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Having reached the age when my kids should be going off on tour, somehow it is me that is venturing out for the first time! My band, Lee Ainley's Blues Storm, is heading out with Zoe Green and Eliana Cargnelutti, on a three female fronted band tour, Ladies of the Blues. A bit of a message for all of those who ask "am I too old?" "is it too late?" "should I/Shouldn't I", well the answer is go out there and do it, you never know what is around the corner. For any of you within striking distance of any of the dates, do come along, support your local venue and fellow Basschatter! Here's the dates.

OK then that explains perhaps why you have concerns and why those of us who have dealt with these issues over a number of years are so frustrated with you. It's a simple matter of misunderstanding. Measuring an amplifier's output is basically very simple. You connect it to a big resistor of 4ohms (say) put a signal into it and increase the signal until it starts to distort. At that point you measure the voltage the amp can do without distortion (less than 1% is the usual measure) and then the power is voltage squared divided by the resistance. Conventionally this is measured over the whole range of our hearing 20-20,000Hz. It's slightly more complex for a class D amplifier as this operates on high frequency pulses all at the same voltage but passing it through a low pass filter makes comparable measurement possible. In the US there is long standing Federal legislation to stop misleading claims by advertisers and in Europe various standards exist with the DIN standard widely known. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_power There's some good links at the bottom of the article if you are interested. You simply cannot design an amplifier without knowing all of the parameters and indeed specifying all the parameters of you amps so the claim of 'we don't know the rms power' or 'we don't calculate it that way' isn't credible. Another factor is the input power, an amp cannot put more power into the speaker than it takes from the mains. In fact it will lose power both in it's power supply and in the amplifier itself. A class D design with a switch mode power supply is likely to be somewhere in the 80% efficiency range, so if the amplifier has indeed an input rating of 880W then it can only put out 700W. Then there is the long history of Behringer over claiming power outputs in their advertising. For example I own an old Behringer EP2400 PA amp, claimed output 2400W. When you delve into the manual as I did before I bought the amp I found it would produce 285W continuous into 8ohms with both channels driven. I was using 300W speakers at the time so it was an ideal match and a lot of bang for the buck so a good buy. The over -claiming was irritating but I'm a scientist and the data was all available. With the Beyron it isn't and Behringer are no longer publishing all the data on a lot of their gear. I think it's pretty stupid really as a 500W amp at this price is still beating the whole market and false advertising just makes the company look suspect and contemptuous of their customers. As a 'Physics person' I come on here to repay all those who have helped me with my bass playing by advising them as best I can on technical stuff. I'm still enough of an old hippy to see the people here as friends and I don't want them conned. If someone delivered a Beyron to me it wouldn't be difficult to test it but I know more than enough to know that it makes way less than 2000W. If it is part of the decision of what to buy then I want people here to know what is true and what is incredible.

Another NBD for me - this time a Stingray 5HHS. I picked it up earlier today - had a bit of a play in the shop and it sounds very nice - I was curious how the B string would sound with the revoiced pre amp - didn't need to worry as its a tight and focussed sound even with the bass fully boosted (and it's got a lot of bass boost). Anyway, after a 7 month wait here it is!

@itu Here's some photos. For the preamp Tune just used their standard one and hooked the piezo bridge to it. The neck pocket is very long but really secure. Since I had the camera working here's a few Peaveys folks don't normally see. L to R G-bass, Randy Jackson -IV, B-Quad and the Midibase. Yes, Peavet spelt it with an 'e' 😊

I've had a couple of rare ones through the door. On the subject of Status Graphite, I used to watch a video of a guy playing one on YouTube years ago, back when YouTube was nowhere near as big as it is now. I later ended up coming across a Series II on Basschat. I can't recall if it was an '87 or an '88. I bought it, and it was when I later watched this video that I realised I now owned the bass featured in that video! A strange coincidence. I also used to own a first generation headed Stealth six string in natural graphite, of which there could only have been a handful made. I have seen a green tinted Stealth six string for sale here and on Statii.com, but I haven't seen my old bass pop up since. I wish you could still get that S1 body shape from Status, it was really ergonomically pleasing. Probably the rare bass that gives me the most enjoyment is my Bogart Blackstone, previously owned by Stuart Clayton. I had long been a fan of Stuart's playing, and had known he was responsible for the sought-after Level 42 transcription books. I recall watching his cover of Alain Caron's 'D-Code' on YouTube, probably around when it was first uploaded. I was just in love with the playing and the Bogart Blackstone bass he used in the video. I had made various enquiries trying to buy a Bogart over the years, none of which worked out. To me, they were super exotic because graphite doesn't seem to cross borders - England is full of Status Graphite, France seems to do well with used Vigiers and whilst Modulus may seem exotic in the UK, they're pretty easy to get hold of in America. I always put this down to a lack of specialised dealers for these basses, meaning they tended to sell within their own borders. In all of this, Germany had the SKC Bogart, Schack and SKC Clover Slapper basses. I understand that Stefan Heß, the man behind SKC Bogart, supplied both Schack and Clover with graphite parts, including the shell for the monocoque SKC Clover Slapper, which was a German analogue to the Status S3000. The German graphite seemed so exotic. So frequently seen on Ebay.de and so rare in the UK. In the summer, I chanced across an advert of this guitar for sale at The Gallery and I had to have it!

Mrs B pipes up tonight ”So what bass related tat do you want for commericalmas this year then? I suppose you want one of those little Helix Stamp things?” ”If you say so, dear..”

I ordered a new bass today, a Spector Euro 4LX DW (Doug Wimbush) in Amber... doesn't arrive until next week so it's now a waiting game... Anyone on here play a Euro 4LX? It's too late to ask whether people like it or not (*I* do and that's what counts) but I'm interested in how you are finding it. How am I going to wait?? *groan*

A (hopefully) humorous observation that on a fretless, much of the metal has been removed.

Well as we have managed, somehow, to get to the 300th post on this thread, I thought it would be good to see if we can keep things vaguely positive between us in goodly BC fashion. So here's wishing you ALL an excellent rest of the weekend and particularly so for any of you taking your Bugera Veyrons out on the road. ...I'm off to watch Incredibles 2 on BluRay.

Don't stress too much about it, that will only hinder your learning. Learn what you can in the time you have got, what you can't improvise! Many originals bands do just that live onstage. I've found that listening to a track (whilst not playing along) is good for me, I actually listen to it and get a feel, rather than wonder where my fingers etc are going next. Takes some effort 'not' to pick the bass up though! Good Luck.

I'd say, go for either - but be upfront about it and tell them why. If you hide anything it'll only one back and bite you later. Playing your parts competently is not all that's required to be a successful band member. Turn up time, have reliable gear and generally don't be a a**hole. It always surprises me how people don't get that. Anyway, good luck! I hope it works for you.

Surprisingly the nitro is drying quite well despite the cold and no sign of blooming, very handy as I'm getting more on than I hoped. Today I put on a couple of coats of clear gloss after cutting the sanding sealer back, then had a long walk on the beach before returning to put on the gold metalic, a day earlier than I imagined. I did the edges first after resetting the gun to output a very small amount in a narrow pattern. After they had dried I feathered in the faces spraying onto each corner at 45 degrees, it took two or three passes to get the right amount on. So tomorrow I can spray the black burst on the two Ebony dragons and the red on the Maple to finish the candy apple burst which I think/hope is looking promising

Usually, yes. But regardless of how the quoted power outputs are derived, if the Bugera really is putting out a similar amount of power to competing products that quote an output of less than half of what Bugera does, then it'd be fair to say that the 2000W figure is intended to mislead.

Love this playing. . .

I'm of the opinion that just because the pedal is capable of all these different sounds you need some discipline not to use them just because they're there, I only scratch the surface with my Zoom B1on but it does want I want it to do so that's good enough for me

Taking bass tart to a new level....matching strap!!

That's a terrible tale @Roger2611! But you shouldn't blame yourself, or let your songs suffer for it. You were quite positive towards him considering.

I have a few basses you won't see many of. Gordy Blueshift twin-neck. As far as I know this is a one-off, built in 1985 for a Manchester-based pro - his name's on the case but I can't remember it off the top of my head. Did a bit of research when I got the bass & sadly I don't think he's with us any more. It's been refinished in this rather fetching transparent pink - the original black's visible in the routes & pockets. The fretless neck is gorgeous, but my back hurts just looking at the pics. Thematically related - Retrovibe RV4 - only two in the world with this subdued and sober finish: Some may be aware that I have a vague interest in Japanese instruments - some of which don't turn up on Ebay (or anywhere else) much, like this Tokai Talbo B135. This is the 2000-ish reissue, but still spectacularly uncommon. Had this since 2003 after being consumed by a fit of GAS whilst stumbling around Denmark St. The only one I've ever seen in real life, and not seen another come up for sale since. Continuing with MIJ stuff - Washburn SB-40. This model doesn't appear in any catalogues, and seems to represent a halfway point between the Vulture & the Force series - there is some dispute amongst Washburn anoraks whether the model designation's correct, despite what it says on the sharp end. It's almost a fretted version of the bass Bathiki Kumalo used on Graceland, apart from the reversed P pickup. From the same era, a gorgeous through-neck from Kasuga Gakki. Badged as Pro Martin, which I think was exclusive to European markets, elsewhere this was the Kasuga Scorpion SCB1200. Another bass you could search for for years - as I did. Staying with the Big K - 1975 Kasuga EB750, one of the most elusive (and prettiest) MIJ Rickenfakers out there: And a curious Japanese take on the Jazz, with styling influenced by mid-60s MIJ design (and a few sympathetic reversible mods by me), a Kawai KB-10 Sleekline:

Not sure if this has come up already in the 12 pages, but the quoted power consumption of 880 watts is the same as the GK MB800 Fusion. Since both amps have similar topology (Class D power amp, SMPS, preamp using 3 x 12AX7) and the power consumption has to be rated consistently for regulatory reasons, it would seem a reasonable guees that the output might be roughly in line with other manufacturers compact 800W bass heads.

Went up to Exeter today to have a look at a few basses. Not really getting on with my MIM p bass and as I’m back in a band again I thought I’d have a look around, try a few and see what I like. I was expecting to be coming home with, if anything, an Ibanez SR as I had an SR600 in the last band and quite liked it. Anyway I tried a few out today - Rockbass NT Streamer MIM jazz Aerodyne Jazz ibanez SR500 Mustang PJ And this Ray 34 that was heavily discounted at Project Music. I’d never played a stingray type bass before but always been interested. Once I’d played it I kept coming back to it and nothing else seemed to have as good a combination of playability and tone for me. Pretty versatile tone wise too. Can’t believe the punch, definition and clarity. I absolutely love the neck on this. The notes seem to just flow out of my fingers! ! Very happy and can’t wait to try it out at band practice this week. cant stop playing bullet in the head!

Kool, lots of information in these pictures and notes. Thank you, sir. Had to look after the Cyberbass/Midibase -thing and I found this from Talkbass: "My name is Mick Donner and I was the design engineer for the Midibase and Cyberbass projects while I was at Peavey. Hopefully I can answer some of your questions. There wasn't actually any trademark conflict with the guys at 360 systems. We just talked about it and came to a gentleman's agreement that changing the name was the right thing to do. There were several reasons for the physical changes from the Midibase to the Cyberbass. The Midibase body was based on the Peavey B-90 which had been discontinued. We wanted to bring the Cyberbase in line with the current bass shapes which were like the Palladium and Axcelerator basses. The Midibase note on and velocity sensors were built into the bridge pieces. Steve Chick and I found that if we moved the sensors away from the bridge pieces, we would get a more accurate read of the string so we put them into half of the bridge pickup. The software had several upgrades including a total reset, faster tracking and a "fretless" mode that blurred the note on/off triggered by sliding from one fret to another. Bending from one fret segment to another on the neck was done in the software. This was partially accomplished by making the cuts in the fret at a diagonal which caused the string to connect with both frets for an instant. This told the engine that the string was moving to another segment. This was not available on the Wal or Valley Arts versions of the basses that had cuts perpendicular to the frets. You had to play accurately. During my time as a product specialist for the Cyberbass my technique improved a lot because it had to. I still have one of the first Cyberbasses along with a rack full of Peavey sound modules and everything seems to be working just fine." AND this one (question was about suggested string types): "The two concerns with Stainless (steel strings) are the excessive overtones generated by the SS string and fret wear. The bass just seemed to track better with the nickels because the center of the note seems to be more dominant. As you can imagine, a fret job on one of these would probably be beyond a nightmare. The nickel strings are softer than the stainless so it would take a lot longer for the strings to be part of the problem."

The blade in an old fashioned pencil sharpener ( the kind where you turn the pencil , not the ones with a crank handle ) have a locating hole for the screw ready made . I would try modifying one of the plastic pencil sharpeners with a junior hacksaw and araldite . HTH

Because in my case, the future isn't expanding. This will simply do the job I need it to do. No point in overthinking it if I don't need to! Edit: and money is also an issue, so this solves a problem without breaking the (very tightly constrained) bank.

The former... but maybe that's why no one wants me in a band

Traded some light items for a heavy bulky one from Armando. Every aspect of this trade was a pleasure, Armando being a very kind man. I almost received that big heavy box before he shipped it from deep South of Italy to deep South of Belgium. The Monster Cookie was very well packed and as described. Another credit to BassChat. Don't over abuse of the sound of the bells, Armando (private joke 🤣 )

“Ideal gift” For the mother in law

G&L ASAT silver flake, white binding, #6 neck (old school P bass dimensions) and the extender strap. Bought from the guy who invented the extender and only about 10 made of them. That bass I believe is an unusual spec for it, and it’s next to a semi hollow I had which was an unusual spec, but prob not rare enough a model. This one may be stretching it....

And here is the video I was referring to. I sometimes feel as though I've rather pulled off a coup as I got this bass for relatively little cash given the quality, sound and playability of it. I love this video and I hope you enjoy it. Part of the fun for me, and what makes it even more impressive, is that Stuart transcribed it on a 5 string when Alain plays it on a six. The jumps between positions are much wider and tougher on when you don't have a C string!

They're great instruments, I think you'll love it.

There’s a DW Sig kicking around on eBay for £1200, got to say I was tempted! Played one before. Excellent basses

Google : 'Gain Staging'. The gain of the pre-amp and how the gain and/or volume controls are configured define how loud an amp will be at given knob settings. It doesn't affect actual output capacity. There are amps that produce full power with the knobs set at 3 or 4, but they don't produce any more power at higher settings. There are amps that are quite linear from zero to 10. In the case of the former some companies did so intentionally so in a music store their amp would be much louder at 3 or 4 than the one next to it, confident that they wouldn't be compared with both set at 8 or more, lest the store owner pull the plug.

That won’t bother me too much, we are only there a couple of days. I’m sure they are on a par with the good folks of Budapest. We sat in a coffee shop, ordered 2 pieces of cake, a coffee and a hot chocolate. The waiter huffed and puffed and told me it wasn’t cold enough ( mid December ) for hot chocolate so would I order something else. The irony is I never would not normally order that... just fancied it. When it arrived (20 mins later) I was tempted to leave it, but I ate it, I say ate because it was literally 2 melted bars of chocolate you could stand the spoon up! 😂

@Bassassin This one should pique your MIJ interest 🙂 Around 83/84 (?) Guitarist magazine had aTune Bass Maniac review and I was smitten. The black fretted model looked great but the piezo fretless blew me away 😍 The Bass Centre had them for £899 and I had a YTS paying £16.40 weekly,couldn't feed myself on that wage nevermind save for a bass. Never saw one for sale anywhere ☹️ When I discovered bass forums online I'd follow every Tune thread looking for the fretless of my dreams,with no luck. Danny,who runs Bass Japan, told me even in Japan they were like hen's teeth. On the various Tune Bass owners clubs and FB pages I only found 3 people who owned 1. 1 fella is in Italy,another in Japan and 1 fella in Australia had one briefly (his fingerboard went wonky and the replacement was the 2 octave version) After 32 years wait 1 came up for sale,in Japan 😱

Nah! Must resist. Must resist 😂

Some years back we were in need of a new drummer, so set up auditions. The first one to turn up, spent an age setting up his kit, tuning it, fiddling with drum heights etc. We finally launched in to the first song of his choice and he didn't do a thing, nothing. Claimed that he wasn't quite ready, so we started again, same thing, although on the very final note he wacked the snare drum and asked us what we thought

I was planning on doing this very job a while back, in the end I had a change of mind. At the time I found this and thought that it was pretty good info: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=101316

Quick bit of google fu turned up this video by the authour of the above linked ad 🤣