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It will be interesting to see how such a highly talented bassist progresses. You Tube etc. shows that there are so many outstanding musicians / bands around that talent is not enough. Lucky breaks, knowing the right people, being in the right place at the right time all help as well.

SansAmp RB-1 (or sometimes SansAmp Leeds pedal) > Crown XLS 1502 single channel> BF Dusbster. Seems to be adequate, I use a 35Hz high pass filter with the XLS 1502 DSP.

Landed Festival, Mid Wales, Friday night. Excellent PA and really well mixed. The stage (trailer) seemed to absorb the sound and for the first time ever, BF Dubster and Peavey Tour 700 required PA support as well. Chowny fretless (another BC purchase) worked really well. Band is called Glyderau (a Welsh mountain range), all original material. Magus is Ben Grant, Freelance sound engineer, PA Hire & Location Recording, who ran the sound system - really good. The chappie on the right clearly enjoyed himself.

Used Peavey milestone or just look through BC basses for sale. There are some excellent value basses which may well prevent the need to buy something else later.

A problem which I can fully relate to. I should really move some 34" scale basses on. Am I ever going to play X (too heavy) or Y (too sentimentally valuable) at a gig but....

I would just re-iterate @Smanth comment about needing a really really (and some more really) light touch. I don't find intonation and string stretch much of an issue (Goldtone solid body, 23" scale fretless, Aquila Thunder Browns). With my heavy right hand technique I just have to work on avoiding growl / buzz.

Should be possible, given the spec ( 4 cables = PWM, 3 cables = DC control). There are plenty of 'silent' / low noise PC fans about in a range of sizes at a range of prices, sane to exotic.

Which one of us?

With "nearly 20 years of bass playing" and "hunting for tabs and then being insanely critical of myself that I can't figure out or play every note exactly how it is in the recording" you have got the mechanics pretty sorted, The biggest improvements in my playing have come about when I have had to really listen to the music being played- for want of a better phrase "getting my ear in" and playing in a context where there has been little (no) room for bass blunders. This combined with supportive band members who are musically way better than me has made the difference. Keep going and enjoy it No need for more kit.

Looking at the images again, if the neck dots (not the fingerboard ones) 'offend' you too much I am sure a skilled furniture restorer or suitable luthier would be able to sort them out to the point of virtual invisibility. As said many times, it is a nice bass, I would be more than happy with it in my bass fleet.

I experienced a bass that would not intonate and played out of tune when the 12th fret intonation was correct. The cause was a faulty G string, from new. It took a while to find this, the first faulty string I have encountered in 50+ years of playing. I would keep it as it is, it looks like a really nice example, good upgrades and big bonus, an ebony fretless board.

Bought some flatwound strings from Matt. Excellent communication and rapid arrival of the strings. First rate.

Amazingly I have one have one of these, bought from BC many years ago. Surprisingly for the body shape, It has no neck dive and is remarkably light weight. A really nice thing to play. Google it and you will find very little information about them (unless new info has appeared). At one time the only images I could find were of the BC listing of mine.

The game is up, you are really building a cigar box bass, the parts are leaning against the shed? In seriousness, following the build with interest (and a view to rig size reduction).

I use a set in my Chowny SWB-1 and rate them very highly, good range of tones available. They were also worked really well when I used them in a Warwick Corvette. Would happily buy another set.

Totally agree. Two different animals, energy levels in case a) and, for want of a better phrase, professional musicianship in case b).

If I could do the sets that GNR and EJ have delivered I would be a happy bunny. At 64,two 1hr sets give me something to think about and mine are rather more sedate than GNR.

My increasing failure as an older bass player is 'getting lost' in the simple basic stuff - how many verses, choruses have we done and then missing the cue. The (alleged) tricky stuff - turn round riffs, fill ins, key sequences I can still do. Getting in the zone and concentrating / bar counting is getting harder. It has been easier in the originals band than doing covers but I am not the bass player I was 40 years ago. IIRC @Beedster made an interesting comment about radio music a while back which I will echo. The quality /detail of bass reproduction (and general sound) of BBC DAB seems to have improved dramatically recently. I am noticing a lot more detail in the bass playing I hear on the radio. Quite a lot of what was 'simple'or 'easy' is not, I am hearing a lot of subtlety that was missed in my youth.

Stingray 5ers in massive price hike following Glastonbury..... no need to comment on the EJ mix, superb from the home TV perspective.

Where are you based (excuse the pun), someone local to you on BC could probably help you with this. Not me, since I am in a different country - Mid Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

GX 5 from memory, I picked up a nearly new XLS 1502 for far less than the quoted repair cost.

Cost of repairs - new main board and other parts plus labour / transportation exceeded the cost of replacing it.