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No problem, a lot of others such as ABM 1200, Head Of Doom plus Funk Face and OriginAL DI are 100% uk built as well. All built by 2 people as sadly they are the only two we trust these days

All our valve amps 100w and upwards are 100% built by us on site at HQ in Essex, Always have been and all being well Always will be. Happy for anyone to come and visit and watch one being built(BUILT not ASSEMBLED) from start to finish

I bought a used Hipshot bridge. Had it a year before installing it. It has the teensiest tinest allen screws on the saddles. No allen key I had was small enough. I emailed Hipshot just asking what size allen key did I need, and they sent me out seven allen keys from the USA to Australia free of charge.

Take great care here. I would think it really is worth using headphones, otherwise it could become an ever escalating war of words/volumes with your neighbour, until you reach the point where your 'right' to make a noise becomes more important to you than the actual practising. Also, if you are an owner occupier you are legally obliged to declare any disputes with neighbours when you come to sell up and move on - and a poor history here can create major problems for you, regardless of whether the disputes were your 'fault' or not....................

Got it in one! When we were working on the 12XN Gen 3 models we also looked at replacing the '69er and Super Fifteen with some improved versions (using the same drivers) which we planned to called the Retro610 and Retro215. But then we ended up developing our 10CR driver which meant the new Six10 could also do the job of the 2x15" in terms of huge output in the lows (which the previous '69er wasn't so good at). Since 2008 we've made the following bass cabs (grouped in rough times they were launched): Compact, Big One, Vintage Midget, Super Twelve, Big Baby, Big Twin, Super Fifteen, Dubster '69er Super Midget, Super Compact, Super Twin, Big Baby 2, Big Twin 2 Six10, Two10 (these were briefly called the Retro Six10 and Retro Two10) One10, Eight10, Four10 The ones in bold are all still in production.

Five strings: I've tried, oh lordy have I tried to get on with them. But I don't Fretless bass guitars: (See above) Boutique or coffee table basses: Sometimes, the wood looks beautiful, but it just looks weird as a bass body. Complicated knob/toggle switch arrangements: I'm easily confused and all those micro-decisions would make me cry. Amps and Combos: I love my Genz Benz Contour rig so much, I can't imagine using anything else now. (I realise that this statement will probably bite me in the bum before the year is up...) Multiple effects pedals: Even my Zoom B3 seems like overkill in my current band. I loved having 9 or 10 pedals on a board, but it just became impractical, especially when you're playing in pubs with barely enough room to stand on both feet... So, to recap, by this time next year, I'll be playing a five string, fretless Fodera through a vintage Trace Elliot stack via a pedal board so large it has to have its own generator.

I've possibly posted this before - years ago I lived in an end terrace cottage. I got on ok with the adults, but the late teenage kid hated me (why?). One weekend, with the parents away, he mounted his stereo speakers on the adjoining wall and proceeded to turn the volume up. I tried to raise some reaction by knocking on the front door, but this onset was obviously deliberate............. I faced one of my sound system boxes against the party wall and played Count Ossie Mystic Revelation of Rastafari at about 100watts, set to 'repeat'.......... I went down the pub, until around chucking out time. .....I never had a moments problem from that day on.............. (yeah, I know, I'd probably be in loads of trouble if I did it now)

The Beastie Boys first album, License to Ill, samples Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, The Clash, Steve Miller Band, Kool and the Gang, Barry White, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Joan Jetty and the Blackhearts among others and completely changes the style the sampled music. Arguably changed the face of hip hop and is a bona-fide classic in its own right. I'd hope that people who don't like hip hop would agree that The Beastie Boys were not talentless oiks stealing other peoples music.

Just before Xmas I bought a set of Hipshots for my MIM Precision. The bass itself is great, but the tuners weren`t so, and as I`m going to be using this bass on a few overseas gigs this year (I ain`t flying with my US basses) wanted the tuners to be as good as I could get them. Reviews read, Hipshot HB7s ordered as a direct fit on MIMs. Except they weren`t, all screw-holes lined up ok, but the supplied ferrules/bushes were too small, and the Hipshot tuning pegs rattled in the Fender ones. So I e-mailed Hipshot asking where I could purchase a set of these, and they said just send us your address and we`ll put a set out to you, no charge. Received them today, fit like a glove. Quality customer service imo, so a big thumbs up to them. And have to say, the tuners are a real quality bit of kit, much smoother than the stock Fender ones.

A few thoughts: * It is suggested that the neighbour has downsized from a larger house, argues with her teenage son, is difficult and has 'mental issues'. Sounds like a bad divorce to me and this should be taken into account. I would avoid 'retaliating' with one's amp or going round to complain while any argument is taking place. This will exacerbate matters. * Getting on with one's neighbours is more important than the difference between headphones and an amp. Bad relations are far more sapping than any fleeting loss of engagement with one's instrument. A good neighbour is to be treasured. * Practicing un-amplified does not impede one's progress. It's less fun than playing through an amp but that's not the point of practice. * I once lived immediately next door to a slightly angry and bewildered teenage bass player who practiced through an amp. Speaking from bitter experience I can report that there is little worse than fragmented passages, muffed notes and repetitious whomping on E. I imagine that non-musicians would find this sort of thing even more debilitating.

I'm lucky with my neighbours. Technically we are detached, but due to various extensions built over the years there's about 1 inch between. A few years ago Neighbour 1 was having trouble with his teenage daughter. He was embarrassed about the music noise. She had her window open and was blasting Cypress Hill out. I said I reckon I could stop it with 1 conversation with her. I saw her later. Told her I approved of her music. She was surprised I had heard of Cypress Hill (!) I told her they were one of my favourites. And then I started to rap Insane in the Membrane at full volume in the street. With dance moves. 10 seconds later she was running away from the greying middle aged man rapping outside her house. Job done.

Invite her in. Show her your bass. Open a bottle of wine.

Be accommodating, but when the next screaming match happens knock on her door and request the same from her.

A cynical ploy by the artist, her record label and publisher to generate publicity and get more people to listen to the song and therefore make up for the loss of royalties that will ultimately happen when this matter is finally settled?

In my opinion, it's not just a question of how long the note lasts (sustain), it's also a question of what it sounds like. To my ears, basses that won't sustain a note well sound different (and worse) than ones that will. There is less richness and interest to the note, presumably because the mechanism that is sucking out energy and shortening the note is also sucking out harmonics.

After quitting Think Lizzy I planned on moving my Limelight 60's.70's P-bass replica along...just didn't think it would be quite so quick. So, one trade later, I now have another T'bird. Played it at last night's rehearsal and positive comments from everyone re the sound and how it just fitted with the band better. It has a neck profile that just suits my ham-firsted rock 'n' roll way of playing - I love it! Anyway, as per the rules, photos or it didn't happen.

Haven't heard that one before, haha! Thanks! I've recently recorded a video with the pickup panned to the neck so you get a thumpier Precision sound without the Jazz bite.

As said a long way up the thread - why would you not value sustain? Ok my first (and still favourite) bass has exceptional sustain, and so I most naturally play that way - but I can play a controlled staccato by damping when it's wanted, or let a note ring for two or even three bars when that sounds right. I can play an open string and let it ring as a drone while I develop the line on the other strings. I can hold a single root note for each bar through a frenetic lead guitar solo so I'm just anchoring it and not distracting from it. I can run a slow gentle bassline through a blues or folk ballad and keep in that groove. When I play my son's super new MIA Fender P I just feel frustrated, the notes die so quickly that I don't have the range of expressive options I'm used to. Fair enough if you're just playing punchy rock'n'roll, but much beyond that, sustain opens up so many musical options, how could you not want it? All imho of course :-)

The thread on Radiohead vs Lana del Ray got me thinking about sampling in general and where you peeps stand on this. At one end of the spectrum you've got wholesale unimaginative steals e.g. that krap P Diddy lifting of Every Breath You Take. Even if this was approved by Sting the track shows hip hop at it's least creative and most commercially cynical. On the other hand there are the likes of DJ Shadow and the Bomb Squad (early Public Enemy and Ice Cube albums) who use samples but in such a way you can't identify the sources. To me this is every bit as creative as putting together tunes using guitars, etc. Others say sampling is still lazy, talent free etc way of making music.

oh, she does sound high maintenance...

May I offer up an adjoining wall, a dart board and some inconsistent speed of arithmetic . Absolute torture

I thought 'stock' just meant 'the cheapest deal the manufacturer could get'.

Just finished recording this tone test, so you can hear how the bass sounds with fingerstyle, palm-muted thumb, slap!

Cab lighting is good, but you need it ti change colour and sync to the beat. Oh you also need the drum kit to be decked out the same. and, erm the front half of a mini...

Dave. If you've nowt better to do you're welcome to come over to wilsontown sometime and try out some of my kit. I'm only about 20 minutes from biggar. mesa stuff... Titan 1200w monster. 212 powerhouse 410 powerhouse 210 powerhouse markbass... lm800 and a pair of 410s fender tbp-1 pre / qsc plx power set up. I've gone through all the older Mesa amps - titan, mpulse 600, big block, m9 carbine and have come back to the Titan for it's versatility. Good tone across the board but the gain can be a bit aggressive (suits my current gig). I now gig with the 210/410 but used to use the 210 with the 212. not much between them. rehearsals are usually the LM800 with the mesa 410. tended to use the MB cabs with my old wedding band as they're quite sterile - the mesa cabs have a little colour. Graeme

"Sampling.. but is it proper music making etc?" Yes. Next!

You may be "entitled to practice" (I say "may", but there may be byelaws governing that), but it would certainly not be considered reasonable to do so via your SVT and an 8x10 at full blast in a suburban flat or terraced house. A court would be very unlikely to consider that reasonable. There are actually noise limits that local authorities use when determining what is reasonable. The important thing in cases such as this (especially when you are dealing with someone who is unstable/unreasonable) is to ensure you are squeaky clean and above reproach. That way, if it comes to legal action, you are on firm ground. I know that from experience.

Space Rock.....(Hawkwind, Bob Calvert etc).

Who knows - i find the site confusing

and the Winner is:

well bugger me ive been looking for those star grip picks and here they are cheers oopsdabassist got some on order

Update. A full refund has been issued with no comment. I should receive in 6 days. So a happyish ending :-)

This is my home built semi hollow, medium scale fretless. Really chuffed with it. Full details are in rebuild diaries if anyone is interested.

my ex was the same... we shared the musical taste, but she was clueless about instruments. My girlfriend... we actually met through bass! She was a local fan of my main band. I had seen her coming to our gigs in town for nearly a year, so I recognised her in the crowd and we'd say hello, but nothing much beyond that. One night, between sets, she comes to me and tells me she plays guitar a little and has recently started playing bass... and was learning my basslines from the only CD we had out at the time. That was pretty shocking. Even more shocking was that she was nervous to talk to me because... I was the bass player in this band she really liked "omg" But she needed to talk to me because live I play a few things quite differently and she was trying to figure out what I do in one particular song... That song was the opener for the second set so I made sure to make it obvious to her what I was doing, and she was there watching me for the rest of the gig (I was embarrased by then... look, I play bass because I like the power... and hiding in the back! :D) Anyway... after that we started chatting... that led to going for a beer or 16... for walks... lunch... and we've been together for a bit over two years. Bass is awesome.

Tonight's practice rig.

Bass bashes are very relaxed events - this one especially! Ability and experience makes no difference neither does gear, nobody judges. Folk take all sorts of gear to these events and it is a great opportunity to try out different kit and stuff you don't often see in normal music shops. This bash also has the bonus of great food - not to be missed! If it is close to you then come along - I'm sure you will enjoy it. Cheers, Jez

Nothing special... Big, ugly, loud. Like my bass rig!

Brilliant comms and fast dispatch...received within a couple of days. Thanks Sean.

You've bought a kazoo..?

Something I'll never need again is a comb. Does that count?

Sean kindly answered my wanted advert for a BT2 Dtuner. Replied and the item was posted quickly. Top chap all round and would happily deal with again, no problems here! Thanks

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1505512393' post='3372579'] Did you get the 12 ohm or 4 ohm cabs? [/quote] 4 ohm. I got one at first to try, thinking it might be a nicer one-cab solution than a single TKS S112 (mostly for monitoring onstage), which it was, and I felt having the 4 ohm version might give me a bit more volume and even work ok in smaller not very noisy gigs... which it did. Then I liked it so much that I thought "give me a pair of these then" and I haven't looked back. They're bigger and heavier than the very diminutive and light S112... but there's just no compromise in bottom end or volume, and they sound great. The pair of TKS S112 is my "practice rig". I do not really need them these days, but they sound great and are lovely so I think I'll keep them.