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Showing content with the highest reputation on 26/07/25 in all areas
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So last night we headlined a 5 band charity fundraiser for Wilts Air Ambulance at The Lamb in Marlborough. We’ve been working on our new original material recently and I think it’s fair to say that other aspects of the band have taken a backseat. A couple of you may recall that we go out in different formats, across a range of instruments. I have decided recently to upskill on the mandocello and have spent the last couple of weeks practicing on it. Always beneficial. When Nick and I sat down yesterday to rehearse, we may have been the worst we have ever sounded! To the point that we regrouped at mine to go through everything again and wound up being the best we have ever sounded. We got to the gig and there was a green room with drink and food laid on for the band. Enjoying alcohol-free irresponsibly! I resisted the urge to have a Nigel Tufnel moment! All the acts were excellent but everyone overran. We wound up hitting the stage at 10.55pm and I really thought we might be doing the world’s shortest set. However, we went on with a real focus and determination, playing a really charged set. We did a full show. I am resplendent in green here! Backstage, the camaraderie between bands was superb. We talked about men’s health (& mental health) which I always think is really positive. We then talked about first gigs and young Josh (our resident cool youngster) coughed to his being Chico (“It’s Chico Time” fame!). Sadly I don’t think we can let that go! Oh, I came home to discover that aside from my band being nominated for best act in multiple categories of the Wiltshire Music Awards, I have picked up a nomination for best bassist and best multi instrumentalist too! A near perfect day.12 points
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Warwick Streamer Stage I Year – 1991 Colour – Purple sparkle/metallic Body Finish – Gloss Body Wood – Maple Neck Finish – Gloss Neck Wood – Maple Fretboard – Wenge Frets – 24 Scale Length – 34″ Weight – 9lbs (exact) Electronics – Active 3 band MEC Pickups – MEC PJ Condition - excellent with no visible marks of note and all electronics work fine. This was a custom finish (factory) and on the rear of the bass under the clear lacquer to coat is the legend ‘This instrument is a property of Warwick, Germany’. It was used at NAMM and also as a demo bass for Warwick artists/endorsers. The sound is just about as big and clear as you can get! Only trade might be a light weight Sandberg 34".10 points
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Two lunch time shows on consecutive days that couldn’t have been different. A show in a church… which garnered a lot of interest. Our new singer impressed a whole lot of fans, which was great. All is well once more, after a period of uncertainty about our new direction. Sandberg VM4 through Elf and Barefaced One10. Sandals. And a festival gig which didn’t! By showtime (12 noon) it was pouring, the guitarist and drummer hadn’t shown and we looked sunk. Half an hours grace saw the guitarist show up (he thought it was at 1pm) and the drummer pulled out (he thought it was this evening). We soldiered through as a trio and miraculously got our full fee! 😄 Flea Jazz through Elf and Barefaced Two10 (nicely visible, I am sheltering from the storm). Wet loafers.10 points
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This arrived this week at PS towers Ampeg V4B. It is simply incredible 100 watts. Simple to set up Absolute ampeg delight. I just didn't know this model existed or I would bought one ages ago It looks cool and isn't remotely back breaking at 18kg Gets its first Policed gig next week Then a blues/rock gig Then a ska/new wave gig7 points
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Excellent condition with no issues. I'm just not playing short scale basses any more. I also have the unused string mute. 780mm scale (about 30.7”) 17mm spacing at bridge 1.4” wide nut Alder body with Indian Rosewood fingerboard Tortoise pick guard options 2 Nordstrand single coil chrome cover pickups 4 push button pickup selector switches (including “all in” series mode) 4 tone selections including flat, traditional tone roll off, heavy tone roll of, and mid notch Very light weight – 3.18kg / 6lb 15oz 2 way spoke wheel truss rod adjustment Compound radius for excellent playability D’Addario Nickel Round Strings Proprietary custom US Hipshot bridge Proprietary custom licensed Hipshot oval tuning machines.7 points
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Decided there are far too many questions about this - even at 1500 quid + auction fees which bidding is now at. So going to pass. Thanks for all the info chaps, you have been most helpful!7 points
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Excellent condition for a 30 year old bass, with no issues. Classic Musicman Stingray style bridge with mutes. One of those basses that is so good that I've owned it twice! Only point of note is the 2 small holes in the pickguard where someone mounted a thumb-rest. Weight is 9lb (exactly) or 4.1kg. The neck is less wide and less 'full' than a Stingray neck and is often compared more to a Jazz profile than say a Precision. This is the earliest version with the metal battery compartment cover. Trades - 34" Sandberg... possibly.5 points
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So new (to me) bass day, a rather nice Sandberg SL. Been looking for one for a while due to back issues and when I saw this up for grabs, in my favoured black/black/maple it just had to be. Just played it for about an hour and even without being set up as I like, and without my favoured Elixirs (currently has Elites steel rounds) it’s simply a dream to play. Not usually a fan of matching headstocks but I think it really suits it, plus - and shows my levels of OCD - it matches our guitarists Ibanez like this so I’m more than happy. I’m giving up gigging so this will be used at home and with my non-gigging classic rock band, this 6lb bass will make 4hr rehearsals a lot easier.5 points
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Hi all, I'm selling this beauty as it's been sat in its case for too long doing nothing. It's been gigged a few times, but not since before 2020. There are a couple of minor dings but you have to go looking for them to see them. I bought it new from PMT Salford in 2015 and still has all the original case and goodies, all included in the sale. I changed the tuners to Gotoh, which still have lollipop keys as the originals, the only difference is the originals had Fender stamped into them. Strap buttons were also changed for locking ones, I'm including the strap locks in the sale too. Currently strung with D'Addario flats. Collection preferred but can courier at buyer's cost. Please let me know if you have any questions or want any more photos. Thanks Tom5 points
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Another Everly's and Friends Live Tribute Show yesterday. This time in Torquay, Devon. On the first weekend after the schools closed for the Summer holidays. You know what's coming... Yep, it took me ten hours to get there from Derbyshire. Every motorway, every junction, every roundabout was a massive traffic queue. Grrr! So finally got to the Babbacombe Theatre, did the gig and then cruised home in 3.5 hours. Better. Friday was a looong day. Wiped out today (Saturday.) Broken. Oh, and I almost forgot, our Duo was out last weekend for the second time. Played outside and the PA sounded awesome. Used my Melvin Lee Davis NU-X Preamp Pedal for the first time, too. Link to short video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GeM9f1uGyEgiPmpS95 points
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wowser wowser wowser words fail me on just how good it sounds bass flat mid about 10 o clock treble flat ultra bass in ultra hi in mid swith in the middle gain just on the edge with a mark bass club 1x15 cab with my 4003 it's amazing I didn't even spend that long on it and found the sound I have a couple of interesting gigs coming up in August so it'll get a proper work out truly fat5 points
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REDUCED FOR THE LAST TIME. HAPPY TO KEEP IF NECESSARY AS IT SOUNDS INCREDIBLE WITH FLATS!! For Sale, my as new Sandberg California VT in shell pink. This bass was purchased a few weeks ago and is stunning in every respect. I have changed the strings for Labella Low Tension flats which sound fabulous if you like that old school vintage sound. Whilst I haven’t got scales I can assure you this bass is exceptionally light. I guess it’s around 8lbs, maybe even a little lighter. Bass Direct have one in stock at the moment which is almost identical at a little under £2200 and under 8lbs in weight. I have never really been taken with aged looks but this is very subtle indeed, the description ‘soft aged’ is very apt in this case. You may wonder why I am selling this wonderful instrument. Well I am a casual player and already have a custom Alpher bass and clearly having two high quality basses is overkill in my situation. I have no interest in collecting so I have decided to let this one go even though it is only around 6 weeks old. If you like this type of look and want a virtually brand new instrument for a substantial reduction on the new price please get in touch. The bass comes with a quality gig bag but unfortunately I have no box to ship it in so it will have to be a meet up or collection to hand the bass over in person. Will consider trades for short scale basses particularly Hofner Club, Verithin or Violin Bass, Sandberg Florence JMJ Mustang, Serek, possibly a nice 5 string or lined fretless preferably with cash coming my way please. If you have any questions please do let me know. Thanks for looking.4 points
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Who'd have thunk it , I got to share the top step last month with @upside downer and @Baloney Balderdash. As it was a first time for Mr Balderdash , he had the choice of image for us to work on and compose to, thus... "Here is my suggestion to the image for July. A mystic contortionist, admittedly AI generated (but on my intricate description):" This has proved to be a popular image and inspired some cracking entries so have a listen through and choose your favourite 3 tracks 1 @Baloney Balderdash Flip Joint (The Contortionist).... Post Math Rock? 2 @Al Nico The image drew me to imagine a futuristic fairground organ style circus sound. Happy tune with running bass, side snare and clapping. 3 @Chiliwailer Old Age : New Age - the then young contortionist used to perform in the early 90s in ambient beats clubs. Now living off-planet, he’s a midnight street artist in the underground scene. Guitars are kind of ‘synthy contorted’ in his honour. 4 @Leonard Smalls I thought a breakdancing Gandalf deserved something with bass chords and an Ian Dury-style random vocal. Oi oi! 5 @Lord Sausage Listen to Echoes of the Altered by Dreaded Ted & The Nutters on #SoundCloud 6 Lurksalot I was reminded of the whirling dervishes and the noises I produced seem to be consistent with that 7 @Jean-Luc Pickguard was intending to add a vocal to my track, however on re-reading the lyrics I decided it was better left as an instrumental 8 @MoonBassAIpha Inspired by the picture and by a jam at a friend's house over 40 years ago. 9 @upside downer The Sage. Who is he? Where did he come from? What does he want? What does he know? Why has he started breakdancing in the old part of town? Has he got the moves? Can he still do them? Will we have to call an ambulance for the mysterious old coot? Well that drew out some fantastic material, I really enjoyed listening through ... and will do again. Choose your favourite 3 , voting will close at midnight on 31st July Dive in4 points
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Now sold The CFO and I have just come out of a bilateral meeting where a number of topics of mutual interest were discussed. Theses topics included: Balance of payments Import / export regime Tariffs Apparently I have imported quite a few basses and guitars into the house and the number of basses and guitars exported has hit an all time low of zero. This apparently means I am running a significant deficit. Due to this deficit the CFO is looking at imposing tariffs of circa 125%, such that a £500 bass attracts a tariff of £640 payable to the treasury, aka her bank account. She presented a number of options that I apparently have agreed to. Not saying anything anything as it could be taken the wrong way, clearly indicated my consent. She backed this up with leverage of me sleeping in the attic or the spare bedroom, my choice. I have no idea where she got these ideas from, but she has been paying a lot more attention to US news recently. I explained to her basic economic theory re balance of payments and who really pays tariffs, but I only received a stern look in return. This is the Harley Benton Deluxe Series active bass. This is a lovely bass but the neck and I don't get on. My thumbs are knackered from rugby and it's slightly too thick and it's painful after 15 mins. I brought it from a fellow bass chatter a few months ago but I have to recognise I need thin necks. So I've built myself an active Jazz with a Fender neck and a John East pre-amp to take it's place. Again it's a great bass and my thumbs do not do it justice. It's in good nick and as with all Harley Benton stuff its great value for money. I paid £95 but will take £80 for it. There is no case per se for it. The pictures make the neck look grubby , thats just the grain. I'd really, really, really rather not post as the postage costs will be high for what are cheap bass guitars. I am happy to meet people within an hour (ish) of Settle in North Yorkshire, I can Leeds or Manchester if necessary during the week as I work there. York is also possible. More than happy to look at swaps or trades. With cash either way, I'm looking for a decent small 6,8 or 10 channel mixer with USB in and out, or a decent FRFR speaker such as Headrush 112, a Boss Katana 100 MK2 combo amp or similar. Or something else that's interesting. I have enough guitars and basses (according to the CFO), so unless it's a 62 Precision or a Strat, that’s not going to fly. I have more IT than I need so nothing on the IT side at all please Thanks for looking Rob4 points
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I'll be there - with as many LFSys cabs as I can muster. There'll probably be at least one new model to try out.4 points
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Practice, that’s the only way. I’m not a natural singer so the only way I can get my backing vox right is practice them with the band. It’s no good at home volumes, I need to be doing them with the band and those volumes.4 points
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Hi all I've decided to try to sell my Vintera II. I bought it from GAK back in June last year and sadly it has been sat on a stand for the best part of the year, as I cannot get on with the early 60's C profile neck. There is not a scuff, scratch or ding on it as it has hardly been touched. It is an excellent bass, wearing La Bella Low tension flats, that deserves to be played. I'll take more specific close up photo's if requested. Price includes postage.3 points
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I think Wilton Felder is an underrated bassist and deserves more credit with his work from the late 60s when he was given his Fender Telecaster Bass by a club owner in 1968 (which is when he began to learn bass) to playing I Want You Back in 1969 and the amount of musical understanding that he shows throughout everything he played shows that he truly deserves to be credited amongst the session greats such as Chuck Rainey, Carol Kaye, Abe Laboriel, Nathan East etc.3 points
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I've always played Fenders / Squiers, but equally have always had a fascination for Thunderbirds (blame it on Nigel Mogg, Pete Way and Leon Wilkeson), so when this one appeared in the pre-owned stock at @Bass Direct my interest was piqued. As we were away at the time, I decided to leave it until we got home, and see if it was still available then. It was, so... 🤷♂️ It actually arrived yesterday, and I spent a pleasant afternoon swapping the strings to my preferred TI flats, tweaking the setup and intonation slightly, and trying to get used to the, erm, somewhat different ergonomics... 😂 Not had chance to run it though an amp yet, but it sounds wonderful through the Tascam bass trainer + headphones, so looking forward to giving it a proper run out at rehearsal next week. Then I just need to persuade the rest of the band to adopt a new country-goth direction...... 😎3 points
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I'm sure a lot of you have followed the progress of our very own @Silky999's Build Diary of the 'Nitro Cellulose Experiment' Jazz Bass. Well, while on my travels for a theatre gig in Torquay yesterday, I visited Silky999 and picked this up. With so many conversations these days of basses being prohibitively expensive, this is perhaps a different route to a really nice instrument. Now complete, this nitro finish bass is a lot more than the sum of it's parts. The Nitro finish really lets the bass speak and it really does have a voice of it's own. I'd personally rate it much higher playing-wise than a Mexican Fender, and sound wise, it'd give my American Original a run for it's money. Don't expect these to be around the £300 (cost of parts) mark for long!3 points
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Last night, I played for the first time in about a month because of band members' holidays etc. with Nine Lives at The Butchers Arms in Inverurie. Great to get back in the saddle, I've missed it! Anyhoo, it was a really good night, quite busy, lots of folk up dancing, a couple of young bass nerds took a photo of my pedalboard and were chatting to me at half time - about my basses, how long I've been playing etc. Fridays can be so hit and miss so very happy to find the place being reasonably busy. In honour of the Prince of Darkness, we did a little three song Ozzy bit in the second set, Crazy Train, Bark at the Moon then Paranoid. That went down well. Anyway, I played pretty well, I only forgot how one song went in one bit (but we're ditching it soon anyway so maybe I was already subconsciously deleting it from my memory). I think some video was taken so if anything appears I'll be sure and share it. Gear was the Greco triple pickup LP then the DeArmond Jet Star (Wonky Boi) into the yellow and black cubes of doom.3 points
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I've found this approach really helps for my basic attempts at singing. Once I have largely got both parts down in isolation I start identifying which note in the bassline is the cue to start singing a particular word or line.3 points
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If I may make the assumption that you drive a car (or ride a motorbike...), you may remember the very first time in charge. There's the whole process of starting off, then a permanent series of things that the brain and body must coordinate to make it work, safely. At first, there's the notion of braking and holding down the clutch, so as not to stall. Then the rigmarole of changing from one gear to the next, with hand and arm movements and foot control. Doing all of this thankfully becomes second nature, and after some practice, one may do these things subconsciously, with no mental effort, all the while listening to the cd player and holding down a conversation. How did that happen..? Yes, it's just good ol' solid repetition and practice. It comes all the faster if one takes it slowly, a bit at a time, without being too ambitious, too early. The more one does it, routinely, the better it becomes assimilated into one's reflexes. It's not that it's easy; it's as easy as the (small...) effort one puts into it. Anyone, including yourself, can do it, with just a little self-discipline and regular (once a day for a few minutes..?) exercise. Does this help..?3 points
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I've lost gigs because of my inability to sing and play at the same time. TBF my inability to actually sing hasn't helped either.3 points
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Practice - you’ll spot “anchor points” in the song where this lyric and that bass part match up and make it easier to navigate. Also, worth trying one thing at a time. Learning to sing a song well is a job in itself, so maybe do that as one job and learning the bass line as another job. Once you’ve got them in hand, then start combining them. Good luck.3 points
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Reckon I'll mosey on down..... I'll bring my Spector Pulse 2 with the LHZ preamp, a Warwick Proline custom, an LFSys Monaco cab and a couple of amps (a choice between a Bugera Veyron, Quilter BB800, Mesa Big Block or an Orange 4 Stroke - if anyone would like to have a bash on something let me know your preference)3 points
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I’ve been playing this for a few weeks now and loving it even more! I’ve adjusted the pickup heights slightly, resulting in an improved tone and even volume across the strings and tweaked the relief/action a little. Played a large outdoor festival the other week, through an Ampeg SVT and 4x10 on a big stage with a proper festival PA. My bass sounded great and lots of nice comments about my sound at this gig from the crew, and from my band mates at rehearsals. I couldn’t be more pleased with it. IMG_0668.mov3 points
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That’s a good point. Aside from Sire, I always found that the pickups on cheaper basses lacked depth (bass frequencies) in their pickups. The originator of Sire was an electrician/ engineer, much like the founder of Markbass. My MIM P bass had American standard pups but I improved it a lot by swapping them for Lindy Fralin3 points
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3 points
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... with Japanese pots and mixed American and Japanese wires, mixed parts pre and post 1969 bridge (longer intonation G string screw at the ... E string), totally wrong knobs, really bad refret job with non Brazilian rosewood fingerboard as it's definitely not that wood (maybe already replaced once), questionable stamped neck plate, possibly warped neck, black screws for the control plate, and certainly more surprises under the pickguard and tuners : AVOID THIS!3 points
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That seems like the best decision. A lot of questions about the authenticity of the instrument.3 points
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Here's another gorgeous guitar I finished recently. Price includes insured delivery within the UK Allparts neck finished in thin nitrocellulose lacquer. Dark rosewood fingerboard. Bone nut Gotoh Kluson style tuners with staggered posts. Monteray artwork body with the correct upper horn rose wrapping over the edge of the body. Monteray artwork pickguard Monteray inscribed rear trem cover. Hendrix head neck plate. Replica fabric sticker on forearm chamfer (same as on the Fender Custom Shop models) Custom wound pickups Full size under pickguard shielding plate. CRL 5 way switch CTS pots Switchcraft output jack Vintage era style tremolo Fender parchment pickup covers, switch tip, trem tip, and control knobs. Fender Wrangler Denim covered hard case, with cream plush lining, and pink and blue Paisley on the underside of the case compartment lid. Go on, treat yourself.3 points
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I think it’s worth bearing in mind that if you bought this, and then later decided to move it on, all the questions you’re asking now will get asked by potential buyers. I’d imagine plenty of them would have reservations about the same things we’ve discussed here, so it might not be the easiest bass to sell. If it’s a great player, then you might be ok, but if it’s not (and a warped neck won’t help) then I fear you’d be stuck with a bit of a dog.3 points
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Material is less important than how well a nut is cut and fitted. My '72 J bass is still on its original and none the worse. Perhaps if I used rounds and constantly cranked the tension up and down, it would wear, but I don't and it doesn't.3 points
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Another Wednesday night for me playing rock n roll at a local club. A three piece band ( guitar, bass and drums ) using the house PA for vocals and our own backline. A reasonable crowd all wanting to dance, so we obliged with a good selection of stuff including ‘Flip flop and fly’, ‘Lipstick, powder and paint’, ‘Sea cruise’, and some more recent tunes like ‘I knew the bride’ and ‘Rockabilly rebel’. We ended the evening with ‘Tennessee Waltz’ as a tribute to Connie Francis. I used my P-Lyte into a Hartke 3500 and my old Loud 4x10. Couple of musos commented it didn’t sound as good as my Rumble 500 I used last week, and I have to agree. We get to leave the gear at the club though, and I use the Rumble on other gigs so it’s easier for me to use this set up , but I maybe do need to consider getting another Rumble at some point.3 points
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[Pedantry] Decimalisation in the UK started in 1971, so that would have to be 9d, not 9p (the 'd' stemming from the Roman 'denarius'...), but would more likely have cost 6d (sixpence, or a 'tanner'...) at the time, really; the equivalent in pence would be 2½p. [/Pedantry]3 points
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If you really want a Fender then buy used. I’m of the opinion that they’ve always been massively overpriced anyway.3 points
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The exact opposite of the 79 P bass that I'm selling, this is an all original series 1 Fender Urge bass. Fender's first 'signature' bass designed with/for Stu Hamm. It is an amalgamation of the Precision, Jazz, and Kubicki Ex Factor basses (Kubicki active circuit with by-pass). Features a downsized alder body, Lace Sensor custom noiseless Jazz Bass pickups + custom Precision pickup, dual-band EQ, a panning Jazz pickup selector control, asymmetrical oval neck profile with a sculpted heel, string-through gold-plated bridge, black Gotoh GB7 tuners and a medium-scale, 32" graphite-reinforced maple neck featuring a 2-octave pau ferro fingerboard with 24 medium-jumbo frets. This bass also had a rotary switch offering four modes: standby (off), active mid-boost, active no-boost, and passive (urge). Weight is a very easy on the back 3.6kg / 7lb 15oz Comes with the original fitted case (inc keys). If I've missed anything I can only apologise and I'm happy to answer any questions. The absolute only trades I'd be interested in would be an early Warwick Streamer or a newer Sandberg VS / VT P bass (ideally black but open to talk). Obviously the price reflects the fact that this is all original and in excellent condition with the original (faux grey baby crocodile) case. Based in the North East but happy to talk about meeting up or courier.2 points
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As a PJB user, I agree with Bill and others who suggest that a decent 1x10 is probably your best option. There are plenty of quality 10" drivers that work well for bass. If you go the PJB route, even their 2x5 combo will cost you £400 and up, unless you find a used one at a bargain price. Those 5" drivers are great for their size, but if you're planning to jam with friends and do the odd open mic' night, I think 2x5 might struggle, especially against drums, unless the other instruments are all acoustic. I use at least two PJB 4x5 cabs (I have five, so take out as many as I need) for all but the quietest gigs. They are also quite inefficient, so take a bit of driving. I'd add a Barefaced 1x10 and something like a TE Elf to your list of things to consider. That would be light/portable and give a good account of itself. Someone I know uses an Elf with two BF 1x10s and it's surprisingly pokey.2 points
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Another bucket list transcription but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (to transcribe, not to play). The complete Steve Rodby performance on the tune 'And Then I Knew' from the 1995 Pat Metheny Group album, 'We Live Here'. Some great groove playing in the closing quarter of the tune. https://bilbosbassbites.co.uk/and-then-i-knew-pat-metheny-group/2 points
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Well done for persevering! I think I would have lost my head in a blind rage over a no show! I get mardy enough with other members turning up late without a good excuse/doctors note/hand written letter from mum saying they've got the shits2 points
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I have no experience of Phil Jones amplifiers but as an engineer I have always distrusted them for the reasons Bill has mentioned.There are so many combos out there that I feel would work better for you. May I humbly suggest trips to music stores and try out as many combos as you can. Remember that bass and small really don't go together that well! LOL2 points
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This is a very nice, modular pine shelving system. We brought it go around an corner in our attic room but is no longer needed. Its very, very sturdy and has any number of different ways it can be put together. There are various heights, various lengths and various widths of shelves. Surprisingly it has all the bits apart from whatever screws you need to attach it to the wall. The wire bits hold the shelves up, which is so much better than a little button. We had it with heavy books on it and it's as straight as the day it came to us. From memory it cost aground £5-600 for all the bits as they a massive step up in quality from IKEA Collection from near Settle in North Yorkshire. Free to anybody who wants them, they will probably fit in a medium sized estate/saloon. Needs to go quickly though Thanks Rob Now gone.2 points
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I wouldn't consider anything with smaller than an eight inch driver. Sure, you could use fives...if there are at least four of them, which pushes the price up, as four fives cost a lot more than one eight. Even an eight is questionable, as manufacturers don't load premium eight inch drivers into inexpensive combos. For what you'd pay for a combo with a premium eight, like a Trace ELF 1x8, you could get a better result with a much less expensive combo loaded with a middle of the road ten.2 points
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2 points
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I don’t think that there is any doubt that Indonesian or Chinese or Korean manufacturers can make instruments, cars or fairly soon aeroplanes or spacecraft as well as the Americans. Hence the current tariffs and other short term noise. Edit: There will obviously be some flexibility to this point in terms of budget. At the very bottom end corners will be cut wherever something is made and over time things will balance out. Wages, property prices etc will increase in the Far East as these countries continue to become more affluent.2 points
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Fiesta Red. What a weird colour. I‘m really surprised by the amount of instruments manufactured and, apparently, being sold in this shade of red. Is it the Pino effect? I don’t know. What surprises me so much about it being so readily available across various price points is not only that it is a deeply weird colour, in my opinion: Is it red? pink? orange? tomato soup? Well … yes, all of the above! But really, in this day and age of buying online based on pictures, there‘s still one problem with digital photography: To accurately capture a particular shade of red is actually really hard for most cameras, at least without careful correction / editing afterwards. Because of this, I‘d assume at least part of the Fiesta Red online buying public might expect a bright red instrument in the mail, only to receive some weird pinkish tomato by courier. I remember aeons ago when I was playing skinny strings, I had a beautifully playing Strat-type with a lovely flamed maple neck and a P90 in the bridge position. Finished, of all things, in Fiesta Red. I abhorred that colour, ultimately let the instrument go because of it and soon after, all other tenors in my collection. So in a way, Fiesta Red might be the catalyst for me growing into my role as a bassist. Possibly. Which makes somewhat a circle with my latest acquisition: A Music Man (US) Classic Sterling in EBMM‘s take on Fiesta, that is Coral Red. (I don’t know if they are the exact same shade of red but they certainly are close siblings.) I bought this bass primarily to switch its maple neck onto my natural Classic Sterling (with a rosewood board), but even after successful surgery, I can’t seem to let it go: That bass, and that colour, are simply too much fun. And you know something else? I actually like tomato soup.2 points
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Here's your chance to grab another of my builds. Price includes insured delivery within the UK Allparts neck with rolled fingerboard edges, and smooted fret ends, for a really comfortable playing feel. Finished in ultra thin nitrocellulose lacquer. Gotoh Kluson style tuners with staggered posts. Bone nut Neck plate with same serial number as on David's black Strat. Alder body. Custom wound pickups to match the magnetic types, bobbin colour, wire type, and coil resistance, on each pickup to match the pickupntypes used by David. Gotoh Wilkinson VG 300 tremolo to provide a vintage look, but with greater stability compared to a 6 screw vintage trem. Mini toggle switch, mounted flush to the pickguard surface, to add the neck pickup in any selector position. CRL 5 way selector switch CPS pots Switchcraft output jack Comes with the Gilmour / Hendrix suede leather strap. Comes with deluxe padded gigbag. Go on, treat yourself!2 points
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The "bluegrassy" trio did an outdoor busking gig in front of a restaurant at noon today. First time in many years where I have played on a sidewalk, we went acoustic (mandolin, guitar,DB, vocals) except for me on DB who used my Traynor amp to give just a bit more volume. We will be doing another lunch time gig next week and then have a bluegrass festival with the full 5 piece band the following weekend.2 points
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This might be a radical opinion, but... Do you really need another bass? What wrong with the one(s) you already have?2 points