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I will state that my first hand experience of these only goes to 1993 - Wal, 1998 - Alembic but I don't think that much has changed with the philosophies of either company in the meantime. Both are top quality instruments built to the highest standards and use mostly unique, purpose built hardware and electronics. to my mind, Alembic set the ball rolling with filter based preamps but Wal developed the concept to its optimum regarding variety of tones versus simplicity of use. ACG/ John East has since developed the Wal concept even further albeit the complexity is increasing again. A couple of things not mentioned in the original thread you referred to in my mind influence the sounds of these instruments as much as the pre amps - Construction and pickups. The Alembic sound is without doubt partially due to its complex, multi-laminate, through-neck construction, just as the Wal is similarly shaped by its bolt-on construction. That is partly I think, why the Epic basses seem to slightly fall short - they are set-neck construction, not through-neck. Apologies to all Epic owners - they are fine basses but that basic construction setup in a way changes the character of the sound. And again- pickups. The Alembic pickups are voiced to enhance the Alembic sound and as such are probably integral to the sound of those basses. Likewise, the Wal Multi Coil pickups are a huge part of the Wal sound. Do Alembic and Wal ( and Fodera, Sadowski etc. etc. ad infinitum) justify their high price tag? Well, factually they do - they're still in business after all these years and customers are still ordering new instruments from them so the price is justified in that respect certainly. But in relationship to general cost of living price indices, some of these makers have been able to push their prices far beyond inflation levels. According to an inflation calculator I looked at, the Alembic Essence 6 bass I ordered in 1998 at a cost of £2k should now cost about £3.5k But if I look at the Alembic price list, it starts at $8000. Only the individual can decide if anything is worth that sort of premium to them. I love my Wal. I love my Alembic. I love my ACG. I love my Antoria fretless Precision Copy! I just like basses and I like the little differences between different ones. Whilst the prices of the boutique builders can sometimes be hard to swallow, there is no doubt that at the mass market end of the bass spectrum, it has never been easier to afford a quality instrument.

Another lost cause saved from landfill. Roland PK5 Bass pedals, bought for £200 locally, non functioning. No battery pack, burn marks on battery leads. No PSU. Someone obviously tried plugging in the wrong one via the wrong input... Roland and Boss historically were a bit weird on their power delivery methods for pedals back in the day but a former owner has been even weirder. Proper 9V PSU obtained, new battery pack fitted, some minor track cleaning and repair, D1 diode replacement, fried (cracked) npn (Q3) to replace, hopefully nothing else downstream, caps all ok. can’t get a service manual (http://servicerepairmanuals.netlook like they are not functioning) so I am flying cautiously. And yes, the inductor tests ok. The (D3) 5v6 zener Is untroubled, I even read 9v up to the npn so I was cautiously hopeful the custom chip is ok. Parts arrived. Cleaned the board, made me a broken trace with clippings from the diode. Fitted a battery pack as well. worked first time Discovered to my great joy I can have multiple synths running, so a few classic old synth VSTs have all been chained to MIDI channel 2, (Taurus Plug-in seems to be fixed on 2) so tap into poly mode and *MASSIVE* sounds ensue... mellotron VST next...

Here is my latest build. The Brooks Telebird. It is my take on the legendary Fenderbird that was built by Peter Cook for John Entwistle. However I decided to combine the characteristics the Thunderbird body with a 51 P (aka Telecaster bass). The specs are as follows - Two piece Swamp Ash body - Allparts Maple 51 P neck. Bolt on - Vintage blonde finish - Jess Loureiro 51 P split coil pickup - 34" scale - Tusq nut - Wide travel Thunderbird bridge plus tailstop. Nickel - Matte black single ply pickguard - Gotoh GB528 lightweight tuners. Nickel - Allparts push/pull Volume pot - CTS Tone pot - Silver reflector cap knobs - Telecaster jack cup. Nickel - GHS Brite Flats 49-108 I'll post pics of the build process in several answers below.

Yeah, I have - thank god. Bought in 2011 as a treat to myself for a messy breakup. Sold in 2013 to get married to childhood sweetheart. Who bought it back for me in 2017. A very special CS 1 of 1 (weird neck profile) 64 jazz bass relic.

We've reached the ten cabs target. 🤩 Anyone who wants one now will have to go on the waiting list - if we do any more in the future. Thanks to those ten early adopters!

A harmonica mounting clip

One.

Yeah, realistically it was bound to happen. There’s only about 4mm of plastic left over when making the rebate for the pickup. it snapped on the last cut. Serendipitously, within a gnats chuff of where the original basses pickguard is snapped. so...I’m going to leave it as is. And maybe I will age things up a bit more.

No, but I've sold two back to their previous owners Nothing expensive, mind.

I acquired my first Spector last week (courtesy of our own Psycoandy) - a very fine NS200/4. I'm very impressed, especially with the lovely narrow string spacing at the bridge which is very much my bag. Very comfortable to play, if a tad weightier than I'm used to, but a wider strap is helping that somewhat.

If you like the Stingray sound and feel then a USA built SUB would be a great budget option. This model was made on the same production line as the "real" Stingray but some economies were made. The most noticeable ones being a painted neck (many owners sand this off and use oil to refinish), no body shaping, and different paint finish on the body. Oh yes, and an ugly scratchguard which is an easy change if you don't like it. It has the same hardware and electrics as the Stingray. They were made from 2003 to 2005. (I stand to be corrected here.) They change hands for under your budget and they deliver far more than the cost. I've owned mine for a long time and gig it occasionally and I'm always impressed. Frank.

Today is my birthday and I just had the dispatch note to say the book will be delivered today! Thank you Geddy for pulling whatever strings you did for me

The gerlitz stuff is fantastic! They do "smudge off" which is great for hardware and guitar honey for the fingerboard. I've used it for years 😁

Don't suppose anybody could clean my car? I mean, I could do it myself.... but why should I?

Did some shielding for the pickup cavity and the control cavity. And I stringed the bass to check if everything was in place ;-) Oh yeah, this was the sketch that I drew before I started the build

I do, but not in the way you're asking. The shame never entirely fades...not really - you just learn to live with it. 😢

About 40 if it's Napalm Death

[size=5][u][b]My ACG review by M C Ruiz [/b][/u][/size] [b][i]0118 Finn Classic 5 by AC Guitars (Alan Cringean). Flame Bubinga top with Black Limba core with Satin finish. 5 piece Wenge/Bubinga neck with Acrylic Impregnated Birdseye Maple board with side inlay fret markers and 35' scale length. Hiscox case, Hipshot bridge, Gotoh tuners, Dunlop strap locks, Neutrik locking socket, ACG FB humbuckers and the ACG EQ03 5K pre-amp. [/i][/b] First impression out of the case was impressive! On picking it up I noticed that it is not the lightest instrument that I have played but certainly not an unreasonable weight at all. Too light gives me the impression of wimpiness! When strapped on, the excellent balance made any further comment on weight, negligible! [b]Looks:[/b] Beautiful to look at. The joints are solid and tight with no visible glue marks. The Black Limba body was suggested by Alan and I wasn't disappointed in look and sound (I usually go for ash). The finish is enough to protect the lovely Bubinga top without hiding any of the beauty plus keeping the organic feel of the instrument. (not like treacle 🙂 The fingerboard is just exquisite. The contrast of the lighter Birdseye maple to the darker body works for me. The 5 piece neck looks and feel great to the touch plus the side inlays are useful while still adding a custom touch. (next time I'll ask for Led's) A nice touch was matching the back of the body to the back of the headstock and matching the front with the front of the headstock! Consistency rules…. Black hardware completes the look and keeps with the 'pro custom' image. The electronics cavity is well screened and neat with little excess wiring. [b]Playability: [/b] I requested a wider string spacing (20mm) and due to the shape of the neck its easy to move around without any noticeable strain. (asymmetrical I believe) The single cut adds stability to the neck and I can get to all 24 frets on all strings! The carving along the top 'horn' is perfect. With proper technique of 'thumb behind the neck' there are a lot of notes available to play. Guitar players look out!! As mentioned before the balance is wonderful with about a 45 degree angle on a strap. I also love the strap pin placements. [b]Sound:[/b] This new pre-amp is very different to ones I've used previously but I spent some time getting to grips with great results. I followed Alan's suggestion of finding a good sound per pickup and then using the blend to fine-tune. There is a lot going on here so get a cuppa & mute the phone. My usual preference is a bolt-on neck bass for slap but with a combination of the chosen woods and this pre-amp I'm getting into 'Marcus Miller' land! The neck-thru sustain is also there with the notes following my left hand nuances/bends etc... (It's actually a set neck...) The 'B' string rings nice and true (35' scale helps this), with nice depth/growl/sustain. I suspect this would make a great fretless too (with a more traditional fingerboard). Overall I'm pleased with this world class instrument and would encourage fellow bassists to support this fine British luthier. ps: I tried to attach a clip I did but failed. It can be found here: [url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/News/180/"]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/News/180/[/url] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6508.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6509.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6510.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6511.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6512.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6514.jpg[/center] [center]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/gfxs/gallery/img_6517.jpg[/center]

I've never even heard of this unit, but I expect it's in a similar class to the Helix? Anyway it's just had a bunch of bass stuff added including 3 amps and 8 distortions: https://www.musicradar.com/news/boss-adds-gt-1000-bass-guitar-support-new-footswitch-modes-and-more-in-v3-update

Leave it looks great Now get ageing that wood like I told ya!

There was no typo in my sentence, was there a typo in your reading? I didn't say 'My' You wouldn't find it that bemusing if you have a look back at my comments about the combustion before. I sold my combustion, I liked everything about the combustion but the output was worse than lifeless. I almost lost an audition because I took my dingwall, ie, the group asked me after a few songs if I had another bass, luckily I took the hohner B2 which I played, which they liked and I got the gig. With the standard pickups whatever they were in that. I couldn't say bad enough things about it. But nordstrand do replacement pickups for them.

MusicMan Stingray 2001 lined fretless And without the guard...

I really like that. Then again, if they cant answer simple questions, probably get Andy or Jabba to make one. They answer questions

Not much time today. Got a headstart on the control cavity extension.

'Runaway' by Del Shannon. It's a nice bassline - sounds to me like a double bass on the recording. I could only find one YouTube video of it - it's all focussed on Del and you only catch the merest glimpse of the other musicians. They don't even show the keyboard player on the mellotron solo. There's no sign of an upright bass and no sign of any black musicians. However, according to Wikipedia the session player used on the recording was Milt Hinton who was an African American double bass player. (As I'm sure a lot of you already know, but it was news to me!) Interesting. Another fun fact is that it was recorded in A minor and then the recording was slightly speeded up to Bb minor. I'm learning it in Bb minor at the moment but it the rest of the band want to play in A minor it will be easy enough to shift it. I've also been looking on line about the life and sad death of Del Shannon. So learning this relatively simple song has turned into a real education! 🙂

Why is it that it's considered a good thing to have something relicked to look like that, but if it had attained that look by the normal means of being dragged behind a car and then left in a pond for a year, it would be rightly considered as being horrible? I wouldn't want to touch that without rubber gloves on.

@Basvarken Robert P Kearns is so underrated / overlooked in my opinion. His bass lines are right up there with Andy Fraser, Tim Bogert and Jack Bruce if you ask me. I don't post an awful lot here. But I do nose around quite frequently 😉 Couldn't agree more. Can you remember the website where we were chatting many years ago, Rob ? Is it still alive ?

I'm not convinced that DSP can add much to what we have already. We're starting off with very good quality drivers – the Faital in particular has a very smooth response. Our crossover already equalises the frequency response of the drivers in the cabinet and integrates them in a phase-coherent fashion. An active crossover isn't going to offer any improvement IMO and would need a second power amp. I think a new thread on the amp would be ideal. Luke, we're now up to eight cabs. As soon as we reach ten, I'm closing the book because ten is about the maximum number I can conveniently handle at one time. I've only got a certain amount of space and there's going to be quite a bit of packing up and organising to do. I want to make sure that when the kits arrive with their builders, everything is as it should be. I'm going back to the CNC company to get the back panel routed and the input panel drilled on the two pre-production models I have here. Then I'll do a proper assembly (with glue), paint the box and fit all the components. As the cabinet is slightly larger than my prototype model, I'll also need to adjust the tuning (rather than just calculating it). I need to do this to iron out any problems that we haven't foreseen. So please bear with me on this. For example, the two pre-production samples relied on the technical information provided by the component suppliers. The Faital driver and the horn were a perfect fit - but the holes for the top handle and the port were too small, even though they were cut exactly as per the suppliers' technical drawings.

This says Hi-Beams for me then (on my Jazz) - IIRC Guy Pratt played on Madonna's 'Like a Prayer' (was it that one)? Loved his bass work there. Cracking player, and importantly doesn't overplay. Great sound in the mix.

Also on the marketplace at just shy of your £500 max budget, a very nice and super versatile MiM PJ...

I want to know if we’re up to ten yet! if not and you’re sitting on the fence- do it!

String life depends upon various factors - how you play, and also your finger sweat!! I've got DR hi- Beams on my white basses, the Jazz has had the same strings on for about a year and a half, and still sound great - nice and glassy, with the classic solid bass fundamental. However, when Guy Pratt used that very same bass, with a fresh set of Hi-beams on it, the strings were completely gubbed after two weeks. Sounded like someone kicking a cardboard box down the road! Hahaha. My brother (who is a guitarist), can turn unwound stings completely black within the space of a single gig!! All due to his acidic sweat. Yuck. (I've attached a pic of Guy sound checking with the bass when he first borrowed it).

I have had a response fro Hypex and they will only supply if I am a Limited Company. So it looks like ICEpower for now. I have ordered some for the pre-amp but I think maybe we should start a new thread. What do others think?

Just added custom pick guard and matching control plate

If you check out booking.com for the best price , then phone the hotel and ask them , as booking.com take a commission, the hotel would rather split the difference and thus they get more for the room, and you get it for less. not always successful, but on the 2 recent occasions I used booking.com , I subsequently booked more rooms directly, far cheaper than I could on-line

Dunlop 65. Not very frequently!!

Call the Stage Door of any Theatres in the City/Town of the gig you are playing. They usually have lists and recommended Hotel/Digs numbers from touring acts and musicians. This Facebook page sometimes comes in handy. https://www.facebook.com/groups/6902586146/

Thats a good looking bass. I think the grain showing through the finish is something very unique and it's surprisingly beautiful.

Alice Merton, No Roots. Chosen by our drummer - the deeply demoralising thing is that at the moment he can play the bassline and drums at the same time better than I can play just the bassline. It crucially depends on that off-beat, I just need to stay stuck into it and sooner or later I'll get it. Needs to be sooner rather than later as we're gigging it next week...

As already said, don't think of fretless as a different instrument to a fretted. Its exactly the same but just has a different voice and tonal expression due to having no frets. Play exactly the same stuff as you would a fretted but use your ear to hear if your technique is slightly off and adjust. If your technique is strong, transitioning from a fretless to a fretless will be a breeze. Just gets tricky up at the dusty end as intonation is much harder.

I appear to own this, I like !

I've been using ACS moulded plugs for over 10 years and speaking as someone who has buggered their hearing over the previous 40 years I can say I dearly wish I'd found them earlier. They work. My poor damaged hearing has been protected for that time. First I had ER15's and now Pro 17's. If I lost them I'd replace them immediately with more ACS moulded plugs. You're sticking filters in your ears, so of course they make everything sound different. Apparently the one big thing about going deaf is the isolation you experience, so I don't rate any changes to what I hear through the plugs in a band situation as particularly bad. Basically it goes with the territory. As I found out to my cost, hearing can be fine one day and damaged the next! My ACS plugs have minimised the damage and I can still hear everything from a stage whisper to a heavy-hitting drum solo.