited in a pub confident that we wouldn't have to play our set that day ...with two minutes to spare the sound man came in a said "it's stopped raining, you're on!" We set up and launched into our set , we were hung over our instruments were horribly out of tune and getting worse due to cold and damp , my brother had barely heard the set let alone learned it. The audience consisted of the proverbial two men and a dog standing in a wet car park. During the first number they left. We played on for 45 minutes with only the puddles for company.

That'll teach me to be so damned sure of myself! Anyway you'll be out of pocket but it sounds like you'll end up with an even better instrument.

Of course but the kit is only £12(?) and you have nothing to loose.😯 Sorry my mistake, it comes up as a google search result as £12 but it's actually £166. Warranty or replacement.

Aargh shiiit! The thread must be stripped somehow. I've heard of this being repaired but I've never been asked to do it, I don't think you'll be using this bass any time soon. https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Truss_Rod_Installation_and_Repair/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit_Instructions.html

You'll probably need a bit more adjustment than just gripping but at least it's not broken .Weird how it went like that , you must have a gremlin infestation.

You said you didn't know much about truss rods, just checking that you have the basics right before looking for more serious problems. You turned the truss rod nut to the right? A guitarist friend of mine keeps bringing me his guitar to sort out after he adjusts it himself as he consistently turns it the wrong way. I've lost track of the times I've told him.

You'd know about it if you broke the nut off. A possible scenario - you adjusted it the wrong way or too far and it's taken a day or two to settle? Some necks don't react immediately to truss rod adjustment and move a bit in the next few days. Can you remember what direction you turned it and what were you trying to achieve?