essexbasscat

For God's sake ! that's silly money for that rig !

Passive electronics model this one

Fender 300 pro valve head ?

Thanks for the link. A nice reminder about the importance of expressing music and the ever present risk of just going through the motions with your instrument.

Are all adjustment screws secure with no slippage on the threads ? and in contact with the plate ? (as above). Any loose threads and screws can be stabilised a bit with a drop of nail varnish on the thread.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1332121157' post='1583670'] If you are using wire wool, and have a spare speaker magnet or similar about, (spare as in will never be used again) leave it underneath the neck you are working on and it will gather the filings that are the inevitable result of using wire wool. [/quote] Handy tip that, good idea

Thanks for the reminder, about time I listened to some LZ Memorable time in the 90's. The radio alarm went off on a summer's morning and the very first thing I was aware of that day were the opening bars of Ramble On. Just laid there, starting the day with a smile One of the best starts to the day I can remember

[quote name='BassBod' timestamp='1332062557' post='1582584'] I've sometimes used a low tech approach (I think it came from an old booklet by Rob Armstrong). Once the frets are level (and flat topped) wrap a small piece of fine sandpaper around two fingers and rub over the whole fingerboard. Does a surprisingly good job of returning the frets to a more rounded profile, ready for a final polish. I hate flat top frets...looks unfinished. [/quote] I can see how that would work, I'm just a bit surprised that technique doesn't created uneveness along the length of the fretboard. Glad it works for you though Thanks Prosebass BTW, your basses look interesting. Shame we're not any closer, I'd love to have a long chat with you about building and maintaining stuff. Do you go to any bass shows ? Mr Foxen - I'm really wondering if we should open another thread to discuss the topic of beliefs and wisdom when it comes to levelling frets, setting up basses / guitars etc. I know it's been done before, but there still seems to be widespread potential for debate around the subject, as you rightly say, so many people disagree on the pros and cons. Especiall around the PLEK machine

Where's my allen key ?

Now I have this image of MM Bongos being played in Brighton gay bars

Interesting that you mention the PLEK machine, one or two people around here have an issue or two with those things. Thing is, in theory they should work well, but then again...

I have heard from a friendly luthier that D'Addario are one of the few factories that make strings.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1332015270' post='1582200'] From the recent Gibsons I've looked at, they just don't bother. The stick a Gibson decal on the headstock an call it good. I do the same as above. I've shine up nickel frets with T-cut on a cloth, just because I had a cloth with T-cut on from other jobs, worked pretty well, imagine stainless steel frets are too hard to benefit much from that. [/quote] Those stainless steel frets can bounce right off my front door ....

long brown coat as well ?

Now that look like a cheap workable solution to the problem ! Does anyone know how the manufacturers do it ? Somehow, I can't see a row of flat - capped old geezers smoking woodbines standing at guitar benches flattening off frets in the Gibson factory all day. Well, not these days anyway.

Just two basses; - Maple / maple 1972 USA precision with a white scratchplate. My first USA precision, the one I used to pick up when I got home after a gig and wanted to play just a bit more. What a dunce to sell it even though it did help finance my Goodfellow Rumour. I'd now sell other basses to have it back - Hohner Jack bass, the best one of three in the shop. Just a good bass, nice and light, easy to play, sounded great, lovely sustain, did everything a bass is supposed to do. I keep seeing them come up around here when I havn't got the money. One day, in the not too distant future.......

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1332013185' post='1582166'] No, it was a reference to the story that George Martin told about one of the first times that he had been recording 'the boys' and the fact that he hadn't really 'teken' to them at the time. Anyway, after the session he invited them all into the control room to listen to what he had been doing and he said to them them that if there was anything that they didn't like, they just had to tell him and he'd change it. Harrison was the first to speak and said "Well I don't like your tie for a start" GM said that was the point at which he started to warm to them. [/quote] And the rock star was born ....

One for the luthier types After levelling frets, many luthiers crown the newly ground frets with a fret file, creating a rounded contact surface. The newly rounded frets are then often polished with fine grade wire wool, typically 000 or 0000 to remove any tooling marks. However, that's not always the case. I've come across more than a few basses and heaps of guitars with flat areas at the point where the fret meets the string. Les Pauls come to mind straight away. Does anyone know how the freshly ground flat fret surface can be polished without taking all week while maintaining the newly ground tolerances ? I usually use a straight beam with sandpaper attached to grind the frets flat, but I recall someone mentioning that jewellers polishing compound can be used. If this is so, how is it used with a long flat beam ? Thanks all EBC

Played a wake two years ago, in a pub on the evening of the funeral. It was what the family wanted and far enough removed from the location of the funeral to be respectful. It was clearly explained to everyone that a 60's band would be playing that evening and everyone seemed to enjoy it. However, there was a facepalm moment during the first set when the band leader started off 'When I'm dead and gone' in the usual place in the set. I asked him "Are you Sure"? when he started and he said YES, CARRY ON ! I asked him at the break why he started that song, given the occasion. His reply = Oh No ! (GROAN) Classic

[quote name='Len_derby' timestamp='1331985661' post='1581711'] That's what I think too (but I am generally a stupidly optimistic b***ger). Genuine tone deafness is very rare and (I think) a clinical condition. My belief and observation is that most people can 'sing' a tune properly in their heads but can't always sing it out 'for real' properly. This is because they lack the skill to use the tools they have (the vocal chords, the links between brain and voice, breathing etc). properly. These skills can be taught, learned and practised. Whether anyone becomes a singer of character that others want to listen to, and are engaged by, is a different matter! [/quote] Well said, that man