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That'd be one of your PG Tips then...?

I bought the house, where ever I damn well want.. oh oh sorry babe, I’ll move them right away... 😵

I decided that I'd craze the finish on the body - to give a lightly aged look, but still keep it looking shiny for now. (The bass will get any knocks and wear from gigging and playing over the coming years). Anyhow, when I've cracked the lacquer in the past, it's been on guitar bodies - which I've just stuck in my freezer overnight. The size of a bass body doesn't fit into the compartments of my home freezer, so I had to think of another method of crazing the lacquer. By chance, I'd met a plumber who was talking about freeing stuck pipe connections. He said, "when that happens, you just spray one part with Crack It spray. That instantly freezes the part and breaks the stuck connection". It turns out that this plumbers aerosol reduces the surface to minus 45 degrees. I got a can myself from a local Toolstation. All you have to do is get the lacquer warm, then simply spray the aerosol on the surface. You can sometimes hear the lacquer crack. Anyhow, the end result is a nice crazed lacquer. As the plumbers spray has an oil in it, you need to clean the surface afterwards using a rubbing compound (I used Mer Car Polish). I've heard that some folk use aerosols of compressed air to reduce the temp. I might try that on my next build? Here are some pics of some of the crazing (after crazing the lacquer, I wiped the body surface with water based Dark Oak stain to emulate years old grime in the cracks).

Say what you like about TOTP being contrived and controlled by the old boy network. Those of us who were there watching the telly at seven O'clock every Thursday evening are still talking about it and remembering artists as if they had attended the performances themselves. Thirty years from now, I don't think we'll remember so many of the equally good, sometimes better, artists of today even with instantaneous global communication and clever marketing. In its day TOTP was the sole source of video* promotion for bands. Apart from posters, album artwork and pop magazines you could only guess what a band might look like as you listened to a low-fi MW transistor radio. God forbid that you should tune that lovely warm sounding valve radio set to a pop station. Your parents would have a fit. Today there are so many promoters and outlets for video that that marketing power has been diluted for them all. In this century, mistakes are easy to edit out and that perfect image of how the promoter wants you to be seen is preserved in binary forever. As a consequence of quality editing it is rare to see the day to day foul-ups that occur. These days the bits that are edited out are kept for collectors of bloopers who are looking to market a collection of out-takes. More revenue for someone I suppose. Personally, I like to see how bands used to cope with stuff like that when they were dropped in it, so to speak. Today everyone has the option of 'phoning a friend' if they're the slightest bit uncomfortable. *In this instance, just for convenience, lets ignore the fact that the term video became popular later.

I feel I just have to share, the excitement is growíng So, after 20 long months of waiting my Wal MK1 is finished and soon to be on the way. Update photo from Paul.

Hi I just had to vent my disappointment and frustration at the obvious lack of quality and care that occurred in 2002 when Rotosound produced the batch of RS66 strings that have been on my bass for the last 16 years. The A string broke on new year's eve!!! You can imagine how shocked I was at the obvious lack of longevity of the things these days. Its also meant I've had to clean the fret board eradicating a small but very important ecosystem that showed promising signs of world domination.

Forgiven, but you should know that the pancakes have gone cold and a passer-by has stubbed a fag out in the hoisin sauce.

Some people seem to have shops, not storage... Under the stairs seems to be a very popular option, and I have the great good luck to 'own' the cupboard under the stairs, to which I've fitted a 5-lever mortice lock. I have to leave enough space to sit down in there and shut the door, for when I need to cry in private.

Bass cave. Been a few additions since this was taken like a Fender P Deluxe, an Orange rig and a TE small rig.

Hello there! Just for fun I did this blind test Which take is MM? And which Cort? Both played with bridge humbucker pickup, no eq, D'Addario EXL170 strings. Answer will come in the next days Ciao!! Al

Less than £50 is a steal for a unique lim.ed. work of art. Come to think of it, in fact it's even less than what I paid for my Picasso, Dali and Vasarely silk screen prints! Order, folks! Order!

Not being picky or anything but did he have a plectrum?

Basses: vertically in cases in two cupboards in the bedroom, which is besides the living room. One bass on a stand in the living room. All amps and cabs in the living room. All keyboards and drums in the living room. Everything of value with my ex-wife.

I did dozens of gigs all over the UK and in Europe via Eurostar as a solo bassist last year. You just need to plan exactly what you need to take on a gig, then sit and plan on how to take it. The photo below show my rig en-route to s show in Bristol. My bass in a Mono gig bag which also holds my MacBook Pro. I bought a brilliant padded container from Amazon, a little like one of those things Deliveroo cyclists use, but smaller. In there goes my combo and boxes containing my interface, and other bits and pieces. My pedalboard is in it's case. All covered by a large waterproof cover from Amazon.

The answer is a definite yes. You can ditch the subs completely if you get a pair of RCF 735 or 745s. They have 15 inch woofers and high frequency drivers with BIG voice coils (3inch or 4 inch, respectively) meaning the crossover point with the woofer can be really low allowing it to almost behave like a sub in itself. Then go get yourself a good unpowered digital mixer as the RCFs are already powered, saving a load more weight again. Job done - your PA load in time is cut in half and you sacrifice nothing in terms of sound.

Still loving this bass. Just need to get a gig for it now...

Great - thanks for that I'm going to have a go. The brass knobs currently on the volumes and planned for the tone - although OK looks-wise - add about 3oz. When I'm trying to get closer to 5.5lbs rather than 6, those oz make a difference. It really does need a lathe but I am well impressed with @Norris 's results on a drill press. I will, however, try for grub-screw inserts if possible with my rudimentary equipment (and that, of course, will add some weight). In for a penny and in for a pound - I'm going to see if I can get a MoP swift on the top too. Yes - I know. Madness

"Tis another forum dedicated to guitar building that Andy and I frequent, but I don't want to detract from this fabulous forum

Nice-looking cowbell.

Here, and there's still stuff in the bedroom😂

Here you go. Free Bass transcriptions to download...(actually, there are quite a few, free (Bass) transcription sites on the net - down in theory as well). Quite a few Chuck Rainey charts here. http://www.lowdownbass.net/transcriptions/ Although a Big Band site, some Tower of Power Bass charts in among the full scores. http://www.mindformusic.com/big-band/80-artists/345-tower-of-power A few Quincy Jones charts as well. http://www.mindformusic.com/big-band/80-artists/315-jones-quincy

That's fair, but in my experience of non-driving drummers (who, of course, have the most kit to move around) they just stand there looking like lost puppies until someone loads their gear and takes them home. That is definitely selfish behaviour, and I will not put up with it any longer.

Here's a little video of a chap making knobs using a drill press. He finishes them on a lathe, but as he says in the video, you could do it just as easily on the drill press. I would love to be able to source metal inserts to go into the knob to make them a "safer" fit on the spline, but Noick of a hardwood knob pushed onto a splined pot shaft sounds like a good next best option.

I don't think he uses echo. A bit of 'grit', perhaps, but no more than that. Maybe he was playing broken chords..?

Yes you will be quieter playing into an equivalent cab with less speaker area. But different cabs have different sensitivity values so you can't say the same for sure when looking at different brands. Did you say that amp had clicks on the volume control so you can't take it below 1? If so that's a stupid design and I'd be looking at a new amp. Trying to reduce your volume by switching cabs is the wrong path.

The first time I used the Olympia flats on the BB 424x was through an old Trace Elliot combo. I was amazed at the tone these strings produced. They have lost some of their initial brightness now but they will be staying on for good. Really suits the the guitar

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

Cioks are great Decibel 11 hot stone deluxe never let me down, great piece of kit

Had all my amps and cabs in the house this week and used the opportunity to take a family shot: The basses and amps are quite self-explanatory. A few word about the cabs: - The Tweed cab to the left is a DIY 1x15" sporting a Jensen 50 Watt C15N. - The cab behind the Dingwall is a Sieben Audio Design 15/8 with Fostex speakers. - The Music Man cab is the version with EVM12L speakers - this cab sounds fantastic with the low wattage tube amps and Fender basses. Only downside is the weight to which the monstrous magnets of the EVM12L's contribute about 80% I guess...

A bunch of us tried the Fame or Vitoos DC8 a while back. I have had no issues with it after a few gigs and practices, nor have I heard any complaints. Very well specced, and the housing itself is rather small (indeed, the cables coming out seem to take up as much room!). Mine was £50 posted for the Vitoos version.

Just bought Alleva LG5 from Alberto. He was more than fair, bass was packed perfectly, he even sent me 2 extra pickguards Deal with confidence

Loads of options these days. On my various boards I've got the True Tone C6 (thinline - gets under a Nanoboard), a Voodoo Labs PP2, and on the massive board a Gigrig Power Generator modular set up. Power supplies are never exciting, but don't begrudge them. Nice quiet stable power is great. And considering the cost of 9V batteries they pay for themselves pretty quick. A lot of the cheaper / smaller isolated ones don't have 8 outputs though. But you can still daisy chain a couple of outputs for pedals that won't be a problem leaving the difficult ones on their own output. Also be aware that some of the posh reverb and trem pedals have high current draws that some power units can't supply. So if you are aiming for an Eventide or Strymon then you'll need to check the current draw specs.

I run a Mooer Reverb off a Mosky power supply without issue. Not sure if I am just lucky or not.

Yeah pretty shocking on my shouting at you about detail when I cannot even spell my name properly

All drummers need a set of those.

You must be thinking of WILF - Wrinkly I'd Like to.... I should watch myself. I'm already eligible for SAGA insurance myself.

So is Grandmotherable another word for GILF?? "Cor!! She looks Grandmotherable!!"

Here's a digital sample for you to have a closer look.

Are you on Facebook? Pop along to the Wal Bass Club there and join in the fun. There’s a sticky post which lists various players’ fave tone settings. A lot of good tones to try out as you explore the preamp...!

I have a 55-01 with swapped out US Bartolini electronics. It hits way above its price point and I'm really happy with it! Si

I've owned a few of the TRB basses. A TRB6, a JP1 and a TRB1006J. The TRB6 and the JP were both very old and Japanese built, they were a totally different level to the TRB1006, both being completely luthier built. The TRB1006J was though a very, very nice instrument, a lot better than the price would lead you to expect. A friend of mine who's a very, very fine solo bassist plays one, and loves it.

Very nice feeling basses. You pretty much can’t go wrong with a Yamaha. I played a TRB1005J in Yamaha Music London, however my opinion of it was tainted by playing a BB1025X straight afterwards which frankly made the TRB sound anemic by comparison. I know they have different pups, one is active and one is passive etc etc but still. I was only playing through a fairly small Hartke combo but the difference was stark. The TRB felt “faster” to play though.

So a mock up...still need the wires/pots which are somewhere in the postal system...