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Just a quick message to let everyone know that John of Noise Works did a fantastic job of fixing an awful banana neck on an eBay-acquired 1979 Shergold Marathon bass. I bought said bass a couple of months back and did everything I could (truss rod, low tension strings, filed some proud frets etc) but the bass was virtually unplayable - looks like it had sat in its case unplayed for years with high tension Rotosound steels. I tried the Shergold forum on FaceBook (thanks @ash for reminding me of this forum) and some peeps recommended John. Eventually I went with their advice. Over the course of a few weeks, John heat clamped the neck, fixed the dents and bumps on the back of the neck and levelled/polished the frets. The result is a slick playing, low action bass with loads of 70s/80s cred. Very reasonable price and friendly service too. Recommended!

It’s arrived and it’s like an old friend coming home ! Needed setting up, action was very high and the Rosewood fretboard was drier than a nuns chuff ! Anyways fretboard done, frets polished and action set and she’s ready to play

Jazz numberrrrrr nine? I think? I've stopped counting.

Picked up the combo a few weeks back and happened upon the cab a few days ago having given up hope of ever finding the matching set - love, love, love this thing! punchy TE sound in spades, plus it glows under UV 👽 1994 vintage

I've been having a really good session again today looking at the Silverstone II. Today's progress has been really interesting, using the Silverstone as a pure FRFR solution (I've also been playing with the cabinet from a "standard rig" point of view too). As I have one in for review, the Darkglass Anagram has been providing front end duties along with my beloved and rather ancient Alesis 24 band programmable EQ in to my fave Bergantino B|Amp or my EBS 802. I have to say that Silverstone II takes effects and amp sims admirably! I've dialled in a killer tone on the Anagram which sounds brilliant through both my studio monitors and the Silverstone II. In a live setting, I have the option of sending FOH a different signal, so there's plenty of options for doing that but it's nice to know that what is coming out of the cabinet behind me is a fair representation of what FOH is also getting. For me, this is really important. A very capable and portable solution with plenty of beans on tap! More later

The only ones I can confirm are definitely genuine are Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Pepys, Glenn Miller, Jesus, and Paddington Bear

Here's my baby

I recently picked up a new jazz bass... MIJ active deluxe LTD. Beautiful to play and lovely tone. A nice companion to my Japanese Stingray. I like Japanese stuff, alright?

My work here is done - for now. Having considered putting an HX Stomp on my board I finally opted for an HX One on the basis that I rarely use effects and then only one at a time. Also swapped out the Mooer baby tuner for a Boss TU-2. It all runs from a battery.

The other obvious advantages of the FI over the MXR: - input gain - 99 presets, in banks of 10 (sure, I get that is overkill for many) - two stomp switches - display - midi The FI v4 VIP has a pedal-board friendly format not too far off what the MXR delivers My tuppence worth, if I may, if Andreas wants to stay in the game with the advent of the MXR Three improvements to suggest: - improved display. Boss stole a lead on this some while ago - please check their 200 series => can label patches with words and not just numbers. "Chaka Khan" is so much easier to remember than "#06"! - load patches 1 - 10 with popular cover band patches - arpegiattor (currently only available on Boss SY series of mainstream bass synth pedals) Marketing: Why aren't there any decent YT clips of bass-players using the FI v4 VIP live in a band in the way that Paddy has just posted?

OK I am breaking a self-imposed decade-long exile from posting to chime in here, because I just got the Future Impact VIP that was up for sale and I'm so bloody impressed with it as a product. You guys are absolutely right - in fact, I'd said something eerily similar to Peter earlier today in a private chat where he was very kindly giving me advice on a usb-midi converter. First up - tracking on the VIP is stellar. I don't have the MXR, but I own the Source C4 and used to own the original Deep Impact. This feels both immediate and accurate, it gives me that finger-ear connection that makes me believe I'm playing an instrument. Feed it clean bass with clean technique and octaves jumps, slides, ghost notes, bends are no problem. The only thing that might improve it a little bit is some kind of training mode with AI or similar to give even better, context-dependent note-on/-off triggering. But it's already really, really good. If you're competent enough to play in a funky covers band then this pedal will do what you want with minimal adaptation to your playing style, you can play it and still feel like a bassist. Sonically, I only needed to play through a few presets to hear very clearly that this will do anything that is showcased on that MXR demo, and more besides; including stuff the MXR can't do to the best of my knowledge but stuff that's still useful for actual real-world bassists. E.g. some of those classic bass monosynth patches a la MJ or Herbie rely on mixed waveform voices and/or pulse width modulation. The MXR 'voice' button is a bit of a black box that sort of kind of maybe covers these a bit but definitely not to the extent the FIV4 does. The FIv4 filters and associated envelopes sound great in a way the C4 can't manage; the sweeps are smooth, the tone is fat and pristine in a good way, that'll dirty up nicely if desired. In particular the very starts of the notes are the first time I've been convinced by a bass synth. Ergonomically, the VIP makes this much pedalboard friendly and the metal finish looks good, better in real life than on-screen. In an ideal world a future hardware revision would include LCD screen, USB interface and either rotation of the VIP casing 90 degrees while retaining top cable entry, or an additional footswitch for separating patch up/down functions. At the moment fast-pressing moves you down a patch number instead of up, it is ok when you get used to it. As Al has said above: The big but very solvable problem is that the v4/VIP presets showcase the power and quality of the pedal but by and large aren't at all useful for the average gigging bassist in a band. All it needs is slots 1-10, or better 1-20, to be filled with a range of presets chosen to mimic synth bass in classic tracks a la the MXR, and it would elevate it to the undisputed top of the pile. It wouldn't matter how easy it is to edit beyond the basic level and dynamics controls on the front, because the users that feared the editor would never need to touch it. That'd probably also help with the dearth of decent Youtube demos, since bass reviewers wouldn't have to gain programming expertise first. I think part of the issue for the FI is that the people developing it are way more adventurous and forward-looking than us bassists! As it is, for now we just have to accept getting our editing fingers dirty or at least downloading some of QM's excellent patches. Hence my question to him about an appropriate MIDI adaptor. A secondary problem is that a lot of the useful online info about the FIv4 is buried in gigantic megathreads here and at the Other Place, that are hard to search or browse efficiently. Honestly I love the MXR demo and am still keen to try one, but I think once the hype has died down the FIv4 will emerge as still being current best-in-class for synth bass. It's not just powerful, it's musical and fun. Right I'll climb off my soap box now! Be interested to hear people's takes on which classic synth bass tracks would make the cut for a preset top ten or top twenty...

In theory this ought to be possible as the patch files contain a 32-character name already. That could easily be done in the next update. (Even before as it’s just a question of assembling them and uploading the bank file to the cloud.) I presume rhetorical. Mainly because no one has bothered to do any. I did get Panda to send Gaz Williams a unit with the express outcome that he’d record a video but a year on he’s still not got around to it! I’ve just revived an old idea of mine for being able to move patches around on the pedal without recourse to the editor as I’ve finally had the headspace to flesh out a nice UI for it. Let’s see if it’s possible as regards the actual coding.

Timescale depends on how long it takes to reach the minimum order quantity, fabrication will take a month after the orders are recieved. The heel can't been pre-drilled because the location of the holes depend very much on where the holes in the body are located and different basses may have holes that are out by a fraction of a millimetre - which matters when it comes to the neck. However, inserts and neck bolts will be included. Drilling the holes is relatively straight forward if you have brad pointed drill bits, clamps and a drill press. Just install the neck in the body pocket, make sure it's a good fit against the longer side of the neck pocket and mark the holes by putting a drill bit or something pointy and the same diameter as the holes. Then just twist so the end makes a mark in the heel and then transfer the neck to a drill press, clamp it securely and drill out the mark with a brad pointed drill bit that almost matches the diameter of the inserts. Then screw the inserts until flush, add a blob of superglue to each and install the neck in the body.

Unlined with the dots on the side at correct place (where the note would be).

Awesome news, welcome to the dark side 🤣

I met Dave Swift at the same Bass Bash and asked him about this. He said if he used a flat-wound B string it sounded ‘like a football hitting a sheep’! No-one has mentioned Dingwalls yet, so… Dingwalls. Most will be aware that they (and other fan-frets) overcome the common problem of indistinct B strings by using a different scale length for each string. I had a Super P (with 35in B) that did the 5-string Precision thing brilliantly. I only traded it because I discovered I liked the tightness of a 37in B.

If I remember correctly I was chatting with Dave Swift at the SE Bash a few years back and his 5 string Fender had flats E to G but a round B - maybe to get better definition?

You will need an interface to get your bass audio in there. A pickup is less ffaff than a mic. Audio interfaces are cheap on FB marketplace. You will need to have some sort of syncing noise/visual so you can glue audio and video together in iMovie You will need to spend 3 or 4 hours on a "teach yourself Garage Band" YT series. It is far from rocket science, but if you just pile in and hope for the magic after 10 minutes you are destined for Dissapoinment Central.

I had a HA550 that was awesome but too big and heavy for my needs. Had a Kickback 12” 120w combo that was great … but again heavy! Loved the look of the aluminium driver tho.

Got through 2 ½ hours of rehearsal with the originals band tonight. Finalised arrangements for three songs and started tidying up a fourth. Quite chuffed as two of the songs I'm using a plectrum and my technique is starting to tidy up - the P sounds awesome through my gigging rig. For one song in Bb I use my tuner as a capo on the E string... Have tried to apply a bit of music theory to my basslines and it's starting to pay off with some non-obvious melodic lines on the quieter songs. Have confidence I can survive gigging this weekend.

...following up from that, I bought a piece of Hi-Fi kit last week. The seller listed collection as an option, but eBay instructed him to post it. Fortunately, we worked it out: he cancelled, I got an immediate refund to PayPal, then he re-listed as collection-only, I did the offer, he accepted, and then I went and collected it.

I’ve known John W for nearly 40 years, and he’s always been superb at his craft. It’s great to see him getting a deserved mention. A proper hidden gem, and a lovely guy with it!

I've got the Energy 2x10 and use it mostly with a MB AG1000 head. I love it. It's plenty loud enough, goes deep enough, and it sounds like the tone in my head. Very happy with it.

Because it isn't tracking at all, it is putting a wah on the signal then doing a sort of bitcrush distortion thing to make the 'synth like' effect. The easiest way to track a signal is to not try!

I've played thru a couple of Hartke rigs over the years. Best was an LH500 head into 2off 15" cabs with the aluminium style speakers and it had an amazing bite to the tone. Not harsh but just a sharp grinding type edge. Its hard to explain but it was a cracking tone. At a rehearsal i once had same head thru a Hartke 410 cab again with the aluminium speakers and again it was very nice. Both had a decent depth of tone too. Never tried the HA range of heads tho. Once bought the Kilo head when they came out but it was faulty on arrival and seemed to be an issue with them so it was returned to Thomann who were excellent but i lost money because of the exchange rates etc. That put me off Hartke as their customer service didn't reply at all when i had the issue. Have to admit i was impressed with the tones i got from them. Dave

Possible yes, may be able to accommodate it in a batch of five at no extra charge.

We were a successful female fronted covers band ( rock, pop ) and the girl could sing and more importantly put on a visual show IE she was entertaining for sure. When she was leaving us for personal reasons we tried hard to find a lady who could sing rock but we failed. Most had no projection or power or they didn’t sing well ! Due to the comparison that would be clearly made to the awesome outgoing lady we decided to get a guy to replace her. The result was the band changed so much it was a terrible version of what it was. I left ( who formed the band ) then the guitarist left and only the original drummer remains Sad really how bands go from hero to zero very quickly and mostly it’s down to a change of singer especially if you were blessed with a very good front person who had an amazing vocal range and power. She looked good too !!

Being sent audio of the last originals rehearsal. Sound quality is awful, reverberation and hardly any bass. Some of the songs are a bit ordinary, but one or two could prove real bangers. I won't share because the quality is seriously poor.

Check out this carbon necked fretless Arpege https://www.ferremusique.com/basse-electrique/13092-arpege-fretless-carbon-1987-etui.html I wouldn't mind it, if it was closer and cheaper!

When I started gigging seriously at the end of the 70s, the guitar shops (in the U.K.) I frequented stocked ONLY Rotosound Bass strings. They tended to be on view only in single strings. I never had enough money to buy more than single strings anyway - I’m guessing they sold a lot of Gs!! I remember, when I was playing in a touring disco/funk band in the early 80s, breaking a D string on my Stingray (which I bought new around 1980), about half way through the set - playing octave bass lines created somewhat of a problem leading to some improvised positions and techniques….. and a trip to the guitar shop for a Rotosound bass D string at the next opportunity. Bear in mind I asked for ‘a bass string’ of whatever position I wanted (almost always G) and got given a Rotosound of whatever was the standard gauge - I got the impression that’s what everyone used. In those far off days no one used flatwounds and there was little choice for bass players. Of course, it was a different time, when even players at the pinnacle (eg Pino) generally only played one bass - and mere mortals certainly did. The days of dentists and other professionals storing and displaying multiple high end instruments were unheard of dreams yet to be thought up - mind you I recently asked my dentist, a very pleasant young lady, how many guitars she has……… she looked rather strangely at me so maybe it’s one of those musician tall tales that’s a complete fantasy 🤣🤣

Talking of wibbling randomly, here's mine... I thought a breakdancing Gandalf deserved something with bass chords and an Ian Dury-style random vocal. Oi oi! Bass and rhythm guitar = Sandberg basic through Helix. Wah guitar = Squier Strat through Helix. End guitar solo by my m8 K, Strat thru Helix. Drums EZ and AG Techno kit. Mixed in Doblies with Ozone 9, mixroom and bassroom.

The latest (and final) addition