Leaderboard

This just arrived... ...and some of these to go on it: The shipping box was pretty warm to the touch (it’s 37c here, it must have been scorchio in the back of the UPS truck) and the bass was noticeably warm once unpacked. First impressions? It’s light, well finished and it seems to be set up pretty well, the intonation is almost spot on. I’ll let it settle tonight and put the La Bellas on tomorrow before mucking around with string heights or anything. This will be maybe the sixth Mustang bass I’ve had, I just keep coming back to them. It’s unlikely I’ll gig with it (rarely play live nowadays) but I’m totally looking forward to recording with it, and noodling away to old ska records at home and all that.

It's a shame for those who wanted a new one, I know my brother was looking to put an order down on a new Kingbass. I guess for Rob, he's leaving money on the table; it's hard to image a time when Status doesn't have a group of players that will always want one and his order book would be full forever more if he hadn't made the decision to stop, but for all of us, there comes a point when time becomes more important than money, particularly when you're in your late 60s and have had a cancer diagnosis. I said the same for the recent retirements of Mike Pedulla and the pending retirement of Patrice Vigier who is now clearing his build queue before shuttering his business. A lot of the old legendary brands are shutting down and frankly I don't see much of anything coming to replace them, particularly for a brand like Status who really never had an equal or even pretenders to their throne. Vigier moved away from carbon fibre necks and went with their 90/10 wood to carbon system a long time ago, Enfield would make a bass with a carbon wrap over the wood (so not a real carbon neck), Modulus seem to play to a different crowd. Schack and Bogart were in a similar vein to Status but were much more niche and let's be honest, Status were a niche company even in bass circles. I think of Status as being like the McLaren of the bass guitar world. Forward-thinking, innovative and at a time, they were the cutting edge. You could argue that the lack of innovations in bass construction since the advent of carbon fibre is testament to how good the material is and how good Status were at using it. For the kind of bass they wanted to make, there was no better material and no better construction method. While some other British brands continue pumping out hoary old dinosaurs for sky-rocketing prices, Status would make you a bass that really was unrivaled in many ways and they would do it for an exceptionally reasonable price. I looked at the price of a top of the line bass from their pricelist not that long ago, and my dream bass, all-options ticked kind of thing was only about £3500. Madness really, for something of that quality, made in the UK. We didn't know how good we had it. Will the basses continue, being built under a new team? Maybe. The wording of the statement is very open. The talk of the end of the "current" range, who knows what the future may hold etc. However, based on the tenures of staff Rob names in the statement, unless they started with Status from a young age, they probably aren't spring chickens either and without the main man at the helm, could they carry on without him, albeit under his supervision to a degree? Who knows. It would be really cool if they could take their knowledge and start a new brand to continue on the legacy. This all seems like such a shame because without anything else to take their place, Status are leaving a hole in the bass world that really isn't filled by any other brand. I would say though, that the time to buy a used Status is surely now, if you wanted one, before people start hoarding them and boosting prices because of Rob's retirement.

My new purchase, Jake 4P Custom “Jeff Ament” 😀 Superlight chambered mahogany body (3.27kg) Custom matt orange finish Reverse matching headstock Hard rock maple neck with carbon reinforcing rods for supreme stability Satin finished neck 42mm nut width Haeussel Bassbar 'Thunderbird-style' pickups Hipshot Ultralite machineheads Passive electronics (volume, volume, tone)

Michael V. P., Patrice V., and now... I wish Rob gets best possible treatment.

Then he could eat his hat!

I think the comments are well intentioned and orientated towards keeping his legacy going. I hope he feels some pride that people would like to see the brand continue.

Let the man be and give him some time to decide. Speculation mere minutes after the announcement is just tasteless. I would take Rob back at full health any day over a thousand more Status basses.

I took a bit of a £16.90 gamble on a Thomann Beat Bass gig bag (meant for Hofner violin basses) and can confirm a Mustang fits nicely! The first time it was a bit tight around the upper horn but that seems easier after a day or two. The bag has semi-rigid 20mm padding and can happily stand up on its own, so not at all flimsy. If I end up keeping the Mustang, then I would probably buy a suitable hard case. In the meantime, the Beat bag will more than do!

Blue Suede Choose ～ HRH King Elvis

BIke shop seems to be the usual suggestion for Basses but I reckon for an amp double box it with plenty of bubble wrap. Those large supermarket fruit trays ( loose apples and pears) tend to be quite thick and you could cut one down to fit.

sting needs a mention...he wasn't the virtuoso bass player as such but what he does is spot on for the track every time.

Can’t see the full bass in the pic... but has the headstock been reshaped into a Tele bass shape by any chance? Is there any Sharpie pen on it anywhere? Might explain how this would happen to a vintage Fender. 🤔

As the title suggests... I've moved country and needed a bass to keep me company while the others are back waiting for me overseas. The Tokai came up for a good deal on gumtree, I went to check it out and couldn't leave without it. This thing is mad. It's hot, bling, garish and built like an anvil. Sounds ballsy and plays superbly too. It's like if Arnold Schwarzenegger were a drag queen, but it's a bass. Anyway, here's pics.

Some thoughts on SLB300 First Why bother ? Still the case a standard BD of reasonable quality produces THE tone we all aspire to BUT always subject to; 1. Players competence 2. Sting type ( as we all know, a minefield of expense, frustration, and, occasionally, satisfaction ! ) 3. Where you are playing (natural acoustic of playing space make so much difference) 4. What you are playing ( for me pizz. 99% of the time) 5. Who you are paying with So my comments are broadly based on my playing situation which is usually; 1. Competence - keen amateur, coming from electric bass guitar - fretless electric - double bass ( westone thunder / westone thunder 1A / fender early 70's jazz / squier bespoke fretless, bespoke Zoot fretless / Aria travel fretless / hatpeg Czech Republic(1918 to 1938) carved bass, SLB300 ) 2. Using SLB300 with supplied strings ( D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Light) which are not too different to the Evah Perpetuals I have ended up with on the DB. I have not tried different strings on the SLB yet as I like the supplied strings tone and feel. 3. Practice - large front room, SLB provides enough acoustic volume and tone to use without amp if solo practice. Playing to other music needs amp. 4. Most paid work is in small semi -pro swing band ranging from small festivals, pubs, small and medium sized halls, private functions (indoors and outside) - so never the same except repeat gigs and re-producing the lovely low volume tone the SLB gives at practice is still a struggle the same as for acoustic DB - BUT crucially less of an issue because we can now get Volume without feedback. The bass does not go through the pa for most of our small gigs but obviously does on festival gigs. ( thesultans.org - judge for yourself, don't be mean!) 5. The swing band is two saxes, guitar, singer, drums and moi. - drummer is of the quieter jazz variety but I struggled to get a consistent, tone full front of house sound with the hatpeg - into Ear Trumpet Nadine mic - into Acoustic image with enough volume. Secondary issue is transporting the DB or leaving it unattended anywhere - haven't come to grief yet but come very close many times. How does SLB cope ? For practice, no issues, feels like the acoustic version, plays like the acoustic version, and sounds like a (very quiet)acoustic. I chopped a little off the bridge feet to allow some height adjustment and the action is currently a little lower than my DB but the board will need some Martin Penning ( Frome based - DB luthier ) magic attention if I wanted to go really low (which I don't). I have gone a little lower for playing comfort over longer gigs. I suspect Martin would also thin out the supplied bridge as it is a little chunky - there is some comment on forums on this. For live playing I usually use have "tone" maxed out in favour of one of the supplied tone shapes ( if you don't want these tone maps why buy the SLB300 in the first place ) as opposed to the undoctored piezo tone. I like the ability to boost the volume from the instrument rather than having to access the amp in the middle of a tune or between tunes. I usually have the bass and treble on middle and just use the volume control if a tune needs more upfront bass. There is a noticeable difference between the supplied 3 basic tones but I think the differences get lost as the overall band volume increases. On a number like "Fever" the richer tone is welcome and can be heard given the sparse arrangement, most of the time I leave it on the second option ( quality dynamic mic ? ) which fits best with the wide variety of stuff we do. As the amp volume goes up I usually end up reducing the lower frequencies on the amp to restrict boom, but the SLB bass and treble contols stay close to middle. In a difficult venue with difficult acoustics ( super low ceiling - boomy - etc ) I content myself by having enough volume headroom even if I need to loose a lot of bottom end to get some clarity of note tone so the SLB is easier to use than the hatpeg. The band have started to hear me better due to all this - I usually use a an upshot extension speaker on the opposite side of the stage so all the band can enjoy the bass notes ! Transport and storage obviously less stress. Has accommodated assembly and dis-assembly without issues so far. About 3 minutes to assemble from case if you take your time. SLB battery life - my advice, ALWAYS carry spares, the battery (like all batteries) chooses to start failing mid gig, a red light starts to flash and panic sets in - how many minutes left, will I make it to the end of this set ?. Acquaint yourself with exactly how the replacements must be fitted in the pop out holder, a dark stage, mid gig is not conducive to this . The output starts to fade as the power diminishes and you are unlikely to get by on the unpowered piezo. The SLB produces more sustain than the hatpeg but I damp this automatically the same as for fretless bass guitar. Not sustain to the extent of a fretless guitar but it is definitely there. I purchased the top bout extension ( ouch ) which gives a better playing position to match the hatpeg. SLB seems to stay in tune with itself consistently. Recording - nothing done in a studio with this but I have put the SLB straight into a Yamaha digital recorder ( AWB 16 ) and the result is quite acceptable. On a Festival Stage, make sure the stage engineer gives you full fat foldback sound ( then reduce bass to taste) - if they treat the SLB as an electric guitar they will suck all the bass life out of it - a very nasty onstage experience if you are giving it your all on the first number and all you can hear is ultra tinny. One has to hope the front of house is not the same. Is it worth it ? I think so, the re-sale value is good and as long as I look after it properly its net cost to me will be acceptable and the ability to be heard clearly and with DB tone on our gigs gives me playing satisfaction and suits the stuff we are doing.

I slways set the neck dead straight. Then adjust the saddles.

An occupational hazard when playing a decent car show is the never-ending drive-past / parade happening in front of the band. However, like the consummate professionals we are (oh alright then, semi-pro) we never missed a beat. 😉 The first Basschatter to correctly identify every vehicle that appears in this video will win The Square Root Of Bugger All. Answers on a postcard ...

I remember the Singer Chamois, you washed them with hot water and they dried themselves....

I spoke with Dawn today about an unrelated matter but took the time to pass on my own personal gratitude as well as (I hope) that of the wider bass playing community. I'm sure others did too far more eloquently than I other could: a lovely gracious lady who represents her, Rob and the wider Status family. Dawn was quick to point out it was a "semi" retirement and I for one will be interested to see what the future holds. I'm glad I rediscovered Status when I did. Wishing them all the very best in what I hope will be a long fulfilling future

I spoke with Dawn today about an unrelated matter but took the time to pass on my own personal gratitude as well as (I hope) that of the wider bass playing community. I'm sure others did too far more eloquently than I other could: a lovely gracious lady who represents her, Rob and the wider Status family. Wishing them all the very best in what I hope will be a long fulfilling future

STOP!! Hammer time. U can't touch this - M C Hammer

It's only a one-watt fan, but it's a Trace Elliot Watt.

There goes a solid 66% of my repertoire.

I hope Rob is fully in remission and that he enjoys his semi retirement as he put it. I would imagine that they'll be outsourcing instruments and some form of announcement will be made in the near future. From a personal perspective, I've met Rob and Dawn a few times and they're lovely people. As the owner of the last status Buzzard, I'm happy that he made that bass as to me it is the greatest bass ever made. The irony is the week before they stopped taking orders I was going to order a Stealth. I had the email in draft and was just mulling over an option or two. I've literally been awaiting them to take orders again. I guess I'll have to see what goes on. One thing is for sure. If the brand comes back it won't be "Status by Warwick" after the Buzzard debacle in 2005.

I hope Rob gets the best treatment & makes a good recovery.

That little caption bottom right. “Need help?” I do now!

This is clarifying something that's troubled me over many years. Once again i find @agedhorse coming forward with valuable insights into this complex issue and simplifying as much as possible for non-techs. Its nice to know how designers think about this subject. This might explain why Mesa amps are solid bits of kit 👍 Cheers @agedhorse Dave

This ☝️ is friggin' genius.

Basschat group buy?

Self storage companies - Big Yellow, Shurgard et al - sell large strong cardboard boxes. I bought a couple of dozen for my recent house move and they did the job.

Quick release - absolutely. I'm with you there too. So there are at least 2 of us loonies ! Interesting. I have used and liked the dual band comp on my old SMX trace. I do use multiband compression, so I shall have some experimentation with different attack times for different bands. Already there. I use a Hypergravity. Mujltiband and uber-configurable. Completely designed for a compression fusspot like myself. Attack times up to 100ms are available.

Fruit boxes are what I use - that. and PVA glue to stick the parts together. Two joined lengthways made a good box for a banjo (and the section on the middle was cut to make a neck rest). As for the amplifier, insert puns below about Orange amps, Apple Music, or a Pear of speakers...

😲 Wow, sad times indeed but understandable considering and why not, life is too short so I don't blame him wanting to retire and enjoy life. I never did get myself a Status bass but would love an all black graphite headed fretless. It also looks unlikely I will ever get an unlined fretless neck for my Stingray either. Good luck to Rob and the team and all the best for the future. They are bass legends.

Choosey Susie. Stranglers

I well remember when at Panasonic that a certain company (Korean company beginning with S) claimed a huge brightness figure for their Plasma screens. How did they do it? By reducing the size of the white area measured. The power supply of plasma screens could not maintain full brightness over the whole screen so the smaller you could make the measured square, the brighter the picture. They reduced the square from 2.54 x 2.54cm to 1 x 1 cm and hence the power supply could maintain a higher brightness. Your calcs on the Bugera are about right.

Lay Ladle Lay ～ Bob D'ylan