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You'll get plenty of offers doing that. Not sure how many bass related though.😱

Had a huge blast with the Fodera folks picking up my new Emperor Elite 6 last Tuesday. A dream instrument crafted by wonderful people with the deepest passion.

Been after an 8x10 for a while to complete the SVT rig. Went today to pick up one I got on eBay. Sounds good, except I can't really crank it at home right now to gig volume to really hear what it sounds like in anger. Pretty angry, I'd imagine. After hearing horror stories about carting them about, I have to say it's actually easier (provided you've got wide enough doors etc) to move than a couple of 4x10s, just because you wheel it about like a trolley. The head is more of a pain in the backside tbh Anyway, i'm delighted & wanted to share in the delight with you

Can I hear ya' say YEAH! 😁

Good question, and I genuinely haven’t a clue. Maybe it’s the wood selection, maybe the time they put into it. Or, (in a purely fun way) the cynic in me says maybe it’s...

Very nice!

It's the ultimate rig, isn't it? Ampeg do a video on how to transport it, but much like the Daleks, in the video Ampeg don't appear to do stairs!

There are two ways of rating power, RMS watts and everything else. RMS is what's used when you want to give your customer accurate information, anything else is what's used when you don't. RMS watts might not be the best description, as RMS really only properly refers to voltage, but it's worked well enough for nigh on a century, so there's no reason to change it now.

Sounds like a slightly more politically correct Black and White Minstrels dance troupe.

Shirley Bassey's vocals had to go through two studio compressors. If you heard her without compression, your effing head would explode. 😁

The newer Rays are great. But I would add the new Ray 25 for $500 and $550 for a 5 are good-playing basses. I played a blonde-colored one at the local shop and was impressed with the neck and the sound. They have a 2-band e.q. and ceramic pickup. The Ray 34 is nearly as good as my 2017 US Ray. The blue Ray 34 in the pictures was made in S.Korea. It has a mahogany back and quilted maple top. It sounds the same as a regular ash body to me. The 2018 Stingray is great and maybe I can buy one if I save up.

I was watched an old Open University maths programme the other day and I came up with "Allan Solomon and The New Integration" I may have to form a band just to use that name

Heel transition starting to get there...

Give it a few days and come back to it, then it will seem like someone else has done all the guitar tracks for you!

Neck carve is almost there. This is the excellent bit of the build because, like on @eude 's 6-stringer, you get to be able to play plenty of air-guitar! I get the basic shape using the profile templates taken from the future owner's favourite playing bass, but then go very much by feel. Still a bit of tweaking, but the basic shape is almost there: Certainly it's close enough for me to be able to feel my way into the heel carve. Here, there's still lots more carving to do to get to a smooth transition as you approach the body and good access to the top frets but the basic shape is starting to emerge: The carving is starting to create some really nice grain patterns too I won't have time to finish the carve today, but should be within maybe a couple of days. In the meantime, I'm doing a bit of experimenting with some offcuts of the top wood with different combinations of final coatings, including an interesting variation of the Osmo range - 1101...a very much thinner version of their 'gloss' that might actually come out as an alternative to using their thicker 3032 Satin Polyx. A helpful tip from Gillett Guitars Andy

The quality of EBMM is right up there. But, considering I bought a brand new untouched from the dealer Musicman Stingray HH guitar (not bass) for around £1150 about 6 months ago, and they are now £2400+ (although they do now have a lovely roasted neck) I really struggle with new pricing, and that applies to Fender. and Gibson! Bongos are now £1000+ more than a few years ago. They are excellent premium instruments, no doubt about it.

I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating. I paid just over £2k for my Helix and RCF745. My previous big bass rig which was mostly bought second hand over 10 years ago cost me more, and while it looks impressive on stage the Helix RCF combination is far more versatile. One thing did occur to me recently; a lot of the gigs I play are supports to well-established goth/post punk bands where the headliner will have brought an Ampeg stack or similar. I set up my RCF in wedge mode just in front, and still looks as though I'm using a big impressive bass rig while sounding infinitely better!

I used to get this in an old band, usually "just play twelve bar blues" yeah thanks but when you're just blaring out a solo I don't know where you're going next to support it. Or it would be the farking Status Quo medley. I know it's only three chords but which three... Oh you're now in a new song, great. It's demoralising and not a constructive use of time if you're not bringing everyone along. Maybe you suggest that either you jam around a structure so everyone can competently join in, and solo, or you don't bother with unstructured jams. It may be the height of guitar-god look how great I am wankery but if they can't explain the structure they're just bluffing. If they're not willing to then they're not good band band mates. Maybe you need to say words to the effect "I can't support your self indulgent ego build exercise without the most basic instruction so you can either look like a tit with a full band behind you or look like a selfish tit who excludes their bandmates, your choice"

I think I have resigned myself to the fact that I will never own this classic rig. I am jealous beyond belief!

I had one of those and one of the giveaways was the screw pattern on the control backplate. It's different to the MIJ ones. The one we are talking about does not have MIJ stamped on it but looks like it is one. SGC Nanyo is an absolute minefield to negotiate.

My fab four joining the fistful fiver fun...

Buy a bass in London, when you get down there, do the gig and take it back for a refund the next day. Tell the shop you don't like the colour or it's got too many/too few strings..

Trace Elliot were at one point in the 1980s THE best bass amp around. They were used up and down the country by a ton of bass players (who could afford them) and compared to what was available at the time, were light years ahead the competition. They had a unique, full, quality sound which was perfect for finger and pick styles but excelled in slap & pull style. You could see these amps being used by so many different music styles, from Reggae to metal, funk to pop. They were expensive at the time, but you really did get what you paid for. The one you have pictured in the Mk V series GP11 AH500 which was one of the best around at the time (early 80s). I had one, along with 4x10 and 1x15 fane speaker loaded cabs. The sound was absolutely immense and super loud, to the point where it really could get uncomfortable for drummer and guitarist. I used it with a 62 Fender Precision, 76 Fender Jazz bass and a Yamaha BB1100s fretless. The sound was amazing and as I said, it really was hard to get a bad sound out of the rig. Sound engineers loved them for their hand DI out at the back and the handy feature of a noise gate was the icing on the cake. I've used Trace gear in various guises for most of my bass playing career, in fact I remember the Series 6 being demo'd at the British Music Fair in 1986 I'm that old! The weight of them was what put me off, as there were lighter cabs around. The quality that went into them was revolutionary at the time, with the graphic, pre-shaping and sheer volume - not to mention the green and black colour scheme set off by the UV light just looked great on a dark stage. I used a small 100watt GP7 1x15 combo throughout the 1990s along with a Status 6 string and loved the sound. I finally gave up the ghost on Trace after using one of their Series 6 2x10 combo valve hybrid amps and the weight just being too much for me. Still love the sound of Trace gear and always feel nostalgic when I see the Series 5 and 6 amps. Can't believe the second-hand prices nowadays compared to what they used to be. Oh, by the way, they used to be manufactured in a place called Witham in Essex which I visited on more than one occasion for a service on these amps. They were superb there, with first class customer service too.

all want is for people to stop bringing politics into every thread

I had the AH350 many moons ago. Great heads - powerful, unburstable, reliable, heavy. If you can live with the weight, they are still great amps. TE's design brief was to mate a good quality pre' with proper eq to a PA power amp output stage. They were originally built in the wilds of rural Essex (I took mine to the factory for a service/repair and they did it on the spot whilst I went to the local pub for lunch). They were a bit of a revelation in their day compared to what else was available and that uv front light looked cool.

And it's pretty much finished... @eude is probably going to change the electrics so we opted to just put the old electrics back in. The jack is actually fine, but both pots are shot. I'll order some replacements anyway to fit while the finish is hardening. But, other than the final tweaks on the setup and a final buff up in a few days time, its finished. I've obviously gone heavy on the tru-oil because it's ended up at 8 3/4 lbs rather than the 8 1/2 I was projecting but it sits BEAUTIFULLY on the strap. Even my slippy cheap nylon strap - it rests level and will sit and stay at almost any angle you care to play. It actually feels lighter on the strap than it actually is, presumably for the same reason. The fretboard is just polished - progressive from around 2000 grit paper to 12000 micro-web. The figuring shows up great in real life. I'll probably take a few more fancier shots when the lighting is right, but here it is in the meantime:

I keep trying to start an INXS tribute band named Stranglew4nk, some right weirdos come to audition

If You Like A Lot of Chocolate on Your Biscuit, Join Our (Monday) Club...?

Max is a great guy and one hell of a builder

I've now got exactly the same problem with my old streamer, clunk and all, Warwick want 80Euros for a new truss rod so i've ordered a couple of 630mm £8 stainless truss rods, single and dual action to see what happens, i've also got some shim from work and if none of that fixes the issue i'll make a new rod and see what happens. Trust me i'm an engineer...now where's ma hammer!!

The coffin. Awsom cab nice one 👍

I wouldn't touch the Affinity series as they're pretty crap. The Vintage Modified and the Classic Vibe are much better both in construction and sound. If you're a Thunderbird player, then the Jazz neck will feel very similar to the Thunderbird, especially at the nut.

If the piece stops, to start off again just shout out "okay let's take it from the modulation to the subdominant". You'll probably get silence for maybe 45 secs-1 minute, perhaps more. Then some tumbleweed will blow past. Then the band will start normally, from the start.

My advice, if you plan on using the same strap on several basses is to get the buttons too and keep them somewhere safe. You never know when you’ll need them - take it from me I spent ages trying to find one half and then ages trying to find the other half (different locks) so it might be worth getting the set!

IMO it's far better that they are in London, as there's a ton of other things you can there do if the show turns out to be boring. You can't say the same if it's out at the NEC or somewhere similar. In the 90s I used to go to the annual MacUser Show at Earls Court which kept me occupied for a morning while I checked out the exhibitors, signed up for beta testing programs and perhaps got a show deal on some hardware or software I was after. Then in the afternoon, I could go shopping and/or visit one of the museums in London. I also used to go the IPEX - the big printing exhibition at the NEC, where there was nothing to do once I had checked out all the various exhibitors I was interested in except go back home (or if was really unlucky and in the company of my office manger, go back to work).

I only really like drum solos if they swing, that limits it pretty much to Joe Morello IMHO...

Having a few moments of doubt at the moment - not exactly depping in the sense of "there's a gig next Tuesday, here's the set, see you there" but I am helping a band out for a couple of Christmas gigs with two month's notice and it's very technical death metal. Meaning: 1. the recordings of the early albums are awful quality - you cannot hear the bass at all; 2. the rest of the band are brilliant musicians - you may not appreciate the genre but there is no doubting the talent that these particular guys have (YMMV - other DM bands may not be quite their standard) and I'm easily the worst musician in the room (though, not the worst bass player they've had in the last few years); and 3. it's unbelievably fast, riff after riff after riff, often not repeating itself - the last track I worked out had 30 different parts in a 4 minute track, all played at break neck speed. The last 30 years counting to 4 and relying on feel doesn't apply here. Also, spectacularly impressive as the drumming is, bars and bars of blast beats means you don't always get the usual anchors to pin the playing to or to give cues for the changes. I've had a couple of Josie's "I cannot work this out, it's going to be a disaster!" moments in the last few weeks. No bass tabs on t'internet, and where I have been able to find some guitar tabs and used them to work out the roots of the chords, they are almost always wrong. Some spectacularly so. Fortunately the band themselves are aware of just how complicated it all is and have been not just very patient and happy to go over stuff until I know it properly (especially the drummer and lead guitarist) but manage to do it in a really supportive way, pointing out my mistakes without any hint of a criticism, just something I need to change. they've also been very open to, not exactly changes, more to me doing it my own way - their shared position is that they have no idea what the previous bass players did and they're not bass players so they don't pretend to be experts in writing or playing bass lines, so as long as it all fits, I can do what I like (within reason). That really helps. As does the fact that I am undoubtedly a much harsher critic of my playing than anybody else - they are telling me that stuff sounds fine when I'm not happy with it (but if you're going to make a mistake, make it in the right key). I will be fine by the time I'm on stage, and will be doing nothing but listening to the tracks and playing through in order to get everything into my head between now and the first gig.

Thanks for the info, I think I'll order a set. Anyone else have experience with these strings?

Mate of mine is into gypsy jazz (he's a guitarist, obvs). He went over to the big festival they have every year in Holland and joined in with some of the workshops. He realises during said workshops he is sitting in with some of the very best gypsy jazz musicians in the world - 1 being Django Reinhardt's grandson! Later he was due to be on stage for a group performance - playing rhythm guitar (which in gypsy jazz is no calkwalk), but ends up sitting at the front! Ok he thinks, I'll keep my head down and just concentrate on my rhythm work. During the performance all the top guys (remember, these are the best in the world) take turns to solo. He is sat next to Django's grandson who, after finishing ripping out a blinding solo (and if you now anything about gypsy jazz you'll know that everything is played at at least 90 mph) he turns to my mate Andy, (for that is his name) and indicates it's his turn...to take a solo! My mate did his best and 'got through it' as he said. The next day, he's sitting playing in another workshop when the aforementioned Django's grandson turns up with some of the other top performers, joins in with the music and everyone takes a turn soloing, my mate included, not quite so nervous this time and felt he made a better account of himself compared to the previous evenings performance. When the workshop finishes my mate then recounts how nervous he was at the previous evenings show and how he felt like an imposter. The reply of Django's grandson and all the other top players was to tell him that it matters not what you play, but the fact that you do and that everyone has to start somewhere. They were so encouraging and supporting he's booked to go again this year.

I forgot to mention, I'm using Pirastro Evah Pirazzi Weich's. (not gut's). I emailed Pirastro & they confirmed that their string oil is for gut's only. I just found the Pirastro String Cleaner so good at making my strings feel smooth again, & removing light grime build-up from finger oils etc. I'll probably take a punt on the Royal Oak, Gewa Old Master and Nature Works at some point. Try out all three & see which I like best!

I had the same experience and agree it's very frustrating, however....... It's a learnable skill, what has been working for me is loads of ear training and working on audiation. It's sounds stupid (and obvious) now when I think about it and it took me years to figure out that playing any instrument well enough to improvise comes from being musical within. I now believe that to make the most of your practice you should spend at least as much time working on your musicianship as working bass in hand. Just learning your intervals can pay huge dividends, if you know them well you'll keep up enough in a jam. Get comfortable with singing and sing everything, scales, bass lines, melodies everything!

Why wait..? Here's a method as good as any (and free..!)... Band Name Generator ...

Which amp is it? Geez the make and model, and I'll have a delve in my drawers (if you'll pardon the expression) for relevant info. Here's a bit of general rat-sniffing procedure: 1) Make sure the amp is plugged into the cab and get the seller to assure you that the output impedance is set correctly for that cab. 2) DON'T plug in an instrument yet. 3) Switch on the amp and let it warm up for a few minutes on standby before switching it on fully (assuming it has a standby/ON switch anyway - some don't). Then just stand and listen to it while it's sitting there. If the seller is rabbiting on, politely ask him/her to be quiet while you listen. Obviously, if it starts making any scary loud buzzing, squealing or 'motorboating' noises, switch it off at once and either walk away from the deal or start negotiating a total bargain-basement price, 'cos it clearly needs some major attention. If it's pretty quiet, keep listening while you approach the amp and peer inside. If the output valves are visible, check to see if they look normal. What's normal? A few points of bright orange light are OK: that's just the heaters (also, with some valves you can see right inside and see the heater filament itself glowing -that's OK too), but if the anodes themselves (the large grey plates) are glowing red like a cooker hotplate on a low setting, switch off the amp. Red anodes mean that the valves are passing far too much current, which will shorten their life and can even cause damage to the output transformer. It could be occurring simply because they're not properly biased, but it can also indicate a more serious underlying fault that will need repair. Assuming all is well so far, let's move on. RUSHING/CRUMBLING SOUNDS: it's likely that the coupling capacitors need replacing (no big deal - easy and cheap to fix). HUM: In a totally healthy amp, there shouldn't be any noticable hum coming from the speakers. 50Hz hum (sounds like you get from a single-coil pickup) may suggest that there's a bit of a screening problem in the signal path (not a big worry). If there is a constant 100Hz hum that doesn't really change regardless of what you do with the controls, it suggests that one or more of the big power supply smoothing capacitors needs replacing (easy to fix, though new caps will cost £3 - 5 pounds each, so the price should be reduced to reflect this). CRACKLY CONTROLS: No big deal. Might just need a squirt of contact cleaner, or a replacement pot. Pot crackle can also be caused by DC leaking into the signal line (those pesky coupling caps again!) Finally, if it hasn't already blown a fuse or started to fill the room with smoke, plug in your bass and play! ADDED LATER: [quote name='paul, the' post='20025' date='Jun 19 2007, 08:04 AM']I was told over the phone that the amp had some hum - which would be fixed by a re-valve.[/quote] It's [i]very[/i] unlikely that replacing valves would get rid of hum, unless that hum is being caused by poor inter-electrode insulation between the heater and cathode of one or more valves - but unless the seller has access to a valve tester, he wouldn't know that. He's giving you a bit of the old BS there. You can bet he hasn't a clue why it's humming. Armed with the checklist above, though, you might! I'd love to see his face when you give a sharp intake of breath and say [i]"No, mate, that's your smoothing caps gone west. Fixable, of course, but it'll cost....."[/i]