Leaderboard

Had a fantastic day yesterday in the company of Billy Sheehan, have been in contact with billy for a number of years, always had great chats with him etc, he arranged for me to meet up with him yesterday in Glasgow, just can't put in words how cool that experience was, i take part time photos of bands for fun, and billy asked if i would take some shots, Mr Big are a very slick set up!! Pro all the way, i was listening to Billy's onstage sound which is just incredible he has the smoothest low end with just the right amount of grunge on top he is an expert at sound control of a bass guitar , he can manipulate that bass to sound any way he likes it, so happy i got the chance for this experience, great bunch of guys too, i took a pile of photos if anyone fancies a look. cheers Geo Billy Sheehan pics here https://www.flickr.com/photos/139327844@N08/

This isn't a shot of the Alembic-esque - but it is related. And it should warm the pink torpedoles of @scrumpymike 's heart: It's his veneer going on his Lyte back, because I've got the bench back....BECAUSE I'VE FINISHED THE ELECTRIC! Here are some finished shots: There are a couple of tidy-up jobs to do (but none that need the workbench, Mike ) including adding the hatch to chamber contact strips to those that notice such things (and centreing and gluing the nut for those that notice those things too) but this is pretty much how it looks I've done some sound clips - I'll post those shortly. As always, thanks very much indeed for your interest, support, comments and suggestions along the way

It’s not that I’m “fond” of it. It’s that my literal career depends on it. YouTube’s algorithm heavily promotes clicks, and the more times people click on a video, the more it gets recommended to you. Consider my position, please. I want to create in-depth video essays, or good-faith critiques of other musicians to help them improve, or comment response videos answering questions from my viewers. This is what I want to do for a job, for a living, because I think I’m pretty good at it, and I have the opportunity to do so. How should I title my videos? Should I appeal to your own personal sensibility of what titles should be? Remember, YouTube will bury it if I do. So, if I dont clickbait it, you won’t see it, and then nobody else will see it either. I constantly have to play a game of how much I should clickbait, and what that clickbait looks like. It’s not something that I enjoy at all, so I hope you judge my stuff by the quality of what I offer in the video itself rather than how it’s packaged for you. Because there is little that I can do about that.

Sounds like a fault to me. Head over to this thread on Talkbass: https://www.talkbass.com/threads/source-audio-sorcerers-society-s-a-s-s-part-3.1056621/ and get in touch with rsmith601 (president of Source Audio). He’ll sort you out in a jiffy.

Oh yes of course, me too, always have done.

I had that prob with mine. Opened it up & removed speakers to find cable resting against cone. Tied it back, all ok. Worth a check. G.

So what you're saying is these manufacturers move production from countries like Japan to countries like Indonesia to help the Indonesian economy? And you think the guy in the video is being naive? I'd say he's not the only one. What you describe is a side effect of companies chasing the lowest cost of production. Plain and simple. As soon as it becomes cheaper to produce guitars to certain standards and schedules and in the required quantities elsewhere in the world, a corporation will move production because the bottom line profitability is all that matters to them. It would be nice to think they're moving production from country A to country B just to help out all the B population, but that is rose tinted viewing at best. I've seen it in every company I've ever worked for, current one especially.

Interesting video, and he seems like a lovely guy, but his economic and political naivety is quite extraordinary. His constant references to "cheap production" and "exploitation" ignore the reality, which is that for example Fender making "cheap" guitars (branded as Squier) in Japan created jobs and helped to raise the standard of living in Japan to the extent that they moved production to Korea, then to China, then to Indonesia, then to Vietnam, in each case creating a new population of skilled workers earning more than they earned before, and now capable of pushing ahead without further investment from abroad. That's how economies work. The people who live in those countries, just like the people who live here in the UK, don't constantly look abroad and wish that they had the same standard of living as someone richer. Most people look at what they have now, compare it with what they had before or what their parents had before, and judge on that basis whether or not they're doing well. And when those Third World countries benefit from this sort of inward investment and develop their economies, guess what - they stop being Third World countries and become Developing countries. "Exploitation" definitely exists in many unskilled industries, most famously textiles, and I don't condone that for a second, but this luthier's definition of "exploitation" and his clarion call to cease "exploiting" these countries would see those very country's economies damaged and their workers thrown into unemployment. Is that really such an achievement? Basschat's tentacles extend a long way around the world. I'd love to hear from some Basschatters in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam as to whether they'd like to see the big instrument factories closed down. For their benefit. I'd even more like to hear from Basschatters in Kenya, Mozambique and Sierra Leone who are likely to be the next recipients of this sort of inward investment. Because, of course, their labour is now cheaper than the workers of Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. There's a reason for that ...

Well OK, but don't leave it too long! It's part of the learning process!

So many great bass scores. Thanks for all your hard work. Cheers

If I install a high mass bridge such as a Bad Ass II clone on an AVRI P am I likely to be excommunicated to Talk Bass ?

38 years ago today Metal Box was released and kickstarted my Bass playing journey. Thanks Wobble!

hi, i've been playing for years and love the bass but never joined a forum before. look forward to enjoying the site and i'll post some stuff soon i hope. cheers.

Great photo’s. I was there last night too, my pics aren’t quite as good as yours!! Biggest thing that struck me was just how much fun he has on stage! He seemed to love every minute. Gilbert and him are so talented they can hold the song down, play crazy stinky poo and sing and fool around all at the same time!

As a total aside, I like you jet photos!

I see nobody has replied yet, so I'll start the ball rolling. I have an NXT 5 - photos here: Warning - it's LEFT-HANDED! Pros: very very portable; looks great; extremely easy to play, as its action can be set as low as that on a bass guitar, and it's got DOTS! Adjustable bridge height makes bowing perfectly comfortable too; extremely easy to set up through holes in the back plate, without the need to remove the cover; has a fully adjustable tripod stand that eliminates the need to balance the bass on your body while you play - it stays where you put it and you can walk around it. Cons: doesn't sound like a double bass, even with the corresponding switch activated; doesn't 'feel' like a double bass, and offers much less of a physical experience, because it's so small and thin you can almost play it like a bass guitar; the tripod is rather horrid to look at. Er, that's it for the cons... I do like my NXT a lot; then again, a normal size double bass is bigger and heavier than me, and a lefty is practically impossible to find and try before buying/ordering one from scratch, so EUBs are just about my only option.

Gorgeous. Has anyone asked her out yet?

GAH!!! Sooo good.

If you're ever in the Nijmegen area of Holland, I'd recommend Paul's Bass Matters: https://bassmatters.nl/en/home Generally, he sells new stuff but does have the odd vintage treasure every now and then. For instance, he has a 1961 Fender Jazz in stock at the mo.

Good evening, Stu, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

A good drummer MUST be able to do the following: Play in time. Properly tune their drums. Remember at least two sets' worth of material. Control volume of playing without compromise. Be consistent and play with tasteful economy. Develop an almost telepathic relationship with the bass player. Be groovy and funky as all-get-out when necessary. Avoid strewing the stage with boxes and cases when setting up. Set up a full kit in 15 minutes or less. Be a nice guy, diplomatic and easy to get on with. Resist the urge to have 'just one more drink/spliff/rock/tab'. Carry own drums and ancilliaries to and from transport. PROVIDE OWN BLOODY TRANSPORT! I've only met two drummers in forty years who have been anywhere near this. In conclusion: Finding a good drummer is HARD.

I’ve got the 63 AVRI and was considering a Babicz z bridge. The bbot does the job but I was thinking of something a bit more solid but with minimal ‘footprint’. I don’t see me selling this p as it’s fantastic but don’t want to muck about with the look too much. oh and I believe it has the spitfire tort guard as the original owner spent £80 on it.

Never mind OMs. If Ringo got where he did by farting into a paper bag then really, the sky's the limit for novice bassists.

Welcome, Hal!

I design all the posters, CD artwork, packaging, T-shirts etc for my band and would be more than happy to help people if they need assistance! I'm no expert, but I do try and make striking designs which catch the eye. If interested, drop me a PM. Happy to help with posters, flyers, booklet design, copywriting and all that good stuff.

Nope. And I don't believe that you're stupid enough to think that's what I wrote.

Music is the art of sound and art is subjective...thus there are no rules. Some say that variety is the spice of life. This thread is akin to me declaring that my favourite dinner is fish and chips and that I hate Chicken tikka masala - then pointlessly debating with everyone else out there in basschatland who loves Indian food. Pointless.

Crackers.

@Al Krow it's easy to get a clean flat response from channel A: Bass in, bass/treble to zero, adjust gain until it distorts, back off a bit, then switch between unit off/channel A to adjust output vol to unity. Then fiddle with bass/treble until you have an (almost) identical sound when on unit off/channel A.

Let us know how you get on with them johnpaul

Happily I fall into the stereotypical tight arsed northerner profile so I'm pretty much allergic to shops. I see shops as being places where everyone there has been trained and encouraged to relieve me of more cash than I wanted to spend and are basically servants of the devil. I can't even remember the last time I went in a guitar shop but it'll be in years. I go into Morrisons late on quite often to buy the fresh food on knockdown but usually end up in a fist fight with old ladies on mobility scooters to get to the corned beef slices. Just this past week one of my tenants ( I work in social housing) who , let's say , is differently motivated on the work front - def. not just a bone idle bastard scrounging off my taxes - actually took a crusty cob out of my basket and said 'these aren't for you...you're working'. True. How I laughed as I ignored the data protection act and shopped him for benefit fraud. So - you want a cure for gas ...... move up north and spend your life sitting in the corner of a pub moaning about the fact that it's not 1930 anymore. You'll love the misery. I do.

I don't think biscuits would add anything. Titebond once cured is stronger than the wood.

@honza992 was concerned about glue witnesses in his butt joints (Pipe down you lot at the back!). I described a process for mating matching parts that is more often used in metalwork. In short; when you've cut your timber, rub the mating surfaces together. Use short strokes with a firm pressure to keep the mating surfaces square to each other. Then take down the high spots (where you see a shine from rubbing) with a scraper until you've got even contact across the joint. If you have a plane and a shooting board however, I'd recommend that above all else.

ISP decimator II

So then @Al Krow last time I looked there were 2 channels on the Two Notes, A and B both tweakable, but different EQ points. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t that mean that the Two Notes is the sum of BOTH of its 2 channels, that is the point of the pedal and the user dictates how and in what way. Please note I said mainly..... Enlighten me then, if the Two Notes IS the B channel do you only use the B channel on the pedal and nothing else? If this is the case are you not missing the point.....? Maybe you are right, maybe it’s like having a multi fx unit and not using or not trying to use all the effects and tweaking them to taste instead of using it as a large paperweight on your pedal board........

"Passion vs ability"? False dichotomy. You need both. As for: ... one cannot be described as a "great player" if one cannot keep time. It all sounds a bit defensive.

Yes Wembly loudspeakers repaired a gk speaker for me a few years ago. Did an excellent job and were pretty quick if I remember.

Sold a bass amp to Alberto, he arranged shipping and everything, perfect deal, highly recommend!

Matt Monro. Pitch and diction perfect....and sumptious orchestrations. Better than Sinatra in my humble opinion.

As far as learning goes, this may sound a bit mad but you should try to join a band as soon as possible. It's the quickest way to learn an instrument. If everyone in the band is better than you (not always a given, actually!) then you tend to play up to their level very quickly, and learn much more quickly than sitting at home practising. You're not only learning the bass, but how to play with other musicians and how to do gigs. Getting out there and doing it isn't practising, you're already flying!

I have a THR10, which I use for both guitar and bass. I like it very much for bass. The drivers, though tiny, have HUGE magnets, and it can get surprisingly loud without distorting. There are various "filter mods" you can do (look YouTube or Gear Page) which change the EQ for the better with guitar, cutting treble a bit. This mod makes it great in my estimation, because I HATE too much treble. I would seriously consider a THR10 if I were looking for a neat, compact, well made practice amp for both guitar and bass.

I have a hipshot d tuner on one which gives me CGCF if required.

Open Strings: Does it Djent. Pretty much always

Classic and Cool is run from a private home but, having been there twice, Mark is only too happy to meet arranged visitors and puts no pressure on you to buy at all. A thoroughly decent bloke.

As has been said previously, there's nothing nonsense about Jaco's playing, no accidents etc. Of course, towards the end of his life he fell apart and very much relied on his past to prop up his artistry to some degree, but he was ill. And suggesting that Jameson (whom I love a great deal) had some kind of rhythmic mastery over and above Jaco is just silly, they applied it in very different ways, but Jaco was an equal rhythm powerhouse, incredible drummer too (that's him drumming on Teen Town). It also seems that you're judging his playing on how you think the bass SHOULD be, whereas actually it's simply another instrument that allows the player to express themselves, its role has simply been dictated by western musical styles. He wrote the music, and so why wouldn't he step out and fulfil what he feels he needs to play, he's not doing it for anyone else other than him, whereas Jameson was on a wage, playing through songs that were just put in front of him on the music stand.....who knows what he would have done given full creative freedom. If you haven't already, listen to Jaco play through his Big Band albums, perhaps much more your thing, because it's a large band and he understands placement within a larger context. Weather Report was a much smaller band, and so more ability to step out, fill space (where appropriate) and have fun. But just to further the conversation, I do love leaving this video hanging around :): Just to be clear, i'm not saying that everyone should like Jaco, obviously not.....but appreciate him for what he was in total, not simply that he played music you don't like. Si

Just this one. Although not strictly 100% Fender!

I'm at 4, currently.