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Just realized I haven't posted the pic of my latest Cobia on here, oh well here goes. Might as well put them both on for good measure.

This is a killer combination. Love it. Ashdown Little Bastard Two Barefaced One10s ACG Finn 5 Obligatory arty shot

I know. I've been perusing his auctions on and off and am puzzled as to what he's filled the holes in this bridgeplate with! Raisins??

I can't stand the Foo Fighters but it seemed apt. Apparently I'm addicted to building basses. I started this one while waiting for the finish to dry on the last one! It's semi hollow - maybe a little less than semi - I've left quite a lot of wood in place, it seems. It's 30" scale, and it's going to have a big MM style humbucker on it. I've also decided it's going to have flat wound strings on it, which wouldn't really be worth noting at this stage except that I read somewhere that through-body stringing is not ideal for flat strings, so I'm avoiding that this time. Basically it's everything I don't look for in a bass, just to see what happens. I'm excited! So far we have... A template A rough body - I'm waiting for a piece of maple to arrive for the top. It's going to have F -holes! And a scarf joint currently drying (the joint isn't as bad as it looks. That black line isn't a gap, it's just the shadow where one piece is hanging over a bit. It'll all be chopped off in the end anyway) I have a sort of slotted headstock type of thing in mind. Should be good if it works!

If you've ever wondered what a Zebrano P looks like, wonder no more, just built this with a Jazz neck, Duncan Designed pup and one of Johns finest looms, oiled finish only to keep it feeling organic. Fancying a better pup though.

If I`m looking to get a new bass, I usually spend weeks mulling it over and end up getting it. But earlier today I had a wee peeky boo at Bass Direct and they had a 90`s BB1100s for £385 delivered. Set up and cleaned with fresh strings and a gig bag. Within seconds of checking the advert it was bought and is on it way! So much for not buying anymore basses!

28th dibs for me please - likely to be after Dave has sold and bought it back 27 times 😁

That's enough about Gallagher, what about the Amyls?

It took only a few minutes to put the amp in the case this morning. A £2.36 length of foam insulation from B&Q, cut into lengths and halved means that the amp is firmly sat on a cushioned base of 6 'half segments' with the front screws only holding it in place and not taking the considerable weight. I'm happier anyway

Must admit i watched her bum most of the performance. Couldn't stand the voice though.

.....had been sealed using Vaseline and silicone. "I don't know if it will ever work again," he added. ....And how often have those words haunted my nightmares?

... a marriage made in heaven. Warning: it may lead to Colin Moulding envy!

TI Jazz flats sound great on my USA Jazz and Precision basses, and on my USA Fender Jaguar and on my Fender Vintage Hotrod 70s Jazz USA... I think you get the picture. Flats sound good on almost any bass. (My opinion, of course. ) Frank.

Black with gold lettering looks very cool!

TI flats on my TT4 - sound great

Reamer, use a tapered reamer Well can you put your drill in your bag, oh no!

I think flats suit the P really well. Currently using EB Cobalts and they are good but pricey. Then had some Fender flats on a Jazz fretless (45-100s) and I'd decided ages ago I didn't rate them, but these are really good - all the depth, the flat mid-punch and a nice crunch on top. And sensible money. We need user feedback on those Adagios and Olympias - I mean a few months and proper sweaty gigging. But I'd get the Fender 45-100s again for sure.

I suspect that he is placing some value on the time he spends "building". I think he's paying himself too much..

TI Flats on a P Bass is a match made in Heaven. Leave them on for around 20 years and you won't look back!

I like light strings so I use Labella 760FX flats on my P which have a .0.39 G string - they feel and sound great.

One can only dream of rehearsing in such a space. The studio we use resembles a student house on a building site.

Good shout on both posts. Had a nightmare year with band members changing then having to get them up to speed on set, we’ve found ourselves playing the same old songs so it’s all gotten a bit monotonous. Going to try and take a step back and learn some songs I just enjoy listening to. Another issue I’ve had is not being able to set my amp up due to lack of room but we’re moving house in a few weeks and I’m going to make the spare room into a man cave so plenty of room to chill out and play 😉

Rice Krispies and black Sharpie?

That's so true! It's like what Victor Wooten said: you're only half a step away from a 'correct' note. With that in mind, if I realise I play something wrong, I slide up or down to a better sounding note and then REPEAT it... and it looks like you meant it. I swear, it works, I remember once getting a compliment about that odd but cool sounding riff I came up with God, I'm such a fraud.

I think he's a few giraffes short of a full herd!

I love the amount of monitor wedges they have... you know, just so they can hear themselves well enough to perform well.

I suspect they may have been either: a) being ironic or b) from the interior of Oz 😀

Cracking mullet on the bass dude though.... 😂

Surely any nationality would do?

Would we all need to stand next to the pole to prove our height?

Phil's first solo album was released today and it's an amazing record - if you're a fan of his you're in for a treat and some surprises! I feel a bit like a kid at Christmas today as I actually played session bass on two tracks on the album (Rocking Chair & Dead Roses) and I've been sitting on the news for two + years! Some huge names on it... Alice Cooper, Dee Snider, Rob Halford and I've just discovered also Mark King!! Give it a listen https://open.spotify.com/album/6nFXIUCSJzwdktjGCVrq2S?si=u4HNc3oNSn-a0Pe-hJD8rA

My two five string fan fret basses: Payson Supercharger PJ5 with Payson roundwound strings, and Dingwall Super P5 with Thomastik Jazz Flats, ordinary long scale set (34") is enough for a medium scale Dingwall. Payson: 37" - 34" and Dingwall:35" - 32"

Sorry if this has been posted before, but would be funny if it has (Eko, eko, eko!). Local to me, but not mine or anyone I know. I love the edge of the scratch plate, the volute, but I dislike the strange back. Its no way worth what he/she is asking for, but would make an interesting project (at 1/5th asking price!). https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F143422762521

I've tried other studios much the same description as you mention but still £30 / 3 hrs so its worthwhile using this one. Many famous artists use it sometimes pre gig rehearsal for SSEC OR Hydra. Steely Dan were in few mths back. Beyonce, Chris Glenn who had Michael Schenker on guitar just to name a few that i recognised. Chill room with large comfy seats and TV, coffee machine and snack machines too. All major towns and cities should have this kind of quality instead of paying for a dump in a dark and damp basement. I guess we are just lucky in Glasgow area. There are a few other studios that compete and try to emulate Berkeley Studios but this is my favoured one. Dave

That's ridiculous!

I love Ernie Ball Cobalt flats on my Precision; lovely thumps and still got enough to to bite when I need them too.

That makes perfect sense @ped - thanks.

Its those little touches that are the difference between a production line instrument and a luthier enhanced one?

Try learning or playing along with something that stretches you way outside your comfort zone ? My current plays are 'Hanging On' by Knower and 'Delorean Dynamite ' by Todd Terje For me, both are very hard work. YMMV.

Sounds interesting - but I've sunk £75 in the CE5 so I will keep with that for a bit. I did like the TC chorus toneprint in my old 250 head - I sold that for less than a new Alter Ego which makes me think (something, not sure what).

Its bewildering how they get the exposure and who would actually pay to see this act, appalling vocals and musicianship of an absolute beginners level.

I was just typing a post in the recent ramp thread as I've now made my ramp which I mentioned in said thread, and I thought I'd do a very small build thread instead as it was a bit overkill for a reply to the ramp thread. My Rickenbacker 4005 copy has a massive gap under the strings due to it's design, the toaster pickups on Rickenbackers are mounted straight on the surface with no routing meaning the strings have to sit really high compared to a conventionally designed bass. This feels very odd when going for the occasional pop or when playing octaves with thumb and forefinger. Also the pickups are so far apart that neither one is really suitable as a thumbrest for my normal playing style, and the huge string to body gap make it weird to play resting my thumb on the body. So I've made a clear Plexiglass ramp to act as a full length thumbrest and to make the string to body clearance more like every other bass I've played, so it isn't a ramp as such. I just bought a rectangle of Plexiglass cut to my measurements on ebay for £6.50 and cut the strange shape in to the top right corner. This is for a weird quirk of mine where I always seem to rest my thumb on a pickup but hook my little finger down the side of it, I don't know why but I feel comfortable that way so I cut this chamfered bit to accommodate my pinky. The edges and corners were rounded of and then all polished up and it really is crystal clear. I'm hoping that under stage lights it will virtually disappear rather than trying to make a wood one that will never match the colour and grain of the top. The lower edge butts against the scratchplate to hide the edge and the top edge looks darker in these photos because of light refraction, or lack of light. I've fixed it with two screws under the strings which I don't think are out of place with the scratchplate and tug bar screws. I was going to use clear doubled sided tape but it looked odd and would collect dirt, this way I can remove to clean any dust that may get underneath. So there you go, a clear ramp/thumbrest/faux top thingymajiggy. 🙂

Ok, frets filed. The second part of the process is to file them at an angle. One option which I like is to file 'into' the neck, so the angle takes off the sharp edge of the fretboard. Later I'll sand it so that it's a comfortable rolled edge. I also like the way with trimmed frets they look as though floating. And love Evo gold! Now, at this point I can never resist putting two halves together to see what we have. Remember the body hasn't been sanded at all so ignore the blotchiness, that will disappear, honest. This is what I have in mind, more or less. Gold humbuckers, maybe black or cream surrounds....oh and maybe one of those floating type pickguard things that Gretsch always do....

Electroharmonix do an electric piano simulator... maybe worth a look if you end up doing this for any length of time... https://www.ehx.com/products/key9

"or it has helped you purchase a piece of gear," I think you are the reason I found out about Shuker's, and now have 2, with 1 more on the way. Does that count?