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That is a very good point. There are a lot of people on here who are struggling with basic fitness that impacts on them gigging and being able to lift amps / cabs or wear a 9lb bass on a strap, etc. This as well as, I'm sure, many other things in their life. As you get a bit older, it is a very good idea to have some sort of programme of weightlifting to minimise muscle decay and maintain bone density. I say this as someone isn't the most enthusiastic gym goer. I haven't been for nearly three months for a variety of issues (all good reasons, but still) and I really need to get back to it. However, once you start doing even modest lifting, you will find that it makes a big difference after just a couple of months or so. It will also make a massive improvement to what your life will be like when you get a bit older. You do have do be sensible about it and not go for the weights you could have done when you were a bit younger (I speak from experience) and it is certainly a good idea to speak to someone who can give you sensible advice. But hitting the gym in middle age will have a very beneficial impact on your life and allow you to do things like carry on gigging for significantly longer.

That was me selling the one at 495, I just didn't get on with it

Both Aguilar and Darkglass amps have lost something since they were bought by Korg.

A DI won’t affect the amp (apart from maybe some slight change in impedance loading). A DI box converts the signal to microphone level on XLR, to plug into a microphone preamp. The parallel (or ‘through’) output on a DI does not go through the DI circuitry (and the valve and EQ in the Noble’s case) - it is simply passing your bass signal through to connect to an amp, so that you can take a DI feed before the amp. So don’t buy a DI box in the hope of improving your amp sound- they don’t do that, and they’re not designed to!

Yet another beautiful build! You've been knocking it out of the park recently! So many great instruments!

You're not trying hard enough 😝 Seriously though, I've only ever had it happen when playing with a pick and really going for it. But it puts the whole instrument out of tune and sounds terrible. Really not good. Enjoy your new bridge Gazz! It's a looker!

Gerold Genssler was the guy who designed the velvet strings. I got a used set of animas and loved them. had them them on maybe 2 or so years before they started to unwind. Genssler has designed lots of his own boutique sets of strings, they are pricey but sound amazing. the tempera strings were a collaboration with him (he's no longer involved I think). they have that lovely low tension that the animas have and sound wonderful. again, very pricey though

I had a go on an Anagram today at Bass Direct. I prefer my GX-100. I've gotten to know it well and have put the time in to get some real filth out of it. I felt like I'd need to start again from the same place with the Anagram. It didn't feel as simple as just adding some blocks and heading to the gig. Plus, the reverbs and delays weren't as fully functioned or as deep sounding. AND I've got loads more footswitches and expression options, which I do take full advantage of. It's nice to come away pleased with what you've got. Now, if only I could say that about the bass I was trying it with. I NEED a D-Roc 5 😅

Opened and closed the main stage with a couple of tributes at Rock The Gardens at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. First run out with a Japanese Faker I picked up recently, great gig to kick off 2026!

Hmm. Seeing as metalworking has been a serious hobby for me for over 25 years, I wonder if I ought to make a bass bridge?

I can see a growing revolution against Spotify 😂 Dave

Lovely to meet you yesterday mate & thanks for the coffee Membury was an easy run for me, as I teach on Thursdays and Fridays in Malmesbury, Wiltshire near the M4. Typically, the run to Rotherham from Derbyshire on Tuesday evening was not an easy one, as an accident had closed the M1, but hey-ho, the mission was accomplished and that's all that matters! It really is the very nicest blue, isn't it? Hope you can get it sorted relatively easily - having seen the lovely home/music room where it was previously located, I'd say that it has probably spent the last few years hung on a wall, which can occasionally cause neck issues, but they're usually sortable as you say. Hope you enjoy "None More Blue"!

They do line up quite neatly so they don't look out of place.

Unpopular opinion incoming 😅 For the price range suggested I'd wait for one of the rather snappily titled Jackson X Series Concert Bass CBXNT DX V's to become available. There's one in white on Reverb but it's in the US, so you'd have to pay loads more in import fees and tax and duty and tariff and it just wouldn't be worth it, but I've wanted one of these basses for a long time. They were heavily discounted at some point in the past but I just missed that. I still keep a vague lookout for them at decent prices, but I've not seen any. Mark

Regardless of the grooviness of it, it is jolly pretty. Now all you need are brushed stainless steel knobs and tuners to match...

And me! <TEN!>

It looks to me to be ideal as a music shop amp. You can sit in front of it with a bass and easily see all of the controls.

@Beedster, give me a message with what you you’re looking for and whether they are pre-finished or finished bodies. Finished bodies can be an absolute nightmare with new routing as they can chip and lift finish.

These baseplates are things of beauty. Mark

Agreed. It's the classiest BBOT I've ever seen.

It is slightly ridiculous 😆 I wonder whether it might end up being a middle ground brand so Sterling by MusicMan, MusicMan Session, and then MusicMan US.