Rounding off a 55+ year old project

[Rodders]

Great story and lovely looking bass! When I was a teenager I could just about understand which end to hold a saw let alone build my own bass..

 

Any chance of a video demo or sound clips? 

[Mykesbass]

Just seen the rest of the pictures. That's a great bass with no caveats. When you do add the caveats of your then lack of knowledge, experience, and the lack of available knowledge and resources 50+ years ago, this is absolutely exceptional. 

[Andyjr1515]

Splendid job then and now

 

[sandy_r]

On 13/03/2024 at 13:43, Rodders said:

Great story and lovely looking bass! When I was a teenager I could just about understand which end to hold a saw let alone build my own bass..

 

Any chance of a video demo or sound clips? 

 

 

 

Thanks, it was a steep learning curve, both making and learning how to play a bass (another school-friend in the band having to tell me the notes to play, initially). We all just follow our passions, i guess

 

I've recorded a short audio clip - i notice on playback i've helpfully included some noise as well (low-output pickup, high-gain, etc) i've tried to even the level in places, but the Tone should be flat EQ throughout

[Edit: replaced with a less noisy clip...]

This was recorded earlier via a Palmer Bass Preamp, with all EQ flat and effects off...

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2024 by sandy_r

[sandy_r]

5 hours ago, Richard R said:

That bass is excellent!

 It has certainly lasted longer than the only thing of note I made when I was 17, which was a Sinclair Spectrum game. We had it published and made some money, but unlike a physical bass you couldn't just pick it up and play it now.

 

 

 

Thanks ...but not as cool as programming and selling games for Spectrums (Spectra?!?) at age 17!  I'm sure there is a Speccy emulator somewhere on which you could still run your game

 

[tauzero]

9 hours ago, rwillett said:

Pillar drill is on order, should be here Friday. I've been putting it off for years and thought I needed it now.

 

I think it's my second favourite power tool, just behind the angle grinder.

[Richard R]

1 hour ago, sandy_r said:

 

Thanks ...but not as cool as programming and selling games for Spectrums (Spectra?!?) at age 17!  I'm sure there is a Speccy emulator somewhere on which you could still run your game

 

There are, but I'm not sure I could face it. It was quite hard.  Fortunately there is a chap who is playing through every known Computer RPG, and he actually played and reviewed it in 2021. I only found this link yesterday, so I am still reeling a bit.

 

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2021/02/game-400-dragonsbane-1983.html?m=1

 

 

[rwillett]

14 minutes ago, Richard R said:

There are, but I'm not sure I could face it. It was quite hard.  Fortunately there is a chap who is playing through every known Computer RPG, and he actually played and reviewed it in 2021. I only found this link yesterday, so I am still reeling a bit.

 

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2021/02/game-400-dragonsbane-1983.html?m=1

 

 

 

Wow. What a dragonslayer hero 😊 Deeply impressed. 

[Richard R]

2 hours ago, sandy_r said:

 

Thanks, it was a steep learning curve, both making and learning how to play a bass (another school-friend in the band having to tell me the notes to play, initially). We all just follow our passions, i guess

 

I've recorded a short audio clip - i notice on playback i've helpfully included some noise as well (low-output pickup, high-gain, etc) i've tried to even the level in places, but the Tone should be flat EQ throughout

 

 

 

 

I've just listened to that on proper speakers. What a great tone! Not sure how to describe it, sort of "fretless boingy bass",  in a good way.

[sandy_r]

2 hours ago, Richard R said:

There are, but I'm not sure I could face it. It was quite hard.  Fortunately there is a chap who is playing through every known Computer RPG, and he actually played and reviewed it in 2021. I only found this link yesterday, so I am still reeling a bit.

 

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2021/02/game-400-dragonsbane-1983.html?m=1

 

 

 

Wow - all that on a Sinclair ...respect!   Using one of those as a dev platform must have taken years off your life!!!

 

*thinks* i'm sure i remember seeing a Spectrum in the loft...

 

[sandy_r]

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

 

I've just listened to that on proper speakers. What a great tone! Not sure how to describe it, sort of "fretless boingy bass",  in a good way.

 

Lol - it used to be called The Washboard ...now it's the Fretless Boingy Bass 

 

the accolades just keep on rolling in!  😉

 

[Si600]

9 hours ago, Richard R said:

There are, but I'm not sure I could face it. It was quite hard.  Fortunately there is a chap who is playing through every known Computer RPG, and he actually played and reviewed it in 2021. I only found this link yesterday, so I am still reeling a bit.

 

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2021/02/game-400-dragonsbane-1983.html?m=1

 

 

Are you going to accommodate him and get in touch to explain what you were thinking/taking when you wrote it?

[Hellzero]

Great job @sandy_r! 

 

The sound is reminiscent of the old Ampeg Scroll basses and their weird pickup, what I call an elastic tone.

 

Congratulations again, it sounds interesting in a good way.

[Richard R]

4 hours ago, Si600 said:

Are you going to accommodate him and get in touch to explain what you were thinking/taking when you wrote it?

Yes, but if anything comes of it I'll start a separate thread. I didn't intend to hijack this one. 

And a bass IS way cooler than software, regardless of anyone else's view.

[Crusoe]

That sounds great!

[rushbo]

I love everything about this.

 

It sounds great, too.

 

I'm in awe of anyone who can make their own instrument from scratch - especially with limited tools, no experience and no actual templates. Kudos, sir.

[sandy_r]

23 hours ago, rwillett said:

 

Send some simple measurements and I'll knock something up. It's not a big deal to print it up and if v1 is wrong, v2 will be better. 

 

I'm hoping just to drill and not ream. 

 

Rob, may i send a PM?

 

[rwillett]

 

@sandy_r

 

Of course you can. I didn't realise I was that frightening that people needed permission to talk to me

 

I will try and be more friendly going forward and stop growling at people.

 

Rob

 

[sandy_r]

18 minutes ago, rwillett said:

 

@sandy_r

 

Of course you can. I didn't realise I was that frightening that people needed permission to talk to me

 

I will try and be more friendly going forward and stop growling at people.

 

Rob

 

 

Lol - your posts are hospitable, as always, Rob - but BC is telling me that i can't PM you, when i try to send 😔

 

[rwillett]

PM'ed you. No idea whats going on.

 

Just checked my profile and there's nothing obvious there to stop you.

Rob

Edited March 14, 2024 by rwillett

[sandy_r]

15 minutes ago, rwillett said:

PM'ed you. No idea whats going on.

 

Just checked my profile and there's nothing obvious there to stop you.

Rob

 

Thanks Rob - your PM received ok - i can reply to that with my intended msg

 

 

[sandy_r]

A big shout out to @rwillett, for kindly donating some 3D-printed pickup plates for my DIY bass to set off my rather funky attempt at a cover over my homespun windings - it looks the biz now. Many thanks, Rob!

 

(...plans inhand to feed-forward the kindness)

 

 

[rwillett]

Looks great, As I look at it though, I'm unhappy with the surface of the pickup cover and will now investigate steel wool and PETG to see if I could make it better

 

Rob

[SamIAm]

1 minute ago, rwillett said:

will now investigate steel wool and PETG to see if I could make it better

If you can 3D print with steel wool you are truely a god!  

Sam x

[rwillett]

Thats the project just after I finish:

 

1. My bass guitar. Currently the aluminium backbone is the garage awaiting new (non rusty, non blunt) hacksaw blades. I need these to trim the front edges to match the cut outs. Mr Amazon is on the case.

1.1 Already thinking about V2 of above. Lots of lessons learnt and I wounldn't do it the same again.

2. The guitar pickup winder. Currently sitting on the dining table awaiting 1) the bass guitar to finish & 2) writing some HTML to make a web interface to drive the Arduino R4 (not the R3). The R4 has a wifi chip so that might make the interface easier (or it might not).

3. A headless bass. Got all the bits (sort of). Refusing to do anything about it until the first bass is done.

4. Some pickups wound from point 2 for point 3.

5. Working out how to print with steel wool. See its now on my lis!

 

Rob