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I do enjoy this YouTube series. Here's ep.36 on Roundabout.

If your 5 string has no punch and is difficult to amplify then you need a better 5 string bass and a better amplifier.

We had a somewhat different experience - we played together, off and on, for a year as a blues workshop at Band on the Wall in Mcr which ended with a friends and family gig at the BotW cafe. At the end of that gig we looked at each other and knew we couldn't let it end there. There was so much shared energy and potential, we just had to carry it on as A Real Band 🙂 Two people did drop out, one more joined, but by then we knew exactly how much commitment and ambition was shared. Played our first gigs outside Mcr last weekend, and we're all looking forward - realistically - to building on it.

Need to pull out "Rain Tree Crow" - aka Japan reformed for a new project. Lots of internal politics as a result of Sylvian's control issues - I haven't listened to it for a while. here's your chance.

Here's a cut-out-and-keep guide to tort wot I made.

Hope it was cash up front. I wouldn’t want to see you getting fleeced.

1972 all original Fender Jazz, with the original case, she’s aged beautifully with great looking wear and checking all over, she was Olympic white but is now a gorgeous buttermilk colour with the most beautiful piece of tort I’ve seen, I think my soul was a small price to pay.

This is such a simple truss rod system that i'm wondering why it isn't used in loads of basses ?

That neck i posted is a peavey, so yes, they deffo use it in some basses

Yep - Musima, those were. They made some of the 80s Marlins too. Same type of truss adjuster appears on a fair few low-end Korean & earlyJapanese instruments, along with other eminently sensible but uncommon features such as zero-frets.

When I tried the QSC it wasn’t billed as a standard PA speaker, or actually as an frfr as such - the marketing bumf suggested it was a multi-use cab for a variety of instrument, vocal, live and recorded music applications. As such, the dsp stuff is clearly there for a wider range of applications, for people who are just using one out and about or whatever. I didn’t buy mine based on that at all. I had it set to a default flat eq and a/b’d it with a DXR10 and another. It was flat out better at bass - by a significant margin. It felt better quality and was in special so the price difference was small. I use it as a monitor with DI in from a preamp, and pass through out to the desk. I have used the “bass” setting as a stand-alone - it makes a good backup if my pedal board failed 2 mins before the gig - I’d plug straight in and get on with it. It was always bought as a small footprint easy to cart about live rig when I didn’t need to provide lots of backline heft. I have an EICH t1000 and a vanderkley 2x10 1200w cab for that. In its bag, I can carry it, and a pedalboard and a bass in one trip from car to venue, and take up virtually no space on board at all. I can point it at me directly for monitoring. Sound engineers love the fact they just plug in to it and don’t have to worry about a bass monitor. The rest of the band love it as I take up little room, don’t wash out the sound, and I even angle it towards the drummer to give him a bit more. He loves it too. Our keys player bought one for monitoring such was his enamour.

Second round done. You have to be careful with colour matching and consistency with the tinted danish oil, but otherwise it’s going on well: It’s starting to take on that nice satin sheen naturally, so I think a third round is in order and then a good drying off before some light buffing. I’m really liking the antique/old refinish look of it - sort of “stripped and refinished in the 60s” look..

... or just the two of 'em ...

No punch and difficult to amplify? , I've heard it all now! Lol

This. Playing is good. More playing is better

Paul Simon - Graceland. Possibly cliche, but I love that fretless sound.

Hope your amp was set up correctly. Wouldn't want any clipping...........................

Did your set include I Just Called to say I Love Ewe? Or maybe Shear Heart Attack?

Me, I like this one.

In these situations I always recommend a bit of Stephen Amazing - starts just after 2:00 - and played with a plec!

I think the technical term, given the smoky venues these basses will have been played in, is 'Fagnolia'... 😀

Just a quick update on this. I've dismantled all the wiring. The pots are shot, but the pickups are reading just fine, so that's good news. I think I'm going to go with Alpha pots as they will fit the existing holes. I'll use the original cap as well. I shot some clear gloss on the pickguard, but it's a bit orange peely, so I might sand it back...maybe just get a new guard for it, but unsure for now. There's a headless pickup screw I need to sort too. This evening, I taped off the frets and just gave them a once over with some steel wool to get the crud off, then a quick rub with Autosol metal polish. They're looking really good. Need to order the parts soon so I can get it back into action.

I'm a Fender man and I've made a few too. I had the same problem ie' the E sounding lame and I have tried all the tricks and tips but I found a partial cure, I changed the P pickup to a Dimarzio DP 127 on KiOgon's recommendation, much more powerful and the bottom E is much more 'tuneful' and accurate.

Think we've discussed this before Blue. We are in completely different scenarios. Also think there are many people on BC that the money plays an important part in being in a band. As long as i'm having fun and enjoying what i'm doing i'm happy. That's my priority in any band however if the band doesn't eventually gig i get bored very quickly because there's no end game and when you having nothing to aim for there's no challenge in it for me and i move on to another band. Eventually i'll run out of bands but at the moment i get asked quite a lot. Currently doing bass on an EP recording for a band which came out of the Blue (see what i did there ) So at the moment i'm relatively happy. I would like the band to be moving a little quicker than it is but i agreed i would accept the various time delays from the outset. Dave

Micky and the mices

One of his more well known basses - the Streamer with the Iroquai pattern on - was a 5, when I think of Stuart Zender that's the bass I think of. He also used another 5 string Streamer live quite a bit as well as the 4 string Stage 1 he was pictured with regularly.

Neck has had another coat of Tru Oil - it’s going to need a few more but I like a nice thin coat with a wet sand (oil not water) and a scuff back - makes it silky smooth

I don't particularly like 5 string basses, I've never found one that doesn't feel awkward and unwieldy to me. I find the sound pretty unsatisfying too, in the main. No punch, difficult to amplify. In the double bass world the answer is simple - a C extension lets you keep your 4 string and have the low notes when you need them. To be honest, in bass guitar world I don't really come across the need very often. If you're making music for your audience's benefit, they won't notice or care. It's not very often a line just doesn't work on a 4 string. If I really need one, I borrow it. 5 strings are not progress, they're an alternative, and one I don't particularly enjoy. Your view may differ. Doesn't make either of us wrong.

But really, it's you. Shame about the friend - did you ask if he was a bass player?

Arrived Monday but only got a chance to upack today. 1st thing... How the F**ck do they make these for so little money? Some things other people thinking of buying may want to know: No hole under the scratchplate like some others have reported. Can use without plate now. Bridge has changed from the large bulky one to one with Fender dimensions and screw placement. Volume and tone pots work as they should do. Gave It a quick set up and It plays superbly, love the tone with my old flats on too! Mods I'm gonna do: New tuners. (anyone know what are direct replacements?) Amber tint the neck with Nitro. Reshape the headstock. Add own decal. Repaint scratch plate aged cream. Must say I am blown away at the price. Cheers Geoff.

Eric Czar - play from 3:30 - epic.

I'd add a few more, but I've run out of material.

No thread would be complete without a gratuitous mention of Colin Hodgkinson. I've been listening to this man for 45 yeqrs and I still have no real clue how he does it!

Wow. That's some shift in tone on the finish! I have a 74 Precision in Oly White which has been somewhat abused, but it's gone a milky custard.. Looks flipping' brilliant tho! Well done - and play the heck out of it

She certainly is a beauty, I’m loving the black binding and blocks, unfortunately the daughters sportsday is just about to get in the way of my playing!! i suppose I should also include a photo or two of the back 😁

Oh that's right , manipulating the thread again 😁

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Everybody should have Tin Drum by Japan in their music collection. Mick Karn was a God in my eyes...his work with Japan is legendary, however his solo albums ( I have three IIRC) didn't take his work to the next level IMO. Doesn't mean he wasn't a God though....

Chet Atkins said to his dad “When I grow up I want to be a musician!” And his dad replied “Sorry, son, but you can’t do both.”

Musicians are a nightmare. I mean other musicians are a nightmare

Here’s mine!

Here's my Aria also from the same era (modified with bridge pickup and the original scratchplate was white). The body is made from Sen I believe.

I like a challenge but that's too much

Actually sublime...