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I became aware of the Latourneau Maben Gold Top bass a while ago. In my opinion, a beautiful bass, taking styling cues from various iconic styles and blending them to perfection. I posted it in reply to a post on Facebook and then delved deeper into Latourneau. Oh my, do they make some beautiful basses, and other instruments. The craftsmanship looks absolutely top notch. Maben Gold Top The Maben is probably still my favourite style with its Rickenbacker top horns, Jazz offset waist and Gibson/Duesenberg-esque headstock, which is different on each bass. They all have slightly different hardware specs so I guess they're each a one off, but I don't know. Has anyone else come across them? Their website doesn't show a complete list of their basses, and I've found most through other sites and adverts, which leads me further to believe that they are built to the customers specs as and when they're ordered. I've added some links but if you do some digging it turns up some wonderful stuff. This 8 string is just stunning. I love the contrast of the walnut back and red front. I can only find this 8 string on their Facebook page, just scroll through the photos. Another beauty in a dark teal colour.

The new Wal string tree came with standard small wood screws. I always think that, assuming they are fitted properly, set screws and inserts are better. They don't really do the large-threaded inserts in such small size, but the type you see on the right - I think more designed for metal - work fine as long as the drill hole is accurate: I've experimented with inserting them into much softer woods than the maple neck and then trying to lever out the screw and it holds fast. Now, I used to think that the slot went in the top - I assumed this was a screwdriver slot. It emphatically doesn't and isn't That's the bit that cuts the thread and I'm pretty sure that it was a wise sage on this forum that put me straight! So for insertion, you use a screw and nuts, or in my case, a screw and another insert, to 'lock-nut' with the one you are inserting. This is what I've done with the one on the left in the photo above. This keeps it all straight and inserting is a breeze. In this shot, the insert I'm fitting is almost fully in and you can see the 'driver' insert and set screw locked into it and driving it round and in. Like a locknut, a quick reverse direction of the screwdriver and the screw and driver just loosen to come apart: I've positioned the new string tree in the best place for the strings rather than exactly where the old one was but - unless you look really really closely, it pretty much covers the marks and holes from the original: And this is at full pitch with, so far, no embarrassing 'ping' sound of the string tree flying off like a rock from a medieval trebuchet!

And finished 🤗...Nordstrand Big Singles, Hipshot Ultralites, Sandberg bridge, 3d printed covers by @GisserD, KiOgon loom...well happy

New film doc about Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex......... Sky Arts 9pm Saturday 6th March. From what I gather it's told from the perspective of Poly's daughter Celeste. Really looking forward to this..... one of my heroes!

Now with enclosure:

Kent Armstrong has posted a little clip about his life. Amazing humility saying “built and repaired pickups for 50 years” when he is the guy personally hand making the pickups for the amazing Ken Smith basses. Does he still make them? He certainly used to. Also interesting that he credits so much to Bill Lawrence. https://www.facebook.com/kentarmstrongpickups/videos/825181878079226/

Photos of the GIB Bass and the bass that @Andyjr1515 upgraded for me. Note the screw free electronics cavity and the lack of paint. The satin finish makes it so playable.

This is more like it, some long overdue love for plywood Kay guitars. Once they get the recognition they truly deserve they'll be changing hands for close to £50. 😉

couple of programmes for you punks out there, Sex Pistols 2007 gig and a Damned documentary early hours of Sunday morning

And the winner is... Dad3353 (Me..!) ..! Here, then, is my Winner's Certificate (download and save as pdf file, then proudly print and frame...) ... BC_Chal_Cert_2021_02.pdf ... which looks like this (but bigger, of course..!)... (Band of Rotters that you are..! You know I'm not well, and now I'll have to wrack my addled brains to find a picture that will stimulate you all. Hmm... I should have let the Challenge run to a tie-break, if only to have the fun of seeing Lenny kicking shins..! Thanks just the same, folks; I'll try to get a good picture, honest I will... )

Well many congrats to Douglas who has landed a double and as such has the honour. A genuine LOL when he sent this over, so I reckon it could get the juices flowing! So without further ado, on offer for inspiration is ........................... Usual rules apply. You know the drill: ✔️ Entries must be <5 minutes and written/recorded this month. ❌ No illegal samples, copyright infringements or other snide goings-on ❌ Bagpipes. ( Christmas truce now expired) . Also on thin ice with panpipes, to be perfectly honest. ❌ No voting for your own entry. We'll know. And we'll shame you. I would like to trial an extra rule this month that might, though might not, help in the voting, I'll float it in the thread . Deadline wise , we will call midnight on the 24th (yes, you probably have till about 19.00 on the 25th, but don't let on or we will have a deluge at 18.59)

You’ve got that blue thing. Stop worrying

I suck at pick playing, I can just about pass at home, but always chicken out of playing pick in a gig situation as I'm more sure of my fingers. Anyone that says that it's not proper bass playing needs to have their head shoved down the loo and made to watch Bobby Vega vids on YouTube when they are let up for air.

Indeed! Alternatively they could leave a little note in the gig bag with a helpful suggestion that we each spend several hours randomly trawling the internet in the vague hope that something coherent and knowledgeable (like we've had on this thread and also just very recently on the Spector thread from Billy and Paul comparing the Euro LX to the NS2, 4 and 5) randomly turns up! 😄 But even a useful summary card probably wouldn't say "think about dialling back your TonePump, 'cos we couldn't be bothered to do that bit"...and unless someone mentions it, a lot of folk (me included) probably wouldn't be thinking of asking the right questions, but assuming that's just what the TonePump was like - and therefore to never dial our bass EQ on Spector Euro LX basses above 1/10, lol! I guess that's the beauty of the knowledge sharing that we have on forums such as BC and TB. Here’s a raised glass to you all 🍸

Here's my little setup Spectracomp - Darkglass Alpha-Omega - Darkglass X7 ( alway on mild drive ) - Sub n Up - Memphasis Steam chorus - TC Vortex Flanger

That's got a few of you confused I bet... Got my old Bass Collection Nanyo SB310 back (Got It Back) - anybody who's ever owned one will know what great VFM they are - sell for around £200, play like a £1,000 bass. Would you believe it, I deleted the photos I had of it!!! New ones to follow.

It's been posted before but this clip of Bobby Vega is one of my favourite bits of picking. The way he puts in the ghost notes, it almost has a 'slap' feel to it.

Mint Green SUB has arrived, ordered from PMT Romford on Saturday and was well-packaged, set up and in tune. It's a busy day today so I've only had a chance to briefly check it over and have a quick play but first impressions (for me) are very good. I'm obviously not expecting it to match my 5-er or fretless but I have to say, from what I've managed to glean so far, it ain't half bad, mum! 👍😎👍 Next question is whether to fit a white pearl scratchplate?

Bottles of beer? These will gently tease the cork out of a fine chablis, then massage your shoulders as you quaff it in the evening sun. 😄

Spector should have printed that on a little card and supplied it with every bass they sold with a Tonepump in it.

Nice Bassline to play on this George benson track from 1981

These are from the OEM designer and manufacturer of the Tonepump. Tonepumps in pedal format and a 3 band version: Michalík Designs (michalik.cz) Michalík Designs (michalik.cz) Also, the BP4, which depending on who you believe is a Tonepump under a different name, or a variation of. Michalík Designs (michalik.cz) Things to note from those links. EQ points are quoted as, Bass - 55Hz. Treble 6.5kHz. Note that is different from the clever / techie scopes I mention above at Bass at 70 Hz. and Treble 5 kHz. Note the gain is: - Bass +14db to -4 dB, so lets say a quarter of the way for flat. The Treble is quoted as +14db to -12 dB, so lets say a almost half of the travel on the pot for flat.

This is what's needed ... a twotone sticker ...

Depends - are the stickers solid paper or laminate?

I was back in church today for the first time in nearly a year (since the first lock-down). We have had On-Line services where we've recorded our musical parts onto our mobile 'phones and had them stitched together, but that is not the same as being together. I was delighted to get back into the building and meet (socially distanced) friends who I've only been able to chat to via Zoom. Our normal congregation averages at just over a hundred, with most of them being students and young families. Due to the restrictions we could only accommodate 30 or so this morning and they had to wear masks and could not sing! The band was pared back to just; keyboard, semi acoustic guitar, bass guitar (me) and my wife on vocals. She was the only one allowed to sing! It was surreal playing a couple of songs while the congregation stood in silence and swayed along to the tune! As we had no drummer, I kept things very simple and hit the root note on the beat. Not very spectacular but it was what was needed. I did the occasional "fill" or chromatic run but other than that kept it straight to the point. I pray for the day when we can all get back to normal and enjoy great worship and fellowship together.

Call me Mr Picky, but I think it was Johnny's big brother Billy who was the hero! Ok, moving on... Heroes - Johnny Bowie!!

Talking of lovely pairs ... The SB900’s last partner was more suited in the aesthetic sense (another ‘81 with walnut finish), but it didn’t stick. I’m a sucker for the passive twin pickups and that control set. Ahhh, I love that set up. I appreciated the SB1000, but wow, it’s not my thing. Horses for courses, n that.

I contoured the edges ( by hand!) . I wanted a chamfered look rather than rounding over. Here’s a pic.

Well, a lot of set up still to do and a few remaining jobs, but we actually have a playing bass! First job was cutting the new nut from the Graphtech Black Tusq XL blank: Then a look at the Wal shim. The neck angle is dependant on the bridge height and I suspect the original Wal bridge sits higher than the new Hipshot because the strings are far too low with not enough saddle adjustment to reach even the minimum action height. It's a funny old business but folks are often very sniffy about shims - 'a decent luthier doesn't need a shim' is an oft stated opinion. Well, you don't get much more decent luthier than Wal and every Wal neck I've ever seen has one of these... And anyway, for starters it had to go. With it planed and scrapered off, I could get to normal action heights, albeit with the saddles adjusted pretty high so I will probably add a slightly thinner one than this to the front edge of the heel so I can drop the adjusters on the saddles a touch...but with is as it is, it plays! And even through my not-a-proper-bass-rig it sounds pretty darned fine So, still to do: - A bit more work on the heel angle to get the action range of the saddles a touch better - final set-up work on the frets - final tidy up of the fretboard, edges rounding, etc - string tree - tidy up the neck bolt recesses - fit the strap buttons

Ah brings back memories! @la bam you weren't too far wrong about two months wages, I spent 2 months working nights in a warehouse in '94 to save up for my trace combo. Sadly it never left my bedroom and I ended up selling it about 8 years ago to my mates dad for all of about £200. I reckon it was probably the most pristine example of its kind out there. Just as well, though, as this coincided with when I started gigging on a semi regular basis... I'd be in a wheelchair by now if I hadn't switched to a lightweigh genz benz rig!

Me too. I have done some experiments on a metal thread in a wood. If the thread is big in diameter, or long enough, metal type works surprisingly well. Thread insert is naturally a good step towards the big diameter thread. Your method of two thread inserts is nice. I would put a big washer in between because it stops the insert flush. Yes, I know, my hands are less trained, and I think the Wal neck is curved at that particular place. The owner of the Wal will be happy. Keep up the excellent work.

This arrived last Wednesday and I’m pleased as punch.

More slap i think. I don't feel reviewers slap enough.

Kinda Lingers - Here Come the Mummies

Gave them a quick try and they definitely feel a lot more comfortable in the fingers and no sliding between my fingers with the rubber type material. Just got to master the technique now. I just dont have a natural rhythmic feel with the pick but if i use my index finger like a pick it feels more natural but i'll certainly give the DAVA a chance. Who knows this might be the turning point where i master the pick 😀 Dave

Aha...why didnt i just google it ! I remember, what started John tinkering and mixing pickups was when he purchased a mid-80s Carvin AE-185 that he played on the Live video at Carnegie Hall. It’s a semi-hollowbody with two humbuckers and a piezo in an acoustic-style bridge. He thought that was the coolest thing - whether it was one stereo cord out, or maybe he’d just have another output and another cord and plug into the amp, and then switch back and forth, or blend the two pickups. And then he started doing that kind of modification to all his guitars.” Good read, this https://www.musicradar.com/news/on-jj-cale-he-would-buy-a-dollar100-guitar-then-if-he-messed-it-up-by-drilling-holes-it-was-okay-that-was-the-cost-of-educating-himself

The Joyo American Sound's Mid frequency control is tuned to a center frequency of 400Hz, unlike the Tech Blonde, also the pre gain stage Voice EQ control on the American Sound cut 400Hz bellow the 12 o'clock position, but boost 800Hz above the 12 o'clock, also unlike the equivalent Character control of the Blonde. Other than that the consensus seems to be the the American Sound is slightly brighter and slightly more open sounding than the Blonde, a fair share of guitarists at least owning both actually preferring the tone of the American Sound over the Blonde, even if arguably the Blonde is of better build quality. https://www.tdpri.com/threads/joyo-american-vs-tech21-blonde-comparison-many-graphs.786013/

Personally I would never pay 5K for it or any other Yamaha they’re fantastic basses. But if I was going to spend 5K on a bass it would be something that’s going to hold it’s value something like a MK 1 Wal bass.

The old green Dod envelope filter certainly tested the bottom-end handling of your rig on certain settings? Mutron & Bassballs would be my recommendations

Telekinesis. I think "F# E string" to myself and it just happens.

This is mine, its got a chunky leather strap on it which may have added a tiny bit. lbs or kilos, I have both lol.

There are two threads about the VX50BA, I also own one & love, Love, LOVE it: 1 caveat about the Direct-Out, the amp must be powered on! so it's not 'that' direct

Hallo Zusammen, Ich bin auch von Beige Records auf SoundCloud angesprochen worden. Sie fordern nach Übermittlung von Musik und versprachen Promotion auf Spotify und Apple Music gegen eine Gebühr von 49 €. Natürlich war ich skeptisch. Ich habe mich in anderen Foren um gehört, las viel Kritisches aber keine Erfahrungsberichte mit Beige Musik. Eine echte Plattenfirma wird sicher kein Geld im Vorwege. Ich habe mich auf das Experiment gehört gehörtassen. Dies ist auf Spotify in der Zeit zu sehen, die viel ist. Ich betrachte per Mail vertrauliche beratende Beförderung auf Onlineplattformen. Dann ebbte die Reaktion auf Spotify natürlich ab. Bei Apple tat sich gar nichts. Ich denke, dass es sich bei Beige Records eher um eine Agentur handelt, die natürlich gegen Geld handelt wird. Ein Plattenlabel ist das sicher nicht. Für mich war es die Erfahrung allerdings wert. Wiederholung ... nein danke