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When a bit of cash in my wallet from a few recent pub and party gigs meets a very tempting listing on a local Facebook page this is what happens. A Mexican made Mustang, a very subtle sonic blue. Plus an alternative pickguard. Even the cat looks smitten 🤩

I used a lot of Trace gear back in the day, but I don't ever remember seeing a combo in this configuration before. Built like a tank, and weighing like one too, no doubt!

My main reaction is surprise that moving to full UK production results in such a relatively small price increase.

Got this email this morning - looks like a great idea. https://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/newsletter/preview/649/16535

Just got these pre-delivery pics from Luthiers Warehouse... Jazz Body, with a twist!.. (or P Body with a Squash!..) Rear Route, PJ, Slanty Pickups... So a bit Reggie Hamilton, bit Aerodyne, bit Black Top, bit Jazz Special PJ535... Seed was planted when @Duarte posted a pic of a PJ535 in need of a fix in his Vintage P Makeover thread... so it's all his fault! Body to join the Maple 'n Blocks Neck... And Odds 'n Sods from the 'Dark Materials' thread... What do you recon? I was happy with my Rear Route P body so went for a bit more of a 'One-Off'... took a week or so longer than expected, but they are real helpful. So if ya just want a normal-ish body or have 'Special Needs' like me drop Luthiers Warehouse a line! https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/luthiers-warehouse

WOW ... The pumpkin trails are set out and with an increasing number of houses being decorated with spiders webs and skellingtons , it can only mean one thing ... we are approaching the end of October and that in turn brings the obvious conclusion that ....... its the October Composition Challenge voting thread The compositions are based on this picture , chosen by last months winner @Doctor J and they are really worth a listen over the week Choose your favourite 3 tracks The Basschat force was strong with this picture as you will hear in due course .......... 1 @Dad3353 Taking stock, reflection, inspired by the (apparently...) more simple life led by (apparently...) more serene sentient creatures. Are they telling us something..? Can sentiments be transmitted..? Yes, they can (apparently...). 2 @NickD Finally some time! Crap weather and no diesel cut me a little slack this month. 3 @Doctor J This looks like the sub-aquatic future which seemingly awaits us on our unstoppable journey into oblivion. Do electric trains run underwater? 4 @Nail Soup The pic got me thinking about swimming with dolphins and generally drifting around, which gave me the feel for the song. I was recently loaned a beautiful mid-70’s Gibson Thunderbird acoustic guitar by my aunt, which belonged to my late uncle who passed last year. She wants it to be played. So it’s included here and contributed to the feel. 5 @Leonard Smalls I fancied a bit of Dub, so here it is! Sounds best on big speakers with serious bass handling... 6 Lurksalot I saw this a journey which obviously has choices of destination and timing to a degree , you can go when and where you want to. A fairly simple thought on journeys in general. 7 @upside downer Hello, I'm Johnny Trash. The image brought to mind the rising sea levels and the consequences of climate change. However, I'm a glass half full kind of guy and that struck me as far too morose so instead I went with a country tinged toe-tapper about a train trip gone awry and the narrator more worried about his lack of Adam Peatyesque prowess and getting to his journey's end. Where was he hoping to get to, though? 8 @skankdelvar A dab behind the ears with some eau de Canvey. Well that's it , nothing too scary, but the voting will close at midnight on Halloween so choose your favourite 3 tracks good luck to all , and well done , they are a great listen .

If you're an unlined fretless sort of person and would like a Sire, then simply ask for one. Having written to Sire asking if they do them I've just got a reply saying they'd never thought of it but will consider making one now I've raised the thought. If you fancy reinforcing the idea in their minds, email [email protected].

I fancy doing a prog version of it. 4h 33m, it'll be called.

A dab behind the ears with some eau de Canvey. (Edit: Better version further down the page). Lyrics ↓

I wanted my first post to be a series one so I will do my best. This is what I have seen to be true about English made basses. If you look down the fingerboard from the bridge to the nut the E and A strings can only down chromatically and the D and G can only go up chromatically. That is why English Basses can only be played from the right side. This is also why they are not imported to the America’s. Flat wound strings are for Apartment use only. The first bass played by James Bond ( Sean Connery) in the Sixties, was a double 0 fret model with 7 strings, made by Q Branch. Last but not least, all the valuables in the Tower of London are provided on loan by the bass players from Def Leppard, The Stones, Moody Blues and Led Zeppelin. thought I would let you know.

Can I just say that's the best casual gig name-drop I've come across in years? I was expecting the Lochboisdale Hotel... 🙂

my wal..

In general I’m happy to pay more for stuff made in the UK. Good on ‘em

As a job, I've had the pleasure of most basses on the market at some point. Shuker's attention to detail is insane for the money. I've flipped a lot of basses over the years, but the Shuker's are still very much here and my go to basses. So much so, I can't wait to spec my next.

Aha so where you might be going wrong is that its played fingerstyle. Its all in the fingers. You cant play this with a pick. Its one of the few songs that can be played left-handed when you are right handed with the bass inverted to have the G string at the top. Does that help ? Dave

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A five string Sadowsky but with a zero fret and a neck constructed with the Vigier 10-90 carbon system in the neck. The pickups will feature a single J in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge that can be coil tapped (like the Sandberg TM line). preamp will be the standard Sadowsky. Bridge will be the big hulk of metal they use in the Excess. Roger Sadowsky and Patrice Vigier can then licence Warwick to manufacture the instrument at a cost of £30,000 and then the design will be amended against my wishes to include the Just a Nut iii and be made of solid bubinga and will weigh 13lbs.

Also no. Here’s how it works for me… Everyone practises their stuff at home until they absolutely nail it. Then we get together rehearse until the band nails it. Then we gig. Does that always happen? No… but you can always hope. I joined a band just before covid and spent 18 months “nailing it”. Now the band seems to have morphed into some sort of social club.

Yeah, that's some garage... 😕🙂

Wow! Have you ever played instruments from either luthier? And, I should add, I can't imagine you have with a statement like that.

voting is up Apologies to anyone hanging till to this evening , but I've just realised that I am taking Mrs Lurks away for a couple of days. This means i wont have my computer access and I cant do this on my phone.

If it's anything like NZ's it has real teeth that are easily brought to bear. You only have to mention you know your rights under sale of goods act and they will cave. They have a schedule for expected lifespan on durable goods. TV's and fridges are something like 5 years trouble free operation regardless of the 2 year warranty. 9/10 they will give you a new one to get you out of their hair.

Not one to do this usually but I purchased a Bacchus last week from Bass Bros and the service I received was top notch. The process from start to finish was first class and Will even got in touch with me to ask what strings I would like when restringing and doing a set-up. I will definitely be using these guys again in the future. https://bassbros.co.uk

this is another new one...I like the graphics on this, seems pretty flexible, but I'd like to hear a proper bass demo

Yes it's just the micro cab, 1x6. you can just about make it out at the back of the stage area. The cab was built as a bit of a proof of concept. I frequently roll off the bass when I'm playing depending upon the venue and what else is going on in the mix. It's pretty obvious that most of what we hear as bass is the second harmonic 80-160 Hz so I wondered what a speaker with a flat response to 80Hz but very little below that would sound like. I also wanted something really portable and not too intrusive to play when I meet up with an old university friend. I had the Fane kicking around waiting to become a midrange driver and when @Pea Turghasked for a 6" to fit in a practice amp I did some modelling in WinISD and built my own too. Three or four bassists have tried it now and the response has been great. (should that be the response to the response?) I'd taken the Lockdown 110T to the pub too but didn't need it, I'd hoped to swap it in but the place was really busy and we only played three songs.

And maybe when you grow up to be a big boy Danny, you will!

Yep, my old 4003s was like that too, not to mention the squiffy bridge pickup surround. QC seems low on the Ric list of priorities.

Sounds like the best plan. It is a big commitment and by giving some of them a try you can find out what really works for you and what doesn't. That is very far from the truth. Although there are some amazing amater woodworkers that can do professional work (including a few on here), there is nothing amaturish about ACG instruments.

I received my custom J5 Contemporary this year. Build quality superb and certainly a firey beast in the mix but love it! Different strokes I guess 🙂

I have a Player. It's fab - super resonant, lightweight, good balance. Everything a good P should be.

I've no experience with ACG, but Jon Shuker will build you whatever you spec. I would have thought ACG would offer the same service. I'm just waiting on Jon finishing my order (a Precision). The spec process was quick and painless.

Tally Ho, here's my 3 minutes worth for this month. Hello, I'm Johnny Trash. The image brought to mind the rising sea levels and the consequences of climate change. However, I'm a glass half full kind of guy and that struck me as far too morose so instead I went with a country tinged toe-tapper about a train trip gone awry and the narrator more worried about his lack of Adam Peatyesque prowess and getting to his journey's end. Where was he hoping to get to, though? Epiphone guitar, Westfield bass, Hohner harmonica and drums programmed with Hydrogen. Vox Apogee Mic+. Recorded with Audacity and Wavepad for that wax cylinder clarity that I'm accustomed to. No auto-tuning has been harmed in the making of this ditty. Lyrics hidden below. And now to listen to all your splendid efforts, you clever Trevors.

It is said that some of the Impressionists, such as Cezanne and Van Gough, deliberately skewed the perspective in their 'fruit on a table' paintings to create the illusion that the fruit or crockery is just about to fall off the table and thus engage the viewer who instinctively mentally reaches forward to catch it: Then again, it might be just that they couldn't line things up accurately.... But enough culture! Back to guitar building It is with shock and apologies that I have to confess that two of the points on those diamonds are indeed lined up! Clearly, my illusionary techniques need some brushing up. But fear not. Next time I do any diamond holes, I will do absolutely everything within my abilities to ensure that none of those points line up.