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So are a lot of the basses on aliexpress.

Managed to track down some knobs, now it looks like I’ll have to jury rig some new shafts. Oh well, time to fire up the Dremel!

See my build thread - I had the worst time with that stuff. It drinks grain filler like I drink expresso I just painted it on, it drank it. I put some more on …

Hell has a special place for those who meddle with toy basses. Specially trained imps will use your butt for pitchfork target practice and that’s if you’re get off lightly

Only Time Will Tell - Asia or Saga

The 'gold standard' is a link to the exact version. Beware I found an official lyric video and it turned out to be a semitone flat! Annoying but not terminal!

I'd prefer specific versions to included on the list. Actual YouTube versions or mp3's. I've seen people turn up knowing the original studio version only to find they were supposed to be playing the live arrangement from 20 years later!

I had my SR800 wrapped but it was over the original paint so I would agree that the finish needs to be good. It has been on some about 5 years now and still looks great.

Boutique instruments are made by hand. That will never stop!!

Took my bridge off to fix its adjusters....and forgot to mark where it had been. Experimentation time! The usual rule is, I think, to align the middle of the bridge with the f-hole notches... But that sounded rather soft and dull, warm but unexciting. Recalled that on my cello, it's harder to play but has a better tone with the bridge shifted down towards the tail piece ...but that made my bass sound softer and duller. Moving the bridge nearer the fingerboard brightened the tone and improved the attack... Also a bit harsh and "boxy". So back a bit and now it sounds better than ever. Are there any useful rules about where the bridge should go and what effect different placements have on the sound ?... or is every bass different and it's just a matter of experimentation?

Just watched all twelve episodes this past weekend...can't even count how many times I've rewatched Fawlty Towers. Still funny.

To concur with Misdee, I’d say an unusual design made in small numbers. Similar to the term used for hotels really. Fodera don’t make anywhere near the level of a mass produced manufacturer.

Jaydee basses might be shaped similarly to Alembics but in terms of sound they are very different. I seem to remember reading a long time ago that Jaydee pickups are essentially P Bass style split humbuckers in a rectangular case. The Jaydee preamp with bass, mid and treble cut and boost is a million miles away from the Alembic filter system. That said, I remember back in the mid 1980's when Jaydee basses first arrived in the USA that Rick Turner, chief designer of the original Alembic basses and as such eminently qualified to make a judgement, reviewed a Jaydee Supernatural bass in Guitar Player Magazine. He commented on the similarities between Alembic basses and the Jaydee especially in terms of the distinct "pop" of overtones you got on both basses because of their extended frequency range. So maybe they are a bit similar in certain respects.

Plus... I think it makes the bass sound better. If I dont play my dB for a few weeks it seems to stiffen up... A few hours of bow playing and it starts to sing again. Maybe I'm imagining it because it doesn't seem very logical..but it works for me 😁

I'm not really sure what constitutes a boutique bass. Is it just a very expensive instrument from somewhere other than one of of the big name big quantity manufacturers? Is a Fodera a boutique bass? They seem to make quite a few as there's usually two or three for sale on here or, are boutique basses made for an individual?

Always thought I'd buy one but none ever appeared local 😞 It's a pretty looking thing. Some folks would go daft, imagining pickup and preamp swaps. I wouldn't bother with any of that, just get it playing nicely in the hand and let a cheap EQ pedal handle the tone 👍

I should get one of those L2 is difficult to play sitting down

25 quid! And I thought I got a bargain