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Indeed, I did make that Telebass a while back!! Thanks all for the kind words about the basses I’ve built. I’ve not built anything for a while but am starting to finish off projects, including the fretted twin to Franks semi hollow bass. Pictures will be posted in the build diaries. Cheers all!

I've never built cabs from solid timber (though I have built plenty of other stuff), but for a given density/type of timber, solid is actually noticeably stiffer than ply. Weight would depend on the timber species (and individual planks) chosen but ought to be roughly equivalent to the same species as ply. Machine-cut finger joints would look cool IMO. Functionally they'd work very well and no screws necessary. The extra cost in timber is insignificant if jointing solid planks together to make a sheet manually - it only matters if working from standardised sheet material where a design has been tightly optimised to fit the sheet with absolute minimal wastage. Sensible timber choice and splitting shouldn't be an issue, especially when you've got a protective finish on. Plenty of 100+ year old furniture without splits.

These are the style I use: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006313624829.html They don't come out that easily so no need to glue anything, they stick out about 3mm. This has been in place for about 4-5 years now:

And I opted to leave my 1970 P at home this time - but it’s almost identical to the one that came to the gig.

It blew the felt off of a third of my workshop roof 😞

I had been playing BEADG fives when I decided to try fretless. I started with a borrowed BEAD four to see how I got on and the band almost immediately added 'Crazy little thing called love' to the set list. That triggered a rethink and I quickly moved on to a BEADG five fretless. Unfortunately I found it was not for me, and I now only play fretted fives. David

On Friday the second song on the setlist was 'Walk in my Shadow'. Alex called 'Walk in My Shadow'. Not long after, having played a bar of Walk in My Shadow in Gm, I seamlessly transition to The Hunter in Am which is what Alex and Paul are playing...

Not sure, they are described as being lightweight so I could possibly save a bit not drivable not 0.5kg. I think Gotoh resolites would look nice if they fitted

What a coincidence! I was playing my 71 P in the picture above. It doesn’t get out much these days, but as I have parted with my Flea it’s moved up the pecking order.

Bridge needed just some filing, and nut was made by Status. E (.95) and B (.120) are interchangable without issues. No buzzing or any other unwanted moving.

Yeah, the gents are out of sight on the r/h side. The customer service advisor was quite apologetic, All is good, t'was a laugh in the pub though 😆.

Finger joints and dovetail joints instead of battens along the edge should make a stronger, lighter joint, but makes each panel larger before machining and therefore more expensive. Using solid wood instead of ply would probably not be as stiff, and possibly prone to cracking as the tenperature/humidity changed. David

I was meant to go and mess about with the prototype but ended up with iris being in hospital the weekend I was due up there. They look ace. Will hopefully see them at the guitar show in Brum next month.

Just back from playing at the (mostly) annual Let’s Play Bowie tribute gig at Leicester’s International Arts Centre. My first gig of the new year, this time as part of a multi-band afternoon gig, playing bass on a six-song Bowie set (Ziggy Stardust, Starman, Moonage Daydream, Boys Keep Swinging, Andy Warhol and Queen Bitch). The gig was a sell-out and nicely full by the time we played just before 5pm. Lovely to play a gig where someone else is sorting out the sound (very good it was too) and I just turn up with a bass and a cable. Took my Squier Bitsa P bass project strung with GHS Precision flats. Provided bass rig was a Markbass LM2 into an Ampeg 2x12 (I think). I got to catch up with other local singers and musicians, one who had brought his genuine 1971 P bass for the gig, which was splendid. No photos of my band yet but these give you the rough idea. What a brilliant afternoon out and a lovely thing to be part of.

Maybe not overly helpful, but would switching out the tuners for ultralights on one not get you close to saving that 0.5kg?

The Pina Colada Song - Rupert Holmes

You've seen the colour of my earwax!