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That's bringing back a few memories for those of us who have changed nappies on our kids in our time. 🤢 🤮 And why have they used burnt fish fingers for pickups?

There's a lot of choice, but in my experience you get what you pay for in this world. You might think your bargain Aldi sponge is the bee's knees, but that's only because you've never had the sublime pleasure of muting your strings with a genuine Marks and Spencer dish sponge. The difference is night and day. The feel, the build quality, it's on a whole other level. Once you've experienced the real deal you'll never go back. On top of that, the resale value will be much better if you ever decide to move it on.

So last year I wanted to buy a new bass, partly for tax reasons but mainly just because I wanted to. So after very, very short deliberations with myself I decided. Sander de Gier was going to build me a brand new Soulmate; I already own a Bebop 5 string and that's a great bass too, so what could possibly go wrong? The specs were pretty easy for me: I wanted dots & binding, lollipop tuners, a sixties sound and a Candy Apple Red finish. I ordered it in September and picked it up today. And what. A. Bass. It's hands down one of the best Precisions I've ever played. The neck, the sustain, the sound... Everything is just perfect. It's a great add to my '71 Precision. Sander told me it's the first Soulmate ever with dots & binding, and possibly the first De Gier bass ever with lollipop tuners. I'd love to make some family pics but I'm currently in the middle of moving so that has to wait.

Stingray scratchplate and control plate. For such an "iconic" design they look like a rushed afterthought to me.

Or aesthetics in general, for that matter.

Dots on the fingerboard. 😉

Deke was a great writer, Rhino Winos & Lunatics is one of my top ten reads: proper laugh out loud memories from his time in The Man Band.

Jeff Beck, by Deke Leonard...enjoy! JEFF BECK I've only seen Jeff Beck once. It was at a Prince's Trust gig at the Royal Albert Hall, in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales – Charlie Saxe- Coburg-Gotha and his first frau. Politically, I was ambivalent. On the one hand, as a Welshman, I do not recognize the title, Prince of Wales. It was imposed on Wales by Edward 1 after his defeat of Llewelyn the Last's army in 1283, which resulted in the annexation of the principality to the English crown. As a final insult to the Welsh, Eddie anointed his son Prince of Wales. An English Prince of Wales? This scurrilous act became enshrined in the Royal succession process, a constant reminder to the Welsh that they are not an independent nation. On the other hand, I was sure that the Trust did good work, but work that should be done as of human right, rather than at the behest of an hereditary, pampered slack-wit trying to inject some meaning into his pointless, empty, feather-bedded life. It shouldn't be handed down from on high. It should come from within. That said, it was a good gig. I was there at the invitation of genuine Welsh princes – Jeff Hooper, Robert Collins, Adrian Fitzpatrick and Kerry Lewis. They had once been the Manband’s peerless sound crew. When the band broke up, they went into business on their own, calling themselves Concert Sound. The break-up of the Manband was, for them, a liberation. Once on the open market, they began to work with the crème de la crème of the entertainment business – Dean Martin, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Shirley McLaine and Tina Turner. They are, to quote the sublime Ms Turner, simply the best. Which is why they were also hired to do the Live Aid sound. They are giants of the craft. Quite by chance, I bumped into them at the offices of Marshall Arts. Barrie Marshall had once managed the Manband and, after our break-up, continued to manage Concert Sound. They were just leaving for the Prince's Trust gig in the Royal Albert Hall and they invited me to tag along. Which – as just a piece of flotsam on the ocean of life – I did (if you want some flotsam, I've got some; if you want some jetsam, I can get some). The PA system had gone in the day before so all they had to do was switch it on and line-check the microphones. But, before they started, they took part in an ancient Concert Sound ritual – a brew-up. Adrian always carries the makings with him; a kettle, a box of Glengettie tea-bags, cups, spoons, a bag of sugar and a bottle of milk. For Adrian, tea is not a beverage, it is a sacrament. Me too. I watched the show from the mixing desk, the best seat in the house. All the usual suspects were on the bill – Eric Clapton, Stevie Winwood, Ringo Starr, Jeff Beck and loads of famous people I can no longer remember. And in the middle of all this, I spotted Andy Fairweather-Low, playing guitar. He appeared to be in a position of some authority, counting the band in and alerting them about upcoming changes. "What's Andy doing here?" I said. "He's Clapton's MD," said Robert. "When Clapton goes on the road, Andy puts a band together and rehearses them. Then, when the tour starts, all Eric has to do is stand in front of them and play. It's like a very sophisticated Karaoke machine." It was a big band, with two industrial-sized drum kits on high rostra. Simon Kirke occupied one and guest drummers – of which there were legion – used the second (Ringo appeared for two numbers). Despite the stellar line-up, the show got off to a subdued start. Everybody did two or three numbers, usually their most famous songs, but they seemed a bit flat and lifeless. Everybody seemed to be behaving themselves (surely not cowed in the presence of royalty, gentlemen?). As a result, the applause rarely ventured beyond polite. Then, about halfway through the evening, Jeff Beck came on, and, for the first time, the audience, finally ditching polite applause, cheered with some conviction. Beck opened up with a blistering, slow blues. He played a weathered, white Strat and, in between licks, he didn't stop fiddling with it, constantly making minor adjustments to the bridge, the pickups and neck, like a mechanic nursing an old racing car down the final straight to the finishing line (the mechanic/car analogy is particularly apt because, reportedly, he enjoys restoring vintage cars. He was once asked whether he’d prefer to be tinkering away underneath a car or standing on a stage, playing to 10,000 people. He didn’t have to think about it. “Under a car,” he said, “on a stage in front of 10,000 people.”). Each lick was different, sometimes howling, sometimes purring, sometimes savagely aggressive, sometimes languid, sometimes picked at the bridge, sometimes halfway down the neck. He threw no shapes and – eschewing the standard agonized facial expression of the rock guitarist in full, creative angst – his face was impassive and inscrutable. When the song ended, the audience howled with delight. As the applause died down, someone in the stalls shouted out a request. "Hi-Ho Silver Lining!" Others in the crowd took up the shout and a momentum began to build. Trying to lance the boil, Beck stepped up to the nearest microphone. "flip off!" he shouted back. But it was too late. The request, now chanted by the entire audience, soon reached tipping point. It was no longer a request, it was a demand. Beck's shoulders dropped. He shook his head and said something to Andy. They'd obviously prepared for this moment. Beck must have known he'd have no choice in the matter. He may have banished it from his regular live set, but this was a special occasion. Better learn it, just in case. Andy counted the band in, and the mob, recognizing the opening bars, went apeshit. Beck, still shaking his head, trudged up to the nearest microphone and started singing. Now, Beck is not a singer, as he'd probably be the first to admit, but it didn't matter, because 13,000 people stood up and started singing along with him. They stopped singing during the solo and played air- guitar, then, right on the button, they were back in on the vocal. The end of the song was cathartic. Everybody was cheering, clapping, stamping and laughing, all at the same time, and the Royal Albert Hall became a cauldron of unconfined joy. Beck unplugged his guitar, waved to the crowd and, still shaking his head, walked off. The audience moaned in disappointment, but the thunderous applause continued unabated. The band followed him off and the houselights came up. It was the end of the first half. Gradually, the applause died down and everybody started mingling. It had been a momentous moment. Artist and audience had been fused into a single, euphoric entity by a flimsy, brainless song, performed reluctantly under duress. As an artist, you work tirelessly to perfect your craft but all your audience want to hear is the piece of music that least requires it. It would be like asking Stirling Moss to drive you down to the shops. But, to paraphrase Noel Coward, it is impossible to overestimate the potency of cheap music. I bumped into Andy during the interval. "What are you doing here?" I said. "Oh, I was just passing, saw there was a gig going on and just wandered in," he replied. The second part of the show was somewhat anti-climactic. Beck's reception must have stuck a carrot up their collective artistic bum, because everybody perked up and started playing with some conviction. Beck re-joined the band for a few numbers at the end of the show but nothing achieved the mass hysteria induced by ‘Hi-Ho Silver Lining'. Still, I've been to worse gigs.

I have two main 'go-to' basses for home noodling, one kept upstairs and one downstairs. My '81 Aria SB-R80 and '83 SB-R60. Both have plenty of bruises and scars but they feel wonderful and just fit me perfectly.

But could we, perhaps, build a bass that was universally hated? We could start with stick on f-holes and work from there.

😂

What come out of this is collectively we could not build a bass that anyone liked in it’s entirety. 😀

Luvverly. Actually I got one of these recently and it sounds pretty much the same as the Luvverly Longhorn but in a different shaped package. Still Short scale, still weighs as much a a fag packet.

I agree, the angle of those machineheads is horrible!

Lion Bridge with ruby eyes? Hahaha - and a user friendly interface...not confusing while playing Dakota down the dog and duck...

I forgot this beeeeyoooteeeee 😝

Seem to have acquired another that needs some love and attention. Lockdown project it is then. Anyone got a scratch plate? 😂

Is this challenge any good for metal?

Oh I almost forgot - my 61 with a replacement roasted maple / Brazilian rosewood neck from Bravewood. So beautiful it actually hurts to look at.

Or the extended B headstock...never ever seen something look more like a botched woodwork project in my life...

Factory relicing. Will not touch it.

Au contraire mon ami, the early P/Tele Bass headstock has the most pleasing symmetry and it is the later P Bass that should be confined to a darkened room!

Not a fan of Fender shapes - P bass, J bass (body and headstock). Yes some of them are nice to look at - especially those not made by Fender, e.g. Sadowsky, Sandberg et al. - but there's so much out there that looks better. I loathe pickguards, especially tort, especially on Fender-ish basses. I really don't like 'burst' colours, although I'm stuck with them on a few of my basses because there was no lefty alternative. I'm sure I'll think of something else!

I am not a photographer, but I present my new acquisition. I used to work in GuitarGuitar and so had a lot of time to myself to endlessly play high-end basses. Sadowsky, Lakland, Fender Custom Shop, G&L, the list goes on. In all that time, there were two basses which stood out for me above all the others (yes, even the £3000 Sadowsky!). One was a 1980s Rickenbacker 4001, and the other was the Sandberg VM4. I could afford neither, but resolved that one day I'd buy a Sandberg VM4 and as I didn't really like the stock finishes I'd do a custom order of black body, black pickguard, black hardware, rosewood fretboard, and hardcore aged. Fast forward 9 years, and I discover that Sandberg now make the Oliver Riedel (Rammstein) signature model which has all of the options I would pick myself given free choice. Well, decision made! Plus, the hardware is a very tasteful black nickel rather than the cheap looking glossy black you usually see. It also has their uprated 'Black Label' pick-ups instead of the standard Sandberg ones, so you get a hotter and more aggressive tone. So here we have it; the Sandberg California II / VM4 Oliver Riedel Signature Model. Lucky me. download.mp4

YEEEESSSSSS DO IT!

I changed the knobs once more, and put the FI as the second in line. Now the FunkyFellow works better.

Richard Cousins from Robert Cray's band is also another fav of mine

You could try reading the advice in the post I left you above yours? In case you think I'm being arsey, the owner of the trademark is particularly litigious so you would be best joining the groups I suggested and take it from there. Also try a PM to the OP?

would Mark King or Flea be best at the Composition Challenge?

Maple neck, black blocks, binding. Absolutely rancid. I've no idea why it's so popular. Rosewood and pearl isn't far behind, but maple and black is particularly awful. I don't mind binding and dots though on a rosewood fingerboard.

2 months? I'll give it until Friday before I eat the dog.

Looks like a wound...or that ginger guy in Robocop who falls into the toxic waste at the end...

Singlecuts (sit-down basses, nobody makes a neck so weak that it needs reinforcing like that...) Tort. Why not tartan as well? From the same era that thought it was a good look. 3TSB (especially the really crappy 70s ones that look like they've been sprayed on from a rattlecan...I'm looking at Fender here...) Fingerboards with face dots, blocks or binding. Headstocks where the 'designer' couldn't be bothered, given a blank sheet of paper, to design something that pulled the strings straight across the nut in the vertical plane, or downwards/backwards in the horizontal plane enough not to need a nailed-on, afterthought tensioner. Oh, and mahooosive paddle headstocks a la Fodera. Blingy gold hardware. 98.6% of Jazz copies out there, no matter who by. 99.6% of Fender Jazzes. All relicing. Fake. About as desirable as one of those CBGB pre-greyed t-shirts from Asda. That's it for now. I'm sure I'll think of something else... 😁

I cut slots in the sponge for the strings to sit in. It stops the intonation going t'pot.

My taste is 'the plainer the better' (apart from natural finishes which I don't like much). Conversely, I don't like anything 'flash' at all. Flamboyant body shapes and glitzy paint, gold hardware, exotic woods with elaborate grain patterns, multiple pickups, too many control knobs and switches are all red flags for me. At the other end of the scale, I don't like relic finishes. It's all fake and trying to be something it's not. I could tie my bass to the back bumper of my car or bury it in the garden for a week but what's the point?

This. Absolutely everything about it. No redeeming visual qualities whatsoever.

What's not to like about this?

I voted ages ago... But as we're approaching the deadline and we've only had 9 voters perhaps I could get more interest from the locked-down throng by asking "should I use a Jazz or a P bass next time?"

In language you have letters, which are the building blocks of words. Then a level up, words are the building blocks of sentences. Analogously in music, if notes are letters, and chords are words, then the circle of fifths is a very commonly-seen sentence. Suppose you're handed a 32-bar chart in the key of Fm, and the final eight is: If you're reading each chord in isolation, it might seem like an onslaught of unconnected chords, which gets quite fast-moving particularly in the final line - looks like some sharps and flats mixed in together, what's an F# and B doing there if we are in they key of Fm, why is there a B major immediately followed by a B minor, etc? But if you can "see" the circles of fifths, you can more quickly make sense of what's going on at a higher level: an extended turnaround in the key of Ab (bars 25-28) a 2-5-1 in the key of B (bar 29) a 2-5-1 in the key of A (bar 30) a 2-5-1 in the key of Ab (bars 31-32) When I say extended turnaround, I mean 2-5 3-6 2-5-1. That and the simpler 2-5-1 are straight out of the circle of fifths. So what's the point? The advantage is that I'm very familiar with turnarounds; and now that I understand that this section is literally just turnarounds, I can use my usual grooves, fills, licks, substitutions, party pieces, whatever, and I know they'll fit musically, and I'll end up in the right place. You'll encounter the circle of fifths more in jazz or jazz-derived music, and knowing what is going on musically is more useful if you're improvising or have the freedom/desire to vary your part, rather than playing a written or fixed repeated riff. It could be that you just want to add a passing note between the Eb7 and Cm, and knowing whether it should be D or Db. The chart above is 'Street Life', https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnNyxy7XPfs , 1m07s to 1m23s under the verse, and then again in the solos at 3m10s to 3m27s.

And the last job to be done before I start with lots of sanding on the body was to make a control cavity cover. Again, I made a template for this and used an offcut of spalted beech to make a cover.

Next task was to make a template for a Musicman style pickup. I've got one template but it was just a little too tight fitting. First thing was to mark out a piece of mdf with the key dimensions Once that was done holes were drilled for the mounting lugs and a few others for cutting out it out using a coping saw. After that I used some pieces off wood pinned to the board ready to use the router to neatly trim the template with a bearing cutter. And the finished template

Its got to be Fodera. They design such beautiful basses and then it looks like they have forgotten about the aesthetics of what the pattern of the preamps knobs will look like. Its a cluster x*"! of knobs that have no cohesive design when it comes to the rest of the body. I don't get it. Jens Ritter does an amazing job. But no, not Fodera. Maybe its substance over style.

Not if you compare it to its equivalent on a Rickenbacker - and that genuinely is a slapped-on afterthought. Roger Rossmeisl's original design followed the form of the instrument in a way the current "design" doesn't. I think I've only seen a couple of singlecuts that aren't foul. I really have no idea why anyone thinks it's a good idea to add an extra 2kg of timber to a bass and make it look like this: And once you see it, that's all you can see...

Well depending on cab you can daisy chain so as to use two cabs, so you’re not restricted to just the one. I’ve only used the TC RH amps with their RS cabs and they were a very good pairing.

Finished, ready to collect next week............... what u think?