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Ive been trying to resist. Failed. im in.

Well, better than Born Again anyway!

I think most do, and most have full time traditional jobs and families as well. I'm the odd ball. Blue

I'm not a fan of mismatching woods on the fretboard and headstock, unless the headstock matches the body. Give me a maple/maple neck or a painted headstock any day.

Looks like I've joined this party too late! Who are the band, I might have seen you? Hold the Line and Jump, I was worried it was my band but then I remembered I'm the bass player

+1

We don't need a Wurzels tribute down here, we have the real thing. My dad knew them very well 😂 I pulled the trigger and quit last night. The more sensible guitarist took it quite badly, but I expected that anyway. Got a singer, guitarist and drums lined up for the new project, which is basically 80s pop/rock for pub gigs. Bands down here seem to spread right across the decades, with the 80s being largely missed out other than a few def leppard or bon jovi numbers in each set, and I'm thinking something more focussed might have a good chance at getting going.

This thread is the sole reason for me withdrawing my Micro Thumpinator from sale...

Your research has missed some very important points. 1. No HPF will "cut off everything" below a certain frequency. What they do is progressively attenuate frequencies from the cut off point downwards according to the filter slope. Those frequencies will still be present but they are reduced in level more as you go further down from the cut off frequency. SFX have a frequency plot which shows the effect of the Thumpinator on their web site. 2. You have ignored everything else in the signal path including the human ear. While normal human hearing goes down to 20Hz, if you look at any frequency plots you will see that sensitivity drops off significantly from 160Hz downwards, so most of what you are hearing with your octaver on the open E string are the harmonics rather than the 20Hz fundamental - the brain is very good at filling in this missing frequency information for you. Also unless your rig includes PA style cabs specifically designed to reproduce signifiant levels of sub bass ( which case you should be using an active crossover and you won't need a HPF) your cabs will struggling to project these low frequencies at the same level as the higher ones. 3. Finally the design of the HPF itself is very important. IME a higher cut off frequency with a steeper slope (24dB/oct rather than 12dB/oct) is going to be far more effective at removing the potentially speaker damaging frequencies. Go too low with too gentle a slope and it won't be removing enough to be doing a worthwhile job of protecting your speakers. Also as has already been said many filter designs will as a by-product of the way they work add a slight peak to the signal at the cut off point - which is something you really want to avoid on one aimed at removing sub-audible frequencies. AFAIK only the Thumpinator is designed specifically to minimise this peak.

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The rest of the black hardware finally turned up I’ve just swapped over the tuners, strap buttons and string tree So now the bass is finished apart from a setup Sorry for some reason the picture has gone a bit grainy I’m happy with the finished look it’s no frills and simple!! (Bit like me!!) 1 down only 3 to go!!.........

The Headhunters, sans Herbie Hancock.

@D’AddarioUK D’Addario offer a string tension guide that allows you to select the correct gauge of string when tuning down to maintain the tension you enjoy. Check it out here: http://stringtensionpro.com/

Anything with a ridiculously oversized headstock with canoe accessories as tuners and totally clashes with the rest of the bass.

As Lee Pomeroy said somewhere, if you're a good bloke, play ok and get on with everyone, you get the call.

I dont question it. I'm stunning, and that's the end of it. Move along please

Maybe you should withdraw 'privileges' until she changes her mind. Oh wait, it doesn't seem to work that way round!

You’ll struggle to find any definitive temperatures/ humidity measurements for safe storage; but the general consensus for instruments and audio gear is... Cold: no problem Hot: not ideal Humid: very bad!

For the DIYers among us, Julian Pohler (Mr. Shalltechnik04 - the guy behind the Guma Drive, Guma Antique and Growling Krizzly kits) is bringing out a combined HPF/LPF + DI kit soon called "Vong" (no idea what Vong means). I've asked him to keep me posted on when it's to be released.

Eventually every design in existence will have been slagged off in this thread...

Loving it!

I consistently enjoy my playing and sometimes other people do, too. Since I can't be sure anyone but me exists, I'll take my own word for it.

Yeah the Amplug is awful, poorly built and sounds like s*@t

Both pickups are Limelight's own. I'd heard their pickups before, and was well pleased with what I'd heard I believe they are hand-wound. The certainly sound the biz anyway Yes, depending on what you want, they are around £850 - just under £1K I believe. Mark will give you a quote on what you're after And yes, though they aren't '63 RI's - they are less than one, and I think you'd be hard pressed to beat them IMHO As Mr discreet says, you could wait for one to come up second-hand on the marketplace here, if you wanted to save a bit of cash.... You could always sell it on again, if it doesn't quite meet all your needs (you'd likely get your money back, as they seem to sell for a consistent sort of price) I really should have bought the one FuNkShUi was selling some time back, as I liked it so much I waited for another Fiesta Red P to come up, and a couple did (one very recently) but I always seemed to miss them, as they went quickly... That said, I'm glad I got mine P/J'ed as I'm really sold on that pickup arrangement (and it's something I wouldn't dare do to a '63 AVRI)

funnily enough, I've had exactly this discussion with Paul himself this week Similar to the OP, I am determined to get a new Wal - had a couple in the past (dating from the '80s and '90s) love the sound, but they weren't to my specs (one was second hand, one was new but built to somebody else's specs so was ready to pick up if i wanted one straight away, which i did at the time) and I never felt that they were "my" basses, so have been planning to get one to my exact requirements. And one of the niggles was that the necks were a little chunky - still very playable, and had that gorgeous sound, but, well, not quite "my" bass. So I figured I'd go for a new one and get exactly what I want. Here's his reply (only helps if you're after a five string): Here are our standard 5-string dimensions: > >Neck width @ nut= 46.7mm and @ 24th fret = 71.5mm/2.82'' >Neck depth @ 2nd fret =21.9mm/0.86'' and @ 12th = 24.18/0.95'' >Bridge saddle center spacing = 17mm/0.67'' This is almost identical to my thru-neck Warwick (that is extremely slim and fast) - a mm or two out at most, so I'm very happy. Does make me wonder if it's my perception that the old Wals were chunkier because of how it felt at the top end, or if they were just made chunkier, either back in the day or for a particular order. One other point to raise, having just pulled the trigger and paid the deposit (yesterday). There's no way to disguise the fact that the price is a lot of money for a bass so I've been putting it off because I didn't have the cash lying around looking for a home. I'm fortunate enough to get a bonus each year, and in a good year that would cover the cost, but assumes that I don't spend it on anything, and my dreams of a new bass this year were dashed when my laptop and hoover packed up, to be added to the list of other stuff that I need to spend some of the bonus on. Then the penny dropped that it's going to take two years to build the bass, and I don't need to pay for all of it up front. So I asked for details. £1k up front, which is non-returnable (slightly more if you pay by PayPal to cover the extra admin costs). That gets you a specs sheet to confirm what you're after. Then nothing for six to nine months, when Paul gets round to starting on the neck, at which point he wants another £1k. And that's all you need to pay until it's ready. So for me I don't need to find £6-7k from this year's bonus, I only need to find £2k, which I can do, and means I place the order now rather than putting it off for another year (so that's a new Wal in two years time rather than three). Excess pay will be going into a savings account/Wal fund, and by the time next year's bonus gets added that should cover everything well ahead of time.

Yep, well you knew that anyhow...

Not bad but not brilliant. Our singer showed a video of a pub gig we did to a couple of pro musicians she knows and they complemented my playing without being asked which was a massive boost to my self esteem. Interesting thing is, since that point I've started working harder on my chops, driven by the fear of complacency!

Stability seems to be the reason for roasting a neck, which is fair enough, but does it have any bearing on 'tone'? *Opens can of worms, runs away*

What you really need is a bass-playing Pole. This may be more difficult to arrange after Brexit.

Not taken umbrage at all, but you did say 'but the prices are a bit out there for a bass I haven't heard of' which is sort of judging it a bit, which seems slighty unfair if you didn't follow the provided link to find out any more about it. However, my apologies if I upset you. Perhaps I was having a bad day.

what is your point? the guy in Aus could be selling at a loss to get rid of stock/unwanted item.

The Musicman ones have been around for a long while on certain limited editions they've offered. That Fender Precision edition has as well I think. I have a Classic Sabre with a roasted flamed maple neck - it's about three and a half years old. There are no downsides to it in my opinion, so long as you like the look - the idea is you get the equivalent of aged wood through the roasting process - not just in look but in structure - leading to potential improvements in stability. My bass is fine with no downsides to it - it also has stainless steel frets like the new ones and those are fine as well. No doubt they will wear better. I personally think the roasted maple looks absolutely stunning if the neck is laquered and slightly better than the oil and wax finish but that's just my preference. Not that it's of any importance but a curiosity is if you sniff the neck you get a faint but definite whiff of maple syrup (seriously!!!)

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In a perfect world my goal would be 5 gigs a week. Blue

Number of gigs doesn't equate to level of competence. To suggest a band that only plays 6 gig's a year doesn't deserve good musicians is a bizarre stand point.

Very much this, I have never really believed that I am as good as people tell me I am, I guess my mate who inspired me to play was and always has been far and away technically way more acomplished than me, at 16 or 17 years of age he could play all the John Taylor basslines, most of Bernard Edwards basslines and everything in level 42's back catalogue...however he still tells me I am the better player because I can write and create basslines he only wishes he could dream up....that has always seemed really strange to me but I guess you can learn so many other peoples songs that it stiffles your own creativity?

Not as good as I wish I was It's a never-ending experience on trying to improve.

JA's comments were in relation to the largely chambered, ie hollow, body of the Sadowsky. US Lakland's are not heavy basses.

I think most of tend to play down our skills, especially to ourselves. Generally, whenever I start learning new stuff there are sections when I think to myself 'I'm not sure I can do that'. I'm always quite surprised at how quickly I actually manage to learn those bits. Of course, there's stuff I really can't do, but there's definitely less of it than there used to be, which i take as a sign of progress.

I play in a band that this might as well be an ad for. It's a great laugh, practices (about 3 a month) are fun and are basically a get together for a jam. We do about that many gigs, we hire venue, promote etc. We generally make a little profit, which usually goes to charity. It's not a function band, and we don't play classic covers stuff, but otherwise the same applies. We've all got other commitments (other bands, families, jobs etc.) so it suits us. For me, it beats going to the pub and watching a football match. I hate footy and drinking takes second place to playing for me. It gets me out of the house and keeps me off the streets I've done my time playing functions and pubs/clubs circuits. Honestly i haven't got the energy for all that these days. I'm sure I'm not alone...

I work on the principle that I am the best at playing in the style I do. If that's what you want then no-one else will be as good. If you want something else, choose the person who does that best. There are too many variables in other ways to compare.

If people whose playing I respect ask me to play with them, then I consider that to be a sign of reasonable ability.

Keep your 'intelligent and reliable guitarist'. As rare as the proverbial Hen's teeth.

But I already got my kidney out...

Modded the Gypsy Rose with: Cali neo pickups Kiogon wiring loom Schaller black tuners black scratchplate D'Addario Strings graphite vinyl wrap on headstock with vinyl decal generic black bridge, screws, neck plate, strap buttons, string tree..

Thanks for the nice feedback! The monthly composition challenge typically receives a woeful number of votes in comparison to the usual threads about P-bass colours, string choices, cats and what have you... so we're grateful for every crumb of support we can muster. Cheers

I was lucky enough to interview John Hall about these basses on Friday. Despite the normal Basschat stance on this issue, I can only say that he was absolutely charming and really very good company. As to the bass itself, I absolutely loved it. The first Ric in many years that I would seriously splash some cash on. In truth, despite the list of terminal, life-changing problems identified here, you really need to play and hear this bass rather than focusing on the string trees. This discussion reminds me of Barefaced handles. You're missing the point.

Also check the L/L porn thread here: