Leaderboard

One thing we should do next year is a group photo!

Dont get me wrong, im not knocking the Cali, just making a point that no one NEEDS to spend that much to get a good comp, but we are willing to pay what it takes for something we want. If it doesn't workout, then we can sell it on, but we have to give it a go first otherwise we will never know....Mr Krow lol. The Cali has a good rep, and because of its heritage i think people take notice of it so do try it Some move on, others dont. I dont think the SD will ever achieve cult status, or possibly be used by 1000's of people (although web forums are not a true indication IMO) like, say the Sansamp stuff, but there must be 1000's of pedals out there that people spend a fortune on, that wouldn't suit the majority of us. £185 is a small price for me to pay for the conveniences ive listed. Your right, i have spent a lot this year. i work it out at around about £800, just on pedals alone. I have a drawer full of 'mistakes' that i really should sell (no, not the draw itself I would assume there will be a Spectradrive owners club over on TB, they like that sort of thing, and if not ill start one lol. Cheers. All those points were just relative to me. I must admit before getting it i was hoping for, if not better, different to how its turned out. My first post on here about it said i wanted it for home practice. This still stands and for this i cant knock it. My comments about the B3n were just observations. Im 100% happy that the SD does what it does. I cant really mark it down for not having something its not be advertised as having. Battery would be nice, digital effects other than tone prints would be nice, a bit of reverb on the headphone out would be nice, lots of missing things would be nice, but then we are talking about a different box. The things that impressed me the most were how much better my basic clean tone sounded, and how much better my other boxes sounded after it. This, to me is its killer feature for live use. It can colour the tone by using Spectracomp and OD, but even with the SC turned right down, and the EQ set almost flat (if that exists, maybe it doesn't) the low notes had more clarity, and the higher note more punch, than with the box bypassed. I even found i was backing the Low off a bit, and rather than just having less low end, it seemed to be more adding clarity to those notes, without losing the heft. Again, this is all how it sounded to my ears and its only the one rehearsal. The fact that all this takes up one space on my board means it works for me. I can guarantee i will still have this box at the end of the year, along with my Aftershock.

Piano players who say they're keyboard players, but they're piano players. Playing two hands 8+ note pad chords and all over the bass. Not learning the part so busking it, getting it wrong and me getting a bollocking from the other guys for playing the wrong bass notes!! Music stand and book the size of a house - learn the effing parts!! Its not rocket science. Turning up and setting up more gear than a 70's Rick Wakeman rig right across the stage before the PA is in. But learn the parts!!! I quit a band because of this, the rest couldn't see what the issue was, so I walked.

Guitarist - a nice guy and a pretty decent player, but... He suffers from the usual guitard volume control issues. He has 2 amps, one for lead and one for rhythm (as you do), with an extra extension cab thrown in for good measure... it is quite the 'wall of sound' at times. He also has a pedal board the size of a small principality. Invariably, as part of his low grade river dance performance, he will hit the wrong pedal, usually during some critical point in a quieter song, creating the sound of a flock seagulls being macerated by a combine harvester. The sheer number of pedals (20 +, I tried counting them all but got bored) also results in frequent patch lead/power failures, again leading to new and exciting 'sound textures' in unexpected places. At rehearsals, he frequently launches into an unnecessary solo performance of some dubious cover version (Phil bloody Collins anyone?) between our tunes, and seems to find this highly amusing. We are an all originals band. No one else is laughing much. Like I said, generally a nice guy, but hard work at times...

They were friendly with me when I went in there a decade ago, to an extent that I still remember it now. I had the requisite bored girlfriend and time-waster countenance, but I ended up spending quite a lot of money in the end.

Likewise, I was very pleased that the "two years' free service" they always talk about at the till is always properly honoured. They were really helpful when the preamp was on the blink in my Corvette a couple of years ago - sadly, compared to some other retailers (not just of guitars), it seemed like a nice touch that they phoned me up to apologise for a bit of a delay because they'd had to order in a replacement part! Unfortunately I think I might have been in there too often - I phoned ahead last time to see about part-exchanging a bass, and I think the guy recognised my voice...

If you love it, then play it. End of.

Admittedly it has taken a couple of years to get this all done and finished how I wanted it, but, this is a working musicians axe and as such it has played many gigs during the restoration process, hence, 2 years I bought this bass from this very website from a chap in Germany, it was in a bad way, the P-ups were both dead, the neck had been fitted VERY BADLY and also the 'idiot' that done it had used white resin wood glue and had managed to break the decorative pearl around the neck fitting. Also the body of the bass had suffered from mould, this was a real problem to stop and cure it, it had left the bass looking very flat, dull and a coating of haze across the finish. Very sad indeed. Now I'm not blaming the guy who sold it to me, however, he failed to mention the condition and the fact the neck was glued on with resin (if he knew.... hmmm ) Anyway. Between myself and a very talented Luthier named Terry Chapman we have managed to restore the bass to it's former glory and managed to keep the 'Mojo' of a guitar built in 1964, it's nearly as old as I am and looks better too. The headstock logo was missing a piece of the H and I have ordered a replacement but it was not as nice as I wanted so I left the old one as it was. I know a couple of you guys were keeping an eye out for the finished job, so here she is in all her glory. Enjoy.

Well reminded - I need to do that, all these silent cables and I just unplug it from the wireless (or worse still, forget to mute and turn the wireless off) Hmm.. they seem to have gone up a bit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152876300708

Same here, wireless at almost all gigs so there's no lead tangling round my leg and all the leads I plug into my bass for rehearsals and for the occasional ultra-simple gig (bass straight to amp) have Van Damme cables and silent jacks at the bass end. Although I could do with knocking up a silent jack lead to run to the Smoothhound.

Ah right, but if its secondhand its not a New amp :-)

Here you go lads, this should help.

Oh I’m sure it is. It looks high end. I’d take my Q/strip over that mid knob though. I was only commenting on the BH heads as i like the EQ in my SD, and this has come from the BH EQ. I’m not actualy looking for a new head as such.

Yeah yeah, and John Taylor uses them as well, which really doesnt help the GAS. Luckily i have that EQ sorted already, so my money is safe........for now.

Now that my other build is well underway and waiting for some black hardware I thought I’d try and push this one on...... I’m going to fill the old pickup cavity and make the new template so I can rout out the two new MM pickup cavities then get the body finished while I’m waiting for the pickups to arrive.....

We need to stop talking about the BH heads right now. I dont need a new head, as I already have one too many, but those BH550/800 heads do look attractive now i know what they are based on. You all know how GAS works lol

This was exactly my experience with the BH800 head. Turned the bass down, nudged the low mids up a bit and all I got was a lovely clear and full tone.

No problem. Its nothing complicated, hot air rises.

Top class work

Here it is paired with a 102HF Limited Edition. Seriously good tones, and very loud for a single 2x10!

Nice job. I worked on one a few years ago - again a 1964 one - but that one had been seriously abused (including a second hole cut, presumably so someone could go left hand in a Beatles tribute band??). We got it back to full playing condition and the owner was chuffed to pieces - but the finished result wasn't as nice as this one

And another one...

The thing I hate more than that, is after it happens, or there is some carcrash of a guitar solo or whatever, afterwards someone from the crowd will say 'Oh you were fantastic', and all you can say is 'thanks', when you really want to say 'no we weren't, we were complete stinky poo'

I've seen quite a few band dynamics in which the singer doesn't actually fulfil the role of the 'frontman'. Inter-song banter is left to another non-singing member who sometimes only has a mic for that purpose, which I've always thought was kind of funny. But whatever works for them.

I know of you pal, heard good things.

But the Japanese ones, when they come up, sell for excellent value second hand.

What a beaut! I love my Cali VTII, but sometimes I really regret not going to the MM instead of the jazz. I hope you enjoy it.

Thought I’d share my bit of Surf Green joy on this wet and miserable Monday 😁. Saw this on a well known auction site and fell in love at first sight but unfortunately the seller was miles away. Now I like a drive as much as the next gas head, but this would have been about 4 hours each way. Step forward the extremely helpful seller (the original and only owner) who offered to meet me halfway. Met him at the weekend and I’m certainly not disappointed with the bass, it really is in unmarked condition. A 2006 model according to the Sandberg website, the bass came with the original gig bag, tag showing the woods and serial number, Allen keys and even a spare pre-amp (apparently this was a sweetener to the owner as the original delivery from Sandberg was delayed for some reason). It’s a weighty beast but that’s good for me as I do like to know I’m wearing something when I play it. I’d say it’s a similar weight to the poplar or ash Stingrays I’ve had previously. Plays beautifully and has a great range of powerful tones. I’m loving the split coil in both active and passive, but I’m also pleasantly surprised by the tone with both pickups on together. Very punchy sound with added oomph! All in all the first impressions of my first sandy are very good indeed 😁

Totally inexcusable. Either she'd be out of the band or I would.

You're very welcome and rest assured you're in good company here as nearly all of us are enthusiastic amateurs, rather than audio professionals. So all opinions and insights are perfectly valid. Personally speaking I'm very much a hobbyist, but with a strong inner nerd that enjoys scratching away at the detail

I can see what you mean in some respects - for me the US Precision is king, but not just any US, specifically the 2012 - 15 Series. To me they are just the best, but are they really worth a grand more than a Mexican Fender? I`d say not, these basses generally go for around £900 second hand, and I think that that`s probably a fairer price for them new. Maybe £999 to keep them at under a grand, but once you go beyond that they`re then becoming an instrument beyond the affordability of many musicians, and are possibly driving those musicians towards other brands - which as said, can make pretty fine instruments themselves (I`ll never admit to "better, but that`s just me )

I can't help but think that all this "wrong bass" nonsense is down to "badge envy". It only seems to affect those who play Fender-style basses. There's no big mystery for how to make a Fender bass - their simplicity and ease of construction was one of their main selling points and is what originally made them affordable. As the basic designs have been largely unchanged for over 50 years, it really shouldn't be any surprise that other manufacturers can make a similar bass better and cheaper than Fender. In fact the big surprise is why one with a Fender logo on it is now so expensive.

Love it, looks great. I have an idea percolating in my mind involving a HB PB50 - this makes me want to press on with it 😊

(Chants...) "No more tags..! No more tags..! Down with tags..! Burn all tags..! Please refrain from adding tags to your posts which will only provoke empty space on the right of the screen..! No more tags..! Down with tags..! Please refrain from... (Marches back into view, followed by a pack of inquisitive curs more interested in the sausage rolls being carried than the protest itself. Marches past, then round the corner; the chanting fades......)

Pelo menos, o dicionário parece funcionar bem...

I really like the new shapes! Still - I do any Sandberg really, and that colour is lovely!

Heh, I sent an email to @Chownybass yesterday asking for an update on delivery of the latest batch of SWB Pros and I was sent a link to the Marine Traffic website so I could see where the container ship carrying the consignment was. Fantastic, I can now see just how slowly these ships move, ha ha. I have, like the sad trainspotter I am, downloaded the Marine Traffic app and I can report that the bass is in the Indian Ocean south of Oman heading this way at 13.5 knots. I'm beginning to love this company and I haven’t played one of their basses yet!

I like fretless basses This is the Jack Bruce Tribute I made for our band's bassist, Pete. I get to play it occasionally when he lets me : I liked the sound and feel of Pete's so much, I built one for myself - my own design but using similar timbers and dimensions. Even though this one has Seymour Duncans, it has a similar vibe to it: When I built Pete's tribute, he gave me his old goose-turd green Yamaha RBX270F to do whatever I liked with. I decided to give it the 'myrtle veneer treatment': Nice players, those Yamahas

If it's the one you like playing and it fits visually and sonically with the band then it's not the wrong bass.

Yaaaaaay. A pick player doing a demo That makes a really nice change to all that slap stuff demos that show absolutely nothing. :-) Love that tone.

Leo Fender put them there to protect the bass from gamma rays, from outer space.

I had ordered a set of LaBella 1954 "Jamerson" strings in the "through body" length. I'll decide whether to use those, or string the bass with DR Hi-Beams, once the instrument is complete. If I don't use the LaBella strings on this bass, I'll put them on my Shell Pink P-Bass.

+1! to that. Portability is very much a key consideration for me being both one of the older members of my two bands and having some of the heaviest gear to cart around already in the shape of my bass amp, bass and general gubbins AND somehow also being responsible for the PA (oh yes, booking gigs, rehearsals, general admin etc...you know the story! I guess it's called being "the bass player", right? )