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Hi all, Charlie here! I think it's fair enough that you all should know what we do for the 15% commission we take... So here you have it! - We have all items on display in our central London shop for customers to try, this takes away the stress of having to arrange viewings etc - We list each item on our website, on Reverb (which also sends a feed to Google Shopping) and we also post on our social media pages which has a combined following of almost 15,000 people - We take professional, hi-res photos of each item (and that's no quick job I can tell you...) - Each item is fully insured - Each item is offered with a full complimentary setup - Each pre-owned item has a 3 month limited warrantee - We offer free UK shipping over £100 which costs us over £20 to do for each item - If we know of a potential customer for your item we will get in contact with them - We have been in this business for over 25 years! Let me know if you have any more questions, hopefully I can help!

I left a band once after a blazing row at the rehearsal rooms in the coffee machine area, stormed off back into the room, packed my kit...and then had to go back and ask for a hand getting my Ampeg 810 up the stairs and into my car. This is why lightweight cabs are the way forward...Flouncing Ability is an often-overlooked plus point...

Forgot to post this pic of MiniMert playing @MacDaddy‘s Snapdragon folding bass:

View as Web page This Thursday, International Women's Day, head to any Guitar Center or Guitarcenter.com and stock up on D'Addario Strings and Accessories, Promark Drumsticks, Evans Drumheads, D'Addario Woodwinds or D'Addario Orchestral products, and the D'Addario Foundation will give 50% of every sale to support girls in music. Proceeds from this day will go directly to the Music Education for Girls Initiative, a special fund set up by the D'Addario Foundation that offers girls the resources they need to study music at a higher level, and the encouragement they need to keep playing. Click below to donate to the Music Education for Girls Initiative and learn more about the D'Addario Foundation. LEARN MORE

Looking back over 40 years-worth of drummers it's clear that the softly-softly approach is a complete waste of energy. However nicely one puts it, drummers always get the hump. This being the case, I have eschewed diplomacy and now adopt a more robust approach e.g. 'Play it like that again and I'll f**king kill you stone dead on the spot. Savvy?' OK, they still quit the band but it saves time on all the pussyfooting around.

Surely with packing up all that kit it was the longest storming out it could possibly be. Did noone say anything during the packing up? I'm imagining 5 minutes of angry packing while the band looks on in awkward silence...

Best bass for a flounce-smash? Probably a standard-scale hollowbody with no centre block. In advance, fill it with confetti for that extra touch of class.

I must admit, I did look at the prices of pickups on the aguilar stand and was horrified. Then I saw someone on the stand coming towards me, so I ran away

Steve did a great job getting there. I was with Markbass for the weekend, I live on the Devon Somerset border in the Blackdown hills, and it took me 6 1/2 hours just to dig my van out of the snow and frozen rain, and get it onto the A303... a total of 50m max.... I then had a 4 1/2 hour drive nearly being run off the road into the snow by a Richard in a Range Rover Vogue... I made it for the whole show... wheres my pat on the back?

I've looked into this myself and two instruments that stand out are the Eminence (which is strictly not an EUB, it's a small bodied acoustic instrument with a pickup that amplifies the acoustic sound), and the Yamaha SLB, which has electronics to mimic the sound of an amplified acoustic upright. They ain't cheap though but hold their value better ;-) The cheaper instruments seem to either require a lot of mods to make them usable or have quality issues, but they're cheap as chips and easy to buy.

There will be differences between FRFR solutions but the difference between FRFR solutions will be a lot smaller than between cab solutions. This is purely because different cab companies have a different tonal goal in mind. FRFR cab companies have one tonal goal in mind "what goes in is what comes out"

So get in touch. There's probably more going on in the guys life, find out what's up.

"Well, I'm glad he's gone. These sweets are a bit sticky, though..." "The raisins are worse..."

Good evening, Andy, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share. 'Be gentle with me'..? I'll try , but kid gloves are not my default garment, I'm afraid. What's the issue..? Just a quiet word in your receptive ear, really, to warn you that the Squier Police will be along shortly, mocking, jeering and generally heaping red-hot coals on the unfortunate innocent who has the nerve to spell the marque wrongly. As to it being a Fender... Good gracious..! Hordes of baying Basschat pedants will already be frothing at the gills when they see that. We may yet be able to save the situation, if you've your cheque book handy; maybe we can pass off the faux pas as a knowing joke on your part..? A deliberate early attempt at 'in' humour..? Depends on the amount received, of course. Be warned, however, that there are those who take these things seriously, very seriously indeed. We'll try to calm spirits for now, until your cheque arrives; meanwhile... Have a nice day Douglas

I think anything heavier than around 20kg would seriously hamper an effective flounce. But if you were using the house rig and a cheap bass it would be great to smash it on the floor, Who-style, before storming out. The bastards wouldn't forget that in a hurry.

You're right! Me and @bartelby managed to sell his Ibby to Wunjos for 33% more than he was going to get from a BCer for them to onsell - that's 'cos they reckoned they could make a profit on top and we and they were both happy with the transaction. Tom is the manager there - a really nice guy.

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.

Nit-picking. And a pat on the back to @skelf too, who was there all weekend.

Good technique there, nice straight wrist. Thumb's a bit higher than I'd like to see, mind ...

Let's be fair, at £1760 for a 4x10 and (if memory serves) almost £900 for a 1x12, I'm pretty sure Aguilar can afford to be there. What I thought was especially funny was that if you walked 2 stands along, Peavey were selling their 4x10 for £350. Five times better? I doubt it is, but that pricing is tonto. Nobody with any sanity will pay that much. Aguilar are now having a laugh.

If you want loads of sub 56 hz coming out of your PA, guarantee your mix is going to be sounding pants anyway. Bearing in mind you rarely hear the fundamental of your bass guitar anyway (more the harmonics), only going down to 56 hz is certainly not a bad thing for bass monitoring purposes - or out front for that matter. Anything lower is going to be eating up loads of power and for very little reward.

If, like most luthiers your USP is making unique hand-crafted instruments with meticulous attention to detail, why would you want to dilute that with a budget line? Like it or not if you are a one-man operation making something that doesn't owe a large part of its inspiration to the designs of Leo Fender and you want to do it absolutely right, then you are going to find it difficult to come in under £3000 these days. Otherwise you are basically saying that the instrument doesn't matter and then we'd all be fine playing £200 Squiers.

Really? Sack him even though there may be -relationship troubles -threat of income loss -death or illness of a loved one -mental health issues -brexitstress -a crush on the bandleader and now his heart is broken -insomnia -anything else -none of the above.... Have a chat, he may need a friend.

Maybe I should get in touch with him a site for a bass I think Bernie could do well at LBGS, there were a lot of OTT luthier show off pieces (understandably and I enjoy that) but I think what I would like to see from more exhibitors would be an example of a show off piece, mid range and a low end (by their standards) instruments

all my photos are on my facebook page and shared to the Basschat page, if you are not on facebook, you can still see them via this link, Saturday

Kevin, I hope you don't mind but I just edited the title as the word plectrum was missing a "T" in the title. I'm not trying to make an issue of it, it's just it is showing as me having edited it and I wanted you to know that it was nothing more sinister than a missing letter re-added. First time I've done it, next time I'll add the reason so as not to draw attention to it. Move along people, nothing to see here!

Who's gone for top end speakers? Pro's have gone in ears and helix (or similar) into full range PA. Dinosaurs down the pub knocking out alright now are where the high end cab sales are these days

Here's a 28'' scale fretless I just finished (build thread in the Build diaries section). It's called the Flea Market Funk Machine as it was made entirely out of wood from furniture found at flea markets.

I will not see Steven Wilson over here in Luxemburg next Saturday, the venue being too small it's been sold out in a snap, but my wife and I are going to see Gary Numan this Friday just ... 40 years too late, but a least, we'll have seen him once.

Well... I've got the bass. Today I was home at 4pm from work (today it was a very early start but literally 4min away from home, so it was nice to be home before the traffic even really got seriously bad). It was doubly nice as I had arranged online to have the bass stay at the depot and for me to collect it. I received a confirmation with a note stating that they were open until 8pm and that if not collected today it'd be sent back. Well, they attempted to deliver anyway, and ended up leaving it with a neighbout. UKMAIL... I can't tell you just how many times you've failed me like this in the past... at least this time they actually left it somewhere I could get to it quickly, so l was lucky, but I'd have been really annoyed to go to the depot (13 miles away) to find they again said one thing but did another... Anyway... I got it out. I haven't weighed it but it's not heavy, which is a good thing. It does look as nice as in the photographs... or better. Mine has a very nice grain and I love the tint in person, very nice and warm. It had a rather high action for my liking, so before I even plugged it in I changed that. I had to lower the saddles quite a bit and tweak the truss rod more than I expected... so I was worried the high action was hiding uneven fretwork... but nope, I got it really nice and low and it looks like the frets are all nice and even, the nut is well cut, and it's a very nice neck to play. Pretty shallow profile. Then I plug it in, with the preamp (Bass/Treble) set at the centre detent which I assume is flat, and both pickups on (blend control set at the middle) And it's ok. Not great, not bad. OK. I'm very underwhelmed here, especially after all the anticipation. There's some funky harsh midrange going on that I am not loving, especially slapped. Bass end of the P pickup was a bit too overpowering, perhaps due to my lowering the strings? I bring that side down a bit and things get better... but it's not a lovely tone. The bridge pickup... reminded me of why I didn't like a 75RI Jazz bass I had, which was equipped with a set of EMG J. They really are not my thing, and boosting bass a bit doesn't really make it thick enough, it still sounds way too clean for my liking with a lot of top end and some added low end on top... The neck pickup... hmm. Ok, I actually like the neck pickup a bit more. It's aggressive, and it has that mid-growl that I love on Precisions... but it's still a little 'unrefined'... so I turn down the treble a bit. NOW we are starting to get somewhere. This bass comes with Ernie Ball nickels 45-105. They are not high tension, but when I use these strings I prefer their 45-100 set and only really after I've played them a bit. I really dislike the brightness they have when new. I generally hate new strings. I don't want them dead, but I struggle when I change strings until they are tamed a bit. So here we have a bass with strings brighter than I like, and pickups that are probably brighter, or at least with an extended top end compared to what I prefer... so not the best combination to impress me on a "first date". I played a little more, turning down treble almost to max, and it is nicer but I'm not fully feeling it. I miss having a semiparametric mids control... the treble frequency is quite well chosen so when I cut it works the way I want it although it doesn't cut quite enough. The bass... I don't really feel like adding or removing. I wish it had a passive pone control and a semiparametric mids control instead. At this point I look at it, put it down, and go away to do something else. I'm thinking that I should be very careful with it, not mark it in any way, because there's a good chance this bass will be returned: it is a perfectly fine bass... but I'm not really loving it and I don't see myself using it that much after the "novelty" wears off. ... I'm pretty much sure that I will return it. But I decide to give myself until Monday to make up my mind (it just leaves me tonight and Wednesday night, and Sunday night, as I'm busy the rest of the time). ... Then I have another go, after I've eaten. This time, crucially, I'm using backing tracks (some random funk/rock/reggae ones I find on youtube, as well as stuff from my own band). And now things start sounding better. About an hour and a half later... I'm leaning towards keeping it, but I'm still 100% sure. These are my thoughts at the moment: The bass feels very nice, the neck is just my kind of neck (I could do wider, but it's wide enough and it's shallow so it doesn't feel chunky but it's got "meat"). Cosmetically and physically I have no issues here. It's not the lightest bass but it's not a heavy bass at all, probably a bit lighter than my Stingray. The preamp... I'm not a big fan of. The stacked knobs don't feel that great, a bit 'gritty' even if the operation is noise-free. The treble is just right in terms of the frequency centre that I like to cut, especially with new strings. I wish it cut cut a bit more than it does. The bass... seems a bit lower than I'd like... but then that's usually how I feel with most preamps. I miss having control over the mids. I'm used to the John East mids module, or the 2-band Stingray preamp which after years of use I instinctively know how to set so that I get the sound I want. This preamp doesn't seem as interactive as the Stingray one, but there's still some degree if interaction and I'm not yet familiar with it. As it is, I still would like to have a bit more control on the mids... and if this bass was to stay, I can see replacing the preamp in the future for a John East mids module, and using a passive tone control. But not in a hurry. I'd imagine most people would be more than happy with the EMG preamp, I think it's just me being almost obsessed by the John East preamps, of which I have a few :D) The pickups... I still don't love the Jazz bridge. It's too clean and thin and I can't thicken it the way I want by adding bass to it the way I can on a J-Retro preamp with any other standard Jazz pickups I've tried. However... with both pickups on, you get a nice sound, with a bit more midrange than usual for a P/J combo but still somewhat scooped... but here is where the blend knob comes handy: just turn it a bit towards the bridge... and you gain clarity very nicely, still sounding fat and punchy. For THAT reason alone, the EMG Jazz deserves to stay. I'd never use it on its own, but it allows me to control the midrange when using both pickups, and it's what makes me not too worried about keeping it stock. It's a sound that on its own wasn't that nice.... but when playing along to backing tracks it started to make me smile. It sits very well in the mix, but it still has a nice presence. The EMG P pickup... now, this is a LOVELY sound. It's not a traditional vintage Precision type of sound at all... but it still sounds like a Precision, and it has that low midrange growl... hmmm... This is a very good sound! No more to add... it's just a really good Precision sound. Aggressive, but taming the top end just sounds incredible. In the mix it sounds really really good. Powerful, strong presence, but not overpowering. It's the EMG P that probably swayed me the most towards keeping it. I'd probably use this bass as a Precision most of the time, and sometimes with both pickups on. But it makes me wonder... what if I just put an EMG P into my cheap but lovely to play Squier Mike Dirnt Precision? I suspect I'd end up with something I really like, and save a bunch of money. So, is it really worth it? Should I keep the Model T? I'm not sure. It will not replace my Classic 50s Fender Precision, because this one has THE classic Precision sound. It will not replace my passive Maruszczyk Jake P/JJ, because this one has righteous funk and reggae sounds and the JJ pickup at the bridge is a very useful sound by itself... although it doesn't do very well the classic Precision sound. But the EMG P on the Model T is completely grin-inducing once I tamed the treble a bit. I think once I put a set of stainless steel DR Fat Beams, and let them get 'funky' for a couple of months, the Model T could sound pretty awesome. But... the tonal adjustments onboard are not my favourite options, and I'll never know 100% until I use my preferred strings for a bit... Some argue that if you say "this bass is great but... " and then start saying how you'd shape its sound with EQ etc, that it's probably not a 'keeper' bass. And in my experience, the basses that are surviving any culls are the ones that felt and sounded right from the start, regardless whether the strings were my favourite, new or old... It just seems that £700+ may be a little too much for an instrument that doesn't completely floor me (as nice as it is) when I really do not have a need for a bass like that right now. So... I'll retire and meditate for a bit, then play some more... and see how I fee in a couple of days.

Thanks one and all! Following the London Bass Show I’ve decided to do a complete about turn on my plans, I’m looking towards Scotland now instead and it’ll be ash with rosewood or Pau Ferro board

What about a Ford Capri 😄

squier classic vibe is probably top budget for you then

Oh yeah, I know they won't be "cheap" but using Shuker as an example. His entry level instruments seem to be priced around £1700 where as some lines start at £3000+ There were quite a few luthiers where their cheapest offering was over £5k, I'm not suggesting they offshoot into budget instruments but seeing what the baseline is can actually be quite helpful (as well as demonstrating what extra you get for their more pricey instruments)

That guy is a world class tool. I hadn't been aware of YouTube idiots as I never really watch things like this, but, a tool who plays variations of the same 5 slap licks is nothing more than he is at least on cursory glance. I'm happy to avoid it. However on a lighter note as he's known as Davie504, it does conjure up images of science fiction dystopia where people don't have full names and have bar codes tattooed on their arms. I seem to have went off reservation there, but seriously, if anyone uses that idea, I want royalties.

Thumb rest added! Damn, cheers Marc, never mind it wasn’t expensive..

But they were on display recently at NAMM n the Ibanez stand...doesn't sound like a leak...sounds like a launch.

I don't have a succinct answer, but Foxton/Harris aside, the bassists in your list are all gentlemen of a certain period. As music got louder [in the '60s], perhaps Marshall just offered a viable alternative to whatever passed for a bass amp back then. Perhaps Marshall just gave their gear away to prominent players, perhaps it was really good. Perhaps, perhaps. Me? Never owned anything made by Marshall and to be honest, I've always been underwhelmed when I've played with guitarists who use Marshalls. Sure they go loud, but for me, that's about it. I'd sooner a Twin Reverb.

First outing for our seven piece swing band Sunday afternoon.Most of the two swing sets were charts by the arranger and composer Dave Wolpe and I would recommend them-good arrangements and a good challenge with lots of key changes and interesting timings.All but two of us have music degrees and everyone reads well with me as the weakest link but I managed to get through with only a few minor problems.I was using my Yamaha SLB 200 EUB and went straight into our Bose PA along with the piano.I had a busy time as I am also the frontman and did the between song chatter. The third set was a Dixieland/Trad set and I switched to tenor banjo and one of the horn players switched to tuba. All in all a good afternoon with a sold out hall(OK,it was small but packed with close to 100 people)and we got a standing O at the end of the gig and are being booked back in June. Trying to keep live music alive here in Canada... Bob

I was very much fancying a Euro 4 LX a few months back when the OP (aka The Greek) pointed me in the direction of a 1991 MIK NS-2A that was for sale on the forum. I love it. Fantastic build quality, wonderful neck and beautifully balanced - It’s a dream to play. From the first day I got it, it felt instantly comfortable. After years of playing Fender P’s and Stingrays I too was worried about the strap button over the 14 fret instead of the 12th, but I needn’t have worried. Even switching between the Spector and a P at gigs now is fine. If this is indicative of all Spectors, I’d highly recommend them.

Grrrrrrr! Its the Lane Theatre in Newquay mate, not exactly local, but a great venue and people. We did the gig for a local Parkinsons disease charity, the guitarists dad is a sufferer and lives down that way, his dad was there and it was the 1st time he had ever seem his son on stage..was quite a night and we raised nearly a grand! Not bad for a 140 seater venue!!

Leduc U-Basse 5 strings fretless, yes fretless, with magnetics and piezo... Single coils punchy sound with the great Frédéric MONINO paying his due to a guy named Jaco. LISTEN to what a terrific fretless sound is !

EBay, by comparison would charge 10% They won't be standing about in the shop, supervising people "testing" out your bass. They won't hang around after hours waiting for another punter to try it on the way home from work. EBay don't get sellers calling 3-4 times a week for a report on who tried it and why they didn't buy. EBay won't offer your buyer a 6month after sales warranty. And for the added 5% you won't have your buyer calling PayPal to say it never arrived/not as advertised... can I have a refund please?

I discovered the instrument I wanted to play in the end of the 70's, early 80's listening to the music of that period like Japan, Brand X and the likes without knowing it was an instrument. I loved the sound and told myself I would play that instrument which I naively thought was a brand called : Fretless ! Then Paul YOUNG came with a guy called Pino PALLADINO and I realised it was an instrument by itself, not a brand... I bought my first bass when I raised enough money : a horrible fretted some kind of Maya Unprecision bass, but I didn't like it, sold it and got drunk with the money: hey a was a student... Then I noticed an Aria Diamond Violin bass for peanuts in a second hand shop, being a huge fan of the Beatles, I bought it. Then I went to my local luthier, a guy called Christophe LEDUC, to have it defretted. I followed his advise and had a pair of EMG humbuckers installed on it. Got it back some weeks later and IT was it. That was the end of the 80's and it became my one and only bass for years. I couldn't play anything than fretless, period. I even got it painted ... pearly yellow, great fun ! Then I started my long journey into fretless with my main influences : Mick KARN, Percy JONES and Pino PALLADINO. I have to admit that I've never been a big fan of Jaco, not what I was waiting for a fretless bass player, except when he is (was?) playing with Joni MITCHELL. So, I can say that I'm a fretless player owning today 6 fretlesses, including a double bass and a 6 strings LEDUC EUB, even if I've played some fretted over these three decades. Fretless addicted, that's what I am ... and proud of it.

I’ve been up since 4:30 so there!

Squire are one of the worst brands available these days. It's a real shame. Then again, how can one be surprised, them trying to cash in on almost copying the name of a really good competitor (Squier). I hope bankruptcy will be their fate.