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https://issuu.com/janberendsen/docs/british_bassmakers

Time to dust off the wah pedal.

Hi! Well... it took me years to understand that no fancy bass will satisfy me every way! And have had so many disappointments even from USA made instruments... Tried many different ones - LTD, Vintage, Squier ebonol Fretless. Got an unlined Cort which actually is great but.... its made in Factory to some specification - not my specification(!) No need to say it feels great knowing that You/I are similar to Jaco in a SMALL way of course... 😉 - after defretting the bass... Another factor is money - I could go and buy and spend £1.5-2k and have actually the same "thing" (do not shout at me please) but mine is made by me and costed around 15% of GENUINE F. bass.... This bass shown below feels and plays like £1.5k bass because I put my heart and hard work into this project..... are You next???.... List of the parts and tools: Squier Affinity P-Bass Neck - got it here from nice BC Fellow... Jazz Bass Alder Body (Light one 2.05kg) Made in Japan from Ebay Bare Knuckle '60 PE J-BASS pickups from Ebay 60s style Bass Bridge from Amazon Control plate with pots and knobs - CTS250k solid shaft pots and USA knobs Bone nut for a guitar converted into bass nut Amber Alcohol Based Dye/Stain Mineral Oil to protect fretboard 99% alcohol solution for cleaning purposes Clear Decal Paper from Ebay Gold and Silver Sakura Metallic Pen from Ebay Clear Varnish from local Car Parts store Sanding paper grade 120-2000 from local Car Parts store 9.5inch Wooden Radius Block from Ebay Ink Jet Printer So.... one day I got decent Squier Neck and defretted it according to this video. Then I bought some other parts and made my own baby which plays and feels WONDERFUL and wont swap it for any factory made Bass... Hi res. photos here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JZ6keVOtyy2lMvq2vQ6jyc_Hff6U_m4d Even created the logo and named it as it Should not F.... bass as most people would because - Squier does not mean "Cr.p" And my best Jazz bass has Squier Classic Vibe Neck as it`s WAY better made than USA I have had once - Squier deserves logo on my bitsa bass! The purpose of this thread is to encourage You and assure You that no bass feels better in my hands and I wont swap it for anything! Some sloppy sound samples here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XpkWEKsULBYOLKaGwgV5k4oU-LEN6TSq/view?usp=sharing - No EQ just tini bit of compression and reverb... I`m happy to help if You have any questions - here or over PM! Cheers, Tomas

The only advice I have on lyrics would be... 1. Listen to the complete works of Led Zeppelin. 2. Don't do any of that.

So ..... few times over the last few years i was lucky enough to do some music for advert and television .... the guy was really nice and he told me he saw a video contaning my music which i ve done for a media company in London . However , he told me they already have a music composer that they have worked for years but he told me they are very busy and need a hand . when i asked him what kind of movie it was i was shocked ! Never done music for a porn tv before so i went for it . Checked the website and they have won loads of awards in the last 5 years, big company . now , just purchased a 50 inch 4k tv just for this job ahahahahahahahaha and another positive thing is that i can never get caught "sorry love im working "ahahahahahah

Interesting read: https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/barefaced-audio-rocking-the-speaker-world-with-innovation/

Yesterday, I met Bassy (Nick) in a pub near Tower Bridge, and surreptitiously slid an envelope of money under the table in exchange for the beautiful Shuker he had up for sale. This is new territory for me. Not just owning a Shuker; this is my first five-string. I've been through several fretless basses, I've owned an active bass previously, but this is the first time I've owned one with a B-string. Isn't she lovely? Macassar Ebony, apparently. I've really only included this picture to get the luthiers in a lather. Head nicely bookmatched to the body, and what appears to be a brass nut. Your starter for ten: whose strings are these? The silk at the bridge ends is all blue, but at the top I have lilac (B), red (E), blue (A), black (D), green (G). They're rounds, and feel like a fairly standard gauge. Here's where the fun really begins. The onboard EQ is quite gentle, but offers a lot of very agreeable variation, especially with the sweepable mid in that stacked knob. Combined with the coil tap and blend, I could be playing around with these controls for days... The sound is quite glorious. I fancied something a bit more modern than my usual, and I certainly got that! I'm not sure whether it's the strings, the Wizard humbuckers, or that brass nut, but there's a wonderfully piano-like quality to some of the notes. I'm surprised how quickly I've got used to the wider fretboard, but I suspect the slender neck profile helps with that. (Now I just need to get out of the trap of going for the low F and accidentally hitting a bottom C...) At some point, if you're really unlucky, I'll get round to making a demo video, so you can hear it in actionUPDATE: scroll down for not one, but TWO demo videos. Until then, is a NBD thread really a NBD thread if you don't include a hokey picture of yourself playing the thing?

For some reason I always loved playing Addicted To Love. The bassline is such a groove to play. Unfortunately, it never went down as well as it felt so we haven't gigged it for ages.

One of the things that @eude and I have been discussing is the colour of the fretline markers. We've gone for redwood veneer which should compliment nicely with the top. Here is a sample I did on our cherry cupboard at home, which will be a similar colour tone to the finished katalox: Should look pretty classy. I'm aiming to have all the fretlines installed tomorrow.

That's what would make me uncomfortable about the movie if it went too much into his personal life: the fact that they kept a lot of it under wraps while it was going on means that he/they did not particularly want to make it all public. So out of respect I'd rather it stays that way. I didn't realise Freddie knew about his illness so early on (1985). I always had thought that he found out much later, closer to his death. I like how the band kept things private, and despite the obvious falling out when he went solo, they still respected each other. I think that's something that says a lot about them as human beings, and it would be wrong to break it now in order to make a movie a little more... 'sensational'. In my opinion, of course.

Based on this thread, clearly not enough...

Im picking this up tomorrow! Well excited! '76 Electra Elvin Bishop with Bareknuckle PG Blues Pickups £500

Gigged my Bugera again last night. Sounded great, looked great and was way too loud/powerful for what was a pretty big room. More than happy with it.

Bit of tidying up to do, but I think this is pretty close to plan. You can tell by the artificial light that it's taken all day : You can see the angle here by looking where the upper cutaway angles where it joins the neck Here's the back - again, pending a bit of tidying up of the joints:

A luthier friend of mine has asked me to collaborate with him to design a bass but based on the styling and design principles of his existing guitars. His builds exclusively use UK grown woods and aim to be as organic as possible both in construction and tone so, for example, the pickup is direct wired to the output and everything (bar the frets, electronics, tuners and straplocks) is handmade by him. I'd appreciate your thoughts on how these guitars might translate into bass form (or indeed any suggestions as to what might need to be changed to make it work). Link to the photo gallery on his website here:- https://www.halflightguitars.com/ Thanks.

I hated Enter Sandman with a vengeance, until I was out voted by the other members of the band to cover it. Now, I dont mind playing it. The devils interval. 😊

Need one of these...

Any hole's a goal? 😮

That was my second bass. I thought it sounded great. But an East Uni pre would be the way to go. I have one in my Sei Jazz with Bartolini's and its immense.

I just ordered a Mastotron. More toys. I’ve heard a few demos of the OC10 now and it certainly sounds very close to the OC2. Probably worth getting one irrespective.

To realise the full woody organic magnificence of such a beautiful instrument in bass form, for me it would have to be fretless. Crafted wooden bridges with little or no adjustment work well in a fretless context. The bridge on my RA Mouse has zero adjustability and is tightly bonded into a recessed pocket in the body. The intonation is surprisingly true and the transference of string vibration has to be felt and heard to be believed. It genuinely feels alive. Options of piezo or mag (or both) would be good depending on what it's going to be used for. A piezo bridge gives a full range woody tone, and a mag pickup somewhere near the Stingray sweetspot gives that classic fretless singing tone. I have that configuration on my ACG and blending between the two changes the character and mood of the bass in a very effective and organic way. I think a bass version of the Naiad could be something quite special. I want one already.

Interesting - my Jazz 24 is my favourite Jazz Bass - I use it out a lot. I'm very much a "full range" kind of a guy so I like the snap and fizz but I thought to myself, "How can it be too trebly with the tone right off?" So I went and plugged it in and checked - you're correct. Even with the treble pulled right back, there is still a bit of the very high end there. A passive setup would likely get you what you want but cheaper, maybe just roll off the top on the amp or an eq pedal? I'm not normally a big fan of fixed frequency" Treble, Mid, Bass" preamps but I do think that this one is well judged and useful so if you do change it out, keep it in case of re-sale. Oh, also, if your cabs have tweeters, try attenuating them if possible or disconnecting them if not.

Possibly - but performers have to be prepared for criticism.

Before the top can be put on, the weight relief and control chambers and also the cable run slots have to be carved. I have a bit of tidying up to do and also the cable run slots but the bulk is done using forstner bits to hog out and then a bearing guided router to deepen the chambers: The chamber gets progressively deeper the closer it is to the edge - always having to remember that the back has that significant carve! Before closing up with gluing the top, the cable runs will be cut, a bit of chambering of the top and the main chamber here will be dark veneer lined to make it look deeper than it actually is when viewed through the 'f' hole.

I think that's a great idea. Probably the most comfortable bass neck I've owned was the MTD Kingston, which is asymmetric - and that had a huge wide fingerboard but it still felt very effortless to play and just seemed to be right.

Thanks for posting that. I first came across him playing for Man in the mid-seventies. Lovely, fluid basslines under-pinning the long guitar workouts of Micky Jones.

I've just got a One10 which is enough for me but out of curiosity I'd love to try out a super compact. Keep getting tempted to buy one but I know I don't need it so I've managed to resist. Maybe I'll get to try one out at the next Midlands Bass-bash or even a BBII if someone brings one. In my dotage I'm so thankful to have modern light-weight gear.

Welcome back Stephen.

I saw them several years ago at Wolverhampton. Apparently they formed in 1959 which makes this their 59th year of performing though just 1 original member remains. Very entertaining and good musicians.

Second Hand Mac Pro. Update to OS Mojave. I have a 2014 MBP and it is so quick.

Indeed. It's surely one of the first questions I ask before I audition (which doesn't happen too often out my way). And what kind of band is it where all are playing with other bands? Because it's win-win for the band-hopper, but a half dozen people will lose out that Saturday night after months of learning songs for nothing. Like a bunch of band-widows... They're all placed on the shelf. And what happens when you sit on the bench too long, coach? Why, you end up quitting. Hop-arounds are just sitting on the fence waiting for one horse to win and then off they go... and all bets are off for you! And these "projects-lads" are all of the same ilk. Oh, they're not looking for a crew, a team or a band. They're only goal is to gig. They don't have "the band" mentality. It's like the Beatles and Pete Best. It's all about them. The slightest hiccup and you're out. Because there is no loyalty issue for them. For me, there's no sense in just gigging. For me it's all about having a pint or a coffee and critiquing/reminiscing that gig last month with people who give a sh*t about their band mates, and that lady in the back yelling at everyone to bugger off, and the ice-lady who slapped her boyfriend and he was still chasing after her as she stormed out the door. . and what was that strange, new dance? And the time that Mitch had to hide down low behind the drums because that big jealous goof and his brotha were searching for the musician that his drunken wife was making googlie-eyes at. Looking forward to rehearsals primarily because of music, but also because you're doing something constructive with others. And as each musician improves, the band sounds better. And bonds form that last a lifetime. A sense of pride in building something and shared accomplishment. It should be more like being on a sports team combined with the skill of musicianship and the excitement of the stage. That's the whole fun deal about being in a band. It's more common for lads to hunt together and bring home the game and then tell tales of the hunt. I shun people who belong to more than one band and stay clear of the doomed bands that have become an unwitting host to these band bigamists. What say ye, me hardies!! Aharghhh! How exhilarating...! I feel like the flea floating down the canal with a hard-on and screaming "Quick! Raise the bridge! Raise the bridge!"

There was an old man of St. Bees, Who was stung in the arm by a wasp. When asked "Does it hurt?" He replied "No, it doesn't, I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."

I did write a song which was loosely based on that - it was actually an anti-racism song based on the premise of him being human and her being humanoid but green and with four arms. And there were three moons, none of which exploded.

Hi all. New to this forum and been reading up on the Steinberg Spirit strap mod thingy, having bought an XT25 this week. In agony after using it for a 4-hour rehearsal, I just moved the strap button from the end of the guitar to about 4 inches from the end, and about an inch down from the top (fitted it on back of body) - magic! At least now I can see the lower frets with my failing eyesight, and I'm not playing 2 frets higher than I think I am. Time will tell if it's a comfortable fix, but I'm hoping so!

There's a massve lump of people on the planet have never seen Live aid or most of what they did ,wether they would go to see it ,who knows .The test is wether its watchable not being a big Queen fan

Yeah, Hans Peter Pilfer has lots of those....... *cough* Spector royalties *cough* 😂

My friend worked on it and said that Sasha Baron Cohen left the project because the script was changed to leave out all the ‘finer details’ and to not offend Freddies family, so they went for a more bubble gum friendly film, leaving out the raw details. Sure it’ll still be fun to watch though.

Oh dear, look how the simple things in lyric writing have changed. Once upon a time, you just needed to wake up in the morning.

He kept them on in bed?

No preamp yet... but the latest addition are neck side dots. Bigger, whiter ones in what i feel is the right place on a fretless bass. These are Letraset-style rub-on dots carefully applied and then given a careful wipe over with a cotton bud dipped in lacquer.

Wow, that´s along story. Here we go: Passive pickups can be seen as a mixed circuit which consists of resistance, inductance and capacity, hence creating a resonant peak at a certain frequency above which the frequency response is going downwards. This resonant peak is highly important for the sound of the instrument because it sits in the presence area of our hearing range. Now if you plug such a PU into an amp then the amp´s input impedance will interfere with this resonant point, usually lowering and eventually broadening the peak as well as lowering the frequency. We´re used to that and we want to hear our passive instrument like that to a certain degree. To make things worse the cable has it´s impact, too, as it sits between amp and PU. That´s why some people like cables of a certain length. Now there comes the DI with it´s own input impedance, typically 50kOhm for a passive DI and 1MOhm for an active DI. This again will interfere with the PU resonance and alter the sound. And things get more difficult if you go through the DI unbuffered into an amp because that will increase the load on the pickup and the resonance point will go lower again. Technically spoken both input impedances are parallel to the pickup giving an even lower impedance than each single one of DI and amp. For historical reason most bassamps have an input impedance of 220kOhm (many exceptions, though) while guitar amps typically have 1MOhm. To have a proper matching between output impedance of a PU and input impedance of an amp/DI the later one should be x10 of the source impedance. Pickups of passive basses have worst-case output impedances of 17kOhm, hence there should be a load of at least 170kOhm. Passive DIs cannot deliver such high impedances. They are the wrong choice. You´re better off with an active DI. Active basses have worst case output impedances of a few hundred Ohms. Here both passive and active DIs are fine regarding impedance matching. The PU resonances are already buffered by the active electronic inside the bass in a way that both DI and amp cannot have an influence on that. For the studio nerd there´s more to check out: if we have micpres with variable input impedance then this will be the next parameter to look for in a chain of passive bass, passive DI + amp. A lower input impedance setting of the micpre (e.g. certain vintage Neve preamps have this possibility) will be reflected through the transformer of the DI. That means the DI seems to have a lower input impedance than it´s nominal value (wrt 1,2-1,5kOhm input impedance of the micpre) and will load the pickup even more down, eating the treble range even more. Historically this problem has been recognized in times when there were no active basses around. The solution were active DIs, back then made with tubes. All that is theory. You will not destroy either bass, amp or DI with the technically wrong choice. It does influence sound, but if you like it then all is good. If not, then see above.