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This is going to be a slow build - I'll only be doing work on it in between DIy and other builds. So a few years back at the SW Bass Bash @Rich gave me a piece of hardwood from an old window that looked like it might be useful to make a neck from. Last year at another bass bash @Frank Blank gave me a couple of pieces of hardwood that 'might be useful' to me. The pieces weren't quite big enough to make a standard body from so I put them to one side. I saw a picture of a Telecaster bass using what looked like a Telecaster guitar. which I thought looked interesting. I checked the dimensions and still the larger piece of hardwood Frank gave me was still just a little narrow. After a quick scrat through the offcuts I had, I found a piece long enough to make up the difference and end up with a body bank of a suitable size. My initial plan for this is for the bass to be passive using a Retrovibe Mudbucker pickup with coil tapping, hardware I already have (generic elephant ear tuners, Wilkinson bridge, Telecaster scratchplate, Telecaster control plate) and for it to be 30" scale (as that seems to suit the shorter body size). There's a good chance something will change along the way but this is something a bit different for me! So first up, I cut the man piece in half and tried the offcut to make up the centre section. I thicknessed all three pieces to 45mm then flipped the two halves to get the grain running in opposite directions. The centre section was tried with the grain running quarter sawn in between the two wings. This ended up with a block big enough for a Telecaster body. The offcut for the centre section has turned out being very similar to the wings which is a bonus. I've dried clamped this to make sure it all lines up. I've also thicknessed the neck wood. This has highlighted a couple of small faults in the wood but nothing that can't be worked around. Next task for this will be to glue the blank up and to make templates for the body and neck but this may have to wait for a little while as I have another mini bass build in progress.

Probably been posted before but I haven't seen this. Some clear examples of the great man's famous one-finger "hook" technique. Enjoy

They have got back together to play an online gig for a one off. It’s live right now. Always loved the mix with these guys, strong bass!

I'm in at last! Like many people, I was initially amused by the video "how to play a groove in 13/8". Hmm, I thought...🙄 I wouldn't exactly call it a groove though, and it does have bits of 6/8 too 🤪 May 2020 BassChat composition challenge entry. I didn't make it easy for myself, the timing is somewhat fluid in places. At least you can tell it's not programmed on a grid. Features a first appearance of my new guiro (on the left), kindly made for me by my good friend Timi Sp8. all done in Reaper again, Godin Solidac phased guitar, Gordon-Smith 12-string electric, US Masters fretless bass bass and US Masters (with flats) "Lead" bass with a bit of octave on.

Anyone else really tempted by one of these?! Looks like a steal for the money... https://www.thomann.de/gb/ibanez_tmb505_mg.htm

For the first time in five decades I've sat and listened to this album properly. Talk about the planets of musicianship and creativity lining up! Awesome. Ps. It sounds great too.

@kodiakblair couldn’t have done it without your help thank you all for all the advice and help, only a minor job but some invaluable advice next job complete, measure 3 times, drill once... now to finish the body’s paint job...

some lessons may help to iron out that dreadful right hand plucking technique

Yah wanna see someone slappin the buggery out of his Thunder iii back in 85??Do ya?? Mmm? Warning: 80’s Mullet in use. ref clothing choice: I was picked up and charged by the fashion police immediately after arriving back in uk. Warning: No funk involved. (The mullet was returned to the original owner, unharmed by September 85.)

My buddy had an ‘83 Élite years ago and regrets ever selling it! So I’m having a go at making him one. I’m going to use Lindy Fralins pickups overwound 10%, and 3-Leaf Audio Blue preamp running 18v. Should be a monster!

Only picked it up yesterday but loving the 212Slim so far. So much low end coming from such a lightweight cabinet. One of the guys I was chatting with is selling all his Vanderkley stuff to replace with these cabs. will try post more after proper testing but with my Mesa D800 this 212 is bringing the beef!

I started detailing the new build in the other thread - this is what I'd written previously: Nice to have a day off today. Been working on another 27" bass in spalted beech again. Had a piece left from the previous bass so marked it up for cutting - odd shape but sufficient for his build. First, I placed the templates on to work out which was would avoid any of the knots or faults in the wood and look the best when done (always a bit of a guess with spalted beech when you are going to carve some of it as it changes pattern throughout it's thickness) Then marked the line to cut: and ended up with this which lines up quite nicely across the join: I've also been practicing making scarf joints and have a nice selection of blanks for a neck: I've got another body glued up made from ash which may also get turned into one of these.

Probably because she knows I'm all 'Bah-humbug'.... And this was my previous attempt at a Christmas tree...

Thanks Chris. But to be fair, nobody knew who we were, The Bangles were on before us and Southside Johnny after us, so it was his way of making the watching audience too dizzy to get up and make a cuppa 😂. I think I slapped most of the way through the album this came from. Quite unnecessarily too 🤦🏻‍♂️ but no one said “oi you! mullet boy! Stop that now! Kajagoogoo have kajagonegone” Which goes to prove “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”

Voila! Out of the cellar and finish is as it should be!

It appeals to me as it is affordable and nice big easy to see hard to miss buttons for stage work. Not necessary but interesting. I like @Quatschmacher idea of chords! Anyway had a great session with the FI this afternoon. Just continuing to feel my way in. Followed the tutorial on making a chorus pedal and then did a prolonged 'what if' session. By which I mean, what if I wanted an octave lower, distortion to track the chorus? Or what if I want the clean signal mixed with a different sound that kind of thing. By doing this I find I'm building an idea of how different controls impact on the over all sound.

Bit the bullet and ordered an R400 after reading the reviews and watching wateroftyne's videos on YouTube. Shipping on Tuesday so looking forward to it getting here. Have to say Leszek's communication is excellent. Replied within 30 minutes on Facebook to my questions and had bought one shortly after that. Will post a pic when it arrives... Bizarrely I seem to have ended up with a near identical rig to @wateroftyne as well, although not intentionally... HB R400 into 2x TKS 112!

taht enod

Every time I used the switch Ken phoned me up and had a go. He MADE me sell it

Interesting post though I think entirely subjective I’m afraid... How do you know they’re not losing themselves in the music? Is there a single way that one should do this? Perhaps you don’t really like the music that they’re playing and therefore aren’t able to engage with it? Different styles / genres come with different approaches to performance and musical approach - obvious signs of ‘losing it’ might be head-banging, jumping around etc but that isn’t always appropriate / relevant. Perhaps by focusing, being in the moment playing complex stuff is another approach to ‘losing yourself’, just not one that works for you and is less obviously sign posted to the audience? Let me turn it around - I’ve done loads of gigs where I’ve looked out to see arms folded, grumpy faces and not much vibe from audience members. Yet often these individuals are the ones who come up after the gig, buy loads of merch and rave about it. They certainly didn’t ‘lose themselves’ in the music they way I wanted to but it worked for them.... So it’s all personal and subjective. Find out what works for you and go listen / watch that and don’t worry to much about what other folks are doing!

Hmmm, after listening to all the sage advice I've received on this thread, I clearly have been delusional for which I blame lockdown. Looks like I have some way to go before I can declare a full house. My wife will be delighted...

Really nice Bassline on this Dennis Bovell track great rhythm

Excuse this ramble, it’s as much for me as anything else, thought jotting. I dropped off the ACG Recurve SS in Warwick for a setup in early February, I was emailed to say it was done and that I could pick it up on 29th Feb. I took the opportunity to drop off the ACG Harlot when I picked the Recurve up and by the time the Harlot was ready for pickup, yes, we were in lockdown. I’ve been writing and recording quite intensely lately, flipping files of new bass lines over to the singer/guitarist I work with and I have really started to gel with the short scale Recurve. I was unsure at first, I bought it because it was an ACG and because it was short scale but I really didn’t gel with it at first but after this intense period of working with it I have found myself improving as a player and writing stuff I would have thought beyond me just a few months ago. Now naturally this is to do with having acres of time to fill with practicing and writing (I’m putting in roughly a normal 9-5 working day) but after the initial ups and down with it I’ve really come to dig that bass, there’s something very ‘workhorse’ about it, the simple design, the plain woods, I often bang on about basses being tools of work first and aesthetic items second, Alan tends to make basses that are sublime in both ways but there is just something very humble and honest about the SS Recurve, very much my bass of the moment and hopefully the end of my fretted short scale bass search. So yesterday I finally managed to get back up to Warwick and in a socially distanced exchange via a porch I picked up the Harlot. I got it home and after so long with just the little Recurve I’m a bit freaked out by the Harlot. I mean it is a ‘freak out’ bass anyway because it looks so incredible but it just felt so alien. I mean, finally, it’s correctly setup and playing great but I just wasn’t getting on with it, perhaps I really am just a short scale man? I will persevere with it and see how it goes.

Beast mode - what a player, what a song

Small update...

Supertramp and another band Brewer's Droop (Mark Knopfler) were 'our' university bands. They did a lot of gigs at Reading. They were always good, interesting and charged just the right amount that you could afford to book them and still make a small profit/loss. I think I saw them six times and I didn't see then every time they played. They were always good and just got better over time. That album must have been the result of many thousands of hours of collective music making. The same for Dire Straights too later on. I think a lot of UK rock came out of that university scene as well as the venues in London and the other major cities. Regular venues paying well enough to keep the band fed and watered whilst they grew their craft in ront of a live audience. Years of hard work before you were spotted and became an overnight success.. I still listen from time to time, it still sounds good to me, Im not huge on nostalgia but it's great music with real craftsmanship from people I know did their 10,000 hours. Just a thought, does the music made by people who make their living playing to paying audiences always end up more immediate. Mozart and Beethoven were gigging musicians

It's one of the best albums of the seventies. If you like it try and listen to their Breakfast in America album as well.

I don't think you can criticise the timing when it's only a portion of the entire composition, the timing is correct in the context of the complete song, which is the only thing that matters. If one of the instruments is (unintentionally) out of time with the others, then that would be a problem, but if the whole band are playing together then I see that as in time, regardless of what the quantize grid says. Also, I love his tone on this, exactly the sort of sound I like.

Unless Steve still owns it you’re free to do as you wish. If he wanted it to remain original he should never have sold it to you 😉 There’s no point just owning a bass you’re not happy with or which isn’t the bass you really want. Either sell it or modify it which, let’s not forget, is how Steve ended up with that bass in the first place... and his one isn’t blue anymore either 😂 If you’re really that troubled by it, pick up a cheap P body off ebay and route that. Then you can always put everything back to normal when some forum warrior is whining at you for not realising that, some day around thirty years into the future, this bass will have grown mojo and be most desirable in unplayed original form. Make sure to post the end result 🙂

This will be a little less detailed build diary as it is very similar to my previous build. I'm really enjoying playing the other bass so I'm making another 27" headed fretted mini bass with a spalted beech body, maple neck and ebony fretboard. This one will differ as I will use a different type of pickup and will fit LED side dots. I was trying to decide which colour LEDs (red, white or blue) but was told quite clear by Mrs_the_gut that they must be white. So that bit of the specification is fixed!! there will be a couple of other little differences but I'll detail them when it gets to the appropriate stage in the build.

Yo, northerner/ex-midlands'er (Midlands is real dammit!) here, I've been lurking on these forums and the bass forum from across the pond for ages, ever since I thought about getting into bass. I play drums - or used to, but have been living in flats ever since I left home for University, so I'd been looking for something to fill the void, and I always leaned towards sexy basslines and the rhythm of things over killer riffs (still love a good riff though, I'm just awful at it). Been playing about a year now, and I feel my appreciation for music, and ability to make out the bass tones in less well-mixed tracks, has grown greatly, along with my ability to play the thing! Learnt a lot from this site, some really helpful forum posts (and some "unhelpful" ones, GAS is real - although being left handed helps, no signature guitars to pine over). Looking forward to learning more, and maybe actually contributing. Currently working on my pick technique as it is woefully behind my finger style. See you around!

The only thing I can think of is you've got a bad valve, but not really sure what could be wrong. I hope you're still in Thomanns return window. This probably won't help, but here is how I used to set up my SVT3PRO. All buttons out and the graphic off.

I use the weeper model. Haven’t got my Stomp handy for the settings, but can be cool to put it on Path B so that your wah is blended with your clean sound for no loss of low end!

I know, too true. Amazing vocals, brilliant melodies and harmonies. Solid foundations... not too rocky or too poppy just right.

Great find - thanks! Really underrated and deserve to be bigger over here

A thought.... Given the current Covid-ness of our lives, I’m thinking of making this available as a digital file, so that you lovely people can print a copy (or copies.... 😉) off at home. I can format it to whatever size you fancy, and ping it off to you via email. I will also make the guitar print available in the same fashion if the interest is there. Thinking of using a “pay what you like” pricing structure..... Opinions welcome.... 😊 If anyone is interested, let me know. Cheers!

If you're prepared for a bit of an early learning curve, the Future Impact can handle all of the above. I bought one second hand for about £200 and have immediately started selling off pedals. I bought it as a bass synth but have been delighted to discover how capable it is in other areas too. Otherwise it all comes down to budget. Individual effects are fun but the inevitability of extra spending has to be factored in. Power supplies, pedal boards, cabling, none of it comes cheap if you don't want whines and buzzes and do want reliability. Multi effects can be an easy one stop shop. Zoom do several but then there's a bit of a leap in price to the world's of Helix. Personal recommendation? Zoom B1Four.

I've seen it said that the old US Peavey Cirrus basses were close in tone to a Ken Smith, but I don't hear it. I've never played one, but no recording I've ever heard of them had that Smith sound. My experience of Smith tone is super balanced and even sound, with all notes on the fretboard being equal in volume and no particular frequencies standing out obtrusively. I feel like Smith's have a natural compression which is just so musical and they're very flattering to play. Ken has talked previously about his desire to make a live Smith bass sound like it has the "studio" sound already applied. I don't think there is any bass, inexpensive or otherwise, that really sounds like them.

Yet another use for a Precision. These basses are more than a one-trick pony.