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Showing content with the highest reputation on 17/04/25 in all areas
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I only went and bloody did it! After this post in the NAMM ’25 thread, and my reply, I waited, and pondered. Then, once I’d seen that Merchant City Music had the Natural version in stock, I hmm’d and ahh’d a bit more, then sent off an email enquiring about the Silver Burst version. As per this status update of mine, I went ahead with the order. Enough words, here’s the PoiDH … There's more images in this Flickr album … Reverend Triad 5 Mark10 points
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This bass was finished in November 2004 and is in excellent condition. It has the 10/90 neck with the most beautiful flame maple. The neck is the thinnest I have ever played and fretwork is excellent. The body has an ash core with really thick flame maple caps, front and back. Bass is all original with no issues. Kahler bridge, Schaller machine heads and Benedetti single coil pickups, Vigier 18v preamp. It comes in a semi-hard Gear4Music shaped case which is in excellent condition, and really good quality for a budget case. Weight is 3.7kgs10 points -
I'm moving on one of my ACG 6 string basses. The one in, one out rule applies in my house sadly, so as much as I don't want to see it go, needs must. It's a pretty special bass, 6 strings, singlecut bolt-on design, with a 31.5" scale length. Even with the shorter scale, the whole thing is so well designed and made that the low B is solid, as useable and musical as most 34" and 35" basses in my opinion, but I will attach a couple of vids so you can hear it. Here's the lowdown... 6 string, tuned B to C 31.5" scale Bolt-on construction 24 frets 16.5mm string spacing 54mm nut width STUNNING Highly Figured Black Limba Body 3 piece Wenge Neck, with Asymmetrical profile Pau Ferro Fingerboard ACG RFB pickup, humbucker, handmade by Aaron Armstrong with series/single coil/parallel switching, roughly in the MM Stingray location East Uni-pre 4K preamp with passive tone control and active/passive switching Hipshot A Type Bridge Gotoh Resolite Tuners String with Newtone Nickels, 28 40 60 80 100 125TW More pics here on the ACG site >> https://acguitars.co.uk/project/0307-finn-classic-6-31-5/ Video featuring lockdown hairdoo and beard, and the Low B string in use (recorded using a phone and a little Warwick 1x8 Combo) >> Silly video doing some noodling as part of a duel with a good friend, who is a Banjo player (recorded using a phone and a little Warwick 1x8 Combo) >> The bass is absolutely mint, only issue to declare is the 12th fret, on the high C string has a little buzz, which you can hear in the second clip if you're really listening hard, so it could do with a little fret dress on that fret, but bar that, it's all good. Looking for £1650 and it can come with a Hiscox Hardcase for an extra £50, otherwise it'll be in a TGI Extreme Gigbag. More than happy to courier within the UK, with insurance, at buyer's cost. No looking for £1550 with a TGI Extreme Gigbag. More than happy to courier within the UK, with insurance, at buyer's cost. Please check my feedback >> I'll leave this up for a couple of weeks, then I will move it to The Bass Gallery for a commission sale, but that will mean the price goes up, so if you're keen but can't quite stretch to it immediately, please get in touch, we might be able to work something out. New, this bass would now cost over £2800, and well worth it at that too. No trades thanks, I have other plans... Any questions, you know where I am Cheers, Eude7 points -
I'd like to see them replace the singer with a guy I saw advertised at a venue (doubtless a tribute) - Rog Adultery.7 points
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I am meeting up with Pete's tech in the next few days. I'll report anything exciting.6 points
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Well I'm just back from the Wakefield area and a battle through the maelstrom known as the M1, where I picked up this bitsa Jazz. It consists of a roasted Mexican Fender neck, a 'Guitar & Bass Build' high polished body, Schaller tuners, Hipshot bridge and active EMG pickups. I'll report more on the sound tomorrow when I've put some decent strings on it and set it up properly...5 points
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Thought I'd post a photo of my trio. weight wise.. TT 3.6KG VS SL 2.7KG And the monster TM 4.9 KG. Which is loaded with a SD humbucker! The old style TM is the winner for sound and playability for me, slightly fatter neck than the California ii's , but a bit too heavy for regular gig use. Interestingly it seems the TT is loaded with splitcoils and not singlecoil. Kind of darker sound for a jazz to my ears.5 points
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They annoying bit is that my eldest is at uni doing aerospace engineering and as part of the Avionics bit she's spending a lot of time in their skills lab assembling / soldering circuits using traditional components to test things before using Surface Mount stuff. Over the last few years I have sent her 3 pedal kits that I reckon she could bang out in about 10 mins each and she hasn't done any of them! But when she asks for money apparently I'm supposed to respond within 30 seconds! Bloody kids!5 points
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You hold the iron by the handle - that's the fatter part of it, not the thin, pointy, extremely hot part...5 points
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Not last night, rather last month. This place is out in the country up towards Mt. Hood in Oregon, about a twenty minute drive from where I live in Washington State. It serves an old nine hole golf course and when the weather's nice there will usually be at least 40-50 civilians and 10-20 musicians. The host plays mandolin and guitar and is conversant in many styles, so many players choose to use him for backup. Most of the open mics I frequent feature a lot of working pros, many of whom I've known for 20-30 years or more. I tend to sign up for a three song slot and then wait and see who gets shut out of the 10-12 15 minute sets, then grab a few and work out something to play. I also do solo bass sets with vocals sometimes though, or jazz duos with the host where we throw darts at his iPad and wing a few Real Book tunes. I subbed in one of his gypsy/swing/country bands years ago, and still have their book, so I can shed on a few tunes beforehand if the mood strikes too. And then for the last hour we typically turn off the PA, circle the wagons, and go around the room with everyone getting a couple of features and a lot of learning going on. I am allowed to plug in my bass, and really weak singers might get a mic if the host deems it necessary, but it's all acoustic beyond that, and often sublime. Some folks just show up for that last hour, and the staff take a load off and relax a bit, while starting to clean up a bit. We quit around 9PM, which is official closing time. This is the view of Mt Hood from the parking lot: And then this was the last electric set, which I got pulled up for with no notice, just after I finished a set with a singer-songwriter I'd never played with before: I don't own a fretted bass, but I had just finished a preamp install on that one and wanted to see how it sounded in a full mix. No advance notice of the song selection, but at least it was something I had heard 40 years ago...5 points
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All of these bands should have packed it in decades ago. Surely they could pass an Act of Parliament or something. How long can the agony be allowed to continue? It's like watching a geriatric Arthur Askey break his hip trying to disco dance for the amusement of his fellow care home residents. Would be nice if they replaced Zak with Dr David Starkey, right-wing constitutional historian. I don't think he can play the drums ( that would probably Daltrey fine) but he could give the audience some very insightful observations about the cultural context of songs like My Generation and Won't Get Fooled Again while Roger and Pete have their Tena pants changed during the interval.5 points
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If you can, do. It's one of those things where function and aesthetics mix perfectly and the sublime emerges, like an Eames chair. And, before anyone says anything, I know I am a pretentious tw*t.4 points
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Cheers all to a long weekend. Sun is shining, rum and ginger is icy cold, reggae is playing (Handsworth Revolution as this thread reminded me I should. Disk 2 with the dub versions ♨️). The cat knows the score:4 points
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I feel a potential lesson in commerce is available here. I should’ve encouraged Wee Ezette to become a painter and decorator, now I come to think about it .4 points
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I have nothing to add for the discussion other than to say when I first read the title it scanned in my head as 'Budget for a sub-par band', and I wondered why anyone would ask that! Sorry, as you were.4 points
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Tier 2 breach incoming. I have some recording to do on guitar and it needs fuzz. My collection of fuzz pedals is very small and is mostly cheap clones / inspired by stuff and I can't get them sounding how I need. So - Walrus Audio Eons 5 State Fuzz should be here on Saturday. I could pretend that I'd never use it on bass but I think we all know I'd at least give it a try, so it looks like I'm out. I lasted longer than I thought!4 points
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Poor Rog. He should've quit before he got old.4 points
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Crikey!! I hop onto BC to answer a PM, make the mistake of looking at this thread, and see that it's complete chaos in here! It's a good job Easter Monday is a bank holiday, I'll need most of the day just to update the status list. 😄 Well done to everyone still in, and have fun with your new gear the rest of you. Enjoy the Easter weekend.3 points
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Feeler Uncle Acid And The Deadmeats Pear Factory Lear Factory Near Factory Dear Factory Year Factory Wear Factory Rear Factory Ear Factory Tear Factory Sear Factory Gear Factory Hear Factory Bear Factory I am the saddest creature involved in this malarkey and I claim my five pounds.3 points
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I watched it last night. Excellent insight to the legend. Thanks for sharing. If you want to watch it without the ads put a - between the "t" and "u" in the youtube like this yout-ube and you will see the video without the ads. Works on all youtube videos i've tried. Sometimes it gives an error message , but just refresh the browser window and is ok. You can thank me later 🤓😎3 points
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I met Boz Burrell in the 90s, in pub in Edinburgh, when he was in Tam White's band. He was real geezer. He was in a happy frame of mind as he'd just got off a 6 week reunion tour with Bad Company and was $600,000 richer. (nice work if you can get it).3 points
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These are on clearance at Anderton's currently - £149 ! Metallic Black - https://www.andertons.co.uk/soloking-mj1-classic-4-string-bass-in-metallic-black/ Lake Placid Blue - https://www.andertons.co.uk/soloking-mj1-classic-4-string-bass-in-lake-placid-blue/3 points
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That had been what had prompted my investigation, but the memorial page is from MacMillan and so there may have been another explanation. No age to go, but it would have been all the more tragic had she had a hand in it hertself.3 points
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One of Mick's fine library just came my way ..a pleasure to deal with , many thanks mate 👍3 points
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As a Kiwi Johnny Cash tribute act might sing… 🎵 “…made my home on a burnin’ ‘Ring of Fire’…”3 points
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My Twins...3 points
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I've resisted removing the chrome surround for years, but it was affecting the playability. I'm surprised by how much I like the look of the new bezel to be honest. Next up: Tomastik flats3 points
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Hi folks, for sale is my OLP bass in black with a BWB pickguard, a nice looking Rosewood board and black hardware (honourable exceptions being the jack socket nut and washer and the jack plate on the bottom of the bass; see below). I think these were mostly made around 2006 in China under licence by Ernie Ball and were the forerunners of the SBMM bases. My research would suggest that this is one of the 3rd series basses characterised by: Small bridge plate as on modern Stingrays, with studs flanking the saddles, as on Stingrays. The body edges have a smaller radius. Many black, silver and metallic blue finishes. Lots of rosewood fingerboards. Basswood body. No natural finishes to speak of, but quilt and flame top veneers appeared. The usual passive VVT controls. Necks stayed wide but relatively shallow profile (the nut width is 42mm) The bass is in good condition as I hope you can see from the photos. Black basses are a bit of a ‘mare for me to capture properly (so any tips welcome) and I’d be happy to produce more pics as required. As is often the case, this bass has been modded or upgraded (depending upon your POV) as follows: The almost standard upgrade to fit a Retrovibe Stinger ’77 preamp. This is one of the newer ones with smaller pots to allow more space for board and battery. Warman MM4 AlNiCo; there is plenty of info on the Warman website. It’s a really nice sounding pickup imho and currently wired in parllel. I have hollowed out the control cavity a bit more to allow the battery and preamp PCB to fit more comfortably flat on the bottom of the cavity. The knobs are now Spector knobs. Sorry I don’t have the originals, but I think these look way nicer. Again YMMV The previous owner has created a hole for a jack socket on the bottom of the bass (please see the pics). The bottom jack socket is not currently in use, but I was thinking about adding in the Artec QDD onboard overdrive unit (also for sale on here) and moving the jack there again. Please check out the Low-End Lobster mod video for creating a budget version of the SBMM Dark Ray. The bass comes fitted with D’Addario EXL170BT strings that are maybe 4 months old now and will come with a decent gig bag. As with many of these basses, it weighs just over 4.3kgs according to my scales. It’s a lovely instrument and only for sale as arthritis is starting to badly impact my playing so slowly (and painfully) getting rid of my gear that I have accumulated over the years. Collection or meet up would be preferred, but I have suitable packaging so I can post this at cost; probably around £15 to £20. Here are some pics:3 points -
He's still writing the book.3 points
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A few observations … The pickups have this odd (to me) looking lip on the top of them. This is neither good nor bad, just something I never expected. The volume level from the bridge pickup (soloed) is pants. Very different to either the middle or neck pickups. ^^ Ignore the above, stupid person alert ^^ This isn’t really a big deal to me as I’d never be soloing that pickup anyway - I never run bridge pickups solo - but may be useful information for someone else reading this. I’d be much happier if, instead of solo bridge pickup, I could have all three pickups instead. The neck/middle pickups sound great though, and the bridge with middle pickup works very well too, so there’s absolutely zero complaints about the voicing of pickups in the available combinations. Da fuq is up with the fretboard overhang?!? I just don’t get it. It looks, I want to say vulnerable, or fragile, but I guess I just don’t understand why it was left like that and they didn’t have the neck go all the way under the fretboard. Speaking of the neck, it’s absolutely gorgeous to play this bass. It’s effortless to travel up and down the neck whilst playing. I was almost able to play it straight out of the box, there were very minor tuning adjustments needed, no issue with neck relief though, just tuner tweaks. For the people wanting numbers, it’s a 34” scale, 19mm string spacing and 47mm nut. Mark3 points
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Yes, I currently work for Mesa Boogie, I'm the principle engineer behind all of the Subway bass products but also handle various aspects of the guitar amp world as well. I work(ed) hand in hand with Randy, John, Jim and Doug, spent a lot of time with them, in addition to all the other folks. While I'm the "new guy", I've been designing Mesa for about 12 years, and prior to that I designed for Genz Benz/Fender for about 30 years, plus all my pro audio designs, so I've been around the block more than a few times. I've spent quite a bit of time quantifying guitar amp distortion characteristics (not surprising given our experience in the hard rock and metal world) and in general the desired distortion tones (especially lead) run between say 25% and 40%, but there are a whole family of tones that go beyond this too. Of course the amp is ~1/2 the instrument, the texture and tone of overdrive and distortion are a big part of the creative elements of "guitar tone", specifically how it sits in a mix. Randy's a very cleaver, creative guy, he quickly recognized what players were desiring and through a lot of work (including trial and error since there weren't many if any to copy from) developed the driven tones through cascading gain stages, then voicing these gain stages to be more and more useful for particular genres. If you were to study his products and their progression, you would see that he was constantly learning and evolving his designs as the music styles and player demand evolved. John has taken over the guitar amp design work now that Randy retired. At 80 years old, he had earned the opportunity for some new adventures that didn't involve day to day obligations. I have designed several solid state guitar amps as well, mostly with tube preamps, and I haven't run into any limitations of solid state power amps, especially when they were designed with guitar amplification in mind. Some of these turned into commercial products, some are just stepping stones to other implementations of technology. Hope this helps explain my perspective.3 points
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Tribute Band Replaces Drummer3 points
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Seems reasonable given Moon was known for his underplaying 👍3 points
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He doesn't seem too devastated He put this up on his social wotsits a few days before the official announcement3 points
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Hi guys, in my search for the right vintage Tobias I ended up buying 2 so one needs to go. This one has got a history so I’ll try to represent to the best of my knowledge. Serial number 1784, which places it post Gibson buy-out but pre handout which means still built by Michael Tobias and crew. Walnut with a Wenge tone block and stringers. Original Bartolini Tobias split coil pickups. More on the preamp below…. Weight is 4.3kg as far as I could see on my kitchen scales which is great for a 6 string. This bass was acquired by previous owner as a restoration project. Didn’t have the original TCT preamp and apparently was very scratched and worn. He did a refinish (and he’s done a great job as far as I can see) and converted it to a 5 string - new nut and replacement bridge. Apparently someone along the line decided to install a 13 pin midi connector on it which I was intending to use and install a GK3B pickup - might as well turn the flaw into an advantage - just a thought if someone interested in it is also into his synth sounds. I have restored the bass to 6 string - it came with the spare parts that were removed for the conversion so bridge and nut are original. Bits needing TLC: When refinish was done, they didn't cover the slot where the nut rests so the original nut was sitting too low when I put it back on. I’ve shimmed it with a couple of veneer strips - but it’s something that can be redone professionally at some point. Bass has a couple of holes drilled for mini switches. More on that below. As mentioned, bass didn’t come with the original preamp. I have installed a reissue TCT (which in my knowledge and opinion is VERY close to the original, I have examples of both and have done a lot of A/B testing). The control cavity has been copper shielded - again not the neatest work I’ve seen so this can be professionally redone at some point too. On the photos below the wiring isn’t at as neat as it should be but that is because I did a temporary installation of the new TCT. I’ll clean that up once a potential buyer decides what do they want inside. Case it came in is old and battered - I guess it’s been toured. So I have an option to sell it with: Original vintage TCT and mid module wired to spec (managed to source that from abroad) - £3700 Reissue TCT and mid module wired to spec - £3600 John East Uni-pre (the one it came to me with) - £3700 The two TCT preamps are currently wired with a passive / active volume pots which leaves the two mini switches unused - I could rewire it with a normal volume pots and wire one of the switches to active / passive. The John East comes with 2 mini switches - I guess that’s why they drilled the holes in a first place - one is active / passive, the other one is a kill switch. I am not going to post this bass as a potential buyer needs to try it and make sure they’re happy with it, plus don’t have packaging materials and don’t want to live in anxiety for a week with all the shipping horror stories. Happy to drive anywhere in the UK for petrol costs or have it checked out at my place in Ealing, west London.2 points -
Thanks for the message. I have got pictures of quite a lot of them and I did think of doing a (very) mini personal version of Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass, but I am wondering what She Who Must Be Feared And Obeyed would do if it was ever discovered. Most likely something injurious to my health and wellbeing.2 points
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She was one of the good ones.2 points
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They're few and far between for me, too! For every gig like this, there's fifty "Why do I bother?" pub gigs... something most Basschatters can probably relate to!2 points
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Grizzly Bass OD/Distortion/Tone shaper - very recently bought on here from @IanA (so I have used his photos and description and linked the ad below). It’s a really good pedal, you can do an awful lot of different things with it - and it does them all really well, but it’s more than I need atm and if I’m honest I just like buying & selling pedals and trying new stuff 😁 I’m not really an overdrive person, but that being said I’m interested in trades/deals for a Trickfish Overdrive Preamp, a Genzler 4 on the floor OD, a DCX Bass or a Genzler Magellan DI (with appropriate cash adjustments). Other than that I’m maybe interested in trades for preamps or compressors but really I’ve priced it cheap to sell £125 - fiver postage if needed Previous ad 👇2 points -
Mike’s still here, doing mostly legacy repairs and touring support of legacy products. There are lots of things being done with solid state that can address most of the feel issues, your example of the MOSValve amps is one approach that was originally designed by BK Butler, we acquired the brand after it fell on very hard times (we built cabinets for TubeWorks for a while, before they shut down) and developed some new products, but the brand reputation was just too damaged to overcome the legacy issues. The work on solid state power amps for guitar continues on under the radar, Pat Quilter’s efforts are probably some of the most successful but then there’s also the Tonemaster series that’s gaining ground and popularity. It’s a very complicated balancing exercise to develop new technology that convincingly emulates both the tone/voicing and the feel of the older technology. Of course you already know this with your products, specially the SansAmp.2 points
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Does Mike Bendinelli still work there or is he long gone? He used to be one of the guys I would talk to there. I had one of the first Mesa MKII's (1978?) back when you would deal directly with Randy and his first wife Raven. My favorite amp was the MKIII Simulclass for lead guitar. I had a Studio Preamp and their old 50/50. The only thing I have left is their 112 Thiele which is not a good guitar cab but works for bass. I don't have problem with SS. When paired through a good SS or tube power amp our stuff can get very close to a tube amp sound. Recorded, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. When push comes to shove I have not found any SS tech that can compete with what a good tube amp can do in terms of "feel" and tonal complexity. If you take something like my old BF Deluxe RVB amp. Our engineer replaced the output transformer with a Bandmaster transformer which makes it "sound" like a bigger amp but the wattage is technically the same. It also was modded with a cathode bias switch that removes the negative feedback. Substitute a 12AY7 in the first preamp stage and use a 12at7 in the PI slot and the sound and "feel" drastically changes and that's running the amp clean. You would be hard pressed to do that in a SS design. The Mosvalve was my favorite SS power amp for guitar and Quilter is doing some interesting things but it never gets quite there. Of course for some sounds and designs SS can be superior. Bass is a bit different. For the maximum amount of headroom in a tube bass amp, the weight and cost can be deal breakers for most.2 points
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So.... Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend have fired Zak Starkey from The Who after this recent performance. I find it absolutely staggering that some of my favourite musicians could go out and play like that, being so badly under-rehearsed and then turn round and blame the drummer for it all. To be honest, Roger Daltrey's voice stopped being great years ago and Pete Townshend did very well to stand through that show, following his recent knee surgery. He soldiered bravely on through the pain, but his best years as a guitarist have also long gone. It's an old joke to say turn round and blame the drummer when a song goes wrong. If I were them, I would have taken the band back into a rehearsal room for a week or two and have looked honestly at what, if anything, is lacking. 'Go To The Mirror Boy' - to quote Pete Townshend. It really pains me to say that The Who are nothing like they used to be at all. A man's got to know his limitations. Lesser mortals like myself have set sensible end dates. Quit while you're ahead, I always say.2 points
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Through mutual friends, I play in a band with him (Simon Law) and he built my two main stage basses for me (replicas of my 66 Precision).2 points
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I'm sorry to hear this. RIP Sam2 points
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Terribly sad news, RIP Sam John2 points
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@TheGreek's Psilos as built by @Andyjr1515 springs to mind.2 points
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I was having a laugh (as indicated by the winking smiley after my text), and I didn't make it personal. You can stick your "clueless" comment somewhere else - I've owned two, and it was two too many for me, that's my clue, it is derived from personal experience. If you like 'em, you're not wrong - I'm not going to call you names for liking them, so how's about a bit of respect for those whose opinions you disagree with?2 points
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Oh no, she was lovely. Awful news, RIP Sam.2 points
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That’s so unfair, awful to hear. She had some cool ideas and great humour. If i recall correctly, didn’t her cat meet an untimely end in the flat fire? If so, I hope they’re both making cool music up there together now.2 points
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Two gigs for me last weekend. First was with the blues band at a rather remote pub on the coast. Not as busy as last time we did it but still a small appreciative crowd. I made a classic schoolboy error of leaving home a bit late and grabbing a gig bag on the way out, only to discover I’d brought along the ‘wrong’ bass. Fortunately I also brought along my Dano Longhorn to show the guys, so ended up using that into the Rumble 500 and it sounded pretty damned good. Haven’t used it for a while, so a nice reminder of how it will always be a keeper. (see pic). Then Sunday I was with the duo at our regular venue in Scarborough, ‘The Lookout on the Pier’. A full house as per usual and some interesting requests, including ‘A certain smile’ ( for the owner Jill ), ‘Africa’ and ‘An Englishman in New York’ with the crazy walking bit in the middle which is OLF. Encore of ‘Eight days a week’ which is a cracking tune as well. We’re there again in May and it’s always a pleasure.2 points
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